Keeping perspective
Without wishing to diminish the two recent deaths from Covid it is important to keep things in perspective. The averaged world mortality is around 0.02 per cent. The two NZ deaths are infrequent and dwarfed by accidents and suicides in today's Herald to say nothing of the daily list of obituaries. Further good medical care including steroid therapies available in NZ can reduce mortality. Current elimination policy is based on scare tactics and we need to move on but keep sensible things like border control and case detection/quarantine but to reserve lockdowns for the vulnerable both mandated and voluntary. Whatever the original justification total lockdown disrupts the economy, education, business, recreation of the bulk of the population to protect less than 80 per cent. It also increases misery and anxiety unnecessarily.
John Werry, Grafton.
Different voices needed
In response to Audrey Young's assertion that Labour's first choice would be to govern alone: I hope not. While Covid-19 remains our current focus, necessarily, what is of greater long-term concern is climate change. And to address that challenge, having the Greens on board would be a great help. Hopefully enough left-leaning voters feel confident that Labour will "win" (get to form the next Government), can forgive James Shaw for the Green School fiasco, and will party-vote Green to ensure a 5 per cent outcome - in order that more radical policies are at least on the table. Generally speaking, we need as many different voices in Parliament and in Government as possible. It's not meant to be a two-horse race.
Barbara Darragh, Auckland Central.
Last-minute question
Can anyone explain why the Government deems that new alert levels will begin at 1 minute to midnight on a given day? As soon as the projected return to level 1 was announced the media, bless them, reported that this would be on September 16, neglecting to also report that is was just the last minute of September 16 and that to all intents and purposes the new level would begin on September 17! Surely it would be just as accurate and offer less room for confusion if the new alert level began at 00.01 on the designated day so there can be no room for confusion. But perhaps I am missing something blindingly obvious?
Christopher Johnstone, Grey Lynn.
Green promise
Simon Wilson's highly instructive exposition on why we should care about the fate of James Shaw (Friday, September 4) reveals the extent of the influence the Green Party has had on the re-establishment of a New Zealand we can once again all be proud of. Not the sham of "NZ the fast-follower" (the egregious "do-nothing" position our previous National government shamefully put us in) that we professed to the world for a decade, in major international issues such as climate-change. Wilson also details Green wins, such as programmes to combat family and sexual violence, a vast increase in funding for our Conservation department (the guardians and maintainers of our most major tourism assets), and leading parliamentary action on reducing poverty in NZ, among many others. These are not the whacky, off-the-planet Green legislative initiatives, predicted to come from them in the past by all and sundry, most vigorously our Deputy PM Winston Peters. So where in all this is the "unacceptable" Green Party that he has always denigrated and rejected? It's not this one it appears, under James Shaw and Marama Davidson. However, James Shaw has shown seriously bad judgment, and is now wearing it. But Wilson is right. With Shaw as co-leader, the Greens have been truly effective in giving credible meaning to the "wellbeing" promised by this Labour-led coalition Government – unlike NZ First, who have consistently blocked the best of the long-term change initiatives – in particular, capital gains tax and subsidising electric vehicles. So let's be careful what we wish for.
Clyde Scott, Birkenhead.
Shipwreck misery
What an unimaginably terrifying and painful death for the 6,000 New Zealand dairy cows who drowned when the Gulf Livestock 1 sank in a typhoon near Japan. Trapped inside their metal prison, their frantic attempts to escape would have been hopeless. But, tragically, there would never have been a happy ending for these hapless females viewed solely as "breeding stock". They would have likely spent their lives inside grim sheds and forced to give birth year after year. Their beloved calves would have been repeatedly taken from them and when they were deemed "old" they would likely have met a hideously cruel death because animal welfare laws are non-existent in China. Live export, whether it be for slaughter or breeding, will always and inevitably result in massive animal suffering.
Jenny Moxham, Victoria.
Wasted privilege
The mindless vandals who are destroying Labour Party billboards in the Rodney area, to date at least 14, should think before they act. It took working people hundreds of years of struggle to gain the right to be represented in government and to be allowed to vote. Before then only the rich landowners and powerful businessmen made the laws and governed the country to their own advantage. Smashing down a billboard shows only ignorance and intolerance of other people's views. Our democratic freedom to think, speak and vote as we choose is precious and should be protected by us all. Many countries still do not have the "One man, one vote" rule that we take for granted in New Zealand. We should celebrate our freedom and be on guard against those who try to take our democratic rights away from us.
Anne Smith, Warkworth.
What price these skills?
It would be encouraging to think that Bernard Orsman's expose of the inept management by the present Watercare board (NZ Herald 5/9/20) would finally destroy Auckland Council's continuing faith that it is necessary to pay vast salaries to get management expertise. Orsman's account of the shockingly poor performance of our current over-paid Watercare board should remove any lingering beliefs that it is necessary to turn management into millionaires with ratepayers' money in order to benefit from their highly developed skills. It seems that Auckland Council has still not learnt that money and skill are not necessarily dependent entities. But I suspect that this absurd system will linger in Council, despite some regular and vague promises for change; after all, why would those in management destroy their own pots of gold?
M. Carol Scott, Birkenhead.
Ports puzzle
Why does the Ports of Auckland underperform by comparison to it's counterpart, Port of Tauranga? With dividend income from the port and A.I.A. in doubt the Auckland city accounts may be compromised with the possible need for substantial rate increases despite earlier assurances to the contrary. The recent publicity surrounding a salary in excess of $770,000 paid to an Auckland Watercare former CEO highlighted excessive renumeration for a public servant and rightly drew condemnation from irate citizens. Are inflated salaries also endemic within Auckland Council? Mind you we ask a similar question of Tauranga City Council, an issue coupled with escalating debt, a council embroiled in controversy. Have Auckland citizens in fact become subservient to a bureaucracy employed as servants to meet their daily needs?
Peter Edmondson, Tauranga.
Boost island rivalry
The North Island v South Island Rugby was a great game and very exciting right to the end, even with no stadium crowds but changes needed for next year. Firstly, please hold it on a Wednesday night as the Australian decades-old State of Origin Rugby League does, so all weekend games can be held too. Then hold three games each year in alternative islands with the trophy being awarded to the island winning two games. Do these proven ways and next year will be amazing with even greater Island of Origin games.
Murray Hunter, Titirangi.
Short & sweet
On Ardern
It is good to see the Prime Minister supporting the Real Estate and Fitness industries — "Let's Keep Moving". Robyn Larsen, St Heliers.
On US riots
A white man carrying a military style semi-automatic rifle walks towards American policemen and they don't bat an eyelid. Wonder what would happen if a black man did that ... C.C. McDowall, Rotorua.
On Watercare
Bernard Orsman's report on Auckland's water crisis leads to the question. Will Watercare ever consider lifting rainwater dam capacity for Auckland's growth? Nick Nicholas, Greenlane.
On postal voting
Perhaps postal voting should have been opened up 2 months ago to allow time for the ballot papers to arrive? Steve Hoeft, Pt Chevalier.
On spitting hoods
The "spitting hoods" police put over the heads of arrested people have caused people to die of suffocation. Why do they not have holes in the sides to allow air to get in? B Halwell, Kohimarama.
On vaccine
People who think a vaccine for Covid-19 is not too far away are living in a fool's paradise. WHO not long ago said there could be no viable vaccine. Mahendra Kumar, Otahuhu.
