Rhys Eden Delamere credits boot camps for positive change in his life. Photo / Mike Scott
This is the blueprint for boot camps
Rhys Eden Delamere’s comment that his Limited Service Volunteer course in 2022 was a pivotal moment in his life after being a “total loser” should be enough endorsement for boot camps (HoS, Sept 1).
This after a hail of opposition was directed at them stating that they don’t work and are not evidence-based. It would seem that the alternative, which is not to have them, doesn’t work either as evidence does show that youth crime has risen over the past few years.
The LSV course is a blueprint for boot camps which is aimed at growing self-discipline, resilience, confidence, observing strict protocols and enhancing fitness. What is there not to like about that?
Delamere states that not everyone came out of his course and re-entered society successfully. But the fact is, he did. Isn’t that argument enough for boot camps? He got out of bad habits. He got out of bad company.
He appears to be a better person and has started four successful businesses. Maybe the inmates of boot camps should meet Delamere on their first day so that he can tell them his story of redemption, showing that there is a possibility to turn your life around, to get out of bad habits and get away from bad company.
Bernard Walker, Mt Maunganui.
Pulling a Swiftie
It was with complete and utter stunned disbelief that I read (and re-read to make sure) the article whereby AUT – with a seeming straight face – are launching some sort of official, accredited diploma in, dare I say it, “Swiftology” - the academic study of Taylor Swift.
Once I confirmed that it wasn’t some sort of fiendish April Fool’s gag being perpetrated by the NZ Herald, I came to the sad conclusion that with all of the long-established courses being dumped by our institutes of higher learning, it was only a matter of time until some vice-chancellor or two catered expressly to giggly bubble-heads, who will no doubt queue up in their droves and pay their dues to take on a paper of no value whatsoever.
I only worry, what comes next ... a Master’s degree in the evolution of the Kardashians?
Oh, spare me.
Peter Cook, Lynfield.
Medical madhouse
Dr Shane Reti surely has the least enviable ministerial portfolio, going on this week’s media coverage. He is carrying the flak from previous National (Middlemore example) and Labour governments’ underinvestments and skewed focus on our, then already frail, health system.
Today, primary, elective and emergency healthcare are apparently not coping well for the majority of people in need. Even if you are fortunate enough to have comprehensive health insurance, wait times can still be unnecessarily long.
The current media news may just be another headline event not affecting many healthy New Zealanders at all. Were it not for the repeatedly surfacing stories of despair from the “waiting patients” and health workers bluntly admitting that the system is virtually broken, we would perhaps not really blink an eye.
On Thursday morning, a great friend of mine decided to drive his mate, who was obviously in great pain and off-colour because of broken ribs, to Taupō Hospital, where they waited for seven hours.
Two nurses and one doctor were on the floor. The same happened to myself, when I had to take a family member with badly bruised ribs to Taupō Hospital the next day, Friday evening. After being there from 6.15pm to 1.10am, you start wondering what happened to our once-great hospital system.
To add some insult to the proverbial injury, the under-sized waiting room was rife with coughing and crying adults, impatient, restless kids and just a weird close-up, in-your-face bug-spreading layout.
The receptionist ladies, the two nurses and the one doctor on that Saturday morning were beyond exemplary. I wondered what the incentive to them is/was to work in this under-staffed madhouse. No wonder, we have this current desperation from health workers to quit. They are so under-resourced in so many different fields, that we have to respectfully stop ourselves from laughing at our once-perfectly adequate institution of medical wellbeing.
Let’s hope the current Government gets the message and brings this medical madhouse up to world-class standard again.
Sorry Mr Reti, but you have your work cut out if you want our hospitals to cope with our steeply ageing population.
Rene Blezer, Taupō.
PM’s attack on councils
Heather du Plessis-Allan must think ratepayers are stupid if she thinks we cannot see Christopher Luxon’s attack on the country’s councils as anything other than an attempt to distract from the Government’s failed cost of living measures.
His scolding of the councils for their so-called wasteful spending on “fantasies” is clearly a scapegoating for what many of us predicted was going to happen prior to last year’s election.
The coalition Government cancels the “affordable water reforms” and dismisses the recommendations from the Future for Local Government review, the rates go up astronomically, beyond most of the population’s ability to pay, cancelling out all pitiful tax cuts and cost of living measures claimed to be done, so someone or something has to take the blame, right?
The cancelling of the Labour government’s Three Waters reforms, specifically designed to allow central government to pay for urgent water infrastructure builds and to spare the ratepayer huge hikes in rates, was the stupidest outcome the swing voters have delivered us.
When I saw those “Stop 3 Waters” signs all over the place, I wanted to paint the words, “I’m happy to pay higher rates” on them.
I hope some of them are having regrets.
Paul Judge, Hamilton.
Government priorities
Judging by the recent spate of gun crimes the previous government’s gun legislation was a colossal waste of money.
Thinking of wasting money, so was the petition calling for changing the name of NZ, the advanced plans for dual street signs and the investigation into a cycle crossing across the Waitematā. And I could name dozens more.
The Government has been keen on making known to the local bodies that core services come first and nice-to-haves come last. Does the Government heed their own words or push their own agenda at the cost of great health services and security for all Kiwis?
The queues outside a medical centre in Ōtara this week indicates there is a huge amount of work to do in health, and the fatalities from recent deaths by gunshot indicates there is much to do to keep us safe.
Forget about charter schools, cycle lanes, road humps, bird of the year competitions, government PR and sort out health and security. There is plenty of money for a decent health service for every community in NZ and a police force sufficiently funded to keep Kiwis safe. It’s just a matter of priorities.
Graham Fleetwood, Tauranga.
Lacking leadership
I love watching test cricket. However, I do not love the prospect of watching the Black Caps play Afghanistan. Is New Zealand Cricket so out of touch with world affairs that the Taliban’s abhorrent treatment of its people, especially its women and girls, has passed them by?
New Zealand Cricket had an opportunity to show leadership by refusing to play Afghanistan. What a shame this opportunity has been missed.
David Tennent, Wattle Downs.
How a resilient Kiwi village hopes to bounce back from a big drop in visitors.