Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Photo / Mark Mitchell, File
Ideological entrenchment
How can an “open and transparent” government seek to entrench the controversial Three Waters Bill (NZ Herald, November 28)? Having ignored the 80,000 submissions raising concerns about Three Waters, the Government is clearly opposed to allowing any public debate on the matter. Until now, entrenchment requiring a significant majority to support legislation has been used only on changes to our electoral system, and only with the prior agreement of all parties. This proposed change to our constitutional conventions would be an end to our democratic rights, and Three Waters was never raised before the election. The claim by the Greens about possible privatisation is a desperate scare tactic as Three Waters provides for government bodies to manage the assets. It is clear this Government is driven by ideology and not the best management of our country. Janie Weir, Newmarket.
Egregious abuse
The Government’s use of entrenchment in the Water Services Entities Bill – while under urgency and via a supplementary order paper – is an egregious abuse of political power. Entrenchment should only be used after appropriate prior consultation and only in matters of core constitutional significance. It should not be used to protect party policy. What the Government is doing now is both cynical and outrageous. It is using fear of privatisation to deflect attention from the more problematic issue of co-governance, and worse, it is seeking to hinder a legitimately elected future government from following the will of the electorate where and when the latter might hold a different view. The Prime Minister, having barefacedly assured us just a week ago that the post-select committee addition of geothermal and coastal waters to the original Three Waters is not an expansion of the bill’s initial scope, now heads a government that has chosen to openly flout constitutional convention. Where is her conscience? James Braund, Remuera.
Counting costs
The Finance Minister has stated that “wages have risen ahead of inflation in recent years” and “wages have risen faster than inflation”. Both statements imply that we should not be concerned about the latest annual consumer price index increase of 7.2 per cent. However, the latest average ordinary earnings increase of 7.4 per cent does not take into account PAYE and ACC earner levy deductions. The net after-tax increase is actually 6.1 per cent, significantly less than the cost of living increase. John Wilson, Newmarket,
Damaging solution
The Reserve Bank has increased the OCR to cool the economy, citing that there is too much money sloshing around in our country. Isn’t it the same country where thousands of children are living lives marred by the lack of basic necessities? Isn’t it the same economy where many students had to quit school in order to help their parents make ends meet during the past couple of years? The Reserve Bank is also of the view that in order to control inflation, the unemployment rate needs to increase, and that the current level of high employment is unsustainable. The business lobby groups‚ along with some politicians, keep screaming there is a scarcity of workers. Even the National Party leader has conceded that the current low unemployment level is unsustainable and the lever of immigration needs to be adjusted fast so more workers can be brought into NZ to help struggling businesses. There must be something not quite right about our system where these opposites can survive without being challenged. The downtrodden don’t deserve designs that make their lives unliveable. Kanwal Grewal, Hamilton.
Available tools
No doubt the Reserve Bank has made mistakes, they have admitted as much. However, every OECD Central Bank overshot economic stimulus in a similar manner. A major reason for overshooting is not the level of stimulated demand but rather unexpected impairments to supply. This supply-side inflation would most effectively be solved by China ending their need for lockdowns by burying their national pride in order to ditch Sinovac in favour of successful Western Covid vaccines, and for Russia to withdraw from Ukraine. The world’s largest manufacturer could then ramp production and the world’s largest energy exporter could resupply relevant markets. Unfortunately, neither our Government nor the Reserve Bank has any influence over these developments. We can only fight inflation with the weapons that we control which means combating the external supply shocks with demand side tools such as interest rates to slow domestic consumption. These tools are not fit for purpose, yet they remain the best available. Peter Jansen, Henderson.
Study payments
Punishing children for non-attendance or fining their parents (NZ Herald, November 28) will end up harming the children one way or the other. If every child had a bank account the school could disperse money from an allowance received from the Government for educating the children enrolled at their school. Pay the student to achieve. The account might need to be held in trust. And there may need to be control over its use. It could be used for further educational training or living expenses once they left school. Surely, this would provide motivation to attend and participate in the educational opportunities offered to them. The results for attendance each term could see a deposit into their bank accounts. Satisfactory achievement following end-of-year exams could also be rewarded financially. Maybe a percentage could be released for personal spending. Gillian Dance, Mt Albert.
Crime deterrents
The death of Janak Patel is an absolute tragedy but, unfortunately, we all knew it was bound to happen. The call for stronger consequences is understandable but it is a known fact that the severity of punishment known as marginal deterrence has no real deterrent effect in reducing recidivism. There are consequences for criminal activities regardless of age, but do the perpetrators really understand this? Apprehension of a bad outcome often changes attitudes and decisions so we need to educate those that are likely to offend. There is no doubt moving police from the beat into cars has reduced apparent police presence and it is this component that needs to be addressed. Unlike in the past, police now, most likely due to numbers, are reactive rather than proactive to crime. Until we address this, there is little hope of improving the situation. Reg Dempster, Albany.
Simplistic slogans
Although I feel extremely sympathetic towards the victims of ram raids and shopping burglaries and especially to the murder of Janak Patel and many other crimes, I disagree that the present government is pro-criminal and that is a result of the prison population going down by 26 per cent as maintained by Sunny Kaushal. I can’t see a correlation between crime and the lower figure of the prison population, especially since most of the crimes are committed by very young youths who don’t go to prison normally but get dealt with differently. I believe Kaushal is politicking and pushing the “old” tough-on-crime message, which has never resulted in reducing crime. It would be more useful to look at the causes of these crimes and perhaps suggest solutions to deal with them. Some excellent ideas have been suggested by Anu Kaloti, the president of the Migrant Workers Association. These are complex issues and deserve better than simplistic slogans. Carla Drake, Ōrākei.
Whose thinking
Peter Davis’ question, “What kind of country do we want to be,” (NZ Herald, November 25) raises an interesting debate on who should lead the thinking for “socially democratic cohesive welfare state arrangements” (read governance), “we could do away with changes of government” and adopt “labour market policy.”He cites the Grattan Institute which is a bipartisan think tank in Australia pursuing “a liberal democracy in a globalised economy”. Davis would like us to believe that the Helen Clark Foundation is an “independent” public policy think tank. But the Labour Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is Helen Clark’s protege and I feel sure Davis’ partner must still be advising the Labour Party in New Zealand. Therefore, I cannot see the Helen Clark Foundation as an “independent” or non-aligned think tank. The New Zealand Centre for Political Research is an independent public policy think tank which could be said to contain conservative NZ views. I have not discovered a bipartisan think tank in New Zealand like the Grattan Institute. Perhaps that would be a very good start for what kind of country we want New Zealand to be. Gary Carter, Gulf Harbour.
A travelogue
I have just spent five days in Brisbane visiting family and am amazed at how easy it was to get around the city - one I do not know at all. Buses leave from an underground station for the suburbs every 15 minutes, and there are river ferry services every 10-15 minutes to the suburbs along the river. And a train to the airport and outer city limits every 40 minutes. The stations were very clean. A police presence - they patrol in groups of three - was obvious everywhere. Back to Auckland, there was no bus, so it was a $104 taxi to the city. I didn’t see any cones in Brisbane. M. J. Thomson, Ponsonby.
On Act
David Seymour’s latest typically punitive approach to school attendance (NZH, Nov 28) is somewhat surprising. You would think that more education would guarantee never voting Act. Peter Beyer, Sandringham.
On National
In response to Rex Head ( NZH, Nov 28). After watching Ardern for the past five years, it is my prediction Luxon will crush Labour in the elections. Mark Young, Ōrewa.
On crime
I have been cogitating matters and have come to the conclusion that the guy in charge of the police and the guy in charge of Inland Revenue ought to swap jobs. Mike Walmsley, Paeroa.
On voting
The Prime Minister endorses the franchise of 16- and 17-year-old voters because her party’s best chance of re-election is from politically gullible and economically naive voters. Ian Brady, Titirangi.
On sales
It was great to see 20 per cent off “Black Friday Special” today in most of the shops in our local mall - but not so in the supermarket there. No, not at all. Charles Hadfield, Glendowie.
On rugby
Is anyone else sick and tired of refs being blamed for what happens on the park? How about players stop cheating and let the game flow? J. McCormick, Gisborne.
On children
Failure to provide your children with three meals a day is child abuse, no excuses. Kerry Wickman, Kawakawa.
Employers planning for hefty pay rises
My clients wouldn’t be too keen if I upped my prices to give myself a pay rise I’m sure. Seems fine for everyone but one-man bands these days. Marcus A.
Means higher inflation, rising interest rates and a tougher time for all. The extra pay just goes to Grant Robertson’s tax fund. Anita W.
The most alarming aspect of all this is that our Finance Minister is still in denial. It’s all a global issue for him. Until he recognises that inflation, our upcoming recession, in whatever form that takes, is significantly due to the Ardern Government decisions, then nothing will change. As for the increased bi-culturalism drive. Enough already. It’s time for bureaucrats and middle management to stop pushing New Zealand into race-based identity politics. History has proven there are no good outcomes when this happens. Jason L.
This is great news. People on wages will spend the money given to them. Rich people just put more in the bank or demand greater returns from their share portfolio. Time the wage earners got the fruit instead of the few at the top of the tree. Trickle-down theory has been proven not to work. Time for a change. Let’s see where this takes us. Matt J.
We have Adrian Orr saying no more pay increases and on the other hand, we have Andrew Little announcing $200 million a year for pay increases for private sector nurses. Orr is living in another world if he thinks that employees won’t leave their current employer for another job paying more. Just shows the dysfunction between the Government, Reserve Bank, and reality. No wonder Orr and Grant Robertson got us in this mess, they really haven’t got a clue about how to do their jobs, and the real world where the rest of us live. Guy M.
It’s probably best to not listen to Orr and Grant Robertson. They said this inflation rise was going to be transitionary. Mark Y.
OPINION: New Zealander reflects on delivering speech at St James' Palace.