A reader requires tax reduction on medical insurance coverage premiums.
I’ve paid medical insurance coverage for the previous 40 years and the premiums appear to extend commensurate with my getting older. My present premium prices are $9000 each year, protecting my spouse and myself and we
are each topic to a $1000 extra.
Over the years we’ve got had over $100,000 value of surgical procedures primarily carried out in non-public hospitals, which has made having insurance coverage cowl worthwhile.
A pal of mine lately had knee surgical procedure at a cost of $50,000 of which he paid $10,000 below his 80 per cent cowl. Another pal with no insurance coverage cowl has been on a hospital ready listing for six months and now has a tentative operation date scheduled for a similar surgical procedure in three months’ time.
With the brand new Government’s promise of tax reduction for the center revenue sector, I’d be grateful if they may additionally bear in mind pensioners like ourselves and provides us a tax deduction on premiums paid.
This would offer the next: (1) monetary reduction for pensioners; (2) negate the necessity for pensioners to drop out of medical insurance coverage schemes; (3) encourage extra New Zealanders to take out medical insurance coverage, thus; (4) offering reduction to our public hospital system as extra non-public surgical procedures are carried out.
R.M. Manson, Howick.
The MMP system
In 1993 we voted for, and in 2011 confirmed controversial MMP as the selection for New Zealand’s electoral system.
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The most evident downside with MMP is that leaders and candidates from all political events publicly criticise one another’s insurance policies and personalities earlier than election day – typically vehemently. Then with the outcomes introduced after a delay of weeks counting abroad votes, the bulk occasion engages with others of an identical ilk, every making an attempt to overlook what has gone earlier than, and focus on political compromises. This so as to type a coalition Government that’s hopefully united, however the place a number of of the insurance policies every was elected to implement are excluded. In three years this farce then begins over again.
Many votes are wasted on a number of minor fringe events. Half of the elected MPs are additionally on a “list” determined by their occasion, and never immediately by voters. Those affiliated to “Opposition” non-governmental events thereupon don’t have any direct electoral tasks, and lots of stay little-known throughout their parliamentary time period. The remaining travesty is that with the time taken to type the brand new Government, unelected keen bureaucrats are hurriedly implementing disavowed insurance policies of the defeated Government.
Surely we are able to do higher than this after 30 years.
Hylton Le Grice, Remuera.
Science, not politics
The editorial (NZ Herald, November 10) refers back to the broad settlement on the necessity to sort out local weather change barring “a few denialist dinosaurs”. In a world the place it’s so simple to be labelled “denier” by merely questioning gentle political treatments for a difficulty or the finger pointing that seeks to shift the blame onto others, identify calling is simply too typically employed. Meaningful options will probably be science primarily based somewhat than political.
The non-public sector and particularly our farmers are totally conscious of the environmental and local weather points we face. Our farmers are significantly conscious as local weather and pure science is a part of their on a regular basis working life. Their international clients additionally search to be seen as local weather delicate and can demand seen efforts even from the world’s best producers. The Nestle provide of technical assist and premiums will probably be welcomed by Fonterra and its suppliers because the cost of analysis into mitigation measures will probably be borne by the business.
Despite varied initiatives, the world stays to a big diploma dependant on fossil fuels to assist vitality demand. More must be finished to mood this demand and extra focus must be directed towards substantial options somewhat than deflecting duty over the farm gate.
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George Williams, Whangamatā.
Rugby rule ideas
Rugby sports activities writers in New Zealand and around the globe are proposing World Rugby has work to do to make the sport extra protected and acceptable as a spectacle if it desires to develop the game world-wide – and particularly for its four-yearly Rugby World Cup and the brand new bi-annual Nations Cup. Some ideas of things to deal with:
First, make the foundations of rugby easy, comprehensible and referee in a position for gamers, coaches and followers. Tackle waist down, eliminate the TMO and outdoors truck, let 5 officers resolve – referee, two sideline referees and two in-goal referees, controlling the sport.
Second, settle for the Six Nations is the very best rugby competitors world-wide and replica it for the Southern Hemisphere. South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina, Australia, Fiji and Japan. Play just one recreation every season, home and away alternate years. Okay, plus one further Bledisloe Cup recreation. With six video games in opposition to Northern Hemisphere prime six nations and one other two for the sponsors (in USA and a Barbarians recreation maybe) – a complete of 14 video games per 12 months for All Blacks is the utmost load for gamers.
Third, take care of the followers, significantly the young ones, to develop the sport with Super Rugby performed on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Let’s have that written into the following broadcast contract please.
There is all the time hope that rugby could make these adjustments to enhance the sport for all. Anyone at World Rugby and Rugby New Zealand ?
Gary Carter, Gulf Harbour.
NZQA’s server issues
NZQA ought to apologise to all the scholars, mother and father, academics and examination supervisors for the recent and ongoing overloading of their server in Wellington, inflicting hundreds to be locked out of the CAA Literacy and Numeracy assessments and NCEA examinations. This is a cohort of scholars who’ve already endured the stress of distance studying due to Covid and so they particularly deserve a easy operating evaluation system. The related anxiousness points are nicely documented and now NZQA have simply added to the trigger.
My personal experiences of the lockout are by means of the eyes of a secondary faculty trainer. Four hundred Year 10 and 11 college students had been locked out of the literacy evaluation at our college. This was adopted by loads of communication with NZQA in Wellington. Finally our college students bought to sit down the evaluation 4 days later, however no, there was a 65-minute delay earlier than the NZQA server would enable them to log in. I used to be supervising a category of 33 college students, who all deserve a medal for the mature method they sat quietly, filling out phrase searches and ready.
Another 4 days and 20,000 college students had been locked out of the NCEA Level One English examination. Our academics’ union, the PPTA, is now elevating questions on what NZQA has been doing over the previous 12 months, whereas our college students have been making ready for these exams.
So far, NZQA has been silent!
Malcolm Haig, Cambridge.
Stop the conflicts
Am I the one one who’s staggered on the world’s response to the Gaza battle and the worldwide demand for a ceasefire? The degree of protest is totally superb. What is mystifying is why there hasn’t been the identical degree of protest over the atrocities Russia is inflicting on the Ukraine. Both of those conflicts must be stopped instantly.
Jock MacVicar, Hauraki.
All about Values
I want to sympathise with Emma Mackintosh (NZ Herald, November 13) when she requires the Greens to “stick to environmental issues”. I, like many old “Values Party” folks, bear in mind the “good old days” after we bought in our yachts and stopped nuclear warships from attending to port.
It appears to me the issue is identical now because it was then. How will we get the media and society to seek the advice of on an important problems with our time? Now as then the unhappy answer appears to be the identical: Do one thing dramatic and unlawful involving avenue theatre to start out the dialogue and have a entrance person who can put the case in just a few sentences as that’s all of the media desires.
We should discover a strategy to change this as, in my view, an important subject of our time is simply international governance. And that’s not horny – and inconceivable to seek the advice of/get motion within the above method! Ideas anybody?
Dennis Worley, Birkenhead.
Environment and social injustice
Bruce Cotterill (NZ Herald, November 11) has misunderstood the Green motion and talks like an accountant bereft of another insights than in numbers. I’ve chaired two outstanding New Zealand environmental organisations, pushed completely by my ardour for making life higher for folks.
The motive why we would like a superb surroundings is to serve the folks with the very best quality life we are able to muster. The greatest experiences most of us have are associated to the surprise of nature. If poverty and distress prevents folks having fun with nature, we’ve got failed miserably. The two points – surroundings and social high quality life – for all are as inextricably linked as the pinnacle is to the physique. One can’t exist with out the opposite.
Social injustice is considered one of our greatest environmental issues, not solely in New Zealand however around the globe. Improving these aspects of life should go hand in hand. Hats off to the Greens for not being blinded by numbers however make life high quality for the various their most important subject.
Frank Olsson, Freemans Bay.
On fireworks
For 9 consecutive nights, I’ve needed to console a terrified animal. Time for public shows solely. Wendy Tighe-Umbers, Parnell.
On Greens
Totally agree with the Bruce Cotterill article (NZ Herald, November 11) on the Greens shedding their color. A first-rate instance being co-leader Marama Davidson’s involvement within the recent Aotea Square protest. Her feedback had been inflammatory and divisive. Ian Doube, Rotorua.
Well mentioned Bruce Cotterill (NZ Herald, November 11). Speaking as a light-weight blue voter, I’d think about voting Green in the event that they had been extra fascinated by being an environmental occasion, somewhat than social justice warriors. And right here’s a thought: How many others would share that view? George Hawley, Hamilton.
On concert events
Attracting worldwide leisure headline acts like Taylor Swift to Auckland is a straightforward matter of economics. Patrons ready to pay the prices of journey and lodging to Australian concert events will save these expenses and may then readily pay premium ticket costs for native performances. Only modest seed money must be paid by our Government or Auckland ratepayers to draw prime artists to New Zealand. Larry N. Mitchell, Rothesay Bay.
On cartoon
Looking at Daron Parton’s cartoon (NZ Herald, November 9), it is going to be nice to see our understandings of the Treaty grow to be clear when the sunshine of logic and civic discourse is turned on. Tim Thornewell, Whangārei.