ANZ chief executive Antonia Watson. Photo / Nicola Topping
Talent agency
Damien Venuto’s major talent challenge article (NZ Herald, July 25) quoting ANZ chief executive Antonia Watson on future demographic makeup for New Zealand, is really important. The loss of executive and creative NZ talent to overseas opportunities has been ongoing for decades. The high level of overseas ownership of NZ businesses has facilitated much of this. NZ’s high level of education achievement through the past century has been a major factor. We had bright scholars but slipped to the middle of the international education achievement over the past two decades. The country is performing accordingly. New Zealand has 5.2 million people, of whom around 73 per cent were born here. The remaining 27 per cent are immigrants. The largest groups come from the United Kingdom (4.5 per cent), China (2.8 per cent), and India (2.5 per cent). All other countries of origin each make up less than 2 per cent. NZ will need more immigrants to meet our talent challenge – from India for tech and Japan to teach us what being a good law-abiding citizen is. And yes Theresa Gattung, we need to be more aware of women’s capabilities and talent in choosing the best person for the job.
Gary Carter, Gulf Harbour.
Getting through
If we want to deliver a message of hope to anyone struggling with mental health issues we will welcome Kiri Allan back to Parliament when she is ready, as a hard-working MP who has done much to support the people of her electorate. Young people, especially, need to know that mental health struggles may lead to slip-ups. But there is a way forward with support, love and forgiveness.
Debra Millar, Pt Chevalier.
Civil support
When it comes to service to the community let’s remember that, in March 2021, regardless of being diagnosed with cancer on the very same day, Kiri Allan went to Tairāwhiti as Minister of Civil Defence to support the community. She is a highly talented, intelligent, articulate woman, who is also human. I hope the media and public give her some space and understanding. Kia kaha, Kiri.
Samantha Cunningham, Henderson.
Serving time
How refreshing to read (NZ Herald, July 24) good news from the justice sector with inmates in Rolleston prison achieving building skills and qualifications, building for Kāinga Ora as well as their future careers outside prison. More of this, please. Larger firms in need of motivated skilled workers, please get involved. On the next page, Dr Jarrod Gilbert reminds us of the huge challenge in staffing NZ prisons, undermining rehabilitation, and casting doubt on the “lock ‘em up” approach, which will just exacerbate the problem. Attention must also be paid to reducing remand times by adding resources to the courts. Justice delayed is justice denied for both accused and victims. Given the huge public concern on these issues, the resources must be found.
Philip Rich, St Heliers.
Practice made perfect
Time and again we read of front-line medical professionals highlighting staffing shortages putting emergency departments under unprecedented pressure. However, Dr Bryan Betty, Chair of General Practice New Zealand (NZ Herald, July 24), is one of a long line of commentators who regularly posit that people having easy access to continuous general practice leads to less illness and fewer hospital visits. I wonder what bit of this message the powers that be don’t get, especially as, as Betty claims, one-third of general practices around Aotearoa have had to limit access due to unmanageable demand and lack of capacity. If the Government genuinely wants to improve the health of the population more heed must be paid to the first line of defence, namely general practice to treat and keep people well in their communities. Indeed, this is the World Health Organisation’s vision for primary care in the 21st century.
Glennys Adams, Ōneroa.
Taking a toll
Taxation, it is all done with mirrors. A toll is a tax by another name. David Seymour of the Act Party supports lowering taxes for the wealthy. They will have more money and can trickle it down to us lucky people who pay most of the taxes anyhow. Seymour also wants them (the wealthy) to build roads and to charge us a tax (toll) for the privilege of driving on those roads. Trickle up they call it. It is all done with mirrors.
Kevin Menzies, Ōnehunga.
Give and take
Mark Young (NZ Herald, July 17) attempts to exonerate John Key’s broken election promise about not raising GST by saying he also cut taxes. In 2010, Key raised GST to pay for those cuts. For all those earning $40,000 or less a year (2.2 million New Zealanders – over 20 per cent of the population), their tax cuts were less than the rise in GST. They got a tax increase on everything they bought from then on. Since then, Key’s cuts have been extending NZ’s wealth gap between rich and poor - now one of the widest in the OECD. It is utterly shameful of this Labour Government to have done nothing to ease this inequity. Perhaps Young might have attacked Labour on this basis, rather than speaking up for Key’s cruel tax cuts. Labour certainly deserve condemnation also - for their refusal to take any action to reduce Key’s GST impost - and continuing to force lowest-income earners to pay it. Unchanged, just as Key imposed it, back in 2010. Utterly shameful, in every way.
Clyde Scott, Birkenhead.
Election strategy
Historically, elections are usually “lost” by the incumbent as opposed to the Opposition winning. The Labour Party seems to be doing its utmost to keep up this tradition. We wait with bated breath for the inevitable and transparent “lolly scramble” to lure constituents.
Dave Miller, Ōtūmoetai.
First of all
It was amusing to see the NZ First candidates, on their “campaign bus” complaining that they were fed up with this lot (Labour). I wonder if anyone has bothered to tell them how this Labour Government got there in the first place.
Philip Lenton, Somerville.
Curiouser and curiouser
In a Lewis Carroll-like move, The National Party promises a Ministry of Hunting and Fishing. Having already stated that bureaucracy has ballooned massively under the current Government, one hopes that civil servants or consultants will not be required for the establishment or operation of this new ministry.
Alan Johnson, Papatoetoe.
Ninth secret
Phil Gifford’s “Eight Secrets for All Blacks Success in France” (NZ Herald, July 24) were all pertinent but omitted the most important one. The premier consideration derives from a combination of two observations on tactical military strategy. The first, by Sun Tzu, observes “the whole secret lies in confusing the enemy”. The second has many alleged authors but broadly states that “no plan survives contact with the enemy”. Far too often, All Blacks teams have turned up with obviously rigid instructions to adhere to straight-jacketed game plans. Oppositions either don’t conveniently provide the conditions for the game plan or quickly work it out and counter. The most egregious example was the infamous loss to the English in the last World Cup, where a brainless no-kick strategy dictated bashing away at a Maginot Line English defence instead of going over it. As per Sun Tzu, they must be free to mix offensive tactics. Promisingly, in their last two tests, this indeed is exactly at last what the All Blacks have set out to do. The All Blacks’ core game needs to allow their perenially rich talent full expression - not only into the coming World Cup but beyond.
Frank Greenall, Whanganui.
On taxation
Tim Hazledine accuses the rich of avoiding tax by “structuring their affairs with capital gains”. If Tim owns a house, he is doing the exact same thing. Steve Dransfield, Karori.
On Labour
Who is providing the opposition to Prime Minister Chris Hipkins at the moment, the National Party or his own Cabinet Ministers? I suggest the latter. John Pollock, Golflands.
If the Prime Minister does not have any non-ministerial MPs capable of taking over some of Kiri Allan’s portfolios, what would the next Labour Cabinet look like? Nick Hamilton, Remuera.
The Labour Party has crashed. Will public insurance restore the vehicle or write it off? Sivaswamy Mohanakrishnan, Mt Roskill.
On tolls
The Act Party proposes public-private partnerships to build new roads (NZH, Jul. 24). The private partner will pick up the profits, and the public partner will pick up the cost overruns. Arch Thomson, Mt Wellington.
On St James
If we use Mayor Brown’s logic regarding airport shares, the $15m Auckland Council grant for St James will cost ratepayers the annual interest cost on $15m. B. Anderson, St Heliers Bay.
Simon Wilson: Winston Peters and his mission to ‘save’ our country
I agree Simon, thank you for this. A voice of reason. Maryjane O.
What Simon Wilson should clearly articulate is that this Government (with the support of the radical Greens) has most certainly stoked the separatist regime, particularly since 2017. The Government could have opted to take all of NZ along for the ride. But no, clear race-based policies that have alienated a large portion of the population indicate a failed approach. To blame the Boomers for wanting to go back to a better and more simple NZ is simply stoking resentment. I know no one who thinks NZ is a better country now compared to when this Government got elected (and carried out a range of policies that were kept secret). Steve F.
Do you not think ideas that try to address historic inequities are at least worth debating? Mark B.
Can we have an article that clearly describes how co-governance would improve outcomes for Māori (not just Māori elite) with practical, everyday examples? I think part of the issue is it’s hard to wrap your head around the idea of co-governance and what it actually means on a day-to-day basis for Māori (particularly the more disadvantaged Māori). Karina A.
I agree with Winston that the country has gone backward. If you look at the benefits listed in this article that older people were able to prosper with, and those available now for young people then, yes, young people are clearly disadvantaged. And Winston, as leader of NZ First, was a prime mover in this with his decision to form a coalition with Labour back in 2017. To now say the decision was made because National at the time was in disarray was untrue. Judith B.
This summer will be critical to discover if the sharks have started returning.