Letters: Global gripes, child abuse, subsidising Wellington, tax cuts, and Ukraine

Demonstrators light flares in Buenos Aires, Argentina, while demanding more welfare assistance for those hard-hit by one of the world's highest inflation rates.Photo / Victor R. Caivano, AP

Worldwide whine
I was recently fortunate to travel throughout Europe. In my travels, I had a lot of contact with Germans, Canadians, Americans, French and English people.
Our situation in New Zealand is not unique.
They all complained of Government intervention and the impact of Covid. Failures in health, education, increased crime, homelessness, inflation, and both costs and undersupply creating the housing crisis. The impact of debt and lack of opportunity for the next generation.
Wake up those of you who are bleating, moaning, griping, and groaning. These are worldwide issues. They are not unique to New Zealand.
Irrespective of worldwide governments' approaches and strategies, the impact has been similar. Irrespective of whether left or right politically, the effect has been similar.
Get over yourselves; stop grizzling and blaming the Government, it is worldwide.
Even if National was in power throughout the crisis, outcomes would not be dissimilar, and the moaners and groaners would still be with us.
Rubin Levin, Devonport.

Abuse factors
Although it seems obvious that Oranga Tamariki failed terribly by not acting to protect Malachi Subecz (NZ Herald, October 6), the horrifying story of his mistreatment and death requires us - once again- to look deeper to identify likely contributing causes.
One that immediately occurs to me is the damage done to children separated from their mothers when the latter are imprisoned, which reflects disgracefully on us as a nation.
Another is the lack of resources in staff, training, etc, and poor working conditions that many public services are afflicted with; it's amazing some of them can find anyone willing to work there.
And, without knowing the details, I imagine that inequities in access to education, housing, and healthcare probably played their part.
Yes, Oranga Tamariki should have been able to step in and prevent this tragedy. However, ensuring better lives for children involves a whole lot more than creating an agency that excels at plucking them out of danger when things get really bad.
Andrea Dawe, Sandringham.

Capital punishment
To hand today, I have an insurance account for a residential property. My broker has outlined that the cover that the Earthquake Commission provides has increased to a maximum of $300,000, with the levy now rising from $300 to $480 plus GST.
What isn't mentioned is that I am subsidising Wellington homeowners who have the greatest risk in the country, as the premium isn't set on a risk basis, but on a flat New Zealand-wide basis.
This doesn't apply to commercial property in Wellington where risk is factored correctly, but does result in higher occupancy charges for tenants, the majority of which are Government-based, so we pick up the payments in our taxes.
Three Waters is another point, where centuries of under-investment by Wellington local government have resulted in old pipes bursting and sewage and potable water flowing over the streets. Wellington councillors have welcomed with open arms handing these costs on to the rest of New Zealand.

A street in downtown Wellington is closed after a wastewater pipe collapsed. Photo / Georgina Campbell, File

Just about everything connected to the concentration of Government in Wellington ends up in greater cost for the rest of New Zealand. It's time to shift the capital to the Australasian Plate and close the place down.
Graeme Berryman, Titirangi.

Dwindling funds
I keep reading about tax cuts by the opposing political parties, I would be interested to know just how they are going to do that.
Every bit of infrastructure in the country needs more money spent on it.
More houses, more hospitals, and nurses and doctors to staff them. Pharmac needs more money to fund treatments that other countries such as Britain and Australia already fund. A full year's budget could be spent on our roads alone. We have great 50-tonne trucks hurtling toward each other on roads designed for horses and carts.
Come on you politicians, tell us how you are going to fund the above and still cut taxes.
J Longson, Kawerau.

Get the GST
John McDonald's article (NZ Herald, October 3) talks about the Treasury advising the Government to charge GST on unemployment insurance.
We already have the most draconian GST net in the world, and we should be thinking of eliminating GST on food, medicine etc., not adding even more items to GST.
Kushlan Sugathapala, Epsom.

Easing confrontation
I respectfully disagree with your latest editorial on Ukraine (NZ Herald, October 3) which recommended that we continue the confrontation with Putin:
"Although this is clearly a dangerous stage of a dangerous conflict, the Kremlin's opponents cannot lose their nerve. Pressure needs to continue, even though the cost is huge and dealing with a leader who can't bear losing makes it especially risky."
You correctly emphasise the great danger of continued confrontation, but when on a clear track to nuclear war, "losing our nerve" is not the right phrase as it implies we lack courage.
What we need isn't nerve, it's the sense and brains to alter our behaviour. Both sides are now trying to take territory not under their control before the war, and both are driving a senseless and bloody escalation. War fever must end and the grim reality of nuclear war must be faced. Our Government should call for a war freeze and an immediate start to negotiations.
S R Jacobs, Glenfield.

Compulsory lectures
As law academics at the University of Auckland, we support Victoria University of Wellington (VUW) in making attendance at second-year law classes compulsory.
Similarly to VUW, student attendance levels at law lectures at Auckland are at an all-time low. Our sense is that this is due to students becoming used to not being on campus during the pandemic, the University requiring us to release recordings of all of our lectures online and students needing to work more to meet rising living costs.
We are keenly aware of the difficulties many students face in balancing commitments. Also, there will always be students who cannot attend lectures and we are open to arranging access to recordings.
Law is a discipline that requires students to learn how to reason, analyse and distinguish arguments and articulate ideas lucidly.
The passive delivery of technical information through listening to lecture recordings does not adequately prepare students for an extremely difficult and demanding profession. Students also miss out on many of the benefits of forming relationships with others who will link them into the profession and be their support for years to come.
We applaud the courage and leadership shown by VUW in addressing the issue.
Professor Mark Henaghan, Professor Julia Tolmie, Associate Professor Treasa Dunworth, Associate Claire Charters, Associate Professor Carrie Leonetti, Associate Professor Jesse Wall, Dr Anna Hood, Dr Jane Norton, Katherine Sanders, Dr Fleur Te Aho, Dr Edward Willis, Dylan Asafo and Tracey Whare

Crime prevention
Your correspondent V M Fergusson of Mt Eden (NZ Herald, October 5) sadly overlooks some extremely important issues regarding our Justice system.
Incarcerating violent criminals is as much about keeping them from repeating their offending and, thus, protecting the general public, as it is about punishing them.
We need to spend less focus on the treatment of criminals and more on their victims who deserve to witness that justice has been fairly delivered.
Surely the majority of law-abiding New Zealanders would want to see a methamphetamine manufacturer/distributor locked up safely in prison for the harm they are causing on a daily basis?
Chris Parker, Campbells Bay.

Otherwise deployed
Yesterday, while walking in a Mt Eden back-street on my way to catch my bus, I saw eight young men in high-vis vests "supervising" a lone workman who was cutting the footpath with a concrete saw.
When I reached my bus stop, the electronic sign told me that my bus had been cancelled. No drivers to be found - apparently.
Is our current situation just an aftereffect of Covid-19, or is there another illness that we are spreading of our own accord?
George Horvath, Mt Eden.

Support system
Colin R in Premium Debate (NZ Herald, October 5) has worked hard, taken risks and now has a comfortable life. But, if those risks had turned sour, it might have been a different story.
That's where the government will step in. The government has already helped Colin with free education, free healthcare, and a pension when the time comes.
It's not "greedy and privileged", it's "we pay taxes so we can help each other".
Susan Grimsdell, Auckland Central.

Short & sweet

On Matariki
With Matariki now established as an annual event, is there any sense in having two public holidays every winter? Chris Kiwi, Mt Albert.

On elections
Why is central government so involved with this year's local body elections? I just wonder whether this has impacted on the lack of voter turnout so far? D. Cook, Torbay.

No, I don't want Auckland brought "together". I want the potholes fixed. K H Peter Kammler, Warkworth.

On taxation
John Denton (NZH, Oct. 5), cites the US as an example of tax reform. In 2012, their debt to the World Bank was fourteen trillion dollars. Ten years later, it is thirty-one trillion dollars. J McCormick, Gisborne.

Can Christopher Luxon please explain what areas of government spending are to be cut and by how much to pay for tax cuts, if he is not borrowing like the UK? Noel Bland, Grey Lynn.

On Emmerson
Emmerson's cartoon (NZH, Oct. 5) showing Herald readers enjoying Simon Wilson's multiple columns on the local elections is priceless. Trevor Elwin, Half Moon Bay.

On Covid
Frankly, I do not know what scares me the most, the virus or the critics of epidemiologists. Mike Crosby, Papakura.

The Premium Debate

Another 50-point hike to the Official Cash Rate

This is so wrong. We can't go on like this, paying dearly for the Government's spending. I think as citizens and taxpayers we need to say no to this. Paul T.

Rates rises curb inflation. If they don't do this, inflation gets worse. Which would you rather, cheaper mortgage or everything you buy more expensive? Brian G.

An increase in GST would do this better and not make the Aussie banks even richer than they are now. Push GST to 17.5 per cent. The first $15k of earnings is tax-free so offers the poorest a lift up and means mortgage rates stay at say 3 per cent or 4 per cent. Cut business tax to 25 per cent to encourage investment in businesses. These things drive the economy forward, whereas taking too much tax causes underinvestment and lost opportunities. This Government has the fiscal brains of McScrooge in that it believes the more you can take now is what it is all about, not leaving enough behind to encourage business entrepreneurs and commitment to excellence and create new worthwhile employment opportunities. Guy M.

Where do you think the money comes from for healthcare, hospitals, schools etc? But you want a tax cut for businesses as that old trickle-down theory works so well. How about reducing the minimum wage too? Talk about dragging us back to the stone age. No thanks, we will ride out the storm caused by this pandemic and rise to greater heights with our fantastic leader, leaving the misogynists and naysayers behind. Steve M.

Based on the latest poll, and the trends, Steve, there is more chance of finding a snowball in hell. Your fantastic leader has led Labour to the lowest poll since she was elected. It won't stop here... 25 per cent by December 25 has a nice ring about it, don't you think? Rob K.