Parliament Sits Late Again

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32392, 3 September 1970, Page 12

Parliament Sits Late Again

(N.Z. Press Association)

WELLINGTON, September 2. The Opposition tonight maintained its inch-by-inch battle against the introduction of the payroll tax in an attack headed by Mr C. J. Moyle (Lab., Mangere).

desk-thumping speech, said: “Tills Government is finished and he (the Minister of Finance) is the biggest single reason for it.”

He callenged the Government to go to the country. It had promised before the election that there would be no tax increases. But the payroll tax had been introduced. “Once it is introduced into the cost structure it can’t be

removed,” he said. “This is the last opportunity to remove it”

An equivalent of $33 million was being levied in extra taxes, but the consumer would have to carry $66 million in increased costs.

Criticising the Government for giving relief to the farming industry, Mr Kirk turned on a Governmen interjector and said: “What we want is

the same rights for the community as they are giving to farmers.”

The Government could not possibly say that the average wage and salary earner was now better off. A married man with three children had received, in the last 10 years, a wage increase 60.9 per cent; but tax had gone up by 116.3 per cent. ■

Quoting from an Auckland Provincial Retailers’ Association circular, Mr Kirk said that retailers had been advised to increase their markups by 20 per cent because of payroll tax and other increased costs. This meant that the mark-up would be 60 per cent instead of 50 per cent

The Government stood convicted of not giving the wage and salary earners a “fair go.” These were the ones being hit hardest of all.

As Mr Kirk sat down to applause from the Opposition the Prime Minister (Sir Keith Holyoake) said: “Oh, golly gosh.”

Even Mr Kirk laughed a' this remark.