NZ First leader Winston Peters (from left), National's Christopher Luxon and Act's David Seymour during coalition negotiations.
Imagine your much loved home was damaged in the January floods.
Imagine you and your friends and family spent hours sorting through your possessions, dumping what could not be salvaged and washing every piece of clothing and bedding, etc.
Imagine waiting for the council and Government to make a decision on the future of your home.
Imagine having to rent another house or live with relatives while paying a mortgage on your damaged property.
Imagine having to wait 10 months and still not know what is happening to your home.
Imagine not being able to directly contact the council department responsible for making a decision on the future of your home.
Imagine that the general public thinks settlement is done and dusted.
Sadly many Auckland homeowners do not have to imagine... this is the reality they face every day.
Not knowing what is happening, the broken promises of deadlines from the council with still no action.
Shame on you, Auckland Council.
Pauline Murray, Henderson.
Stopping climate change
Bruce Cottrell’s article (NZ Herald, November 11) has stirred some interesting letters from readers. The question being: “Would the Green Party have done better if its focus was on environmental matters alone, or not.”
We don’t know the answer to that. Emma McIntosh (NZ Herald, November 13) points out other parties have social issues already embodied in their portfolios. But are their policies equal to, or even similar to, the Green Party’s policies?
Various respected commentators on the climate issue have pointed out that climate change cannot be solved without also tackling the inequality of peoples around the world.
If that is true, then perhaps the real problem is not climate change but people and how we think about and treat others. We know how to stop climate change. It involves significant and widespread lifestyle changes and these changes need to be supported and led by the Government and the business sector.
David Tyler, Beach Haven.
Not a single issue party
Several Herald columnists and correspondents have commented recently that the Green Party has had the temerity to espouse policy on all sorts of issues other than the environment and climate change and that they should stick to just that.
Perhaps those critics should be reminded that we elect our politicians to participate fully in our Parliament, which debates and makes laws on a range of issues including economics, law and order, health and education, as well as the environment and other green issues.
When we elect our politicians we want to know how they will participate in our Parliament, not just on single issues. Perhaps however, those commentators instead of just being critical of the Green Party for having the gall to give their opinion on other than the environment when in Parliament, should instead berate other parties in Parliament for not taking the environment and climate change seriously when developing their policies on things such as the economy.
Neil Anderson, Algies Bay.
Inquiry please!
The last Bird of the Year competition was won by a bat. I want a public inquiry into why the current competition was not won by the giant snail.
Steve Brinkman, Titirangi.
Innovative thinking needed
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown’s proposed time of use charge for motorways has one fundamental flaw.
He states people will drop off more quickly to ease congestion areas, especially around Penrose, Greenlane, Lincoln Rd and Te Atatū Rd. Yes, they will but drop off - but into suburban roads, causing even more traffic gridlocks than we have now.
Can’t there be some more innovative thinking around this issue such as allowing T3 lanes, which are normally empty at peak times, for T2 cars, getting AT to seriously look at rephasing traffic light changes at peak times, and trucks and vans being allowed to use empty bus lanes? Seems that every time there is an issue in this city the old blunt instrument of tax is wheeled out.
John Roberts, Remuera.
Protecting voting integrity
Richard Prebble (NZ Herald, November 15) puts his finger on a very real problem in current special voting procedures.
However, change to allow enrolment and voting on election day is not the problem. The problem is the lack of a process to check the validity of that vote. If we don’t protect the integrity of the vote then Bird of the Century abuse will infect our ballot.
Prebble illustrates how infection and undermining of confidence occurs. He is right when saying at least one electoral petition must be filed with the High Court to test the impact of special voting. That way we can move past partisan surmise and assumption and have some real knowledge.
Graeme Marshall, Takanini.
Investigation needed
Richard Prebble (NZ Herald, November 15) has brought to our attention a very serious threat to our democracy. I believe he is correct, and this situation should be investigated by the incoming Government. The idea that anyone can front up on election day, enrol and vote, without ID, is unacceptable to those of us who have adhered to the correct process.
J. Hansen, Hastings.
Shift to STV voting
Thanks to Richard Prebble (NZ Herald, November 15) for his latest well-researched article on the potential for special vote abuse through address and other fraud. Many issues with our MMP could be remedied by an evolution to Single Transferrable Vote (STF), the system that works so well in Ireland. Not only would this guarantee a more direct relationship of voter choice to MPs directly chosen by electorates, unlike list seats, but would also keep the proportion of parties in Parliament related to the proportion of voter support, while reflecting policies sold to voters.
Looking at outliers Italy and Israel (thresholds of 4 per cent and 3.25 per cent respectively) it is hard to understand the Electoral Commission’s call for lower here - given one is dominated by extremists, the other producing 70 governments since WWII.
Let’s reverse on-the-day registration, make on-the-day voting the cultural norm (a festival day celebrating democracy’s advantages and duties), and advocate for a change to STV’s advantages, given we are a one-house Parliament with no constitution. Also, to enhance democracy’s effectiveness, make either civics or voting compulsory (or with an option to vote “no to all”, both).
Steve Liddle, Napier.
Strong and stable
I hope Christopher Luxon’s strategists are working on some new tricks for him to add to the ones he learned during his election campaign.
It is not enough for the incoming Prime Minister to simply be wheeled out every few days to have his button pushed to say “strong, stable government” during the coalition negotiations.
Next to his potential coalition partners who are at least paying lip service to keeping the public informed, he looks outfoxed and afraid of accountability.
Rachel Bates, Remuera.
Peak ‘hour’ will move
Auckland’s Mayor Wayne Brown says a “time of use charge” of $5 on the motorway is not a congestion charge. It soon will be when the same people start using motorways after peak hours.
Mohammed Yakub, Mangere East.
Solving city congestion
The call by Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown for congestion charging should be vigorously supported by the incoming Government in the interests of having a city that runs more efficiently.
A billion dollars a year lost in congestion is a billion dollars added to the real cost of living.
It is better to call it road pricing because that is what it is - a charge for the real value of using the roads at different times of the day.
However, the collecting system will be an economic drag, and so the charge needs to be sufficient to both cut usage and to provide a surplus to partly offset other taxes, whether in the form of both road user mileage fees or local government rates used to subsidise public transport.
In the meantime, the regional fuel tax should be continued.
John Strevens, Auckland.
Call a fresh election
Surely by now the negotiations to form the new Government should have been finalised.
Chris Luxon, I suggest if Winston Peters will still not play ball after all this time, you call his bluff and advise him that if he does not sign on the dotted line, you will call a fresh general election.
New Zealand has voted and we deserve better than what we have got so far.
Les Rockel, Kerikeri.
Look out for icebergs
If this Tri-tanic finally does ever set sail, I wonder what will be the iceberg that sinks it?
Huw Dann, Mt Eden.
A wealth tax prediction
Capital gains tax scares too many people - own an investment property or a few thousand shares in a retirement fund and you might have to pay it.
But a wealth tax is a different matter. Provided the initial threshold is set high enough for most people to say it doesn’t apply to me, then it sounds like a good idea.
Let’s not worry about future governments lowering that threshold and casting the net ever wider. The initial idea has populist appeal.
The Greens, realising this, have pinched a swag of socialist-leveller votes, but if Chris Hipkins puts wealth tax back on Labour’s table, he’ll get them back.
Christopher Luxon won’t be able to fix the inflation crisis. The necessary austerity measures will be unpopular and the National, Act and NZ First coalition will fall apart amid name calling and invective.
The end result? Labour gets re-elected in 2026, and tax, borrow and spend policies drive New Zealand into a terminal economic spiral. Please switch off the lights as you leave.
John Denton, Napier.
On MMP
People complaining about MMP miss the point. Significant numbers of voters have moved away from the main parties. A new system won’t change that. Steve Dransfield, Karori.
On sedition
In my letter (NZ Herald, November 16) I wrote how sedition is an offence under the Crimes Act of 1961. This is not correct. The offence was repealed in 2007. Looks like anyone can now incite disorder and go unpunished. Mark Young, Ōrewa.
On congestion
Congestion charging in Auckland city is already here. I’ve just received a bill for $150 for the “privilege” of driving up Queen St. Chris Thompson, Rothesay Bay.
On voting
A message to the organisers of the Bird of the Century poll: Please run our next general election - so much more efficient and seemingly a higher overseas vote count! Carl Bergstrom, Glendowie.
On photo
The photo of the Three Musketeers forming our new Government deserves a frame on the Beehive mantlepiece: Two’s company, three’s the Musketeers; a photo says 1000 words; all for one, one for all; united we stand, divided we fall. E Smith, Waitakere.
The road is likely to be closed for 'several hours'.