Armed forces personnel march to commemorate Anzac Day at the Auckland War Memorial Museum on April 25, 2021. Photo / Getty Images
It was good to return to the traditional camaraderie of Anzac Day, commemorating the traumas of our wars and respecting the various sufferings involved. It is also important to remember the causes of these wars, and the circumstances which made such slaughter seem necessary.
It is tempting to blame "the other side", but in reality there are usually factors on both sides; in our narrow nationalism, prejudice, politics or diplomacy.
One would hope that our standards of international relations have advanced over the years, but sadly, recent news does not support that hope. Instead, too many nations are provoking each other in most irresponsible ways, behaving like schoolyard bullies, organising competing alliances, trading insults and settling old scores. So little seems to have changed. The main development is that advancing technologies have expanded the opportunities for mass slaughter, not only of armies, but also of civilian populations.
We need to be hearing more about how New Zealand is responding to this state of the world and what constructive contributions we can make.We now have a new minister with a policy based on respectful relationships. Does this make sense, and if so, do we have the capacity to make it work?
Gray Southon, Tauranga.
I cannot help but admire our new Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon Nanaia Mahuta, on her stance by not bowing to pressure by our allies to call acts done in Turkey (actually at that time in 1915, the Ottoman Empire) as genocide. What good would it do at this time, over 100 years later when all the parties involved are now long dead?
While the move to do so by the United States no doubt has current political motives behind it, we, as a nation, are growing up and no longer need to automatically follow what our allies tell us to do. We are a small country at the bottom of the world, and are no threat to any other country so we have no need to create enemies by following dictates by other countries, which seem to have a long list of enemies and consequently devote a very large part of their income to weapons of war and military personnel.
I hope our government continues to follow an independent foreign policy.
Brian Alderson, Glen Eden.
We have just remembered Anzac Day which amongst other things remembers our alliances with other democratic free countries.
Men died for this and families suffered. We now have a prime minister (who I voted for) making me ashamed to be a New Zealander by deserting our allies in favour of Chinese money and arrogance and dare I say, evil government. With all the trouble China is making worldwide, now is not the time for us to retreat. It is not our way. Anzac soldiers did not die and suffer for this.
Roger Singleton, Māngere Bridge.
How poignant that during Anzac weekend, New Zealand should be lectured by UK Tory MPs about getting into line on human rights decisions by other countries. They should be reminded we are no longer a colony but a sovereign nation making our own decisions. Sadly in 1915, when being commanded by Tory politicians, several thousand of our young were sent needlessly to their death. We remember them. Congratulations to Nanaia Mahuta for remaining steadfastly independent.
Neil Anderson, Algies Bay.
I can't say that I agree with your correspondent Paul Protheroe's complaint (NZ Herald, April 26) about supermarket staffing.
As one who left school with zero qualifications back in 1962, my first job was in an old fashioned grocer's shop — complete with a portly brown-coated Arkwright-like manager.
Would Paul really want to go back to queuing forever at a counter, whilst the hapless assistant hacked off a pound of butter, or cheese wired the cheddar, sliced the bacon or ham? Scooped up the biscuits from a tin and popped them into a brown paper bag, poured the beans in to the coffee grinder and weighed them?
From a staff point of view, lugging those 50kg wooden barrels of butter from the truck to the cellar, down narrow steps, wouldn't be something WorkSafe would allow today.
Supermarkets are a business and have to look to efficiency to survive and the Luddites who smashed the other Arkwright's machines in 1771, as they feared the loss of jobs, would be even more confused by today's attitude. I'm delighted that the supermarkets have a self-service option and also a less than 12 items option, with a manned till. Some supermarkets are now open 24/7 which must create jobs.
Ray Green, Birkenhead.
New Zealanders must realise that all medical needs have to be paid for, there is no such thing as a free lunch in medicine.
Private health cover is necessary for those that can afford it. I realise that private health cover is very expensive however this should be a deductible item for taxation.
I had breast cancer in Australia and within one week of diagnosis I had the operation in a private hospital, then went to a public hospital for radiation for a number of weeks.
I lived in a country area and the operation was carried out in the local hospital with excellent facilities and returned to Sydney for radiation.
Sheila Sivyer, Pukekohe.
Whichever way l look at it, those subscribing to private health care are queue-jumping. The idea of centralising administration is a bold step, but could work with the help of advancing technology.
Right now plans should be in place to cater for the obvious need to increase our medical training facilities rather than forever playing catch-up. Before asking where the money's coming from, simply calculate how much is frivolously spent and what our priorities should be.
For example, an increased tax take on all forms of gambling, liquor, ridiculously expensive high-end clothing, huge advertising budgets and more money from the lottery including a few million less to the fortunate winners.
If we really care about that oft-used word "wellness" let us give priority to our nation's health.
John Norris, Whangamatā.
The story (NZ Herald, April 26) about 28-year-old Gemma Malins should ignite a desire to make medical professionals accountable when their performance is obviously way below par.
To be told there is no issue when both a lump grows to tennis ball size and then another develops is simply inexcusable and in any other profession such performance would not and should not be acceptable. The next doctor who saw her saw the problem straight away so why didn't the first.
Even to a layman like myself something like a tennis ball-sized lump needs to be thoroughly investigated but it wasn't. Totally unprofessional, slack and for Gemma a total letdown with results she didn't want.
Paul Beck, West Harbour.
As an Auckland resident I am dismayed and troubled by the way the council is managing the trees in the city. We have seen the destruction of many large beautiful trees in Auckland suburbs under the current council's watch with little to no sympathy from them or our mayor.
In a weird pivot we also saw in the paper just the other day a large photo of a pohutakawa tree being replanted back outside the Harbourside building in Quay Street after it had been moved for a time. Big deal. Was this to make the council look like it was some sort of "friend" of trees? Well I'm not fooled. I know that when it comes to the protection of our trees the Auckland Council and Mayor Phil Goff are the wolves in sheep's clothing and we will continue to lose our significant and beautiful trees in Auckland.
Trees that have taken up to a hundred years to establish themselves and which cannot be replaced.
Rachael Scott, Birkenhead.
On quarantine
At the end of her quarantine stay, a friend's offer to pay $3000 was declined by the hotel, who advised she would receive an invoice and have 90 days to pay. Six weeks later no invoice has been received. Why does the hotel not request the guest's credit card at check-in — normal hotel practice? How much money is owed for MIQ stays, and how much will be recovered? Government debt continues to rise needlessly due to mismanagement of MIQ charging.
Janie Weir, Newmarket.
On privacy
The article (NZ Herald, April 26) on how people have avoided arrest for up to 40 years was amusing but certainly not surprising. When asked for the names of those individuals, the police response was to cite "privacy laws"! I wonder why they haven't caught them?
John Oliver, Remuera.
On health
There has been a lot of talk in the media about the proposed new changes to the health system, raking over the ashes of the present system and how it has been run down over many years. Maybe if all politicians had been made to use the health system instead of going private it would have been fixed long ago.
Tony Barnett, Pukekohe.
On Five Eyes
Excellent letter, Mr Webb (NZ Herald, April 26 ). This foaming at the mouth on our understanding of the Five Eyes purpose by various individuals, from the UK to appalling local social media posts, is joined by "eyes wide shut" it seems.
Justine Adams, Ōhope.
'It’s been a tough year and now we feel like we can breathe.'