KEY POINTS:
Here are earlier Your Views:
pCb (Auckland)
The answer is simple: 1 Declare war on Australia. 2 Surrender immediately any NRL team arrives or the next time Kylie Minogue is played on commercial radio. 3 Commit our current government to staffing the hot dog concession in the 2011 World Cup letting little Mickie Cullen wear the stupid paper hat (it would serve him right).
Le Fox
Get things in prospective, Australia has over 20 million people & you can pack up NZ population, put it into Sydney & you will still not have as many people as Sydneys' population at present. However, many of you voted for an overspending Labour Government, that has gone on a wasteful mismanagement of tax payer funds,& will if allowed to continue, will bankrupt your country. Do yourselves a huge favour, forget all the huge bribes (many of which have not appeared, or if appeared, have cost many more mega bucks than planned e.g. Kyoto cost us billions & all the government said was oooops....) Make sure you do vote & rid yourself of being overtaxed, instead of wanting to be overthere. (Oz)
Ms Auckland
Kiwis do not need tax cuts but considerable pay increases, to keep up with the rest of the Western world.
Tom Semmens
Rain come in quite handy at times, it stops New Zealander's having to drink their own recycled faeces - a fate that awaits our trans-Tasman friends. All I can say is if the group of people who contribute to Your Views is any guide, New Zealand would be better off without most of those who constantly declare they'll be leaving. What a whining, materialistic, defeatist and deeply unpleasant face most of you present! The sooner we loose our colonial cringe obsession with Australia the better. We don't pay Medicare fees, superannuation payments, state taxes or the tens of thousands Aussies pay to end their kids to a half decent school. We get all that - plus working for families - from direct taxation. For God's sake New Zealand - grow up, and grow a spine.
Zpete (Mt Wellington)
Mr Cullen bought the student vote last time. Self same students are now complaining of having to repay "anything". I guess those who were bought last election will turn about this time, if they have not already absconded to OZ and other places. Deserters. Mr Cullen, you make "Scrooge" appear a real generous, kind hearted gentleman. My feeling is that Mr Cullen is gloating in having brought about NZ's biggest ever surpluses. He wants to bask in that glory, stuff the workers who put him there. He earns heaps for little "real" work on his part. Bye bye Mr Cullen.
Mischa
It would be ludicrous to suggest that NZ can afford tax cuts and compare us to Australia when we have had sustained underfunding of many critical public services - mainly through the 80s and 90s. For someone like myself who actually lives in Australia it is clear to see why this country is actually on the verge of kicking out a conservative government whose only focus has been tax cuts and dog whistling politics. NZ needs to get a grip. Comparing our economy to one which is at least 7 times the size, which has been riding an unprecedented resources boom is foolish.When will NZ stop the "whats in it for me" mentality?
Allan King
So, once again Australia leads the way. A $10 billion surplus, tax cuts, and that is on top of the first $5000-00 of wage earners salary been tax free which, I may add has been in for years. It is no wonder that 700 kiwis leave these shores for Australia every week, and I would suggest that come budget day, if there are nothing in it for the workers by way of tax cuts, the figure leaving will climb to 800 per week. Most of them will be single, for they who have left the family home will not benefit from the working for family package so get nothing and, would continue to swell the Governments coffers. Surely all citizens should benefit from the massive surplus that New Zealand now enjoys, for it is the workers of this country who are the backbone and should be rewarded for their efforts. May I also suggest that all citizens of this country now learn the words of Australia Fair.
Tammy
How quickly people forget . . . Wasn't it a National Government who introduced the student loan scheme that so many are now blaming for driving them overseas? As for tax cuts, I think you've all got it wrong. The biggest problem in this country is everyone is out for themselves. The greed of some, results in poverty for others. How many of you spend more than you earn, but still think you deserve a tax cut?
Tony
Is the grass always greener the other side? Maybe yes maybe not-till you have to mover it. Please wake up folks - the grass will always be greener only if you're on top of the food chain. You need not do any moving at all if you do not want to. Then it does not matter anymore where you are(locally or globally).Australia is good, NZ is better for sure. If you are not happy where you are now does it make any difference where you are/will be? Good luck to you folks who think otherwise .The budget should be applied in accordance "law of diminishing returns" give too much to one sector will always be wasted-giving too little will also be a waste of time and effort as it does not achieve any substance. Mr.Cullen, we all do need a tax cut the question is how much?
Napier Nick
Cullen: Remove the top tax rate entirely to encourage highly skilled specialists to stay in NZ, and stop penalising families who chose to have a parent at home by refusing the 'income splitting' scenario sought by United future. How about you try to retain our young bright people and actually (not nominally) work for families. Stop the farce that is working for families 'tax credit' - when that 'credit' actually goes to the 'principal career (however that is defined) who is likely not even the primary person paying the tax in the first place!
Errol (Australia)
NZ doesn't have a high taxation rate - that's just National Party propaganda for people who aren't paying attention. Check out any half-sensible list of world taxation rates and NZ is well down the list. I live in Oz. If I moved to NZ I'd be on a similar relative wage and a similar tax rate. My living expenses would be slightly higher, but that's because I drink too much red wine. (Helen, lower the price of red wine and I'll be home like a shot.)
Grant OConnell
I have long held the view that this Labour government's major objective is to make as many people as possible dependant on their largess. The Working for Families Programme is a classic example. Families with six figure incomes are beneficeries under this programme, which is ludicrous. Labour's thinking seems to be - the people are like children, we know better than them how to spend their money, so lets keep the people dependant on our generosity and they'll be forever grateful and will continue to vote for us. Labour would like us to believe that their mission is to help people become independent, fully particiating citizens but the evidence doesn't support this. The problem for Labour when people do become independent is that they also think independently and see the hypocrisy of Labours policies in these matters for what it is. John Keys and his life experiences is a classic case in point. There is no question that Cullen should scrap the Working For Families programme and give the people back what is rightfully theirs through tax cuts. His arrogant 'I know best how to spend your money' is beyond the pale.
FTC
Guys, we all express our views and majority of kiwis will agree that people in Australia are better off than us, but do our politicians care about what we have to say. They are just interested in getting their monthly pay cheques and to travel world over at taxpayers expense.
Off to Australia guys.
Camryn, Kiwi in US
NZer's leaving for Aussie and elsewhere: don't forget you can still vote.
Alan Wilkinson
All governments are both stupid and corrupt, just varying in the extent of both. The amount of tax they can collect limits their stupidity and their corruption as does their ability to bribe and frighten just enough of the population to reelect them. Unfortunately we get the government that 51 per cent of the population deserve. The rest of us can go jump, or to Australia. Funny, where have all our doctors, engineers and bright young people gone, Dr Cullen? And please explain why people keeping their own money is inflationary while your government's taking and wasting it is not?
Cameron (Adelaide)
My girlfriend and I have been in Adelaide since last year. Since then we have had 2 tax cuts and a pay rise I am on Auckland money, she earns better than what she was in Auckland ,leave loading (paid to go on holiday), no traffic issues ,and an average house price of $300k Aus. And I have seen 20 days of rain since September last year. Now would Helen remind me again how I m better off there.
RH
We were planning to return to NZ in July, after several years in Hong Kong. However, we have decided to move to Australia, as the country seems so much more progressive. The Labour Government in NZ has this high and mightly "we know best" attitude. It's time for a change NZ. Kiwis need to be able to make their own decisions and have some control. Reduce the public service, reduce public spending and reduce taxes. As it is now, there is no reason why any thinking, skilled person would want to live in NZ.
Tony
Drop 'working for families' and its complicated and expensive bureaucracy - give workers tax cuts.
John
So Cullen thinks we will just spend any money given to us. Hey, I am trying to pay my huge mortgage down. I hate governments that think they know better than us on how to spend our own money.
Julian (Orewa)
What often seems to be forgotten by the current government is people such as myself and my wife who either choose not to have children or cannot have children. Even though we consume less public resources (education, healthcare, transport etc) we see no benefit from the constant tinkering such as the Working for Families programme. Many of our neighbours on similar incomes with families appear significantly better off. Surely a simple income tax scheme without all these distortions would be fairer all around and allow hard working, responsible Kiwis to benefit from their efforts? Cullen should be doing everything possible to allow interest rates to be reduced and trust New Zealanders with their own money.
Unamused (Mangere Bridge)
Ok, what is Cullen trying to do here? Surely giving New Zealanders similar tax cuts to those given to our Australian neighbours couldn't possibly do our economy any more damage, than that done by ignoring tax payers and hoping that by doing nothing more than saving a few extra dollars will save us should the interest rates continue to rise and the resulting inflationary pressures continue to build up a head of steam. This may be just my uninformed view, by Hoki, they make more sense to me than the explanations offered by an increasingly entrenched Labour government. I know I'm ranting now, but, having only ever voted for National the once back in 1996 (ish I think it was?) thinking I'll never do that again,in my lifetime, now John Key is looking like my natural choice! I sign off thinking to myself that the Labour govt. used to be about the little guy, now it feels like Muldoon and his cronies are back in control... sigh
Australia
The major difference between Australia and New Zealand is that the former has a commodity boom and a large financial sector pumping money around the economy; it also makes things (cars, whiteware, etc). New Zealand has the grass economy, real estate speculation, and...um? Therefore Australia's economic success has very little to do with tax rates.Ironically, Australia gets tax cuts but these are erroded by interest rate rises. The same would happen in NZ. Any debate on tax needs to recognise how the institution of the Reserve Bank Act relates to fiscal policy. Funnily enough, if New Zealand were governed by the horrid little socialist cabal of Rodney Hide's imagination there might be something like a Nokia, an Ikea, fast broadband, less child poverty, a better education system, decent public transport, less crime even, etc. Oh, that's right NZ doesn't have any money for this because the state (or is that your mortgage through Aussie Banks and other rent seekers - eg Telecom?) is sucking up all the excess cash.If you can't save the nanny state will treat you like naughty children.
Marc
A quick calculation shows that myself and my wife, dual income, no Kids would be better off by around $20,000 in year one and then $10,000 to $12,000 from then on with less tax, lower GST, benefits from superannuation and lower tax on earnings within superannuation, lower mortgage rates, plus we would get the first homebuyer grant and no stamp duty! If we have kids we then get $8,500 to help toward childcare. A retired person is even better off with an ability to earn $25,000 per annum tax free.
John
Australia is called the "Lucky Country". Enough said.
Tax cuts stimulate the economy. It is enviable that the Australian Reserve Bank will have to raise interest rates to curb inflation. The Reserve bank of Australia is not allowed to comment on economic mismanagement. If you look deeper. It is political engineering. Politicians want to get re-elected. The current political party in Australia is taking a hammering at the polls. I think that it was an election bribe. Cullen here in NZ could have done the same here if they felt Labour was going to lose the election. It remains to be seen if National with no real economic alternatives except a tax cut can bribe NZ voters to give them a victory. Will we be as dumb as the Australians.
Adam
To compare Australia's giant economy to NZ's economy is like comparing a Toyota Corolla with a Mercedes SLK. They are two very different economies. If some of the readers here feel by threatening to move to Australia will make them 'feel better' then go for gold. Better off we rid the country of the naysayers and quitters so those who do actually care and stand by NZ as their nation can focus on progressive steps going forward. We live in a society where our Government is democratically elected, if you want to make a real difference you can put your party vote to who you see fit in the next election. I am over this constant comparison to NZ and Australia.
J.T
What a joke. We've had bracket creep here in NZ since Cullen and company came to power, and we get taxed to death. Off overseas next month, and the reason is that Cullen, Clark and company don't want people like me to get ahead, they just want me to fund their pet projects, and fund beneficiaries with my tax money. I work very hard, but am lucky to have $200 in savings at the end of the month, as so much goes on tax and student loan repayments, rent and general expenditure. Hard to get ahead.Job overseas will allow me to save $2000 a month, and I'll be able to pay off my student loan in full and have a 20 per cent deposit on a house within 3 years.No brainer really.
Pedro
Doenst stop Cullen getting his huge pay rise every year.Sorry folks - he couldn't give a rats about us...and we pay him. He has to go.
Sydney Calling
Well done you bunch of narrow minded students, from taking Labours bribe you tipped the balance putting the stealth communists in power, give yourselves a pat on the back. Now most of the savy grads will have headed for Oz or elsewhere, wages and life styles are better, but for those who stay, enjoy your higher taxes, enjoy your pig headed govt, you wanted them, shame Aotearoa - NZ the Welfare State, Bring your skills to Oz, weathers great! "So where the bloo00dy hell are you?" Maybe '08 will see blue not colour of blood they squeeze from the hard working NZers who try get ahead. Then maybe I will come back....
RD
Haere ra New Zealand, I slaved at uni for 5 years and have come out with a whopping student loan.. and there is no end to the financial tyranny personified by Cullen and his cronies, Im off to australia I think. Last one out turn off the lights.
Dave
No need for any tax to be collected Just add 1 per cent to every transaction that happens and bingo the Govt will earn billions every year.
James
Funny. At the last election it was Cullen and Clark saying tax cuts would lead to higher interest rates and "doom and gloom" under Nationals proposals. Well it seems we have got there a different way. Despite Cullen's "Fiscal Prudence," and "surprise" budget surpluses we have the highest interest rates in the western world and a corresponding high dollar. The question is how does New Zealand compete with the likes of Australia. A company given the choice to invest in New Zealand or Australia, will likely choose Australia, due to tax advantages alone.
Sony
Good news,now more people have got reason to move to Australia and get back to retire here in peace and quite NZ. Can our government stop this?
Joseph Mascarenhas
Its high time we get tax cuts.The Govt earns a surplus of 10-12 billion a year. I see tremendous wastage of money in the name of improving the roads and transport system. The same roads are dug up again and again and huge medians are created where plants are grown. Intersections are widened instead of number of lanes being increased. The salaried are taxed while the wealthy are not. This encourages the wealthy to keep buying more houses so that they get tax cuts on their salary income. Also there is no tax on lotteries which encourages people to gamble. Its shocking to see criminals on the benefit and their lawyers fees paid for. Also the hospital bills of reckless and dangerous drivers who try to avoid the law and meet with accidents, are paid for by ACC. Its the taxpayers who will be paying for increased election spending to help the Govt pay for their 'over spending' of $800000 in the last election. Benefits are given to those who waste all their money on drinking, smoking and partying and the taxpayers have to support their extravagant lifestyle. Instead of all this wastage of funds, we should get tax cuts!
Billy
Forget the tax cut -fix the traffic problems.
Ben
Dr. Cullen, a large component of the inflationary pressure you talk about is government spending, which has increased 4-fold in your term in office. You want to curb inflation? Give the people a tax break for the coming recession so they can pay off their credit cards? Stop setting up new government departments, and bring in a capital gains tax like any other successful Western economy!
Skpp
Mr. Cullen, can you try and stop the migrants. If not then NZ will be a retiring home of the globe.
Mike (Auckland)
I can't find an exact figure but a reliable estimate puts public sector job growth at over 20 per cent over the past seven years. In fact, Wellington is running out of rental space to house the growing army of bureaucrats. This growth cannot consist of doctors, nurses and police. The tax-generated surplus is a war chest for Mr Cullen and Ms Clark to continue this hugely destructive pattern of waste. Come on, give all New Zealander's a tax cut and have some faith that most of us are smart enough and responsible enough to use in to pay off debt or invest and save it.
Peter
Cullen has to get the prize for the most pig-headed arrogant Minister of finance in a long-time after shooting down both the OECD and IMF reports (but Michael knows best). A friend who is on combined income of $80,000 with his wife has calculated he would be some $8,500 better off in Australia and that you need to earn $280k a year to be better off here. Hmm, if 99 per cent of us don't earn that, how many will leave. Won't bother labour though as it will generally be National voters leaving.
Raff Dellavaris
What Australian Govts do, doesn't have to influence what happens in New Zealand. Tax should be used to power ahead with transportation and infrastructure reforms, to provide the backbone for a truly booming economy. If the Govt is going to offer tax cuts to struggling people, then think levies on petrol and other user pays methods to raise that essential capital we need to create 5 or 6 world class cities in NZ.
H Britt
No. In the end the extra money we will get in our pay is likely to be peanuts! I would much rather see our taxes going towards upgrading our health care system and services that need the extra cash. Australia can sustain tax cuts as they are a much larger country and have more economic growth.
John (Auckland)
Cullen should implement personal tax cuts.
William
Oh well it doesn't matter, just another reason to move to Australia.
Pm
I agree NZers are due for a tax cut for a long time. Labour esp Cullen needs to act fast. On the other hand I fell that we are the ones who voted labour in the previous elections in spite of National who promised us Tax breaks from start. I am in a dilemma as to how did Labour get voted into power when there are so many NZers supporting Tax cuts?
Matt
Its not the amount of tax that I object to, it's the inequity. A family on two incomes totalling 50K takes home about 5K less than a family on one of 80K. There is no incentive in NZ to work harder, or smarter. I could would 30 hours/week and take a cut in take home income of 5 per cent, if I worked 50 hours/week I would see less than 5 per cent increase in take-home. Why would I work 25 per cent more hours? This inequality is what is driving down productivity and the economy. Cullen won't address this. Take away the hidden all negative taxes that increase the real marginal rate on earned income (Working for Families, State houses, accommodation supplements, community services cards) - that are only available to selected few. Replace these with a single, clear, 2 tier tax system with a guaranteed household income. Marginal tax rate must never exceed 40c/$. Allow income splitting for multi-income households, OR do not combine incomes when working out the above entitlements.Even better but completely out of the question because it makes so much sense. GST=20 per cent, no Personal or company taxes.
Steve
I really am tired of Michael Cullen's arrogance - no tax cut , he said, because we would just spend it at the shops. He reminds me of a bossy 'I know best' teacher who rules by his authority rather than trying to communicate with his 'students'. The Australian tax cuts are seen as a way of encouraging Australians to reduce their personal debt - and that would be my priority (if given a tax cut). Evidently the Australian Treasurer gives his citizens more credit for commonsense that Cullen affords us. Yes the gap between NZ and Australia is widening; just ask our local second-hand furniture dealer - she is booked for a week ahead visiting households wanting to sell everything and move on ... many to Australia! Today's published business confidence survey shows something we all know, which is that there is little appeal in this Cullen-led commercial environment for those wanting to invest in their future.As a positive suggestion, Cullen should consider ways to cut businesses loose of a penalty culture and instead offer encouragements for them to grow, or at least to stay in NZ.
Duncan
Mr Cullen, is the wrong man for the job, he needs to retire and Ms Clark will lose the next election because of her loyalty. He is inept and his complete lack of business knowledge is sadly lacking, we need to act like Ireland did and slash personal and company taxes, it's not rocket science.
Arron
Cullen sees himself as the last bastion of communism and certainly won't give us back any of our hard earned cash that he so willingly gives out to his low-life core support demographic and the tens of thousands of unproductive public sector workers out there. But I would also argue that Australia's tax cuts don't go far enough. There is still way too much tax in Australia, and they are still clinging to the socialist progressive income tax system. Although the bands are set at more realistic levels than NZ, this is still a disincentive to progression and productivity. A prime reason why Australia is successful in attracting talented workers from overseas is that many kiwis do not have many other options with a kiwi passport, and that they give massive income tax breaks to new skilled migrants from countries other than NZ. Any young professional leaving NZ should look at options beyond Australia (or stay long enough in another country to emmigrate to Australia as a skilled migrant on that passport rather than an NZ one), however Oz is still a way better option than staying in poor old backward NZ.
Matt
This is the 4th successive tax cut in as many years from Mr Costello while we are still waiting for the chewing gum promised last year. What is it with this obdurate government of ours? 9 years and not so much as a $1's dividend for all the hard work put in by thousands of kiwis over that period. Plenty of money however forever expanding government departments, each more intrusive in our lives as the years go by and for all their mates on benefits. The inflexibility showed by Cullen marks him out as yesterday's man. If you can't adapt and keep your income and tax policies up with a country only 3 hours away and with open immigration to all NZers then suffer the consequences - the ever-increasing exodus of the very people you need to give this country a future. Without a change of government next year i will certainly be joining them. It is most definitely time for a change!
Michael
Maybe Cullen is thinking this way. He'll be happy to see
more skilled people heading to OZ because they are not Labour supporters.
Perth Australia
Skies are blue here in Perth and we are all smiling, although the mining and resources boom along with general prosperity has put house prices up, funnily enough, probably not as high as Auckland's prices, mind you, we have CGT here. I like CGT, it encourages investment into export industries and takes a little more pressure of the income earner.
You've all certainly voted yourselves into a fix over there in good old NZ. Government has spent your money for you, raising inflation rather than giving you and your companies tax cuts to grow your economy in the right direction.
William Burt
I agree with Michael who says' who cares what the Australians do".
New Zealand must stem the migration of so many of your citizens to Australia. How you do this I'm not sure but whatever economic, social and political changes you need to make you should make them quickly.
Comparing yourself to another country is counter productive. Forget us and get on with creating an environment that stops your youngest and brightest wanting to leave.
Andy
As a part of growing up in our country we are taught to strive for success. Once you finally are on your way to that success after investing in a sizeable student loan and studying for a decent qualification you are then hit with a high tax rate that takes away most of your hard earned salary. Then when you buy a house you are hit by grossly over priced low quality homes and huge loans with huge interest rates. Then you qualify for no family assistance when you have children. My question is this: Why strive and work hard for this success when the clear message from the government is that you are constantly penalised for achieving and you have to support the jobless multitudes with all the tax that you have to pay. With the size of the last surplus even a small break would help. Thanks Labour Govt for robbing the working man/woman and buying votes from the jobless...
Dean
National wont get in for a long time thats why I am leaving good luck to the rest of you losers.
Kim H (Sydney)
Cullen, Clark and her bunch of tax-hungry Labour cronies is one of the main reasons my partner and I left NZ and moved to Australia where we are now over 50 per cent better off. Not least is the fact that every employer (by law) pays 9 per cent of your gross salary into your own personal superannuation account. As first home buyers we pay no stamp duty on homes up to AUD$ 500K. We purchased a fast, reliable car for under 5K. NZ is a great country in terms of lifestyle, pity about the inept twerps running it. Only if National becomes govt next year we might consider returning at some point in the future.
Rob
I think a $16 per week tax cut is great compared to the alternative back home in NZ....mmm, Labour complains of a shortage of skills but they do nothing to attract me home. To name a few comparison: NZers pay more tax on $65,000 that their counterparts in Australia, GST is higher in NZ, wages are lower on average in NZ and fuel taxes are higher in NZ. Good to see that Cullen is returning profits from the booming economy back to the people.
Margot
I have one sister and 2 brothers who have left what should be the best country in the world for the greener fields overseas. Leaving NZ is also preying on my mind. This government cares more about looking after beneficiaries and pandering to minorities than working for the people who pay their wages - the taxpayer. Why can Helen and Michael not get this through their heads? Labour voters generally speaking are students (only because of the election bribe) and people of low socio economic standing existing on either benefits or low wages. These people lack drive and ambition and are essentially calling the shots by helping to keep this left wing party in power. Come on people, lets get rid of them!
Scott
Time to move to Oz I think. I've been out of uni for nearly 5 years, I've given the government a chance but things seem to be going from bad to worse. This country really needs some new leadership and a new plan. I guess I'll be just one more skill grad to come the ditch. But can you blame me?
Tai
How stupid it is to compare Aussie with NZ, Aussie is huge gold silver and diamonds NZ is small milk butter and cheese so Aussie can definitely afford $1 trillion easily in tax cuts. I think realistically NZ cannot afford it.
Sunil Dhall
Finally some sensible statement from Cullen today along with some good commentary from Bollard. NZ needs to invest in long-term competitiveness rather than keep pumping the asset bubble, that will burst sooner or later. Investment to improve productivity and pay down debt is the need of the hour.
James
Typical high handed condescending diatribe from a minority government that is increasing distant from mid-New Zealand.
Isaac (Onehunga)
No, but he should spend some of the enormous surplus on completing Auckland's motorway network and on electrifying and expanding the Auckland rail network, rather than imposing yet another petrol levy on Auckland.
Michael
Who cares what the Australians are doing. Can we not decide what to do for ourselves? I think it's more important to look at the 'surplus' from last year and use that to judge whether we deserve a tax cut or not. Leave Australian politics out of it.
Chris
If Cullen does not introduce personal tax cuts in next weeks budget then this will yet be another reason for hard working Kiwi's to cross the ditch in search of a better pay and living conditions! Is he that blind to see that Australia's economy is already ahead of NZ that if he does nothing we are going to loss even more skilled people, I don't know if this country can wait another year for an election to get rid of these idiots, something needs to be done now!
Mick
Good on Australia ! They will surge further and further ahead of NZ while Michael Cullen will continue to follow his pig headed protestant belief and hoard all the tax he can. Cullen has shown no interest in helping the NZ economy and increasing our productivity, he is more concerned in increasing welfare dependency ie the Labour party vote !
Mike, (Auckland)
Tax cuts for all - we are being set up for a massive recession. Interest rates keep rising, most people will be refixing these within the next two months, fuel continues to rise, again less money in the pocket. These factors and more will soon mean that people are just going to have