Armed police at the scene of the alleged Flat Bush homicide after a person was taken into custody on Sunday. Photo / Alex Burton
Banning the groups who use weapons in violence and who are at the fore of the drug trade has to be priority for this Government if they are to have any plausibility about crime control.
Weapons come in many forms, and banning them will still only make them as easy to get as drugs are now.
Why make the team of five million endure this blatant disregard of the law until the next election when this issue will have escalated to a major policy point.
Stuart Mackenzie, Ōhura .
Isn't it about time New Zealand reciprocated by sending any Australian that has gang affiliations or has a serious conviction here in NZ back to Australia?
The gall of Australia to deport a 29-year-old gang member who has lived in Australia since he was just 4 and all his family live there as well is simply mind-boggling.
About time this Government started getting tough as well.
Alan Walker, St Heliers.
Knowing these 501 deportees are going to be big problems in New Zealand, did our Government and police put in place certain measures to minimise and contain all these problems we are seeing now?
Chris Toh, Greenhithe..
We now have a gang-led drug and gun-fuelled crime wave like never before.
It's because Jacinda did nothing while ScoMo "put out the trash".
Gross irresponsibility by both governments.
Rick Mirkin, Muriwai.
During the last lockdown, and before, Aucklanders have rightly identified the disconnect between our city, and the relaxed bureaucratic attitude of Wellingtonians.
Nearly 20 of Auckland's best hotels, including some in the city centre, remain ringfenced and guarded for quarantine. Contrast this with Wellington, with two hotels being used.
Thousands of Aucklanders are either out of work or about to be dismissed when the Government money, borrowed for wage support, eventually runs out.
Wellington has no such problem as a significant per cent of the population are either directly employed by the Government or are contracted "consultants''. Civil servant wage and salary increases are quietly being passed, and life for Wellingtonians continues nicely, thank you.
That city has absolutely no idea of the trauma that Aucklanders have suffered during the lockdown.
Labour's Mayor Phil Goff will shuffle off to greener pastures in October, and the party has already launched their campaign to put David Shearer before the voters.
In the latest article in the Listener, where although he was leader of the Labour Party, he now claims not to be a party member, the first shot for yet another Labour mayoralty, has been fired.
If he succeeds, Aucklanders can then face another three years of heavy lifting.
Rob Elliott, Kohimarama.
I have lost count of the billions quite properly spent on protecting the community against Covid and the assistance given to those adversely affected through no fault of their own.
But I am concerned at those who say that, in due course, this doesn't need to be paid for and the money doesn't need to be paid back.
At first I thought that this was simply due to misunderstanding of the nature and value of money but then, if the money is not to be paid back, there are the costs of and impact of inflation - the extra cost of food, the further rise in rents and the inability to pay the power bill for example - all of which impact most severely on those who live on the margin.
It is a tax on those who can least afford it. The suggestion is more than loopy, it is cruel.
While the Government must spend to meet emergencies, it should be remembered that money does not grow on trees.
John Collinge, St Mary's Bay.
Watching day one of the third cricket test of England versus Australia at the MCG in Melbourne where Victoria has the worst Covid cases in Australia, I now know why.
The commentator said there were 60,000 spectators and not one was wearing a mask, even with a person either side and in front of their seat and behind them too.
He explained the mask rule applies only if you leave your seat for refreshments or a toilet stop.
These strange mask rules in Oz are obviously why Covid is so bad in Victoria.
Glad we live in New Zealand with much tougher mask rules that save lives.
Murray Hunter, Titirangi.
The television news just prior to Christmas featured footage inside a very busy shopping mall.
This showed how busy the malls were, with shoppers visible in the background going about their business.
Indeed, malls were busy and I experienced this personally myself. This would have been prevalent right across the country, no matter the traffic light setting.
To be clear, I am all for the shops being open and they need to be in order to inject money into businesses hard hit by lockdowns.
However the Government continues to restrict other gatherings to 100 or less, even in an outdoor environment, despite Jacinda publicly declaring transmission of Covid highly unlikely in an outdoor setting.
This means still no funerals, birthdays, work Christmas parties or other such gathering that would exceed 100 people, in all areas under "red" traffic light settings. Further to this, those in red areas can now freely travel outside their area (complying with Government requirements of course), attend a large gathering and then return into their original red area.
To make an analogy using the Government's own traffic management descriptions, "Lack of Consistency" could be spelled out in neon orange on a motorway warning board!
Chris Jensen, Warkworth.
As I age, incrementally and stealthily, gracefully or tortuously, I wonder more about why people continue to lock up all their wealth and its potential in bricks and mortar and assets, when that capital could be improving the lives of millions of others who miss out on opportunity.
As they say, "you can't take it with you" to the "other side" and just giving vast amounts to your kids simply spoils their own initiative.
So maybe it's better to support accountable organisations that will use your hard-won, or hard-earned, dying assets in a meaningful way to those left struggling on our only Earth?
Yes ... it's a call out to philanthropism, which is best done when you are still breathing and smelling the roses and can reap some reward.
Rob Buchanan, Kerikeri.
The last few days of summer weather have attracted hundreds of thousands to our parks and regional reserves.
We appreciate that these only become reality following considerable resource planning and cost.
Successive Auckland and regional councils over many years must be congratulated for the excellent recreational amenities made available to Aucklanders and visitors.
Unfortunately too often we overlook that somebody has had the vision to ensure the reality of these outstanding local recreational areas and take them for granted.
It is important to remember the numerous councillors and officials who have developed over 4000 park areas and our regional reserves.
The first regional park, Wenderholm, was opened to the public in the mid-1960s and since then many land holdings, reserves and parklands have been acquired or gifted for public use.
Long may we encourage visionaries!
Peter Burn, Gulf Harbour.
On Christmas
Someone should tell Steve Braunias (Canvas, Dec 26), that it's Christmas not Xmas. And it wasn't the most expensive bed in town, it was the most humble of all.
David Bennett, Whanganui.
On pickles
As many have said the commercialisation of Christmas is appalling and certainly won't do anything to alleviate climate change. I just wish people would stop giving us jars of relish/pickles/sauce, etc. We will never use it all.
Mike Jarman, One Tree Hill.
On Shane Martin
I just wept with you, Jarrod Gilbert. Shane Martin deserved better. The Australian Government are surely breaching every human rights code in the book.
V. Hall, Whangaparāoa.
On the holiday period
Not sure what we are going to have more deaths of this Christmas/New Year period – fatal car accidents, or homicides by gunshot.
Glenn Forsyth, Taupō.
On jury service
The judicial system must be getting desperate. A letter arrived this week addressed to my father-in-law, requesting he attend Jury Service. It gave a list of options to be excused. Unfortunately "passed away" was not one of them. By the way, he would have been 92.
Chris Thompson, Rothesay Bay.
Jarrod Gilbert: The terrible injustice of Shane 'Kiwi' Martin's exile as 501 from family
The Herald's - earlier article shows how gang violence is increasing here and damaging the society. This article the way it is written begs remorse and normality of gang-related persons. This type of mixed messages surely confuses the average reader. The reality is this: there are laws in a land. The majority follow and make the country great. There are groups (gangs) whose whole existence is to break all laws. Sympathy and understanding for them can only be found in a leftist mindset. Emenuwal C.
He was not guilty of any crimes. If Australia want to deport people for belonging to a gang, they needed to make it illegal to join a gang and publicise that fact. Shane might have made a different choice if he knew the consequence of that choice but at the time was not informed. Why could they not have said leave the gang or you are going to NZ? Australian policies are not about reducing harm. Gemma L.
Met him at a gym at the Mount. Really humble guy. Tracey D.
I used to see him walking around the Mount and would always yell out my car window …"Go The Tigers"… He would always smile and acknowledge me back. Can't help but feel the injustice of what the Australian authorities did to him. Dermid M.
A beautifully written piece. I'm so sorry for your loss, Jarrod. Aroha nui. Carla B.
Some states in Australia have criminalised bikie gangs. They have been branded as purely an organised crime network in Australia. Hence the deportation treatment of anyone who is not an Australian citizen and gang connection. With a level of gun crime and gang crime increasing in NZ, should our give take a similar stance instead of giving the gangs money? NZ should also seriously look at the deportation rule of anyone with gang affiliations. Time for Aussie 501 type policy. Gary R.
Yes, but we cannot deport our fellow New Zealanders - no matter how much we would like to in some cases (not this one particularly). Perhaps what we need is a place to imprison 501s who continue a life of crime once they arrive/settle here. John H.
I wish we were as tough on gangs as the Australians. Leaders of gangs keep their hands clean and have their foot soldiers do the drug dealing for them. Shane Martin knew people with gang connections were being deported left, right and centre well before he was deported. The only person responsible for Shane Martin's situation was himself. He chose being a gang member over his family. Gang members always choose themselves over their families. Jarrod Gilbert is too close to his subject matter now and is no longer impartial with his studies and observations. Matt J.
I was his neighbour once at the Mount. He was a friendly and nice guy. He used to clean the foyer of our building and wash it down, then clean the footpath pick up litter from the icecream customers. Hamish C.
