Key says he won't release tax returns, says he has nothing to hide
Prime Minister John Key says he has nothing to hide. With special feature audio.
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See also: PM declares deposit in trustee firm specialising in foreign trusts
Prime Minister John Key has reiterated he will not be releasing his own personal tax returns but says he has nothing to hide.
It has become the norm in some overseas countries for people running for high office to release their personal tax returns: in the US most presidential candidates have done so since the late 1960s.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron has recently released his tax returns, under fire for the revelation a trust set up by his father is linked to the tax haven revelations unveiled by the so-called "Panama Papers."
However, Mr Key says he will not release his tax returns – and says he does not see the need to do so.
Mr Key says his tax affairs are “completely above board” and that he has only ever used two personal trusts “in the entire history of me.”
These include the blind trust set up when he first went into Parliament at the 2002 election, and he says he does not, by definition, know what it is doing but he hopes the people he appointed as trustees have not done “anything stupid.”
Mr Key has been valued as worth $55 million by the National Business Review Rich List and is regarded as the wealthiest person ever to become prime minister.
His wealth has often been the target of his political opponents, not only because of its value but also because of its origins in the financial sector.
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Rob Hosking
Tue, 12 Apr 2016
Tue, 12 Apr 2016
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Key says he won't release tax returns, says he has nothing to hide
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