Act MP Simon Court has lodged a member’s bill to abolish licensing trusts. Photo / 123rf
Ban the booze
The wild Waitākere west is supposedly championing Act MP Simon Court, but more likely he’s armed with a “lobby warrant” titled “free the supermarkets from the tyranny of licensing trusts”.
Treating people like adults, surely that means democracy? Let them vote, after all, they’re making it compulsory to vote on Māori wards. Three Waters gave local bodies no rights, said Act. Consistency of argument is missing, isn’t it?
Court’s attitude is that ease of access to alcohol doesn’t increase harm. Sir Geoffrey Palmer’s Law Commission report “Alcohol – no ordinary commodity” says the commonly accepted scientific evidence shows ease of access does increase consumption and harm. What’s changed?
Will he tell us who asked him for this legislation and justify his stance that it won’t increase harm? Typical coalition fast-track mentality: harm and evidence are irrelevant.
Anyone would think supermarket lobbyists need this “signed, sealed, delivered” before the next local body elections leaving no room for excuses. They do. Drug deal protocol is “taste the goods” then you’ll see the money.
Act’s logic – alcohol anxiety requires more fast chargers, the “EV range anxiety” model. “They’re-eating-dogs” political style requires fast tracking.
“You need booze in every supermarket” ... to encourage harm-free consumption. What a bad joke.
Steve Russell, Hillcrest
Fears of censure
The concern by Dr Jarrod Gilbert, sociologist at the University of Canterbury, that students don’t turn up to class but would rather choose to engage remotely for courses that aren’t designed that way (Herald, October 28), don’t speak up in class and have become disengaged, claiming they have anxiety issues, might have missed the point.
Could it be that the fault of all this lies with universities themselves and not entirely with the students? Many years ago universities were the bastions of free thought, open discourse and debate from professors to first-year undergraduates.
However, could the reasons for student disengagement, outlined by Gilbert, be emblematic of the decline in our universities’ commitment to a willingness to protect the viewpoints of all engaged in debate, even though there is disagreement?
One example of this was the backlash over the letter published by several University of Auckland academics in the Listener (2021) arguing that Mātauranga Māori is not science in the traditional sense. There was a call for these academics to be censured.
Surely if academics are going to run the risk of being censured at their own university, then what hope will ordinary students have in delivering their own views on whatever topic they might feel passionate about, not because of anxiety but for the fear of being censured.
Bernard Walker, Mt Maunganui
Faith isn’t logical
The interesting thing about faith is that it can’t be weakened by logical analysis. Christianity is 2000 years old, but Hinduism is 4000 years old. Christianity believes in one true god, Hindus believe in three.
Doesn’t that mean that one group has to be wrong? And yet each group is convinced it’s right.
Atheists believe both groups are mistaken, and many studies have shown that atheists make the same moral decisions as people of faith. Faith is not a requirement for fairness and honesty.
Chris Elias, Parnell
A public works scandal
A famous line from Shakespeare was “something is rotten in the state of Denmark”.
How does the cost of repair only to the small Viaduct Harbour bridge go from $7.5 million to $10.6m and no one bats an eyelid?
There should be a full public inquiry into these shocking price increases for public works.
The rail tunnel to nowhere is another scandal. A couple of miles of rail tunnel currently running at $5.5 billion and years behind schedule and no one bats an eyelid. Remember the Viaduct bridge cost is for repair only.
Imagine the cost if it was for a new bridge? How can we even contemplate building another harbour crossing? The cost increases under the present system would bankrupt the country.
The Viaduct bridge repair costs scandal needs a proper public inquiry to expose the real reasons public works always run way over cost.
Let’s do it.
Jock MacVicar, Hauraki
US media machinations
An interesting article from Katie Harris (Weekend Herald, November 2). Surely though this US endorsement issue is academic. It’s not as if the whole world doesn’t know which side of the fence the Washington Post sits editorially. Jeff Bezos instructing it to the contrary is a nonsense and only serves to reinforce its well-known stance.
Similarly, and notwithstanding [Stuff owner Sinead] Boucher’s comments, we in New Zealand all know where our various media outlets sit politically. One has only to read, listen or watch to figure that out. And there’s no problem with this: I don’t know much about US media machinations but fortunately we are blessed with a high standard of political commentary and observation from our media.
Mike Newland, Matakana
Off the rails
In his entertaining piece about English rugby fans Phil Gifford talks about a train from Twickenham. “It was England so, of course, the train broke down.” So unlike the rail services in Auckland or Wellington then?
John Gardner, Rothesay Bay
Kiwi crime conundrum
For such a small country why does Aotearoa have so many unsolved murders, cover-ups for child sexual abuse and mistreatment and wrongful convictions?
Bruce Tubb, Devonport
PayWave fees
The extra surcharge percentage that you have to pay at some places today when you pay by credit card is disgraceful and in my 20 years of being in the motel industry I would never ever think of adding a surcharge. I loved seeing people come through my door smiling and with an even bigger smile when they left because they never got stung. From me, they got rewarded for staying with us.
Any businessperson who wants Joe Bloggs to come to them but then smacks them in the face and pocket by charging him or her extra for using their credit card, you don’t deserve customers. Bear the cost or take the issue to your bank but don’t hurt the people that are feeding you.
Gary Stewart, Foxton Beach
The protest will pass over the harbour bridge this morning.