Letters: What we should do instead of removing GST from food

There are better ways to help than removing GST on food, writes one reader. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Opinion

There is much talk of removing GST from fruit and vegetables - even, in one case, all food. A complication for administering GST, a quite expensive manoeuvre with very little gain for low-income earners, and a big gain for the big spenders.

A much simpler exercise that just targets low-income earners is to lift the tax-free bracket and let low-income earners keep more of their hard-earned cash. Leave the management of more of their earnings in their own hands.

GARTH SCOWN

Whanganui

Get on with it

I have just been reading about stormwater in the sewerage system.

A few years back, we had the same problem. The council checked every house connected to the stormwater system to ensure they were not draining into the sewerage system by using a smoke machine connected to the sewer and watching to see if smoke came out of the stormwater pipes.

Another great solution might be to get on with Three Waters now before the cost rises. A 30-year time frame to fix this issue is beyond crazy.

Sounds like a lot of can-kicking to me.

GORDON WALKER

Piopio

Showing respect

Last month, I was behind a hearse travelling to the Aramoho Cemetry. School was just out, and children from the Churton Street school were on the footpath walking home in groups of twos and threes.

One of the failings in society today is a lack of respect for authority. It was so moving and reassuring to have about thirty of these kids face the hearse and bow their heads, and some placed their hands on their hearts.

These kids are just starting their journey in life and weren’t to know that the person inside the coffin was 97 years old and had experienced a very full life. My congratulations to all those children and the school. It is also worth mentioning the amount of oncoming cars that pulled over. Long may it continue.

PETER HEAD

Whanganui