Letters: Ihumātao, Man of (two) letters, healthcare and Oranga Tamariki

Tents have been pitched at the Ihumatao land protest in Mangere. Photo / Peter Meecham

In respect to the Ihumātao dispute, it seems to me that Winston Peters and Shane Jones are the only ones speaking common sense. Government has a responsibility to protect lawful property rights and in this regard Fletcher's legitimate ownership of the land is absolutely unchallengeable in NZ law.

What we are witnessing is potentially a quite significant change to the way Māoridom has historically operated. In this case iwi are no longer the spokespeople for their land, with other people demonstrating their disagreement with the iwi view.

In the absence of overt Government support for their lawful ownership, Fletcher should simply walk away from its proposed development. They can retain the land or sell it if there is a willing buyer somewhere.

The protesters and iwi can then sit back and look at one another for as long as they feel inclined.

Phil Chitty, Albany

Man of (two) letters

Please advise my learned friend Tony Lawson, from the delightful One Tree Point (Letters, June 28), it takes skill and determination to get two letters published in the same edition. Quite clearly, Mr Lawson has a long way to go!

I understand that having umpired so many one-dayers and tests in England, Mr Erasmus now qualifies as an Englishman!

Bruce Tubb, Belmont

Latest gorilla upgrade

Relying on a prejudiced view of history, Patricia Butler says Christianity does not stand for the sacredness of each human life (Letters, July 21). She might have a point if the Church were the only organisation in history to fail its principles.

The real problem, now Christianity has been sidelined, is we no longer even pay lip-service to the intrinsic value of the human being: why would we, if we are nothing more than the latest gorilla upgrade? Instead, our value is determined by the arrogance and caprice of our new masters, who have decided who is good and who is bad according to group identity. "Morality" is now about what you are, not what you do.

The loss of each human being's sacred value is immeasurable.

Gavan O'Farrell, Lower Hutt

Way to health win/win

Recently, parents of a 5-month-old child with breathing problems twice waited eight hours in Middlemore Hospital Emergency Dept to see a doctor ("It's not good enough", Herald on Sunday, July 19). Surely that demands urgent action to get people into private hospitals and a tax deduction for private health cover is the only way and cheaper than building many more public hospitals.

Reintroduction of tax deductions on healthcare premiums would immediately drop the health cover cost by 15-33 per cent depending on your top tax rate on final income level as an answer to long queues for life-saving surgery and treatment.

It would be an easy and quick solution that would enable thousands to get private cover and quick operations while also greatly easing demand on public hospitals and saving taxpayer the cost of many operations. A win/win.

Murray Hunter, Titirangi

Children failed badly

As of March 2019 there were 6400 children and young people under the care and protection custody of the chief executive. There were 41,600 assessments and interventions completed after 90,500 reports of concerns were received.

Why are we failing our children so badly that Oranga Tamariki has become the "responsibility of care" for so many of our precious tamariki?

Paul Evans-McLeod, Te Rapa

Beehive knitting circle

I note an increasing number of articles and letters about politicians considering ways to improve our wellbeing. The last person I'd want to look after my needs is a politician. With their penchant for getting things wrong they'd probably screw up an otherwise satisfactory existence. They can stick to their knitting.

John Clements, Orewa