Capital gains tax

IN WEST Auckland there are whole streets of houses being built by speculators of Asian descent.

When the houses are completed they are put on to the market at an increased price and then the process is repeated.

It must be apparent to regulatory authorities that this speculation has been going on for some time and yet nothing has been done to curb the speculation.

In New Zealand we need a capital gains tax to slow down this type of speculation and also overseas buyers not intending to live in the house should pay an increased tax.

To make houses affordable for young people a State Advances type agency with government backing should be set up to guarantee the mortgages being paid by a family intending to live in the house.

Such an agency run on a commercial basis which could also arrange for the construction of housing at an affordable cost would go some way towards fixing the awful situation confronting genuine buyers in the housing market. where you live and how you can keep your costs down.

It seems that most Aucklanders think they do not have a choice, property prices and rent prices are going through the roof, the average parents simply cannot keep up – but would a family not think to move to another town or city in New Zealand? Surely there are better options than leaving young children in full-time care all week for up to 11 hours a day, part-time work hours and creche is the right option. One partner should sacrifice half an income, they can also get help from Winz if they only work part-time, nothing is worth that sort of stress, time to re evaluate how and where you live/ work. A move that we were promised would reduce road fatalities, make us all fit, healthy, sophisticated drinkers. Also featured was a column on yet another weekend of multiple crash fatalities.

The new limit isn’t working too well is it?

In almost any other Government department, such a dismal failure at achieving KPI’s would see a quick career change for those in charge.

Except that the police are still bringing in the cash.

As for low alcohol drinks, we laughed when told that Chinese drinkers mixed Coke with extremely expensive French reds. Now Kiwis are being told to mix white wine and lemonade, or drink spritzers with a meal.

For us the choice was simple, if we can’t go out and have a bottle of wine with a meal it’s not worth bothering, and, as we won’t pay $50 each time for a cab, we go out a lot less. It doesn’t take many people doing this to start hurting the hospitality trade.

Thanks Campbell Live and Alcohol Healthwatch.