1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,920 Speaker 1: Hey, good afternoon. The Greens have revealed their alternative budget. 2 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:05,080 Speaker 1: It's full of new taxes. There's a wealth tax, a 3 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:08,280 Speaker 1: jet tax and inheritance tax too, new income tax rates, 4 00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:11,160 Speaker 1: a higher companies tax, and it's full of freebies. Free 5 00:00:11,240 --> 00:00:14,920 Speaker 1: GP visits, free annual dental health checkups, free basic dental care, 6 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:16,919 Speaker 1: free child care for kids as young as six months. 7 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:20,239 Speaker 1: Chloe Swarbrick is the Green Party co leading with us. Now, hey, Chloe, 8 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:22,800 Speaker 1: sure to hear Chloe, why do you waste your time 9 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 1: with crap like this is not going to happen. 10 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 2: The point here is to set the agenda and to 11 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 2: show New Zealander is the kind of country that we 12 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:32,199 Speaker 2: actually can have if we want to fight for it, 13 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:34,920 Speaker 2: and just actually on your point around taxes and what 14 00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 2: we're deciding to spend them on, I think we should 15 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:38,960 Speaker 2: just take a step back and reflect on the reality 16 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:42,160 Speaker 2: that very few people individually have the resources to build 17 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:44,879 Speaker 2: schools or hospitals, or actually even to pay for the 18 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:47,400 Speaker 2: real cost of eighteen years worth of education or for 19 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 2: a loved one's cancer treatment. That is why we pull 20 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 2: our resource resources together through this thing that we call 21 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:55,480 Speaker 2: tax so that we can build and own things together, 22 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 2: which would be very difficult for almost any of us 23 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:00,080 Speaker 2: to do a line. But the point of being yea Zeland. 24 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 1: In order to do what you want to do and 25 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:04,280 Speaker 1: give freebes to everybody, you're going to be taxing nurses, 26 00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:06,560 Speaker 1: aren't you? Senior nurses at thirty nine percent? Is that 27 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:07,160 Speaker 1: a good idea? 28 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:12,360 Speaker 2: We are as through our tax changes proposing that ninety 29 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:15,240 Speaker 2: one percent of the population will pay lower income tax, 30 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 2: and i'd encourage everybody to go on to our online 31 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:20,200 Speaker 2: calculator to see how these tax changes would make them 32 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 2: better off. 33 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:25,039 Speaker 1: But you can't tell me that senior nurses earning enough 34 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:26,720 Speaker 1: money as it is right now now you want to 35 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 1: whack greater tax on them. 36 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 2: The point that we're making here is that we can 37 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:34,279 Speaker 2: have a fairer tax system and in care to you fund, 38 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:37,960 Speaker 2: we can fund the services that all New Zealanders ultimately 39 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:42,880 Speaker 2: rely on. Nurses, firefighters, regular New Zealanders all need to 40 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:45,960 Speaker 2: go to the GP. The GP we are saying should 41 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:48,840 Speaker 2: be free. Families should be able to send their kids 42 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:52,440 Speaker 2: to high quality early childhood education for free. We should 43 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 2: be able to have freed dentistry, and we should all 44 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 2: be able to have a stable climate that we are 45 00:01:56,880 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 2: passing on to future generations. These are the things that 46 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 2: are possible if we're grown ups about the issues that 47 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 2: we are facing as a country. And yes it is 48 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:06,880 Speaker 2: going to take serious investment. Yes we are going to 49 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 2: have to pay for it. But this is the reality 50 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:11,000 Speaker 2: of the situation and the Greens are the only party 51 00:02:11,040 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 2: with the backbone you want to confront it. 52 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 1: You're wanting to impose a wealth tax of two and 53 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 1: a half percent on property on net assets of two million. 54 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:22,600 Speaker 1: Right now you realize that that is going to catch 55 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:25,680 Speaker 1: families in Auckland because there will be people in Auckland 56 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:28,800 Speaker 1: who have a house worth two million and no mortgage 57 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 1: on it. 58 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:31,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, so I want to be clear about us. This 59 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:34,760 Speaker 2: is a tax on individual net wealth over two million 60 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:37,240 Speaker 2: at a rate of two point five percent, So for 61 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 2: a couple that would be over four millions. 62 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:42,360 Speaker 1: And what you're doing, Chloe, listened to yourself. What are 63 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: you doing is you're saying, listen, as long as you 64 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 1: stay with your drop kick husband, you won't get taxed. 65 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:49,880 Speaker 1: But the minute you become a solo mum and stay 66 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 1: in that house, we're coming for you. 67 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 2: What I'm saying here though, is that you current through it. 68 00:02:56,200 --> 00:02:57,119 Speaker 2: I have thought that through. 69 00:02:57,360 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 1: Are you okay with that? Are you okay with a 70 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:02,240 Speaker 1: I'm staying in a house in Auckland as a solo 71 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: map suddenly gets pinged because she decides to break up 72 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:04,920 Speaker 1: with her husband. 73 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:08,680 Speaker 2: I think that unfortunately, oftentimes what should be quite rational 74 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 2: and evidence based discussions about the tax system end up 75 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:14,840 Speaker 2: being taken to these extremes and much away. 76 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:18,520 Speaker 1: Chloe, it's our hard earned money. It's emotional for us. 77 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:21,640 Speaker 2: I hear you on that, and that's precisely why we 78 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 2: need to have a rational debate about it. Absolutely, people 79 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:27,360 Speaker 2: can talk about their lived experiences with these things, but 80 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:30,679 Speaker 2: that also needs to reflect. These conversations also need to 81 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:33,400 Speaker 2: reflect the fact that our health system is crumbling, our 82 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:36,040 Speaker 2: infrastructure is falling apart, and all of that is as 83 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:39,000 Speaker 2: a result of decades of under investment from successive government. 84 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 2: I tell you, all of us live in the society 85 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:42,400 Speaker 2: and we can invest in it. 86 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:45,400 Speaker 1: The sooner that you guys realize that emotions are tied 87 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:48,120 Speaker 1: up in politics, that the faster you'll actually start putting 88 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 1: out stuff that actually makes sense. You realize that this, 89 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 1: You realize that when you put nonsense like this out, 90 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 1: it actually makes the chances of the Left getting back 91 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:59,240 Speaker 1: into government much lower because no one wants to elect 92 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 1: a Labour party that's bolden. 93 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 2: To you people, us people being the people who are 94 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:07,560 Speaker 2: putting the solutions on the table for the bigger it's. 95 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:11,080 Speaker 1: Natty, it's naughty. We are now rational people who own 96 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 1: assets don't want to vote for this stuff. Therefore, you 97 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:16,839 Speaker 1: chances of a left wing government lower if. 98 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:18,120 Speaker 2: I can bring you back down to earth on this. 99 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 2: So I sit on street corners in Auckland Central during 100 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:24,679 Speaker 2: the twenty twenty election. Auckland Central, of course, is a suburb, 101 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:29,039 Speaker 2: is an electorate that has suburbs which contain multimillion dollar properties. 102 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 2: And I stood on street corners in those environments in 103 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 2: Pontsomby and Saint Mary's Bay and otherwise, and I spoke 104 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:37,240 Speaker 2: to people about the reality of what the wealth tax 105 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:40,080 Speaker 2: would actually mean. And yes, it does mean that those 106 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 2: who hold that amount of wealth are going to be 107 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:45,400 Speaker 2: captured by that wealth tax. But the trade off that 108 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:47,560 Speaker 2: we get for that investment is that we have the 109 00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:51,159 Speaker 2: opportunity to end homelessness and poverty in this country. We 110 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 2: have the opportunity food and security. 111 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 1: That is never going to happen, and you know that 112 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 1: this is just nonsense, the idea that we can end 113 00:04:58,080 --> 00:04:59,200 Speaker 1: poverty and homelessness. 114 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 2: But we took the approach after the World Wars and 115 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:07,080 Speaker 2: the Great Depression to invest in public education, public health care, 116 00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:10,160 Speaker 2: public housing, and the public safety net, all of which 117 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:13,599 Speaker 2: produced the decades followings and paid for I might add 118 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 2: by higher taxes on those who had profited handsomely during 119 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:19,799 Speaker 2: a time of hardship for many. That created a period 120 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:22,160 Speaker 2: by which even those who were having a hard time 121 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 2: were able to participate in society and get the necessary 122 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:28,640 Speaker 2: social mobility so that they could live a good life 123 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:31,479 Speaker 2: in the future. This is actually about ensuring that all 124 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:33,640 Speaker 2: New Zealanders get a fair go, and I think that's 125 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:34,559 Speaker 2: pretty common sense. 126 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 1: Chloe, it's always good to talk to you. Thank you, 127 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 1: Chloe Swarbrick, Green Party co leader. For more from Heather 128 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:43,640 Speaker 1: Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to news Talks. It'd be 129 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:47,640 Speaker 1: from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.