Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr. One correspondent points out cutting the OCR to stimulate the economy gets people into more debt. File photo / Mark Mitchell
Want to stimulate the economy? Give everybody a tax break. That way, there are no real losers.
Do what you want with the money. Pay off your loan, save, afford some groceries. Hell, you could even afford to borrow some more. Everybody shares.
Cutting the OCR to stimulate the
economy only gets people more in debt. The dollar drops, so things become more expensive (there goes your interest rate savings). The only winners are the money lenders. I think it's time those in power started stimulating their brains and produce some real solutions. Wait, didn't I just produce a reasonably moot topic?
Tony Pope, New Plymouth.
Unfortunately, both sides of the abortion debate are right. I would like to ask those thinking about abortion, please consider adoption. If this isn't an option, while I might not understand, I support your right and wish you good health and success with birth control in your future.
Randel Case, Buckland Beach
How unfortunate to see the Ihumātao protest extend to Fletchers' headquarters. Whichever way one might look at this dispute, Fletchers are the innocent victims. They purchased the land in question in good faith from the lawful owners, and Fletchers' legitimate ownership is absolutely unchallengeable in New Zealand law.
The confiscation that is the cause of the current dispute, occurred more than a century before Fletchers purchased the land, so protesting against Fletchers does no more than put a big dent in the credibility of the protest movement.
The rights or wrongs or whatever of the confiscation can only be dealt with by government. They could recompense Fletchers by buying the land from them. What to do thereafter is where there might be complexities.The entire nation has witnessed the local iwi in this matter being trampled on by the rest of Māoridom, so returning the land to them seems a somewhat unwise move. But that doesn't mean the government couldn't gift the land to the people of New Zealand and have it managed/administered by a body like Department of Conversation.
There has to be some way out of this mess, and pointing the finger at Fletchers is not it.
Phil Chitty, Albany.
Lydia Ko's one-time coach filled a page of your paper (NZ Herald, August 7) with advice about her future. He seems to know that she wants to get back to the top of women's golf.
I have heard her interviewed from time to time and I've never understood a word she said. I think it was Dvorak, commenting on Max Bruch's lamenting that people only loved his violin concerto, who said, "Well writing a violin concerto that everyone wants to play puts you up there with Mozart, Beethoven, Sibelius, and a very small handful of others, what more do you really want?"
Lydia has already achieved more in 22 years than I have in 74. She can tell her critics to take a running jump.
Bruce Rogan, Mangawhai.
If Lydia Ko is looking for inspiration to recover from her present slump, she need look no further than our other golfing great Michael Campbell. At age 50, he is on the comeback trail, coming second at the PGA Senior Open in England last week, with an eagle on the last hole, and now a favourite for the Scottish Senior open this week. Who could forget him beating Tiger Woods to win the US Open? He then lead the British Open for three rounds, losing at the last to John Daly and Constantino Rocca.
He has been out of the limelight for over 14 years. What a sporting inspiration.
Rob Elliott, Kohimarama.
At the British Open recently, Lydia Ko was outscored in the first two rounds by 142 of the other 144 players. Former swing coach David Leadbetter - who has worked with Ernie Els, Nick Faldo and Greg Norman among others - had some firm but not unreasonable comments to make. Then she labelled him a "hater". Has she been swotting from the David Trump Book of Vitriol? Someone needs to get a grip, and I don't think it's David Leadbetter.
Tony Potter, Remuera.
I hold, on the NZ Stock Exchange, some shares in an Australian-controlled bank and also in Restaurant Brands.
Recently, 75 per cent of Restaurant Brands passed into overseas control and the new owners announced there would be no final dividend this year as they required the money for some major extensions they were planning.
Which made me wonder - will the New Zealand top management of ANZ, Westpac, ASB, and BNZ have the fortitude to follow Restaurant Brands' example and tell their Australian overlords their bank will not be getting a dividend from New Zealand this year as the money is needed to comply with Reserve Bank requirements to increase the level of capital held in this country?
I'm not holding my breath.
H E H Perkins, Botany Downs.
Tom O'Toole talks about " another kiwifruit disaster " if we send cows to China (NZ Herald, August 7). I wonder what disaster he references.
If he means the selling of Hayward rootstock to other countries, this turned out to be a great move which guaranteed good kiwifruit available year round (remember the bulk of the world crop is sold in the Northern winter) and saved New Zealand from having to relaunch every year to regain lost shelf space.
I doubt Zespri has ever been in a stronger position than it is today and having Italian, Chilean and French growers pushing the fruit (it's only 2 per cent of the fruit market ) is simply wonderful.
Tony Marks, Omaha Beach.
In her opinion article, Hannah Tamaki had a go at Labour, National, NZ First and the Greens (NZ Herald, August 6).
She then said that her new party "Coalition New Zealand" has policies and they are coming. When? Or are they just "pixie dust dreams"?
Hannah,show us the policies and how you are going to pay for them.
John Pollock, Pakuranga.
We have been having plenty of good rain in the Coromandel. My water tanks are full.
I can't understand why dwellings in Auckland don't have at least one water tank collecting rainwater. Even if it's only for watering the garden, washing the car/dog and flushing the toilet.
I have been self-sufficient water-wise for many years. Why not harvest lovely clean rainwater? It's almost a crime to waste it.
Clare Dudley, Tuateawa.
I just watched a programme on the National Geographic TV channel about the construction of the Channel Tunnel. Planning began in 1984, work began in February 1988 and the tunnel (actually three parallel tunnels) opened in May 1994. Work carried on day and night and in one particular week, 428 metres was dug; the total distance is 50.45km. I concede that the resources and funding (much of it private) was significant but how does this compare with progress on the CRL?
Alan Milton, Cambridge.
Commenting on the recent US shootings, Russell Hoban suggests teaching more humanities is the solution to acts that are "ideologically driven" (NZ Herald, August 8). The humanities (along with journalism, the education system and a lot of government) are entirely saturated with the ideology of identity politics – which, far from being the solution, is a big part of the problem.
The grip of identity politics is now so tight that people are voting for mad politicians, and some are starting to reach for guns, in desperation. The Left should ease back on the contempt and the control.
Gavan O'Farrell, Lower Hutt.
On Israel
Direct negotiation between the Israelis and the Palestinians needs to produce a viable two-state solution. The UN needs to get out of the way. Murray Hogg, Gisborne.
On abortion
Andrew Little deceitfully promoted this bill as removing women from being prosecuted under the Crimes Act. No woman has ever been prosecuted under the Crimes Act. Pauline Alexander, Waiatarua.
Is it time to have some campaigns, in several languages? Plan not to get pregnant, and make every child a wanted child. Merle Gin, Epsom.
I'm in my late 80s but i can still remember the good old days when we used "the pill" so why are all these abortions taking place? Norm Empson, Tauranga.
On transparency
The most open, honest and transparent government this country has ever seen? Maybe someone forgot to tell Phil Twyford and Julie Anne Genter. Pat Taylor, Tauranga.
On OCR
In October 2007, interest rates were so low banks were pleading, even to the point of begging with signs outside their door, for us to borrow their money ... and we all know what happened next. Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay.
The measure of government fiscal astuteness will be revealed by how quickly it partly offsets ever lower income from fixed-interest deposits, by abolishing the tax on all interest income below, say, $5000. Kenneth Lees, Whangārei
On catflaps
Our back door provides direct unfenced access to a tidal beach. Is our cat door legal? Peter Culpan, Te Atatu Peninsula.
Forty-three South Island co-ed principals have asked the national body to intervene.