Letters: Use your Budget tax cut to support charities; Scott Watson refused parole

KidsCan has provided school lunches and other assistance for needy schools for many years. Photo / Greg Bowker

Use your tax cut for good

Comments on the tax cut provisions in the Budget have included many expressing the wish that their tax cuts had been used instead to fund health, education, lunches in schools and so on.

I have a solution – use your tax cuts to donate to the charitable organisations providing the services you favour.

Most of these are largely staffed by volunteers. By way of an example, KidsCan has provided school lunches and other assistance for needy schools for many years.

You will receive a tax rebate of one-third of your donation, which can be used for the same purpose.

John Billing, New Plymouth.

Funding services

Why are people so averse to paying tax?

If we had what more successful countries have, a progressive well-structured system which taxes all income, we’d have plenty of money for the well-funded government services we desperately need.

All over the world there are so many examples of how well this works and yet our politicians won’t do it. In Labour’s case, they knew it was the right thing to do, but were unable to make the case for it, or even worse, too frightened to implement it.

Now we have a Government which is opposed to a fair system, because its wealthy supporters don’t want to pay for it. Now we see the result: a bleak future of deteriorating public services and grinding poverty for a growing section of the population, while those in power feast on their wealth.

Labour must find a way to prove to the majority of the public that their interests are not being served and we must find a new and better way forward.

Vivien Fergusson, Mt Eden.

Budget acrimony

Last week we were treated to a wonderful example of apology, acknowledgment and gracious acceptance. With a mutual act of goodwill, Whakatōhea and the Government agreed to a settlement which goes some way to address historical wrongs and allow both sides to move forward and look to the future.

The mood in Parliament was profound. Unfortunately, there was a misunderstanding around the protocols of both parties at the end of proceedings. Predictably, Māori members of the Opposition seized upon the opportunity to make political capital of the oversight. As a result, the positive mood became tainted by unseemly political posturing.

The Budget was presented the following day. The Māori Party was present only for the time required for their speech in reply. Their co-leader’s address was full of acrimony and vitriol with demands for separate governance and large portions of taxpayer funds.

The contrast with the previous day could not have been more stark, from a day of respect and forgiveness to one of rancour and threats of revolt.

Questions arise on whether some of the Māori political leadership is serving the best interests of their constituents or simply preferring self-serving histrionics.

George Williams, Whangamatā.

A class above

Unlike the university lecturers who oppose the Government’s scheme to train teachers primarily within schools, I am totally in favour.

In the late 1960s I was one of a planeload of graduates brought to New Zealand to train as teachers. We were bonded to work here for at least three years and based within leading schools throughout the country.

Groups of us were attached to key schools. The training I had at James Hargest High School in Invercargill was second to none.

Here the focus was on equipping us to be good teachers with periods in front of classes and lots of feedback from the lead staff. No pedagogy, just good practical teacher training which set us up for lifetimes within the teaching service.

This is exactly what New Zealand needs right now.

Trish Jenner, Bayswater.

Pondering parole

An old joke goes something like this: put three economists in a room and get three different answers.

However, when it comes to someone’s freedom being determined by three psychologists who can’t agree it is much more serious (Weekend Herald, June 1).

It appears that if someone, as is the case with Scott Watson, refuses to admit to a crime he has fervently maintained he didn’t commit, he will continue to be refused parole.

Some time back, Adam Feeley, ex-chief executive of the Serious Fraud Office, said that New Zealand had a legal system but not a justice system.

I can’t help but agree.

Glennys Adams, Waiheke Island.

Mature content warning

TVNZ’s CEO and others who are in LA previewing television shows would have been wise to not put on social media every party and event that they have taken part in (Weekend Herald, June 1).

I understand that they need to do their job in terms of selecting programmes to screen, but to display this via social media you can understand why all those who have lost their roles within the organisation over the past few months want to scream.

I would have thought keep it below the radar at this sensitive time would have been the mature call.

John Roberts, Remuera.