North Shore Times (New Zealand)
Taxing times are on the horizon
The political reactions to the IRD findings ranged across the spectrum. Act and National queried the research, and defended the wealthy as aspirational models.
National Party leader Christopher Luxon even called for more tax cuts in response. On past experience, tax cuts would almost certainly compound the injustice, and increase the income gaps in society.
Due to fear of a political backlash from any significant tax increases, PM Chris Hipkins hastened to inform everyone that this month’s Budget would not contain a wealth tax, a Cyclone Gabrielle levy, or a capital gains tax.
Yet as the IRD’s research had indicated, New Zealand’s lack of a meaningful capital tax has been the source of much of the unfair tax outcomes currently at issue.
Revenue Minister David Parker has long expressed a desire to shed light on the unfair nature of our tax system. Yet so far, the government response has amounted to little more than ‘‘We’ve told you before that the tax system is unfair.’’
Reportedly, any chance of a more significant response will hinge upon Labour being reelected later this year.
The political taboos against tax increases partly explain this policy paralysis.
Paradoxically, we drive on the roads, send children to school, and expect the health system to be there when we need it – while simultaneously resenting the taxation that make such things possible, at the standard expected.
A decade of research by Victoria University tax expert Lisa Marriott has shed useful light on these ambivalent attitudes to taxation.
While no-one enjoys paying tax, compliance is high. Yet as Marriott’s work has demonstrated, the courts treat tax cheats much more leniently than they do benefit fraudsters, even though the amounts involved in tax evasion tend to be far higher.
In addition, benefit offenders are more likely than tax cheats to be required to pay back money.
As Marriott found, tax evaders are more inclined to treat their criminal behaviour as being an out-of-character aberration. They are also more inclined to believe that their crimes are doing no harm to anyone else.
Obviously, such attitudes are far removed from New Zealand’s former egalitarian principles, and they make the road back to fairness look virtually impassable.
The culmination of three years of extensive research, consultation and building on the strengths of the organisation has led to the development of the unique local curriculum. With the focus of learners/akonga at the centre, it aspires to prepare students for lifelong success as innovators, role models and global citizens.
Three pivotal strands make up the new curriculum and are woven throughout the school’s entire educational offering: a bespoke Flourishing/ wellbeing curriculum, a challenging Learning in the Outdoors programme, and an akonga centred learning areas curriculum.
Wellbeing is supported through the Ako Puawaitanga/Flourishing curriculum which uniquely draws together wellbeing science and Christian faith to foster growth, care and safety, vitality and connection. Designed to build social and emotional learning and strengthen service, students undertake wellbeing sessions three times a week and are guided by a Pouako (coach), who will support their small group of learners throughout their time at the school.
“Dilworth’s journey to flourishing is arguably unlike anything else on offer in New Zealand – it will not only educate and support students to reach their full potential while at school, but also equips them to thrive in life,” says curriculum designer Asha Tupou Vea.
Meanwhile Dilworth’s re-launched Learning in the Outdoors curriculum, Te Haerenga, is delivered from the newly revamped Mangatawhiri Campus and each year students are given the chance to try their hand at everything from bushcraft and bouldering to abseiling, kayaking and mountain biking. This “journey of challenge and discovery” pushes students outside their comfort zone, providing opportunities for personal and social growth that can be difficult to emulate in a standard classroom environment. Among the many highlights is the Year 10 peak experience, in which students ride the Timber Trail, complete the Tongariro Crossing and learn about Matauranga Maori through Noho Marae.
Also new for 2023 is a fully aligned and redesigned Year 7 – 10 subject curriculum, which has seen the introduction of a broad range of new subjects such as financial literacy, Maori performing arts,
NZ sign language, Mandarin, Samoan, and Tongan. All students have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument up to Year 10 along with performance through band and choral programmes. At senior levels, students can springboard into a range of specialisations, with bespoke programmes launched for seniors in 2023 across health, sport and recreation, transition, careers and pathways. Passion projects dish up the chance to explore personal areas of interest (from robotics to fashion design), and talented athletes can hone their skills through a pioneering high performance sports programme run by former All Black Ant Strachan.
While academic success has long been a hallmark of a Dilworth education (last year 100% of Dilworth students achieved NCEA at Levels 1–3), the Dilworth learning journey is about more than good grades.
The innovative new curriculum builds great men by developing the whole person, ensuring that those who attend Dilworth are ideally placed to flourish in life and learning now and into the future.