Getting in quick: scoring early hits

of such a tax at arm’s length.

Labour wanted to be able to say, in effect, ‘‘it’s what the experts recommend’’. It’s run multiple campaigns on the need for a CGT – there is nothing that will make it more politically palatable for homeowners.

The party either accepts the recommendation and sticks to its convictions, even in the face of a difficult Winston Peters, or it walks away and causes extreme anger in the depths of its core vote.

And in his opening salvo, Bridges ran the ball straight up the guts and hit the Government where it hurts by committing to a policy of indexing income tax brackets to inflation.

It’s widely accepted as good policy – the Government had the option of endorsing it or rubbishing it. Finance Minister Grant Robertson has chosen the latter, which will make for an interesting contortion should the Tax Working Group recommend it. Which it may well do, because it’s an inordinately fair tax policy.