A group rallied outside the former Laura Fergusson Trust building, urging any buyer to restore it as a disabled facility. Photo / Supplied, File
Letter of the week: Susan Grimsdell, Auckland Central
The residential complex set up in 1966 by the Laura Fergusson Trust was supported over all the years by volunteers and others who donated time and money because they understood what a wonderful amenity it was. Not long ago the land it was on was sold but is now back on the market as it’s no longer profitable for the purchaser to build there. The Laura Fergusson complex has 40 units that could house disabled people right now, and the specialist gym and hydrotherapy pool could be re-opened. About 250 people relied on its service and 62 people had to find new homes when the property was sold. The problem is money, about $11 million annually. Recently, $113 million was found to give to well-off, able-bodied people to help them buy a new EV. Nobody buys a new car, yet alone an EV, unless they’re already doing okay. It’s disgraceful that we can find money to help those people, but no money to provide an essential service for people in our community who most need help. Encouraging us to use EVs is a very small step towards reducing emissions, but providing disabled people with a home and services to help them live a full and happy life is one huge step for them. As a society and a community, we need to examine our priorities and put our money where it matters most.
Trickle treat
John Roughan (Weekend Herald, November 12) defines inflation as “too much money chasing too few goods”. In this he agrees with Grant Robertson’s assertion that National’s tax cuts will be inflationary – they will direct even more money into the marketplace, but won’t affect the lack of goods available to buy. “Luxury Luxon” and “Wonder-Woman Willis” both subscribe to the illusory “trickle-down” theory – that businesses will eagerly invest tax cuts right back into improving their productivity; the gains from this will “trickle down” into the economy; which will then grow, and benefit everyone. Also, pigs might fly. John Key and Bill English thought so too, back in 2008 – they cut taxes – and raised GST to pay for them. Result? We stubbornly remained a “low wage, low productivity economy”, and National-led Governments ran deficits for years afterwards. Vote National – and watch out for flying pigs.
Clyde Scott, Birkenhead.
Bloated bureaucracy
Great exposé by journalist Kate McNamara (Weekend Herald, November 12) concerning the largesse occurring at government housing agency Kāinga Ora. Management positions have swollen by more than 86 per cent: 319 managers in 2020 growing to 594 managers in 2022, costing $58m (2020) growing to $103m in 2022. This despite a pay freeze by Finance Minister Grant Robertson on public servants’ earnings to $100,000. Talk about inflation. Further, the Government will borrow an extra $2.7 billion to fund Kāinga Ora so it can continue its spending ways. This is despite warnings the Government will be unable to completely repay the increasing debt over the next 60 years. If you are not convinced yet that Kāinga Ora is out of control, chief executive Andrew McKenzie said it aims to increase houses by 40,000, yet it has only 20,000 people on its waiting list . . . do the sums. The issues raised should be of concern to everyone.
Brian McLachlan, Onerahi.
Promoting incompetence
Regarding the disproportionate rise in the number of management staff at Kāinga Ora (Weekend Herald, November 9)‚ the problem in such institutions is it’s very hard to get rid of an underperforming bureaucrat. They tend to be given their " own office”.
Hamish Walsh, Devonport.
Divisive descriptions
The Weekend Herald (November 12) platformed filmmaker Chelsea Winstanley with her “Sorry, old white dudes you’ve had your time”, while also headlining alongside “Why generational labels are B.S”. You can’t have it both ways, especially in a week when filmmaker Dame Jane Campion and artist Dame Robin White (old and white, but not my words) get the highest arts honours in NZ (Icon Awards) along with Pasifika artist Papali’i Fata Feu’u. To further rub it in you have Simon Wilson reviewing the Auckland Mayoralty race calling Wayne Brown “Pākehā and Baby Boomer”, and Collins “younger and Samoan”, once again employing the age, gender and race cards. It’s just divisive and insulting.
Helen Hayes, Greytown.
Travelling on
The story (Weekend Herald, November 12) of the teenager facing a daily five-hour commute from home in Pukekohe to Auckland University illustrates just how backward NZ has become. Ninety years ago, one Edmund Hillary lived in Tuakau and attended Auckland Grammar School. He travelled there and back by train, every day. He went on to climb a few other mountains.
Murray Reid, Cambridge.
Own goal
The world’s biggest, most prestigious sporting event is about to kick off. Embarrassingly, there’s not one single Kiwi participating in this event. For a country that prides itself on its sporting prowess, this is downright shameful. This is the sport that you need to be good at to be taken seriously as a sporting nation. It’s all very well being good at a variety of minor sporting codes but this is the game the whole world plays and looks at. To not be part of it is a sad indictment on our sporting priorities and abilities.
Frank John, New Plymouth.
Chelsea Winstanley’s comment (WH, Nov. 12), “Sorry, old white dudes you’ve had your time” is ageist, racist, and sexist in one sentence. Is this a record? Nick Hamilton, Remuera.
Boot camp may not work for young offenders, but neither does cottonwool camp. Mike Wagg, Freemans Bay.
Christopher Luxon wants to get tough on youth crime when the Police Association says the public can’t be confident police will even investigate white-collar crime. Something isn’t adding up. Ken Taylor, Mangere.
National says youth offenders need to be “reprogrammed” by sending them to military academies. What a novel idea. Wait. I can hear the sound of rolling eyeballs. Alan Johnson, Papatoetoe.
The Air New Zealand short haul general manager has stated one of the reasons for the spiral in domestic airfares at present is because the demand for seats is much greater than the supply - surely this is price gouging? Randal Lockie, Rothesay Bay.
How did we get here asks Greg Bruce (WH, Nov. 12)? Probably when American marketers coined the term “teenager” in the 1940s. Generational cohorts have been an enduring marketing concept ever since. Marcel Thompson, Te Aroha.
Mary Tallon’s advocacy of fleets of mini-buses (WH, Nov. 12) should go further. They need to be frequent at off-peak times, electric, and preferably free. Peter Thomas, Hamilton.
Would it not be wonderful if we had a politician with the guts to do something about the (late) nightly disturbance of firecrackers in the weeks following November 5? Neville Swan, West Harbour.
Waka Kotahi can save millions to reduce speed limits – leave them as they are and just don’t fix the potholes and reduce maintenance spending. Ian Doube, Rotorua.
What a delight at the women’s rugby final to have so many people doing poi actions to the great Māori music - a must for any future sporting event. Lesley Baillie, Murrays Bay.
What a victory for exciting, running rugby: Black Ferns win over the Red Roses. The sooner the rolling maul is deemed illegal, the better. Dennis Ross, Glendowie.
Whenever the All Blacks play at home the Black Ferns should play the equivalent woman’s team the week or day before. Another option is the All Blacks could play the curtain-raiser for the Black Ferns. Boris Sokratov, Campbells Bay.
Great to read Jacinda Ardern has supported the Black Ferns getting equal pay. Will the PM now come out and support the nurses’ equal pay after their 52-month struggle? Gary Carter, Gulf Harbour.
Black Ferns, black boots; it’s that simple. All Blacks, clown shoes; not that simple. Carol Munckhof, Takanini.
A second teen is missing in the Upper Hutt area, police say.