Richest Kiwis pay about half as much on the $ as the rest of us

[Oh_hunnihunni]

There can be a shade of defensiveness in posts on threads like these when fairness becomes a major argument. Sometimes fairness is in the eye of the beholder, and be seen very differently by different points of view. The couple who choose to work their arses off and acquire wealth justifiably argue that that wealth is a fair reward and they cannot be compared to the other couple who choose to live their lives with different aims achieving different rewards. This is why I do not think fairness is the best measure when it comes to providing the stuff of life that human beings are entitled to, in a society as wealthy as ours.

Rather than invest time, energy, and political capital in closing every tax loophole we can identify (a game akin to whackamole?) I think we should focus on housing people, mending our health system, and educating our children and above all else preparing for a future that grows more threatening by the day. And yes, we need the tax income to do that, but will we gain enough from rejigging the system to make it a worthwhile exercise, or would we make more from improving productivity, future proofing ourselves from predicted disasters, and building resilience in our children?

Forget fairness, let's focus on making real life better for those who need the help.