Tax the rich, prop up the poor - the Greens have released their plan for a radical tax shake-up by introducing an 'Income Guarantee'.
The Greens are guaranteeing Kiwis' income - that's the money in your hand - will never fall below $385 a week and the first $10,000 earnt will be tax-free.
They say anyone earning under $125,000 a year will pay less tax. That's 3.7 million New Zealanders getting a tax cut of between $16 and $26 per week.
How will they pay for this lolly scramble? Simple: tax the rich. There's a 45 percent tax rate for anyone earning more than $180,000.
They're going after the top 0.7 percent with a wealth tax. They'll take 2.5 percent for any assets owned over $2 million. They'll also raise the corporate tax rate from 28 to 33 percent.
It's a plan for what the Greens say is a lofty purpose.
"Today we say that in the next term of Parliament we will take action to lift every family out of poverty in Aotearoa, every single family," said co-leader James Shaw.
The cornerstone is that universal income of $385, with single parents guaranteed an income of at least $735 a week.
"Poverty is a political choice and the Green Party is choosing to end it," said Shaw.
Labour's swerving away from commenting, but National says it would gut the economy of investment and opportunity as businesses flee offshore or simply shut up shop.
"I have no time for the Greens on economic policy. I won't be lectured by the Greens on economics," said National Christopher Luxon.
ACT says it will make New Zealand poorer, and in a statement describing the policy, used the word envy four times.
But Shaw denies this is the politics of envy, but is instead the "politics of inclusion".
The Greens say our country's an outlier against comparable economies on fair taxation.
"Aotearoa is the only one, the only one, that does not have a capital gains tax, a wealth tax, stamp duty, a state tax, inheritance tax, some form of land tax, or some combination of all of the above," said Shaw.
The Greens refuse to be drawn on whether this is a bottom line in negotiations to form a Government.
There are clear choices for voters are beginning to emerge. It's game on for election 2023.
