British actor Freddie Highmore as "Charlie Bucket" in a scene from an adaptation of Roald Dahl's "Charlie and The Chocolate Factory". Photo / Supplied, File
Ritual cleansing
It is with equal parts sadness and irritation that I see the insidious cancel-culture wokesters have been hard at work yet again, doing their utmost to reconstruct and suppress works of literature to conform to their misguided new-age ideological beliefs. It had been with disbelief that I noted what these moral guardians had done recently to the harmlessly idiosyncratic works of Dr Seuss. The wholesale revision currently being foisted upon the entire vast catalogue of Roald Dahl’s eternally popular books and short stories is akin to Orwellian censorship. I read so many wonderfully unique and utterly delightful Roald Dahl books as a child, and later on couldn’t wait to share the joy of these stories with my own children - shockingly, in their complete, unabridged, uncensored, untampered with, original form. Likewise, the same joy extends to my grandchildren. I urge all book lovers who care about such intrusions to hastily secure original editions before the Thought Police of Orwell’s 2023 Ministry of Truth descends upon book retailers and libraries for the prescribed book burnings. The world is getting sadder by the hour.
Peter Cook, Lynfield.
Skills matter
Barbara Grace’s letter (NZ Herald, February 22) claimed media communication is an essential skill for any mayor. I recently met a blind acupuncturist who runs a successful business. One could claim this to be a non sequitur but a more careful analysis reveals the unsighted to have extraordinary powers of touch allowing them to be very effective. Wayne Brown, with his skills as an engineer and organiser, is well placed to work through our city’s issues, leaving his deputy to front media conferences. It is the outcomes that matter, rather than the means. Can we stop the constant bagging and have a wait-and-see approach, please?
Chris Chrystall, Epsom.
Waste not
There’s no need for a commission of inquiry into the forestry slash. As Bruce Tubb (NZ Herald, February 22) says, forestry companies just need to install mulching machines to deal with their rubbish everywhere. The mulch can then be taken out and sold, exactly as the logs are. They might even make some money from it, or at least break even. Why ever has this not been done before? Good corporate citizenship should be built into every business from the beginning. Otherwise, the taxpayer ends up paying, as is the case with the removal of slash.
Penelope Hansen, Remuera.
Chipping away
Jeanette Fitzsimons spent years, or decades, trying to promote chipping and pelletising of our waste forestry slash, to provide fuel to replace coal for the industrial drying of milk powder, etc. Canada, among many other countries, has been shredding smaller forestry waste branches to reapply back on the damaged land as mulch - with benefits, too numerous to mention. Big hi-tech machinery is available and trucks carrying chip are a fraction as heavy as log trucks, suitable even on our secondary roads.
P McLaren, Coopers Beach.
Praiseworthy response
I agree with Peter Lee (NZ Herald, February 21) on his assessment of the Government’s response to the devastation Cyclone Gabrielle has left. We shouldn’t be too harsh on some of those who have complained, though. We must remember that many communities had no contact at all with the wider world so could well have not known about those others across the North Island who suffered greatly as well. It’s easy, particularly in an election year, for Opposition parties to politicise any event where they don’t actually play a part and thereby have nothing to answer for. Our Government is doing a great job with the resources we have and the offers of help from our nearest allies give some indication of how big a task we are faced with. Perhaps those in Opposition might roll up their sleeves and help as well, rather than shouting from the sidelines. We are, after all, one country with a huge problem to solve. The fix will happen. Not overnight but it will happen. As Peter Lee says, we should be grateful to all those doing their best to help those whose lives have been shattered by this dreadful event.
Jeremy Coleman, Hillpark.
Recovery fuel
Just as EVs depend on diesel engines for the mining and extraction of their components, so too our economy depends on diesel-powered ships that move our exports and imports. Right now, as idealism runs headlong into reality, our infrastructure rebuild will need lots of diesel engines, for decades. Not only the big diesels of large machinery, but those of smaller vehicles, mostly utes, that will support the rebuild. This clashes with the competing demand of achieving net zero, yet surely the immediacy of rebuilding shattered lives and businesses out-competes our miniscule and likely not measurable net zero contribution which, according to the UN model, will be about minus four one thousands of one-degree C by 2100. Shelving net zero, entirely rational, will be a step too far, but the Government could signal support for battered NZ Inc. by dropping both the tax on new diesel vehicles, and the discount on EVs. Fiscally neutral, but the signal to those who build, produce, and grow things would be demonstrably clear.
Mervyn Merrilees, Birkenhead.
Fruitful pursuit
Carolyn Ravlich, thank you for your letter (NZ Herald, February 21). I live at a Housing NZ complex and have planted fruit trees around most of the property, feijoas, lemons, oranges, grapefruit. I have also planted fuchsia hedges around the perimeter fence and planted flowers and shrubs over the island in the cul-de-sac next to the complex. It has been a war against cowboys who turn up for half an hour every four or five weeks, breaking branches off trees, chopping hedging plants at ground level, running weed whackers through flower beds, and riding mowers over trees as much as a metre high. From constant emails with the management and contractors, it seems they are as unsackable as meth dealers are unevictable. I dread their arrival and hold my breath when I go outside afterward to see what has survived. I have dozens of trees, all grown from seed from the fruit of my older trees. I give them away freely and even deliver and plant them. With just a little support, rather than resistance, I could do so much more.
A. Joseph-Gordon, Western Springs.
Culvert blockage
Simon Wilson’s column “Wild weather and wobbly ideas” (NZ Herald, February 21) reported the boss of Healthy Waters, Craig McIlroy as saying, “New Lynn’s new culverts did their job well over Anniversary weekend”. Actually, the Wolverton Rd culvert leading up to LynnMall from Blockhouse Bay Rd failed miserably. Residents of several streets including Amsterdam Pl, next to the culvert, endured a frighteningly rapid rise of floodwaters on January 27, when “city slash” and debris caused a major blockage. This culvert has been “redesigned and improved” over the last two and half years, no doubt at great expense, but the frightening torrent of water forced into properties completely filled basements and garages, destroying cars, fridges, freezers, and furniture. Several residents were trapped by a lake of filthy water and others could not get home at all. They all now have an enormous cleaning task. No, the culverts did not do their job well at all.
Judy Anderson, Remuera.
Well done
Your story on the Steakhouse (NZ Herald, February 14) reminded me of the early 1960s, when the first Tony’s opened on Wellesley St. An art school friend, Pippa Sanders, worked there as a waitress and I got the pleasant job of designing their menu. Payment for my effort was in the form of spaghetti and meatballs. I asked for a double helping of meatballs (12) and got them. Over the years, my designs got more and more elaborate for Tony’s. Other design work I did was by now paid with a bit of actual money, and so I was asked by the likes of Hamish Keith and Pat Hanly to stop undermining their own design payments. Unfortunately. the job ended because too many of my menus were being pinched to grace the walls of student flats. A few years back, Tony’s was still using one of my menu cover designs (after 40 years) so I took my young grandson there for a meal and introduced myself to the amiable owner. I had the crumbed scallops and a side salad, My grandson had the bowl of fries and was most impressed when the owner waived the bill.
Vanya Lowry, Glenfield.
End to war
Peace is addictive and good for us, it lets us soften and enjoy our existence, purely for the sake of it. Vladimir Putin might well reflect on that after one year on.
John Mellor, Albany..
On fossils
I wonder what percentage of subsidised EVs carried out life-saving missions in flood-ravaged regions of the North Island, compared to petrol or diesel-powered utes and FWD vehicles. Gavin Baker, Glendowie.
On Foster
If I was replaced as the All Black coach before the World Cup even starts but was still expected to try to win the bloody thing, I’m not sure my motivation would be that flash. John Ford, Taradale.
In deciding the new All Blacks coach while the incumbent is still in place, NZ Rugby has achieved a unique double; both a heartless and a brainless decision. Steve Dransfield, Karori.
On relief
Wouldn’t it be good if the $10 million dollar Lotto prize could go straight to the Red Cross for the cyclone victims? Geoffrey Booth, Te Puke.
On denial
At least one of our MPs was honest in denying human-caused climate change. How many others are secret deniers if not flat earthers? Geoff Barlow, Remuera.
Does National have to vet the personal beliefs of their political nominees to avoid giving the leader another Mintie moment? Steve Russell, Hillcrest.
Chris Hipkins versus Christopher Luxon - a personality analysis
I’m more interested in which one is going to let me keep more of what we earn and which one will grow the NZ economy instead of its socialist expenditure than their personalities. Marcus A.
Hipkins has already alluded to more taxes ... in other words, a certainty. Most likely these will be their agenda: items of wealth and or capital gains (both are wealth tax). Colin R.
Hipkins alluded to nothing. He was asked a question and answered it. Dan M.
Give me experience, knowledge and policy over personality any day. Sure we don’t want silly gaffes but let’s focus on what needs to be done and having the people with the requisite skills to do it. The current Government is badly lacking in this. Colin K.
Landing blows against this current government should be a very straightforward and daily occurrence. We see some here and there but now it’s time to step it up 10-fold. Rachel H.
Linguistic research... marvellous stuff (yes, sarcasm). I just want to know who will end the inflation. A cheap bottle of lemonade went from 80c at Pak’nSave to $1. A 20 per cent increase. I, me, we, us, them, those see the checkout as scary. Tim T.
Motorists are being warned to expect hazardous driving conditions.