A ram-raid burglary at the Liquor Centre in Greenhithe, Auckland in May 2022. Photo / Hayden Woodward
The article regarding a mother’s despair at her serial ram-raider son being “rehabilitated” by playing Monopoly at a social service centre was particularly ironic (HoS, Feb 18).
In recent years there’s been an exponential breakdown in social cohesion and responsibility that almost always can be sheeted back to survival pressures within family units.
Despite the so-called “cost-of-living crisis”, the single most inflationary factor recently has been the cost of housing.
Two decades of soaring house prices have ratcheted up accommodation costs - either in mortgage repayments or rental rates - to where they now consume the lion’s share of mid- and lower socio-economic household budgets, and the more vulnerable get spat out the back end.
As the newly disenfranchised become increasingly disengaged and dysfunctional, so the downstream collateral property damage and human casualties of gratuitous crime piles high.
Because successive governments have rewarded housing as an investment vehicle, and further fuelled it through immigration-led population growth, housing has been turned into a pile of casino chips - or perhaps more accurately, those little wooden “houses” used in Monopoly.
The serial ram-raider might be playing the game, but chances are those little wooden replicas are the closest he’s ever going to get to a real house - or real rehabilitation.
Frank Greenall, Whanganui.
I’m not surprised the dreadful comments Labour MP Ginny Andersen directed towards Police Minister Mark Mitchell have been so widely condemned.
Her later underplaying the incident by saying she just “crossed a line” is inadequate and certainly does not serve as a proper apology.
Even previous Labour leader David Shearer criticised her words as being “over the top,” while Labour leader Chris Hipkins said her comments went too far.
Mark Mitchell is right, her text apology is insufficient.
She displayed crass ignorance about the work Mitchell has done, especially while stationed overseas, frequently under extremely difficult circumstances.
Shearer was right in saying her flippant quips were divorced from reality, adding a sitdown chat with Mitchell would be better.
If I was Mark Mitchell I would not want to be even in the same room with someone so rude and ignorant. Give her a wide berth Mark, at least until a proper written apology is received - not just a brief text message.
Colleen Wright, Botany Downs.
If I had only read page 21 of last week’s Herald on Sunday, I would have had all the necessary confirmation to be convinced that what many of us have said for many years was actually factually correct.
Heather du Plessis-Allan started the page with great insight into the previous Government’s shambles regarding Auckland’s infrastructural mishaps. Nicely written, with plenty of balance.
Then Shane Te Pou continued digging deeper and, in my humble opinion, this is exactly how the media should dish us their commentary. No smugness, but hard facts with a touch of humour for good measure, even though the joke is, in this case, on us, the taxpayers and Auckland’s ratepayers.
At least the Herald on Sunday allows it to be exposed clearly and properly, so that we and our elected representatives can now start doing properly what needs to be done, under Wayne Brown’s slogan “for the greater good”.
René Blezer, Taupō.
Your writer in Sports Shorts (HoS, February 18) is bemused by what they see as irrelevant and incongruous items of Māori content plonked randomly during the cricket coverage on TV.
They need to understand, and I suspect do, that the major corporates and the two TV companies are in a race to be seen as inclusive, accepting of diversity and embracing of te reo and all things Māori.
We certainly need to embrace Māori culture as part of who we are, and inclusivity is important, but it is disturbing that these corporates are cynically virtue-signalling for their own ends, trying to achieve the Rainbow Tick etc as badges of honour, and Māori and the LGBTQ community are just pawns in their game.
ANZ sponsors the cricket and their efforts in using only te reo, with no English equivalent, is forced and prescribed. ASB did the same at the tennis. Māori and those communities deserve better than this.
Reminds me of plastic tikis being sold in souvenir shops.
Colin Nicholls, Mt Eden.
A realtor facing a five-year ban for refusing to complete a course on Māori culture. What?
Surely no one can take the livelihood away from someone simply for making a decision on what they want or don’t want to learn within that industry.
Imposing such a severe ban could lead to a protracted legal battle, as it touches upon fundamental principles of individual rights and professional freedom.
It is crucial to recognise that mandatory courses should be relevant and essential to the core functions of a profession.
Forcing individuals to undertake courses that may not directly contribute to their expertise can be perceived as an unnecessary infringement on personal choice and professional autonomy.
A re-think is necessary surely.
Alan Walker, St Heliers.
It is time that New Zealand stops spending huge amounts of taxpayer funding on inquiries and reviews of Oranga Tamariki and changes the system completely.
All that wasted money could have been spent on providing wraparound services, money for education and training for parenting, funding for extra social workers to help struggling families and material support for children taken into custody care - all helping to make meaningful changes to a broken and under-resourced organisation.
Marie Kaire, Whangārei.
Australia’s plan to double their fleet of warships is insane. They would be far better to form strong relationships with China rather than consider them an enemy.
Instead of spending $11 billion on new frigates and destroyers they could invest in a network of bullet trains across their vast country or upgrade other infrastructure.
New Zealand’s plan not to fund the purchase of new Interislander ferries is equally insane. Any country in the world consisting of two islands would link them up with the best quality ferries as infrastructure is vital.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should pull rank on Finance Minister Nicola Willis and reinstate the deal for the new Interisland ferries. After all, National campaigned on future-proofing infrastructure so they need to deliver.
Glen Stanton, Mairangi Bay.
What happened to the old saying “that the captain goes down with the ship”?
The first to abandon ship was Jacinda Ardern, followed by Kelvin Davis and now Grant Robertson with a few more before the election.
Then we have a spate of CEOs in the private sector whose companies are under-performing who have decided to jump ship.
Like our deserting Labour MPs these CEOs will have no problem finding other well-paid positions despite their poor performances.
Jock MacVicar, Hauraki.
Apparently there are millions of dollars available from taxpayers for munitions and assorted warfare to help Ukraine to fight the Russians, some $6m to be precise, plus a further $20m in humanitarian assistance.
It appears that the coalition Government has not got enough money to assist poverty-struck Kiwis, and deprived children, but plenty to provide money for warfare and to assist a country which has never had much of a relationship with ours.
Bruce Woodley, Birkenhead.
The circumstances around the death are being treated as unexplained.