Tax Justice to present 40,000 signatures to Parliament, Tuesday 16 August

40,000 signatures calling for GST to be removed from food and a tax placed on financial speculation instead will be presented to Parliament at 12noon on Tuesday 16 August.

The Tax Justice petition will be received on the steps of Parliament by Su’a William Sio, the Labour MP for Mangere, who will be presenting it to the House.

Russel Norman, Green Party co-leader, and Hone Harawira, Mana leader, have also confirmed their attendance at the petition handover.

“With round two of the Global Financial Crisis upon is, there’s more reason than ever to make changes to New Zealand’s unfair tax system,” says Vaughan Gunson, Tax Justice campaign coordinator.

“Taking GST off food would give immediate relief to ordinary New Zealanders struggling to pay the bills. While introducing a Financial Transaction Tax that targets the pariahs of the financial world would generate much needed government revenue,” says Gunson.

The organisations and individuals who have actively supported the Tax Justice campaign to date will be represented in a delegation on the steps of Parliament. Included in the delegation are: Aaron Edwards (Whangarei District Councilor), Alastair Duncan (Service & Food Workers Union), Ariana Paretutanganui-Tamati (Mana Movement), Kay Murray (Alliance Party co-leader), Mike Clark (Maritime Union of NZ), Peter Conway (Council of Trade Unions secretary), and Sheryl Cadman (National Distribution Union).

Vaughan Gunson, Tax Justice campaign coordinator, is available to speak to the media about the Tax Justice campaign prior to, during, and after the presentation of the petition.

The MPs who will be receiving the petition, and members of the Tax Justice delegation, will be available to speak to the media on the steps of Parliament between 11.30am and 1pm.

A group “photo opportunity” for photographers and TV cameras will be organised at the conclusion of the formal presentation of the Tax Justice petition to the MPs.

For more information on the Tax Justice campaign go to www.nogstonfood.org

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