Employers might need to look beyond their blinkered views of what prospective workers look like, writes Denis Edwards. Photo /Getty Images
We hear employers howling like wolves eyeing the moon. "We have jobs and we can't get staff. What is the Government doing about it?"
The Government is doing what it can; opening apprenticeship training, widening immigration qualifications. But it never seems to be enough.
Nothing new here. Through the 50s and into the 60s, the same pained sobbing echoed, and governments did much the same. Then, a surprising thing happened. Women ceased being pigeonholed as nurses, teachers and secretaries.
Employers were startled, bless them, to discover a reservoir of competence. It did require a shift in attitude, and this, far too slowly for some, has happened.
Now, with a relatively low birth rate we aren't making enough of them, or males, to keep up with the demand.
Could it be our Lords of Commerce will do what their parents did when they didn't have enough bodies, talents and skills to keep making them rich? Sniff out the next pool of immediately available talent.
I speak of the over 55's and over 65's. There are plenty of them, and facing the same barriers women did. Lurking there is talent and enthusiasm, and possibly only needing a bit of encouragement.
Connect the link
Regarding the recent views expressed by Bruce Cotterill (Weekend Herald, April 30) and some of your correspondents, they seem to not comprehend the whole point of the City Rail Link. It is not, as he says, just "a railway line from the city to Mt Eden" but, as the name states, a link to all the existing rail lines on the southern, eastern and western lines. So, one could get on a train, say, in Papakura, Swanson or Glen Innes, catch the link at Britomart and arrive at the doorstep of the Aotea Centre, a restaurant or bar on K 'Rd, walk to Eden Park, or a business meeting in the city. No car or car parking needed.
I, for one can't wait to take advantage of this easy way to travel around the city and its suburbs. Thank goodness Aucklanders of all ages will soon be able to travel to all parts of this great city by public transport. When it is complete and up and running, I imagine we will wonder how we managed so long without this system.
Marianne Schultz, Eden Terrace.
Super flop
I agree with Bruce Cotterill (Weekend, Herald April 30), the Auckland Super City has failed, no one is happy with it. A full reset is required. Auckland could be divided into four natural local council areas: North (Wayne Brown) East including Central (Viv Beck) West (Leo Molloy) and South (Efeso Collins). The Super City council and administration could be dissolved and Auckland Transport closed (that is what happens to companies without cash who cannot manage their business)
Rather than restructure, build new administrations based on delivering what the local population want at half the current cost. If local councils cannot afford a project, do not build it. Administration must stay within annual budgets or get fired just like in the real world. Set a manageable size of population and slower growth for each local council area, something that can be digested without creating haemorrhage in the systems and massive overspending. And tell central government to stay out of Auckland local council affairs and major decisions, they are not good at it.
Gary Carter, Gulf Harbour.
Making sense
Bruce Cotterill's articles in the Weekend Herald are always worth a read.
I enjoyed last Saturday's effort (April 30) "Looking for the Super in the city" in which he highlighted many of the issues associated with our growing, self-serving bureaucracies.
If Bruce is okay with this, I'd like to nominate him as our first "Commissioner for Common Sense" (as suggested by a correspondent in Weekend Herald, April 23).
B. Watkin, Devonport.
Best interests
An article on children's teeth this week reminded me of my letter you published almost exactly three years ago about the total disregard of NZ companies, both public and private, to the well-being of their consumers and the planet.
NZ has a Companies Act that requires company directors to act in the best interest of the company or face a fine or prison. Unlike the UK and, I suspect, other countries in the OECD, there is no requirement to consider the community or the environment.
When food and drink manufacturers use the ridiculously lax sugar regulations to prey on the poorest and most vulnerable, they are obliged to do so. And they are obliged to lobby to keep the regulations ridiculously lax.
I imagine there are decent individuals on company boards who are constrained by law to ignore the health of their customers. I find that sad and depressing. Even more sad and depressing is that there does not seem to be any will among lawmakers to change this.
Maurice Robertson, Torbay.
Park proprietors
Some of your correspondents have been advocating the transfer of Cornwall Park to Auckland City. They seem unaware of the financial problems the city has - one shared with the park and both resulting from Covid. It can have no benefit.
The park has been a brilliant success since its foundation, one bolstered by endowment lands, which in Auckland are never going to fail in the longer term.
The gift from Logan Campbell was to the people of New Zealand, not whatever local government entity existed then, or now.
Hands off.
Garry Law, Dannemora.
Gallahers' sacrifice
While I enjoyed Bruce Holloway and Paul Neazor's article on the Gallaher Shield (Weekend Herald, April 30), unfortunately they continued the myth that Dave Gallaher enlisted to fight in World War I motivated by the deaths of two of his brothers.
The first of the brothers, Douglas, died at the Somme a month after Gallaher had undergone a pre-enlistment medical examination. The second, Henry, was killed near Villers-Bretonneux six months after Dave had lost his life at Passchendaele.
It is always sobering to see the trio's engraved names among the thousands in the Auckland War Memorial Museum's Hall of Memories Roll of Honour.
Matt Elliott, Birkdale.
The surprise early elimination in DWTS of a wahine Māori and a gay male, despite their obvious talent, to me reflects a growing insecurity and conservatism in our population; its political expression is showing in the polls. B Darragh, Auckland Central.
It's amazing the Tories are leading in the polls. If only more Kiwis watched Parliament TV as our PM Jacinda Ardern completely demolishes the opposition with her wit, humour, intelligence, and political wizardry. Rex Head, Papatoetoe.
If it takes a village to raise a child, where was the village to protect and raise Malachi Rain Subecz in Te Puna and the wider Bay of Plenty? Danna Glendining, Taupō.
Any doubts one may have had concerning the competence of the Speaker of the House surely now must be reinforced with this latest blunder. Chris Tompkins, New Plymouth.
Of course this new health organisation will decrease the surgery waiting time. It will just increase the required points to get an appointment by 50 per cent, immediately cutting the waiting list by 50 per cent. Mike Wells, Kawerau.
The ideological claptrap from the powers-that-be of AT is ridiculous, highly impractical and quite possibly very dangerous. One could be forgiven for thinking they're trying to do themselves out of a job. Janet Boyle, Orewa.
We wouldn't need cycleways if car driving wasn't so bad. That cycleways are necessary is entirely the fault of drivers, so they should pay for them. Martin Ball, Kelston.
If cycling was banned the accident rate would actually head to the much-vaunted "Driving to Zero". Save cyclists, get them off their bikes. Neville Cameron, Coromandel.
One is not surprised that a Government soft (and slow) on domestic crime - witness the growing gang membership - would also be soft on international crime... witness the Russian ambassador luxuriating in Wellington. Chris Parker, Campbells Bay.
"I was just looking at tractors" now takes first place over "I didn't realise I was attending a party" in British Conservative Party stand up comedy. Carl Bergstrom, Glendowie.
Dietician, chef, Masterchef NZ winner, entrepreneur, businesswoman, farmer, wife and mother. Bit of fluff? Yeah, right. Denise de Groot, Browns Bay.
Flavour of the month or not, I would still invest in a Food Bag over a douchebag any day. Brent Cooper, Coatesville.
World news must be in very short supply. Each evening my screen features a stoutish middle-aged American actor who has been quarrelling in a most unbecoming fashion with his wife. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Richard Smith, Henderson.
When this Depp/Heard show ends, who will win the Emmy for best actor/screenplay/costume and legal assistant? Is it possible to cancel the series now? Jeremy Coleman, Hillpark.
Derive McNeill has since thanked the man for working in the mental health sector.