Risk-free return
Jeremy King is so right (NZ Herald, February 16) noting the lack of will by political parties (when in power) to tax wealth gains at the expense of productive ways to boost the economy.
There has been refreshing attention by politicians to expert advice re Covid-19 but no
evidence they are listening to academics when addressing taxation on residential property. There's plenty of opinion, especially from bankers and property gurus, but little expert taxation advice.
Quoting from the Minority Report of the Tax Working Group: "we consider that a simpler option could be to apply the risk-free return method (RFRM), or something similar, to residential housing. This method taxes net equity in an asset at a fixed rate each year."
Commentaries by academics who have studied these things deserve scrutiny and discussion. Professor Craig Elliffe and Associate Professor Susan St John have internationally recognised expertise. Why no searching questioning of the Labour Party about any objections to the RFRM?
In view of the issues post-Covid and the cruel escalation of house prices, it has the mandate to implement changes which could be swift and effective.
Janfrie Wakim, Epsom.
Private mistrust
The suggestion from Audrey Young (NZ Herald, February 16) that the weak link in the (testing) system is the private sector, is outrageous.
The chain of command and control starts at the top and the fact that the private sector has instituted voluntary testing indicates their mistrust of a testing chain that should have been enforced and overseen by the Ministry of Health. Testing further down the chain should have been compulsory after the last border failure and supplemented by saliva testing, not left to the individual firms.
Michael Barnett, chief executive, Auckland Business Chamber.
Bare future
Charlie Hadrell is quite right (NZ Herald, February 16) about the barbarism of felling mature native trees. The felling is mostly by developers who have just bought the property.
Economists employed by banks have failed us by their continuing inability to put a dollar value on trees. The banks should put them to work to produce such figures and then offer better mortgage terms to those who agree to leave the trees on site.
The banks are the only institution with the power to preserve trees in residential areas. Even the Ministry of Education sees fit to strip schools of trees when it should be custodian.
Our suburbs are being transformed into treeless slums, which ironically reduces the banks' overall equity in the city as whole. And that's not just the "leafy suburbs". Even comparatively bare suburbs are being stripped of what few trees they have.
Martin Ball, Kelston.
Fijian disinterest
In her speech to the New Zealand diplomatic corps on Waitangi Day, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta spoke about her intention to apply a "values-based approach" to our foreign policy. These include our championing human rights.
It will be interesting to see how this approach is applied to Frank Bainimarama, PM of Fiji, who recently threw out the vice-chancellor of the University of the South Pacific, apparently because he was a threat to public safety. The vice-chancellor was trying to clean up corruption in the university, a regionally funded Pacific institution, and this may provide a clue as to why he has upset the government of Fiji.
New Zealand's response has been deep disinterest, very much in keeping with the policy of appeasement our foreign ministers and foreign ministry have adopted over the past decade when it comes to Bainimarama. Using our values as a compass is not that straightforward, it seems. We should take up Samoa's offer to relocate the USP to Apia. That would be appropriate, bold, and values-based.
Dr Simon Mark, Wellington.
Yemeni bombardment
I find it utterly unbelievable that our government has sold expertise to the Saudi dictators (NZ Herald, February 10) who have been bombarding Yemen for the past six years - since 2014. To me this is like aiding and abetting the next-door paedophile, knowing full well what he gets up to.
The Saudis wanted to install their own stooge in Yemen but the Yemenis kicked him out and he ran to the bosoms of his dictator friends.
Unlike other Arab countries, which are run by dictators and self-proclaimed kings, it is worth knowing that Yemen is a social democracy. According to the Old Testament it was once ruled by Queen Sheba and King Solomon proposed to her so he could control the wealth of that nation. It is a wealthy land and sits at a strategic corner of the world.
Ahmed Asgher, Oratia.
