BNZ stance is woke policy
I have just closed my BNZ bank account because this Australian bank has decided to discontinue funding a New Zealand coal mining firm due to “climate change”.
Do they not know that the major US banks have all rushed to the exits from enforcing their ESG requirements, which restricted lending to fossil fuel producers?
Self-interest groups such as the BNZ still want to promote ESG and climate hysteria because they’re making a bundle on all their ESG data ratings, consultancy gigs and more regulation, giving them more fees.
No bank is going to dictate and inflict its woke climate policy on me.
Rex Sellar, Onehunga.
Wasteful spending
David Seymour’s triumph – school lunches are cheaper than ever. Unfortunately, they also seem to be so unpalatable that the kids won’t eat them, and they are thrown in the garbage.
If Seymour wants to really save money, he could cast his eye over the proposed $100 million wastewater treatment plant for Akaroa, a town with fewer than 1000 sewer connections. Anyone in the industry knows this is a ridiculous amount of money to spend for this number of people. Is this to be funded by the Government? If not, how are the ratepayers of Akaroa (population less than 1000) supposed to?
Maybe Sir John Key’s Three Waters wasn’t such a bad idea. I mean, just imagine if every small community in New Zealand also put their hands up for a $100m plant. And if they didn’t, we could just continue to pollute our rivers and beaches, with toxic algae blooms becoming the norm. The money saved could go towards the free school lunch programme or a new Cook Strait ferry.
Paul Cheshire, Maraetai.
Cook Strait rail
There has been much discourse over replacing KiwiRail’s Interislander ferries, particularly their rail capability. How many of those clamouring for rail enablement know how little freight crosses the strait via rail?
A recent Official Information Act response has uncovered some context. There are currently five Cook Strait ferries in service. Neither of the two Bluebridge ships is rail-enabled. Of the three KiwiRail ships, only one is rail-enabled, and only 60% of its freight goes via rail.
If all the ferries are relatively equal, that means that only around 12% of Cook Strait freight is by rail, not taking into account other coastal shipping.
How much extra cost should the taxpayer bear to maintain this minimal service?
Phillip Hart, Remuera.
Privatisation just private profiteering
David Seymour asks: “Should the Government own this [public asset]?” The Government does not “own” assets; they are owned collectively by all of us.
Privatisation is a property grab by the privileged at our expense. In the case of essential services such as electricity supply, privatisation has diverted income, which should be used to develop infrastructure and deliver services to customers at a fair cost, instead of enriching private pockets. Resources necessary for life and good health must be accessible as needed.
There are many worthy opportunities for investors to develop wealth through shares that enhance economic development in manufacturing, farming, science, technology and innovative social and creative enterprises. This will benefit both the investor and our economy.
Essential services such as water, electricity, health and education must continue to be assets for the public good. The Government’s job is to manage our collective resources competently for our continuing wellbeing, not sell off essentials for short-term gain and long-term disadvantage.
Mary Cornford, Pt Chevalier.
School lunches parents’ job
Your front-page article on January 31 about “unidentifiable school lunches” misses the point.
School lunches should be the responsibility of the parents. No one asked them to have the kids in the first place; it was their choice. They must take responsibility for their children. Why should taxpayers have this responsibility put on them?
Unfortunately, this is another indication of New Zealand becoming a banana republic. Everybody seems intent on trying to get the Government to pay for everything, not realising it is the taxpayers who, in fact, are the ones paying.
Jon Lamb, Freemans Bay.
Feed school lunches to politicians
One great way to test the palatability of school lunches is to have the Prime Minister, all his ministers and Beehive staff take a trial and eat the offerings in the same quantities for three months at every lunch.
Then they can know if it’s suitable fare for growing Kiwi kids.
Rob Buchanan, Kerikeri.
