Latest news with #Scandinavians
Scoop
3 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Time For Debate About Tax
Opinion – Closing The Gap Malcolm went on to say that the Scandinavian nations have the highest levels of measured happiness but also pay more tax than countries like New Zealand. We need to have a debate about tax Kiwis need to talk seriously about our tax regime says Peter Malcolm of the Income Equality—Closing the Gap organisation in response to the Green Party tax policy and Labour dithering around the edges of possible tax changes. Malcolm said there are a great many voices from across the income and wealth spectrum, calling for the government to collect more taxes to fund our increasingly creaky health system as well as education, social welfare and infrastructure. But we should not assume that the call for more tax is simply the poor wanting to punish the wealthy. 'The truth is that we all, those in middle income through to the wealthy should pay more tax', said Malcolm. 'International surveys suggest that those countries that are most happy are those where more tax is paid by everyone. This also requires a broader based tax regime so tax is paid not just on income but on capital profits as well ie all income regardless of source'. Malcolm went on to say that the Scandinavian nations have the highest levels of measured happiness but also pay more tax than countries like New Zealand. Scandinavians appreciate government services that meet the needs of their people and they know these must be paid for. This debate needs to take place across the political spectrum. Whether we vote to the left or right we should face up to the fact that we must all pay more tax if we are to have world class public services. We are encouraged by some wealthy Kiwis who support this concept. And of course even in the USA some mega rich and highly successful business tycoons like Warren Buffet and Bill Gates support principles of equality. 'All political parties should be developing their tax policies for the election campaign next year' said Malcolm. 'Even it takes several years to move to higher taxes this debate should be above party politics'.
Scoop
3 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Time For Debate About Tax
Opinion – Closing The Gap Malcolm went on to say that the Scandinavian nations have the highest levels of measured happiness but also pay more tax than countries like New Zealand. We need to have a debate about tax Kiwis need to talk seriously about our tax regime says Peter Malcolm of the Income Equality—Closing the Gap organisation in response to the Green Party tax policy and Labour dithering around the edges of possible tax changes. Malcolm said there are a great many voices from across the income and wealth spectrum, calling for the government to collect more taxes to fund our increasingly creaky health system as well as education, social welfare and infrastructure. But we should not assume that the call for more tax is simply the poor wanting to punish the wealthy. 'The truth is that we all, those in middle income through to the wealthy should pay more tax', said Malcolm. 'International surveys suggest that those countries that are most happy are those where more tax is paid by everyone. This also requires a broader based tax regime so tax is paid not just on income but on capital profits as well ie all income regardless of source'. Malcolm went on to say that the Scandinavian nations have the highest levels of measured happiness but also pay more tax than countries like New Zealand. Scandinavians appreciate government services that meet the needs of their people and they know these must be paid for. This debate needs to take place across the political spectrum. Whether we vote to the left or right we should face up to the fact that we must all pay more tax if we are to have world class public services. We are encouraged by some wealthy Kiwis who support this concept. And of course even in the USA some mega rich and highly successful business tycoons like Warren Buffet and Bill Gates support principles of equality. 'All political parties should be developing their tax policies for the election campaign next year' said Malcolm. 'Even it takes several years to move to higher taxes this debate should be above party politics'.
Scoop
3 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Time For Debate About Tax
We need to have a debate about tax Kiwis need to talk seriously about our tax regime says Peter Malcolm of the Income Equality—Closing the Gap organisation in response to the Green Party tax policy and Labour dithering around the edges of possible tax changes. Malcolm said there are a great many voices from across the income and wealth spectrum, calling for the government to collect more taxes to fund our increasingly creaky health system as well as education, social welfare and infrastructure. But we should not assume that the call for more tax is simply the poor wanting to punish the wealthy. 'The truth is that we all, those in middle income through to the wealthy should pay more tax', said Malcolm. 'International surveys suggest that those countries that are most happy are those where more tax is paid by everyone. This also requires a broader based tax regime so tax is paid not just on income but on capital profits as well ie all income regardless of source'. Malcolm went on to say that the Scandinavian nations have the highest levels of measured happiness but also pay more tax than countries like New Zealand. Scandinavians appreciate government services that meet the needs of their people and they know these must be paid for. This debate needs to take place across the political spectrum. Whether we vote to the left or right we should face up to the fact that we must all pay more tax if we are to have world class public services. We are encouraged by some wealthy Kiwis who support this concept. And of course even in the USA some mega rich and highly successful business tycoons like Warren Buffet and Bill Gates support principles of equality. 'All political parties should be developing their tax policies for the election campaign next year' said Malcolm. 'Even it takes several years to move to higher taxes this debate should be above party politics'.
%3Amax_bytes(150000)%3Astrip_icc()%2FTAL-header-ko-lanta-island-thailand-KOHLANTA0525-3101f81b7601429f8476af55b84fd131.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
Travel + Leisure
6 days ago
- Travel + Leisure
This Tiny Island Is One of Thailand's Best Hidden Gems—With Crowd-free Beaches, Luxury Hotels, and Fruit-loving Monkeys
Koh Lanta is a small island located in southern Thailand—and it's one of the country's most underrated destinations. Although it flies under the radar of most American travelers, it's home to luxury resorts such as Rawi Warin Resort & Spa and Pimalai Resort & Spa. The island is also great for snorkelers and has healthy reefs that teem with marine life. Koh Lanta, an island in the southern Andaman Sea off Thailand's west coast, is one of the country's true hidden gems. There are no Western chains here. No bar girls. There is still unbuilt beachfront, although in five years it may be gone. There are plans to build a bridge that will soon connect Koh Lanta to the mainland. Once it's done, it'll be an easy 45 minutes to Krabi International Airport (KBV). But that's a travel writer's worry for another day. For now, Koh Lanta remains relatively undiscovered, especially by Americans. During my second consecutive January visit—November to March are the best months to come to the island in terms of the weather—I didn't meet another American. Scandinavians, however, are a different story. There are nonstop flights from Stockholm to Krabi International Airport, and I spoke to quite a few Swedes and Norwegians who were eager to escape the winter darkness. I found plenty of those snowbirds at both Rawi Warin Resort & Spa, a kid-friendly luxury hotel, and at Pimalai Resort & Spa, one of the island's top properties (it has two Michelin Keys)—my wife and I spent a nearly perfect week there this year. A colorful longtail boat on the sandy shore of Ko 22 years ago on 100 unspoiled acres, Pimalai boasts 3,000 feet of prime Kantiang beachfront. Most mornings, I slow-jogged its entire length, which verges on the Platonic ideal of a tropical beach: mostly empty, with soft sand that can be found both in and out of the gentle water. Pimalai is luxury done right, with more beach and poolside lounges than hotel guests. While there are small resorts at both ends of Kantiang, in the morning, I saw almost no one. Because of the terrain, Pimalai feels like two resorts, each with an infinity pool and restaurants. There are only 121 total accommodations. Deluxe rooms are located near the beach, while pool villas are tucked into the terraced hillside. All guests get access to round-trip van service to the Krabi Airport and a speedboat transfer to Pimalai's pier—this cuts 45 minutes off travel time. Again, real luxury. Rustic beach bars and restaurant along the Long Beach in Koh Lanta Island, Krabi province. Tuomas A. Lehtinen/Getty Images One memorable morning, my wife and I were picked up at Pimalai to begin a day-long snorkeling charter to Koh Haa and Koh Rak. Because we're old and crafty, we sat up front beside the driver, Jaroon, while other passengers crammed into uncomfortable bench seats in the bed of the pickup. After 40 years of chasing the sun on unspoiled (and then only slightly spoiled) Thai beaches, we've learned that the best part of travel is the people you meet and talk to. Like most Thai people, Jaroon was gentle, affable, and warmly friendly to tourists. He apologized for his English (which was quite good) and laughed when I told him my name was 'Khun Khon-di,' which roughly translates to "Mister Goodman ." Because Koh Lanta is in the far south of Thailand—near Malaysia—90 percent of its inhabitants are Muslim, including Jaroon. He admitted that many of his friends drank alcohol, although he didn't, perhaps because he had 500 rubber trees on his property, from which he gathered latex each morning starting at 3:30 am, before going to work. Income from his rubber trees doubled his monthly salary as a driver, which had enabled Jaroon to send his daughter to college in Bangkok, a fact of which he was justifiably proud. The snorkeling that day on Koh Rak was spectacular. I saw lots of healthy soft and hard coral. There were fish everywhere, large and small, and though I've been diving and snorkeling in Thai waters for quite some time, I saw something I'd never seen before: a 15-legged crown-of-thorns starfish. It was an electric blue mammoth with black thorns peppering its surface. One of the many Longtail Macaque monkeys in the nature of Thailand's Koh Lanta island. On the boat back from Koh Rak to the pier, our captain made a detour past a mangrove forest inhabited by a large band of swimming, fruit-loving monkeys. I'd never seen monkeys in the water before, but I got the idea these monkeys eagerly awaited our boat's arrival for their daily treat of leftover watermelon and pineapple. One evening later in the week, we hired Jaroon to drive us to Old Town, on the east side of Koh Lanta. This coast fronts the Straits of Malacca, rather than the Andaman Sea, and lies along a traditional trade route to Malaysia. The east coast of the island doesn't have sandy beaches or upscale resorts, but it does have Moken (a group of Indigenous sea nomads) communities. The other big attraction of this unique place is the simple restaurants that are built on wooden pilings—we listened to the waves break as we feasted on squid and grouper. We loved our time on Koh Lanta and at Pimalai, which was incredibly well-run; our room was serviced, unobtrusively, three times a day. The international breakfast buffet included obscure regional specialties, Thai noodle soup, an array of tropical fruit, and organic juices. The food at Rak Talay, the beachside seafood restaurant where we often ate dinner, was not only sumptuous, but for a five-star, surprisingly affordable. If you visit, try the soft-shell crabs. You'll be amazed by the flavor and by how many crabs comprise a single order. I can still taste them—and hope to again.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Three punctures ends Armstrong's hopes of podium finish
Jon Armstrong had to settle for fourteenth overall on Rally Hungary, after three punctures ended his hopes of a podium finish. The Fermanagh driver was holding third overall and had just set his first ever fastest stage time on gravel in the European Rally Championship when he hit problems and plummeted down the leaderboard. Despite the disappointing overall placing, Jon came away from the event hopeful for the rest of the season. 'It was nice to be able to be on the pace right from the pre practice and the qualifying,' he said. 'I hadn't done a gravel rally since last July, so it was a bit of an unknown, but it was good to know we have taken a step forward there. "We knew the tarmac pace is quite good but we didn't know how the gravel would be. "It was just a bit frustrating whenever we know we could have been on the podium, because every stage where we didn't have a puncture, we had a top three time. "The fact the pace is consistently good is a positive thing to have. If we can just keep chipping away, hopefully a solid result will be around the corner.' Jon's early pace had elevated him to third place after four stages, and he followed that up with a joint fastest time on stage five, but disaster struck on the sixth test as he suffered two separate punctures. 'We had a strong first loop lying third,' he said. 'The first stage out on the second loop on the Saturday, we were joint fastest and we were closing in on second but then on stage six we got a puncture and stopped and changed it, and then got another puncture on the same wheel and we had to stop and change again. "The tyre starts to flail very quickly and you risk damaging an electrical component or the damper or the brake line, and it was still quite far to the end of the stage, so we had to stop.' That dropped Jon down to a lowly 25th, and his climb back up the table was stalled again on the final day with another puncture. 'It is based in a military area and the stages have a lot of bedrock sticking out and are quite rough,' he explained. 'We had another puncture on the first run through the power stage, stage ten. Again, it was a bit of bedrock and we had to stop and change. "It was all really done at that stage anyway, but it was still annoying to have them. It obviously affected our position.' Next up for Jon is the Rally of Scandinavia at the end of this month, quickly followed by Rally Poland, and Jon is hopeful he can turn his season around. 'If I could get a podium in Scandinavia I would be very happy, but there will be more Scandinavians turning up for that,' he said. 'It will be my third year doing it, so I have to use that experience and really go for it. Poland is a gravel rally, fast and more sandy, and is one of my favourite gravel rallies, so I am really looking forward to that. It is a great challenge.'
