Letters: Ardern's criticism, discrimination, coronavirus and sport

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Photo Diego Opatowski, via AFP

Go home, Kiwis

Australia and New Zealand have been friendly countries for over a century. We have faced similar challenges and paved a similar path over time.
But for us to maintain this friendship, we have an unspoken agreement not to interfere with each other's domestic political affairs. Last week your Prime Minister crossed that line.
Whether you like our Prime Minister or Federal Government or not, the people of Australia chose our political representatives on a range of issues taken to the electorates. The same politicians will be judged on their performance and how they represent the people of Australia's values at the next election.
When Jacinda Ardern took the political move to criticise our governmental policies, which Australians voted for at an election eight months earlier, she made the choice to test the friendship between Australians and New Zealanders.
For me personally, while it is not a conscious decision, because of Jacinda Ardern's unprofessionalism I have some level of contempt about New Zealand citizens in our country.
My immediate thought is if the New Zealand residents don't like the policies in Australia, go home.
Greg Adamson, NSW, Australia.

Special treatment

Gary Andrews from Mt Maunganui, in the Weekend Herald, asserts that people who complain about discrimination are actually seeking special treatment.
Yes, Mahatma Gandhi was looking for some special treatment when he was kicked out of a first class compartment on a train in South Africa, even though he had a valid ticket for it.
And did Nelson Mandela not find some special treatment when he was imprisoned for 20 odd years?
Last year on March 15, were the Christchurch mosque victims not searching for some extra special treatment when they got gunned down mercilessly, a whole 51 of them?
When Dame Whina Cooper, in her old age, walked the length of the North Island to reach Wellington, she was not seeking any special treatment, she was simply seeking some redress for the wrongs that had been done to her people.
Kanwal Grewal, Hamilton.

Sports levies

On February 25 the Herald published a piece by Luke Kirkness, headed "Parents hold key in sports". I would have to question this.
I am told it is very expensive for youngsters to play any sport these days — and no wonder when you read the list of NZ hockey, football, netball, cricket, rugby plus a body called Sport NZ.
If these bodies operate as does NZ bowls and golf, they will have centres in every town also and both bodies will collect levies from every player.
I have played a lot of sport, admittedly a lot of years ago, but it cannot have been expensive, we couldn't have afforded it. I believe that sports administration has become a top-heavy scandal.
What is this utter rubbish about fun being more important than winning? If you are playing a competitive sport and and not trying to win then what are you doing there?
Youngsters will always compete and try to get better — why would you try to make that wrong? You will never achieve greater participation by encouraging mediocrity.
Geraldine Taylor, Remuera.

Slow-witted criminals

Why is Jacinda Ardern so upset at Australia deporting New Zealand criminals back to NZ? Don't we deport foreign criminals who have committed crimes in NZ ?
It shows you how slow-witted our NZ criminals are as the deportation scheme has been going for five years and they still haven't learned to behave.
Jock MacVicar, Hauraki.

Underpaid presenters

Looking at the salaries of these severely underpaid TV presenters, their suffering must be intolerable. Not surprised TVNZ can't balance their books.

Pim Venecourt, Pāpāmoa.

Experience vs gender

So John Campbell and Simon Dallow make more money than Wendy Petrie and Hilary Barry. Could this be based on their experience rather than their gender?
F Thijssen, Kohimarama.

Troubling virus facts

Oh, come on NZ Herald. Your front page on Saturday was hardly conducive to "keeping calm and carrying on" over the coronavirus.
If I could run at all, I'd head for the hills and an isolation bunker somewhere, after viewing that cover.
However, some troubling facts emerged from the hysteria and panic buying.
Firstly, if the NZ Government has had a pandemic plan in place since early January, why was a person arriving from Iran, who has the second highest death rate from the virus, allowed into NZ at the end of February, and was allowed to self-isolate?
Thank God that individual did the right thing, because the Government's response was a day late and a dollar short.
Secondly, if testing produced two negatives before a third test produced a positive, logically one could assume that accurate and verifiable cases of the virus could be under-reported worldwide.
Thirdly, if Otago University professor of public health Michael Baker estimates 30 to 40 per cent of the world's population could be infected over the next two years, can he produce some empirical evidence to support that claim?
Statistics can be devastating or empowering, and the NZ public expect and deserve concise and impartial reporting regarding this worldwide threat.
Mary Hearn, Glendowie.

Residency rules

Shane Jones is right, doing a basket-weaving course at a provincial polytechnic should not be a pathway to citizenship or permanent residency.
C C McDowall, Rotorua.

Facing up to hygiene

As paranoia settles in over the human species as a tricky and deadly virus challenges our medical systems and preparedness, I learn on YouTube a simple little fact that most humans touch their face at least 20 times per hour wittingly or unwittingly.
So those germ-laden fingers that were washed scrupulously (including the thumbs? ) that then used the germ-laden smartphone keyboard, or door handle, or hairbrush that was washed the year before last ... touched your face.
A good low-cost challenge for every Kiwi would be to note how many times you too touch your face in an hour?
One other query about Covid-19 victim selection may be to study the prevalence of smokers in China in the over 60 age bracket who had lung problems already that allowed the pneumonia to take hold.
Rob Buchanan, Kerikeri.

Losing control

I entirely agree with John Norris and Dean Donoghue on the misuse of words.
However, the one that annoys me the most is when reporting on a traffic accident the reporters write "the car lost control" going down a hill.
This is ridiculous. I have always understood that the driver was in control of the vehicle.
Rod Hunter, Te Aroha.

Exporting convicts

Our PM has publicly castigated the Australian PM over the policy of exporting non Australian convicts back to their home countries.
Is this the same NZ Prime Minister who recently pleaded with Scott Morrison to allow boat people that Australia determined were unsuitable or too dangerous to be permitted to enter Australia, to be allowed to settle in New Zealand?
John Burford, Whangaparāoa.

Virus restrictions

The Government is doing a great job containing the deadly coronavirus virus.
The restrictions seem to be working and we are very lucky to be miles away from countries infected.
The longer we can maintain these tactics the better as a vaccine or other remedies might be produced at any moment.
As for suggestions that students from China return soon, that is just plain crazy.
Rex Head, Papatoetoe.

Drive out gangs

Law and order and gangs will feature in the 2020 election. New Zealanders, according to many polls, believe that we are "soft on crime". Now is the time for us all to show that our concerns must be backed up with action.
Politicians alone cannot solve the gang issues. Only voluble, organised and uncompromising community action and support in driving out gangs will be effective.
When a gang member dons his patched jacket he announces to the world that he is a criminal and a member of a lawless band that deals in death both as a drug-meth dealer and with murderous violence.
There is absolutely no reason why our communities should have to co-exist with these outlaws.
We must do all that is possible to change the narrative from "soft" to "uncompromising and very public abhorrence" of their behaviour.
Larry N. Mitchell, Rothesay Bay.