A protester screams "Freedom" inside the Senate chamber after the US Capitol was breached by a mob during a joint session of Congress on January 6, 2021. The US is "a masterclass in polarisation", a correspondent says. Photo / Getty Images, File
Letter of the week: Mary Hearn, Glendowie
Your report on how Kiwis’ think (Weekend Herald, December 3) made interesting reading. Housing uncertainty and unbalanced distribution of wealth could certainly drive divisions between the “haves” and “have nots”, but the polls did reveal a clear majority of respondents want an equitable and just society. They also want our agricultural sector supported and respected as a cornerstone of our economy. This is a positive testament to the Kiwi characteristics of fairness and a level playing field, attributes existing in New Zealand before the mosque massacre and before Covid. Another potential factor, exacerbated by social media, is distrust of our political leaders. It was disturbing to see our Prime Minister blatantly deflect over the Three Waters/entrenchment debacle, and the “I didn’t know” defence sounded disingenuous in light of evidence to the contrary by one of her own ministers. Constant U-turns by both Labour and National on policy decisions make it extremely hard to trust either. New Zealand has only to look at the US for a masterclass in polarisation, and learn what happens when truth becomes a disposable commodity. We should not allow that to happen here.
Stop thieves
We saw this tragic dairy death coming, please stop it from happening on a building site. There is a scourge of brazen, daylight robberies happening. On the site I know, a young apprentice had his new, loved, hard-saved-for, nail gun stolen. Days later, Gib fixers had their bench and drop saw taken. Hardworking tradies are having the tools of their trade, their livelihoods, stolen in Auckland every day. It harms all, projects stall, time is wasted, and costs escalate. These are not individual events, this is organised crime, it is an epidemic, daylight robberies, caught on camera, faces, and number plates but our police lack the resources to crack down on it. People are fed up, it is a tragedy in waiting.
Jenny Edbrooke, Greenlane.
Safer and cheaper
Political wrangling over Three Waters is drowning out the purpose of the Bill. The University of Otago has voiced its concerns that the current water system for drinking, storm and waste is not sufficient to protect public health: each year more than 30,000 get sick from drinking water and half a million have to boil their drinking water to kill bacterial contamination. Moreover, according to the university, the current set-up is financially unsustainable: with a projected $180 billion gap to fund the upgrades needed over the next 30 years, councils would have to increase money taken from rates by 2-3 times. The four proposed entities, the university suggests, would deliver high-level performance at a lower cost.
John Hunt, Hobsonville.
Current concern
It is a pity that the question of protecting water from privatisation was attached to the flawed Three Waters legislation. It is a separate issue that bears our attention. The former Government partially privatised electric power when it needed the money but since then power prices have risen and investors profited. Although electricity is necessary, water is vital and we need to feel secure that investors - particularly foreign ones - could not leave us powerless against any decisions they might make. We should never be like Britain, where more than 70 per cent of water is now in investors’ hands. In Auckland, our unpopular Super City design has made Watercare into a company, apart from the elected council. Our mayor, elected by a small number of eligible voters, wants to sell the shares held in the airport to alleviate council debt. Should he suggest that selling Watercare could solve the problem, presumably council members would veto it. But it is something that should never even be available for consideration. Water is too important for any future government or council to even have the power to consider it.
P. Belsham, Mt Albert.
Savings found
Auckland Council and the mayor looking for 5 per cent savings (Weekend Herald, December 3). Auckland ratepayers are not interested in a mild attempt at “lowering” next year’s rates increase, we demand no increase – at all. If Wayne Brown wishes to help ratepayers, there is one key option right now, not next financial year. An immediate formal instruction to AT advising the only expenditure permitted (outside of the CRL) is for road maintenance. Read: potholes. AT must be advised that wasteful, low-value return projects (Great North Rd and Meola Rd would be a great start), must be shelved, $76,000,000 saved immediately. Contractors will be upset, but who cares? They have been creaming it for years. We no longer need speed bumps, “tables”, extended curb lines, raised pedestrian crossings or traffic lights every 200 metres. The final and obvious option is to advise all the CCOs that a 30 per cent staff cull is required. It is high time reality hit management and their over-inflated salaries. Rates should never be allowed to increase at over the rate of inflation – ever.
Roger Hawkins, Herne Bay.
Accolade questioned
At the risk of offending John Roughan, his choice of man of the year, Dominic Abelen (Weekend Herald, December 3), is quite eccentric. Notwithstanding the heroic bravery of the late New Zealand soldier, he was fighting for another country and presumably for a substantial amount of money. In other words, walking a fine line between that of a foreign fighter and a mercenary. Roughan’s touching eulogy would have resonated agreeably with fellow warriors but attributing the accolade to a fighter on furlough for one country, absconding to fight in a foreign war, borders on bizarre.
James Gregory, Parnell.
Courage lauded
Like John Roughan and most New Zealanders, I appreciate sacrifices for freedom and democracy (Weekend Herald, December 3). Comparisons of candidates in this field can be odorous but, along with Dominic Abelen, I would like to suggest for New Zealander of next year, someone who for decades has shown extraordinary moral courage in fighting for freedom – first against apartheid in our own society, and more recently in the campaign to have its effects recognised and dismantled in Israel-Palestine. In between a career in Auckland schools as a teacher, this person also campaigned for Māori land rights and a more inclusive New Zealand. On moving to Christchurch, he early on saw the need for more social housing and entered the mayoralty race there specifically to make retaining council housing an issue. For the past decade, John Minto also took up the cause for Palestinian self-determination as chairman of PSNA, Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa-NZ, and belongs to a worldwide group MLN, Movement for the Liberation from the Nakba, aimed at dismantling apartheid and redressing land rights issues at the heart of conflict in that society. Surely this long-standing courage and sacrifice are also worth recognition?
Steve Liddle, Napier.
Age and wellness
I understand Christopher Luxon proposes to raise the age of eligibility for superannuation from 65 years to 67 years should he win the next election. Presumably, he does not know that in New Zealand, age 65 is a watershed for health complaints, that is, the rate of decline in good health increases dramatically after that point. Whereas 32 per cent of people between the ages of 50 and 64 require four medicinal prescriptions, at age 65 plus, it rises to 54 per cent. So, by increasing the age of eligibility, he would require a lot of not-very-well people to work for a further two years before they can take the rest and recreation they need to properly maintain life.
Reginald Marsh, Tauranga.
Is it time for New Zealand to seek federation with Australia? In our present parlous state, who would blame them if they turned us down? Graham Astley, Remuera.
Jacinda Ardern protests the Labour caucus is all in the waka together, but Nanaia Mahuta has sold it down the awa. Mike Wagg, Freemans Bay.
We keep being reminded of the dominance of the 15 Māori MPs in the Labour caucus but why do we never hear of the spinelessness of all the others? Kerry Craig, Mt Eden.
Someone signed off on possibly one of the most ridiculous wastes of taxpayer money in the TV creation that is Princess of Chaos. Andrew Wicks, Te Atatu Peninsula.
What a bright start to the day, another segment of sparkling Steve Braunias’ diary (WH, Dec. 3). It’s good to know there is still some space for a chuckle, thanks. Rosemary Howell, Ellerslie.
Donny and Marie Osmond played Eden Park in 1975. They were the first - not Six60 or Billy Joel, as we are repeatedly told. Mark Young, Ōrewa.
I disagree with Mark Nixon’s assertion (WH, Dec. 3) that the Herald was cruel in publishing the “political parties’ five ideas to improve NZ” and showing National and Act together had none between them. The article merely confirmed, for me, that truth in journalism can still be found. Jeremy Coleman, Hillpark.
Our deep-thinking Government refused to support the retention of Marsden Pt which clearly was a strategic asset but bails out a skifield. Must be more votes available from skiers. Garry Wycherley, Awakino.
Ruapehu Alpine Lifts, and its voluntary liquidator, would appear to be totally oblivious to the world’s climate change crisis (WH, Dec. 3). I would suggest, before further public funding, they go first to the church for snow. Peter Dodd, Chatswood.
Who would have thought that little old New Zealand could have created interest rate rises and inflation all over the world? We never knew how much power we had. Tony Barnett, Pukekohe.
Now that Kainga Ora has built so many apartment blocks in every suburb, the head office can occupy one apartment in any of the suburbs - no rent needed. Nishi Fahmy, Avondale.
The sooner parents stop treating children as commodities and treat them as precious human beings, the better we will all be. Janet Boyle, Ōrewa.
Congratulations to Dunstan Sheldon for his letter (Weekend Herald, December 3) headed “We are all to blame, not just the Government”. The paper is also to be congratulated for choosing it as the letter of the week. . Greg Cave, Sunnyvale.
With feigned agony and subsequent miraculous recoveries, football has become the world stage for benefit fraud with a cast of overpaid ham actors. Bob Tanner, Bucklands Beach.
Dr Maia Hetaraka: 'Cultural competence' should evolve into genuine cultural understanding.