NEW ZEALAND HERALD: The Maori Party is suggesting a $500 tax free payment to pensioners and poverty-stricken families with children to help them get through the Christmas period.
It has costed the payment at $136.5 million, and the party says it would help the economy as well because people would spend it.
The Christmas gift idea was announced by Angeline Greensill, the Maori Party's Hauraki-Waikato candidate who is trailing Labour's Nanaia Mahuta in the polls.
"$500 per child is a much needed boost to families truggling to pay the bills and feed the kids," says Angeline Greensill, candidate for Hauraki-Waikato.
"It is only a temporary measure but one successfully applied in Australia this month to keep the economy moving and to support families during an already high-stress period."
She said families living in poverty should get $500 for each child and superannuitants should get $500 each.
Co-leader Pita Sharples said it was part of an economic package the Maori Party had designed which included removing GST from food, raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour and cutting taxes for low income families.
"Food bank use and loan sharking is on the rise and this is but one measure to alleviate that pressure," he said.
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