Letters: Who is to blame for the Cook Stait ferry failings; is New Zealand really a Third World country?

The stranded Interislander ferry Aratere after running aground near Picton. Photo / Tim Cuff

Finance Minister away with the ferries

One of our three Interislander ferries grounded in Picton this week for more than 24 hours, one incident among many in recent years as our ageing ferries reach the end of their life.

We had two super new ones on order that were much bigger, would take twice as many passengers, 300% more trucks and more rail wagons. They were to be hybrid and would meet our needs for the next 30 years.

This Government cancelled the order. It seems that providing for the crucial social and commercial lifeline which the ferry connection between our two islands represents is not the top priority for Nicola Willis. When the cost increased by $1.5 billion, she got out the red pen and cancelled them.

This is despite cancellation and exit costs that will be not far off a billion dollars, money completely wasted – and despite the fact that we will also never again be able to purchase ferries at that price.

Considering that we have a $300b economy, paying an extra $1.5b to ensure the absolutely vital connection between the islands seems well within our means. Our Finance Minister has no education in economics – she has a BA in English literature and a journalism diploma, yet she is making decisions such as this one that affect us all in the most profound way.

We can at least be glad there were no tourists on board the grounded Aratere. To say it would have been embarrassing would be to grossly understate it.

Susan Grimsdell, Auckland Central.

Power ballads

I suspect there are three songs that Simeon Brown won’t be considering for his next election campaign, if he has the chance to stage one.

These are Dionne Warwick’s Trains and Boats and Planes, Talking Heads’ Road to Nowhere and Snap’s I’ve Got the Power. Given the current state of entities under Brown’s control, I would be very surprised to hear any of them in the near future.

Jeremy Coleman, Hillpark.

Ferry fails

Does Simeon Brown speak to Nicola Willis? He goes on at KiwiRail for letting the ferries fail and at the same time castigates them for not planning ahead.

Where were you, Simeon, when she cancelled the order for ferries to replace the ageing ones we have?

He needs to get his act together and come into the real world. Instead of looking for scapegoats, he should act in urgency to reinstate the order.

Don’t forget, the ferries are the lifeline between the North Island and the South Island and are essential for the tourist industry as well as manufacturers and passengers.

Get real, National.

Tom O’Toole, Taumarunui.

Wake-up call

The outcries towards the Government blaming them for the latest Cook Strait ferry incident are unfounded and pure ignorance.

New ferries were not due until 2026 and the procurement process was under the previous Government. I don’t blame them either.

This falls squarely on the heads of KiwiRail management, with their poor maintenance processes and inept business acumen. If this isn’t a wake-up call to all political parties that this service is the most important “road” in New Zealand, I don’t know what is.

Sadly, it is not a quick fix. A lot of money is required to rectify the problem and experts (not politicians) in the field and innovation are needed to find a solution fit for purpose.

Keith Moran, Stonefields.

Bad news comes in threes

An outside onlooker may be wondering if New Zealand is really a Third World country.

In the space of one week there are three signal events. The Defence Force Boeing 757 breaks down in Papua New Guinea and the Prime Minister has to catch commercial flights to get to Japan.

Then a power pylon topples while being maintained and the Far North has major power cuts. Then the only rail ferry between the North Island and the South Island runs aground because it loses steerage after leaving Picton.

And what happened that week to counter the impression that we are not an advanced country? I can’t think of anything.

Peter D. Graham, Helensville.

Don’t blame National

Matthew Hooton’s article suggests that this current National Party coalition Government may be National’s first one-term Government (NZ Herald, Jun 21).

This is totally unfair and not based on the reality of what they have inherited from Labour. We are in this historic recession due to the spraying of money around like confetti by Labour and the Reserve Bank. The current coalition has been in control for only six months – how do you repair six years of damage in six months?

The Budget was prudent and decisions made to date on other issues seem consistent and considered and in line with the election campaigning by the coalition parties. Maybe he should give Christopher Luxon and the coalition a break and allow them some kudos for tackling the mess they have to deal with to date.

John Roberts, Remuera.