Letters: All Blacks, mayoral contest, Gaurav Sharma, sentences, ram-raids, and property

The All Blacks found their mojo at Ellis Park, defeating South Africa 35-23. Photo / Photosport

ABs’ heavy mettle Liam Napier (NZ Herald, August 14) puts it perfectly: “Whether this heroic four-tries-to-two result is enough to save [Ian] Foster’s embattled term remains to be seen but, for now at least, the All Blacks deserve to celebrate one of their great upset triumphs.” With all the other Monday-morning quarterbacks, I must now eat my hat. Rugby is a mind game. A determined, uncompromising, strong-willed group of players can astound their supporters by winning after rising above all nature of adversity and in the face of the intimidating roar of opposition fans. Sleepy Sunday morning eyes could scarcely believe what they had witnessed hours before. I’ll never again doubt the All Blacks’ almost mystic powers to see off the sceptics through sheer football brilliance and good old Kiwi resilience. Larry Mitchell, Rothesay Bay.

Wayne Brown John Roughan (Weekend Herald, August 13) is unfortunately right on the money about the impotence of councils to effect operational change. He is also right that the only viable mayoral candidate who has a hope in hell of fronting up to this is Wayne Brown. Brown's abrasive, polarising front-foot approach to business and local politics is needed in these uncertain and scary times. Coupled with his record in turning around basket-case boards and public businesses, he is the man for the time. However, it will take the backing of all Aucklanders for him (and by default us) to wrest control from central government and return Auckland to the safe, prosperous and proud city we knew. Bary Williams, Sunnyhills.

Sharma Gaurav Sharma was allegedly told: "The only way this country can succeed is if Labour is in Government. Government means Labour. So the party comes first ... before the country." (Weekend Herald, August 13). If this statement is true and demonstrative of the governing Labour Party's mindset, the country has a problem. This is the mantra of totalitarianism. Furthermore, if true, Sharma deserves public respect and sympathy, not condemnation and censure. If untrue, he should return to his previous career of tending those in need of medical care where one presumes he was doing a good job rather than the reported "terrible job" Labour caucus colleagues accuse him of. Graeme Putt, Remuera.

Sentences When will judges stop allowing reduced sentences for criminals who have "spent time on restrictive monitored bail" and have addictions? If you commit crime, life is meant to be difficult and restrictive. Judges should be adding sentence time for stress to the victim, stress to his family, long-term effects on the victim, loss of income. It's time judges were on the victims' side. Linda Beck, Upper Harbour.

Ram raids Are our behavioural problems getting worse or is it because more are speaking out? Bullying has been around forever but is now much more unacceptable. There is, however, a fine line between what is bullying and those who feel they are unfairly treated. The biggest concern is the attitude and behaviour of young people culminating in ram raids and other illegal activity with the belief they are immune from consequences. In 2007 the no-smacking legislation was passed but a review in 2020 revealed that not only had it failed to reduce the harm perpetrated against children but had increased the harm inflicted by children. Despite the good intentions of the anti-smacking law, not everyone is trained in child psychology — which makes it difficult for some parents to impress upon children rights and wrongs. Children understand when there are consequences for bad behaviour. Whilst smacking might not be the answer, we need to do better, otherwise adolescents will continue to run amok. Reg Dempster, Albany.

TV ad The advert being played for TVNZ+ showing a street robbery and the bad guys fleeing in a car driven by an accomplice is bad taste. We are living with increasing crime and we do not need to use a scene like that to promote a free TV service. Lesley Baillie, Murrays Bay.

Housing fixation Recent trade figures make for sober reading, a record monthly deficit, Australia's trade conversely a record surplus. The economy is unbalanced, we have paid for a fixation with overpriced housing to the detriment of productivity. The economy has been weighted heavily to the over-capitalised housing sector at the expense of commerce, the cause of weak productivity growth. It is time to redirect capital to businesses, exporters, farmers, true wealth creators. P.J.Edmondson, Tauranga.

Properties taxed? A 26-year-old has amassed a portfolio of 51 properties by using inflation in house prices to leverage into other properties. It would be interesting to see how much tax he has paid, if any? He states he has rental income from the properties of $1 million. Again, I ask how much tax does he pay after all the deductions he is entitled to under our flawed tax system and when he sells some of the properties how much tax will he pay on the profit from the original price? Jock Mac Vicar, Hauraki.

Measles Measles has been a major issue in the world for my lifetime. I was vaccinated as a child. It has been an issue in Oceania in recent times with outbreaks across the Pacific. The Government recently ran a campaign to have people vaccinated. Many people didn't bring their children or themselves forward. Measles and its vaccination are not secret. All of a sudden it is said to be the Government's fault. Short of mandatory vaccination what can they realistically do? Drag people to clinics? We all know how mandates are received in NZ. The same people blaming the Government for any measles outbreak will be the same people who rallied against mandates. Go figure. Take some personal responsibility for your families' health. It is free. Gary Denney, Eden Terrace.

Cricket claims Reading Ross Taylor's comments in his book is nothing new. This is how all the sectors in NZ works. The gossip, the slander, the back-biting, the dirty politics in the workplaces and in the Beehive, the list goes on. How can workers remain sane and have mental well-being? No wonder people don't want to work but stay on some kind of a benefit and be safe from the trauma of going to work. Nothing laidback about New Zealand. Nishi Fahmy, Avondale.

Teaching troubles The case involving teacher Greg Robinson clearly illustrates the issues facing society today and what is wrong with it. Here is someone with 40 years' experience being dictated to by students who are not following the teacher's requests or the rules. And incredibly they are backed by the administration to the detriment of the person supposedly in charge of them. The same thing happens for example with the police, where respect has gone out of the window. Would I consider teaching as a profession? Certainly not now and certainly not as a male. Paul Beck, West Harbour.

Trading with tyrants It seems "globalisation" has made inadvertent bedfellows of us all. While Russia wages an uncivilised war, bringing death and destruction to the citizens of Ukraine, we have to trade with the tyrant responsible ... Vladimir Putin — the despot who threatens us all with nuclear destruction if we intervene — agrees to provide the grain the world needs, so the Ukrainian economy will remain intact when he completes his fascist takeover. The UN was formed with the aim of ensuring world peace and co-operation. But, with world domination as their individual goals, Russia and China, through their power of veto, have now exposed the UN structures and rules as naive and impotent. As has the US also, with its unconscionable veto protection of Israel's escalating crimes against the Palestinians. Argument now rages, throughout NZ and the world, as to what's really important — preservation of human rights or trade imperatives? Confronting moral issues or kowtowing for economic ones? Are "enough good men" going to "continue to do nothing" so that evil can be perpetuated? Our "civilisation" is being sorely tested. Clyde Scott, Birkenhead.

Short & sweet

On winning The Warriors beat the Bulldogs and the All Blacks beat South Africa. Enough said. Lorraine Kidd, Warkworth.

On rogue MP Perhaps if Dr Sharma left his Labour Party back-bencher MP role and returned to the medical profession to work as a much-needed GP, he would be happier. And more welcome. B Darragh, Auckland Central.

On Molloy Well done Leo Molloy for having the self-awareness to remove himself from the Auckland mayoralty race, clearing the way for centre-right candidates. Stephen Moore, St Heliers.

On Brownlee Jonathan Brownlee deserves kudos for building up his property business but he asks: If they were all sold to first-home buyers, where would the renters go? The answer: The number of renters would be reduced by the number of properties sold. Alan Johnson, Papatoetoe.

On ERO If the ERO is given the task of monitoring the effectiveness of Oranga Tamariki, and it follows the same approach as it does with schools, it is highly likely Oranga Tamariki's performance will be judged more on how high a pile of pieces of paper it produces, rather than on any positive outcomes for the children in its care. David Hood, Hamilton.

The Premium Debate

Matthew Hooton: National's 'numpties'

So Erica Stanford, Matt Doocey, Shane Reti, Paul Goldsmith, Louise Upston, Simeon Brown, Barbara Kuriger and all the rest of the 30-something National MPs are numpties? What a silly thing to say. Most of these MPs are really smart and much more experienced in their shadow cabinet responsibilities than many in the Labour Cabinet. Jeanette E.

Erica Stanford has impressed me recently. She has a good handle on the immigration portfolio and seems to be a very likeable and capable woman. David S.

National can do nothing and they will still win. Labour is so "strong" that one of their own MPs has come out accusing the PM's office, the Deputy PM's office, the Speaker's Office and Parliamentary Services of bullying. Mark Y.

A new byelection in Tauranga would cost about $1.2 million. You'd think National would be deeply concerned about such incredible wastage of taxpayer money. It's their big thing after all. Evan B.

Given Grant Robertson publicly laughed about the $50m+ that Labour wasted on the cycle lane over the harbour, that's chump change. Brad M.

There is no need for a byelection. Robert M.

You have no idea what this investigation is going to uncover, there may very well be a need for a byelection yet. Dan M.

Agreed. And the election will be a bye for National. Timothy T.

The Luxon naysayers need to look carefully at Ardern's reaction to Sharma's accusations. I predict obfuscation, deflection, and rejection of the premise. I predict the lack of leadership and kindness will be very evident. Andrew R.

I've never seen a PM front up as much as this one. Another beat-up on her ... and saying something constantly still doesn't make it true. She's amazing. Steve M.

This was perhaps the first sign of leadership from Luxon for me. Susan H.