‘AI Slop’ – Greens Criticise National Attack Ad

Giles
Dexter Political reporter

The
Green Party is criticising a National Party attack advert as
“AI slop”, saying it misrepresents the party’s tax policy
and the country’s tax settings.

The Greens’ election
tax plan introduces new tax bands, including a tax-free
threshold of $10,000. The party would also adjust the top
tax rate.

Income of $180,001 and over is currently
taxed at 39 percent. The Greens would adjust this so income
of $160,000 was taxed at 45 percent.

Following the
Greens’ announcement, National ran a social media post
attacking the plan.

“You’d probably think they’re only
talking about taxing billionaires, people with yachts,
multi-millionaires. You’d be wrong,” the voiceover
said.

“Because if you ever want to earn $160,000, you
would need to pay 45 percent of it to the Greens and Labour.
It’s right there in their document.”

But the video
failed to take into account New Zealand’s progressive tax
system.

For example, someone earning $75,000 a year is
not taxed at a flat rate of 30 percent.

Their first
$15,600 is taxed at 10.5 percent, their income between
$15,601 and $53,500 is taxed at 17.5 percent, and then only
the income between $53,501 and $75,000 is taxed at 30
percent.

Under the Greens’ plan, people earning over
$160,000 would pay 45 percent on that income above $160,000
– not 45 percent of their total income.

“The National
Party is trying to hide behind AI slop and take New
Zealanders for idiots,” said Green Party co-leader Chlöe
Swarbrick.

She said she had asked the prime minister
to “come out from hiding behind that ad” and debate the
Greens about the policy properly.

On Tuesday
afternoon, National’s finance spokesperson Nicola Willis
said she had not seen the video, but said she understood
marginal tax rates.

“I will go and look at that, and
if there’s someone on the social media team that needs to be
educated, I’ll be happy to give them a bit of a lesson in
marginal tax rates.”

But 24 hours later, the video was
still
on National’s social media pages.

Swarbrick said
if Willis was uncomfortable with something “which is
actively misrepresenting a progressive tax system”, then she
could ask to get it taken down.

She also expressed her
disappointment National was using AI in its video
content.

“I think, especially for a party that is
having record donations pouring in at a time where things
are incredibly tough for regular New Zealanders, they could
perhaps afford to be paying some local creatives to create
some content that maybe, I don’t know, tells a positive
vision for our
country.”

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