One bad apple should not spoil barrel of student associations

I co-wrote an article published in the Dominion Post today.

The behaviour of former representatives at the Whitireia Independent Students’ Association (WISA), as it has been reported, has been appalling and is completely unacceptable. The individuals involved have taken advantage of a position of trust. It is extremely disappointing to see members’ trust in any charitable organisation abused to any degree, let alone fraud of hundreds of thousands of dollars taken from students, many of whom struggle to make ends meet while studying.

The situation at Whitireia is an exception to the rule. No business, charity, or home is immune from fraud and crime. Take the recent examples of Roger McClay with charities, or Mark Bryers with Blue Chip. While it is blatantly clear that Whitreia Independent Students' Association has failed its members, it would be wrong to imply one example as representative of all students’ associations. Calling for voluntary membership for all student associations based on one example would be like calling for Parliament to be abolished because of the deeds of [former MP] McClay. Just because there’s one or two bad apples doesn’t mean you throw out the whole barrel.

Although it is not online at Stuff, NZ Union of Students' Association has put a copy on its site.. Have a read.

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Income splitting II

Peter Dunne has said that income splitting for tax purposes would give about 310,000 families tax relief. However it appears that this group of people include those who have more than one job, and thus get taxed on secondary income. A one income family on $80k will get $5280 in tax relief from income splitting. But they wont if a partner was home, and 25 percent of his income was taxed as secondary tax. If that couple had two jobs - one on $50,000 the other on $30,000 - that will get them $250 tax relief. This means that both couples pay the same amount of tax, even though one couple pays more transport costs in getting to and from work.

The bill does not seem clear as to how family income will be equalised through income splitting with secondary tax, meaning that partner not only pays a higher proportion of their income in tax, they cant split their income for tax purposes the same way as other couples either. This impacts lower income families - who are likely to have several part time jobs - more as a family who earns $60k between them - one on $40k, the other on $20k - gets no relief from income splitting. They won't get any tax relief if one of these partners works two jobs. For example, the higher earner may have 40 percent of his income taxed at secondary tax, and although that couple earn exactly the same amount, as other families on $60k - they'll pay more tax if it is not equalised. They'll also have more transport costs to and from their various places of work.

And these days there are more and more people in this situation. And a parent doing three jobs at a 35/30/40 percentage income split will be paying most of their tax on the secondary rate, with no clawback on income splitting.

Having bills that go to select committee on the basis of pre-arranged agreements is political reality under MMP. At least the public can have their say on matters as raised above and in my earlier post on the issue.

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Various concept ships by Christopher Rabenhorst

Christopher's art blog.










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