The Australian government has announced itwill restrict flavours and colours, bring in 'pharmaceutical-style' packaging, reduce the nicotine content, and halve the importation of non-prescription vapes. Photo / Getty Images, File
What the fug?
Vaping was seen as a tool for smokers to get away from cigarettes, and either reduce nicotine dependence gradually, or indeed cease to have a dependence on it at all. On the flip side, entrepreneurs have seen a market for exploitation and profiteering. Vape stores, however, like dairies, have become a target for thieves. I’m not sure the risks outweigh the benefits. The stance Australia has taken to reduce accessibility is a bold, and necessary one; why our Health Minister has an opposing view is most unusual. Vaping needs to go back to its intended purpose; a tool for smokers to quit, not a means to introduce a replacement that has no other benefit other than to sell an addiction to teenagers.
John Ford, Taradale.
Picking mandarins
Audrey Young’s comprehensive and timely review of our top public service mandarins (NZ Herald, May 2nd) leaves out one key factor: none of them have had any experience in the private sector. Apart from being risk-averse and avoiding stuff-ups on the way up the ladder, another key competency appears to involve spending most of your career firmly entrenched within the Wellington beltway, as far away from the real world as possible. These abilities ensure that no matter who is in government, the inner clique that really runs the country will continue to be the main influence on the policies that shape our daily lives, and good luck to any politician who tries to change this.
Duncan Simpson, Hobsonville Pt.
Passed on
Damien Venuto (NZ Herald, May 1) rightly points out our tax regime hits the poorest too hard, as GST paid on all essential shopping a family earning a low income has to do week by week. On the other hand, the already comfortably off, who are able to profit from buying and selling real estate, pay no tax on their capital gains. At the same time, the Baby Boomer generation is growing older and many are no longer working. Some of these will not really need any of their WINZ Superannuation, others will be totally dependent. Fewer will be earning, and more will be living on their super. In these circumstances, a capital gains tax makes good sense. Most wealthy people get to be wealthy because their parents were wealthy - and very likely their grandparents, and their grandparents’ parents as well. The “self-made man” is much admired, but uncommon. There’s nothing particularly admirable about inherited wealth. Other countries have inheritance taxes. If Labour and the Greens win the coming election they should introduce a more equitable tax regime, despite the inevitable wailing and crying and gnashing of teeth from National supporters.
Rose Lovell-Smith, Mt Roskill.
Poorer outcome
Assume we charge the 300, or so, “filthy rich” a $20 million tax each. This would raise the princely sum of $6 billion. Chump change indeed towards our debts approaching $200 billion. The resultant exodus of these entrepreneurial folk, their businesses, and their accumulated capital and expertise, would quickly bankrupt the business sector. Any similar tax which attempts to steal their wealth, such as a Capital Gains Tax, will have a similar effect.
Trevor Elwin, Half Moon Bay.
Time to pay
We need money to clear up disasters like Gabrielle, to pay nurses and teachers more so they stay here, to relieve poverty and homelessness and for a slew of other things. We can’t squeeze any more money out of poor and middle-class people who are already contributing their fair share and more. We now know that wealthy people have largely been paying far less than the rest of us. The answer as to how to increase revenue is surely blindingly obvious. What’s the problem?
Susan Grimsdell, Auckland Central.
Into disarray
When stud farmer Sue Maxwell was quoted as saying, “All this inactivity and bullshit really got to me... ” (NZ Herald, May 1), she was referring to vital state highways still being closed and the lack of sufficient bailey bridges being built nearly three months after Cyclone Gabrielle had devastated rural communities in the Hawke’s Bay area. Her exasperated remarks could just as well be directed at other failures in fixing vital infrastructure, and Kiwirail, Auckland’s bus service, Transmission Gully and the embarrassing Cook Strait and Waiheke Island ferries come readily to mind. Why is nobody being held accountable for the lack of long-term planning and a serious lack of expertise and productivity in keeping our vital infrastructure fit for purpose? Are we gradually sinking into Third World standards?
Johan Slabbert, Warkworth.
Fried or fire?
What with Labour’s think-big projects: Three Waters debacle; Auckland’s metro light rail; and tunnel under the harbour budget blow-out, to consultants and advisory bodies (jobs for mates) running rampant and National’s trickle everything up to the super-rich, one gets the impression the election - whichever way it goes - can only be for the majority of New Zealanders an “out of the frying pan into the fire” situation.
Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay.
Road costs
Transport Minister Michael Wood is now proposing to put extra charges on truck drivers to cover the EV rebate. How about he makes EV owners pay road user charges? It is astounding that he can not understand that placing more costs on to truck drivers, who deliver virtually everything in NZ, will drive up prices, thus adding fuel to the inflationary fire.
Mark Young, Ōrewa.
Tesla fixation
The Toyota NZ CEO has clearly stated that 38,000 Toyotas have been subsidised via the clean car scheme versus only 9000 Teslas. So why does the National Party continue to disinform New Zealanders by claiming that the scheme is about supporting rich people to buy Teslas when the numbers clearly show that it favours the common person buying a common Toyota?
Russell Baillie, Mt Eden.
Out of shape
All the greatest football/rugby stadiums around the world are rectangular, where the stands and fans are close to the action. Eden Park Trust’s latest plan continues to incorporate cricket. The ground’s misshapen oval is its major failing. It’s suitable for neither cricket nor rugby. The two sports don’t mix. Likewise, Eden Park will never accommodate a world-class athletics track, which would be needed if Auckland was to host another Commonwealth Games. The city’s planners need to be looking at two stadiums. A covered rectangle for rugby/football and entertainment, and an oval for cricket/athletics.
Mark van Praagh, Hobsonville Pt.
Toilet humoured
Could the comment by the unnamed Wellington City Council spokesman “… we don’t have men’s/ women’s toilets in our homes so why do we need them in public... ?” (NZ Herald, May 2) be the silliest public policy remark so far this year? The competition is tough, however, identifying the way things are done in the family home as the new standard for a public initiative must lead the pack. I’m sure restaurant owners will look forward to the day when their mandated standards align with those of the typical family kitchen. After all, we do what we like in the kitchen at home, so why shouldn’t we do so in public too?
Robert Alderson, Titirangi.
Itching to fight
There is no doubt in my mind that, eventually, Taiwan will fully integrate as part of China. Your correspondent, Frank Olsson (NZ Herald, May 3) makes some very good points on this subject. The US already agreed that “There is but one China”. The fact that it is now saying it will support Taiwan militarily is just sabre-rattling and mischief-making. The US just can’t help meddling in other countries’ affairs. Their hawks in the Pentagon love nothing more than a good fight and a chance to test out their new high-tech weaponry. In my view, the US poses a much bigger threat to world peace than China. The Yanks are very “trigger happy” as we see on an almost weekly basis with all of the mass shootings in their own country.
Glen Stanton, Mairangi Bay.
Damned spot
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins will be pledging allegiance to King Charles III but, at some convenient time, plans to confer on the royal family the order of the boot. They used to do a lot of this sort of thing in the Middle Ages, the Wars of the Roses, etc. Where is Shakespeare when you need him?
Arch Thomson, Mt Wellington.
On tax
I cannot help wondering that if much-needed tax relief is forthcoming for low earners, the intended benefit might be lost due to unscrupulous employers delaying future wage increases. John Norris, Whangamatā.
On contractors
Regarding the crossing being dug up (NZH, May 2) for repairs, past experience with Auckland Council signals that work carried out by contractors is not examined before payment is made. The solution is simple. John Walsh, Green Bay.
On Census
So now we are handing out Warriors tickets and food vouchers to those people who are too idle to fill out their Census papers on time. Surely these people do not deserve the benefits that are gained from the completion of the Census forms. Richard Carey, Manly.
Under this Government, if you break the law you are likely to be rewarded with food vouchers, Warriors tickets and more. No wonder crime is escalating. Wendy Tighe-Umbers, Parnell.
On spending
What would you have the Government spend its money on? EV rebates for the rich or a better new hospital for Dunedin? Jock Mac Vicar, Hauraki.
On protests
Yet another pointless protest in Wellington caused massive disruption to commuters. Some of the protesters have been arrested before and are in breach of their bail conditions, so why aren’t they locked up? L Mallon, Te Atatū.
On coronation
Instead of Chris and Christopher flying all over the world for a coronation, would a telegram not suffice? Glenn Forsyth, Taupō.
New data will hold clues to inflation fight
We are heading into a recession engineered by the Reserve Bank because the Government won’t stop borrowing and spending. Of course the unemployment rate is going to go up. Max R.
Two questions arise from your comment. Would you prefer inflation, which is driven by excess demand, to continue as that is why the Reserve Bank is acting? What Government spending should cease? Would you prefer expenditure such as limiting or reducing old age pensions, as that is a major cost? Bear in mind here, spending reductions would have to be in billions not millions. Marie H.
How about no more pipe dreams like harbour bridge walk/cycleway and, maybe stop spending on polytech and health restructures? Oh, and how about shedding some of the 16,000 odd extra bureaucrats employed in the last five years? Just a start. Phil B.
Excess demand is created by government restrictions on imports and the reason for that is we have a negative trade imbalance in the billions. David S.
Economists and the Government use outdated figures to predict the future, this has no art involved and is purely based on logic and old information. Successful people are out and about talking, seeing and getting a sense of what the public is doing. For example, I was at a food court which before was quite busy, I asked the cleaner how much the number of people eating here dropped. She told me 50 per cent. Simple, cheap and effective to find the true situation. Mark I.
Andrew Bydder was found to have breached code of conduct but won't apologise.