Does Labour have more in common with National than the Greens? Photo / Mark Mitchell
Labour has been having talks with the Greens "because they have common ground". Why are they then not talking with National, with whom they have much more common ground, both politically and numerically?
Labour is now vying for the political centre ground, as is National. And Labour gained
a swing from National four times the size of the Greens' popular vote.
There is now a huge overlap with National, which dwarfs Labour's common ground with the Greens.
National could help Labour with housing for example and get those community housing projects off the ground again after a three-year hiatus. Then there's transport, infrastructure…
Jeff Tallon, Takapuna.
Will the self-evident patterns in Covid-19 spread ever be acknowledged?
Your editorial (NZ Herald, October 28) discusses where some newly infected people went recently; how lucky it was that further infection didn't occur at the pub, the gym, the workplace.
You correctly note that there is a narrow window of time during which an infected person is contagious, so there is an element of luck involved in where they go during that time.
But NZ's experience in March was like a perfect case study. We had dozens of people with the virus, among thousands flooding into the country; and going absolutely everywhere that a normal life would involve for the weeks preceding real public alarm.
The resulting spread was almost all related to "superspreader" events, dozens of people infected at once, in less-ventilated indoors environments where people were crowded for hours, and being vocally noisy.
Transmission itself was never happening according to the rate of "R", person to person everywhere in the course of normal life. This is a classic failure of the statistic of the "average". Bill Gates walks into a bar and suddenly the "average income" there is 100 million dollars. Superspreading likewise drags the "average transmission of infection" up.
Philip G Hayward, Naenae.
It is unsurprising that Kiwi Chris Liddell's nomination by President Trump to head the OECD has been opposed by the NZ Green Party.
The Greens already showed their illiteracy on finance by proposing a wealth tax, which surveys have shown would have caused many people who invest in New Zealand and create jobs, to flee to Australia.
Liddell has demonstrated excellent competence with finance, turning around the misfortunes of companies like General Motors in just a short time.
What sort of economic damage would the Greens do to New Zealand if ever they get any real power?
Dan McGuire, Nelson.
New Zealand produces just 0.17 per cent of the world's carbon emissions. China, the worst polluter with an appalling 28.5 per cent emissions is however presently building no less than 583 coal-fired power stations, with another five countries creating 529 similar units.
Despite these extraordinary figures, New Zealand has unbelievably committed for 10 years to pay an astonishing annual $1.4 billion in taxpayers' money to the UN Climate Accord Fund, which China does not have to subscribe to until 2030.
Some of this UN money is then distributed to the same six so-called undeveloped countries that are building these 1012 coal-powered stations. With the huge economic
problems that New Zealand now faces because of Covid-19, this annual payment seems to be totally unacceptable.
Hylton Le Grice, Remuera.
I have just received a letter from the Tipuna Maunga Authority and Fire and Emergency New Zealand advising that the One Tree Hill Domain will be closed for a week from Monday, November 2, because of the risk of fire from fireworks.
If only they hadn't taken away the sheep a year ago we wouldn't have all that quick-burning long grass.
Mike Jarman, One Tree Hill.
Why is more not being made of the comparison between the tragic Covid-19 death toll in the US and those killed in seven years of war in Vietnam?
Tragically Covid-19 has already claimed more than 230,000 US lives to date and wrecked the lives of many more. Contrast this sad statistic that grows worse by the day with the 58,220 US military personnel killed in the Vietnam War. Even the comparison with the 280,000 or so US and allied military fatalities in Vietnam is grim.
"Go figure," as they say in America.
It is hard even for the maskless Donald Trump to put a positive spin on this grim backdrop to his cheering election rallies.
David Scoffham, Russell.
Somehow there is a disconnect between the rising unemployment of hospitality and retail workers and the continuing complaints that there is a drastic lack of workers to pick fruit? Clearly both these groups are minimum wage workers, and those who have lost their jobs are wanting to work. But what is not so obvious is that invariably horticultural workers are not employed directly by a cafe or a retail store, but through intermediaries, contract horticultural and agricultural labour suppliers. So therein lies the real rub. The orchardist who wants workers for a reasonably short period to pick their cherries, or peaches, doesn't want the hassle of directly employing these workers for short terms. They are of course prepared to pay the minimum wage. But unfortunately the immigrant workers they have for so long relied upon, are not actually getting that minimum wage in their pockets. The "middlemen" are taking their rake-off. Fees to arrange an immigrant work visa, to get them the job in the first place, to provide them with transport to the work location, and to provide accommodation while they are in employment. The Government or WINZ needs to urgently find ways to cut out "the rake-off" merchants and get a connect between the orchardists and the newly unemployed.
Neil Anderson, Algies Bay.
If Bryan Airey (NZ Herald, October 27) is suggesting that the more income tax you pay in your life the less NZ Super you receive, he might, just, have a point. After all, you should be rich enough to survive anyway.
If he means that the more income tax you pay, the more NZ Super you should get; well, words almost fail me. He's managed to demean the worth of the hundreds of thousands of mostly women who have taken time from paid employment to raise families, the mostly women who work part-time in order to be able to care for their children or other dependents, the essential workers who work in low-paid jobs, invalids... by saying that as they contributed less, they're not entitled to a time in their lives when they're considered equal.
We know that people can barely survive on Super alone, so why make it less?
Super is affordable and we run the best and fairest eligibility system in the world, so why change it?
Sue Ikin, Wellington.
Horticulture New Zealand puts domestic consumption for fruit and vegetables at $2.16 billion last year; add another third for imported produce, and you have just under a $3b spend in this country.
Our Government collects 15 per cent GST from this, effectively putting healthy fruit and vegetables out of reach for many families.
It is time now to drop GST from fresh fruit and vegetables.
If the Government cannot afford to lose 400 odd million dollars, it can increase tax on junk food – namely sugary drinks, biscuits, and chippies. After all, these food manufacturers can put their prices up like cigarette companies.
Or the Government could add more tax to the multinationals stealing our water for nothing, who sell that for ludicrous amounts overseas – there is more than one way to skin a cat.
The benefits to our health system, specifically heart disease, diabetes, and rotting teeth, would quickly make $400 million look like chump change anyhow.
Australia does not have GST on fresh fruit and vegetables, and even though they sit at number nine in the OECD for obesity, that is certainly better than the bronze medal we embarrassingly own.
Glenn Forsyth, Taupō.
So, Audi has scooped the coop (or coupe), or swooped the troops, getting Jacinda into one of their EVs.
I was waiting to see which company might offer a bunch of freebies to the NZ Government. It could not have been any better promotion had they spent millions.
Teslas, sporty as, just didn't cut the mustard for class and mass suitable for a leader of such global stature.
Personally I think a Nissan EV van would have given Clarke a better place to chuck the fresh fish and nets and been more of a Kiwi-style image; like Tim Shadbolt's Daimler towing his cement mixer in days of yesteryear.
Rob Buchanan, Kerikeri.
Melbourne is alive and kicking once again (NZ Herald, October 28) and you must credit the very hard work that Premier Daniel Andrews has done. He went through hell with threats, etc, but boy he stuck to his word and he has won.
All Melbourne residents owe it to this man, who stuck to his guns, and all now are free to enjoy living once again.
I say congratulations Daniel Andrews, you deserve a medal for what you have achieved,
Gary Stewart, Foxton Beach.
On tax
What is needed in NZ is not a Robin Hood approach aimed at the "rich", but a much lower taxation rate up to a higher level of income. A sensible government could achieve this by lunchtime. June Kearney, West Harbour.
A significant number of normally National voters actually voted Labour specifically to prevent Labour being forced into introducing a wealth tax or any other sort of "envy tax". Duncan Copley, Milford.
On MPs
Will the induction course for newly minted MPs include practice at ritual guffaws, unison derision, abusive interjections and the general mayhem that has passed for debate on so many occasions in the past? Or might we hope for a new dawn of civility and "manners"?
Norm Murray, Browns Bay.
On water
Why not put a temporary water pipe from the reported billions of litres of fresh, pure water from the aquifer under Rangitoto Island Scenic Reserve to the Takapuna Beach Boat Ramp? Bruce Tubb, Belmont.
On Trump
His gross exaggerations and distortion of facts challenges the media to prove him wrong. Here political sophistry frequently outwits our media. Kenneth Lees, Whangārei.
On moon
So water has been found on the moon. More newsworthy would be the finding of Coca-Cola. That would prove at least the USA actually got there. Peter Moroney, Napier.
The 19-year-old was found in a remote area in the hills of Upper Hutt.