10 Sep 2020

Tax, Covid debt and the path to recovery

From Nine To Noon, 9:07 am on 10 September 2020
New Zealand Dollar Bar Graph (On blue background)

Photo: 123RF

Yesterday Labour announced its new tax policy - a hike in the top tax rate to 39 per cent for every dollar earned over $180,000.

The new rate will raise $550 million per year. National says increasing taxes is no way to recover from a recession, while the Greens say Labour's tax policy is tinkering around the edges and it favours setting two new tax brackets, raising nearly eight billion dollars.

The government has already set aside $50 billion in new borrowing specifically for Covid recovery, and government debt is set to peak at 53% of GDP by 2023.

Kathryn speaks with economist Cameron Bagrie about the path to economic recovery.