Sir Michael Cullen, a former Deputy Prime Minister and a towering figure in the Labour Party, has died, aged 76.
[…] Cullen was fiercely intelligent and widely recognised as one of the best debaters Parliament has seen, with a cutting wit that occasionally got him into trouble.
[…] Much of Cullen’s political legacy is in the work he did on superannuation and retirement savings.
He set up the New Zealand Super Fund, an independently managed fund, designed to help meet the cost of the universal state pension as the number of elderly people increases. It is currently worth about $58 billion, although only Labour Governments have paid into it.
Cullen introduced Kiwisaver in the 2005 Budget, setting up individual savings accounts with a Government contribution for every working New Zealander, and it took effect in 2007. Later it was changed to provide for compulsory employer contributions as well.
He also introduced the Working for Families package in the 2004 Budget, a set of payments or tax credits for families with dependent children.
[…] He was occasionally riled during debates and once called National’s Don McKinnon a “born to rule prick” and John Key a “rich prick.”
[…] he chaired the Tax Working Group for the Jacinda Ardern-led Government last term. Having opposed a capital gains tax in office, he then supported a comprehensive capital gains tax but none was progressed by the Government. He also chaired the Earthquake Commission.
[…] Cullen accepted a knighthood in 2012. He was a constitutional monarchist, believing that the current system served the country well enough.
[…] In his valedictory speech in April 2009, he said there had been three basic themes to his political philosophy. The first was a profound belief in the essential equality of all human beings. The second was a hatred of poverty. The third was that economic and social policy had to be guided by the ideals of security and opportunity.
NZ Herald
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