The centrist parties tell us that only tiny tax cuts can be afforded at this time. Our tax is used to pay for government departments, state-owned enterprises, councils and quangos. There are 407 of them!
We pay on average more than 40% of our income if you include GST and other levies such as petrol tax. If the economic resession deepens into a depression, we the productive taxpaying sector are going to struggle to keep paying for all this.

PARTY LIST

Helen Clark says she "can't look the electorate in the eye and say that significant across-the-board tax cuts can be afforded while we still maintain our spending on areas that are critical to New Zealanders."

Libertarianz leader Bernard Darnton has some help for Helen: "How about starting with this list below and see which departments, boards, SOEs and quangos present some opportunities for large-scale savings."

Libertarianz suggests the vast majority could be gone by lunchtime.

Let's have feedback on what you think. Look at the list at http://libertarianz.org.nz/?libzpr=350

THE Labour Party GOVERNMENT MACHINE
The out-of-control construction of positions in the public sector:

Ministry of Education

2000: 906 in Wellington - 1224 nationwide
2002: 1460 in Wellington - 3675 nationwide
2004: 1899 in Wellington - 5553 nationwide
2006: 1998 in Wellington - 5756 nationwide
2007: 2202 in Wellington - 5907 nationwide

Ministry of Health
2000: 834 in Wellington - 911 nationwide
2002: 1202 in Wellington - 1673 nationwide
2004: 1641 in Wellington - 2204 nationwide
2006: 1958 in Wellington - 3545 nationwide
2007: 2265 in Wellington - 2595 nationwide

Department of Building and Housing*

2000: 123 in Wellington - 253 nationwide
2002: 136 in Wellington - 268 nationwide
2004: 178 in Wellington - 312 nationwide
2006: 469 in Wellington - 627 nationwide
2007: 518 in Wellington - 680 nationwide

Department of Corrections

2000: 1425 in Wellington - 7698 nationwide
2002: 1822 in Wellington - 8595 nationwide
2004: 2208 in Wellington - 9435 nationwide
2006: 2600 in Wellington - 11,294 nationwide
2007: 2723 in Wellington - 12,877 nationwide

Ministry of Justice

2000: 345 in Wellington - 345 nationwide
2002: 373 in Wellington - 380 nationwide
2004: 1817 in Wellington - 4819 nationwide
2006: 2199 in Wellington - 5606 nationwide
2007: 3468 in Wellington - 5833 nationwide

BUT!!!:

Ministry of Economic Development

2000: 946 in Wellington - 1391 nationwide
2002: 1035 in Wellington - 1466 nationwide
2004: 1024 in Wellington - 1411 nationwide
2006: 1076 in Wellington - 1446 nationwide
2007: 994 in Wellington - 1390 nationwide


*Formed in 2004. Absorbed functions from the Building Industry Authority between 2000 and 2004.

Source: State Services Commission (figures include fulltime equivalent staff).
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I would prefer to see tax rates go up, as opposed to going down. I do not believe there is any problem with them being too high at the moment. Tax cuts are quite simply a way of hurting the needy to help the greedy.