[Winston Peters has been given a huge window of opportunity which he has happily exploited, writes Brian O’Neill. Photo / NZME
[Winston Peters has been given a huge window of opportunity which he has happily exploited, writes Brian O’Neill. Photo / NZME
Letter of the week
Luxon’s plight of his own making
Christopher Luxon has made it abundantly clear that he hates the idea of having to work with NZ First, but now he is in a position where he has to do exactly that.
Luxon’s predicament is therefore entirely of hisown making.
Winston Peters had a field day saying things that the public wanted to hear, especially on co-governance, but Luxon was too spineless to mention.
The Nats’ resolute fence-sitting on virtually everything gave Peters a hangar door-sized window of opportunity which he happily (and totally predictably) exploited. Unfortunately for the country, the Nats got what they deserved.
Brian O’Neill, Chatswood
Nats curb blue-green coalition
I have to disagree with the reasoning of my old friend Peter Kammler (Herald on Sunday, October 29) why it is “Coalition impossible” between National and the Greens. In our old fatherland, Germany, the Greens are now at federal level in an awkward coalition with Social Democrats and Liberals where they play the role of righteous warmongers. I can only hope that the New Zealand Greens will never go there.
Here it is not the Greens that make a coalition with National impossible. It is National’s approach to climate change, which will set us back at least six years we do not have while the world is “boiling” according to the Secretary General of the UN. The New Zealand Green Party is rather too timid to tackle our neo-liberal capitalist system under which there is no hope to deal with the climate crisis. Capitalism gives all the wrong incentives to personally enrich yourself at the cost of your fellow citizens and the planet.
Dr Hans B Grueber, Wainui
Nothing has changed
A dear little child has been murdered yet again. Seven years ago, I marched along Queen St with thousands of others in protest at this very thing. A little boy called Moko who was abused, tortured and murdered. We all shouted this must stop. Has it? It has not! Why?
Dawn Yore, Henderson
Heather McRae acted swiftly to halt pro-Palestine gatherings at Diocesan.
Dio reaction applauded
The principal of Auckland’s Diocesan School for Girls, Heather McRae, is to be commended for her swift response in shutting down planned lunchtime gatherings at the school “to stand in solidarity for Palestine’s liberation”.
That a teacher sent out a school-wide email inviting all interested staff and students to participate, without having it endorsed by the school, is concerning.
Principal McRae followed the core values of the school: love, compassion, hope, justice and diversity.
She said in part: “We support all people who are suffering as a consequence of war”.
“Our priority is to ensure a safe and nurturing environment for all our girls of all faiths and diversity.”
And that’s how it should be.
Lorraine Kidd, Warkworth
Gold card dilemma
Going to the supermarket is not one of my favourite pastimes. To brighten up this rather dull occasion I sometimes play a little game after my groceries have been processed by thanking the checkout operator for not asking for my gold card, presuming that he/she does not think that I am over 65.
Imagine my surprise when I was told the other day that the operator was instructed not to ask a customer to produce their gold card in case they offend someone who is not actually a pensioner.
Apparently this was the case recently at my local supermarket when someone protested vehemently at the assumption of being over 65.
I do not have dementia, at least as far as I can remember, but sometimes I forget to produce my gold card, causing me undue stress when I tell my wife I forgot to get a discount.
So what about all the other pensioners and the many who have dementia who forget to produce their gold card on pension day?
Due to one person’s protestations the majority are at risk of not saving money on their groceries.
Or could this be a cunning plan by the owner of the supermarket of profiteering on the unsuspecting elderly?
Perhaps the grocery commissioner should become involved in this.
Bernard Walker, Pāpāmoa
Transport power
I find it quite ironic that council-controlled organisations were set up to be more business-like in their operations.
Yet Auckland Transport would not be permitted in a commercial environment because it is not only a monopoly, it also controls all the competing entities: roads and, as a result, private transport, public transport, pedestrian transport and ferries and presumably road safety.
AT has far too much power and for a start it should be broken up.
C. Johnstone, Grey Lynn
Peters the kingmaker
National leader Christopher Luxon and Act leader David Seymour appear to be both confidently presuming that they will definitely be the next Parliament’s Prime Minister and possibly Deputy Prime Minister as well.
However, they seem to forget that NZ First leader Winston Peters may have other ideas.
Maybe he wants to fill one of those positions himself, and even worse for National, he might even move his support to Labour, with the Greens and Te Pāti Māori, thus forcing National back into opposition.
Winston Peters is certainly the kingmaker in this election, and to quote David Seymour, that is the will of the people.
David Mairs, Glendowie
Non-vote factor
I am a businessman who retired a few years ago.
On speaking to my friends and colleagues, most of them were very disappointed with the bribes and lies offered by most parties that annoyed them so much, they decided that they would not vote for any party at all.
They did not vote at all, and hence probably such a low amount of total votes because they were turned off by every party.
Warren Prouse, Papakura
Luxon question
Who did Christopher Luxon say would be the parties in a coalition of chaos?
