That was a bold challenge Chamber of Commerce chair, Glenda Brown, made to Whanganui District Council during recent hearings on the Draft Annual Plan. She called for a nil-rate increase (Chronicle, June 1), with the reminder that: "It's not business as usual for anybody".
Unrealistic? No way! An even bolder suggestion was put to Government by Professor Tim Hazeldine, Auckland University economist, to scrap GST indefinitely, not just on rates, but on everything.
For this district alone the removal from rates would have kept around $9 million of discretionary spending in our economy.
Then, for an estimated $2 billion, Government could have covered the current quarterly rate demand for all New Zealanders. Compared with the multi-billions now allocated throughout the rest of the economy, this sum was modest. The call from the Social Credit party was for payment directly from the Reserve Bank, not second-hand per the banking system. HEATHER MARION SMITH Gonville
So our councils are putting emphasis on climate change. Could someone then please tell me why we have very large 40 seater buses running around the city with only a few people on board?
These are large diesel-gobbling vehicles polluting our air, and cluttering our streets. Climate change? These big beasts aren't helping us at all. That could be a starting point for our council. Perhaps our Horizons councillors, Nicola Patrick or David Cotton might know the answer. KEVIN O'SULLIVAN
Your letters to the Whanganui Chronicle.
Whanganui Muller's right
Last month saw a new leader of the National Party chosen, probably a very good move. However, once he had time to consider the caucus that he wanted and made the announcement, the agitators leapt into action.
Although Todd Muller based his decisions on merit and the likelihood of experience helping the party win the September election, he was pilloried for his lack of Maori on the front benches. This is his right.
Our Government is chosen under a system of Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) where members win electorate seats, and then the preferential votes per party make up the balance of our 120 member Parliament. Seems pretty fair to most of us as the driving criteria is merit.
But wait ... there is more.
Although our self-declared Maori friends and colleagues make up 14.5 per cent of the population there are those who believe in special dispensation for Maori and this attitude has been the focus of much of NZ's media for the last few days. By such action, these people are inadvertently suggesting that Maori cannot stand as equals with non-Maori. (abridged) D PARTNER Eastown
