Liveable incomes made possible through a fair tax system.
The Green Party will guarantee a decent income for all and pay for it with a fair tax system.
No matter what we do or where we live, everyone should have enough to put food on the table, a safe place to call home and the ability to live a good life.
There is enough for everyone to be well, but right now, thousands of children are going to bed hungry. Families are struggling to pay the rent or mortgage and keep their homes warm. Students are forced to skip meals to make ends meet. The cost of living is only getting tougher under this Government.
The resources we need to lift every family out of poverty are already there. But the Luxon Government has prioritised tax cuts for wealthy landlords and their rich corporate mates instead. This is a political choice.
The Green Party will transform our social welfare systems and create tens of thousands of jobs, so families are looked after at every stage of life.
The Green Party will guarantee a liveable income for everyone. Whether you’re in work, unemployed, disabled, sick, a caregiver or a student, we will ensure you can pay the bills and live a decent life. We can pay for it by making big corporations and the wealthy few pay their fair share in tax.
Our plan
- Reform the Social Security Act to uphold the dignity of those who need support and ensure everyone has a secure income and a decent standard of living. Implement a high-trust operating model at Work and Income.
- Increase benefits to liveable rates, individualise benefit entitlements and abolish benefit sanctions.
- Extend ACC to cover income support and treatment for injuries, disability and illnesses regardless of origin.
- Strengthen Working for Families by boosting the rate, reducing abatements and extending tax credits to families who are out of work.
- Make income tax settings fair and progressive, by introducing a tax-free threshold, reducing tax rates for low- and middle-income earners, and increasing the top rate of income tax.
- Introduce a super-rich tax of 2.5% on net wealth over $10 million so that multimillionaires pay their fair share.
- Overhaul recoverable assistance so that grants are available for urgent needs instead of loans. Work towards writing off existing debt to MSD and ban attachment orders against beneficiaries.