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

[Lilith7]

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.

I quite like sleeping at night as do most of us, & for quite a few of us that would become more difficult if  things were to become far worse for those worst off.
It isn't a healthy society when there's such a wide gap between rich & poor & that does need to change, because if it doesn't then it will in time lead to something no one wants  - revolution.

It might not be such a dreadful idea if we were a lot less concerned with owning the latest flash gadget & more concerned with the well being of our fellow Kiwis, so I agree with regard to housing, health & education - imagine the enormous difference that would make if it became a priority for EVERY govt here. Sadly, I suspect that some govts would have to be obliged to do that.