I would like to thank Grant, Jacinda and their team for all their hard work getting us through a very trying year, writes Sandra Hansen.
I read Grant Robertson's letter to Ian Taylor. There is a very poignant moment when he says, 'I can just cope with the enormous stress of this situation by knowing that we have done everything we can to keep NZers alive.'
I would like to thank Grant, Jacinda and their team for all their hard work getting us through a very trying year. Thanks to them we will have Christmas with our family and food on the table. Without the money allocated to support us during the lockdown, it would have been a very different scenario.
We are a very spoilt lot and have high expectations which are often unrealistic. It is easy to criticise when we are not the ones having to make the decisions. Some of us think our role in life is to pull down others, to undermine and criticise. I can only imagine how much extra stress this has caused you. However, you can't please everybody.
My Christmas wish, is that you will be able to take a bit of time off to celebrate the good work you have done and enjoy time with family and friends.
Thank you for all you have done for me and my family this year.
Sandra Hansen, Hastings
Finance Minister Robertson cries crocodile tears ... (Herald, Dec 22) when expressing "great sadness" at Sir Ian Taylor's telling and clinical criticism of our Government's recent financial management.
While many Kiwis might gladly leave 2021 behind them, along with their willingness to take another one for the team, the true test awaits us all in 2022.
While Jacinda Ardern may have labelled 2021 as the year of "recovery", she might well title 2022 as "the year the pigeons start to roost".
The accumulated mountain of low performing debt and the blowout in Government expenditure that Taylor so accurately critiqued, cannot be just wished away with more faux sentiments.
Larry Mitchell, Rothesay Bay
The Waitangi Tribunal's findings are a damning indictment of Jacinda Ardern's political decision making on key Covid health issues for Māori. All the more damning because those decisions were made in full knowledge of expert scientific advice.
Effectively, Jacinda prioritised her own political needs over the needs of vulnerable Māori.
To learn that "the Tribunal finds that Cabinet's decision to reject advice from its own officials to adopt an age adjustment for Māori in the vaccine rollout breached the Treaty principles of active protection and equity" is staggering.
On any analysis, the Government's rejection of Covid advice put Māori at unnecessary additional risk.
But it also put at risk every other Kiwi's health, wellbeing and freedom because it knowingly left a vulnerable community behind.
Appointing Māori MPs to Cabinet is just window dressing and tokenism if substantive decisions on critical issues affecting Māori ignore the need for active protection and equity.
As a minimum, Kiwis expect government to follow the law and expert scientific advice in these difficult times.
Paul Jamieson, Remuera
Vaccination coverage of 90 per cent leaves over a million Kiwis unvaccinated and since it provides only 80-85 per cent protection we must strive to achieve 99.9 per cent triple vaccinated to give us a chance against the current or any new strains of Covid.
The world will continue to be dogged with Covid until governments insist that manufacturers waive their patents on Covid vaccines (which were after all developed with millions of dollars of public money) allowing widespread low cost production.
Billions need to be provided to ensure every world citizen can be protected. The alternative is crisis upon crisis.
Bob van Ruyssevelt, Glendene
It is important to note the relative positions of Australia and New Zealand in relation to the article on vaccinations (Herald, Dec 21). It is clear that Pfizer offers protection not possible from AstraZeneca and others.
My understanding is that most Australians are protected with AstraZeneca. They may have used Pfizer more recently. Importantly, this means that we have a good chance, even if Omicron escapes from MIQ, of not facing the spiralling case numbers now seen in New South Wales.
It also makes one wonder at the decision by a Coromandel politician and others to avoid the mRNA vaccinations. Not scientists, not listening to scientists.
Judy Lawry, Golflands
Our stats say it all, our death rate is the proof. No family gets over the death of a loved one in two weeks or two years or 22 years. The link is gone forever.
A Covid strain does not ask to see your birth certificate, passport or residency status or whether you've been away on business or pleasure before it invades you. It is irrelevant if you get a mild or bad dose, that's an unknown until you are recover.
To get through Omicron we do not need a two tiered MIQ system. Just do the five, seven or 14 days in one place, show some gratitude as generations before us did when they returned from active service.
Please fix the bill before you leave so our country can support those who are keeping their families, employees and businesses afloat.
Michele Nash, Murrays Bay
Kate MacNamara's article (Weekend Herald, Dec 18) falls into the trap of expecting job creation to be an overnight done deal. I would agree that the Government is guilty of giving the impression that jobs would miraculously appear, as soon as the money was disbursed.
Kate will be well aware of two facts: firstly that much of the funding is spread out over up to five years and secondly that with any government funding there is at least six months of negotiations before funds are likely to be available.
This organisation received funding from J4N via MfE to develop and run a hands-on conservation work training course, Bay Conservation Cadets. While the funding was granted in July 2020, we were unable to start the first course until January 2021.
The funding runs for five years and will train up 150 'cadets' from a wide variety of backgrounds, ethnicity and age.
While some may think you can get into 'conservation work' with minimal training, that is far from the case. So much of what you need to know to work effectively in the environment comes from hands-on practice and experience, but a good basic training course gives trainees a sound base and a far better chance of getting a meaningful full time job.
We spend far too little on the environment, on which we all depend, so please do not knock the Government when it at least tries to do the right thing for all of us and for our amazing native biodiversity.
Julian Fitter, Bay Conservation Alliance, Maketu
The choice of right-wing commentators for David Seymour to be politician of the year smacks of desperation. David Seymour is a populist who tailors his message to his audience. He isn't above wearing a T-shirt with a silhouette of naked woman with a cow's head on it for the Auckland University Meat Club if that will get him a few votes and on talkback on Sunday he spoke about being wary of travelling North for his holidays because of the 'thugs' manning the borders.
Who does he mean? Local Maori wardens checking vaccination status for vulnerable areas? He obviously felt on safe ground using such a term and his host didn't pick him up on it.
In terms of what he would actually do if he had had a say in recent crucial decisions, then we need only look to the chaos and high death rates of the UK to see what a libertarian hands-off approach can cause.
Michelle Hesketh, Grey Lynn
Your correspondent, Rod Lyons ( Letters Dec 21), appears to contradict himself, in my view. He initially praises the selection of David Seymour as 'Politician of the Year' but in his final sentence he claims to be at a loss in finding a competent replacement leader.
He is also critical of Chris Hipkins' selection as runner-up. We can tend to blame those in power for perceived problems, but I am left confused when we elevate politicians with little or no track record, as we have with Seymour. I believe our current Government has performed admirably in these very difficult times.
Rhys Morgan, Northcote
Thanks to correspondent Hylton Le Grice for pointing out new Western Australian anti-gang legislation prohibiting display of gang patches and tattoos as well as public assembly of gangs. The A$12,000 fines and 12 years in prison sound just right.
This legislation should be copied word-for-word and urgently supported by all political parties. It is time for cross-party cooperation to put an end to gangs forever. I will vote against any party that does not support this legislation.
John Caldwell, Howick
I agree with Simon Wilson's sentiments on making Auckland a cycling utopia.
However I am quite certain that we are all completely committed to our cheap to own and cheap to run cars.
I used to think people had big cars so they were suitable for towing but by my observation we have many huge cars with driver only and no tow bar.
The only way to prise people out of their cars is to make fuel at least $4 a litre and parking places limited and expensive. I am sure that would be so unpopular no party could do it and stay in power.
We all want to reduce pollution and emissions but it is always someone else who should do something about it.
Vince West, Milford
Cycling is great for the fit, youngish and healthy. It is not fit for purpose for mothers with small children, older people with creaky knees, the family shopper, medical appointments for the unwell, disabled folk, working across town, driving the elderly etc etc.
Keeping cars out, limiting parking onroad and none for some housing developments is simple-minded and out of touch with real life for real people. It has become an obsessive theory for some to save the planet but locking out a huge number of actual people from full participation in life is no solution at all.
June Kearney, West Harbour
On vaccination
I cannot for the life of me understand why the so-called anti-vaxxers object to me being vaccinated and go to extreme lengths to persuade others like me not to be vaccinated. Maybe one of them might read this letter and explain their objection to my exercising my freedom to choose.
Greg Cave, Sunnyvale.
On escapees
Escape From Colditz was a great board game we played as kids. Its asymmetrical layout, and one player versus the rest style, was ingenious. An updated version these days could be Escape From MIQ.
Glenn Forsyth, Taupo.
On TV ads
There has been much correspondence on the best adverts for 2021 with two clear front runners. Any ad person, (mediocre or otherwise), worth their salt will be lining up Blue the three legged dog and Tina from Turners together for the best advert of 2022.
Alan Johnson, Papatoetoe.
On Robertson
Couldn't agree with Grant Robertson more. God deliver us from clever Dicks with brilliant Covid plans that don't have to be put into action.
Richard Irwin, Te Atatu South.
Fantastic letter by Grant Robertson responding to Sir Ian Taylor's piece in the Weekend Herald. Well-written, kind and to the point. He explains in plain language the success that the current government has had with the Covid response. Kudos to him!
Chris Blenkinsopp, Beach Haven.
Mr Robertson, your reply to Sir Ian Taylor, like your government, was weak.
Richard Carey, Manly.
Deputy PM Grant Robertson responds to Sir Ian Taylor
I think Grant Robertson misses the point a bit here. I am sure Cabinet is working hard but the competence of some of the decisions to date needs to be queried including the slow vaccine rollout, flawed pursuit of elimination strategy for too long, failure to adopt antigen testing earlier, lack of ICU beds, failure to allow medical professionals to return to the country, MIQ booking system, being taken for a ride by the gangs etc to name a few. The PM comment suggested "we" all deserved a pat on the back including Government. I felt forced words from the PR team. David G.
OK, so he took something the PM said out of context - pretty sure every politician has been guilty of that at some point in their political careers. What irks me so much in Grant's reply is that he just doesn't really get it. He makes no commitment to sit down with Sir Ian and hear him out. Instead, he chooses to focus on self-congratulating the government while ignoring the consequences and opportunities lost through the government's response. However, what really annoyed me was his defence of MIQ - that cruel, inhumane system deserves no defence. 2022 - more of the same by the looks of it. Brent R.
Seriously Grant. How arrogant. Leah L.
Mr Robertson probably thinks he's scored some points over Mr Taylor but when it comes down to the nitty gritty it's just more words unsupported by real delivery. John K.
The lowest death rate in the OECD is something to celebrate. The Government should get full credit for doing a great job. David K.
Everyone is a genius with the benefit of hindsight. Most of the government's critics couldn't organise a drinking session in a brewery. It's tiresome listening to the comments about what "could have" or "should have" been done. The naysayers should try to be objective, reach a balanced conclusion and be grateful that (when considering all relevant criteria) New Zealand has fared better than any other country with a population exceeding 1 million. Jono G.
By starting with "great sadness" he's immediately belittling Sir Ian and being patronising. The thrust of Sir Ian's comments is why does the Govt persist in ignoring external expertise and help? All I heard in this article is we've worked hard and kept death rates low. So let's all have a cup of tea and pat each other on the back. He hasn't responded to the factual challenges at all. Andrew C.
In a global pandemic the government has to contain and minimise the spread of the virus through public health measures and that is exactly what this government is doing. Those who are criticising it have vested and selfish interests and have no idea of the role of a government during such times. John B.
Armed police stood guard as the patched members were led out in handcuffs.