Source: Taxpayers Union
“Decade of deficits” are a national crisis
16 SEPTEMBER 2020FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEWith deficits projected out to 2033/34, there needs to be urgent action from all political parties on addressing the national debt, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager Louis Houlbrooke says “After many years of prudent fiscal management from National and Labour, it Treasury is now projecting 15 years of deficits in a row. As a result, net debt will be $31 billion higher – or $17,000 a household – in 2033/34 compared to the Budget 2020 projection. The Government needs to give us a credible path back to surplus rather than leaving taxpayers on the hook for a never-ending accumulation of debt.” “The major reason for the more than a decade of deficits ahead is Treasury’s belief that our economic recovery from Covid-19 will be more anaemic than previously expected. The message is clear: our recent track-record of weak economic growth isn’t just hurting incomes and entrepreneurship; it’s going to have a serious impact on our public debt. “The solution to the forecast decade of deficits is to cut wasteful spending, end regulatory taxes on business which stifle growth and employment, and deliver modest tax relief to households and employers to get the economy growing again.”
