On 20 August 1985 Roger Douglas foreshadowed the Goods and Services Tax (GST) that was introduced in October 1986. Cartoonist Bromhead saw the preceding Budget (June 1985) and the next one (July 1986) in sheep in wolf’s clothing terms. The Budgets gave some assistance to the lower paid; GST hit all pockets equally hard. After the Muldoon era of mini-budgets, which diminished the significance of the ‘official’ Budget, and the more recent ‘no-surprises’ Budget philosophy, it’s just possible that Michael Cullen’s 2004 document will contain few surprises. Given the recent denting of Labour’s seeming impregnability, and the surpluses sloshing around in the state coffers, there may be temptation to ‘buy back’ some affection from fickle electorate.
Peter Bromhead, Auckland Star, 21 August 1985
From the NZ Cartoon Archive, Alexander Turnbull Library, P O Box 12349, Wellington, Tel/fax 04-474 3154
The national collection of cartoons and caricatures
