Trading places
Steve Braunias’ column about his father in Canvas (Weekend Herald, July 22) made interesting reading, especially this statement: ”… a trade qualification should be a necessary requirement of people wanting to go into politics. We could have faith that they actually do know how to fix things and improve our lives.” That says it all really. Ian Grant, Matamata.
Taxing healthcare
The excellent article by Bruce Cotterill (Weekend Herald, July 22) concerning NZ’s health service crisis was unable to cover all matters. Lack of space prevented discussion of the importance of private non-government specialist healthcare in our overall scheme. Figures show 15 per cent of specialist care in NZ comes via the private system, either through health insurance, or by direct patient payment. Non-urgent “elective” surgery is carried out in high-class, efficient private hospitals, with a considerable amount additionally contracted out from the state system. Without this private elective surgery, our government health services would simply collapse. When the first Labour Government introduced state healthcare in 1938, tax-deductibility of health insurance premiums was sensibly maintained. This was until 1987 when it was abolished. Unbelievably, a fringe benefit tax was placed on insurance premiums paid by employers for employees’ health insurance. The outcome was a huge drop in those with insurance and a consequential increase in demands on government health services. Despite constant appeals to re-establish this tax deductibility, this has never happened. One sensible measure would be to reinstate this tax deductibility to remove some further stress from our state system. Dr Hylton Le Grice, (surgeon & past chairman of Southern Cross), Remuera.
Simple solution
Bruce Cotterill (Weekend Herald, July 22) states, “quality healthcare " and “education” are vital ingredients of a better nation. If you suffer from bad health, you are out of action. If you are uneducated, you can not read or write. You are not functioning in the community. To have a “healthy” and “educated” nation would mean the problems we face disappear. This should be our priority. Craig Fraser, Mission Bay.
Rodent scent
That the Department of Conservation sees fit to pay an annual bonus of $3500 to each staff member who can speak fluent te reo is astonishing. That the bonus will be an annual one is ridiculous in an organisation that maintains it is so already underfunded it cannot perform the track and hut maintenance and pest control with which it is tasked. I cannot imagine how paying Māori speakers annual bonuses will help with possum, rat, stoat, weasel, and feral cat control, nor save our native forests from deer predation. Has DoC been asked to justify this extraordinary waste of taxpayer money? Sue Jancys, St Heliers.
Fair dinkum
No wonder Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is all smiles on his visit to New Zealand. For years, Australia has “exported” their riff-raff 501s back to New Zealand. Now Albanese is also making it easier for our best and brightest to emigrate to Australia. Naturally, with our general election fast approaching, our Prime Minister is also all smiles, prompted by the prospect of many of our brightest leaving NZ for Australia. Philip Lenton, Somerville.
A brief word
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s endgame for NZ is to be part of the Aukus defence pact. I just hope New Zealanders live up to the words of the national anthem by meeting in the bonds of love rather than inciting war because of some unrighteous mental attitude as resembling the Opium War. Margaret Scott, Pakuranga Heights.
Talk of joining the Aukus agreement as a non-nuclear “pillar two” partner is a dangerous idea that jeopardises our autonomy in foreign and defence policy. It isn’t standing alone, it is standing for the global community. Maire Leadbeater, Mt Albert.
Bruce Cotterill’s expertise on healthcare systems (WH, July 22) seems second to none, knowing that all we need to run Te Whatu Ora is maybe a maximum of 1000 staff. Or did he just pluck that figure out of the sky? Neil Anderson, Algies Bay.
Here’s an idea: Let’s lower the standard of the medical specialist examinations so they all pass. Kerry Wickman, Kawakawa.
National is so bereft of policy that it has taken to announcing Labour’s. Ken Taylor, Māngere.
Evil Knievel has come out of retirement to announce a Ponsonby to Victoria Park shuttle service. Owen McMahon, Lynfield.
The Shortland Street actors are better than the ladies in the Women’s World Cup Football. Pitiful injuries. John Sumner, Mt Eden.
The Government refuses to confirm if taxpayers are paying for Kiri Allan’s car crash, citing privacy. It’s not private if you’re using our money. Randel Case, Bucklands Beach.
It is hard to tell if modern “music” is the product or the cause of aggression in our society. Graham Steenson, Whakatāne.
Vibecession? Careful reading of your editorial (WH, July 22) left me none the wiser. Ah – that delightful lawyer in Aussie movie The Castle used “vibe” when his other words failed. Yours too? Garry Law, Dannemora.
If Winston Peters put into practice what he preaches then this country could almost be back to its former glory. But, he doesn’t, and hot air just doesn’t cut the mustard. Paul Beck, West Harbour.
Should the Labour or Māori parties remove GST off food, would that mean that salmon would reduce from its current $55kg to $48kg? The wealthy will benefit more than the less wealthy with this insane proposal. Mike Baker, Tauranga.
No GST on food? Brilliant. I’ll be able to afford to go to a restaurant. Nick Hamilton, Remuera.
How strong does the economy have to be before people will take climate change seriously? Huw Dann, Mt Eden.
