Letters: Auckland Transport reform heading in wrong direction; why NZ needs a sugar tax

Transport Minister Simeon Brown (front) and Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown head to a press conference to unveil changes to Auckland Transport. Photo / Carson Bluck

Letters to the Editor

Travelling in the wrong direction

Mayor Wayne Brown asserts that the proposed new structure for Auckland Transport will be more democratic and accountable to Aucklanders (NZ Herald, Dec 4).

But the Transport Minister will get to appoint almost half the Auckland Regional Transport Committee members and share choosing its chair with the mayor. Such centralised regulation is worse than what we have now, and hardly giving control back to Aucklanders.

Why can we not use the same system as every other part of New Zealand has for decades?

The Land Transport Act 1998 requires each region to have an inclusive Regional Land Transport Committee (RLTC) made up mainly of local elected members, with the optional addition of several appointees. Until the “Super City” (Auckland Council) was created in 2010, the Auckland RLTC included four members of the regional council and a representative of each of the seven constituent councils.

Half a dozen appointed user-group members included representatives of walkers and cyclists, bus and freight operators, the disabled, etc. Rather than a weird new structure very much under the thumb of the minister, please let Auckland revert to the system it used to have.

Graeme Easte, Mt Albert.

Sweet nothings

The argument for a sugar tax or levy must continue to be a high priority if New Zealand wants to have a healthy population.

Concerns about processed foods and sugary soft drinks come and go, but the rampant epidemic of type 2 diabetes does not abate. Why are our decision-makers not coming down hard on sugar to turn the tide of obesity and poor childhood health? These conditions are not trivial – they are the twin cause of blindness, dialysis and limb amputation.

This modern epidemic is rising fast, and affecting our youth increasingly earlier. If not reversed, an entire cohort of young workers who should be vital and healthy will become a burden to their families, their communities, and the health system.

Tony Falkenstein, CEO of Just Life group, raised concerns in 2011 when he lobbied vigorously for a sugar levy to curb obesity and diabetes. Politicians of the day preferred to listen to big business, sugar importers and self-interested parties who claimed such a tax couldn’t work.

But they have been proven to work. Nations like Britain, France, Canada and Mexico are showing the way, while our politicians dither and our health system flounders. A change is needed now.

Judy Anderson, Remuera.

Govt we deserve

It seems to me voters must take most of the responsibility for where we now find ourselves.

We all knew offers of cuts to already low taxes were going to be paid for by cuts in public spending and rising government debt. This included less spending on already under-funded public healthcare, education and infrastructure.

Many voters simply bought into the smoke and mirrors that we could have both because it’s an easy cop-out. Never mind planning for the future and preparing for climate change, a majority bought into short-term self-interest. It’s an easy sell and a beguiling fix. Like pretending we can ignore unfolding climate change or plastic pollution or increasing wealth disparity because it’s just too hard.

Looking at the complex big picture takes effort, so who is going to offer me cheaper petrol instead?

A political party offers an easy sugar boost and we take it even though we know it’s not good for us overall. Don’t blame the politicians, they cover the whole spectrum from boldly progressive to conservative to extreme. It is down to the choices we make at the ballot box and how much we’re prepared to think about it.

If we’re not prepared to be honest with ourselves and make an effort then we get the government we deserve.

Jeff Hayward, Auckland CBD.

Health funding

Referring to “Shock as hospital workers told jobs may be cut” (NZ Herald, December 4) it appears these proposed cuts are to a group of “extra assistants” who were employed during Covid times “to help out a significantly stretched nursing and healthcare assistant workforce“.

Therefore, it should not come as a shock that these people are no longer required. It has always been the role of nurses and the existing healthcare assistant workforce to perform the duties these people took on temporarily, so it is just going back to the status quo.

Aotearoa New Zealand has a significantly stretched health budget and needs to find ways to ease this situation. This seems a very sensible proposal. We all need to realise that we are living way beyond our means and some hard decisions must be made and some of these “nice-to-haves” must be sacrificed.

Salary dollars released can be redeployed to help fund more doctors and nurses.

Kathy Johnson, Cambridge.

Blame game

Adrian Orr blaming the home owners and investors for borrowing at ultra-low interest rates is a bit worse than the pot calling the kettle black.

Wasn’t it the Reserve Bank that dropped interest rates to near zero, removed all the restrictions on home loans like LVRs, and pumped money into banks already flush with money to lend with “as little restrictions as possible”? Where did he think all that easy money would go? He lives in New Zealand.

Kushlan Sugathapala, Epsom.