Treatment taxed
The furore over the proposal to tax Kiwisaver fees raises another question about GST and retirement savings.
I have a rare form of cancer that the public health system is not funded to treat. We were faced with doing nothing and letting nature take its course or funding the treatment
ourselves out of our managed retirement "nest egg". This involves us "going private" and purchasing the modern drugs ourselves at a cost of nearly $10,000 every three weeks - including GST. On top of the substantial cost of the drugs and the costs of having them administered, we are slapped by the Government with 15 per cent GST. To date, it has cost us about $60,000. We have already paid tax on the money that is in our "retirement nest egg" and we pay tax on any income that it generates, i.e interest, etc.
Having to pay for my own treatment is hard enough but then being slapped with GST feels not very "kind" from where I am sitting. Cancer sufferers are not the only ones facing this, children and others with rare disorders and conditions are in the same boat.
I have written to the Revenue Minister but there are no plans to change the system.
A. Paul, Hamilton.
Information vacuum
Auckland Council has provided insufficient information for people to understand the potential impact of housing changes proposed under Plan Change 78. A summary of the likely anticipated effects should have been provided for each metropolitan area, town centre and transport route, together with more clarity over the likely effect of three-storey intensification on residential sites in each area.
The public should not have to work through loads of documents. The council should make the following clear: The area of land being rezoned for six storeys-plus, with the anticipated population increase in the local area; the number of new schools therefore required and passive and active recreation parks; the likely impact on public transport and on local roads; additional services required, such as hospitals, police stations, libraries, etc; the additional land required; when new facilities will be provided, the likely cost of this; plus who will be funding it.
The council needs to make this information available online and through libraries now with an extension of time for submissions or withdraw the plan pending its provision. The same approach should be followed by affected councils throughout New Zealand.
Victoria Lowe, Shamrock Park.
One-way change
If the Government insists that Auckland's character heritage villas be replaced with ugly-looking apartment buildings, Auckland will lose a whole era of its social history.
This has happened at Mt Maunganui/Papamoa beachfront, where there are maybe a handful of typical baches left.
You can never get that back.
Tiena Jordan, Whakatāne.
Gravity of offending
A sentence of nine months' home detention has been imposed on Jayden Meyer (NZ Herald, September 6) after he was convicted on a total of four charges of sexual violation and four charges of rape, and two charges of doing an indecent act; those offences being committed against 15-year-old victims. Sexual violation (including rape) has a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment.
For many years I worked as a probation officer and prepared hundreds of pre-sentence reports. When determining a sentence, a judge must take into account the provisions of the Sentencing Act 2002. In essence, a court must take into account the gravity of the offending but must also give weight to an offender's personal circumstances, supposed remorse and the potential for rehabilitation.
Remarkably, this sentence, which in no possible way can meet the requirement of the Sentencing Act to sentence in a way that "must take into account the gravity of the offending", was supported by the Crown Prosecutor. There is a crying need for legislation that limits a judge's discretion and so sees the justice system dispensing justice in a way that reflects the harm done to victims.
Bruce Anderson, Christchurch.
Crime crackdown
The Government has finally realised that crime doesn't pay (NZ Herald, September 6) but, up until now, it certainly has. For many, handsomely.
Typically with an election coming up next year and popularity dropping, we now see urgent measures being taken to combat the problem. very much like National's response was to boy racers and which achieved virtually nothing.
It should have been done right at the beginning, not now when crime has become entrenched. My guess is that it's more about gathering votes than it is about really fixing the problem.
Watch this space.
Paul Beck, West Harbour.
