Anti-smacking law's legacy
The Wellness Budget allocated billions of dollars to solve problems created, in my view, by the Green Party back in 2007.
The Crime (Substituted Section 59) Amendment Act 2007 referred to the "anti-smacking bill", stopped everyone from disciplining children by any physical force.
That legislation was passed soon after several children had died from severe beatings.
For more than a decade now it has been illegal to smack a child on their hand or backside, as discipline must be only verbal.
When a child has done wrong a smack doesn't physically hurt them, it does teach them right from wrong, while reinforcing the rights of the person to do so.
Today the young people all know their rights, but often haven't been taught to be responsible citizens.
Parents, teachers, health and police have all suffered from this lack of youth discipline, making their jobs so much harder.
Amend the anti-smacking act and give parents/caregiver rights again which will solve many of the social problems that this Government is throwing billions of dollars at.
Jim Sherlock
Tauranga
Bus lane value
The concept of dedicated bus lanes is a good idea and will speed up traffic flows and encourage use of public transport.
This has positive short-term benefits but it extends beyond this.
There is much discussion regarding autonomous vehicles but it is unlikely these will be fully autonomous on a normal road.
They could work on a lane-based system where decision making and anticipation is not as onerous.
So having dedicated bus lanes will serve as lanes for autonomous vehicles.
Dedicated bus lanes and transport lanes in general should extend to Te Puke and all the way to Katikati.
This would allow autonomous vehicles to be more flexible and reduce the need for large buses that frequently have a limited number of people.
An autonomous vehicle with say 10 seats could be more frequent and flexible. We must see them as being of significant value for now and the future.
John Clements
Katikati
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