Letters: Christopher Luxon caught between a rock and a coalition hard place, where’s wealthy Kiwis on investment?

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Act leader David Seymour. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Letters to the Editor

Where are wealthy Kiwis on investment?

Numerous letters have described the disadvantages of importing wealthy overseas investors – but why can’t our wealthy New Zealanders invest?

Evidence suggests they prefer to buy houses and other property types instead, to obtain good returns including low-risk tax-free capital gains. The tax system incentivises this.

Recent comments by the Housing and Immigration Ministers suggest that overseas investors be allowed to buy houses and property here but they can be expected to respond to exactly the same incentives, rather than invest in riskier propositions and this will inflate house prices – especially in the upper range.

Move the goalposts, Nicola Willis, and don’t give the overseas wealthy this opportunity. Kill the tax-free capital gains on houses and property that distorts investment by New Zealanders.

Allan Bell, Torbay.

Data downsides

I read Amazon is building a mega-data-centre at Westgate that when operational will need power equivalent to 200,000 homes.

This joins two other data centres including Microsoft already at Westgate. Recently I watched an Irish documentary about the growth of data centres there and the growing concerns. Currently, 20% of all electricity production in Ireland is used by these facilities and there are fears of blackouts as power demand nationally exceeds production.

Additionally, they use 30% of the national water supply – a concern to both rural and urban communities. The Dublin region has a moratorium on any new data centres until 2028. These facilities inject major money into host economies but the Irish experience should give us pause; ensure companies contribute to power requirements and recycle water used, as well as ensuring New Zealand has infrastructure in place before more are built to avoid negative impacts on local communities and businesses.

Helena Mathieson, Te Atatū Peninsula.

The David divide

Surprisingly, there are times when having a “brass neck” can be strangely beneficial. For David Seymour, attending Waitangi Day when his own iwi advised against it was either insensitive or courageous, depending on which side of the David divide you’re on.

However, as an MP writing to Auckland police in defence of Philip Polkinghorne and criticising their treatment of the eye surgeon was “highly inappropriate”, the same accusation levelled at the police.

It’s astonishing that someone with Seymour’s political experience and who revels in creating scenarios that garner maximum press attention, has exhibited such poor judgment. Stating that he was simply passing on a constituent’s concerns to the police is disingenuous and mischievous. How and why the police conduct any investigation isn’t subject to the scrutiny of an MP and, unlike the US, New Zealand can contain only a certain amount of hubris, and don’t see it as an attractive quality to be admired.

The Prime Minister has been caught between the proverbial rock and a coalition hard place and even sending Seymour to the naughty corner with one of his school lunches won’t suppress his bad behaviour. It’s time Christopher Luxon remembered “you can’t deal reasonably with unreasonable people”.

Mary Hearn, Glendowie.

Building bucks

In the 60s, 70s and 80s, the Ministry of Works built brick-and-mortar infrastructure for the Government that was necessary for the country and benefited many communities. The ministry employed thousands of workers to complete these projects at cost.

Then the Government closed it down and sold off the assets. Now the Government contracts out major building projects to large corporations whose sole purpose is to make large profits, to be paid out in high salaries to management and dividends to the shareholders.

In this day and age, it’s not rocket science to work out that it is cheaper to build at cost price rather than pay millions to private corporations with profit margins running in the millions.

Warren Prouse, Papakura.

Bank charges

Parliament’s investigation into the lack of competition in the banking sector should also look into the iniquity of Paywave surcharges. During Covid times, we were all encouraged to use contactless payment methods but nobody envisaged this would become another lucrative source of additional revenue for banks. I have yet to see any justification for these surcharges, which most retailers are forced to pass on. It recalls the ancient practice of shaving small amounts of silver from coins. Debasing the currency used to be a capital offence. The banks are now using the digital equivalent of this and getting away with it scot-free.

Duncan Simpson, Hobsonville Point.

School transport

Parents wanting to send their children to schools far away have the responsibility to get them there. The state can provide free access to local schools but surely if you want something different you have options: shift, go private or provide transportation. It is not the taxpayers’ job to do everything for you. Take some personal responsibility.

Lucas Bonne, Unsworth Heights.