Tax Changes Would Not Be Deferred

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31057, 12 May 1966, Page 22

Tax Changes Would Not Be Deferred

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Mbv 11.

A pledge that the setting up of a commission of inquiry into the taxation system if the Labour Party becomes the Government would not stifle any taxation improvements for the working people in the meantime was given today by the Deputy Leader of the Opposition (Mr Watt) to the Labour Party conference.

A delegate from the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants had suggested that there was sufficient capacity within the Labour Party to be able to iron out anomalies and injustices in the taxation system rather than set up a commission. “1 would be completely in the corner of the A.S.R.S. delegate if this commission of inquiry were going to stifle any taxation improvements for the working people in the meantime,” Mr Watt said. “We have seen commissions and boards and all sorts of organisations set up in the past in order to adopt delaying tactics, but I want to assure the conference that the reason for this commission of inquiry is that so many anomalies have arisen in our taxation law that it is

time we had a good look at the whole taxation system of the country and had it brought up to date. “For that reason and that reason only we announced that section of our policy. 1 want to make it abundantly clear that because we have made "this decision to set up a commission this does not mean we will not be announcing taxation improvements before the next election and including some of them in our next election policy,” said Mr Watt.