Letters: Banks, KiwiRail and lamb consumption

Why are those banks obsessed with short-term financial gain over long-term financial security for shareholders and customers, asks Steve Horne. Photo / Michael Craig

I read with growing interest and some alarm Liam Dann's article ("We can't let Aussies hijack our banking debate", Herald on Sunday, June 9) about the Aussie "big four" banks and a growing banking storm.

Governor Adrian Orr and the Reserve Bank are correct in their desire to "raise the capital banks hold to guard against the risk of a global financial failure" and perhaps we shouldn't be surprised at the bank bosses' banshee-like (perhaps that should be bankshee) howling about shareholders' concerns regarding "higher interest rates, less lending or less investment in New Zealand".

Really? I am a customer of one of those banks. What about customers' financial security? Why are those banks obsessed with short-term financial gain over long-term financial security for shareholders and customers?

Oh, I remember. In recent history, the "big four" were given a serve and huge fines by banking regulators in Australia about their dodgy dealings with the banking public. Has anything changed? Might be time to switch to a New Zealand-owned bank that has ethics and morals.

Steve Horne, Raglan

Relevant rail

I agree with Isaac Broome's letter (Letters, June 9) about the need for the rail network to be extended, particularly to Taupō with the many logging and freight trucks on the roads in this region.

The Government putting $1 billion into KiwiRail will not mean much to most people when so many areas like Taupō do not have rail or a passenger train service. For rail to be relevant, the Government and KiwiRail need to provide lines and passenger services to all regions to reduce heavy trucks and enable people to actually travel on the rail system we all own.

Andrew Brown, Taupō

Lamb expensive

Regarding the Herald on Sunday's "Beef with meat" editorial (June 9), the only reason lamb consumption has fallen 45 per cent in this household is because I can't afford it.

Debi Buxton, Taupō

Pilot overlooked

Squadron Leader Les Munro, who was the last surviving pilot in the Dambusters raid, and who flew a Lancaster on D-Day, is sadly often overlooked in commemorations. He took part in a 617 Squadron deception raid to fool German radar into thinking a large armada of ships was headed for Calais and not Normandy.

Some time after the war, Les became Waitomo District Council mayor for many years until 1995, when he retired to Tauranga. Sadly, he passed away in 2015, aged 96.

Gary Bridger, Greenlane

Well-rounded couple

May I, as Andrew Parsons' mother (his grandmother is deceased) have right of reply to the letter by Andrea Dawe (Letters, June 9)? I do not interfere with what Andrew or his wife do. It is not my business and nor is it of Ms Dawe although I applaud her for her concern. However, let me assure the writer that the couple are well-rounded, in business and relaxation, swimming, cycling, running and doing yoga at least once a week in winter, more in summer.

A Parsons, Pakuranga

Balanced lifestyle

Regarding Andrea Dawe's letter, my wife and I are self-employed and work 70 hours a week so that we can build up our businesses. We decided to work these hours so that within five years, they would grow sufficiently so that we could pay off our mortgage, employ staff and have a sustainable income to keep us secure into retirement — like my mother is. Our life is balanced as we average 15 hours of weekly exercise each, taking a weekend off a month for a trail run or similar events and we read plenty. We only watch about five hours of TV a week — including the staple Country Calendar.

What does my mother think of my lifestyle? In addition to the values of eating healthily, she is proud that I work hard and that despite my wife and I having five major surgeries in three years, we are healthy and fit.

Andrew Parsons, Orakei