Letters: Company tax loophole must be closed now; gang patch proposal undemocratic

Finance Minister Nicola Willis says the Government is looking at closing a longstanding loophole that allows some businesses to pay no companies tax by declaring themselves charities. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Tax loophole must be closed

It was absolutely shocking to read that while many families are struggling with cost increases in food, mortgage payments, etc, companies trading as charities for decades pay no tax at all (“Shutting tax loophole on agenda”, NZ Herald, September 18). It is most unusual for the Government and Opposition to agree on an urgent tax change, as they do here, which proves it is needed right now.

Sanitarium is just one big example that should pay tax, just as all struggling people and companies do every year. How much tax should they pay? I am sure that over 10 years it would be billions of dollars.

When this law is changed, hopefully effective October 1, we should also finally follow Australia and the United Kingdom and make the first $20,000 every year tax-free to give every worker over $2100 cash, and over $4200 cash every year where both parents work, as most do. I am sure the tax paid by Sanitarium every year alone would pay for the cost of this.

Murray Hunter, Titirangi.

A ban too far

One of the problems of making rules to straighten up one sector of society is that eventually those rules affect everyone.

The proposal to allow police to search private homes for gang insignia smacks of expedience and the will to punish gang members and their families who could well be completely innocent. And since when has it been illegal to wear what you like in your own home? Why is it necessary to institute a ban that could be used against minority groups who might not be in gangs?

Unfortunately, laws like this proposal take away a person’s right to be presumed innocent, hurting more than those targeted. As was pointed out in a Herald article on Tuesday, it also risks traumatising children and women who live in the household, as well as allowing ongoing harassment of individuals and families the police suspect of wrongdoing. Do we call ourselves a modern democracy with such draconian laws on the books?

Valerie Brawn, Te Puke.

PPTA out of line

PPTA president Chris Abercrombie’s objection to plug the teacher shortage with unregistered relievers is unfounded. I have done relief teaching in secondary schools in the past and found that most of the time I took over classes that were not specific to my subject area of expertise. Work for the classes was rung in by the absentee teacher and, basically, I was employed to make sure the students did that work and gave help when I could.

The Government wants to bring in experts who aren’t qualified teachers and previously registered teachers can now come into classrooms as relievers on a Limited Authority to Teach scheme. Given the current teacher shortage, what is so wrong with that? Surely that is better than not having anybody there at all or rostering students for online learning from home?

Abercrombie states that thousands of highly skilled and experienced teachers would come back to school next week if salary and conditions were attractive. This is an irresponsible, hyperbolic and emotive statement. Yes, there is a need for salaries and conditions to improve and that needs to be addressed, but this can be done in conjunction with addressing the problem with what appears to be a good idea right now.

Bernard Walker, Mt Maunganui.

Celebrating Auckland

Joe Pihama, of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua, should be enthusiastically supported by all Aucklanders for his call to celebrate the founding of Auckland on September 18, 1840 (NZ Herald, September 17).

I read with interest his account of the Ngāti Whātua chiefs’ delegation to the Bay of Islands in 1840, inviting Governor Hobson to accept the allocation of 3000 acres (1215 hectares) on the southern shore of the Waitematā Harbour for a new capital township. There is a parallel story also to be told: how Hobson sent his Surveyor-General, Felton Mathew, on a two-month voyage around the Hauraki Gulf to investigate possible sites, including the harbour of Whangārei and Mahurangi. Mathew’s report also influenced the final decision, and on September 18 Hobson’s officials finalised negotiations with Apihai Te Kawau, raised the flag on Point Britomart, fired gun salutes and organised an impromptu regatta for the two ships’ longboats and waka. We know about this because Felton Mathew’s indomitable wife Sarah recorded the day’s activities. Hers is the only on-the-spot written account of this remarkable occasion.

I have been telling the story of the real founding of Auckland for some years now, through talks and books (a biography of Sarah Mathew and a young adult novel). How wonderful it would be for Ngāti Whātua and Auckland Council to work in partnership to add a September 18 celebratory event to Auckland’s “official” Anniversary Day.

Tessa Duder, Devonport.