The Act Party wants to give everyone in the country $187 a year to counter the rising cost of living.
ACT leader David Seymour said carbon tax revenue should be returned to those struggling with high prices. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
Act leader David Seymour said they would fund this from Emissions Trading Scheme revenue.
That is what companies pay in order to emit carbon into the atmosphere.
Seymour said it is about $1 billion a year, and instead of going into what he calls the government's "climate slush fund", it could be distributed to everyone.
"Act says, at a time like this, we should return carbon tax revenue to those struggling with high prices," Seymour said in a statement.
"Act knows Kiwis are struggling, not just with a cost of living crisis, but a tax crisis too. That's why we would return the tax revenue collected from the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to them in the form of a Carbon Tax Refund. Based on Treasury's latest forecasts, that would mean a $749 payment in the next fiscal year to a family of four ($187 per person)."
Seymour said the payment would give more help, proportionately, to those on lower wages, as the refund is the same amount for every person in the country.
"The benefits of this policy would be felt most strongly by those on low and middle incomes. $749 makes a much bigger difference to someone on $30,000 than $180,000."