Letters: Climate crisis, teen depression, Dilworth and a firearms register

'The ill-thought-out ban on gas exploration has hastened our record increase in the use of imported dirty coal.' Photo / Christine Cornege, File

Opinion

Climate conundrum
This Government's response to climate change is like focusing on swatting an annoying fly off your face while a crocodile chews on your leg. The ill-thought-out ban on gas exploration has hastened our record increase in the use of imported dirty coal.
Surely a wiser way forward is to switch to lesser polluting gas until alternative power created by wind, solar and hydro generation is available.
Add in the mad rush to all things electric, where the power is either unsuitable or unavailable and it's a recipe for a very uncertain future.
Worse, if aluminium stays at its current high price, then the Bluff smelter might stay commissioned and all that hoped-for excess power will remain unavailable to the national grid.
Short-sighted, purely ideological, political decisions don't often end well in the longer term.
James Archibald, Birkenhead

Confronting views
I read Madison Wood's article (NZ Herald, August 9) with interest. Having done my secondary education in England in the decade after the war, I find it difficult to understand the issues of today she talks about. I never experienced them and I suppose they were there then but invisible and just not talked about.
But in the same paper, Matt Heath makes good points and talks about using rational argument and debate rather than simply dismissing contrary views as wrong. Perhaps there is a connection.
Sadly, we live in a confrontational society but reasonable discussion might help.
Alan Milton, Cambridge.

Better experience
With no disrespect, disregard, condoning, nor forgetting the traumas of the abuse victims of Dilworth, my 15-year-old son was fortunate enough to be offered a placement in the mid-2000s. Initially, he opposed the move but within one week he was a changed boy for the better.
Dilworth instilled in him a strong sense of pride, unity, multicultural awareness and loyalty. So much so, he and his best friend have had the school emblem tattooed on to their arms.
At weekends a lot of the boys chose to stay in school and not go home as they were so happy there. Sunday night chapel would stir emotions, with the boys almost lifting the roof with their glorious singing of old-fashioned hymns accompanied by the organ.
The teaching and the guidance, the uniforms, sports equipment and all the facilities were exceptional, not to mention the food.
I will be forever indebted and am eternally grateful to Dilworth for the most generous, positive opportunity afforded my son. For us, it can be equated to winning the golden ticket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Thank you Dilworth.
Sarah Robinson, Huapai.

Missing the mark
At face value, Jarrod Gilbert (NZ Herald, August 9) presents a compelling argument for the prompt establishment of a national firearms register.
There have clearly been problems with licence holders selling firearms to the criminal element and a trace on all owners and arms would seem to address that problem to some extent.
However, there is a glaring problem; all it will take will be one disaffected member of the force or one clever computer hacker and the nation will have a far worse problem than exists now. The criminal element will know exactly where to go to obtain a firearm for free.
Then expect an upsurge in home invasions and the uninterrupted flow of firearms to criminal purposes. A register is an illusory safeguard.
John Garwood, Te Kūiti.

Hobbit forming
To prioritise funding for Amazon's Lord of the Rings series (NZ Herald, August 6), rather than public housing and climate change, to name a few, defies comprehension. To add to this tragicomic fiasco, the Treasury conceded that ultimately the $199 million spent to subsidise filmmakers was poor value for money. How insightful.
"The oversight appears to have been the result of analysing two rather limited budget priorities, meeting critical cost pressures, and funding time-sensitive and high-priority manifesto commitments." Yes, they really said that.
Perhaps Treasury has spent too much time in Middle-earth, and it's entirely possible they received their BAs in BS from Rivendell University, because they are certainly speaking Elvish.
Mary Hearn, Glendowie.

Sickening attack
I learned this morning that a lady friend of my daughters had been attacked in Mangawhai and required 30 stitches due to this assault.
This is the last time either she or my daughters will go out walking on their own as it is just too dangerous and they are nervous of what may occur.
This is very sad for an area like this and is a very poor reflection on not only the general lack of respect for the public, but also a lack of concern by the criminal element for any conviction they may receive for their crimes.
Again, we need to support our police. I'm sure if they were armed openly and had stronger backing from the courts, our crime rate would be reduced accordingly.
John Heald, Milford.

Better spent
Fred Caesar of Dunedin (NZ Herald, August 9) should take his fanciful ideas for a cycle bridge to the Dunedin City Council and suggest it looks at his ideas for a cycle bridge across Otago Harbour.
In the meantime, Auckland has far bigger priorities - $800 million could redevelop a minimum of 800 intersections around the city, and paint them in bright floral colours to make a visual statement that would have Auckland Council lauded internationally for boldness.
Graham Fleetwood, Botany Downs.

Bridge support
How refreshing to read Mr Caesar's letter (NZ Herald, August 9) advocating for the cycle/walking bridge. I agree wholeheartedly.
This would be an enormously valuable asset, both for commuting and tourism. Every tourist and visitor to Auckland will want to enjoy our bridge. Especially if, as your correspondent said, there was creativity and imagination woven into it. In 20 years time, it will appear cheap. Be bold.
Bill Mathews, St Mary's Bay.

Heath praise
Whoever would have guessed it would take Matt Heath (NZ Herald, August 9) to comprehensively expose the academically bankrupt stance taken by the Vice-Chancellor of Auckland University over the Listener letter?
He is obviously not just the dithering dad he usually pretends to be.
Doug Hannan, Mt Maunganui.

Fatal consequences
Five young teenagers lost their lives in a horrific accident, and their families, friends and the wider community have incredible ongoing grief to deal with.
To read (NZ Herald, August 1) that others are encouraging a car meet, "loud cars, tear up the road as much as you like", to show how much they miss them highlights what an uphill battle it is to educate teens that a car is not a toy, road rules need to be obeyed and reckless drivers can kill.
Surely there is a better way to show how much these young boys are missed other than continuing the hoonish behaviour?
Lorraine Kidd, Warkworth.

Short & sweet

On Olympics
Olympic athletes who "fail" to win a medal, sometimes by seconds or millimetres, haven't "failed" at all. Just to be there competing means they are all winners - at the top of their sport. Anne Martin, Helensville.

Sarah Cowley-Ross took the reporting of the Olympics to another level. Her knowledge was incredible and she made the others look very ordinary. Dave Miller, Mātua.

On National
Until National culls the leftover dinosaurs from their previous stint in Government they will remain in Opposition. Pim Venecourt, Pāpāmoa.

On Bloomfield
Judith Collins accuses Dr Ashley Bloomfield of being a one-trick pony when the whole world craves that trick. Paula Wagstaff, Warkworth.

On border
How can it be that only nine of the 98 frontline Tauranga Port workers have been vaccinated when we have been led to believe that virtually all frontline staff have been fully vaccinated? Mike Baker, Tauranga.

Those who work in frontline seaports and airports need to get the message: "No jab, no job." Marie Kaire, Whangārei.

On drivers
What about making it compulsory and free for every teenage driver to do a defensive driving course before they get their full driver's licence? It might save some lives. Mick Curran, Waipū.

The Premium Debate

Social insurance scheme

So many large and fundamental changes to the lives of New Zealanders; we can't keep up. Neither can the OIA, it seems. Even the journalists can't get the information they need for research and reporting in a timely manner under our "fully transparent" Government. Sara M.

Labour will look to invent any scheme that will not be a direct "tax" but will in effect be one. This takes away the Government's responsibilities and passes the cost to the middle class, if there still is one. All Grant Robertson's over-spending has to be paid back somehow. Mark I.

As I see it, such a scheme will be funded by employers in much the same way as ACC is by way of a levy. Many employers, especially larger ones, have liability to pay redundancy compensation anyway. Smaller employers will be called on to fund this, I suspect. They are already struggling to fund increases in sick leave, bereavement leave, increases in public holidays and a new proposal to pay parents to attend parent teacher nights. Pru B.

If the Government wants to support unemployment/redundancy insurance why don't they leave it to the existing insurance companies and let the employed have the cost of this insurance being tax-deductible or the benefit being non-taxable. I have had income protection insurance for years for this purpose. It covers, sickness, accident and redundancy. Glenn H.

Presumably why Labour is attempting to push through a two-tier benefit system is because ACC has been found on too many occasions to have failed miserably on delivering on what it was originally set up to provide. ACC architect Sir Owen Woodhouse labelled the ongoing changes since 2009 as uncaring, predatory, and penny-pinching. Grahame S.

Canada has had an employment insurance scheme for some 80 years, alongside its other welfare, maternity and leave schemes. It's fully funded by employee and employer contributions/premiums based on wages/salaries - with the employer contribution at 1.4 times the employee contributions. The sky will not fall if New Zealand adopts such a proven scheme, and it will save money on Government-funded welfare benefits, while providing an economic cushion for unemployment during economic downturns. Helen E.