Letters: Prosecute parents for truancy; solving Auckland gridlock; protecting King Charles

"Caregivers should be prosecuted for kids' non-attendance." Photo / Warren Buckland

Prosecute parents for truancy

We talk and talk about the number of children not attending school but nothing is done to come up with a solution to this problem.

Education is free for all, but it is the caregiver’s responsibility to ensure their offspring attend regularly.

Therefore, in the interests of the NZ economy and reducing benefit payouts to the uneducated who are unemployable, caregivers should be prosecuted for non-attendance. Excuses such as “I don’t want to go to school” will not cut it.

Many truancy officers will initially need to be employed to herd these children through the school gates until everyone gets the message or the parents face the consequences.

We need to get tough on doing the right thing and get our children back to school, where they belong.

Marie Kaire, Whangārei.

Combating gridlock

One step forward, one step back - that seems to be the plan for gridlocked Auckland.

As one family member on holiday from overseas said, driving across the Harbour Bridge is like going back in time, as nothing has improved in the last 50 years.

One often wonders if the plans for so-called improvements to motorways etc are done over a bottle of plonk.

For example, on the Northern Motorway at Constellation Drive, a bypass to the west took shape, but in its construction they forgot about traffic going into the city. As a result, three lanes are reduced to two for about 5km, so there are always huge hold-ups.

There have to be deterrents, such as congestion charges, to get people out of cars and incentives like discounts for regular travellers on public transport.

For goodness’ sake, would those who hold the reins actually make a plan and stick to it?

Reg Dempster, Albany.

Paying for promises

Amazing to read and listen to various individuals complaining about road-user charges, a lack of bike lanes, insufficient climate change spending, the unfair treatment of lawbreakers, the lack of government housing, the low unemployment benefit, insufficient social security benefits, a lack of lunches for school children, insufficient financial support for Māori, water usage costs, parking fees.

So many situations where it is said the Government or council should pay, or be responsible.

There is no such thing as Government or council payments - most seem to forget it is in fact the hard-pressed taxpayer or ratepayer that funds all of these demands.

Hylton Le Grice, Remuera.

Protecting Charles

Thank you for your editorial on misplaced criticism aimed at a British institutional leader (NZ Herald, Feb 8).

This criticism is aired is purely because of his high ranking in the royal hierarchy, possibly a sign of envy towards someone with a seemingly cushioned life, if one could, for a moment, forget the relentless paparazzi bombardment.

These critics are conveniently forgetting people in Gaza, Ukraine and all much less developed nations have to live with illnesses, totally ignored by anyone, including us, the distant critics.

René Blezer, Taupō.

Pollution case

I hope Mike Smith doesn’t drive a car, use electricity, consume transported groceries or farm-raised food, or use a mobile phone (NZ Herald, Feb 8).

If so, will he sue himself? If the seven entities named were the sole polluters for the last 200 years, there would be no measurable climate change.

Stuart Palmer, Mt Albert.

Shifting focus

Who cares whether parts of Christopher Luxon’s Waitangi speech were copied word for word from his speech last year?

It just shows good time management. He now has more time to focus on what really matters - the things all those who elected him and his party want him to do.

These include strengthening the economy, which Labour spent six years endeavouring to destroy, and focusing on matters relating to our failing education and health systems and decrepit infrastructure.

Bernard Walker, Papamoa.

Lacklustre speech

I am appalled at the lacklustre speech our Prime Minister gave on Waitangi Day. Where was the drama, the metaphor, the whakataukī [proverb] and originality?

I’m tired of the same old bland rhetoric that neither sparks imagination nor vision. Maybe the Prime Minister was demonstrating that the Government has got it right after all. An hour a day spent on literacy is indeed a priority.

Janice Corbett, Mt Eden.

Level playing field

I think Larry Mitchell’s suggestion that NZ Cricket demand a refund over the quality of South Africa’s test team might be a little harsh (NZ Herald, Feb 7).

South Africa introduced six test debutants for the first test. Perhaps NZC could recruit six of our top provincial players, who are knocking on the door of international selection for the second.

That would even things up and give some of the Black Caps a well-deserved break. As a test series, it’s already of little worth.

As an introduction to the arena of international cricket, it would be a good way for some up-and-coming players to test the waters.

Jeremy Coleman, Hillpark.

I voted for this

Correspondent Peter Beyer (NZ Herald, Feb 8) rather caustically asks, “Who voted for these people?”, meaning our present Government.

Well, Peter, I did, in part for the promise of an administration of competent and experienced people, the other part as a resounding rejection of the incompetent and ideological incumbents.

Larry Mitchell, Rothesay Bay.