Letters: Ferry decision criticism - and support; replacing Kim Hill; and parliamentary terms

The Interisland ferry Kaiarahi loads in Wellington. Photo / Marty Melville

It seems to me that Steven Joyce is doing his best to please road transport patrons as much now as when he was in government. “Unicorns and rainbows for everyone” is a bit of a low-brow platitude. Is it such unrealistic dreaming for a national scale rail freight company to replace an aged fleet with future-proofed infrastructure?

I challenge that we will be bearing the opportunity cost - either environmental or in road infrastructure - while the “roll on, roll off” moguls reap the short-term profits.

Maybe there has been overspend and underperformance somewhere in the system, and savings to be made by a revisit.

Every dollar saved by scale down will represent a gleeful hand-rubbing by the firms that would have to compete with a more efficient rail system. The grown-ups might be in charge, but they are not in the Beehive.

Jason Conway, Green Bay.

What’s the problem?

It is dismaying the number of your correspondents who think using te reo Māori is an imposition on them.

Te reo is our culture regardless of ethnicity, so why the pushback? It is hardly a trial to listen to a few seconds of te reo on the news then have the rest read in English, so why the angst at having our own Aotearoa culture?

Neil Anderson, Algies Bay.

Bad budgeting

The Labour Government’s Cook Strait ferry fiasco is the equivalent of budgeting to build a million dollar house and omitting to include the section.

Lloyd McIntosh, West Harbour.

Full picture

Perhaps Steven Joyce should have given a list of all the projects that he, John Key and Bill English said “no” to, like hospital maintenance. Any budget can look great if you don’t keep up with maintenance and renovations.

John Capener, Kawerau.

Thanks for service

As I read of the $5000 in gifts to outgoing DoC boss Lou Sanson, I said out loud “oh come on? Really?”

There are things to moan about and then things to admire. The man gave us more than three decades of service. Did his effort, loyalty and relationships save us, the taxpayer, huge amounts of money in that time? I would argue 1000 per cent yes. Did those farewell events build relationships amongst the team and show the value the organisation has for its employees? Yes.

I write this letter as a business owner who hates the cost of recruitment and wasting taxpayers’ money... but pick your battles. Why are we witch-hunting devoted public servants? Why would anyone take the job?

Well done, Mr Sanson. I appreciate your service.

Gavin Male, Panmure.

Three-year term enough

The speed at which the three parties of our current coalition Government are getting things done convinces me that we do not need parliamentary terms to be any longer than three years and that everything that the Labour Government was doing in 2020-23 was being done far too slowly.

Arch Thomson, Mt Wellington.

Cutting our cloth

The latest craze seems to be “Nicola Willis-bashing” because she has announced the Government will not contribute further to the purchase of new inter-island ferries.

Why don’t those who are unhappy with this announcement place blame where blame is due - squarely at the feet of the previous Government. Nicola Willis is merely reacting to the financial situation she finds New Zealand in.

Janet Boyle, Ōrewa.

Let listeners have say

I wonder if we habitual National Radio listeners might have a say as to whom we would like to replace the actually irreplaceable Kim Hill on Saturday morning.

We already know most of the likely contenders, so how about asking us?

Marion Howie, Epsom.

Wahine - it was weather

Several of your commentators and letter writers have mentioned the Wahine sinking when referring to the recent decision by the new Government to put a halt on further funding of the Cook Strait ferries and associated port infrastructure, as if that was an example of why this decision should not be made.

As one of the youngest survivors on that fateful day in April 1968, I must point out that, rather than being an aging, out-of-date vessel, the TEV Wahine was a brand new ship that had only been operating for less than two years when it struck Barrett Reef and sank.

While I believe the Government’s decision is somewhat short-sighted, the underlying reason behind the Wahine sinking was due to one of the most extreme weather events in New Zealand’s recorded history.

Gary Holmes, Waiuku.