NEWS WORTHY
8 July 2005
No. 35

Childcare tax deduction

The next National Government will introduce a new tax deduction for pre-school childcare costs to ease the financial pressures on parents, particularly on second-income earners and employed sole parents.

The policy will take effect on 1 April next year, and will cost an estimated $160 million per year.

National will recognise as tax deductible the pre-school childcare costs of working parents up to $5,000 per child. Costs will be deductible at 33% of out-of-pocket childcare costs. In effect, one-third of childcare costs will be able to be claimed, resulting in a tax refund of a maximum of $1,650 per child.

This will be available for all forms of childcare – that provided by registered childcare centres, or informal arrangements such as nannies and other home-based care.

The deduction will be modelled on the existing housekeeper rebate.
National’s full tax package, to be announced at a later date, will ease the pressures on middle-income families.

“Too hot” file now bulging

The Government is shelving a growing pile of issues which it believes are too hot to handle. They include:

· Public access to waterways
· Increasing the drinking age
· Transpower’s new electricity corridor between Hamilton and Auckland
· The Gender Identity Bill which would permit cross-dressing in the military, police and the classroom
· Vehicle emission testing rules
· Changes to rural school bus services
· The review of the constitution and the Treaty of Waitangi
· Legislation to extend marine reserves

Maori language test

In the last issue there was a competition for correctly translating the following line

“Raiona ki runga te marae. Hipi ki roto te whare Paremata”.

Thank you for all the entries. The translation is:

“Lions on the marae. Lambs in the House of Parliament”

It is a reference to the style of the Labour Party Maori Members of Parliament.

Overseas voting

For those who will be overseas at the time of the election (whenever that is) the system for overseas voting is described at
http://www.elections.org.nz/voting/printer_how_vote_overseas.html

National ramps up web campaign

The National Party has launched three new internet initiatives.

National TV at www.nationaltv.org.nz is a streaming web channel which can be used by voters to view National Party programmes, commercials and video speeches.

At the same time the Party has released a series of e-cards containing the popular National Party billboards and a succinct statement of the key policy plan that relates to each billboard. They are available on the main National Party webpage at www.national.org.nz/ecards.aspx.

Further, the Party has launched a new policy website www.buildroadsnow.org.nz which lays out National’s full plan for roading, including the pledge to invest all petrol taxes on the roads.

Tax clip

To date there have been 33 new taxes which I have identified in earlier newsletters in clips of five (News Worthy 28, 30 and 34). Here are the next five:

· Petrol excise duty -5c per litre & increase in road user charges of 24% for vehicles under 5 tonnes - 1 April 2005
· Road user charges for vehicles 5 tonnes and under by average of 24% (works out to be $6.22 for a 2 tonne vehicle) - 1 April 2005
· Carbon Taxes - 1 c/kWh electricity - 4c litre petrol (estimated $200 pa per household) -1 April 2007
· ACC levies - Self-employed increased by 40% and wages earners increase from $1.10 to $1.20 per $100 of income - 1 April 2002
· ACC motor vehicle levies -Motor bike increased 57% to $211.65, Car increased from $123.70 to $141.10 -1 April 2002

Political Quote of the Week
"You cannot feed the hungry on statistics", David Lloyd George, British Prime Minister

Upcoming Events

8 July
Don Brash visiting Epsom Electorate

Taiwanese Community fundraising dinner

Richard on Eye to Eye TV Programme

9 July
Lions vs All Blacks- Auckland

10 July - 12.15pm
Epsom Electorate luncheon with guest speaker Hon Maurice Williamson speaking on Roading Now. Enquiries Sue Chatfield (09) 520 3532

Sea & Shipping Service at the Holy Trinity Church

11 July
Richard speaking at the Auckland National Council of Women meeting

Richard on Close-up programme tonight

12 July
"60 years ago" exhibition opening in Wellington - celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations between France and NZ

Prince Albert II will be enthroned as ruler of Monaco today

14 July
France National Day celebrations in Wellington

16 July
NZ Society for Music Therapy Annual Conference

17 July
Memorial Service for Bhagubhai Vaghela

Ethnic Media Press Conference

20 July
Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce in Oceania hosting 2005 Regional Conference dinner

21 July 2005
Inaugural Hope Foundation Fundraiser

25 July
Richard opening Panacea Arts Exhibition "A World of Difference"

26 July
House resumes sitting

27 July
52nd Anniversary NZ Korea Veterans Annual Cease Fire Parade

28 July
184th Anniversary Peru Independence reception in Wellington

Richard Worth

Visit my website for more information at: www.richardworth.co.nz

ENDS

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