I have five practical ideas for reducing the cost of living in this country. My choice of ideas is designed to reach the broadest demographic range across the country. They are:
- Letting councils use G.S.T. from rates to fund essential infrastructure
- Require all schools to have a second hand uniform option for schools; a recycle programme for electronic devices
- A cap of 10 properties for individual property investors;
- Rent caps of say 50-60% of income for tenants of residential properties
- Flat fee for all public transport nationwide – one $2 ticket or similar lasts until 2359 on the day it was purchased
- Fully fund dental care or at least make hygiene checks free
Goods and Services Tax (G.S.T.)
This first one is actually an idea from The Opportunities Party who used it in their 2023 election campaign. It will not solve the problems posed by rates, but the intention is that using G.S.T. for critical infrastructure will address things such as drinking water, sewerage and waste water; other infrastructure.
Education
My old High School a couple of years ago decided it was a good idea to require all students to have the new uniform that had just been unveiled. It seemed to ignore the socio-economic zone that its catchment covers, which includes low income suburbs with state houses. As a school with 2,400 enrolled students, it just defied my imagination especially given its very good reputation as one of the best state schools in Christchurch that its Board of Trustees could be so short sighted. A completely new uniform was going to cost $600.
Over the last decade it seems to have become essential that students have access to laptops for their learning. Whilst the major manufacturers such as Lenovo, Dell, Hewlett Packard and so forth have designed budget devices for learning, aside from the very significant electronic waste that not recycling these machines creates, the cost for a family to afford one device is several hundred dollars. Even if spread across several years, it amounts to perhaps $100/p.a.
These two matters combined are one of the primary reasons I believe so many students no longer go to school – their families literally cannot afford the costs.
Housing
I do not believe a single landlord needs to own 80 residential rental properties. Apparently there is at least one person in New Zealand who does, and several more who have several dozen properties. Given how much property they own, I believe it to impact negatively on those wanting to acquire their first property and those who find themselves in a tight situation paying rent, as these landlords distort the market rate. I have done some crude mathematics below as
80 x $300/p.w – if each of the properties has three or four tenants all paying that rate, that will be $24,000/p.w or $32,000/p.w. Across a standard year from 01/01/__ to 31/12/__ the landlord can expect between $1.248 million and $1.664 million in rent.
Public Transport
For a broad range of New Zealanders, public transport is essential. Those under 16 are not able to obtain a driver licence to drive a car or ride a motorbike/scooter. The very old may not be of sound mind to drive a car. For many students and low income earners the cost of maintaining, fuelling and owning a car might be simply out of their financial means. And yet there are people in New Zealand who genuinely believe that ratepayers and taxpayers have no business funding these services.
It is also simply convenient. Like after having a night on the town and not wanting to fork out $30 for a taxi. And when I was working for Environment Canterbury getting the bus was the logical step. It was 300 metres from my place to the No. 15 bus stop and 500 metres to the No. 17 bus stop. Both routes passed only a block from where I worked. I saw how useful it was for school students and central city workers to get on board these bus routes in the morning – they were always nearly completely full, and it saved them having to find alternative means on days when traffic jams might take 2 or 3 light changes just to get through one intersection.
Dental Care
I am sure all of you will know people – if you are not one yourself – who has struggled, or struggles with their dental care because seeing a dentist and/or hygienist to help with your teeth is a bank breaker. At an appointment with a hygienist for a 45 minute check up in March, I was charged $137.15.
Many of you will have more complex needs than simply seeing a hygienist. It might be having a plate done, or a crown fitted – I had a crown fitted about 10 years ago for a badly chipped front tooth, which was done in the private system. I cannot remember how much it cost, as my parents handled the bill. I better remember when all four wisdom teeth were removed
What treatment have you had for your teeth recently? How easily were you able to afford it?
Dental care affects so much more than just your smile, and ability to eat. Your respiratory tract can become infected, and bacteria can enter the blood stream and affect other parts of your body. And yet New Zealanders are reluctant to view it as an investment in their health, and vote for politicians who will enable it to be fully funded.
Leftist Kiwi Writes 