The cognitive level of a 2-year-old does not support such a submission. This could be perceived by a mentally disturbed person as nasty. This was a major plank in the Crown’s case, which, with respect, has no merit.
The sentence of the judge humanely and realistically deals with the terrible situation of this case.
Gary Gotlieb, Herne Bay.
Debate or satire?
Was the latest US presidential debate just a segment of the satirical TV show Spitting Image, featuring two geriatrics wanting to rule the most powerful country in the world?
On one side we had a fumbling, mumbling man who looked at times totally dazed, confused and bewildered. On the other side was a narcissist with perennial orange hair.
Watching all this, I am sure, could be seen in a segment of the screen a man in the Kremlin, shirtless and with a glass of vodka in hand, laughing hysterically whilst his finger trembled over a red button.
Bernard Walker, Mount Maunganui.
Bottom line on Biden
Regarding the US presidential debate, let’s cut to the chase.
Age for anyone is totally relative. A certain 60-year-old can be much less cerebrally competent than a competent 90-year-old, or vice versa. What is certain is that Joe Biden, whatever his age, has severe cognitive disabilities which disqualify him from standing for another term.
Dr Hylton Le Grice, Remuera.
Counting houses
Matthew Hooton’s overview on migration and housing (NZ Herald, June 28) is statistically correct, but his conclusion that we are building houses only for migrants is simplistic and wrong.
With a net gain of 131,000 people in 2023, an average new home will hold a minimum of five people, meaning we would need 26,000 new homes to accommodate them. In the 2023 year, we permitted 45,000 new homes. Therefore we built over 20,000 new homes for people not from overseas in 2023.
Hooton’s conclusion that falling interest rates will lift building numbers is historically proven, but with a cost-of-land to cost-of-build ratio of 60/40, it is the reduction in land costs that will stimulate both the economy and building activity. Chris Bishop is on the right path in redesignating rural land, which will bring section prices down towards 50/50 and make owning a new home more achievable for all of us.
Stephen Holden, Manurewa.
Up the Wahs (always)
The normally erudite Trevor McKewen showed a chink in his armour when he wrote off the Warriors last week following two recent losses.
The fans did not desert the team on Saturday, as McKewen predicted, but turned out in the usual numbers to cheer the boys on to victory. This came as no surprise to the fans in the stands, but may have to McKewen in the press box and those in the corporate boxes.
The thing is, when you are sat in a packed stand, you are in touch with the mood of the crowd, and the mood at Mt Smart has always been one of loyalty and the knowledge that there will always be ups and downs for the team. There is also a feeling that, win or lose, the Warriors games are an exciting night out, with the compact rectangular format of Mt Smart affording everyone a close view and fostering a great atmosphere.
My worry is that the politicians and bureaucrats deciding on a new stadium for Auckland will be swayed to support Eden Park’s nomination through watching games from the comfort of a box there, and will be unaware of the factors that make that stadium such a dismal entertainment experience.
Tony Waring, Grey Lynn.
Wealth shift
I can understand correspondent Mary Hearn not wanting to increase taxes to pay for the Nordic policies that work so well (Weekend Herald, June 29).
But we are an unequal society. New Zealand’s wealthiest 10% own nearly 60% of all assets. This wasn’t always the case. The last 50 years have seen a redistribution of wealth from ordinary New Zealanders to the super-wealthy. It’s time to reverse that trend and increase the tax on them for the benefit of us all.
John Sharpe, Tauranga.
