P.J. Houlahan, Titirangi.
Money talks
Taking issue with your editorial advocating a return to New Zealand for the America’s Cup is an easy thing to do (NZ Herald, October 16).
As a career mariner of more than 50 years’ experience, including some involvement in America’s Cup events, I know full well that money talks and more money talks louder. We’ll never see Formula One race cars in New Zealand, despite several past and present New Zealanders being drivers, for the same reason.
These sports are at the cutting edge of technology advances in their two disciplines. We should simply bask in the reflected glory that our nation’s name is attached to the story. We should celebrate and enjoy the technology that will eventually flow into our daily lives.
Nigel Meek, Raglan.
Artful attack
It seems the political right in this country has never been comfortable with the arts. Unlike, say, mining or property development, the film industry is disliked by the likes of the NZ Taxpayers’ Union, which is behind the latest Cannes Film Festival spending storm in a teacup (NZ Herald, October 16).
Billions can be given to property developers in tax deductibility, or paid in subsidies to multinational oil, mining or tobacco corporations, and that’s just fine. But a mere $145,000 spent by the New Zealand Film Commission to promote the NZ film industry at the important Cannes Film Festival market and there’s much ado on the right.
Our film industry is very successful and brings huge investment and attention to New Zealand. Any industry investing a little in promoting itself and its products in a major marketplace should be welcome. Unless you’re on the side that views the arts with suspicion – and that’s what this is really about.
Jeff Hayward, Auckland Central.
Betting the farm
The Prime Minister expresses surprise and disappointment at the decline in economic activity in New Zealand. Frankly, it should not be a surprise.
New Zealand is still an agricultural-based economy. So when you allow – indeed encourage – pastoral farms out of existence, there will be consequences. In the past five years, 260,00ha of pastoral farmland has disappeared into carbon forestry. Using an economic multiplier of 4.5%, that is a loss of economic activity of over $1.5 billion per year.
All parliamentarians knew this was going to happen. Hardly any of them mentioned it. They also know where the next meatworks closure will likely be, and roughly when, but they are not saying. Do they even care?
Richard Alspach, Dargaville.
Language barrier
The Nurses Organisation’s spokesperson was incorrect when they said Waikato Hospital’s directive to staff to speak English to patients (NZ Herald, October 16) “reeks of systemic racism”.
When I was in Auckland Hospital a few years ago, two Indian nurses, one on either side of the bed, began talking to each other in Hindi. If they had been talking about what they did on Saturday night, it wouldn’t have bothered me, but they were trying to set up a medical procedure and were clearly discussing my case, yet I couldn’t understand what they were saying. I usually like to ask questions about what is happening with my healthcare, but I felt unable to do so.
The directive to speak English to patients is not racism – it is an important part of patient care.
Raewyn Maybury, Tauranga.
Common-sense comms
A little common sense, for goodness sake, regarding the language in hospitals issue. The purpose of language is communication. If my symptoms and treatment were discussed in any language other than English, I would not understand and probably die. Anyone whose first language is not English is entitled to ask for an appropriate person to speak to.
If I have kind nurses to look after me in hospital, I don’t care if they come from Mars and converse among themselves in a Martian dialect, I’m just thankful to have them there.
Anne Martin, Helensville.
