I get a bit
miffed when I hear that NZ lamb and other products sell in the USA and the UK
for less than what we pay in New Zealand. That just feels so wrong. I do not
get so annoyed when I read that NZ wine can sell for half the price in the USA.
I see that as having little do with ‘greed’ and a lot to do with taxation
policies here. I have fewer problems when so-called luxury or products that
cause our health bill to increase, year by year are taxed at a high rate.
Now, before
you call me a ‘fun-killing wouser,’ let me say that I enjoy wine; even more so
in my distant youth. Before you label me as being precious about having to pay
the extra tax, let me state that I believe in a taxation system that ‘extracts’
what it can to help balance the budget when it comes to allowing for ever
increasing ‘needs’ in the health and education areas. I do not moan about
having to pay higher level taxes if my income falls into a ‘higher bracket.’ I
only wish it did!
For those who become enraged every time there is a possibility
of having to dip their hands in their pockets to pay for better health and
education for ‘all’ of our citizens, I say, just look to Scandinavia to
see nations where tax is high but
services are excellent. We can’t have it both ways; good services and low
taxation. Yes, it does mean ‘spreading the wealth’ a bit more, but I would
rather live in a society that cares and offers opportunity for everyone rather
than one that focusses only on the individual. The word ‘balance’ comes to mind
at this point.
What does
all this mean? Apart from taxation policies that match the needs of the citizens
of NZ, it means having a system whereby products that cause the most damage to
society, are taxed highly. The obvious examples are tobacco (which is facing
ever increasingly high taxation) and alcohol. I believe in lowering tax at the other
end of the scale; namely paying no GST on obviously ‘healthy eating options.’ I
did not include taxing fatty foods, because all the evidence from Denmark, a country
that has a left of centre government, (just to dodge criticism that I may be a
trendy lefty) has reversed such taxation policies on fatty and unhealthy foods
because they don’t work!
So yes, wine
may be more expensive here, and even though we make the product here, is it so
bad that the price matches the social, health and economic damage done by over indulgence
of the said product. I can hear the angry cries from those reading this and
saying that they should not be punished because of the behaviours of others.
Yeah--- same argument as those dumb assed Americans in the NRA who believe that
it their sacred rite to bear arms, including military style guns. We cannot
trust ‘all’ to behave sensibly and the price of having a ‘safer’ society is often
a bit hard to swallow for some citizens. No doubt they will mirror the response
of that crazy gun-toting NRA guy on Piers Morgan’s programme the other night
who was frothing at the mouth at the prospect of tougher gun laws in the USA.
He was ‘gonna take on the Government and encourage people to rise up and start
a revolution.’
Paying tax
is an obligation and a ‘peaceful’ way of distributing wealth and opportunity.
That it sometimes means paying more for luxury items and those that cause
obvious harm when over-used, is the price we pay for a better and safer
society. I understand that others have views that are totally opposed to the
ones I have espoused. Great, at least we live in a country that allows for
alternate views! I am not prepared to
take up arms to defend my views; I will of course ‘blog my head off’ to further
them!
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