National must rule out working with socialist Greens

ACT Leader David Seymour is calling on National to rule out working with the Greens after the election, on the day that the Greens embrace envy politics and endorse dependency.

"So much for the new business-friendly Green Party," says Mr Seymour. "Metiria Turei has clearly outmaneuvered James Shaw. Socialism has won out over environmentalism. National now needs to rule out working with the Greens after the election.

"The Greens' stance on welfare is communism without the stealth. By removing drug test and job search obligations tied to benefits, the Greens suggest it's okay for people to live off the taxpayer with no strings attached.

"If you stay at home and smoke drugs all day you get a pay rise. If you get up and go to work you get a tax hike.

"The Greens don't seem to get that freedom also comes with responsibility.

"National needs to condemn this, as a supposedly centre-right party. The benefit is meant to be a safety net, not a lifestyle. And the Greens would fund this lifestyle by whacking top earners with a 20 per cent tax hike. It's a stunning insult to the people who actually work and pay tax.

"You can't solve poverty by throwing money at it. ACT would instead restore affordability to housing, offer better choices in education, and create opportunities for those ready to work and be productive. Clearly this is too hard for the Greens.

"And hitting high-earners with a 40 per cent tax bracket is plain envy politics. It wouldn't raise much extra revenue - it would just punish productive New Zealanders and would stifle economic growth. Under ACT's tax plan, no-one would have to pay more than a 25 per cent tax rate."

ENDS

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