Why aren't more of those unhappy with their Australian-owned banks switching to Kiwibank? Photo / Supplied, File
Access withdrawal
There have been calls for New Zealanders to support Kiwibank instead of the Australian-owned banks which are sending billions of dollars in profits back to Australia. But Kiwibank will never be able to compete with her Australian heavyweights for one simple reason – Kiwibank is just not accessible to the majority of citizens. I live in Warkworth and all the Australian-owned banks have branches and ATMs here. Kiwibank had an agency here but that has been terminated, leaving not even their ATM, and now the nearest access to a Kiwibank is in Orewa, a 30-minute drive from Warkworth. If Kiwibank (and its owner, the Government) had the courage to buck the modern trend of downscaling services and open branches and ATMs in every town where the Australian banks had a branch, or, even better, opening a branch when the Australians have pulled out, thereby increasing their accessibility and services on a grand scale, I am sure many New Zealanders, including myself, would switch their custom from the greedy Australian banks – and the billions of dollars in profits presently swishing to Australia would remain here in NZ.
Johan Slabbert, Warkworth.
Hands down
A good piece by Sue Foley (NZ Herald, March 20) about family violence and calling it out for what it is. She finished with a challenge to “let’s start communicating with our voice instead of our fists”. Any campaign should include some real people who have stopped the cycle in real life. Not actors on a TV screen. Give people some real hope that it can be done.
Jane Fergusson, Morrinsville.
Long treatment
Your article (NZ Herald, March 20) proved my wife was not the only one struggling with ACC. My wife waited for 10 years for a hip replacement, mainly because she could not get by the filter system at the local GPs. A specialist was treating her for something else and when I told him he wrote a letter and lo and behold, two weeks later she had an appointment. Her surgeon was a guy with a very off-hand attitude. While convalescing she had an accident and strained something in the same thigh. Lodged an ACC claim but it was Christmas 2019; local physio closed until February. Then lockdown for Covid, then another lockdown. In September 2022, ACC said it would cover treatment. Two and a half years since the injury. In October she had two treatments and unfortunately I ended up in hospital. When I was fit we found a different physio and had two treatments and was told ACC was not going to pay as the injury should have been cleared up in 12 weeks. The total time of this pain for her is now three and a half years. I am 80 years old and my wife turns 77 in April.
John Davison, Manurewa.
Hind quarters
Recently minor political parties have publicly stated their “demands” for support should it be required in this year’s general election. Under our MMP election system, minor parties are there to provide balance. Minor parties should realise that, as with the dog, the tail is there to provide balance and not to wag the dog.
Les Renney, Fenton Park.
Unplug Onslow
The Government’s announcement that the estimated cost of the Lake Onslow project has increased from $4 billion to $16 billion signals that now is the time to pull the plug on any further expenditure on that ill-conceived concept. A four-fold increase in capital cost is not just a typical large project cost overrun. It is a signal that the feasibility studies have quantified major flaws with the earlier costing and hence the economics of the scheme. There has been much criticism of the Lake Onslow concept from many quarters. It is an inappropriate technology at an excessive scale in an unsuitable location applied to addressing a poorly defined issue. The absence of a lower lake or sizable base hydro flow means that it cannot really be called a pumped-hydro scheme in the normal sense of the term. The Government apparently has an appetite for throwing pet projects on the bonfire before the upcoming election. Dumping Lake Onslow would send the message that they are willing to sacrifice this sacred cow in the interests of common sense.
Steve Goldthorpe, Warkworth.
Lost potential
Much publicity this week following the demotion of Minister Stuart Nash, itself follows similar publicity after the sacking of Rob Campbell as Chair of Health NZ. Yes, both were aware their public utterances breached accepted and agreed protocol with punishment likely to follow. In the case of the Minister, the major fallout was expressing his disgust (on air) at the lenient sentence meted out to a man who slept with an AR-15 assault rifle under his mattress, owned illegal firearms and ammunition, and had no gun licence. Nash admitted on air he “chatted” to Police Commissioner Andrew Coster, suggesting an appeal to the 4-month home detention sentence was warranted. Much of NZ would agree. How often do you hear " that sentence was excessive”? Campbell publicly expressed a personal view on the Opposition plan on “Three Waters”. He had identified major deficiencies in our health system. His loss to that sector will be sorely missed. Nash and Campbell had valuable contributions to make. The punishment is unfortunate compared to the benefit the country could have expected had they retained their positions.
Des Trigg, Rothesay Bay.
Borrowed time
Mr Brown, leave our libraries alone. We may have three libraries in Māngere but it is a large area. Many of the people who use them have no access to the internet and therefore use them for study, and many elderly people gather there for companionship to ease their loneliness and mental well-being in a safe environment in the community. It is a sad day when another form of educational help will be removed from those who need it the most.
Sue Gallahar, Māngere East.
Wood pile
No sooner has Chris Hipkins buried one of Michael Wood’s fanatically anti-car schemes, another pops up. (‘Merry-go-round’ for driver plans, NZ Herald, March 21). Wood is openly challenging Hipkins and if the PM doesn’t sack Wood he will be forced into playing a humiliating game of never-ending Whack-a-Mole.
Brian O’Neill, Chatswood.
Reducing emissions
Cut driving by a third? What a ridiculous statement. The dispersed population and geography of Auckland ensure that vehicles are the most efficient method available to move about the city. AT’s multimillion-dollar cycleway scheme is not a solution on a wet and cold Auckland morning. It is simply an expensive sop to the Sunday cycle lobby. Pollution could be cut today if AT reduced its fleet of outmoded diesel buses that spew fumes throughout our suburban streets from 6.30am till late, thumping over speed humps installed by AT. Better still, halve the frequency of buses between say 9.30am and 2pm. Only an organisation like AT, which grazes off the ratepayers’ purse at will, appears to be able to evade the obvious solution. Perhaps such a move would also solve their shortage of bus drivers.
P J Wheeler, Hobsonville.
Facing danger
Travelling in Japan, I am struck by the ubiquity of mask-wearing. On public transport and in shops and other buildings, compliance is 100 per cent; even out on the street, it’s about 75 per cent. I note the latest WHO data shows Japan had 70 cases per million in the week ending March 13; we had 280. We had 24 deaths in the past week; Japan will have about 10 times that number - but it has 25 times the population. So its death rate is running at 40 per cent of ours. It disturbs me that mask-wearing has become rare in New Zealand.
Peter Calder, Westmere.
Cone-fusion reigns
With the current publicity regarding annoying road cones to the fore, the mish-mash proliferation and vague signage is bad enough during the day time but navigating around them at night is positively dangerous, especially with oncoming headlights and possibly rainy conditions. It almost becomes a game of dodgems and pot luck for many motorists hopefully driving into the correct lane. It beggars belief that many of them don’t appear to be relevant to any road works anyway. Whatever the reason for most of them, consideration for long-suffering motorists seems to be at the lower end of the scale by those responsible.
Ted Partridge, Māngere.
On education
Will educators wanting to abolish streaming in classrooms apply the same rationale to school sports teams? Wendy Tighe-Umbers, Parnell.
On taxation
We should remember when we hear politicians promising tax cuts, or putting “tax calculators” on their websites (NZH, Mar. 20) that it’s our own children and grandchildren that will be paying for it. Huw Dann, Mt Eden.
On Aukus
How much coal will the Australians have to sell to pay for the nuclear-powered submarines? Keith Duggan, Browns Bay.
On driving
If you’re serious about reducing driving, for every house, ensure there are two well-paid jobs available within walking distance. Randel Case, Buckland Beach.
Many city businesses and government departments should be relocated to the suburbs or even other cities. The vacated buildings could be converted to housing for those who do work in the city and who will not have to spend an hour or two in their cars every day. Bob van Ruyssevelt, Glendene.
On Lotto
I asked Nanny about buying a lotto ticket. The reply “Winning lotto? I have more chance of getting my hip replacement”. Chas Benest, Snells Beach.
Govt fuel tax policy ‘too broad and expensive’
What a silly notion about being “too broad and too expensive”. What’s a few hundred millions of taxpayer dollars? Pffft. What was most important was - which action was going to give Labour the most votes; most brownie points; and the most kudos for showing that they were doing something about the “cost of living crisis”. And there you have the reasons for this decision in a nutshell. Remember: The party comes first. Gaut S.
The simple solution, as Nicola Willis identifies, is to adjust tax brackets to give low/middle income earners more in their pockets. You red spectacle wearers out there continue to parrot “tax cuts for the wealthy” but if you took off those silly red spectacles you would see how this would deliver relief to those who need it most. Problem is, Labour is too dim to think of it and now National has proposed it, they will never do it. In summary, just another reason not to elect unlicensed drivers to pilot our country. Richard C.
Yes - the lower income tax brackets should be eased upward. But it’s only an easement. It’s not sustainable relief. A tax cut is offset by less in real income terms against future inflation. The need is in liveable income. NZ has a low-income economy. That needs to change. Labour isn’t dim to this and nor are the Ministries of Treasury, Work and Income and the RBNZ. The reality is, there needs to be greater revenue earned for governments to be able to close the gap in infrastructure, proceed with necessary investments and ensure people on state-subsidised incomes are getting sufficient to live. The evidence that pensions, benefits and disability allowances aren’t enough is the presence of foodbanks, charities supporting clothing, housing, health subsidies. These charities should be an exception. Not mainstream and certainly not part of the state welfare network. Thomas M.
We pay far too much tax on fuel, full stop. The amount paid means less to spend elsewhere; restricts movement; and strangles the economy. The amount removed needs to remain off. The government’s ministries need to cut the myopic thought processes. Peter L.
OPINION: New Zealander reflects on delivering speech at St James' Palace.