"Labour need to step up."
That's the message from the Green Party now a 1News Verian poll has revealed there is "overwhelming support" for a wealth tax if it pays for universal free dental care.
The latest polling also revealed Labour's lowest poll result since Chris Hipkins took over as leader, crashing to 29%.
The poll asked eligible voters if they would support or oppose a wealth tax on the assets of New Zealanders with more than $2m in assets if having the wealth tax meant everyone got free dental care.
A majority - 63% - said they'd be in support of it, while 28% were opposed. The rest didn't know or refused to say.
Part of the Green Party's policy platform was for free dental care paid for by a wealth tax.
Today, co-leader Marama Davidson said the poll result on the question showed "overwhelming support".
She said the Green Party was the only party putting up "bold and achievable solutions".
"We're pleased that people support that, and if they want to see that actually happen, they can vote for the Green Party."
She said it showed people understood New Zealand had what it needed to help people.
"With the wealth tax paying for free dental, this is going to benefit everyone."
Asked if Labour needed to reconsider its position on the wealth tax, Davidson said they did, and it was up to voters to decide which policies should go ahead.
She didn't accept many people would leave New Zealand due to a wealth tax and there were wealthy people who wanted to "share the wealth more fairly".
"Labour need to step up with bold solutions. I can't do their job but we are putting up achievable solutions for people to choose to vote for."
Davidson said Labour "could be braver".
"They could be clearer on wanting a progressive Aotearoa, but the Greens are here, we're doing that now [but] I think they need to step up and do better."
Hipkins has ruled out a wealth tax - as well as a capital gains tax - under his leadership.
Today, Hipkins said he stood by the decision.
"Ultimately a wealth tax wouldn't be in New Zealand's overall best interests.
"It potentially would involve billions of dollars of wealth flowing out of New Zealand because we'd be one of the only countries in the world to have a wealth tax, so the people [who] have that wealth would move it to places where they weren't paying the wealth tax. That wouldn't be good overall for the New Zealand economy."
He said implementing a capital gains tax without broad support across Parliament would be a "fruitless exercise because it would not start generating significant revenue until well into the future".
Those more likely to support a wealth tax in the poll were Green Party supporters (88%), Labour Party supporters (81%), and women aged 18 to 34 (74%).
Those more likely to oppose a wealth tax were ACT Party supporters (54%), those with an annual household income of more than $150,000 (43%), men aged 55+ (42%) and National party supporters (41%).
'Already made our call' on wealth tax - Labour
1News asked other Labour MPs if it was time to reconsider the party's position on a wealth tax.
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said Labour's tax policy had been "promoted by our leader".
"There is seriously a real challenge for New Zealand long term about the systemic inequality of our tax system and what that means for the lowest income earners. But again, that's not a matter that we're considering at this next election. "
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Rachel Brooking didn't think it was time to reassess a wealth tax "at this point".
"It's something people are interested in though."
Asked if she was personally in favour of a wealth tax she said she was from Dunedin and it was "fairly left wing and so there is a lot of interest in a wealth tax there".
Asked if that meant she would campaign for a wealth tax internally on that basis, she said it was for people "higher in the party system than me".
Finance Minister Grant Robertson said the decision on the wealth tax had been made.
"There's no point going back over it."
Tourism Minister Peeni Henare said Labour had "already made our call"
"And we're sticking to that."
National Party revenue spokesman Andrew Bayly said a wealth tax was "not an appropriate way to go" and he didn't think the public wanted it.
"Most people don't realise that the top 10% pay 25% of all New Zealand's tax.
"A wealth tax has other consequences that we've seen in other jurisdictions, like in Norway, where you see a lot of wealthy people who the ability to move, who actually choose to move. so I think we've got to think about a position of fairness but also how we support and grow the economy."
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