Nicola Willis needs to explain which coalition partner vetoed reversing the App Tax

The Taxpayers’ Union is calling on Nicola Willis to front up and explain which coalition partner vetoed National’s pre-election policy to reverse Labour’s App Tax after her comments on Newstalk ZB yesterday that the U-turn on the policy was “one of those ones that has really just been sacrificed at the altar of coalition government”.

Both the ACT and NZ First coalition documents state that “The National Party priorities agreed to be progressed in this term are set out in its… Fiscal Plan… with the exemptions as set out…” in the agreements. National’s policy to reverse the App Tax is included on page 8 of its Fiscal Plan yet neither coalition agreement makes reference to the policy.

Taxpayers’ Union Head of Campaigns, Callum Purves, said:

“There is no reference to scrapping National’s policy on the App Tax in either the ACT or NZ First coalition agreement yet Nicola Willis blames the formation of the coalition government for the U-turn on the policy. If this really is the case, the Finance Minister needs to front up and explain to New Zealanders which of National’s two partners is responsible.

“The coalition documents as published back in November suggest that National’s reversal of the App Tax was still on the cards, but just a few weeks later, both the Prime Minister and Finance Minister said the new tax was here to stay. Did the new government simply forget this major policy when drafting the coalition agreements? Or did the U-turn come after the ink had already dried?

“Scrapping the App Tax was a specific promise made by Nicola Willis before the election. She should be transparent on who, apparently, forced her hand.

“Breaking such a strong pre-election promise – and in such a haphazard way – is a serious matter. Kiwis deserve answers.”