Another controversy bubbles up from National’s contentious tax plan

Just how "average" does your household need to be to get the promised $250 tax cut?

Mōrena, and welcome to The Bulletin for Friday, October 6 by Catherine McGregor. Presented in partnership with Z Energy.

In today’s edition: Pharmac apologises for snarky emails about Rachel Smalley; Maipi-Clarke trespasser says he wanted to wish her well; Bernard Hickey learns the secrets of LinkedIn for business. But first, will we still be debating National’s tax plan on election day? All signs point to yes.

What makes an ‘average’ household?

For politics watchers, including the writer of this newsletter, it felt like deja vu. Once again National was on the back foot over its tax plan, fighting off allegations that what it was promising the public was far from what it could actually deliver. This time it wasn’t tax paid by foreign buyers, but tax cuts promised to “average” households that were under dispute. Data published by the Council of Trade Unions showed that only 3,000 households will receive the full $250 fortnightly tax cut that National has been promoting. Labour’s Grant Robertson calls it a “scam”; National’s Nicola Willis says they had been clear that $250 was a maximum, and the actual tax cut received would depend on individual circumstances. Still, as Derek Cheng writes in the Herald (paywalled), if you “had kids and earned an average wage” you’d have been forgiven for thinking you’d get the full tax cut.

Peters appears to forget his own policy on GST on food

GST was also the subject of perhaps the most interesting story to emerge from last night’s TVNZ minor leaders debate. Asked whether he supported removing GST from food, NZ First leader Winston Peters said he did not. Just one problem: the party’s own manifesto, published just moments before the debate commenced, said it would do exactly that. "We will take GST off basic foods including fresh food, vegetables, meat, dairy, and fish,” its policy page read – and you can’t get much clearer than that. Still, Peters insisted that NZ First would only consider removing GST from food, and the web page was quickly updated to reflect this new policy. Writing alongside Stewart Sowman-Lund on The Spinoff this morning, Shanti Mathias says Peters’ answers “[often] made very little sense – evidence of how thin New Zealand First’s public policy platform seems to be this election”. 

Would Seymour as deputy PM create even more drama with Peters?

The debate, hosted by election MVP Jack Tame, also featured Te Pāti Māori’s Rawiri Waititi, the Greens’ James Shaw and Act’s David Seymour. While the TVNZ post-debate panel thought Shaw was the winner on the night, it was again Seymour v Peters that created the most drama. Their deep animosity should have Luxon “extremely worried”, said commentator Janet Wilson. The risk of open warfare may well lessen Seymour’s chances of becoming deputy prime minister, and strengthen the claim of current party deputy Nicola Willis – an outcome the public would support, according to a TVNZ/ Verian poll. If National forms a government, 34% of respondents would want her as deputy PM, as opposed to 21% each for Seymour and Peters (despite Peters’ chances of getting the role being less than none). 

Introducing: the ministers for space and red tape

And still the policy announcements keep on coming. Chris Luxon used a visit to RocketLab as a launchpad (no pun intended) for National’s aerospace policy, including the establishment of a new role of minister for space. The New Zealand Space Agency currently leads space policy from within the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Creating a ministerial portfolio might direct more attention to the industry, writes Newsroom’s Matthew Scott, but it’s difficult to see what other benefits it would bring when much of the role “seems to be already covered by this pre-existing agency”. Act announced it would establish a “minister for red tape”, charged with investigating regulations in various sectors and recommending cuts. And Labour said it would set up an anti-scamming unit aimed at “stopping scammers in their tracks”.  

Pharmac apologises for snarky emails about Smalley

Pharmac CEO Sarah Fitt has apologised over internal emails she and her staff exchanged about journalist Rachel Smalley, an outspoken critic of the drug-funding agency. The emails, released to Smalley under the OIA and reported on by both Smalley herself (paywalled) and Media Insider Shayne Currie this morning, were “unacceptable and unprofessional” according to Pharmac chair Steve Maharey, who says Fitt has “expressed regret” for the language used in the emails. Among the exchanges is one from a senior communications contractor who wrote that she “made Rachel Smalley cry... if that isn’t a win, I don’t know what is” and another calling Smalley’s interview with a patient advocate “utterly nauseating”. Public Services Commissioner Peter Hughes says “The comments are completely unacceptable for public servants. The media play a critical role in a healthy and functioning democracy.”

Maipi-Clarke trespasser says he wanted to wish her well

Waikato police have received five reports of concern from Te Pāti Māori candidate Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke, but say the incidents do not appear to be racially motivated or coordinated. A man who was formally trespassed for entering Maipi-Clarke’s property on Wednesday was last night identified as Graham Gunn, who told Newshub it had all been a misunderstanding. Gunn, a National supporter, says he stopped by to wish her well in the election after being impressed with her at a local candidates meeting. "I'd love her to get into Parliament,” Gunn says. “Those are the sort of people you want. Young people with good ideas.” Brad Totorewa, Maipi-Clarke's campaign manager, says he doesn't trust Gunn’s story. "I would question the integrity of that statement."

Using LinkedIn to build your business better

All around the globe, business owners are struggling to launch, manage, and sustain their companies' increasingly necessary online presence in an impactful way. In this week’s When the Facts Change, Bernard Hickey speaks to the marketing director at Smarketing Lab, Assia Salikhova, for some free consulting on how to build his podcasting empire in the social space. She explains the simple ways you can let nosy folks know that you and your business are alive and thriving.

Click and Collect

• Christchurch Gondola’s widely criticised Time Tunnel narration, which mentioned Māori for just 17 seconds of its seven minute run time, is no more (paywalled).

• Wellington councillors are crying foul over the council’s plans to buy the Reading Cinema site on Courtney Place. 

• Some really disturbing Otago University student initiation stories at Critic and the ODT, both of which you should only click on if you’re OK with reading about animal cruelty.

• Beware fake Christchurch doctors selling pricey “body scans”, Aucklanders warned.  Click and Elect

Click and Elect

• Charlotte Muru-Lanning reports on the fight for the cyclone-battered East Coast electorate.

• MP Kelvin Davis has a six-point lead over his Te Pāti Māori rival Mariameno Kapa-Kingi in the race for Te Tai Tokerau, a Whakaata Māori poll has found. 

• Niwa is long-range forecasting a “warmer than usual spring day” for October 14, election day, “with temperatures in the mid 20C in places”.

• Phew – journalists are still getting free bikkies at Beehive lock-ups.

Right now on The Spinoff

Shanti Mathias presents a comprehensive guide to biking to the airport – it may be easier than you think. Shanti Mathias visits South Dunedin to find out how the community is responding to inevitable flooding. Tara Ward remembers when the Ferndale Strangler terrorised Shortland Street. And Maggie Tweedie interviews poet Liam Jacobson about his new book.

Sporting snippets

• “An absolute thumping”: The Black Caps have beaten England by nine wickets in their first Cricket World Cup match.

• All Blacks vs Uruguay kicks off in Lyon at 8am.

Got some feedback about The Bulletin, or anything in the news? Get in touch with me at thebulletin@thespinoff.co.nz.

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