Fifty people were injured, 12 of them needing hospital treatment, after a Latam flight plummeted en route to Auckland. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Drastic infrastructure solutions are needed
The concept of Three Waters had much merit but the previous Government jumped the gun and appointed several highly-paid executives to create a going concern which could then be presented to the electorate as a good deal.
But now we have a new Government determined to reinvent sliced bread. The sad reality for NZ is that many of the larger councils are going broke and some of them need to sell the family silver.
Auckland Council is going through a process to sell down its holding in Ports of Auckland. And the Bay of Plenty Regional Council is going through a similar process to sell down its holding in the Port of Tauranga.
Those shares will be lost to the respective communities for all time because the money to repurchase the shares will never again be available. Ageing infrastructure and the added costs associated with rubbish disposal plus wastewater and better water facilities will be beyond the financial resources of most councils.
So where will the new Government take us as most local councils struggle to find the money? It seems obvious to me that here in NZ we simply do not have the required funds. Perhaps we now need to look to China or the oil-rich Arab states to own and operate a new infrastructure agency.
Many questions will need to be asked. But one thing is clear. We can not survive using the present system. Drastic new solutions are needed.
Johann Nordberg, Paeroa.
State and the media
Plenty of food for thought from Steven Joyce’s article on the changing face of broadcasting services (Weekend Herald, Mar 9).
The most serious issue for me is whether news is meant to be a popularity contest - in terms of accessibility and opinions and commercial success - or is meant to deliver the truth.
Joyce poses the possibility of having “a media outlet that is known for its factual summaries of what actually happened”. Surely this is what the state should (must) provide: a comprehensive news service for listeners and viewers, based on high-quality investigative journalism and on-site reporting, and delivering balanced and politically neutral stories.
Reliance on market-driven providers and online news sources with their risk of mis/disinformation (even AI-generated fake news) is a frightening prospect.
A regulated state news service might not be popular numbers-wise and won’t likely be cheap, but it must be there as a standard-bearer, now more than ever.
Barbara Darragh, Auckland Central.
Unrestrained fliers
Irrespective of the cause of the Latam 787 pitch-down (apparently now known as a “movement”), much more worrying is the number of unrestrained passengers who were pitched up to the ceiling and injured.
Aircraft are no different to cars, in as much as unforeseen things may happen, whether that is clear air turbulence, wind shear, or, as in this case, an instrument malfunction which caused a temporary loss of control.
There is no reason why it should not be mandatory on all aircraft that passengers wear their seat belts loosely fastened at all times, not just when taking off or landing. Unrestrained passengers become missiles and endanger others. We all need to feel safe.
I suspect the majority of airlines would say enforcing such a rule would upset the public, but there have been far too many such flights recently where passengers have been similarly injured.
Now is the time for change.
Dr David Laidlow, Rotorua.
Too much reo
I do have concerns regarding the increasing prominence of te reo Māori in New Zealand’s public discourse, particularly in the media.
While I fully support the recognition of te reo as an official language and believe in the importance of preserving and celebrating indigenous languages, I am worried about the unintended consequences of its growing influence, particularly on the status of English in our society.
It seems that in the push to embrace te reo, some English words and phrases are being sidelined or even replaced entirely. Everyday greetings and expressions that have been a part of our English-speaking culture for generations are disappearing from our vocabulary, replaced by their te reo equivalents. While this may seem like a small change to some, it has significant implications for those who are not fluent in te reo, including many senior citizens.
As a result, I am concerned that a significant portion of the population, particularly older individuals who may not have had the opportunity to learn te reo earlier in life, are being left behind. Many of these individuals rely on English as their primary language for communication and may struggle to understand news reports and other forms of media that incorporate a significant amount of te reo content.
Furthermore, I worry about the impact this trend may have on inter-generational communication. If younger generations are increasingly exposed to and encouraged to use te reo at the expense of English, there may be a growing disconnect between them and their elders who are less familiar with the language.
While it is important to celebrate and preserve te reo as an integral part of our cultural heritage, we must also ensure that all members of our society, regardless of age or linguistic background, feel included and able to participate fully in our community.
Alan Walker, St Heliers.
Ardern doco
The approval from the New Zealand Film Commission to spend $800,000 of public money on a documentary on Jacinda Ardern is an outrage (Weekend Herald, Mar 9).
A leading Australian newspaper has stated that Ardern " promised the moon and delivered a flashlight”, and there is no doubt Ardern was a polarising and divisive politician underserving of a documentary partially funded by public funding.
This public funding would have been better directed towards poverty or mental health issues.
Randal Lockie, Rothesay Bay.
Tolerating intolerance
Dr Bonnie Jenkins, a US State Department official and an invited guest to this country, was prevented from giving a lecture in Wellington by pro-Palestinian and international socialist protesters (Weekend Herald, Mar 9).
Why did security and the police not immediately and vigorously defend the right of the audience to listen to the presentation? It was entirely predictable that the usual suspects of totalitarianism would turn up to shut down this woman, whose career has been devoted to reducing the threats of nuclear and chemical weapons as well as promoting the advancement of women of colour in the US.
Tolerating intolerance is a sign that we no longer believe freedom is worth defending and the silencing, encouraged by lack of arrests and severe punishment, is, once again, deafening.
Stewart Hawkins, St Heliers.
Irrelevant protest
We are fortunate to live where freedom of expression is acceptable, when many countries don’t enjoy that.
However, recently people are abusing that right, which could end up with this freedom being removed.
US Under-Secretary of State Bonnie Jenkins’ speech was rudely interrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters who were totally irrelevant to the subject at hand.
Police removed a protester and then the mob drowned the speaker out by chanting their ugly “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
Foreign Minister Winston Peters spoke out and said he was extremely disappointed to hear of the disruption, saying: “It showed contempt for the rest of those attending wishing to hear from the Under Secretary and reflects poorly on New Zealand.”
It was good to know that Bonnie Jenkins met with Defence Minister Judith Collins earlier this week, presumably with privacy to avoid any interruptions.
Colleen Wright, Botany Downs.
Riveting drama
The Better Public Media Trust is asking would we pay $60 a year for advert-free TVNZ? Darn right we would.
When television was first introduced in the 1960s we paid a licence fee of £100. The programmes were worth watching. I remember committee members turning up late for meetings so as not to miss an episode of some riveting drama.
Oh happy days. Bring them back.
Rosemary MacKenzie, Rotorua.
I was glad to see that the Ram Raid Offending Bill, currently in front of a select committee, heard submissions from advocacy groups for children such as Voice and The Pride Project. I sincerely hope the committee gives equal time and consideration to submissions from the victims of ram raids who have had their businesses and sometimes their lives destroyed by these youths.
Martin Spencer, Auckland Central.
While I agree it is unfortunate that TVNZ is cutting programmes like Fair Go and Sunday, it is not surprising. I imagine these shows cost a lot of money to make. It is not just the salaries of the presenters, but the camera crew, producers, researchers, post-production, overheads etc. Compare this to content made elsewhere, where TVNZ is simply just buying a licence to air it. At the end of the day TVNZ is a business and will try to gain the most revenue for the least cost.
Nigel Owen, Hamilton.
Assuming the gang patch legislation is passed the police will be faced with extra and more difficult work. In most occupations extra work automatically leads to an increase in pay. Mark Mitchell needs to put his (actually our) money where his mouth is.
Greg Cave, Sunnyvale.
Many small business owners are struggling to stay afloat and keep staff employed. When thieves are caught and charged, the mental health of the victim they have stolen from should be taken into account first.
Wendy Tighe-Umbers, Parnell.
Landlords are getting a tax break in order to help tenants, military-style semi-automatic weapons could be reintroduced to cut down on mass shootings and keep everyone safe, we’re re-writing the Treaty because no one knows what the current one means, and our Housing Minister suggests the homeless simply return to their family estates and live in an empty wing. We don’t have a Government with any ideas, they’re spouting empty and offensive nonsense.
Mark Nixon, Remuera.
For every hour of viewing, viewers are forced to watch over 20 minutes of advertising, mostly funeral insurance. No wonder television viewing is now terminal?
Bruce Tubb, Devonport.
Would the empty train fiasco which Pink fans from Eden Park endured after the Friday night concert happen if the event had been a sporting fixture?
Chris Kiwi, Mt Albert.
A delusional megalomaniac and an 81-year-old with severe cognitive issues. Characters in a new TV show? No, the two candidates vying to run the most powerful country on the planet.
Laurence Mallon, Te Atatu.
It would appear that Golriz Ghahraman is a serial shoplifter. I wonder what special discounts she will receive at her sentencing.
Ian Doube, Rotorua.
On Planet Shane Jones, if you care deeply about the wellbeing and future of our natural environment – land and waters – you are mocked as a “nimby”. What would he call you if you didn’t believe his boast that a fish farm off the coast of Whangārei Heads would create “hundreds of jobs”?
Peter Beyer, Sandringham.
In boxing, the whole aim is to knock your opponent out or at least knock them down. However in rugby, any head knock is bad and punishable. Strange thing isn’t it?
Bruce Turner, Cambridge.
A union delegate claims it took an eight-year 'fight' to get the $15 million payout.