Source: Radio New Zealand
123RF
A think tank says New Zealanders can see and feel rising inequality.
Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa released polling suggesting most people agree billionaires should pay more tax.
Carried out by Talbot Mills, 68 percent of respondents agreed with the ultra wealthy being taxed more to support public goods like healthcare, housing and climate action.
Thirteen percent disagreed in the poll from 11-26 February of 1033 people.
Half of people surveyed – 50 percent – agreed there should be no billionaires while people struggle affording the basics like housing, food and healthcare.
Think tank director Gareth Hughes told Midday Report there is deep unease about how the economy is handling challenges like housing and the cost of living.
“Kiwis know that our tax system isn’t fair, it’s putting too much of the responsibility on workers, on things like GST, which are incredibly regressive,” he said.
“Yes, they would like those ultra-wealthy to be contributing more for our health and education system.
“That’s two-thirds agree that billionaires should be paying more to fund these public services.”
The numbers were closer together in another question in the poll – whether there should be a “billion-dollar wealth cap” or maximum amount of wealth a person can have.
Among the respondents, 37 percent agreed, while 34 percent disagreed.
“Oh, personally, I would be comfortable with that,” Hughes said.
“I think once you had a billion dollars you could get a certificate saying you’ve won capitalism and you could contribute to society.”
Hughes said he was part of a global network working to try to redesign the economic system “to deliver wellbeing for people and nature”.
He said it was a topic being raised overseas, and Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa wanted to test the idea in New Zealand.
“I acknowledge it’s a pretty new idea for New Zealanders, the idea of wealth caps,” he said.
“But remember, once upon a time we had very high marginal tax rates for the super wealthy in this country to contribute towards society.”
The National Business Review‘s annual rich list reported last year that New Zealand had 18 billionaires, up from 16 the year before.
“I think the big message though is that billionaires around the world and through corporate influence in New Zealand has seen a system which advantages them,” said Hughes.
“It’s very hard for people to pull themselves by their bootstraps today, you can almost say the ladder’s being pulled up behind the super-wealthy.”
Hughes said it was up to political leaders to put their solutions to the public.
On the question of billionaires paying more tax, 71 percent of people under 30 were supportive, and also 71 percent of people 30-44.
Sixty-eight percent of people 45-59 agreed and 64 percent of people polled over 60.
Eighty percent of Labour and Green voters agreed, 69% percent of Te Pāti Māori voters, 67 percent of the poll’s New Zealand First supporters, 58 percent of National and 44 percent Act.
The poll responses:
How strongly do you agree or disagree with the following:
- The economic system in New Zealand is not set up to effectively address the big issues like housing, healthcare, and climate change. 66% total agree. 10% total disagree.
- No one should be a billionaire while so many people struggle to afford basic necessities like housing, food, and healthcare. 50% total agree, 24% total disagree.
How strongly do you support or oppose the following in NZ:
- Billionaires paying more tax to fund public goods like healthcare, housing, and climate action. 68% total agree. 13% total disagree.
- Introducing a billion-dollar wealth cap – a maximum amount of wealth any person can legally hold. 37% total agree. 34% total disagree.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
