Filling up at the bowser. Should that come with a warning about the harm being done to the planet? Photo / Duncan Brown, File
Driving change
Around the world, legislated warnings on cigarette packets are compulsory, and becoming increasingly more insistent and repulsive, to try to stop people from indulging in this deadly habit. It’s time for such warnings to be made legally compulsory on new, fossil-fuelled vehicles to emphasise the irresponsibility of people buying them, and so continuing to add to the calamitous effects of global climate change. That they continue to top the vehicle sales charts is an open indictment of those vehicle buyers, and their denial of how serious climate change is, in rapidly overwhelming our planet. This is a major ongoing concern, as every new fossil-fuelled vehicle will have a life of at least 15 to 20-plus years, new and secondhand, keeping the fossil fuel danger alive and toxic well into the future; supporting capitalism’s dictates and justifying the ongoing production of these vehicles, in sympathy with automotive industry lobbyists. “Driving us to extinction” you might say, jeopardising the health and safety of every person on the planet. Time to stop producing and promoting these vehicles. Clyde Scott, Birkenhead.
Openminded hiring
In about 1998-99, I bought a copy of the New Hacker’s Dictionary, edited by Eric Raymond from the online file The Jargon File. It was the first time I realised others shared my ability to focus intensely on a subject until I had learned everything necessary about it. The NZ Herald’s weekly articles on the neurodiverse give me a hint that I may have some aspects of ADHD. But that raises the question: to what degree do people like Linux Torvalds, Albert Einstein or Marie Curie show aspects of neurodiversity that would otherwise make them unemployable, if they hadn’t already made their reputation and thus ensured they would never be unemployable? Or to put it another way, how does a pathologically risk-averse hiring policy in “human resource” and “management” ensure that nothing new gets done? (I use the word “pathological” clinically.) Wesley Parish, Tauranga.
Fuelling change
It’s not a good idea to take GST off petrol when we urgently need to address climate change and significantly reduce our fossil fuel use. Using our cars less also gives us more money to spend on food. Transport cost adds only a very small percentage to the cost of food. K Rix-Trott, Raglan.
Not buying it
At 77 years old, I have been called a cynic. Then Labour came along and offered GST savings, parental leave etc, etc, after being in power for almost six years and just a few weeks before the election. Hipkins says these moves are not political. These actions confirm my cynicism is blossoming. I MacGregor, Greenhithe.
Misogyny unpunished
Yet again words fail me reading about two pieces of human excrement who did their damnedest to degrade and humiliate young women they enticed into their company. When these cases are reported the first thought that comes into my head is - what on earth were their male role models like when they were growing up that made them think their behaviour, in any way, was okay? We wonder why some men think it’s okay to treat women like rubbish: this country will never rid itself of these archaic misogynistic attitudes towards women until the punishment fits the crime. No wonder women sometimes don’t bother reporting these crimes to the authorities - why would you when this is the result? J Wallis, Blockhouse Bay.
Yeah, right
A judge is so distraught with the abhorrent way that two men treated the underage girls they targeted that he gave them home detention and permanent name suppression. It would be a classic “Tui” moment if it wasn’t actually true. No wonder young girls who are offended against are reluctant to complain to our “justice” system. James Archibald, Birkenhead.
Vexatious tax
Instead of all the tedious squabbling about removing GST from fresh fruit and veges, we should be discussing the inequities of GST as a tax. Introduced at the height of neoliberalism, and steadily increased until its current 15 per cent, it has always been hardest on the poorest people in our society. Well-off people are not overly affected by this tax, as they buy what they want, and a few additional dollars mean little to them. But GST is a harsh way for a government to gather revenue where rich and poor pay the same, regardless of their income. What we should really think about now, is how to remove GST on many more basic commodities, and leaving it on luxury items. Any further shortfall in revenue can be made up through a simple capital gains tax. This would be a fair outcome. V M Fergusson, Mt Eden.
Further gains
I assume those bleating about the meagre gain of having no GST on fresh fruit and veg are probably those who do not need it. We should be looking forward and advancing that decision to include bread, milk, cheese, fish, meat etc in the not-too-distant future. Then it really will become a greater benefit. Yvonne Flynn, Ōrewa.
Efficiency dismantled
New Zealand has a clean, simple, all-encompassing consumption tax, an internationally cited model of tax efficiency and a vital contributor to the balanced budgets that have sustained confidence in our dollar and our ability to maintain a first-class living standard. Make an exception for one class of goods and there will be no end to the necessities desperate politicians will propose for similar exemptions. Labour would begin the shredding of GST for a saving of less than $5 a week on the average household food bill, a saving that would pass unnoticed by consumers in the normal fluctuations of seasonal fruit and vegetable prices. Unbelievable. John Roughan, Campbells Bay.
One culprit
I was interested to read of the fine received by One/Vodafone (NZ Herald, August 15) for false advertising, and have to ask: how is this a fair result? Who will pay this fine? Obviously, it will be passed on to the customers who have been lied to. Why cannot the justice system direct the fine(s) to those responsible, ie. the actual people involved in making the decision to deliberately lie to the public? They are the ones who should be held accountable if this fine is to have any deterrent effect. Mel Clark, Manurewa.
Vacant works
I hope that any fines arising from speed cameras around road works will be moderated by common sense. When there are workers at risk, and machinery operating on and close to the road, speed restrictions are sensible and perhaps generally obeyed. The problem is that at the end of the day and over weekends and holidays, the workers go home and the machinery gets parked safely. But the restrictions stay, often for many kilometres. One characteristic that is guaranteed to cause motorists to ignore speed restrictions is when they make no sense. And when one starts ignoring a restriction for any reason it can easily become habitual. The restrictions should be removed or relaxed when they are not needed for safety reasons. No fines should be issued for endangering workers when no workers are around. Graham Carter, Herne Bay.
On bread
How much dough will be put into the three new Waitematā loaves, Mr Hipkins? Ian Doube, Rotorua.
On leave
I support fathers getting paid maternity leave; in the era of gender equality and balance, I see absolutely no reason why it cannot and should not happen. John Ford, Taradale.
The proposed paternal leave should go to whoever is the father of the child rather than to the partner of the mother. John Strevens, Remuera.
On GST
We will be better off by $5. 63 in the weekly shop but we will have to spend about $43 to get the $5.63 saving. Alan Eustace, Pakuranga.
On Sky
For once I find myself agreeing with Chris Rattue (NZH, Aug.15) . I rang Sky about their new Sky Box and to my astonishment, the person I spoke to advised me not to get it as there are so many problems with it. Donald Anderson, Papatoetoe.
On spending
The Government speaks of allocations for “new spending initiatives” as if it hasn’t squandered enough. David Jones, Parnell.
Richard Prebble: Labour is a whale to sharks and Chris Hipkins is to blame
Best point of the article: Labour is campaigning not on its record but on its promises. Grant P.
The record is broken. Ian P.
Always pays to campaign on strengths rather than weaknesses. Grant R.
How can anyone believe that Labour will maintain its promises in the future? Especially with a very good track record of not delivering? And the GST policy for fruit and vegetables is such a bad policy. It is simply a joke. Steve F.
I am saddened by the number of people that have completely misunderstood the real impact of the GST proposal. Unless the entire process of growing, transporting, wholesaling and retailing the products is analysed and the true effect on the supply chain is understood, it simply cannot be assumed that there will be a reduction of anything like 15 per cent on the affected products. The costs of introducing the change is overlooked as are the compliance costs, and the expense of the additional bureaucracy required to maintain the changes. I have yet to see the analysis. Hipkins’ statement that this will be paid for by commercial property owners is ridiculous. They will simply pass costs up the chain, and these will ultimately be paid for by the consumer. Supermarkets won’t be “skimming” as some populists would have you believe. Their costs will be increased, and to maintain their margins these will be passed on to customers. As economists point out, a stupid move by clueless Labour. Patrick F.
The Waipā campus in Rotorua is 'the only facility of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere'.