Letters: Are our political parties all sending us the same message?

Bruce Eliott, St Heliers.

Resist new taxes

It is impossible to ignore the clarion call by some politicians to introduce new taxes. We should use every fibre of our being to resist.

History has exhaustively demonstrated that politicians, both parliamentary and local, will simply squander huge amounts of taxpayer funds.

Any increase in taxation, however achieved, will never satisfy their cravings. Their incontinent spending will continue, with the call for yet more new taxes, e.g. re-introduction of death duties, or an increase in those already in place.

These new funds will be simply scattered, nationwide and beyond, like confetti. GST was supposed to be the economic panacea.

Mike Walmsley, Paeroa.

The squeezed middle

During the last election campaign, Christopher Luxon repeatedly claimed ad nauseam that he was coming to the rescue of the so-called ”squeezed middle”.

I’m wondering how that handful of people who got the full benefit of his tax-breaks feel about his promises now. Like the rest of us, any benefit they might have received would have been consumed by the huge rise in the cost of living.

Probably, along with most of us, they will be waiting days, sometimes weeks, for doctors’ appointments, worried about paying the rent or their increased rates or their massive electricity bill. We are all, except for the very rich, the “squeezed middle” these days.

I think that Luxon does not give New Zealanders enough credit for realising that taxes pay for the necessities of a country.

People who don’t want an increase in taxes shouldn’t be complaining that hospitals are not coping, or that the roads are in a poor state or the police are underfunded or that there are not enough teachers.

Luxon seems to have “tax-phobia” about the basics but is happy to grant tax breaks to his landlord mates, tobacco lobbyists and the already well-heeled who can afford to ”go private”.

Sue Rawson, Pāpāmoa Beach.

Wrong campaign message

It is very short-sighted of the National Party to campaign on “no new taxes” as New Zealand needs taxes for a myriad of projects.

National has cut the conservation budget with no alternative plan to keep New Zealand “clean and green”. A bed tax paid by visiting tourists would go a long way to fund this ministry.

Many other countries have a bed tax and tourists are familiar with this practice. Honour the deal Mr Luxon.

Marie Kaire, Whangārei.

Social media ban

The dangers of social media are there for all to see and the chaos caused by United States President Donald Trump is a prime example.

All politicians, especially the Prime Minister, have access to mainstream media and so in theory they do not need social media at all. If Christopher Luxon really believes that social media is harmful, I suggest he stop using it himself and encourage all politicians to do the same.

Greg Cave, Sunnyvale.

On the fast track

Christopher Luxon says that the fast-track approvals legislation is designed to accelerate projects that have a regional or national interest.

Thank goodness our high-speed bureaucracy is fast-tracking the truly vital stuff! A boutique hotel and 80 apartments in Devonport.

Gayle Morris and Tony McNeight, Devonport.

Bridging the gap

Bravo again to Mayor Wayne Brown. And bravo to councillor Richard Hills.

The problem with an Auckland harbour crossing isn’t the crossing itself but where it starts and ends. Only a sadomasochist would pour more vehicles into the existing congestion points at either end of the harbour’s main bridge. (We have a second at Greenhithe.)

Let’s have another look at bringing it across from Meola Reef to the munitions storage site near Kauri Point. Then north and south to join existing networks well beyond the current congestion points.

Roger Blackburn, Greenhithe.

A bit of advice

Re the $1 million study on a crossing at the Meola Reef, while it might be easier to build it there, the cost of connecting it to the national road network would be astronomical, particularly on the northern side. Where do I send my invoice for $1 million?

Jonathan Jepson, Albany.