New taxes are never popular. But unless central government gives local bodies the power to raise more than just rates, budgets will never cover costs.
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Despite multimillion dollar price tags, rugby stadiums rarely cater to events outside of the sport. So why should communities cover the hefty bill when there is limited benefit to the wider community?
New Zealand’s councils are over-reliant on ratepayers to cover increasing costs. Central government needs to help support councils to do the work that helps local communities thrive.
New Zealand’s largest city is governed by a small, remote body with only a semblance of representative democracy. Given the city’s massive challenges, is that good enough?
Once paid, tax becomes the property of the government. Pretending otherwise undermines the basic principles of the social contract.
The stalemate in Tshwane is a manifestation of coalition arrangements that serve the partisan interests of parties, to the detriment of citizens.
Energy storage could prove an inexpensive way for power companies to handle heat waves and other times when consumers use more electricity than usual.
Top contributors
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Associate Professor, School of Law, University of New England
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Professor of Taxation and Commercial Law, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
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Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University
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Research Associate, Public Policy Institute, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
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Senior Lecturer in Marketing , University of Otago
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Professor of Public Affairs, Tshwane University of Technology
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Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University