The system still assumes “two can live as cheaply as one”.
That assumption is outdated and untrue. Couples are effectively penalised for staying together, receiving far less than double the single rate.
Meanwhile, an ordinary MP earns roughly $3485 a week. The same two coffees that take 1.4% of a Super couple’s income would cost an MP the equivalent of nearly $50. A $55 meal would feel like spending $225. A $60 tank of petrol would feel like $245. And a modest $500 weekly rent would feel like spending more than $2000 a week.
When politicians discuss “cost of living,” they are often talking about a completely different set of numbers from those faced by the 40% of over-65s who rely almost solely on Super.
Older New Zealanders are not asking for luxury. We are asking for a Super that allows us to live with basic dignity — warm homes, enough to eat, the ability to run a car and pay the power bill without constant anxiety.
Cross-party agreement on healthcare and Super is welcome. But any genuine conversation must also confront the couple rate, the taxation of Super, and the growing number of seniors who are renting. The current settings are pushing too many into quiet financial hardship.
Rudi du Plooy, Hamilton Grey Power chairman
Testing times
National has promised random drug testing for people on the Jobseekers benefit to ensure they’re ready for work.
This could be extrapolated out to testing MPs, considering the ridiculous behaviour we see in the House at times.
Or would they be protected by “parliamentary privilege”?
Lorraine Kidd, Warkworth
Alcohol and double standards
Where many NZ Herald readers might have a drink on a Saturday, many people prefer cannabis. Both are active within a few hours and are no longer having an effect by Monday morning.
A crucial difference, however … the way THC (the active ingredient in cannabis) is processed in the body means it will still read as being present up to three days after it was consumed.
This makes testing endlessly problematic for those being work tested in their daily lives as the employer may think they are stoned, when in fact they are not. Many lose jobs over this, unfairly. Far fairer would be an impairment test.
If I had been tested every Monday for having a drink on Saturday and consequently lost my job, I would’ve spent most of my life endlessly unemployed.
Samantha Cunningham, Henderson
‘Sly’ semantics on GST
“We’re not lifting GST; we’re not lifting income tax. Any increase in fees and levies we’ll do very efficiently,” says Christopher Luxon.
The sly difference in semantics here is cleverly disguised. First, the rate of GST is currently 15% but everything that increases in price (under Luxon it’s food, insurance, rates, fuel, levies etc) you “will” pay more tax – more GST.
For example – 15% on a $10 1kg block of cheese is $1.50 but if it increases to $15 you pay $2.25 – so taxes increase with inflation. While your salary roughly increases with inflation (not under Luxon) you enter higher tax brackets, so you pay more tax on that too.
So, when Luxon claims he’s not lifting income taxes you know that’s full-on baloney.
GST is a marvellous tax and “efficiently” robs most people but usually not if you’re reselling houses.
Steve Russell, Hillcrest
A smart Opportunity
It staggers me to think that Christopher Luxon would prefer to be in coalition with a party led by an octogenarian (however smartly dressed), consisting mainly of males, several previously rejected by the electorate, who have out-of-date views on a variety of issues from abortion to conversion therapy, not to mention being heavily influenced by the tobacco lobby, etc. But he is not interested in working with a party of smart, young Opportunity candidates with fresh ideas and integrity that has not been compromised by lobbyists.
Margaret Payne, Hobsonville
Dumpster fires
Act Party leader David Seymour has raised the novel argument that the weakness of the New Zealand dollar is the fault of the opposition parties’ “policy dumpster fire”.
Since the coalition took power in November 2023, the New Zealand dollar has trended in only one direction against all of our major trading partners. Down 13.6% against the Chinese yuan, 12.8% against the Aussie, 7.8% against the USD, 10% against the Euro and 12% against the Singapore dollar. Perhaps he might look a little closer to home to find the dumpster fire?
Frank Hagenson, New Plymouth