Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, flanked by Act leader David Seymour, at the swearing-in ceremony at Government House. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Strong PM would kill off Treaty debate
Fran O’Sullivan says we should be having a debate about the Treaty of Waitangi and praises the Prime Minister for allowing that debate to flourish (Weekend Herald, Jan 27).
It is a debate we don’t need at all. Te Tiriti’s relevance has been tested many times and upheld by Parliament and the courts and its application is administered in a calm and measured way by the Waitangi Tribunal.
Perhaps some don’t like the results of that, but a meaningless debate is not going to convince the detractors or improve the polarisation.
In trying to convince us we need the debate and it is not polarising, she says; “As Prime Minster he has acknowledged Act’s bill is unhelpful and divisive”. Then she claims the Prime Minster, in allowing this to happen, is supporting strong debate when, frankly, a strong Prime Minster would have killed it off before it happened.
Neil Anderson, Algies Bay.
Flood zone lessons
Auckland Council’s Healthy Waters department has stated that if the city were to be involved in flooding on the same scale as in early 2023, it could swamp up to 50,000 homes and businesses again, with many of them seeking compensation from the council, the Government, and the property owners’ insurance companies (Weekend Herald, Jan 27).
Now Auckland Council has issued a website showing all of the flood zones throughout Auckland city with the warning “check for flood risks before you buy or build”.
One would think that central government would be ensuring that the law was strong enough to enable local councils, such as Auckland Council, to have enough authority to enforce strict restrictions on building consents for building in flood zones, and in the most serious cases to be able to refuse to issue a building consent at all.
Instead, the new coalition Government has just overturned legislation introduced by the previous government aimed at improving the situation, and is now making it much easier for developers to build in flood-risk areas, and council staff are under increasing pressure to approve consents as a result.
Unfortunately, it won’t be the developers who pick up the cost of any possible future flood damage suffered by these properties, but the council and possibly the Government, because the developers will say that the council issued them with a consent, which means that the developers are not responsible for any flood damage.
Insurance companies are now also studying the flood zone maps issued by Auckland City and I am aware of cases where they are refusing to provide insurance cover for flood damage for homes located in a flood zone.
This matter needs to be dealt with by the new coalition Government with the gravest urgency, and in future all new developments will need to be able to cope with much greater levels of rainfall than in the past.
David Mairs, Glendowie.
Focus on real issues
Fran O’Sullivan applies a general principle about an open debate to a subject not suited for such debate and even less to a referendum (Weekend Herald, Jan 27).
The Treaty is a sensitive subject where a minority has serious historical grievances and should be managed carefully. A referendum where the majority’s will prevails is not the right place to decide on a minority’s rights. It is worse when an extreme party is tasked with drafting Treaty principles.
I believe Labour went too far with solely Māori names for government departments and te reo greetings. They focused on semantics over the real needs of Māori, an economically disadvantaged ethnic minority.
National’s approach, bringing back English names and not veering too far the other way, is correct. We must put the genie back in the bottle and focus on real problems like the economy.
Kushlan Sugathapala, Epsom.
Divide and rule
The problem with having a “debate” about the Treaty, as Fran O’Sullivan says, sounds reasonable and fair on the face of it.
Except it is the motivation behind the call that is raising suspicion.
If, as has been suggested, there is no move to change the Treaty then why bother with a nationwide debate? Why not leave it to the loudest mouths around the barbie or dinner table to thrash out?
This quite frankly is a debate that the country doesn’t “need” to have and smacks of “divide and rule”.
John Capener, Kawerau.
Road to nowhere
So, for all the extensive marketing around the Road to Zero campaign, the road toll has actually increased over the holiday period.
In my book that is a “fail” on the part of NZTA/ Waka Kotahi. Maybe it’s time to dispense with the inane television advertisements (riding with Rodney, the crone exacting a toll on a lonely road, the party group discussing stubbed nipples etc ad nauseam) and spend the reported $62 million on repairing and improving our road network.
Other measures that would be effective, would include a mandatory defensive driving course as part of the driver’s licence programme and more regular WOF tests for vehicles.
Stephen Alpe, Birkenhead.
Less hui, more doey
NZ has a major problem that is running us into increasing debt, and that is decades of a lack of consistent and constant maintenance of all infrastructure and basic services - housing, business properties, roads, water supply, wastewater, sewerage, drain clearing, waste management, rail, schools, hospitals, personnel including trades, medical and educational training,
Successive governments and councils have failed to ensure that “they clean up their own backyards before poking their noses into building the nice to have infrastructures and basic services”.
Needs before wants is a sensible way to budget - and more doey and less hui to get jobs done.
Marie Kaire, Whangārei.
Waste not, want not
Wayne Brown is in effect commander in chief of Auckland city. But in my view, contrary to his policies when campaigning for the mayoralty where he promised to move heaven and earth to fix the city, he now often fronts the media like a possum in the headlights simply offering no more than a raft of excuses.
My father was once a respected civil engineer, whose views were shaped by the Great Depression and he would never have let the wastage that goes on in Auckland happen. Wastage like that was his bête noir and that applied even to us, his progeny.
Paul Beck, West Harbour.
Parnell crime
The current crime problem in Parnell smacks of social engineering, bringing down the decile rating of the place.
Given the high value of properties in Parnell it would be appropriate to sell the Kāinga Ora apartments and use the money raised to build new accommodation in a cheaper area.
It is totally inappropriate for Kāinga Ora to waste money buying property in the most expensive part of Auckland and it is damaging for the existing local community, especially the retail sector.
This gold-plated attitude in Kāinga Ora should stop.
Neville Cameron, Coromandel.
Crash hot
First for Judith Collins it was “Crusher”, now following her near-miss in skittling Australia’s Deputy PM in a Mars Rover it’s more “Crasher”. And small green people, Marama perhaps, had better be careful to boot.
Larry Mitchell, Rothesay Bay.
Good on Auckland Council for cracking down on lawbreaking miscreants such as the couple putting up offensive signs at Long Bay. In fact they should send them the bill for their removal. After all, according to their code of practice, they would have to engage consultants to determine the compliance of the signs, then send in two large trucks with flashing lights, 75 road cones and an army of workers in hi-vis vests and hard hats. Very expensive.
Laurence Mallon, Te Atatu.
After suffering serious mental stress on the potential confiscation of Salisbury Reserve and public ridicule I have departed on my helicopter to the beach house at Cooks Beach and intend to plan my recovery while fishing on my launch around the Mercury Islands.
David Johnson, Herne Bay.
Is there a computer programme available that can guestimate the nationwide “sickies” laundered on Monday? How “Kiwi” is that?
Gerry O’Meeghan, Papamoa.
Fast food advertising showing the joy of eating while driving doesn’t seem to fit with our need to have safe driving habits.
Stuart Mackenzie, Ōhura.
I am disgusted by the way Australia is able to snatch our police staff in such numbers. I call on the Government to pay them what they are worth, that way we will have more young people wanting to join the force. Get your act together, please.
David Cave, Hillsborough.
Forget the old catchcry of “Party at Tony Brown’s”. Instead, the new abbreviated version could be “Braai at Brown’s”.
Steve Horne, Raglan.
I’m just wondering when Waitangi Day turned into Waitangi 10 days ... and counting.
Colleen Wright, Botany Downs.
I believe the Greens will fall apart now without their co-leader James Shaw as he was the backbone of his party and they have very little depth to call on.
Gary Stewart, Foxton Beach.
Many people will be saddened by the departure of Green Party co-leader James Shaw as he cycles into the sunset staying true to his environmental principles to the last.
Perry Harlen, Mt Maunganui.
Having recently paid over $200 in parking fees in less than a week at North Shore Hospital made me realise the added, unnecessary burden it causes to the already, overstressed visitors - particularly the lower paid, the disabled and the cash-strapped pensioners etc. One does not visit a hospital by choice. Even the marvellous, hard-working, under-resourced nursing and medical and other staff have to pay between $3 and $5 per day for car parking. Sadly, yet again it appears parking companies have a licence to print money.
Bruce Tubb, Devonport.
Social welfare experts advocate “wrap around” support for persistent ram-raiders, robbers, etc. The only “wrap around” support that would make small business owners safe (and would work) is wrapping the offenders around with bars.
Ian Doube, Rotorua.
It’s a terrible indictment on the Midwifery Council that it’s intending to erase the words “woman” and “mother” from its scope of practice.” Who does the council think midwives are responsible for? Surely it’s a woman, mother and baby. The reasons the council has given for the removal of such lovely, important words smacks of wokeism.
Lorraine Kidd, Warkworth.
A second teen is missing in the Upper Hutt area, police say.