Letters: Housing, KiwiBuild, night classes, Cook Islands and SpaceLink

One of these homes could be a tax-deductable expense while the adjacent one isn't. Is that fair? Image / Supplied, File

Non-tax deductible
The number one problem in New Zealand is housing. Firstly, houses are too expensive and secondly, too many New Zealanders live in rented properties. Every New Zealander should have the opportunity to own and look after their own home.
Why has the situation become so intolerable? Primarily because too many homes are being purchased by investors who end up owning large numbers of residential properties. The primary objective of investors is the untaxed capital gain.
What is the solution? The first step will be to make residential properties less attractive to investors. This can be achieved by making interest payments on all residential properties non-deductible for tax purposes. Currently, homeowners are not permitted to claim interest payments as a deductible expense and the same should apply to all residential properties. We need to make New Zealand a more caring society and make housing more affordable. Action is needed now.
Murray Higgs, Parnell.

Home help
Bob van Ruyssevelt makes a compelling plea (NZ Herald, February 22) for a massive increase in warm, dry homes from a Government that is failing in its 2017 election promises.
At the root of this failure is KiwiBuild's elimination of all community housing competitors despite their highly successful track records.
In 2020, Megan Woods was pictured opening a housing development for which government had unashamedly withdrawn promised funding. It's called posturing in my book.
Mary Tallon, Takapuna.

Life lessons
Congratulations to Jo Bowler for her well-overdue article (NZ Herald, February 22) calling for the return of night classes.
I vividly remember the shock decision by a recent National Government to scrap this system, and could barely believe what I read. If ever there was a stupid, short-sighted political decision, this was it. How could any party do away with a policy that was delivering so much benefit to the people, and at such little cost?
The time is ripe for night classes to be reinstated. The Labour Party's leader, Jacinda Ardern, has won international plaudits for, not only her handling of Covid-19 but also for extending the hand of kindness to the less fortunate. She has shown that empathy does matter. If her Government were to bring back night classes, it would show more than kindness: it would demonstrate sound economic sense, making and ensuring a wonderful investment in the future.
New Zealanders would take pride in knowing that our nation encourages learning, from youngsters trying to find their way in society to the older generation that wishes to find and practice new hobbies within a warm, social environment. And that's no mean achievement.
John Hall, Hauraki.

SOS Cooks
Back in April last year a lot of New Zealand restaurants and cafes were in danger of collapsing during level 4 lockdown.
To try to help save these eating establishments survive the lockdown, a clever scheme was hatched by the Well Foundation chairman and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise projects general manager, David Downs.
People could buy vouchers or gift cards for their local cafe and restaurant through the website (SOS Business – SOS Cafe), which could be redeemed "when this is all over".
My wife and I bought several vouchers for our favourite local restaurants and both we and the restaurant owners were very happy to see them being used when we were back down to level 2 and 1 lockdowns.
Perhaps a similar scheme could be introduced by the Cook Islands hospitality industry? I, for one, would be more than happy to buy a holiday to Rarotonga and pay, for example, 50 per cent of the cost now, and the balance on arrival, once we Kiwis are again allowed to travel to the Cook Islands.
I'm sure there are will be many other New Zealanders looking forward to a warm, tropical escape this coming winter and would also contribute to "SOS Cook Islands".
I can't imagine it would be that difficult to initiate. It could be the lifeline our neighbours need to survive.
Ron Czerniak, Northcross.

All seeing
A change is coming to cause anxiety to dictators who like shutting down free speech.
Space Link will soon have enough satellites to cover our globe to beam back quality internet to every nook and cranny.
Elon Musk has pushed lots of envelopes in recent years with SpaceX, Tesla EVs and solar storage - and SpaceLink adds another global product and dimension.
This service then awaits low, subsidised pricing, or free, for all people of poorer countries such as Myanmar, Kashmir, Uganda, and even China, where closing the internet is a tool of repression and control of any political dissent.
The ability to hide atrocities and human rights violations will get even tougher when every phone can record and stream in real time from anywhere on the earth's surface.
Rob Buchanan, Kerikeri.

Christchurch claims
As we remember the 185 people who lost their lives in the Christchurch earthquake 10 years ago (NZ Herald, February 22), we should also remember the many survivors who lost their homes and are still fighting the insurance companies for compensation.
The situation is a win/win situation for the insurers. Their clients are 10 years older, mostly retired and don't have the resources and years remaining to legally challenge them for the compensation they paid for.
So as we commemorate the dead, let us grudgingly also congratulate those insurance companies who figuratively bayoneted the wounded and made a financial victory of the earthquake. Perhaps a sign outside each abandoned house advertising the company's name would add to their satisfaction.
Guy Clapshaw, Pakuranga.

MIQ facilities
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but is the idea of building a new quarantine facility at huge cost away from Auckland's CBD past its use-by date already?
Vaccination rollout has commenced and with the source of the latest Covid outbreak in South Auckland unknown, would a new quarantine facility have prevented it?
Would a hastily constructed facility of the type proposed end up as ghetto housing when the pandemic is over?
As the rate of infection in main overseas destinations is slightly on the wane, isn't it more sensible to continue to upgrade existing facilities to a standard fit for purpose?
Coralie van Camp, Remuera.

Undesirable
Australian woman Lucinda Baulch has refused to take any Covid-19 swabs.
She has also participated in an anti-lockdown protest in Australia, so she clearly does not respect the law of the land – just like those the Australian Government deem to be 501s.
So send her back as a 105, thus doing in reverse this means of deporting the undesirables.
Vicky Williamson, Bucklands Beach.

Passport insurance
Your correspondent Mindy Cheung (NZ Herald, February 22) is quite correct when she says the woman has more links to Australia than New Zealand.
She used her Australian passport to travel, speaks with an Australian accent, radicalised in Australia. In an interview with a journalist in Turkey says she considers herself Australian.
Why then does she have a New Zealand passport? Insurance maybe, if the hard-hearted Aussies don't want her, the soft-touch Kiwis will always have her.
Peter Alley, Whāngārei.

Soul searching
I used to be a director of Salomon, the ski company, and New Zealand was one of the countries in my patch. It was a tiny market, but the one I enjoyed the most. I used to bring Japanese customers to Mt Hutt whilst the major nations' skiers trained there, many sponsored by me.
New Zealand should be more than proud of the world they have created on their islands in the Pacific Ocean.
New Zealand is the least corrupt country in the world with a score of 88. The UK is 11th at 77. Italy is 52nd with a score of 53. Below 50 you can bribe a policeman.
In New Zealand, I would do business on a handshake. There is the difference.
I hope the New Zealanders win the America's Cup. At the final press conference, the Italians should be told to go home and, when they come back, to do so with better manners and be an example of how to behave to the rest of the world.
Give them a seed each. Tell them to go home and grow some soul - some New Zealand soul. It's New Zealand's greatest export.
Martin Chilver-Stainer, Isle of Wight (home of the America's Cup).

Short & sweet

On housing
The Government can build as many houses as possible but it does not solve the problem for those that need them most. The poorer of society can never afford them so the Government needs to find different ways to help them, and asap, please. D Hoekstra, Henderson.

On Dilworth
With the overcrowding in public schools and poverty in our communities, Dilworth is needed now more than ever. Theresa Smith, Kumeū.

On dissent
Yes indeed, the country is a team of 5 million, but with a small group of continually carping critics on the sidelines. John Capener, Kawerau.

On MIQ
Perhaps the unused and delightful Queen Mary Hospital in Hanmer Springs is an ideal place to develop an MIQ facility? C Johnstone, Grey Lynn.

On revenue
If only we could all generate some extra funds when the need arises, as Auckland Transport can do by simply popping in 13 new traffic cameras on one stretch of road. Paul Beck, West Harbour.

A $150 fine for transit lane infraction; $80 fine for phone use while driving. Let's get our priorities right. Chris Blenkinsopp, Beach Haven.

On trade
If we were to re-examine our dealings with despot nations or others who commit abuses against its citizens (including indigenous) we would not even be buying goods from ourselves. James G McCormick, Gisborne.