V M Fergusson, Mt Eden.
Expo, Team NZ funding wrong
I do not think that taxpayer money should be used to fund our entry to the Expo in the UAE or to fund Team New Zealand. These events should be paid for by the companies who will benefit from the advertising exposure at the Expo. Team New Zealand should also be funded by the marine, restaurant and accommodation industry as they are the ones who benefit from the teams and supporters arriving for the America's Cup racing.
Ordinary Kiwi tax and ratepayers receive no financial benefit, but are expected to pay for these businesses' free advertising. The groups who benefit should pay, not ordinary Kiwis.
John Laing, Drury.
SkyPath funding
In response to Brian Rudman's column Don't turn down a free ticket to ride (NZ Herald, 19 July), it's important to point out that neither Ministers Bridges or Kaye have said that SkyPath will be considered for funding through the Urban Cycleways Programme, only that it could be.
At this stage, the Urban Cycleways Programme is set to end next year and there is no guarantee it will be extended.
If it was extended under the current terms, the project would then have to be considered by the programme's independent panel, which would be over a year away. The current funding policy settings also state that matching funding would be required.
Without a firm commitment from the Government on funding SkyPath, it's vital that we don't lose momentum on the current progress and investment that has been made.
The project has never been in better shape to proceed as a PPP. Additionally, our PPP partner, HRL Morrison & Co remains fully enthusiastic about the project, as are thousands of Aucklanders.
A great deal of progress has been made in the past six months with the PIP Fund and NZTA and, just a fortnight ago, the latest key milestone has been to put the tender out for a new builder.
Despite Downer pulling out of the project in March, five major construction companies have subsequently expressed interest in this project and three have been selected to bid.
Once the builder is on board, there'll be a clear timetable over the next two years to undertake detailed design and build SkyPath, which will complete the missing link that's desperately needed in Auckland's cycling and walking networks.
Stephen Town, chief executive, Auckland Council.
Welfarism comments
Herald correspondent Lynn Charlton's criticism of columnist Alan Duff's recent comments regarding rampant welfarism warrants scrutiny.
On every point Duff is correct.
Assistance to the sick, infirm, and disabled requires priority. Payment, however, to those who remain idle without any commitment to community service and the burgeoning domestic purposes benefit must eventually require correction by our politicians .
Welfarism is so often counter-productive, sapping those of self determination and attitude before ultimately succumbing to the anaesthesia that is inertia.
P J Edmondson, Tauranga.
Untreated timber not the issue
It's some 18 years since concerns were first raised about leaking timber-framed homes and people are still trotting out that convenient scapegoat: untreated timber. Untreated timber was a commercially driven proposal. This was based on the premise that our timber-framed houses did not leak, therefore timber would not rot.
The Standards Committee was wrong in that belief and I became chair of the committee that later reversed the decision. Let's get the facts right. Timber rots because buildings leak not the other way round.
Yes, approving untreated timber was wrong, but it was based on a belief in the integrity of our construction industry. Incidentally a lot of the current issues with leaking buildings have nothing to do with timber, which shows that perhaps we need to take a broader look at our industry practices and put aside simplistic solutions.
I believe that our building code is robust, it is the implementation and control systems that need serious and early attention.
Don Bunting, Freemans Bay.
Homelessness crisis
Auckland's 26,000 homeless people is now more than half the 45,000 of Los Angeles. This is a disturbing because of the respective populations and also the ongoing rapid growth in Auckland's.
The main contributors pushed by this government, immigration and casino activity, should be election issues. We need fewer new people while we focus on dealing with the ones we have.
The housing crisis has spread further than the mere trickle-down effect of rental increases and evictions. I know of several solvent people in unhappy or abusive relationships who cannot afford to separate because of housing costs.
We have too long had a government that ranks its citizens as individual units of GDP. Government should serve the best interests of the people, not vice versa.
Rosalie France, Devonport.
Greens' sign language
The Greens' commitment to the third official language of this country has to be commended and indeed this week that commitment has reached new heights.
The week started with Green Party members putting their hands together in the shape of a heart and ended with party co-leader Meteria Turei giving a two-fingered salute to the NZ taxpayer.
To my eternal shame I have never learned sign language so my response will need to be in the first official language of this country, using mere words and that response is: "Message received and understood".
Pat Taylor, Bethlehem.
Turei and moral duty
Never mind the right or wrong of what Meteria Turei said or didn't say to Social Welfare all those years ago. What disgusts me is the widespread evading of her chief point, i.e. that it is impossible to feed and support a child as a solo parent on a benefit.
Argue the moral rights and wrongs of what she did if you must, but understand and do something about the fact that the greater moral duty is to feed and house your child! If the law will not permit a solo parent to do that within the law, then the law is wrong!
It disturbs me equally that most of the vituperative commentary comes from clearly wealthy male politicians, commentators and correspondents - people who have no idea what it means to have to survive in poverty. A society should indeed be judged by the way it takes care of its weakest members. At times like this, I feel ashamed of my country.
Tony Forster, Mt Eden.
Bowel cancer screening
I can imagine that with this weeks' announcement of the first two DHBs to start bowel cancer screening that those responsible will be beating their chests with pride. Instead they should be hanging their heads in shame as this token gesture comes 12 years after screening was introduced around the globe.
New Zealand probably has the highest incidence of bowel cancer in the world but it will be another three years before screening is universally available.
In 1991, while working in Scotland, I ran that country's first bowel cancer screening service. We showed that this had huge benefits in reducing both morbidity and mortality in this disease. Since then a string of non medical experts have found countless excuses for delaying the introduction of screening here. How many people have died of bowel cancer over these years and how many more will die before New Zealand has a comprehensive bowel cancer screening service?
Philip Shouler, MBE FRCS, Blenheim.
