Tax Justice media release
20 February 2011

The Tax Justice campaign says most New Zealanders support taking GST off all food, and not just fruit and vegetables.

“That’s what we’re picking up on the street when we go out with the Tax Justice petition,” says Vaughan Gunson, Tax Justice campaign coordinator.

“The Sunday Star-Times poll showing two-to-one support for taking GST off fruit and vegetables reflects the hardening attitude against food being made more expensive by a tax,” says Gunson. (See Hungry for cheaper food, 20 February 2011.)

Mr Gunson says Labour’s current policy of removing GST from fresh fruit and vegetables is a step in the right direction, but people need more relief from rising food prices.

Removing GST from all food would deliver a much bigger drop in what people are paying at the supermarket. For example, the GST on a $200 weekly food bill is $26.09. Taking the GST off all food would make a noticeable difference to people finding it tough to afford the basics.

“At our campaign stalls we’ve been using a table which shows what people are paying each week in GST on food. Most people are outraged when they see the figures,” says Gunson. (See below ‘How much is GST on food costing you?’)

The Tax Justice campaign is proposing a tax on financial speculation to fund taking GST off food. Financial speculators currently pay no tax at the point where their profits are accumulated.

25,000 New Zealanders have so far signed the Tax Justice petition.

6,650 people have joined the No GST on Food Facebook page, making it one of the most popular New Zealand campaigns on Facebook.

For comment, contact:

Vaughan Gunson
Tax Justice campaign coordinator
(09)433 8897
021-0415 082
svpl@xtra.co.nz