"No other country is so hard on those with limited disposable income," writes a reader.
Degust-nation
Here’s the menu I would like to see, on the same card. Mains: no wealth tax. Countries with wealth tax have high implementation costs from trying to establish taxable wealth; high avoidance from creative accounting; and unknown cost from capital flight. Capital gains tax (CGT). It doesn’t have to be high and should exempt capital improvement of real estate, but must recognise untaxed income. We are one of few countries with no capital gains tax so have plenty of examples to draw on. Adjusted income tax. Substantial bottom bracket with no income tax balanced by higher tax rates at the higher end. No secondary tax. We have almost the lowest top tax rate in the OECD, and almost the lowest measure of child wellbeing. No GST on self-prepared food. No other country is so hard on those with limited disposable income. Desserts: stamp duty on real estate going to the local authority, with first home buyers exempt. Together with a CGT, this will disincentivise investment in real estate purely for profit. Central funding of social services such as Plunket, St John, night classes on parenting, meals in schools, and childcare. If I can’t find something close to this fare by October, I’ll go hungry.
Maurice Robertson, Torbay.
Blowing time
Gregor Paul’s opinion piece of time-wasting by the All Blacks’ rivals is timely in World Cup year. French test referee Mathieu Raynal was every Australian rugby fan’s enemy for calling Bernard Foley’s time-wasting last year when the test against the All Blacks was in the bag. Raynal could be rugby’s saviour. People don’t want to see fake injuries dotted throughout the game, forwards strolling towards lineouts, and teams in huddles whilst the clock ticks down. As well as penalties, maybe the clock needs to be stopped periodically and wasted time added to the end of the game if scrums are taking an inordinate time to set, or for lineout strolls and team huddle. Rugby is an 80-minute game and people pay good money to see a match, not oversized men trying to catch their breath. Maybe even strict enforcement and time added would force players to become more aerobically fit, giving rise to less destructive collisions and a greater skillset, and a more entertaining game.
Bernard Walker, Pāpāmoa.
Human frailty
The political commentariat has a good deal of power in determining the outcome of an election, or at least in creating a furore. The NZ Herald managed a nice balance in the Kiri Allan saga (July 25). As a highly-regarded minister, and valued by her East Coast electorate, she is someone the PM obviously wanted to keep on board and was assured she was up for it. Poorly judged? Don’t forget, we are human beings running the Government (and the Opposition). Is this an area where AI would do a better job for us - delivering clever policy and superior judgments while foregoing kindness and sympathy? We also know that such human feelings are deeply unpopular with a certain sector of voters who don’t want a leader to consider much beyond strictly financial matters and how to return to the 20th century. This is a world/planet having truly enormous difficulties in our environment and our societies, especially mental health, and with a global shortage of skills more than funds for fixing things.
B Darragh, Auckland Central.
Double jeopardy
Can Prime Minister Chris Hipkins please explain how the same Cabinet Minister can hold the positions of Minister of Justice and Minister of Police? Surely, common sense requires distinct separation of the two, often, opposing sides in any legal setting? This latest iteration of Cabinet’s permanent game of musical chairs neatly highlights the intellectual vacuum and the lack of real-life skills within the Labour caucus. It would make more sense for James Shaw to be appointed Minister for Climate Change and Minister of Energy. In other words, no sense at all.
Roger Hawkins, Herne Bay.
Grand ambition
I support Heather Mackay (NZ Herald, July 25) and her wish for a grand coalition after the October elections. There is little doubt that our country faces many problems, both internal like infrastructure, health, housing, education, poverty, debt and so on, as well as external, like Russia’s battle in Ukraine, unstable leaders in many countries and the ever-present threat of a global financial meltdown. Meanwhile, we have an election looming where the choice has been stated to be “more of the same, or God knows what”. We face three months of our politicians trying to score points off each other in a quest for personal glory without a thought for what our country badly needs. Following the election, we are very likely to have a bunch of minor parties with their tails trying to wag a couple of dogs. We are facing a war on many fronts, so what better than a wartime cabinet that concentrates on what is best for our beloved country, goes about winning these wars and is not concerned with trading personal insults with those of another party? I may be dreaming but hope is the last thing ever lost.
Richard Still, Remuera.
Unlike-minded
Michael Neilson draws a long bow with his description of Kiri Allan’s early supporters as “some of the country’s greatest legal minds” (NZ Herald, July 25). I’m not sure the judges past and present of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, High Court, not to mention King’s Counsel and other senior practitioners would share the same ridiculous description. Thank you.
John Waymouth, barrister, Takapuna.
Barbie whirled
With all the political angst in New Zealand this week, it’s refreshing to get some comic relief from the Republican Party (NZ Herald, July 24). I was under the impression they had a sense of humour because their frontrunner for the presidential nomination is a joke. The Barbie movie seems to have pierced their sombre little red hearts, and some Republicans have strenuously objected to Barbie’s make-believe map. They believe it depicts China’s control over the South China Sea because of the movie’s inclusion of the “nine-dash territorial line”, which supposedly legitimises China’s position over strategically important waters. We don’t even need a cue card to tell us to laugh, because in this case truth really is stranger than fiction. So, whilst the Republicans wage a culture war on Barbie’s testosterone-free and woke world, Aotearoa is dealing with grown-up problems. As the list of fallen MPs grows, urgent and real issues get pushed aside. By election day, a jaded New Zealand public may just decide to opt out.
Mary Hearn, Glendowie.
But weight
A common complaint is the prices at supermarkets and the excessive profits these companies make. Why are so many consumers as well as the supermarket staff ignorant of the fact that it has been against the law for many years to weigh produce in a paper bag without deducting the weight of the bag by taring their digital scales? When I insist that the bag not be weighed as it is illegal, the staff have no idea what I’m talking about. Finally, they remove the items to weigh separately from the bag, then grab the produce and put it back in the bag, thereby bruising my carefully chosen produce. Obviously, the management is happy for the extra money raked in, albeit a few cents and more per bag, and then multiplied by x number of bags per customer x hundreds of thousands of customers.
Susan Gibson, Mt Maunganui.
Paid in full
In the interest of being a problem-solver, here is how we may be able to solve the problem of the cost of new roads. In Norway, if a road or bridge needs to be built, it is funded by the Government but a toll is placed on its use. Let’s say the new road/bridge costs one million dollars. When that amount is collected in the form of a toll, the toll is removed and the road/bridge is considered paid for. Any further maintenance comes from general tax. In that way, the construction of the road is initially paid for by users and later maintained by taxpayers. Simple.
Michael Walker, Blockhouse Bay.
Last act
With the Auckland Council’s recent budget deficits, and possibly more to come, surely this is not the time to be asking ratepayers to pay $15,000,000 to rebuild a theatre. Perhaps the affluent, who can afford to support the arts through their attendance and with corporate sponsorship, are in the best position to generously contribute to the rebuilding of this theatre. Let those who can afford them pay for such luxuries. Why should poorer citizens pay for them with rates increases?
Gillian Dance, Mt Albert.
Telly tubbies
Otago University says its latest research has found “metabolic syndrome” in kiddies who spend too much time in front of the telly. This, apparently, can lead to blood pressure, obesity, abnormal cholesterol levels, diabetes and stroke in later life. Screenagers, eh? Who’d have ‘em?
Dean Donoghue, Pāpāmoa Beach
On support
There is a certain irony in the Prime Minister lavishing support and professional assistance on Kiri Allan when mental health services have been grossly underfunded for the past 20 years. Peter D Graham, Helensville.
On Wood
Well done Kiri Allan for admitting her actions let the party down. I wonder how many reminders Michael Wood will need before he makes the same acknowledgement and retires from politics? Gavin Baker, Glendowie.
On prisons
According to Mark Mitchell, a National Party Government would increase the prison population. Why? At a cost of $151,000 per prisoner per year, wouldn’t the money be better spent on reintegration back into a productive life in society? J Fraser, Waiuku.
On Government
Looking back over the past five years, Napoleon was right when he said: “In politics, stupidity is not a handicap.“ Wendy Tighe-Umbers, Parnell.
Will the last Labour Cabinet Minister to leave Parliament, please turn off the lights. CC McDowall, Rotorua.
If Chris Hipkins is still the Prime Minister after the coming election, he should change his name to Houdini Hipkins. Graham Fleetwood, Botany Downs.
On buses
Rather than driving basically empty buses, why not use minivans during off-peak times, which would reduce running costs considerably? Harley Storey, Māngere Bridge.
The Auckland Council spends $100,000 a day on accounting and legal advice
Makes Wayne Brown’s $300k legal spend look like petty cash. Ray S.
The left-leaning council of the past 12 years was out of control. This is evidence of it. Jo M.
Wayne, get into gear and stop the wasteful attitudes of council staff. How easy it is to spend other people’s money. Equally in central as local government. It is our money, not yours. Governments and councils are voted for with the electorate having little or no knowledge of whom they are voting for. Certainly, local government is not working, is dysfunctional and not serving us. I don’t know really what to do/change, but a fundamental change would be nice. Alexander G.
$127m over five years. Divide this by an average of 1.5 million residents and you get $85 per person over five years. The average per annum spend on consultants and legal firms is about $17 per person. “Council spends as much as $17 per person a year on consultants and legal fees” is not such a spectacular headline, despite being the truth. Nellie K.
Don’t forget we had Phil Goff, who was a former Labour MP. We know how loose Labour has been with the public purse. Time for change, the gravy train has to stop. If council was a business, they would have gone bust long ago. John W.
Powerball has now rolled over to $10 million for Wednesday night's draw.