Letters: Fuel tax take, green power, masks, hospital wait-times, and religious baggage

Even with the extended cut on fuel tax, is the Government taking too much? Photo / Bloomberg, File

Opinion

Paying through the nozzle
The Government says that the 25 cent cut in fuel tax will cost it a total of more than $1 billion. This is incorrect.
For many months last year, before the Ukraine invasion, we were paying a high of around $2.20 – $2.30 per litre of 91 fuel. Just before it took the 25 cents off, we were paying around $3.30 per litre, indeed we would be paying around that now if it wasn't for the tax reduction. That is about $1 more per litre than last year.
The extra tax take, in round figures, would therefore be about 50 cents.
The Government has given us a 25 cent reduction, but it is still 25 cents better off. Surely, if it says it will lose more than $1 billion from the tax cut, in actual fact, the total extra tax take would have been more than $2 billion and it would still be around $1 billion better off if the petrol price had stayed at $2.30 per litre?
I realise these are very approximate figures, but the point I am making is that the Government is still far better off with the high petrol prices and a 25 cent tax reduction, than if prices had remained around $2.30 per litre.
Fred Jones, Te Atatū Peninsula.

Adding fuel
As unprecedented heat waves threaten the UK, Europe and the US with another early wildfire season, we extend the fuel subsidy.
As long as Western, rich nations continue subsidising fuel, we will never change our driving behaviour. As worldwide demand stays the same, the high cost of oil will remain. Governments of nations who can't afford the subsidies, face riots and topple.
How much pain must the world endure before we give up one iota of convenience and comfort?
Ian Swney, Morrinsville.

People power
Dr Keith Turner's assessment of increasing green power generation (NZ Herald, July 16) is too conservative but it is interesting to note how much we rely on and benefit from investments made many years ago.
We have to at least aim to double green energy output in the next 20 years.
Within five years, most new cars will be electric, but, more important, the option of buying hydrogen engines (by combustion) to replace diesel engines will be readily available. To be able to change to hydrogen we have to aim for a cost price for production of hydrogen per kg of between NZ$3-$4.
Subsidising new car purchases, supporting overseas investors or exporting hydrogen will not achieve this.
A green energy strategy has to be established, the regulatory environment has to be changed to build an integrated supply and demand system where anybody can contribute or benefit. Money received from fuel ETS should be used for the transformation to green energy.
Green power is not only about big power stations, but also about a huge amount of small contributors. The changes we have to make are not for the next 20 years but for the next 50 to 100 years.
Chris Kaelin, Te Awamutu.

Let's face it
Once again, a doctor has written of the importance of wearing masks to reduce the spread of the Omicron virus. Dr Hylton Le Grice (NZ Herald, July 18) has reiterated what has been said over and over again but even though free medical masks are now available it's doubtful that will make much difference.
It's really hard to understand why some people are still choosing to believe information regularly trotted out on social media by ill-informed people who are either down the rabbit hole of nonsense or are hopping around the edge.
Lorraine Kidd, Warkworth.

Waiting room
A national average of emergency department wait-times has risen from 270 to 287 minutes in the past year (NZ Herald, July 18).
Given the enormous and increasing pressures experienced by all parts of the health services at this time, I think an increased wait time of only 17 minutes is outstanding.
My thanks to all members of the health services - pre-hospital care ambulance staff, primary care services, and hospital staff - who are making a huge contribution to help manage this.
Your article also included criticism of Health Minister Andrew Little and the new health reforms. Those reforms are needed now - these changes, coupled with all current efforts to increase staffing as quickly as possible, will make for an improved health service for all.
Peter Huggard, Ostend.

Have faith
I take exception to DB Smith's letter (NZ Herald, July 18) stating that Christopher Luxon - among others - have religious baggage because they have the audacity to be pro-life. Also, is Smith aiming at all faiths or just the Christian faith? It seems we are becoming a nation that promotes freedom of expression but is intolerant on certain issues. One of these, of course, is abortion.
I am fully in the pro-life camp and am thankful to be a fully committed Christian. If this makes me full of religious baggage, then praise God for that.
Barrie Cavill, Henderson.

Added sources
I feel obliged to respond to Clyde Scott's letter (NZ Herald, July 18 ).
He correctly complimented the Herald's editorials as being trustworthy. He then goes on to talk about Covid.
So we now have two pulpits of truth - the Herald editorials and what were the daily briefings by Jacinda and Ashley, now a more simple and less dramatic daily update.
Your correspondent seems to suggest that we should look no further for fear of being misinformed.
I for one refer to all sides of a discussion and form my own opinions, having discarded mischievous and misleading commentary.
Reading Scott's letter, for example, I got one side of the argument but was left wondering why he made no reference to negatives such as the effect on children kept away from friends and from school, mental health problems, looming economic carnage, small business failures, to name a few results from excessive lockdowns and other mandates.
The moral to this is that there are always two sides to any story.
And that is why we have our letters to the Herald.
Steve Clerk, Meadowbank.

World view
Your correspondent Clyde Scott seems happy to believe that the New Zealand Covid result has been "the best in the world".
Actually, the NZ death rate, at 357 per million, is less than half the world average which is good but is more than others such as Taiwan, Japan and Singapore.
A total of 220 countries have reported Covid deaths and 78 of those countries report fewer deaths per million than NZ.
Roger Russell, Castor Bay.

Stoking inflation
Here we have the National Party criticising the Government for continuing to stoke inflation by giving people more money to spend through its "handouts" of half-price public transport, continuation of its reduction in fuel taxes and additional payments per week to those who earn less than $70,000 per annum.
Instead, the National Party once again talks about tax cuts. Isn't that the same i.e. putting additional money in the hands of citizens?
Except the biggest tax cuts they have proposed are for those who don't need them.
Where is the good sense in that?
David Hood, Hamilton.

Game-changer
Fifty years ago, rugby was the major game of New Zealand, white South Africa, and the English public schools.
Professionalism changed that, and now with the best players earning massive sums, rugby is more widely played and recognised as a major sport.
Men and women with the size and speed necessary for the modern game, and with a taste for hard physical contact have joined this entertaining sport.
New Zealand was once one of the major players in a minor sport, but those days may be over; our population is too small for us to be continually competitive on a world scale. Hopefully, we will occasionally have a group of outstanding individuals who, like the Black Caps can beat the other teams that will always have a greater pool to choose from. Maybe that is not the case in 2022.
Don Sinclair, Warkworth.

Short & sweet

On Ireland
The Irish Rugby players and management were so gracious after their historic and complete victory. No wonder we like these people. Colin Nicholls, Mt Eden.

On development
High-density; high-rise houses; and high-density exhaust fumes, all in one. Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay.

On Foster
For those who think it's too hasty to change the All Blacks coach and too close to the World Cup. When the underperforming Ian Foster left the Chiefs, the new coach, Dave Rennie managed to win the next two Super Rugby competitions within the same time frame. Andy Freeman, Hamilton.

On schooling
The only time my children were allowed to be off school was when I could see spots.
June Krebs, Sunnyhills.

On fruit-pickers
Maybe supervised prisoners could be incentivised by having one day taken off their sentence for each day of fruit-picking that they do? Glen Stanton, Mairangi Bay.

On abuse
The story of Alison Pascoe spending 40 years in psychiatric hospitals and enduring physical, sexual, and emotional abuse was heartbreaking. She should have been granted the $4 million she sought. Lew Crawford, Albany.

The Premium Debate

Inflation is ugly, but has it peaked?

Peaked? No way. Even the eternal optimists are getting pessimistic. Roy H.

I see no evidence that it has peaked or that we are taking the dramatic measures we have to get on top of it. In the world I have been looking at, 7 per cent would have been a good result, many expected it to be more, and more it is. Storm R.

When's it going to peak then and what's it going to peak at? Anna K.

That will depend on how quickly this Government realises the problem and sets about to change it. One thing is for sure, you cannot continue with ideological policies that it is wrapped up in. Storm R.

Inflation is a tax on the poor because those on low or fixed incomes lose the value of their savings or their incomes buy less. Jacinda Ardern is hurting the very people she claims to fight for. I wonder if they will wake up and realise how badly they have been treated by the party that is meant to protect them. Bridget A.

Banks have been increasing their margins on lending without a murmur of dissent. The margins of banks in Australia are half of ours and they were similar. Retail banks have been regularly raising their interest rates despite no change in the OCR and then raising them again when the Reserve Bank does lift the OCR. Billions of profit to their shareholders at expense of mortgage holders. John W.

In answer to the headline question: Nope. Kathryn M.