Steven Joyce’s first budget is a chance for him to show that he embodies the great New Zealand qualities of fairness and justice, Oxfam said today.
A fair and just budget would address three key issues, according to the global anti-poverty organisation.
Steven Joyce’s first budget is a chance for him to show that he embodies the great New Zealand qualities of fairness and justice, Oxfam said today.
A fair and just budget would address three key issues, according to the global anti-poverty organisation.
These are:
Tackle the dodgy multinationals that aren’t paying their way in New Zealand. The schemes and deals that allow multinationals to minimise their tax might be legal, but they’re certainly not fair, Oxfam says, and any finance minister who believes in fairness should crack down on these ploys. Such a move by the minister would only enhance New Zealand’s international reputation as a fair-minded country, and bolster his hand when encouraging other nations to crack down on tax avoidance.
Make sure that New Zealand is a good and fair neighbour to our Pacific friends, by helping them to tackle rising sea levels and turbo-charged cyclones. Families in the Pacific are living on the frontline of climate change and they need resources to adapt to these increasing threats. But they’re just not getting adequate support from the New Zealand government right now, and that’s not fair. Sending solar panels is good, but not enough to battle rising tides. In his first budget, the new finance minister should fix that by rebalancing resources intended to tackle climate change in the Pacific so that they are adequate, fair, effective, reach those most in need, and enable them to adapt to the effects of a warmer world.
Sort out New Zealand’s low rate of economic help for developing countries. The United Nations target for official development assistance is 0.7 percent of gross national product, but New Zealand only provides 0.27 percent. This is not just and it’s not fair.
Rachael Le Mesurier, executive director of Oxfam New Zealand, said: “Today’s budget is a great chance for Steven Joyce to show that he’ll be a fair and just finance minister, and there are three ways he can do this.
“Firstly, by tackling the dodgy multinationals who aren’t paying their tax. Secondly, by being a good friend to our Pacific neighbours and, thirdly, by showing that New Zealand is a fair international citizen, who doesn’t shirk our responsibilities.”
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