Letters: Praise for bridge builders, 90-day trials and good neighbours; who should NZ model itself on?

I know councils and local government organisations get a lot of flak from people, me included, but this week I went over the new SH25a bridge heading from Auckland to the Coromandel and was amazed at not only the bridge construction itself but all the work that had been done for kilometres on either side of the bridge.

Suspect hills have been cleared or reconstructed to avoid future slip damage and many kilometres of drains have been reconfigured.

It was clearly an opportune time to do all this work while the road was closed - and it was taken advantage of.

I’m not sure if this was part of the $35 million spent but regardless, congratulations to those responsible for planning ahead and for an amazing job.

Alan Walker, St Heliers.

Who do we want to be?

The recent exchange between Matthew Hooten (NZ Herald, December 22) and Boyd Swinburne (NZ Herald letters, December 26) establishes a very good starting point for a useful political debate as our new Government finds its future direction.

Do we want a highly regulated capitalist society like Singapore, with low taxes and where individual wealth is available for those who can climb the ladder of meritocracy? These successful (or lucky) people are then supported by large numbers of low-paid workers who are strictly controlled. Inequality is regarded as a fact of life and there is no press freedom. High levels of imprisonment and the spectre of capital punishment underpin their justice system, so stepping outside the law is unwise. This is Hooten’s preference.

The Boyd Swinburne option is the socially minded Scandinavian model, with a tax system which supports a well-funded public health, education and housing for all. The environment and the wellbeing of the entire population are top priority and their low crime rate reflects this. For those who do commit crimes, there are very low levels of incarceration except for the small number of dangerous criminals. Others are rehabilitated within the community, with proper support.

We need to debate these options as our country looks to the future.

V M Fergusson, Mt Eden.

The Taparahi Bridge on State Highway 25a between Kōpū and Hikuai reopened the key Coromandel connection before the 2023-24 summer season. Photo / Mike Scott

Irresponsible imagery

A McDonald’s TV commercial currently on air uses irresponsible imagery. It features a male driver with one hand on the steering wheel and the other begging for French fries from a younger man in the backseat tucking into a box of fast food. He obliges and the driver stuffs a handful of fries into his mouth while driving single-handed.

A car-full of people ravenous for a fast-food fix might resonate with some, but it totally neglects road safety, safe driving practices or our heavy road toll, not to mention healthy eating habits.

The ad is clearly designed to promote drive-through convenience but why depict fast-food consumption while driving? A car parked in an attractive location would surely set a better example.

Rick McKinley, Castor Bay.

Icy treats

Thank you for the delightful photos, and the heartwarming article about the icy treats the Auckland Zoo staff made for the animals they care for (NZ Herald, December 27). Burma’s treat is a work of art with such a variety of deliciousness frozen into layers. It’s a Christmas trifle masterpiece.

Lorraine Kidd, Warkworth.

Everybody needs good neighbours

Renton Brown’s reminder (NZ Herald letters, December 26) that nothing beats a good neighbour shows Renton must be a good neighbour too, in recognising neighbours as a blessing!

Janice Lowe, Karaka.

Support for trial period

Shaneel Lal (Herald on Sunday, December 24) and correspondent Alison Redfern-Daly ( letters, December 27) have clearly never run a business or employed staff. We had a small chain of fashion retail stores when the 90-day trial legislation was last in place. Prospective (mainly young) employees would apply for jobs with us having been turned away from larger corporate stores because of “no experience”. Because of the trial period we were prepared to take a punt on those people and the ones that made the grade stayed. The ones who didn’t went.

The vast majority were in the former category and the last thing we ever wanted to do was let them go after three months’ investment in training. To the contrary, they were rewarded and they also got that valuable “experience” on their CV.

There may be some employers who take advantage, but to generalise the trial period as a tool for exploitation is unfair and unfounded.

Brent Cooper, Coatesville.

Wear masks during wave

We are in our fifth wave of Covid, and in the news Kiwis flock to crowded airports with seemingly not one person wearing a mask. At the Boxing Day sales, Kiwis flock to overcrowded malls, and again seemingly not one person wearing a mask. I’d rather be out in nature enjoying the peace and quiet. Silly season indeed.

Helen Lowe, Albany.