Rob Fyfe is frustrated by the pace of officials working with the private sector to solve major issues linked to the pandemic. Photo / Mark Mitchell
After the legislation was changed to allow education providers to take on overseas students, the big question was how could this be done?
A company, Education NZ Ltd, was set up with private sector management and board to encourage and facilitate education providers, help with developing business plans, organise overseas missions and so on.
In reflecting on this, I think there are lessons to be learned today.
Civil servants are experienced in carrying out government policy, a function that they generally do rather well. However when the country is faced with an unprecedented pandemic, the question of how it should be managed is critically important.
We have a large number of enterprising people in this country who are capable of thinking up new ways of doing things and with the experience and expertise to achieve results. Many of these people have been asking to get involved but have not been used.
We have the opportunity to unleash the enterprise and expertise these people have to solve many of the problems brought on by this pandemic. Let's do it and let the civil servants get on with their jobs of administering their various portfolios.
Eric Millar, Ōrākei.
Concern runs deep
In his discussion of water reform, Alan Sutherland (NZ Herald, September 22) does not address why councils and ratepayers are unhappy about the Three Waters proposal.
At present, councils are being asked to agree to the Government taking over their water assets, paid for by ratepayers - without adequate compensation.
Why is there no public debate on this challenge to our democratic rights?
The Government claimed its regulation of the petrol industry would reduce costs to consumers. Instead, petrol prices have risen substantially.
Why would they be any more successful in water management?
Janie Weir, Newmarket.
Patient experience
Through my own carelessness, a bit over six weeks ago, early one Sunday morning I slipped on some wet steps. I landed hard on my knees and completely ruptured the ligaments in both knees - I had no use of my legs whatsoever.
After dragging myself to the car, my wife drove me to the Taupō Hospital where I was admitted to A&E. After x-rays and an examination, I was sent by ambulance to Rotorua for surgery the next day. After four days I was sent again by ambulance to Auckland Hospital where, after another six days, I was sent to Mercy Parklands for recuperation and finally discharged as an outpatient of the orthopaedic clinic.
I received outstanding care at all levels during the six weeks. From the committed nursing staff, highly skilled surgeons, physiotherapists, outpatients' staff and ACC.
I count my blessings that my injury occurred in New Zealand. Despite popular acclaim, our health system is not broken, it operates at a high standard driven by committed professionals at all levels. Long may it continue.
Brett Hewson, Parnell.
Flight of fancy
James Shaw said (NZ Herald, September 22) he tried booking an MIQ spot for his return from Glasgow using the new lobby system. He failed. Only one of his entourage succeeded.
He then said, if he could not get a spot in MIQ he was not going. Looking all sheepish-like. Nek minute, the Prime Minister pops up and says all of them have been given MIQ spots as the Government has the power to do this. He and his entourage (14, plus himself) were always going to get preferential MIQ spots. Why the public pantomime?
According to a CO2 calculator, he and his entourage will dump 63.312 tonnes (63312kg) of CO2 into the atmosphere on this trip. That is assuming they fly Premium Economy, Business Class is almost double that.
Even if they do the offset thing, it will take 15-20 years for those trees to be of benefit. He and his entourage's emissions are immediate.
Graham Hansen, Howick.
Roads are innocent
John Duder (NZ Herald, September 21) has almost got it right. As a retired highway engineer who has had to evaluate the highway after many fatal crashes, it is the driver that is to blame. There are three factors to a crash - yes, crash, not accident: the road, the car and the driver. Two of those are inanimate objects that cannot on their own cause a crash, namely, the road and the car. The third, the driver, is the only one who can have an active involvement in a crash.
The media must stop referring to "killer roads" and start referring to "killer drivers". As far as design being the determiner of speed (Chris Darby, NZ Herald, September 14) should have said that design is the determiner of safe speed.
Why is there a proliferation of speed advisory signs? To advise the driver what the safe speed is for that particular section of highway. It is only the driver who can disregard advice and common sense.
Let's get it right and put the blame where it lies, at the foot of the driver, for they are the only ones who wantonly cause death.
John Cridge, Taupō.
Down graded
The Australian Aukus submarines will be nuclear-powered, not nuclear-armed, as clearly stated by Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Since uranium enrichment at 3-5 per cent for nuclear power is far, far below the level of weapons-grade, how does your correspondent Maire Leadbeater (NZ Herald, September 22) arrive at the conclusion that it "will involve the transfer of weapons-grade enriched uranium"?
Lloyd McIntosh, West Harbour.
Artist impresses
Wow, doesn't the future Queen St look magnificent (NZ Herald, September 22).
It must be spring, with the beautiful green trees, no rubbish bins needed, obviously, because there is no rubbish evident. No vapers, no beggars lying across the footpath.
I can hardly wait.
Dick Ayres, Auckland Central.
Monthy option
There were 16,546 people were ahead of me in the room allocation lottery that just passed. I didn't win.
A simple suggestion to speed up the process: since most people would know which month they can travel, why not ask this question in the first place and quickly show what is available in that particular month?
This can be parallel-processed so that the coming allocations for October, November and December are done simultaneously.
It is a tweak to the current system and, depending on the quality of IT staff in MBIE, may or may not be achieved before the coming lottery draw on Tuesday, September 28.
I can't wait.
Laurence Lee, Singapore.
Keep our cup
I am disappointed the America's Cup yacht race is being touted for purchase around the world.
The people of New Zealand have bought copious amounts of red socks and other trinkets, while having our Government and local councils build infrastructure and pour hundreds of millions of dollars into the defence, which has been implicitly thought to be held here.
Any second-year law student should be able to state a cast-iron case that the Cup has an unwritten contract to be held here. The hundreds of millions of previous dollars imply this and should construe a guarantee to the Kiwi viewing public.
Furthermore, to help keep costs down, a new class of boats for challengers should be foiling P class dinghies.
Paul Taylor, Burswood.
Let it go
We were stupidly conned to pay millions of dollars to hold the Cup in Auckland on the assumption that, if we won, it would be defended in Auckland. There is no fool like an old fool.
Let us wash our hands of it once and for all or get the $90 million of ratepayers' and taxpayers' money refunded and used for better purposes, not for billionaires' toys.
Bruce Tubb, Belmont
Doomed strategy?
If Mike Hosking (NZ Herald, September 23) checked world rankings on which countries had the best outcomes from Covid he would find the top five include New Zealand, with 27 deaths; Iceland, 10 deaths; Singapore, 65 deaths; Denmark, 624; and Saudi Arabia, 3897 deaths.
Furthermore, the five world leaders who topped the best outcomes fighting the pandemic are all women, with Jacinda Ardern number one, as now recognised by the United Nations and every country on the planet that matters.
Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay.
On vaccine
Hold up the peace sign with your fingers - V for vaccination. Hold it up with both hands; two V's for double vaccination. Both together equals V for victory. Samantha Cunningham, Henderson.
Are the unvaccinated a team of "children" that they need to be lured and offered KFC to get a jab? Helen Lowe, Albany.
On infringements
What if there was a $12,000 fine for spreading disinformation? Rex Fausett, Auckland Central.
On Parliament
Is there anything other than Covid being attended to by our other MP's with their portfolios, or have they gone on holiday? Alan Walker, St Heliers.
On quiz
Peter Lange is to be commended for his contribution to recycling. The Niki Lauda joke is an oldie – but still a goodie. Alan Johnson, Papatoetoe.
On lockdown
I was worried about Auckland going to level 3 but then I thought, "nah, the Auckland economy needs a shot in the arm". Renton Brown, Pukekohe
There often appears to be an in-built perception among government employees that private sector people are only in it for self-interest, and so make short-term decisions based on profit. There are many outstanding, thoughtful public servants, but often they often struggle with quick decision-making and outside-the-box thinking that the private sector has had to develop. The country needs both approaches. Susan M.
I would be happy to be involved. I provided services with MIQ facilities for 17 months and was replaced by the government as apparently the private sector, their services and standards aren't up to it compared to government agencies ... Now, we are sitting on the sidelines with 17 months' experience and knowledge and not being utilised. Elton R.
Excellent article. Sad but unsurprisingly obvious really - bring on the bench as Sir Ian Taylor and now Rob Fyfe wisely advise. If ministry heads or teams are stuck and can't apparently move out of short-term sticking-plaster mode then bench them for this part. The country can't afford the lack of nimble, creative thinking. Ali J.
We have a huge workforce of public servants spread across all levels of Government. In addition to this resource, taxpayers and ratepayers fund hundreds of millions of dollars into consultancies and contractors. Despite this huge investment, good governance is prone to repeated failures. The main culprits are ideology and stubborn bureaucracy. If Jacinda really wants to achieve something special, I suggest a personal meeting with Sir Ian Taylor and Rob Fyfe, to outline the road to recovery and reform of the system of governance. Walter H.
It would be helpful if there was some discussion about what the problem actually is that we are trying to solve. For our Government and the MOH, it's still about eliminating Covid. For others, the problem is now how we limit lockdown damage and how we reopen after last year's elimination was so successful. John B.
Our government agencies seem particularly poor at handling "retail" opportunities, eg. booking MIQ, distributing PPE centrally from the Ministry of Health and so on. Private sector help is definitely needed as these direct interactions with the population are very important and likely to become more frequent in the future. Peter G.
Very good constructive comments by Mr Fyfe. However just a suggestion to those complaining about the present Government - it has taken New Zealand at least a decade or so to run down the public service to where the level of capacity is such that the Ministry of Health is struggling to meet day-to-day issues. Therefore, it's an excellent idea for public/private partnership to deal with Covid. I note that Mr Fyfe said that there is not a lack of talent, so going on endlessly about lack of business experience in any party is no more than political white noise. Brian H.
We have this current lockdown in Auckland because business lobbied hard for a travel bubble to Australia that brought us the wonderful Delta variant. Business does not take responsibility for its own actions when things go wrong. Tourist business interests have lobbied against opening more MIQ facilities in Rotorua and Queenstown. Private businesses with customer-facing staff have been slow to push for their staff to get vaccinated. They then have the gall to complain they are not being listened to. Megan C.
Oh dear, here we go again. The private sector being held up as the answer to all our problems. A mantra that has worn incredibly thin since the "miracle" of Rogernomics wrecked everything that was sensible in New Zealand, and we have been playing catchup ever since. Barry O.
Thriving tourism, a focus on youth — and the end of homeless motels are on the wishlists.