Where the parties stand: Tax & Economy

TAX

Alliance: Raise 33c top tax rate to 39c at $60,000, 43c at $75,000 and 47c at $100,000. Tax commercial land on unimproved value, from 1 per cent at $500,000 to 3 per cent at $2 million. Replace GST with financial transactions tax of 10c per $100 on all transactions.

Labour: Raise 33c top tax rate to 39c at $60,000. Review tax system but introduce no other new taxes before 2002 election.

NZ First: Oppose tax increases or decreases. Give unspecified tax breaks for exports, research and development.

National: Give small tax cuts next year, ranging from $2 a week at $20,000 to $10.50 at $40,000-plus. Cut corporate tax rate and top tax rate from 33c to 30c within three years if possible.

Act: Cut top tax rate to 20c in five years by freezing state spending, selling TVNZ, using future surpluses and cutting unallocated future spending.

Greens: Pollution taxes on carbon, toxic materials, solid waste. Small levy on global financial speculation.

Mauri Pacific: Lower taxes for low income earners.

United: Reduce top personal and company tax rates from 33c to 30c over three years. Scrap fringe benefit tax.

Christian Heritage: Allow married couples with children to split their income for tax purposes, increase tax rebate for donations to charity.

ECONOMY

Alliance: Put 5 per cent tariff on imports, except Australian goods. Create $200 million economic development fund, regional development agencies, Ministry of Economic Development. Widen Reserve Bank goals to include exchange rate and interest rates, raise inflation target to 1-4 per cent. No more asset sales.

Labour: $100 million extra for industry development. Keep Reserve Bank Act and 0-3 per cent inflation target but also consider exchange rate. Freeze tariffs for five years but match any lowering by our trading partners. No more asset sales.

NZ First: Treble exports by 2020. Create development bank to provide venture capital to business. Widen Reserve Bank goals to include export growth and employment. Gradually lower tariffs to match our trading partners. State assets to stay publicly owned but may be privately managed.

National: Maintain current policies as forecasts predict 3-4 per cent growth. Keep Reserve Bank Act and 0-3 per cent inflation target, eliminate tariffs by 2006, consider asset sales "on case by case basis". Reviewing tax breaks for research and development.

Act: Cut taxes, remove tariffs, sell remaining state-owned businesses, reform producer boards, reduce powers of Resource Management Act, merge councils, cut regulations, keep Reserve Bank Act with low inflation target.

Greens: Stop measuring economic success by growth. No asset sales, more tariffs. Work towards setting aside 20 per cent of coastline as marine reserve.

Mauri Pacific: Help Maori use own resources. Support innovative businesses.

United: Pro-immigration policy for economic growth. Increase science and research funding to 0.8 per cent of GDP.

Christian Heritage: Tax incentives for research and development. Keep or re-introduce tariffs. Restrict future land-holding by foreigners not resident in New Zealand to 50-year leases.