Letters: Agricultural emissions, high-performance sport, employers, sentences, and average incomes

George Williams writes New Zealand is fortunate to have the most carbon efficient food producers in the world. Photo / Warren Buckland, File

Opinion

Agricultural scapegoats
The editorial (NZ Herald, May 18) joins the flood of criticism of the Government's emissions plan with the anticipated finger-pointing directed at agriculture by the usual suspects. The narrative never changes. "Farming is our biggest polluter" is the claim while cynically ignoring the carbon capture that is at the core of all food production. Transport and coal-fired electricity generation do not have that key mitigating factor and are correctly the focus of current emissions targets.
The editorial does go on to recognise the economic importance of our primary industries and their huge contribution to GDP. However, to claim that no one is suggesting that we kill this golden goose is to ignore the green zealots who would be first in line to swing the axe.
New Zealand is fortunate to have the most carbon-efficient food producers in the world. The Green agenda, however, would impact food supply, adding further inflation and food shortages.
George Williams, Whangamatā.

High pressure
Sport NZ is entirely responsible for the pressure put on high-performance athletes.
A few years ago, the NZ cycling team at the Olympics didn't produce the medals and their funding was cut the following year. This forced pressure on coaches/management to produce results and, as a result, we have a bullying culture.
Sport NZ needs to fund sports fairly and not base its funding on medal numbers.
Neil Hatfull, Warkworth.

Better employers
Regarding Peter Chatterton's "Working dues" letter (NZ Herald, May 17), if small/medium sized businesses are having a hard time keeping staff they need to stop blaming the government of the day and look at what they could do better.
Here's my advice, treat staff the way you'd like to be treated and don't overspend on luxuries you can't afford.
Have an effective business plan in place and a good accountant.
Having honest conversations with your longest-serving employees would also help.
Kaylene McPike, Massey.

Unjust sentences
The recommendation of Parliament's Justice Committee (NZ Herald, May 18) that people, such as the person who got a 10-year prison term where normally an 18-month term would apply, should not have their sentences reduced is abhorrent.
Their reason? It would be "too complex", i.e. it's just too hard.
That a person should spend years longer in jail than the offence demands because bureaucrats can't be bothered righting the wrong is just appalling.
It must be made possible for prisoners to appeal such unjust sentences.
Bob van Ruyssevelt, Glendene.

Muddled middle
Jonathan Godfrey's analysis of our true "middle" households and their incomes (NZ Herald, May 18 ) is most enlightening. He explains the difference between "average" and "median" incomes, and shows that over half of all New Zealand households earn nowhere near the "average income". So they will get miniscule benefit from National's tax cuts.
Nicola Willis's "squeezed middle" are not the "middle" at all, income-wise. They are actually well into the upper half of incomes, earning much more than the "average" earner.
Proving that National's tax cuts will benefit only the already wealthy and well-off, and no-one else.
If we had civics taught in schools, analysing the difference between such terms would be part of that education, and lead to a much better understanding by the public.
As it is, many of us are easily bamboozled by Willis's terminology, and so are too easily influenced, incorrectly.
Clyde Scott, Birkenhead.

Clean getaway
I just dropped my daughter off at Auckland International Airport. What a dirty disgusting forecourt and surrounding walkways.
It doesn't look as if any effort has been made to clean them since before Covid.
One would think that with the exorbitant parking fees the airport charges, they could stand the cost of an occasional waterblast of this area.
John Olesen, St Heliers.

Biding tide
Bryan Leyland's dismissal of tidal power based on tidal range (NZ Herald, May 19) is at odds with Niwa and a report given to the Electricity Commission for Energy Efficiency in 2007-2008 in which nine sites around NZ coasts were categorically given as suitable for
tidal stations.
I don't know about India but it is well known that Australia is not suitable for tidal power.
China, France, Canada, Russia, South Korea and England are all successfully using tidal.
Sure there is slack tide, which may prevent electricity being generated for four hours but that pales in significance to solar panels which operate only in the daytime and wind turbines which don't operate until the wind reaches 5km/h and have to be shut down when the wind reaches over 55km/h.
Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay.

Sum achievement
Phil Goff congratulates himself (NZ Herald, May 19) for the legislation he introduced in 1989 to allow fee-paying foreign students into NZ.
Goff's other "achievement" that year was the introduction of tertiary tuition fees for all students, starting at an average of $129 per year. This skyrocketed to $1250 in 1990, an increase of 969 per cent, and has continued to rise ever since.
Free tertiary education was out the door, and a student loan system was soon required.
Whatever benefits came from allowing overseas students to pay for study in NZ have been well outweighed by the imposition and subsequent escalation of tertiary fees on all NZ citizens. The cost of courses is a barrier to many (the current average is $8595 per student per year), and a generation is burdened with horrendous debt: In 2020, the aggregate nominal value of all loans was $16.1b (figure.nz).
The social costs are inestimable. Goff and his successors have nothing to be proud of.
Andrea Dawe, Sandringham.

Unhappy scenes
I write as a security consultant (ex-police officer) in Karangahape Rd who is increasingly disturbed and worried by the conduct of many people who, on a daily basis, prevent others going about their business and deter and intimidate others from being able to patronise shops and restaurants, etc.
Many, plainly, have mental disorders and/or are drug-affected but no one is looking after them. They constantly beg and abuse folk who don't oblige.
Money given is spent on booze which they openly consume on the street. They saunter across the road, holding up traffic.
The abuse turns to violence in the evening, I personally have been kicked, punched, verbally abused, threatened and spat at.
We see very little of the police. The situation would surely be rectified or improved by police on the beat, talking to and gathering information. The situation demands this happen soon.
C. R. Yates, Auckland Central.

A helpful guide
The article "What's Robbo going to spring?" (NZ Herald, May 18) does not have a by-line but my congratulations and thanks to the reporter who wrote it.
It is a very good, and helpful guide to Budget 2022, and is itself "crisp, clear and lacking in jabberwocky" not to mention engaging.
Derek Tovey, Glen Eden.
• Editor's note: The article was written by Thomas Coughlan, and thank you.

Passing exams
Perhaps one major way to reduce stress for high school students would be to reduce the number of exams they sit.
There are too many assessments for students in New Zealand. They sit internal assessments throughout the year and then exams at the end of the year.
Not every student needs to prepare for university. Discover the student's interests and skills and plan their learning accordingly. Students need to learn to be flexible in life.
A bonus will be considerable savings from setting, sitting and marking the exams.
Richard Cole, Waipu.

Take a hike
Congratulations to all those responsible for the recent planning, development and construction of the four access points to the top of Te Kopuke/Titikopuke (Mt St John).
This is an often-overlooked maunga, a quiet natural oasis of historical importance. The trees are a mixture of natives and exotics.
I don't know what the plans are for future development but this is a great start.
Want to benefit your mental and physical health? Enjoy this short, challenging walk, then maybe plan future visits to the many other wonderful maunga that bless our city.
Alan Brennan, Epsom.

Short & sweet

On clunkers
Cash for clunkers? We already have this scheme. Politicians get the cash and the taxpayers get the clunkers. Garry Wycherley, Awakino.

If you are on a low income, the question is, will you buy an EV for $40,000 with a subsidy or would you put $40,000 toward a deposit for a roof over your head and continue to drive your old dunger? Marie Kaire, Whangārei.

On transport
It seems our Government don't really care much about rural constituents. I can't imagine doing the weekly shop on a bicycle or travelling to town by the very limited bus services, not to mention parents transporting children across town for their sport. Jennifer Burcher Spence, Waiuku.

I think Auckland Council and AT should set an example by closing all staff car parking and insist all staff and councillors use public transport, scooters or pushbikes to and from work, and for other getting about during the day. M. Thomson, Devonport.

On testing
Pre-departure to New Zealand Covid-testing will soon be disbanded and so acknowledged useless, as dozens cross our borders every day with Covid and other viruses, including a pernicious flu. Maybe all these travellers have also bought carbon offsets, how noble. Julie Daymond-King, Helensville.

On pork
Why are we importing pork when there is a surplus in New Zealand? J E Pearce, Matamata.

On Budget
The economy is indeed "cooking with gas". Unfortunately, that gas is the one generated by eating too many baked beans. Ray Gilbert, Papamoa Beach.

The Premium Debate

Some workers faking Covid to get time off

Like the Kiwis who pay for two people to stay at your AirBnB and you discover there are actually four. Or six. There's a dishonesty problem here. Marcus A.

Let me get this straight. "If an employer was using the Covid leave scheme to pay its employees, it was required to sight evidence that the person had Covid or was required to isolate." So an employer can insist on seeing a household member's medical record? Edward R.

No, just a confirmation of Covid. That could be a photo of the test or acknowledgment after advising the positive result to the Ministry of Health. That's not too hard, is it? Suzzy X.

Wagging from home is, unfortunately, more common than some want to believe. Most humans are ethical, but most businesses with staff have experienced significant drops in productivity from "working from home". Some staff are better from home. Many are less productive (esp with kids, and school lockdowns or holidays). And some are completely hopeless and need supervision in an office or factory setting. That's the truth. Can we handle the truth? Geoff N.

And who pays for this? False sick leave is budgeted for by the business so it the taxpayer who pays. Ironically, the cheat is paying indirectly for the foolishness. Warren B.