Brash's No. 1 priority: tax cuts for the rich

National's new leader is trying to bribe his old mates back into the party by offering tax cuts and the chance to loot some more state-owned assets, Green Party Co-leader Rod Donald said today.

Dr Brash's first policy pronouncements since rolling Bill English just two days ago would see a new round of asset sales and a tax-cut plan, to entice wealthy individuals and rich corporate donors back into the thin blue line of the party faithful.

The Brash plan would squander the $5.6 billion budget surplus on tax breaks for companies and high earners, boosting the annual income of someone earning $500,000 a year by an extra $40,000, a tax cut bigger than the average wage. A worker on the average wage would only get an extra $48 a year, while anyone earning less than $38,000 would get nothing at all.

"If Dr Brash is as concerned about jobs, education and health services for low income families as he claims then he should support our policies, such as the Green tax plan to make the first $5000 of income tax free for all New Zealanders and Sue Bradford's Child Benefit Bill," said Rod Donald.

"Instead of pandering to corporate greed, Dr Brash should be looking at ways to make large companies meet their social and environmental obligations. I challenge Dr Brash to name a single corporation that's paying 33 per cent tax right now.

"Come back, Bill, we're missing you already."

ENDS

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