Government spending should receive as much attention as how much it is being funded through taxation, a correspondent writes. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Identify outgoings
Every day, we are peppered with articles and letters regarding wealth, capital gains taxes, tax thresholds and the like. All with a view of increasing the Government’s income. Why isn’t similar energy being expended investigating Government spending and wastage? Every rational citizen sees the need for taxation but many of us cannot agree to ever-increasing taxes (under whatever label is given to them) without first seeing a concerted effort to address Government and public service expenditure. We budget our household income and if our spending exceeds our income we must address the issue. The immediate solution is to reduce our spending. We prioritise spending and try to spend wisely. We don’t have the luxury of turning on a money tap to increase our income. Reducing expenditure is our only choice. Increasing our debt by borrowing is not a solution. The Government should act the same. This doesn’t mean a reduction in essential services, it means identifying and curtailing extravagant, wasteful expenditures and concentrating resources for the best outcome.
Quentin Miller, Te Atatū South.
Blurred lines
The stranger parked his ute and walked into the Town Hall as the first speaker expressed anger about crime and the ram raiders. “National Party candidate?” the stranger asked a man standing next to him. “No, Labour”, the man answered. The first speaker sat down and took a sausage roll wrapped in tinfoil out of his pocket. The next speaker promised an income guarantee for every New Zealander by cutting taxes for the poor and taxing trusts and the very wealthy. “Labour?” asked the stranger. “No, Greens” replied the man. The third speaker walked past the man still eating his sausage roll and described his party’s new housing intensification rules. “Labour?” the stranger asked. “No, National”, the man replied. Confused, the stranger asked: “Did anyone propose new hospitals or how to fix Gabrielle’s $9 billion-plus damage?” “No,” the man replied. The stranger turned away and walked past the man finishing his sausage roll and returned to his ute. He threw his voting paper out of the window and drove away.
Johan Slabbert, Warkworth.
Grand coalition
It’s crunch time for Labour, National, and the Greens. None of the above parties, nor any of the “fringe” parties, have sufficient experience nor indeed the calibre of candidates to govern alone. New Zealand needs these three parties to form the next government. Put aside all your petty differences, Labour and National in particular, and lead our fine country into a new era. A coalition of the three serious parties in NZ who can nominate their respective best and brightest to be our next ministers. Pay heed to Geoffrey Palmer, have an executive group who don’t hold any portfolios and don’t - for goodness sake - overload those who have portfolios. NZ desperately needs a cohesive government of high-calibre personnel.
Heather Mackay, Kerikeri.
Spot the difference
Capital gains tax (CGT) is vastly different from wealth tax. As a former tax lawyer, with over 30 years’ experience, I read with interest letters to the editor concerning the implementation (or otherwise) of a tax targeted at the so-called “wealthy”. There is a lot of confusion around the difference between a CGT and a wealth tax. Perhaps, if people understood the difference and were better informed, we would not have the current hysteria around “getting the rich”. The current Government has ensured the Tall Poppy Syndrome remains alive and well in New Zealand.
Jillian Lawry, Remuera.
Broad learning
Your opinion writer (NZ Herald, July 19), along with Education Department academics and bureaucrats, appear to be part of the problem in dumbing down our education system. Several decades ago, a Fulbright scholar compared the NZ and American education systems. The NZ system of restricted syllabus subjects done in greater depth led to a better understanding of concepts, the ability to think and reason, and to reach logical conclusions. The American system with very broad syllabuses taught “a little about a lot”. Hence, NZ then towards the top of international standards and America towards the bottom. The Picot report and Tomorrow’s Schools really started the slide in standards. One of the first manifestations being “new maths” introduced as a fait accompli with virtually no training for teachers. While “looking at maths in different ways” is a good thing, it was introduced at far too low a level and basic arithmetic was the loser, with less time devoted to it. This stretching of all syllabuses, the latest being NCEA, along with increased administration, teachers now have to cram more and more into unstretchable time. Hence the dumbing down towards American low standards against international standards. And protester ignorance?
I McPherson, Birkenhead.
Caring voices
In a recent short visit to a hospital, because a whole floor I was on had to be closed for the night because of a shortage of nurses to service them, I was transferred to the fourth floor which was the floor for those patients in their last dying months from an incurable disease. I was kept awake by the constant chatter of nurses comforting these poor souls in their last moments. They must have seemed like angels to these elderly patients. The patience of these wonderful human beings, for which they are paid a pittance, made me feel ashamed. More’s the pity that our politicians don’t feel the same.
Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay.
Known risks
Our Government, through WorkSafe, is pursuing criminal charges against Whakaari/White Island tour operators, many of whom were heroes, for failing to prevent a known risk. It is time for our Government, judiciary and Corrections to be held accountable for failing to adequately deal with the known risk of criminals and continual weak penalties and sentencing.
Mark McCluskey, Whangaparāoa.
Wages of inn
It is hard to believe the gall of hotel bosses complaining that the cost of luxury hotels could be kept down if we didn’t have a minimum wage rate so high (NZ Herald, July 21). I doubt any of those bosses have restricted themselves to the minimum wage. And equally doubtable is the clients of those hotels are on the minimum wage. It is fairly certain that not too many minimum wage workers who keep these hotels clean, move guests’ baggage, bring guests their room service champagne, cook and serve meals in the restaurants are likely to be able to afford to be their own guests. Perhaps for the complaining hotel bosses, it is time for them to note the last paragraph in the Herald article where the writer says “New Zealand needs to compete on value - not price”. Minimum-wage workers feel that way too.
Neil Anderson, Algies Bay.
Follow the money
A fine account of John Tamihere and the Waipareira Trust by Matt Nippert (NZ Herald, July 21). Is this a case that if both Tamihere and the trust ignore this alleged matter relating to $385,000 it will simply disappear?
W R H Ramsay, Kerikeri.
No free lunch
Following the letter from C. Salisbury (NZ Herald, July 21), I would like to correct the statement made that Great Britain has provided free lunches to their children since 1947. I was a pupil there starting school in 1950, and we paid a daily fee of 10 pence for our lunch which was provided by an onsite kitchen. These were basic hot lunches, not very appetising I seem to remember, cooked by staff employed by the local education board. No fast food being supplied by outside companies. We had a main course and a dessert, supervised by teaching staff who were strict in making us eat the meals. We sat at long tables set up in the hall. I came to New Zealand in 1968 so have no knowledge what the current practice is now in Great Britain.
Gillian O’Donnell, St Heliers.
Throwing money
Geoff Barlow (NZ Herald, July 24) was happy the Government was giving $15 million for the restoration of St James Theatre and hoped the Auckland Council would match the sum. I think he meant he was happy with the New Zealand taxpayer and Auckland City ratepayers’ generosity.
P. Harlen, Mt Maunganui.
Curtain call
It is all very well getting the Government and Auckland Council to front up with $30m of public money to restore the interior of the abandoned St James Theatre. But it will be a very tough job for someone to get the restored theatre to pay its way when we already have the excellent features of the Town Hall, Aotea Centre, Civic Theatre, Sky City Theatre and Spark Arena available close by. Will the ratepayers have to dig into their pockets again, and in every year, to keep it going if any operator finds it unviable?
B. Anderson, St Heliers Bay.
On water
In the wettest year on record in Auckland, is Watercare still buying water from the guardians of the Waikato River? Graham Fleetwood, Botany Downs.
On sentences
How can the courts give jail sentences such big discounts? I wish my grocery bill would receive such a discount. It’s a crime how much I pay. Lesley Baillie, Murrays Bay.
On protection
It seems rather ironic that the judges, who let dangerous criminals loose, are being given extra protection. How about protecting the general public? Neville Cameron, Coromandel.
On politicians
It is not good enough for those in power to claim that judges have imposed these sentences and to wash their hands. They are vested with the power to make laws that protect the public. They can and should choose whether it is appropriate to change the law. Peter van Blerk, Parnell.
On detention
All my life, I thought home detention meant that a person had to stay home for a specified time. I was wrong. It doesn’t mean that at all. June Krebs, Sunnyhills.
On negotiations
Is it true the Government has announced it is partnering with KFC to produce a “Pander Pack”? Catering for the miscreants. Elaine McGlinchey, Kawerau.
Liam Dann: How much do Kiwis owe?
When you fuel a property bubble by printing money and simultaneously lowering interest rates to very low levels, then ramp interest rates way up to fix the inflation you have caused, then of course there is going to be more debt. We haven’t even begun to feel the real pain of mortgage sales and redundancies yet. When you look at a graph of interest rates over the last 100 years, it was pretty obvious to me what was going to happen, and I’m just a simple farmer. Craig W.
Well, we cannot say that the waves of concerning issues that we face were not well signalled. Now we have to really think about things. Some issues were beyond the control (and hence blame) of this current Labour Government, many, however, were not. Come October, I will opt for boring National and more lively Act. They at least have a core of true professionals in their ranks. Meantime, Chris Hipkins can continue to practice dancing on a pinhead, Kiri Allan can get things together, Kelvin Davis can try to work out what a question really means and Michael Wood can decide if he really deigns us, the public, worthy of his respect. Geoff P.
Core Crown borrowing at $193 billion, in large part to fund Covid-related government stimulus. What exactly have we got to show for it? Anything? Waipapa M.
Potholes? Patrick F.
There are eye-watering sums. I’m with Judith Collins and her supermarket mood test - $7.50 for a 12-pack of 2-minute noodles indicates we’re not really prospering as a country. Mark W.
OPINION: New Zealander reflects on delivering speech at St James' Palace.