Your view: Letters to the editor

Katch Katikati's Jacqui Knight, Western Bay deputy mayor Mike Williams and Katikati Community Board chairwoman Jenny Hobbs are excited at news of a bypass for the area. Photo/file

Don't let wage parity distract

"The bleating from the wage parity faction is really quite unbelievable. It is readily accepted that people who do the same job should essentially receive the same remuneration for the work, subject possibly to seniority or experience considerations.

"Clearly age or gender should generally play no part in the equation, that is so long as everyone is comparing apples with apples. The alleged 12 per cent disparity between male and female wages over their working lives could arise from any of a number of unrelated factors.

"What we don't need is PC emotive claptrap pushed down our throats and the question that needs to be asked is who is claiming to be discriminated against. Perhaps the malcontents could provide, say, half a dozen examples of vocations where they say wage disparity occurs for investigation.

"Surely we have better things to do with our time as probably six billion people in the world don't give a damn about this topic. My opinion is we shouldn't sweat the small stuff about perceived wage disparity issues and take our eyes off productivity, otherwise could well get into a situation where we may be lucky to receive adequate wages, let alone worry about what our fellow citizens earn."

Rob Paterson
Mount Maunganui

Ensure bypass

"Re the proposed Katikati bypass. I reiterate once again that the physical design of the bypass at both ends only needs a turn-off for heavy/bypass traffic and straight through for all others thereby ensuring that the majority of cars will continue to access the shopping area.

"Let's make sure that it is designed this way. To address the concerns of Pete Renwick, owner of Hammer Hardware, as a longstanding resident heavily involved in this community for over 45 years I don't actually know of any longstanding residents who don't want a bypass, apart from the two original naysayers who got it stopped so many years ago.

"For many years now during business hours the main street parking, including outside Mitre 10/Hammer Hardware and the southernmost shops, has been at a premium, mostly with local traffic. We have started a process, let's ensure it happens."

Peter Martin
Katikati