Letters to the editor: Are shovel-ready projects at risk?

A reader says the Northern Arterial could be one of the first casualties. Photo / File

It seems highly likely, from recent announcements by the Labour Government, that a large number of the already announced shovel-ready infrastructure projects promised for funding will no longer proceed.

You can almost guarantee that the Northern Arterial will be one of the first casualties as why would this Government want to support an area former transport minister and former National Party leader Simon Bridges represents?

Should this be the case one of New Zealand's most dangerous stretches of road will continue to be the most dangerous and more loss of lives and injuries will be incurred which will just be an indictment of incompetence by this Government.

As a community, we should oppose the possibility that the Northern Arterial road upgrade being cancelled and if protesting is the only way to achieve this so be the case.

Mike Baker
Bethlehem

NZ has not pulled its weight with defence links

To my shame, New Zealand has been very weak in our defence links with our Western Allies (basically Australia, USA, UK) for some 40 years.

Firstly, in the 1980s, David Lange mishandled his anti-nuclear stance. We could have been nuclear-free and still remained in Anzus. Further being nuclear-weapon-free is like declaring your street burglar free. The bad guys ignore it.

The government of the day got rid of RNZAF's strike force in about 2000 and generally we have run down our defence capability.

NZ has not pulled its weight for 40 years. One day there will be a war and we will not only need our traditional allies but should be able to hold our head up and say we played our part in the period leading up to it.

To top it off, our Defence Force staff are effectively prison warders for MIQ facilities. Fair enough to use them in their early stages of quarantine, but Corrections with an enhanced security industry should have taken over by now, and freed our soldiers, sailors and air personnel for future emergency roles plus, of course, their basic role in the front line.

Bill Capamagian
Tauranga

Banning US military ships big mistake

Probably the biggest mistake made in modern times by successive New Zealand governments is the banning of US military (ships) in our waters if they have nuclear arms aboard (as all US military vessels have).

Now, with the aggressive stance taken by the Chinese government against Australia (News, April 29), New Zealand is the obvious stepping stone to Australia.

We need to push our government to invite the US to install naval bases on New Zealand soil as soon as possible. This is not just some fancy whim - it is fast approaching the time when the situation will become critical.

All Kiwis need to lobby their MPs now to act with all due haste to implement this.

Jim Adams
Rotorua

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