Kelly calls for yes vote (To Household Tax Repeal Bill)

Cllr Anthony Kelly is calling on Wexford's five Oireachtas members to vote yes on June 20th. The Wexford Sinn Féin Councillor is urging members of all political parties to support his party’s household charge repeal bill, which if successful, will abolish the controversial home tax.

Cllr Kelly said;

“Sinn Féin has opposed the household charge since its inception on the grounds that it is a regressive flat tax which takes no account of a person’s ability to pay. Next Tuesday (19th) we will introduce the Local Government (Household Charge) (Repeal) Bill 2012. This Bill aims to reverse the Household Tax and reimburse all those who have paid the charge.”

“The Household Charge was introduced by the Fine Gael/Labour coalition in last years budget. In a calculated manoeuvre the government redirected vital funding for local authorities to the bailout kitty for zombie banks. The public were then threatened with a collapse of local services if they didn’t pay what was essentially a form of double taxation.”

“Despite the threats, despite the scaremongering and the bullyboy tactics, people have not paid this unfair tax in their thousands and it is clear that it is the democratic wish of the majority of people on this island that this tax should be abolished and consigned to the history books along with other mistakes of governments like electronic voting and the Bertie Bowl. The Sinn Féin Bill can do just that if the majority of TDs support it.”

“There are real alternatives available to the household charge. The government could introduce a new third rate of tax of 48% on income earned by individuals in excess of €100,000 which would raise €410 million. They could abolish ‘Group relief’ which is availed of by multi-national companies to transfer losses to profitable companies and write down tax receipts which would raise €450.3 million. Capping all public servants wages at €100,000 per annum would save €265 million.”

“Not only would these alternatives work; they would also be readily accepted by the political opposition and the mass public resistance to the household tax. The public now has an opportunity to put pressure on government TDs to reverse this unjust and unworkable household tax. I am calling on County Wexford’s five sitting TDs to listen to their constituents and put an end to the household charge controversy by supporting this repeal bill.”