Enough pipe dreams, let's fix what we already have. Photo / Stuart Whitaker
Here’s the remedy
I am so tired of politicians telling us about all the wonderful ways they are going to spend our money. New roads, new tunnels, new teaching rules, new this, new that. I would like to hear from a political party that will focus on fixing what we already have. We can fix congestion by improving our public transport and reducing the number of cars. We can fix our health system by funding more medicines and changing the way we train doctors and nurses. We can fix our roads by filling in potholes and adding safety strips and median barriers. We can fix education by getting rid of NCEA and focusing on internationally-recognised qualifications. If we had a political party that would fix what we already have over the next 10 to 12 years, rather than promoting pipe dreams, we could start to become the wealthy, healthy country we used to be.
Eddie Mann, Remuera.
Family caught
Your recent series of articles on the Family Court and its impact on families is commendable as it virtually details the total range of injustice caused by legislation and process. The comment in the third article (NZ Herald, August 28) that whoever gets in first with whatever allegation wins the protection and parenting order is entirely correct. The Domestic Violence Act is male-biased. Regardless of what the allegation is, and whether it is truthful or not, the police will require the male to leave the premises, causing considerable psychological damage to children. Until the legislation and process are changed to ensure that applications for protection and parenting orders are placed under more intense scrutiny and substantial penalties are imposed on persons submitting documentation to the court, when that documentation is false either in part or in full or contains information that cannot be verified or sustained by compelling evidence, then more fathers will be the victim of vicious campaigns to alienate them from their children.
Wayne McNeil, Henderson.
Changing the script
Amanda Janoo’s opinion piece (NZ Herald, August 28) was revelatory. In the same way that the Barbie movie’s piece on the patriarchy was depressingly familiar, Janoo’s piece is similarly so obvious but opens a world of a different kind - world not run by men in suits, saying: “Well, at the end of the day, it’s about profit.” And us all nodding and saying: “Oh yes, you must be right.” There is a different way to run the world. Enough of the old ways, they haven’t worked for most of us, and the ones it has worked for are desperately trying to make sure it doesn’t change.
Samantha Cunningham, Henderson.
Election spending
We’re about to see hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on election campaigns. This spending is governed by the Electoral Act. Alleged breaches however appear to be prosecuted by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO). Why this occurs is puzzling. Even more puzzling is the low success rate of the SFO. Part of this may be attributable to the inherent conflict between the remedies of the Electoral Act and the Crimes Act provisions. This strategy needs review, not least because it seems to me to be a waste of SFO resources. The difficulty the SFO faces is illustrated by the failed prosecution of Labour Party members earlier this year related to supposedly overvalued paintings. If the SFO with its extensive powers, resources and legal expertise can’t prosecute matters surrounding the Electoral Act with some certainty, then there needs to be an overhaul of legislation, not just the tinkering that occurred last year. The underlying approach to political party funding in New Zealand is flawed and outdated and needs to be addressed anew. No doubt we will see allegations and perhaps prosecutions arising from the upcoming election. If the same failure rate continues, then my concerns will be shown to be well-founded.
D.J. Gates, Cambridge.
Ripe old age
Thank you to Dame Judy McGregor (NZ Herald, August 25) for highlighting the low pay for workers in aged care, home, and community support. When my late mother received home support and then residential care, I came to appreciate the importance of good, caring, reliable aged care. I hope that all relevant parties will take note of her article and the issues raised. We all age. Most of us hope to reach a good old age, and some of us will require home support or residential care. Let’s ensure that the carers are well-remunerated, and older people continue to be treated with the respect, dignity and care that we ourselves would wish to receive.
Derek Tovey, Glen Eden.
Price surge
The wholesale price of electricity in New Zealand uses a marginal pricing model. All generators are paid the price of the most expensive source that has to be used to meet the demand at that time, which is often coal generation at Huntly. That is like an automated supermarket checkout machine using the combined weight of all your groceries and using the $/kg price of the most expensive item to work out what to charge you. Are any of our potential political leaders brave enough to try to change the bizarre electricity pricing regime?
Steve Goldthorpe, Warkworth.
Climate denied
I wonder whether Todd Muller has decided not to continue his career in politics because the National Party does not share his concern for climate change. James Shaw does. Muller described Shaw, in his valedictory speech, as a “gentleman and a friend”. One can’t help wondering if they share the same concern for our country and elsewhere in view of recent weather events; cyclones and floods that have devastated parts of Auckland and the East Coast and are costing the country billions of dollars, and fires and heatwaves in the Northern Hemisphere. And these things, we are told by people who know, are just the start. But the election campaign is determined by Christopher Luxon’s combative style and is only interested in any other subject than climate change. Sadly, it appears to me that Muller’s loyalty to National requires him to not say what he really thinks.
Selwyn Boorman, Waikanae.
Storm recovery
In your article on funding the Auckland storm recovery, the impression was given that it is only a few areas of our region still impacted. Sadly the damage is widespread, including on the isthmus. In my ward, we have had landslides in Pt Chevalier and Hillsborough, burst river banks in Mt Roskill and Wesley, and many homes flooded throughout the upper Meola Waitītiko catchment in Sandringham, Balmoral, Mt Eden and Three Kings, plus damage along the Whau and Wairaki streams in Lynfield. There are many other pockets of damage further afield, where the ground was just too saturated and stormwater infrastructure hasn’t coped. For some, the heavy rainfalls of 2023 have just been a bad time to dry your washing, but others are still not back in their homes, have lost their possessions, and become anxious when it rains. Please don’t forget the very real human cost and the ongoing efforts to rebuild.
Julie Fairey, ward councillor, Albert-Eden-Puketāpapa.
Risk ignored
Deputy Mayor Simpson trumpets having pressed staff into getting a better than 50:50 deal with the Government for Auckland’s flood-damaged buildings (NZ Herald, August 28). She is lucky the Government gave anything at all. Since the 1920s, legislation has aimed at encouraging local councils to plan to avoid creating flood hazards (acts of 1926, 1953, 1976, 1977, 1981, 1987 and 1991.) Instead, Auckland seems to have done the opposite. Local politicians, council staff, developers, property owners and lawyers have ensured residential and commercial buildings were located on land at great risk from severe flooding. Decisions were sown, buildings grew, and the deluge reaped its reward. This year’s flooding shows the extent the council failed to effectively implement the legislation and escalated disaster potential. Portents of disaster due to poor urban land use planning decisions were foretold 40 years ago in the government-sponsored report Creating Flood Disasters: New Zealand’s need for a new approach to urban flood hazard. It held 22 recommendations for much-needed change. Mostly, it seems, ignored by local councils. Now council and property owners want to be bailed out by taxpayers.
Neil J. Ericksen, Forrest Hill.
Brace for jail
Those who avoid a jail sentence by being placed on home detention should be grateful. This should mean abiding by the simple rules. Violations of the privilege by the cutting off of anklets/bracelets or taking unauthorised leave by wrapping the device in tin foil should mean the violator is then immediately sent directly to jail.
Colleen Wright, Botany Downs.
Height advantage
I agree with the logic of Bernard Walker (NZ Herald, August 28) regarding the jet lag that the All Blacks faced following their long flights to London, via Hong Kong. High-performing athletes seek high-altitude venues the world over, in order to enhance their performances. The Boks have this at their back door. The elevation of Pretoria is 1300 metres and Johannesburg 1750m. Come down to sea level at Twickenham, and the benefits of conditioning at altitude are considerable and, in the case of Saturday’s game, enormous.
Vern Walker, Green Bay.
Over-confidence
Correspondent Bernard Walker (NZ Herald August 28) suggested that jet lag was responsible for the All Blacks defeat at Twickenham. He might well be right. So why would the ABs leave things so late? And why did they not train at Twickenham, preferring to hang around their hotel? There is one word that comes to mind: arrogance. Not by the players, but by the administrators and coaching staff.
Chris Parker, Campbells Bay.
On rugby
Get RTS on a plane to Europe tomorrow and play him at fullback. John Buchan, Torbay.
On teens
This Government wants to lower the local council voting age to 16. If this gets passed, then they should also be eligible to be jailed for criminal offences. Miles Hayward, Beachlands.
On divisiveness
“Division isn’t a path to progress, and it’s just not how I operate,” says Chris Hipkins, referring to not forming a government with New Zealand First. Does anyone not think that New Zealand has become a far more divided country under Labour? Ian MacGregor, Greenhithe.
On track
The glory days of New Zealand track and field appear to be over. No medals for us at the World Athletics Champs in Budapest. Andrew Tichbon, Green Bay.
On hecklers
Does the recent Statler and Waldorf-style heckling of both Chrises mean the current election is the New Zealand version of The Muppet Show? Alan Johnson, Papatoetoe.
On crime
National, in accusing Labour of holding up the spectre of a National/Act/New Zealand First coalition as resorting to the politics of fear, is a bit rich coming from the party that bangs the law and order drum every election. Raewyn Maybury, Tauranga.
Media Insider: TVNZ to ‘strengthen transparency’ over Breakfast content
The story about the Government buying favourable stories on TV1 is alarming. Even more alarming though is the story about media regulation. In line with left-wing governments the world over, they want to control the media and control the narrative. This is truly dangerous territory for any democracy. Hopefully, this Government will be gone before they put this in place. John K.
So if TVNZ has been caught out on climate change propaganda, what other Labour Government messages are being pushed? I suspect this may be the tip of a rather unpleasant iceberg. Jason L.
The health and success of democracy rely on the fourth estate to be independent, to provide unvarnished information, and to challenge the other estates - legislature, executive, and judiciary. Clearly, this has not been the case for some time at TVNZ, at least where challenging the executive is concerned. It comes as no surprise that the AM show has seen a discernable growth in viewership at Breakfast’s expense. Dan W.
Another great, insightful article from the NZ Herald. Our democracy is called into question when the Government used the supposedly-impartial media (particularly the state-funded media) to shape the public opinion to further their own agendas or ideologies; surely that cannot be allowed to happen. Albert C.
There needs to be more disclosure around government agencies placing ads with media outlets and the size of these advertising contracts. Think Covid messaging, vaccine messaging and the zero road toll idea the Labour Government has. The amounts involved in these campaigns are significant amounts of taxpayer money. Also I’d like to see disclosure of the amounts allocated via the public interest journalism fund. This is of public taxpayer interest. Lesley Y.
Covid and vaccine messaging were necessary, even vital, towards the success of New Zealand’s pandemic response. Public awareness equals public safety. I’m surprised that you’re complaining about these. Philip H.
Lily Arabin, 34, died in a car crash on the Tauranga Eastern Link on June 26.