Letters: Kāinga Ora rates bill - did heads roll?; te reo culture ‘wars’; and our health spend

Kāinga Ora was overcharged for rates for three Swaffield Rd units. Photo / Google Maps

Great news, Chris Knox discovered that Kāinga Ora had been overcharged nearly half a million dollars (NZ Herald, December 11): “Kāinga Ora overcharged $442,514 in Auckland Council rates for three Papatoetoe units”. Well done Chris and thank you on behalf of all Auckland city ratepayers.

Two tiny issues: how come neither Kāinga Ora nor Auckland Council auditors (nor any staff member for that matter) discovered such an obviously huge error?

A follow-up question - are they still employed? Because they shouldn’t be. That’s a disgraceful performance, and should it have occurred in the private sector, human resources would have been immediately involved and termination letters produced and delivered to the negligent parties.

Roger Hawkins, Herne Bay.

Creating war where there is none

Simon Wilson (NZ Herald, December 12) in “Let’s hear it against Government culture war” is creating a war where there is none, yet he seems to support one. Does he not understand that the coalition was elected on a platform of reducing te reo in government departments and unlike the previous Government they are immediately carrying out their promises?

The majority of us are happy to further integrate the Māori language into New Zealand culture but the message has been quite clear to all three coalition partners that many believe that the understandable English government department names have been subjugated by an “over-Māorification” to the extent that we no longer know which department is which. National’s “core constituencies” have spoken and they would not consider these policies “silly”.

Te Pati Māori may have won seven seats in Parliament but they received just 3 per cent of the party vote. I have to agree with Shane Jones that they are not the voice of Māori.

Mark Easson, Greenhithe.

An inspired case

Simon Wilson (NZ Herald, December 12) has parked his stock waspish tone, with an inspired case stated for a recognition of our Kiwi cultural taonga.

He points to our younger generation and their wholehearted support for the assimilation of mihi, te reo and kapa haka into our everyday formal and ceremonial celebrations.

Our distinctive love and respect of the best of Māori culture has become during my lifetime - and is now - a huge part of being a proud New Zealander.

Larry Mitchell, Rothesay Bay.

Ideology v common sense?

The proliferation of raised pedestrian crossings and different species of traffic-calming devices has made me wonder whether Auckland’s emergency services were ever consulted? These hazards mean slower response times, and therefore greater property losses, while the injured and seriously ill with have longer and more uncomfortable journeys to hospital. Lives could be endangered. This seems to be yet another instance of ideology triumphing over sound common sense.

Ian Dally, Royal Oak.

Making a point

If questions in the House are going to be asked in te reo, an official language, perhaps replies could be in sign language, the other official language. Greens co-leader Marama Davidson and co are treating the serious business of running the country as a farce.

Ian Doube, Rotorua.

Our health spend

How much should we spend on health in New Zealand? A fair comparison can be made in relation to GDP expressed as a percentage of the population.

Figures from 2020 are used for this analysis of health expenditure (the numbers will vary from year to year). Our ranking in terms of GDP population places New Zealand between the UK and Germany. The relative health spending as a percentage of GDP is as follows: Germany 12.82 per cent; United Kingdom 11.98 per cent; New Zealand 10.03 per cent.

We should aim our expenditure to be between Germany and UK - 12.42 per cent. We can then hold politicians accountable to deliver greater expenditure.

Dr R. Ian Symes, Devonport.

Stop the mowing

In this era of profligate spending by central and local governments surely NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi and/or Auckland Council need to be held to account for the incessant, unnecessary mowing of the hundreds of hectares of extended motorway berms between Oteha Valley Rd and Silverdale. The annual cost must be astronomical.

The activity does not mitigate against any potential fire, visibility or safety hazards. Let the bugs, bees and blossoms flourish in their natural state.

Maybe climate zealots could set up camp on site to stop this fossil fuel extravagance.

Geoff West, Takapuna.

Do they know it’s Christmas?

I walked up Queen St from Britomart to Wellesley St on Monday, December 11. To echo the sentiments of Simon Wilson (NZ Herald, December 5), and to quote a popular Christmas song, I wondered “Do they know it’s Christmas time at all?”

With the exception of a very few retailers, including Farmers and Smith and Caughey, there was hardly a Christmas window to be seen, and the street decorations were underwhelming to say the least. I wondered what the many visitors from the Royal Princess cruise ship thought of Auckland’s main street. I felt embarrassed that this was how they (and their money) were welcomed to our city.

Christine Smith, Botany Downs.