Letters: Jacinda Ardern era was never going to last; child safety rules must be strengthened

"Had the new arrivals investigated the direction [of politics in New Zealand]... they should have ascertained that the Ardern era would not last." Photo / Mark Mitchell

Ardern era was never going to last

I note with interest that a number of Americans who have recently moved to New Zealand based their decision on New Zealand’s image over the last seven years. Having moved here from America in 1987, I could have told them that New Zealanders are by and large a conservative bunch.

Yes, there have been somewhat radical exceptions like Kate Sheppard, Michael Savage and more recently Dame Jacinda Ardern, but, for the most part, New Zealanders don’t like change.

Therefore, in their political choices, they tend to vote for the party or parties that promise to act on law and order; improve the economy and provide an environment where the individual can lead their life feeling safe and secure. In recent decades, the National Party, Act and New Zealand First have been the beacons of hope for all these things.

Had the new arrivals from America investigated the direction these three parties have been moving, they should have ascertained that the Ardern era would not last, and that – albeit slightly behind the rest of the world – New Zealand would be moving to the right politically.

The (hopefully) saving grace is that New Zealanders still tend to care about their fellow human beings and will come to the aid of people in need.

That, for me, is a reason to stay.

Dunstan Sheldon, Hamilton.

Child safety basics

Catherine Hutton writes that Oranga Tamariki officials failed to advise a district court judge about a father’s violence record and allowed him to live with a toddler who he eventually killed (NZ Herald, July 2).

It should be a mandatory requirement in any court case in which a child’s safety is concerned for the judge/hearing official to require, in writing, the violence history of the adults who will be living or attending to the care of the child.

Brian Casey, Torbay.

AT omnishambles

As a visitor to Auckland, I thought I’d try the bus/rail service from the airport to downtown Auckland. I found that a SuperGold card doesn’t cut it with Auckland Transport (AT) – I had to buy an AT Hop card.

The Air bus from the airport was five minutes late, but was still expected to reach Puhinui in time for a scheduled train, despite forests of road cones on the route. It didn’t – the train was leaving as the bus pulled in.

At Puhinui, I found I needed to lug my suitcase up to an elevated concourse, then down to the platform. There is no obvious reason why the bus route does not run up to a bridge over the railway line, with a stop at the elevated level.

As I reached the platform and looked northwards towards Britomart, AT’s platform route map placed Puhinui at the top and Britomart at the bottom – exactly the opposite of both the convention that looking up the line should look up the map, and that north is up on the map.

The electronic display at the northern end of the Puhinui northbound platform was dead. A display further down the platform told me that the next train was due a minute ago. It arrived late, coincidentally at the time the subsequent train was due.

Rumours that AT is planning to hold its next staff Christmas party in a brewery are a gross exaggeration of its organisational abilities.

Ross Boswell, Christchurch.

Attitude shift

Correspondent John Sharpe (NZ Herald, July 2) bemoans the fact that there has been an unfair redistribution of wealth for ordinary New Zealanders over the last 50 years.

What he fails to mention is that the profile of a so-called ordinary New Zealander has altered over that time. Out-of-hand social welfare has changed our society to one where a good day’s work for a good day’s pay is anathema to many, with productivity sadly declining every year.

As a consequence, those who are willing to work or show entrepreneurship have improved their finances, while others have sadly missed out.

Hylton Le Grice, Remuera.

Aussies set example

Yet again, Australia shows it has great intestinal fortitude in its anti-vaping laws, and I applaud it for that. Similarly for its realistic penalties for using a mobile phone whilst driving.

Hell is probably going to freeze over before we see a politician in this country putting common-sense penalties before their ego and desire to remain in office for as long as possible.

Jenny Wallis, Blockhouse Bay.

Trump melodrama

Democracy in peril! What a load of codswallop!

Donald Trump has already been president of the US for four years. The world didn’t end; the sun kept rising and hellfire and brimstone didn’t rain down upon us.

He’s just a politician, fortunately in a country that doesn’t focus overly much on politics but gets on with making its real world work.

Mike Newland, Matakana.