Campaign to cut GST on food to step up

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A 23,000 signature petition calling for GST to be removed from basic food items is the forerunner of a far bigger petition to force the Government to hold a binding referendum, says the organiser.

The petition is due to be presented to Maori Party MP Hone Harawira on the steps of Parliament at midday today after a procession from Kaitaia in the Far North to Wellington.

Petition organiser Grant Morgan from the Residents Action Movement (Ram) said politicians who ignored the petition would do so at their peril.

He said early next year Ram would probably organise a similar petition, but would enlist the aid of other organisations to get 300,000 signatures and force the government to hold a binding referendum.

Mr Morgan said support was not expected from either the Government or the National Party.

The Green Party had also refused to support the petition, but many Green supporters individually supported the bid to have GST removed, Mr Morgan said.

No one in the Green Party would tell Ram why they did not support the petition, but Mr Morgan said it may be because the party had grown too close to Labour.

He said because of the petition there was "momentum from a lot of people and a lot of organisations to come together next year around the referendum petition."

Mr Harawira said yesterday it was a logical time to remove GST from food because of the "rising tide of poverty". He said 80 percent of people thought the Government should consider lowering tax on food.

He estimated that cutting GST off all dairy products, fresh fruit and vegetables would cost $302 million, all uncooked food $871 million and all food at $1.26 billion.

- NZPA