It appears to me that if you are a politician, sportsperson, carver or benefactor etc then you are in the pound seat for a decent gong as listed in the “New Year Honours 2024″ (Weekend Herald, December 30).
However, if you are a mechanic, builder, electrician or fisherman you have no chance. These people are just doing their job too.
Another anomaly is that if you are the PM or Speaker, it is a given that you get a knighthood irrespective of how good or bad you were at performing that job.
Dave Miller, Tauranga.
Business community ignored
Congratulations to all the worthy people in our community for being acknowledged in the honours list for all the efforts they have made in making New Zealand a better place (Weekend Herald, December 30).
Nice to see that some of the public money available has been used wisely.
I can’t help noticing the real business community and their leaders were overlooked - did our previous Government believe they made no difference to New Zealand and our communities? No wonder our business confidence and economy are at an all-time low.
Lesley Baillie, Murrays Bay.
Two knights
Sir Edmond Hillary, Sir Trevor Mallard. Enough said.
I MacGregor, Greenhithe.
Gong Braunias
After reading the Secret Diary of 2023 and then the New Year Honours list (Weekend Herald, December 30), I have only one question. If a man of comedy like Trevor Mallard is on the honours list, why is Steve Braunias not?
Alan Johnson, Papatoetoe.
The new bird
Simon Wilson’s varied selection of 12 things that made the world more wonderful in 2023 (Weekend Herald, December 30) was a good read. My pick from his list was “That new bird”. As voting for our Bird of the Century got under way John Oliver, with a hilarious campaign, managed to motivate people from all over the world to vote for the pūteketeke, a bird most New Zealanders had never heard of. The campaign was a lot of fun and had the desired result. The pūteketeke won.
Lorraine Kidd, Warkworth.
MP salaries and national debt
You are to be commended for Marie Kaire’s “letter of the week” (Weekend Herald, December 30). For a complete turnaround, I suggest MPs’ salaries be tied to the national debt.
Gerry O’Meeghan, Papamoa.
Zero time for campaign
I’m not buying into the “road to zero” campaign either. I know someone will drink and drive. I know someone will drive while angry or there’s going to be that life-changing text to answer. I know 1 per cent just don’t accept 20km over the speed limit is dangerous. I know idiots like to outrun police. I know those banned from driving don’t care and continue creating mayhem. I know parents dragging their kids to the centre line after school expect everyone to stop for them. I know pedestrians and jaywalkers think they always have right of way. I know drunk or drugged people stagger all over the tar seal. I also know until we ban all vehicles, no manner of “traffic calming” systems will stop road deaths.
Randel Case, Buckland Beach.
Not so temporary
Recently, I have spent too much time on roads between Cambridge, Auckland and Whakatāne. The most frequent sign I observe, and there are hundreds of them, are “Temporary Speed Restrictions”.
My dictionary defines temporary as 1. Not permanent; 2. Lasting only a short time. Transit seems to believe the word means “any time between now and eternity”.
The latest experience was on the toll road southeast of Tauranga. The same “temporary 70km” signs were in place two months ago, yet no work seems to have been accomplished. Having non-existent road works and temporary signs on a toll road would seem to negate the intention of using a toll road.
I think Transit has lost the plot. They seem hell-bent on preventing me getting from A to B in a safe and timely manner, yet I would have thought that was their only reason for being.
Murray Reid, Cambridge.
Happy to learn
When Roger Hawkins (Weekend Herald letters, December 30) referred to 84 per cent of the population not understanding Māori, I assume he is talking about that group who are not Māori. As a “non-Māori” who is well into his 70s who, along with a fair portion of that “84 per cent”, have no problem with the indigenous language being spoken and learnt, I might add that if anyone is confused about a new name, go and find out what it means - trust me, it’s not hard. No one will point at you and laugh.
On a lighter note, congratulations to Phil Gifford on his New Year Honour.
John Capener, Kawerau
Get the ball in play
Larry N Mitchell (Weekend Herald letters, December 30) is spot on saying rugby is a disgrace as it only has 34 minutes’ play in every 80-minute game. It must be changed immediately to get the 75 minutes of play enjoyed in a rugby league match - more than twice the game time. Rugby league is so much more value for the cost of your ticket to see the game.
Murray Hunter, Titirangi.