The benefits of paying tax

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More pressing problems

According to your editorial (Feb 21), ‘‘Climate change is the most pressing issue of our age.’’ Is it really more pressing than the following? Half of the world’s population – more than 3 billion people – living on less than $2.50 a day. More than 1.3 billion living in extreme poverty – less than $1.25 a day. One billion children worldwide living in poverty. According to Unicef, 22,000 children die each day due to poverty. Not to mention the ‘‘more than 65 million people displaced by war and persecution’’ (UN 2015 figure).

Bill Vella, Alicetown

It has already happened

Your correspondent John McDermott (Letters, Feb 20) points out the dangers of our communications system becoming reliant on a foreign company. That has already happened to our electricity supply.

Wellington Electricity, which owns all the lines in our area, is Chinese-owned. All its directors live in China, except one who lives in Auckland.

Is there any other capital city in the world whose electricity lines are foreign-owned?

Bill Sheat, Lower Hutt

Forfeiting the right to life

Double murderer Paul Wilson, killer of Kim Schroder and Nicole Tuxford, should be executed, along with all other murderers.

Why should the relatives and friends of Kim and Nicole, or any of us for that matter, contribute to the $50,000 a year, or whatever the figure is, to keep such people in prison?

By violating their victims in this way, they have forfeited the right to life.

Renton Maclachlan, Porirua I went from earning $95,000 to $30,000 in the last year. I make the choice to spend 25+ hours a week volunteering my skills to climate action, and other social causes. I’m lucky to live in Wellington, where I have access to great services and infrastructure. This is because of the various taxes that I and others have paid.

You’ll be hearing ‘‘taxing hard-working Kiwis’’ a lot right now. And this narrative assumes that I don’t work hard, because I’m not paying much income tax.

And yet, I spend most of my time and energy for the benefit of everyone, at the expense of my own financial security. And I’m not unique. We all play our part for a better society.

So if you ever feel like you’re getting taxed too much, just remember: Tax = Love.

Victor Komarovsky, Mt Victoria

My gains are always taxed

Every time I hear someone say that there is no capital gains tax in New Zealand, I give a wry smile. The gains (interest) on my capital (term deposit) is taxed every month without fail. Rowland Hempel, Epuni