All Blacks captain Sam Cane. Photo / Photosport
So Sam Cane, the All Blacks captain, puts out a leg to assist in apprehending an illegal pitch invader, and is forced to apologise and is now the subject of New Zealand and world media attacks. This is political correctness gone mad. Are we waiting for an international sportsperson to be badly injured or even killed before this woke nonsense ceases? At the same time we, including public commentators, laud the “sport” of cage fighting, under the smoke-screen acronyms of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) and UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). This is nothing but feral violence that not even the animal kingdom would approve of. Has the world gone completely mad or do we simply have unhealthy double standards?
Steve Clerk, Meadowbank.
What a bunch of wussie, weak, limp-wristed wets we have become. An idiot invades the rugby field so Sam Cane sticks a leg out and trips him up. So what? Why all the hoo-ha? Said idiot should be damned glad Cane didn’t deliver one of his trademark body-slamming tackles. Get over it, everyone.
David Morris, Hillsborough.
Mike Hosking (NZ Herald, July 6) had a bit of fun speculating how the main parties will go in this year’s election. Who knows, he may be less wrong than others. I’m confident, however, he will be significantly more wrong than most of the political polls he has such little faith in. Polls run by reputable firms (members of the Research Association of New Zealand - Ranz) all use robust sampling methods. Much effort goes into ensuring samples are as representative of the voting public as possible. Surveys are always subject to margin of error (MoE) and it’s a Ranz Polling Code requirement that the maximum MoE (that attributed to results close to 50 per cent) is reported with all poll results. I suspect if you look hard enough, you’ll find MoE missing from the odd rogue poll, but none from polls by Ranz members. Political polls are an essential part of maintaining open democratic systems like ours. They tell us the mood of the electorate at a particular point in time and allow people to vote in that context. I encourage everyone to follow and trust political polls, including those published in this paper, as the best measure we have of who would win an election if it were held today.
Geoff Lowe, Chair, Research Association of New Zealand (Ranz).
Political science lecturer Lin Mussell, in her article regarding New Zealand’s law and order situation (NZ Herald, July 10), points out that recorded crime levels are actually dropping. This is contrary to the “soft on crime” utterances of right-wing politicians. By definition, clearly those utterances are designed to deliberately mislead and are therefore disinformation, making those politicians disinformationists. New Zealand would be a much better place if there was even only a little less disinformation put about - and especially in an election year.
Phil Barker, Whakatāne.
Correspondent Brian Dent (NZ Herald, July 10) takes issue with Bruce Cotterill and his opinion piece on our current political management. Dent comes up with the scenario that our present ruling politicians are all handling complex issues on a daily basis and that our business managers have it easy in comparison. My observation of our political management over 40 years shows that, far from having to navigate a minefield on their own, our MPs do indeed have a wealth of advice administered to them by a whole host of both civil service bosses, as well as other experts in their field. I consider Dent does a disservice to hard-working business owners by his comments. Those businessmen/women do not have the same access to the expertise that the politicians do. Well done Bruce, I say.
Allen Jones, Cambridge.
CC McDowall may well be pulling our leg with his outburst in the paper (NZ Herald, July 10 ) regarding atomic testing on Mururoa Island all those years ago, but his justifications for leaving France alone sums up why our world is in the state it is. McDowall appears to have little knowledge of how contaminants spread into our water, earth and air. Apart from the findings of scientists that strontium 90 was appearing in our milk through contaminated air drifts, the atoll was cracking and allowing nuclear waste from its atomic testing to filter into our Pacific Ocean, spreading poison around. Fortunately, our persistence and anger, our sending boats to Mururoa, became known worldwide. In 1973 New Zealand and Australia took France to the International Court of Justice in an attempt to ban the tests. France ignored the courts until 1995 when they stopped, citing military data. Had we not persisted, would they have stopped? I doubt it. But we don’t learn. Poisonous radioactive pollution will head our way again when Japan oozes gallons of nuclear waste from its damaged reactor into the Pacific. They say it’s safe! But countries often lie to save their bacon.
Emma Mackintosh, Birkenhead.
The Auckland Council must be rubbing its hands with the vast increase in revenue from Auckland Airport parking since travel has increased, and the long delays waiting for passengers to clear Customs. Gone are the days when you could bank on passengers clearing Customs etc in 35-40 minutes from landing. It’s now a guessing game, which means people collecting passengers are now faced with increased parking fees. It took me one and a half hours to come through last Tuesday and that was after midnight. Just what you need after a long flight. Add to that the surly attitudes of the staff.
Jock MacVicar, Hauraki.
I find myself agreeing with Marama Davidson and what she said at the Green Party AGM: “We must reduce the outrageous and immoral level of income and wealth inequality we have in this country”. Last week I took a drive to Ōmaha via the new northern motorway, which incidentally is marvellous. Sadly though, in Ōmaha you see dozens of ostentatious holiday homes owned by Auckland’s “mega-rich” and occupied only a few weeks of the year; some reputedly with six bedrooms and three bathrooms. Sad when we know there are many families in South Auckland squashed into small three-bedroom and one-bathroom houses. It has been said that “life isn’t fair” and that is certainly true.
Glen Stanton, Mairangi Bay.
Jeff Hayward asks (NZ Herald, July 10): “So why on Earth is climate not the biggest issue of the coming election?” It isn’t the biggest issue because we Kiwis do not have control of our own climate destiny. We share our atmosphere with the whole world and its vast polluting industries. What we do here will make no measurable difference to our future climate outcomes.
Andrew Tichbon, Green Bay.
It’s plainly obvious that Auckland is destined to have roads with potholes forever. If, as stated by the Auckland Transport Alignment Project, it will take between five and 10 years to fix the current backlog, then with the rate the potholes are happening, the current contractors are guaranteed continuous work. It could be school leavers might be employed with a contractor patching holes in the roads, only to retire 50 years later working for the same contractor doing the same job. Something needs to change, like scrapping the tram to the airport and the many kilometres of cycle tracks. Bring the current network up to a decent standard, then look at what would be nice to have.
R Hoy, Riverhead.
On Mururoa
In response to CC McDowall, Rotorua, on the French bombing our “backyard”: I disagree with the writer’s statement, “if the French want to set off atomic bombs on their own territory, I say “C’est la vie”. I say “Au contraire.” Lindsay Olney, Howick.
On crime
Do the people who argue that 16-year-olds are adult enough to vote also think that they are adult enough to not be subject to Youth Court anymore? Neville Cameron, Coromandel.
On suppression
The collateral damage caused to innocents from name suppression shows just how sparingly the policy should be used. Larry Mitchell, Rothesay Bay.
On free trade
The new EU free trade agreement only gives meagre gains to NZ beef and lamb exporters. EU farmers must be the most protected species in the world. Nick Hamilton, Remuera.
On policies
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson says one in three people are interested in their policies. What about the other two, are they not interested? Can’t blame them. Gary Carter, Gulf Harbour.
On Trump
I wonder how many of those attending a Trump rally are simply there to witness a train wreck or a freak show? John Norris, Whangamatā.
Bosses say migrant visa changes make NZ jobs unappealing.
Couldn’t it just be that these businesses just want quick, cheap labour just like the olden Key days? Just saying. Gillian E.
Having employed a number of skilled migrants earning $100k-$150k over the past year, everything the article says about the ridiculously bureaucratic and general uselessness of Immigration NZ is on the money. At the lower-paid end of the market, the lack of a rapid pathway to residence puts people off, which is why people are leaving well-paid jobs in the NZ dairy sector to go to Canada to earn minimum wage because there, they can rapidly get residence for themselves and their families. Greg M.
Simple really, Aussie in particular - better money, lifestyle, opportunities. I note that hospitality are the first ones to complain. Truth is who would really want to work in the industry in NZ? It has traditionally been the one that has virtually used slave labour. Paul S.
I wonder if they have just considered paying people more? Anne J.
A lot of minimum wage workers are moving to Oz to seek a better life, a few middle/upper-class candidates getting significant pay rises are also moving, and those who cannot afford to pay their mortgages are going to Oz to see if things are better. The rest are staying in NZ. Tim H.
Polyfest organisers are blaming the government for not fronting up more cash.