I share the disappointment of the Insurance Council of New Zealand (ICNZ) that the New Zealand government continues to place the burden of funding the fire services in New Zealand on those that are risk adverse and prudent enough to insure. The trouble continues to be that there are a number businesses and individuals that elect not to insure whether it be their car, home or business and they get a free ride receiving exactly the same service as those that insure.

In most jurisdictions around the world, governments have realised that funding fire services through the insurance industry is a disincentive to full insurance which has an adverse effect on individuals, employees, communities and the economy.

In a country such as New Zealand that suffer significant natural disasters, it is in the governments and every single individuals interest for the community to be fully insured and removing the unfair tax on insurance is a start towards this important end goal.