By Jo Doolan Higher taxes pave the path to the magical 2014/15 surplus – and as a reward taxpayers receive ACC premium reductions and tax measures that are largely tinkering around the edges. Yes ACC premium reductions put over $1.3 billion back into the economy over the next two years, on the other side of the ledger personal and corporate …

Bill English has been too conservative in reigning in government expenditure.  If he were confronting a bleaker fiscal picture, like the Australian government, I predict he would have done better. Total government spending in New Zealand is down by $1.4 billion on last year. In Australia total taxes to GDP is 22 percent compared with central government taxation of 32 …