Letters: Tax cuts and tolls, Peters’ Gallipoli speech, fast-track folly

Transport Minister Simeon Brown. Photo / Mark Mitchell.

Letter of the week

Taxes taking their toll

It taxes the common man’s trust to hear officials tell Simeon Brown that he can’t fulfil his promise of “no new taxes” to fix the potholes he raved on and on about. Nicola Willis might extol the virtues of tax cuts but what in God’s name is the difference between tolling and taxing?

I can see the logic though. Tax cuts lure the common man into voting but a highway toll on existing roads would mean we’re paying for our own tax cut.

If you’re a “hard-working Kiwi who obviously knows best what to do with their own money” take a roadie and be robbed in broad daylight. I’ll fly instead you might say but Air NZ just raised their domestic charges by 30 per cent. That’s an increased cost on taxes as ex-MPs get that gratis too.

Then, getting across the Cook Strait is perilously unsafe at best now since Willis wants us to wait while the current ones are breaking down regularly. Bugger- they’ll toll it too just to pay for a new ferry.

Steve Russell, Hillcrest.

Peters’ Gallipoli speech

The recent comments made by Heather Kavan, a senior lecturer at Massey University, concerning Winston Peters’ tribute during the Gallipoli ceremony, where she claims embarrassment over Peters’ use of passages from Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg address, are not only petty but also deeply insensitive to the solemnity of the occasion.

The Gallipoli ceremony is a moment of profound remembrance and tribute to those who sacrificed their lives. It is a time for unity, respect, and reflection, not for nitpicking over the origins of certain phrases. By choosing to focus on such trivial matters, Kavan detracted from the significance of the event and disrespected the memory of those being honoured.

What truly matters is the appropriateness and sincerity of the words spoken, not their original source. If Peters’ use of Lincoln’s words helped convey the gravity of the occasion and pay homage to the fallen, then it served its purpose. To criticise him for this, as Kavan has done, is to miss the essence of the ceremony entirely.

Furthermore, as a senior lecturer teaching courses in speech writing, Kavan should understand the power of language to inspire and unite, especially in moments of commemoration. Instead of contributing positively to the discourse surrounding the event, her remarks only served to diminish its impact and importance.

Alan Walker, St Heliers.

Fast-track folly

Housing and Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop’s claim about New Zealand being as he called it “an obstruction economy” (NZ Herald, April 26) conveniently omitted any mention of Cyclone Gabrielle last year followed by devastating flooding around the country which has caused delays and problems for much new development and/or rebuilding. The only vague acknowledgment in his opinion piece of the problem is at the end where he writes, “Some of the criticism has been more reasonable and we are open to sensible ideas to refine the regime. The [fast track] bill is currently at the select committee and we will be looking carefully at the feedback.” So the question is: Why has Auckland Council required the services of a King’s Counsel to chair the hearings panel dealing with Plan Change 78 and Bishop’s fast-track directions to Auckland Council?

Coralie van Camp, Remuera.

The problem of political donations

Thank you Thomas Coughlan (NZ Herald, April 25) for raising one of the issues those of us who treasure the remaining gifts nature has bestowed on our beautiful land are concerned about. I refer of course to the lobbying of our parliamentarians by interested parties. Can a political party or parliamentarian ignore the donor of a $50,000 donation, or a $5000 one?

I wonder whether parliamentarians can see past their three-year term or more generally ever think of the future of our country and what it might look like in, say, 20, 50 or 100 years’ time. Do they not know that in spite of New Zealand being a very young country, it has lost over 50 native bird species in the last 750 years, the time of human settlement of our land. Not to mention other species already extinct. Most of the remainder of those species are currently facing extinction. How many other species have been lost without us even knowing?

I do not know what the most appropriate way to develop our country might be; all I know is that continuing to modify our country in the way we have been and now the current Government’s development plans are not the best way but it seems that both the main political parties care to find no other way.

As has been said by others it seems that this Government knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.

Neal Taylor, Okura.

Death by a thousand cuts

If New Zealand’s government debt to GDP ratio is only about 32 per cent why all this enforced public spending austerity?

The USA is at 120 per cent and the likes of Singapore and the UK over 100 per cent.

Japan exceeds a staggering 200 per cent. So why are we slashing vitally needed public services and infrastructure investment because of alleged excessive debt?

We already have low tax levels and no capital gains tax so we certainly don’t need more tax cuts. We have plenty of room for increased taxation levels. This is a mostly contrived recession by the coalition government deliberately cutting public spending and jobs. The question is why? Is it simply a case of ideological zeal to foster deregulation and privatisation? It is certainly not because we have high national debt and public spending, because we don’t.

It just doesn’t add up.

Jeff Hayward, Central Auckland.

Ferry fracas

I agree with Niall Robertson (NZ Herald, April 23). What a daft idea to pull the pin on the Cook Strait Ferry project. KiwiRail clearly got a very good deal to build the ships as previously revealed, and they should therefore proceed to have them built.

Sure, there have been some cost increases identified, but these only relate to the shore Irex project that KiwiRail had advised was to be built to last 100 years. By reducing this to say 50 years, would surely make a significant reduction in costs.

Let’s hope the inquiry advisory Board suggests this important project and transport link proceeds.

The recently opened Fairfield Freight Hub near Ashburton with the potential saving of 40,000 truck movements with less emissions is an example of what we should be doing. To improve costs and help save the planet. KiwiRail’s plan for the Cook Strait Ferries would certainly do that.

Charlie Potter, Pukekohe.

The kids are alright

What an uplifting article you featured (NZ Herald April 26), reporting on the speeches given by two high school students in Rotorua on ANZAC Day. What extraordinarily simple, yet true and uplifting words they shared, extolling the power of unity compared to the pettiness of focusing on our “arbitrary differences”. These young adults are our future. They and their ilk bring hope to us all. Strength to them!

Nick Rowe, Greenlane.