Tax can be fairer

Talking to Kiwis overseas, and some when they have returned home, convinces me our tax system needs an overhaul. Too many are paying next to nothing while many more of us would be open to the notion of paying more tax if we felt everyone was doing the same. In Austria they are happy to pay a 50 per cent tax rate and for that they receive a health and education system that benefits everyone.

I have been in education all my life, with a transparent, zero perks, tax take system. Many others I know have careers full of huge personal benefits while paying very little personal tax. Why do we need a fairer tax system? Because our health and education systems are geared to better serve those who can afford it.

Just take a look at the mounting human suffering caused by the huge backlog of essential operations on hold in our public health system compared with the ease and speed of treatment for those who can afford it. The same could be said for our education system, which clearly benefits those who can pay more. As a nation this is unsustainable and totally unfair.

We could do better by building up regional hospitals to do more elective and specialist surgery — and in education we could have more incentives to attract the best teachers to the schools that desperately need the best.

Mike Lander, Thames.