More promised for pensioners

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33252, 15 June 1973, Page 10

More promised for pensioners

GVew Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, June 14. The Minister of Finance (Mr Rowling) said on television tonight he recognised that the new social securityincreases for pensioners would not “be adequate for very long."

But he added: “We are not by any means satisfied with the situation, and we are going to help them in other ways.” He agreed with an interviewer who suggested that any married man earning more than $6OOO a year would pay more tax under the income tax changes. But he said those earning less than that and claiming a wife’s full allowance would pay less tax than at present. Of his action against property speculators, Mr Rowling said: “The genuine developer will not be affected, any more than the ordinaryman who wants to sell his house. “We are after one person — we are concerned t« see that the speculator is pushed out of this area entirely. 1 will be happy if I don't collect one dollar for this tax ” Mr Rowling defended bis decision not to abolish payroll tax before October 1, and not to introduce the new overtime and shift-work tax concessions before that date against a charge from his predecessor (Mr Muldoon) that they should have been introduced immediately. “No-one had a better opportunity to remove the payroll tax than Mr Muldoon,” he said, adding that the tax changes on shift work and overtime were “ a little more complicated that we had originally thought.” Mr Rowling also admitted that the new freight subsidies introduced as part of the regional development pro-

j Igramme would work in J favour of the South Island. | “I don’t think any North '[lslander would quarrel with 11 this,” he said. r