Nine new Kāinga Ora apartments in Auckland's Meadowbank were built at a cost of $11 million. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
The case for an asset sale
The best-known political football to be kicked around recently has been David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill.
However, in recent days another football has arrived on the political field – the question of government sales of assets – again seemingly a battle between left and right.
In this latter regard, the Herald has correctly reported twice regarding nine new apartments built by Kāinga Ora in Meadowbank at an estimated cost of $1.8 million each, including land value.
Many of the apartments have wonderful views and I would imagine their value to be approximately $2m each. It was suggested Kāinga Ora, which is losing large sums of money, should sell these for something approaching $18m in total, which could then be converted into many more less-expensive apartments.
This is an excellent example of a government asset being sold for a better purpose.
But this is not happening for whatever reason – yesterday the first tenants moved in, after several months of standing empty. I am certain that, to give Kāinga Ora a 5% return, the tenants are not paying rent of $100,000 a year.
Is this not a good example of very poor financial performance?
Steve Clerk, Meadowbank.
Speed limits
The Government believes raising the speed limit will save an average of three minutes a journey (Jan 30).
However, many have highlighted the growing evidence that higher speeds can lead to more frequent and more severe accidents. It seems the Government, for reasons I can’t understand, thinks we are willing to accept the human cost of these accidents for the sake of saving three minutes on our trips.
I don’t believe we will achieve these time savings on average. Accidents can delay motorists for hours while they are investigated and cleared. Additionally, higher speeds increase wear and tear on roads, leading to more maintenance.
Roadworks typically cause delays far exceeding three minutes. Ultimately, we could be paying a significant human cost for little-to-no economic benefit.
Nigel Owen, Hamilton.
Eden Park bluster
I do hope the people about to decide on the stadium strategy for Auckland can see the real truths behind the bluster of the Eden Park CEO on the call by the Prime Minister to allow unlimited concerts at the (not national) stadium (Jan 25).
The truth is concerts are the only thing the independently owned Eden Park is good for. But we also have the council-owned Western Springs and Mt Smart that have been judged good enough to host the likes of the Rolling Stones, Adele and U2 in recent years. And a new stadium could be best of all.
Eden Park fails as a venue for football and cricket – being too big for one and too small for the other following the poorly designed redevelopment in 2011 that cost the public close to a quarter of a billion dollars. It is beyond economic salvage and we must not send good money after bad.
Tony Waring, Grey Lynn.
Hide and seek
The Prime Minister and a number of National MPs have repeated the talking point, no doubt fashioned by a crack, well-funded team of highly paid media geniuses, that the Treaty Principles Bill is a result of the MMP electoral system.
I disagree; the fact that the bill is before Parliament is not a result of MMP, it’s a result of the poor leadership of the Prime Minister and his caucus. This was a political judgment call on the part of the National Party.
This has now backfired, the country is divided and the anger and division are growing and will go on doing so as long as the Treaty Principles Bill is in play. David Seymour’s political stock is building and the Prime Minister is looking weaker by the day. Running and hiding from Waitangi has done nothing but reinforce that image.
Our country needs leadership in the Treaty space. National has shown courageous leadership in the past – Sir Doug Graham, Chris Finlayson, Jim Bolger to name a few.
The Prime Minister should be at Waitangi. Good leaders never run and hide from danger.
Nick Bagley, Pukekohe.
Waitangi celebrations
I know lots of New Zealanders get upset about Waitangi Day celebrations.
My parents for many years always celebrated Waitangi Day at Waitangi. In those days they and their friends stayed at the Waitangi Hotel for four nights. They played golf and enjoyed the celebrations on the day, mixing and mingling with the people who were there.
They always came home telling us children what a wonderful time they had and that they had booked again for the following year. Why oh why can’t we turn back the clock and all enjoy celebrating Waitangi Day.
It is such a beautiful part of our country to be celebrating and we are all so lucky to be living in New Zealand.
Sally-Lou Crawford, Milford.
Shopper surveillance
Why all the fuss about the police using surveillance data as an aid and why is it brought to the fore when it’s used against a prominent, known shoplifter such as ex-MP Golriz Ghahraman, who of all people should set an example.
I don’t have a problem with it and if it assists the police in doing their work, then fine. They won’t be interested in the normal, law-abiding citizens.
Paul Beck, West Harbour.
War on woke
Respected correspondent Fran O’Sullivan is so correct in saying the pendulum has swung too far with the woke culture war (Jan 25).
Wokeism has been described as the most destructive force for humanity since the atomic bomb at Hiroshima. Wokeism has attempted to destroy history, beauty, national pride, the appreciation of merit and the quest for excellence in learning and wisdom.
It replaces traditional art with politically correct subject matter and virtue signalling. It destroys childhood innocence. It attempts to convert all these many splendid aspects of human existence into the cold grey ashes of totalitarianism.
Above all it embraces anti-Semitism and the destruction of our Judeo-Christian heritage. The worldwide movement to rid our society of the neo-Marxist concept of “wokeism” is thankfully well under way, with women regaining personal spaces set aside for females and partaking once again in sporting activities for females alone.
Hylton Le Grice, Remuera.
Dodging dogma
I see Fran O’Sullivan is setting herself up to be “laser-focused” in promoting National and will no doubt be “fantastic” at it. That is her prerogative,
It’s just a pity that along the way she had to take a swipe at those who she disagrees with by using the collective ad hominem, so beloved of the right, “woke”.
Nice try – those of us who like to see ourselves as open-minded will quite happily live with that jibe rather than be seen to be hide-bound by dogma and a blinkered approach to social issues.
John Capener, Kawerau.
Rubbish reason
Auckland Council is playing dirty with the new charging system for household rubbish.
Until now we have paid for a bin tag that is based on the size of the bins we use. In our case, a small household, and there would no doubt be many like us across Auckland, we use a small 80-litre bin and we put it out about every three weeks on average. Therefore we pay about $59.50 a year.
Under the new system and for the same-size bin, we will be paying a fixed charge included in our rates (for the same bin size) of $145.24 a year. Therefore the new system is costing us about $86 more than previously.
What is totally incorrect is for council to try to justify the new system by saying it is fairer and will encourage waste minimisation. The council is wrong on both counts and the only fair system and one that will encourage waste minimisation is user pays, which it is at present.
Obviously, the real reason for the change is to simply increase revenue at the expense of the ratepayers.
John Robert Jones, Mairangi Bay.
Dog rules
I think Auckland Council is being most unreasonable in bringing in new regulations to manage dog walkers (Jan 25) when it cannot even manage the regulations already in place regarding stray dogs and illegal breeding (as is happening next door to us – we gave up complaining). As usual, common sense and practicality are missing from our elected councillors and unelected civil servants.
Derek Paterson, Sunnyhills.
A quick word
All those crying foul over speeds being increased need to calm down. The initial speed lowering was a socialist wokeness that was out of control. If the roads are as dangerous as the left claims, invest in fixing the problem. This is another example of cyclic politics evading progress.
John Ford, Taradale.
Sir John Key says New Zealand has no assets left to sell. This is not true. State Highway 5 between Rangitaiki and Eskdale needs investment. Private enterprise could buy it, fix it up and toll it. This would speed up productivity and growth, with 100km/h all the way.
Arch Thomson, Mt Wellington.
Can we have the Toyota bugger advert back? I’d trade it for that irritating Trivago one. One is class, the other is arse?
Grant Spencer, Patumāhoe.
Contrary to John Minto’s claims that he speaks on behalf of New Zealand society, he does not. I don’t believe he has ever earned that right and never will. He also claims our government is complicit in the most horrendous war crimes of the 21st century. Oh dear. You do seem to enjoy following your own agenda and you probably always will. That’s your prerogative. But it’s probably time you realised the world is a much-larger place than your own narrow view.
Pene Ashby, Whangārei.
Thank you Winston Peters for saying what needs to be said. Nobody else is brave enough. I admire you for addressing the elephant in the room. We, who have lived in this country all our lives, are being dictated to by those just arrived. Winston, I salute you.
Fiona Helleur, Milford.
I fail to see how drugs and alcohol, the No 1 cause of deaths on the road, are going to be decreased by increasing the speed limits. Surely by increasing the speed limits, the knock-on effect to other vehicles from a drug or alchohol-related accident is going to increase rather than decrease the number of deaths.
Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay.
Rawiri Waititi is complaining about the police operation to return trolleys back to their rightful owners in Rotorua. Instead of complaining and moaning about how everyone else isn’t doing anything helpful, why doesn’t Rawiri reach out and advocate for these 32 people in his own electorate and help them access some actual assistance.
Mark Young, Ōrewa.
The cost of many school uniforms is ridiculous and demonstrates the reason they were introduced. The original idea was to make the difference between rich and poor less obvious by making them all wear the same clothes, ie become uniform. The most practical step schools should take today is to reduce the number of items needed and make sure they only select garments available at a reasonable price.
Jeanette Grant, Mt Eden.
Nicola (don’t mention the ferries) Willis now wants digital nomads to come and work here, while at the same time the Government is making a large group of IT specialists redundant at Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora. So, I presume what she really means is cheap digital nomads, which is exactly the same as what Elon Musk is trying to do in America.
David H. Fisher, Howick.
May I politely suggest that the parents who complained the school lunches provided free for their children were “yuck and late” have another option – provide them themselves.
Janet Boyle, Ōrewa.
'He wouldn't get out of my house...then he asked to suck my toes.'