Letters: Proposed dog rules don’t go far enough; Shane Reti takes fall for decades of political neglect

A reader says tougher dog rules are needed "for the protection of all concerned". Photo / Jason Oxenham

Letters to the Editor

Proposed dog rules lack teeth

The photo in the Herald of four happy golden retriever puppies on a leash painted a warm and fuzzy impression of dog walkers (“Council eyes curb on dog-walking numbers”, January 21). Obviously, the reality is quite different. On the public-access narrow forest track near our property, at least eight multi-breed dogs per handler are walked on a regular basis, often all or most off-leash.

I am a dog lover and my own docile golden retriever and myself have been attacked by aggressive dogs out of the control of young handlers, and a local rider has been knocked off her horse by a similar attack. The walkers are already there several times a day every week and, with the track on our road not included in the proposed changes, the regularity will probably increase.

For the protection of all concerned, regulations should include not only a maximum number per handler, but all dogs on a leash, clear signage on vehicles to warn the public of their proximity, a specific and limited time window each day when dog walkers are permitted, and muzzles on any aggressive dogs.

Brent Cooper, Coatesville.

Unhealthy response

Dr Shane Reti inherited a broken health portfolio when he was sworn in as Health Minister in November 2023. The neglect, inefficiency, unaccountability, wastage of public funds and underachievement has existed over a span of two decades, and which the respective governing parties over that period failed to address.

On Sunday, Reti was replaced by 33-year-old National MP Simeon Brown. Reti was rapidly sliding down the polls and dropped in his Cabinet ranking from fourth to ninth position. Keeping him on as Health Minister at a time when the public had lost all confidence in the health sector meant a low ranking for the National Party.

What the public does not understand is the sabotage that has resulted from negligence and inaction over a long period cannot be fixed overnight and it is sadly in the nature of humans to shoot at the target that stands within sight. In this case, it was Reti. Reti, who possibly had the best understanding (being a medical doctor) of how the health system was failing and what changes were necessary to get it back to a decent standard.

Replacing Reti could not have come at a worse time. What can we do? Pray and hope for a miracle because for as long as party politics takes prominence over consensus politics, the country will continue to suffer at the hands of a few in power.

Sadhana Reddy, Lynfield.

Waitangi no-show

It is easy to see why advisers would suggest Christopher Luxon stay away from Waitangi this year. While parties like Act and Te Pāti Māori will make political capital from the occasion, there seems little to be gained for National.

Luxon, however, is more than the leader of the National Party – he is the Prime Minister of New Zealand. As such, when tens of thousands march on Parliament and hundreds of thousands make submissions on a bill, he should front up on our national day.

That is not to say he should be apologetic. The Treaty Principles Bill was the price he had to pay for forming the Government. He has paid it and should stand up at Waitangi and say that, but add that the Treaty will not be compromised under his Government, and now he needs to get on with the business of fixing the country’s economy and health system.

This probably doesn’t play with focus groups and political operators, but the middle New Zealanders who actually decide elections sometimes like their Prime Minister to be straightforward.

John O’Neill, Dargaville.

Trump 2.0

I watched Donald Trump’s inauguration speech in its entirety and found myself both dismayed and inspired. He started off by completely disrespecting everything his predecessor had done during his four years in office. This was, in my view, highly disrespectful, uncalled for and undiplomatic.

His recurring theme of “Making America great again” got me wondering if it was ever great and if so, when? Was it great during the wild west days when the cowboys slaughtered the Native Americans as they headed west to colonise the country? Or was it great when they had black slaves to pick the cotton in the southern states? Or during the Civil War when more American men were killed than during WWI and WWII combined?

Quite puzzling, too, was his anti-immigrant rhetoric, given that America was colonised by immigrants from England, Ireland and all over the world.

I will, however, give him credit for speaking for nearly an hour without any notes. He certainly is a great orator.

Glen Stanton, Mairangi Bay.

Maunga fires

The Tūpuna Maunga Authority chooses not to allow stock to graze on Auckland’s volcanic cones. Consequently, the grass becomes long, dries out over summer and each year we see fires on the maunga: Māngere and Maungarei have had severalrecurring. The signs and fire bans are ineffectual; the fires will continue. The solution is simple.

John Walsh, Green Bay.