The Beehive in Wellington. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Against the spirit of MMP
MMP was introduced so that Parliament was more responsive to different interest groups. For each party to be effective they need to be part of the government, as it is very difficult to get change in Opposition. When constituents vote, they do so with the expectation their party could be part of government. However, this becomes a lottery when parties unilaterally decide not to entertain an opportunity to form a government with a particular party. When this occurs, the intention of MMP is defeated, and so is democracy. On the other hand, a 5 per cent party should not be able to blackmail major parties to obtain unrealistic gains. New legislation should be introduced so there is a time limit on negotiations to form a government after election results are known. Negotiations should be made public so voters can be assured there is good faith. Such legislation should stop the circus that can emanate from behind the closed doors of the Beehive.
Reg Dempster, Albany
Crown tax
When councils are facing huge costs to update infrastructure, why is no political party calling for the Government to start paying rates? It owns significant properties including schools, hospitals and other building but pays nothing for all the council services they enjoy. Why should ratepayers subsidise them? It is time to review the Local Government (Rating) Act 2002 which makes the Crown exempt from paying rates.
Janie Weir, Newmarket.
Fishing for votes
Marine reserves are the best and smartest thing we can do locally to improve inshore and some offshore marine ecosystems and fisheries. But I had a good laugh at the Government’s recent announcement of five or six new marine reserves on the southeastern coast of the South Island. Apart from the obvious attempt to gain voters who support conservation, this could still be a good thing. But a story in the Herald sets out some disturbing facts. These reserves are mostly far too small to protect an ecosystem and then it turns out the reserves are not no-take but local fishers and in some cases only iwi/hapu can still harvest these tiny areas. This is pathetic. Māori customary rights must give way to conservation. The Government did virtually nothing for six years for marine protection and now they offer this nonsense. Any new Government will likely be no better and maybe worse. Maybe one day we will realise our foolishness and take real action, like banning the export of the wild inshore fishery, so New Zealanders can have a truly sustainable and affordable feed.
Bill Carlin, Glendowie.
Twice shy
Within a week of the election the National Party are already threatening to break their word and increase the costs of the election by forcing a second election. Such a move may turn the voters away from National/Act, who are both being led by very inexperienced leaders.
David Mairs, Glendowie.
Palestinian conflict
When looking at the carefully co-ordinated multi-pronged incursion of Palestinian militants into Israel, does it really come as any great surprise that the most volatile powder keg on the planet has exploded? As globally-verified annual reports from Amnesty International set out, the sheer number of Palestinians killed each year by the Israeli military — the majority innocent civilians and children, frequently by way of extrajudicial executions — came to over 250 in 2022 alone. Over 10,000 Palestinians were seriously injured last year alone. More than 2000 Palestinian homes were arbitrarily demolished and thousands of people forcibly evicted at gunpoint by both the Israeli government forces and aggressive, illegal Jewish settlers, all given impunity and free rein by the Netanyahu regime. A never-ending bloodbath that Israel’s benefactor and armourer, the United States, will almost certainly make even worse. And on and on it will go.
Peter Cook, Lynfield.
How bizarre
Can someone please tell me why politicians engage in such bizarre behaviour at election time, eg hugging babies, primary school visits, serving food etc? How is going to a primary school and reading stories to 5-year-olds going to get them a vote? Last time I checked, 5-year-olds can’t vote.
Jock MacVicar, Hauraki
Lack of initiative
A significant number of people consider Christopher Luxon lacks not only leadership abilities, talent and political nous but now he confesses to an inability to work in a team elected by voters. I’ll make this quite clear. We do not want another election! We do not want the cost! We do not want the hassle! There is absolutely no reason why the two centre parties, plus the Greens and Te Pati Maori hopefully, can’t form the next government. You have made it quite obvious that you are desperate to win; too desperate some might think. Show some initiative! Show some statesmanship! Show some knowledge of MMP!
Heather Mackay, Kerikeri
Learning curve
I applaud Susan Glasgow’s plea for voters not to forget the issue of New Zealand children in poverty this election (NZ Herald, October 5). A related issue left off the table this year is education, and in particular, primary education. Children who miss out on a quality primary education will be unable to move from the situations their families live in and their poverty will be perpetuated in the next generation. We no longer have a rich curriculum and quality staff in primary schools in New Zealand. While it is important for teachers to understand where children come from in their lives, it is also crucial to know where they might go. And with quality teachers, most children can get there and become wonderful citizens. Yet the heights children might aspire to cannot be visualised by many of our teachers because, under the current broken training system, very few new teachers are well-educated themselves. This underlines the poverty of vision that our politicians have for the children who are our future. This poverty has struck most forcefully at the areas of Northland, the East Coast and other rural areas, where well-educated and qualified teachers are in extremely short supply. In fact many classes seem to have aides or teachers in training in front of them. The apparent answer to this has been to allow “by local, for local” teacher training. But it misses the point that many of these people have limited high school education themselves and can not get the quality mentoring that one might receive in an area which has plenty of teachers to choose quality staff from (read upper-middle class areas). The children from my area deserve more than they are getting. They deserve good reading, writing, maths, science, history, music, arts and literature tuition. They are not getting it from all of their teachers, and they should be. So let’s fix the teacher training system. Vote for that this year too.
Judy Bogaard. Wairoa
Fitt for purpose?
Pharmac boss Sarah Fitt seems to lack empathy for her stakeholders. Criticism from the likes of Dr Ruth Spearing in the NZ Herald is right on point. Fitt’s appropriateness for the role should be carefully reviewed by the new minister at the earliest opportunity.
Paul Jamieson, Omaha.
Let it flow
Oh my goodness, how the referees make watching the World Cup so frustrating. Many a good move and try is analysed by referees, either after getting words in their ear microphone from a match referee or making a decision themselves to review some petty infringement, then spending five minutes going over frame after frame and spoiling the game’s continuity. We need to accept that some mistakes happen and are maybe not picked up but so what, let the game flow. The only plus is that it gives you time to get a cup of tea and do a bit of gardening before the game continues.
Alan Walker, St Heliers.
Incoherent strategy
Does Ian Foster not realise that having a settled team of 23 All Blacks, and playing them consistently, builds cohesion? Just like Ireland and South Africa. It looks like the coach’s inner Jedi has been lost in space. Previous coaches have made the mistake of playing players out of their normal position and losing cohesion, and then games. It seems realisation comes afterwards. Something about the rarefied atmosphere that lets coaches think they are infallible. We fully support the team, but could management do better?
Gary Carter, Gulf Harbour.
On Luxon
Well, this time next week Christopher Luxon will be New Zealand’s Prime Minister and our All Blacks would have beaten Ireland so won’t it be a truly wonderful weekend for us all? Bring it on. Bernard Walker, Pāpāmoa.
On Reti
Investigations by National’s Dr Shane Reti make it clear that we need Dr Reti involved in managing our health services, for the benefit of all New Zealanders. Rod Milne, Taupō.
On coalition
Six years ago, no one thought that Winston Peters would go into a coalition with Labour, there is no doubt, that even after lots of grandstanding, the same thing can happen. Neville Cameron, Inglewood.
On election
This election is a bit like a pantomime, with a cowboy on a horse, a swashbuckling pirate, Mr Whippy and See Me Act. Who is the best actor? B. Sullivan, St. Heliers.
On Clark
Helen Clark, appearing on television as a cheerleader for Labour clad not in red but in black, was scarily reminiscent of The Grim Reaper. Larry Mitchell, Rothesay Bay.
Audrey Young: Can Labour win from here? There is a narrow path
Win? No, impossible. It will require a coalition of Labour/Greens/TPM. TPM have said a wealth tax is a coalition requirement. Chippy has said no. Mind you, they could suddenly replace Hipkins with David Parker. Warren B.
The only way this will happen is for Labour to try to continue to pull National down to their level. Just a reminder all parties should be positively campaigning to govern. Grant P.
I am stunned that Labour can muster even 26 per cent of the vote. The last six years have shown all of NZ the continuing failures of so many Cabinet Ministers. Robert M.
I reckon Te Pāti Māori will do better than many think, the Greens will get their 12 or 13 per cent, and Labour will see a big upswing from votes coming their way. And that folks, is what truly worries National the most. Sure, they talk about Peters, but he is just a smokescreen, a prop used by National in an attempt to grow their vote out of fear that Labour will overtake. Timothy T.
This is a useful tool. It shows that with a very small movement National and Act can govern together regardless of whether NZ First gets over 5 per cent. Sue J.
Hipkins is saying that NZ First working with National and Act will be a shambles. Well, it wouldn’t be good but don’t forget that NZ First worked with Labour and the Greens from 2017 and Hipkins obviously thought that was okay. Jeanette E.
It is completely mystifying why National has not tried to work with other parties — it appears that strategic thinking is beyond them. For example a deal in Ilam with TOP (similar to Epsom) seems a no-brainer. NZ First would probably then not enter the equation. Brian H.
The supermarket owner's daughter played a special role at the official opening.