John Key in NBR Rich List denial
John Key may have appeared at 56-equal on the 2011 NBR Rich List but he clearly does not rate its accuracy, if his answer to a question in parliament today is anything to go by.
Mr Key, whose wealth was ranked at $55 million, said the NBR Rich List was “a bunch of journos making stuff up” from what few facts they had.
He had been asked by Labour leader Phil Goff whether he stood by his statement that “I think we all have to accept that there is a degree of inequality in New Zealand”.
Mr Goff said the NBR Rich List contained the names of the 150 richest people in New Zealand who were the chief beneficiaries of the government's tax cuts. They were becoming much better off, he said, while many ordinary New Zealanders found themselves progressively worse off.
That was denied by Mr Key, who said the latest research showed the income gap in New Zealand was actually narrowing.
He was surprised Mr Goff had time to read the NBR Rich List.
Mr Key declined to comment on his wealth when the NBR Rich List was being compiled.
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Comments and questions40
Come on Phil Goof, you make it sound as though they're only getting richer because of the tax cuts - if they had to rely on that, they wouldn't be anywhere near getting on this list. Stop envying successful people, this country needs more of them !!!!!!
Phil 'Envy as hell and never work in a real job his whole life just like his aunty Helen' Goff may want to ask Terry Serepisos about the accuracy of NBR's Rich List. $140m in 2008 and now, not even in the List!
If the gap between the rich and poor is narrowing you can guarantee that the poor will be getting poorer
Sorry, unable to know, as all my huge wealth is in ''Blind Trusts''!.
Well all be worse off if this damn "Progressive" move to bigger and bigger government keeps happening and I don't mean just Labour either.
Key is right in his comment about journos making it up. He is in a good position to judge because he can compare his own wealth to that claimed by the journos. It is of course not for anyone on the rich list to tell anyone else how much they are really worth because that's their private business and no one elses.
This whole debate about the "rich" is pathetic.
It is long overdue that we all as a nation got rid of the politics of envy and applauded those who do well & excel in business. These people along with many other SME owners are the risk takers, their assets are on the line, they stand or fall on their own efforts, they do it with minimal government assistance in fact have tons of regulations and bureaucracy, pay significant wages and goods & services, and generally just get on with it.
May these people become more and more wealthy!!
We don’t need to worry about the rich - they will all move to Australia where they are welcomed unlike this country with its stupidity.
Goof your a fool - wake up man.
Keys is right but for the wrong reasons (National creating the problem as much as labour did), the gap is closing but only because we are all going down the gurgler – it’s a race to the bottom now
Goff should be on the Rich List .He gets a thousand dollars a day for doing nothing.Takes no risks has been in Parliament for thirty years sucking off the hard working taxpayer.Truck drivers Labourers freezing workers etc etc etc.
the list is BS - just look at say.................................. terry the Pis from Welly - they listed his debt as worth LOLOLOLOLOLOL $140 million
Phil you sound like a stuck record - reality is you are nowhere, going nowhere and will be out the door soon enough - JK is probably worth 10 x that but who knows
Not when they get rich ripping off the taxpayers and off the public. Examples - privatizations, finance companies, Maori treaty claims and above all, politicians for life.
You should also mention the shearers, the miners, dairy workers. Oh yes Phil sure needs a dose of private sector reality. 30 Years in the government sector, Phil has no idea.
The over $100,000's pay 95% of the net tax don't they - lets have more of them please. I thank them, not criticise them
Whether any supposedly rich person on the RICH LIST is not important....the cashflow of one person and/or one's companies will determine one's financial situation.
I concur.
You've heard it before during a bbq with mates. Some stranger will come along and talk about the 'rich' and how the 'rich is getting filthier by the day'. Whenever I hear some young punk utter these immoral words, I get sad. Their face shows their bleak future.
Us kiwis need to develop the entrepreneur spirits and make something for themselves.
The govt should stop reaching inside our shirts and squeeze until our tits turns purple.
The public should realise that you don't milk the businesses (via taxes) to support the whole country. It does not make any sense.
Whether the list is correct or not NZ needs 150 more people in the + 50 million group then we would know NZ was moving in the right direction !!! Ripp off artists are throughout all levels of income brackets,
So Labour and the Greens, when we all have nothing then the gap is sorted... Simple eh. Da - most of the rich have worked their tails off trying to improve life for themselves, their employees and this country. They are paying way more than their fair share of the tax burden and most are positively contributing to society in multiple ways - please Phil and your cohorts, encourage and celebrate hard work and success - Key started with nothing, studied & worked hard, applied himself, chose to disciplined his life rather than take the "live for today" road and gave of himself 100% towards bettering life. NZ needs a whole bunch more of people like him!
the list is so inacurate - i know 2 people who would qualify as cash / debt assets - both $100M +
Goofy Phil and his green mates want the rich to leave, then everyone will be poor and destitute. Problem is many of our politicians have never had a real job, Government doesn't create real jobs, creating something , earning exports and foreign income, their jobs are just taxpayers money being used to buy them future voters.
Get out of here of course the govt creates jobs, well labour did so by the truck load they were called consultants, commissions,commities, WINZ excecitives and govt employees by the thousands, and then they unloaded to dole people onto sicko benifits so magicly the dole numbers went through the floor, where else do you thing our massive supluses went over the boom 9 yrs, yep into imaginary jobs where people sat around did squat all, and got a fabulous hand out.
Check out this link people and just see who is paying tax and who is not this will shock your pants off.
Wheres the link
link?
Quality of their list?
Blush?
Terry Serepisos is not on the list because his net wealth isn't >$50m, no other reason. Last year he wasn't in because his wealth is dubious, now it's definite, he hasn't got two pennies to rub together. I wouldn't be surprised if he is insolvent, heavily geared and in negative equity now - mind you though, anyone who needed to borrow from second tier lenders on property priced during the boom will go that way.
This list is so innacurate... FACT, especially at the top end.
>He had been asked by Labour leader Phil Goff whether he stood by his statement that “I think we all have to accept that there is a degree of inequality in New Zealand”.
What a stupid, absolutely meaningless question from Phil Goof.
Does Phil not believe there is a degree of inequality in New Zealand? He'd have to be stupid to not believe this (okay, he may have us there).
Oh...unless perhaps he's trying to frame the statement as an endorsement of the gap between rich and poor?
But surely not, that would be silly manipulation of language. Oh wait, this is Phil Goof we're talking about here...meaning isn't as important as slant.
The facts are that in real terms BIG business only pays 14% tax. Who are the real bludgers?
TAX bludgers who don't pay their fair share to society.
14% tax from companies? That's too much!
Businesses which create jobs should not have to pay tax at all.
They are the real creators of wealth.
Governments do not create real jobs - just a lot of transfer payments.
Without real jobs, where are the PAYE, GST etc taxes going to come from?
That comment re 14% tax must be from Phil Goff's apprentice - a real dole bludger - never holding a real job as a career politician.
bull shit the rich pay taxes .
a thousand loopholes say otherwise
i have been around the extremely wealthy and i know for a fact that every opportunity is taken to use aforementioned loopholes. all of you like to use the 'dole budger' as your scape goat but never take a look at how the wealthy unscrupulously use their highly paid accountants and lawyers to dodge taxes. and why is a politician not a real job.. as much as i dont care for phil goff i dont understand this whole never having a real job thing. its not like you wake up one morning and find yourself a politician, it does take work.
Key is a tax-dodging bludger who's never done an honest days work in his life. He made his millions playing the forex against NZ's currency, and keeps his wealth safely offshore. Yet gullible fools still hold him up as 'inspirational.' F*cking amazing.
you say "never done an honest days work in his life" you must know him intimately or you're a TOTAL loser making flippant comments and judging would expect more from your type... ever been on the tax payer benefit train yourself?
WHY DONT PEOPLE STOP MOANING ABOUT WHAT THEY DNT HAVE OR WHAT OTHER'S HAVE AND JUST GET STUCK IN AND MAKE SOMTHING OF THEMSELFS!
THE RICH ARE RICH BECAUSE THEY HAVE WORKED THERES BUTS OFF, STEPPED OUT OF THERE COMFORT ZONES AND TAKEN RISK.
IM SURE EVERY1 ON THAT RICH LIST HAS BEEN BROKE MANY TIMES BUT IT DIDNT STOP THEM FROM TRYING AGAIN
You must have missed the memo ... its Labours god given right to tax those that want to work hard and advance/make something of themselves as much as they can and create a blossoming hand out society under a guise of "equality in New Zealand” -Phil if we all sat on our arses with our hands out and did nothing make you happier?
Why be bothered if the rich leave NZ? They don't pay any tax anyway. But they do like to avail themselves of services though!! Rather parasitic really!
Never tust a man with a Tupee
Wow, it's funny to see so many negative comments towards the successful. I can only put it down to envy and misguided data.
Simply put, these guys create jobs. They take the risk. The execute and deliver on an idea. They don't sit around wishing themselves rich, they get out and do it.
We all no the game, it's up to you how you play. Don't sit on the bench and whinge when you are too scared to get in the game yourself.
Only when you get in do you realise how much work it takes and what the risks truly are. Take the risk and get the rewards otherwise stick to what you do best, which is following.
What a crock of s@@t !!! Iv worked70 + hours a week for the last 9 yrs str8 for minimum wage & less than minimum wage !!!! In 3 of those years alone with two workers I made my boss 3 million+ & increased his assets by an extra50-100 k per year & trust me he didn't pay tax on the3 mill he just spent it on " business expenses" & he never worked hard at all just another lucky trustfund baby lol
Where is the latest research that the gap between the rich and poor is narrowing? John Key should use facts when talking in Parliment. His time in Parliment has created more unemployed! and put us in more debt than any other government we have ever had! Why do so many think he's on track when this is the 2 main issues he said he'd fix? at least the Greens are the only party that has our future as a land and people as the most important things... and they probably would be in less debt and the same unemployment... think about it really.
Exactly
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