Opposition won’t hold debate until spending power is clear

The four big opposition parties have said they will not debate with ministers until they have handed over all the spending power estimates made during the coalition formation process.


A debate has no point until the effect of government policy on spending power has been properly worked out, Geert Wilders, leader of the anti-Islam PVV, said on behalf of the four parties on Monday.
The preliminary debate between the new cabinet and parliament is due to take place on Thursday.
Health insurance
The row over spending power follows confusion about the likely impact of the government’s plan to make health insurance income-related. This will have an impact on middle and higher incomes, despite promised tax cuts, but it is unclear by how much.
Halbe Zijlstra, leader of the VVD parliamentary party, told Radio 1 that no income group will lose more than 4% of their spending power through the new government’s policies.
Broadcaster RTL estimated last week some people could lose up to 30%.
Zijlstra did say that if policies lead to major reductions in spending power the cabinet could make a new agreement but only if ‘the loss in spending power is more than 10% and for a large group’.

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