A citizenship ceremony being conducted in Hamilton, on behalf of the Department of Internal Affairs. Photo / Hamilton City Council, File
A citizenship ceremony being conducted in Hamilton, on behalf of the Department of Internal Affairs. Photo / Hamilton City Council, File
Letter of the week: Jeremy Coleman, Hillpark
I have just been granted citizenship in the country I’ve called home for 50 years. I’m delighted to be deemed worthy and will do my best to be a good Kiwi. I feel I owe it to New Zealand and the people I’veknown and loved over my time here. I also feel that, once my bones are buried here at some stage in the far distant future, they will be welcomed by the land and indigenous ancestors as whānau or, at least, friend, not as an intruder in their sacred land. I have no intention of heading off as so many who have disgracefully used my adopted country as a stepping stone for access to Australia. I feel sorry for those who work in the departments of immigration and citizenship, for the efforts they are obliged to provide for those who abuse the system, knowing full well their work is in vain. Perhaps a bond of a minimum of five years compulsory residence in Aotearoa/NZ once citizenship has been given may help dissuade or deter those who choose to use this back door to Australia scheme from applying. It is dishonest, immoral and an insult to a wonderful country that deserves better.
Then and now
Melanie Corbett brings a damning indictment on our society today (Weekend Herald, April 22). It may even have some of us raise the “yes” fist in support as we recognise the overconfident “me” generation, some wandering the streets, homeless maybe, or possessing no moral code. But that just undermines parenting today and our confidence in our young developing in a different world. But was it better in the past? Everything then was hidden, or swept under the carpet. We heard the screams of women beaten in our neighbourhoods, but left to fend for themselves. No Domestic Purposes Benefit to escape the brutality. Teachers were not responsible for the well-being of their students if they came to school bruised, marked or suffering from a malady. Children were caned, undermined with sarcasm, leaving school with hate in their hearts. Nor was sexual abuse acknowledged, causing it to appear later in life. Teenage escape then was by what was referred to as delinquency. They played “chicken”, challenging drivers to stop in front of them and terrorised towns and cities, riding fast and hard on motorbikes and cars. Some of them may even be raising their fists today.
The editorial suggesting that being tough on crime inevitably leads to tragic shootings, as in the United States, (Weekend Herald, April 22) is as equally mistaken as New Zealand’s current policy of mollycoddling violent criminals because they will inevitably become honest, hard-working, and upstanding citizens.
In Simon Wilson’s revealing interview (Weekend Herald, April 22), new Auckland Transport chief Dean Kimpton wonders, “How do we make public transport as much loved as libraries?” Although he correctly identifies many other key ingredients to ending traffic congestion such as “rapid, frequent, safe, clean public transport”, the obvious comparison with libraries that Kimpton overlooks, is to make public transport services free at the point of use.
Roger Fowler, Māngere East.
Auckland Transport CEO Dean Kimpton. Photo / Michael Craig
Power plug
It is not correct to say that EV plugged into a three-pin plug is “one of the worst loads you can put on a house” (Weekend Herald, April 22). Your average hot water cylinder uses three times as much energy in a year as a typical EV. A standard room heater draws 2200 watts compared to the 1800 watts of a type 1 charger. The average New Zealand car travels 30km per day. A three-pin plug EV charger will charge 30km of driving in less than four hours (less than $1 per day). Unless you are regularly traveling more than 100km per day, you do not need a wall box (type 2) charger.
John Caldwell, Howick.
Delayed effect
Jamie Gray reports economists believe that the Reserve Bank might raise rates in May and then start reducing them in November. My understanding is that it takes at least six months for the impact of a rate change to have its full effect, so why would they consider a further rise in May? We are only just seeing the full effect of the rate rise made in October 2022, let alone those made in November, February and April. Methinks Mr Orr and his team need to go back to Economics 101. For the record, I passed “A” Level Economics in 1962 (in the UK) and spent 25 years in the financial services industry.
A little while ago, Twitter apparently made some reference to state-owned media outlets, or words to that effect. Our state-owned media outlet, RNZ, got on its high horse over this and talked about charters and independence, etc. So did the Canadians. Then in Shayne Currie’s piece (Weekend Herald, April 22), there’s the irrepressible Willie Jackson, Minister in charge of state-owned media, waxing lyrical about what he wants to see on TVNZ. Are we really expected to take this so-called independence nonsense seriously? Of course, RNZ/TVNZ are not truly independent- they will always answer to political masters. The (hopefully) saving grace is that those political masters change from time to time.
Mike Newland, Matakana.
Rich pickings
I watch with amusement the debate on how much money the “super rich” should be paying in tax. Revenue Minister David Parker has not taken into account that “half a loaf is better than no bread at all”. People in this category will simply up sticks and go. For example, until you are an Australian citizen there is no tax to pay on foreign income or capital gains. The list of countries happy to take these people is endless. Smart governments know that the “super” rich buy things, create jobs and create new start-ups and wealth for all. So go ahead and, in four years, let’s see how many are left in New Zealand.
Dr Alan Papert, Queenstown.
A quick word
To make the tax regime somewhat equitable, those with assets of say $25m pay 2 per cent of their asset value exceeding $25m every year as asset tax and the first $25,000 of any type of income to be universally exempt from any tax. Sivaswamy Mohanakrishnan, Mt Roskill.
Capitalism works for those with capital but perhaps its greatest failing is that it allows the growth of wealth without productivity through capital gain. J.L Black, Waiuku.
Presumably, any capital gains tax will also allow for the offsetting of capital losses against other income. As I’m currently sitting on a pile of stock market and KiwiSaver losses I’ll probably never have to pay income tax again. John Denton, Eskdale.
To say a Capital Gains Tax would be difficult to implement is codswallop. Australia has had a successful model for decades and would be easy to copy. Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay.
Congratulations to Labour on finally achieving something during two terms; Australian citizenship is a great result. Anything else likely in the pipeline before the election? Ian MacGregor, Greenhithe.
If the best and brightest are off to Australia, that makes me one of the worst and dimmest. My feelings are hurt. PK Ellwood, Beach Haven.
As NZ and Australia vie for labour to fill our growing gaps in services, we should not forget that we are directly hurting countries like Fiji whose skills and brain drain means even lower standards of health and other services there, and increasing poverty. Rob Buchanan, Kerikeri.
It is curious, in light of Mike Hosking’s column, that it turns out that San Francisco is the most globally attractive city for talent, according to an index compiled by INSEAD. Perhaps it’s something in the weed? Peter Davis, Kingsland.
Re: Stand your ground laws (WH, Apr. 22), we are not in the US, but if anyone dares to attack me or my friends then expect a poke in the eye from my walking stick. Keith Duggan, Browns Bay.
Congratulations to John Roughan (WH, Apr. 22) for the clarification of what water reforms are really all about: A revolution of governance. Alan Jones, Whangārei.
Are MAF workers doing their job properly at the border? There appears to be a severe outbreak of foot-in-mouth disease in Wellington. Martin Adlington, Browns Bay.
If New Zealand was to join the Australia, UK, US alliance, the acronym Aukus would become Aukusnz. Or, to better represent the local vernacular, Cuzzibros. Ian MacKrill, Murray’s Bay.
Another brilliant ‘Secret Diary” by Steve Braunias (WH, Apr. 22), this time of Elizabeth Kerekere but, then again, could Steve be just a closet crybaby? Dr W R H Ramsay, Kerikeri.
The Rainbow Greens, Young Greens, Aotearoa Greens Global, Pasifika Greens, Inclusive Greens and Lived Experience Greens failed to delay voting on the party list while MP Elizabeth Kerekere was under investigation. The Mad as Hatters Greens could not be reached for comment. Mike Wagg, Freemans Bay.
