Labour plans to axe GST from fruit and vegetables. Photo / NZME
Labour plans to axe GST from fruit and vegetables. Photo / NZME
OPINION
Senior writer Simon Wilson critiques several key policy announcements in a recent opinion article, including Labour’s plan to axe GST from fruits and veges, National’s plan to ban cellphones in schools, and Labour’s policy to increase payments in the Working for Families scheme.
Wilson says the Greens propose realtax and benefit reform. Their policy includes a wealth tax, adjusted tax brackets, the Income Guarantee and changes to Working for Families and other benefits. They say 95 per cent of the population would pay less tax, while the wealthiest 5 per cent paid more.
Voters are in a malaise due to this current Government sucking the life out of everyone. As a country, we have lost our mojo. That’s on this Government to own. The only way our mojo will return is not with more of the same. We need bold policies to get people out of poverty and being more productive citizens, growing our economy. That can only happen with Labour and the Greens on the Opposition benches. - Kerry H
Some sensible points made. I disagree though that phones in schools shouldn’t be banned, because they also cause problems outside of schools and across all ages. By that logic, there would apparently be no point in banning alcohol in schools either. - Doug B
What an act of desperation from Hipkins. Twelve out of 12 economists don’t like it, a clean sweep. Grant Robertson doesn’t like it and rightly so, they will take the world’s most efficient tax and turn it into a nightmare to administer and decipher, and add serious additional costs to the people who have to use it. A major blunder of all proportions and the bottom line is any savings for customers will be morphed into administration costs. Total mistake. - Paul E
As the election draws closer, we are at last getting some very good, observant and honest articles from our press. This article, and a few others, gives me strong support for my developing idea that this election will be the first time for me to abstain in my 75 years. I am a quintessential swing voter, with a slight left bias. But, alas, there is no way I could vote for the present Government’s policies. There is also no way I could vote for the right-wing politicians with their present total mess of policies. So, at present, I have no wish to vote. - Alexander M
In reply to Alexander M: The only way to rid New Zealand of this shambles of an untrustworthy Government is to vote them out, comprehensively. Please reconsider and vote for one of the Opposition parties capable of forming a governing coalition. Surely cannot be any worse than what we have? - Andrew R
Great article clarifying the problem both main parties have and the resort to populist policies - although the phones thing is obviously much sillier than the fruit and veges thing. Lots of people will like this. It’s now clear as day that the Greens are addressing core issues, tax reform and climate change because they can. As James Shaw says: “Poverty is a political choice.” And so is ignoring the existential threat of global warming. Go the Greens. - Jod M
National plans to ban cellphone use in schools. Photo / 123rf
It seems silly to all those who care more about being their child’s friend than their responsibility as a parent and guardian. Anyone who doesn’t see that mobile phones in classrooms are a contributing factor in our declining education standards has their eyes closed. - Patrick C
As a 65-year-old who has voted in every election, I am in a difficult place because of the way these 120 politicians treated us during Covid. Trust must be earned and quite frankly I do not trust any of them. If you had said to me that I would be in this position before Covid I would have to say no way. I do not want to feel cynical toward our elected representatives. I just cannot get past what they did. - Peter M
Show me any state tenancies with fruit trees. Give them skills and incentives to grow their own. Cut back fancy lunches in schools to sandwiches and fruit instead of chicken cordon bleu etc and get kids to assemble them under volunteer supervision. We give kids school patrol skills, so why not teach them to help themselves and their younger siblings? Give a man a fish he will eat for a day, teach him to fish and he will eat for life. - John W
- Republished comments may be edited at the editor’s discretion.
The Rotorua Daily Post and the Bay of Plenty Times welcome letters from readers. Please note the following:
