Guillotine for Foster, add Razor
Surely, after successive defeats it's time to realise Ian Foster has been a flop. Last week's loss to Ireland saw the writing on the wall. Now, after the humiliation by France
it's time for the guillotine to drop on the All Blacks coach.
Scott Robertson is the logical man to take over, the sooner the better. This will give the team heaps of time to reinvigorate and develop winning strategies before the next World Cup in France, in 2023. Let's not forget Razor played 23 tests for the All Blacks. Fozzie was never an All Black. The four Super Rugby titles the Crusaders won with Robertson as coach show he has the ability to win, win and win again. This is what the All Blacks need.
Glen Stanton, Mairangi Bay.
Kāinga Ora plans
My wife and I built an average home in a new subdivision seven years ago in Te Awamutu. We have wonderful neighbours and all of us pride ourselves on looking after our homes. Recently five houses came onto the market in our area and were snapped up by Kāinga Ora. The burning question is, is Kāinga Ora planning to buy all houses under 20 years old as they come onto the market or are they limited to the number they can purchase in any given area?
We are concerned that our area, over time, will become devalued and our endeavours to maintain a caring and pleasant neighbourhood will come to nothing. I understand that less fortunate people need housing but surely not at the expense of people who have worked all their lives to achieve the goal of owning their own home.
Kāinga Ora needs to leave the current housing stock alone and concentrate on adding to their portfolio by building more basic homes and setting down a list of requirements for tenants to abide by. If they fail to live by these basic requirements — e.g. cleaning, mowing lawns, maximum numbers of people living in the house, respect for neighbours etc — they get evicted. It's a no-brainer.
Colin Hyde, Te Awamutu.
Abuse and consequences
We grew up in a state house in a small rural town. Mum, dad and five kids. Dad worked at the local freezing works, as did many of our neighbours.
We all had our own vegetable gardens and dad added some chooks that used to scare the life out of us. We all used to play on the street. It was a close, tight-knit neighbourhood. Mum and dad were so grateful to get that snug little house. Before that we used to live in an old, draughty villa.
I think mum would have personally maimed any of us kids or any visitors who were disrespectful to our neighbours. There was a huge waiting list for state houses then. With privileges comes responsibilities. With every action we take, there are consequences.
We are not doing the children of state tenants any favours if they learn that there are no consequences whatsoever to appalling behaviour. Society is letting these kids down by allowing this happen.
A state house is a privilege, not a right. If you abuse that privilege, there should be immediate and sharp consequences for your actions.
Lonnie Johnston, Huntly.
Farmers' reality check
The Groundswell farmers are protesting proposed measures to cut back agricultural methane emissions and clean up our runoff polluted waterways. Just what are they proposing to do about both problems? Pretend they don't exist until absolute calamity forces us to act?
The dairy industry is enjoying bumper returns while Auckland's businesses are really suffering to protect the country. I think the farmer protesters need a reality check.
Jeff Hayward, Auckland Central.
Open sanctuary
Like the foresight of Dr Logan Campbell in establishing Cornwall Park as a public park and the Plowman Family, the owners of Rotoroa Island, Bruce Plested may wish to consider establishing an open sanctuary, regional park on his recent purchase of 300 hectares of coastal land on Waiheke Island, like his Pie Melon Bay property.
Volunteers from local schools, local iwi, the community and employees from Mainfreight and other companies could replant the pasture on the farm with native plant species and with appropriate predator control the property could become a home for endangered species including kiwi, tuatara, bellbirds and weta. Adjoining landowners may wish to consider appropriate predator control on their properties. The nation would be eternally grateful.
Bruce Tubb, Takapuna.
Shame on whingers
Congratulations and thank you to Jacinda Ardern and her team of excellent senior ministers and health leaders. Thank you for your hard work, your leadership in motivating others, your wise decision-making and, importantly, for sacrificing your personal lives in so doing.
Nationwide, we are well on our way to achieving one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, clear guidelines on accompanying public health measures for the future, low hospitalisation rates and an enviably low death rate. There has been no playbook for negotiating this pandemic and you have been able to find a way forward for us amidst huge uncertainty. And shame on you whiners, whingers and naysayers who endlessly attest otherwise.
Shame on those who exchange hateful emails about the Prime Minister full of vitriol and rumour; shame on those protesters who spread Covid risk even further, often carrying placards bearing vile, senseless messages; and shame on social-media users who spread hatred and misinformation.
It seems your hearts are full of hate. Open them up and demonstrate some common sense and decency and you may find a bit of joy instead. You may even show a bit of kindness. At the very least, inform yourselves, look outwards at the rest of the world and recognise that as a country we are doing very well in this pandemic.
Christine Hart, St Mary's Bay.
Fear rears its head
As John Roughan pointed out in the Weekend Herald, fear is the key in these fraught Covid times. As the Great Depression wreaked havoc, Franklin Roosevelt reassured Americans: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself".
And now here we are in Godzone, with ignorant street hooligans waving swastikas and Confederate flags, and hurling abuse at the Prime Minister. And they have the gall to claim they are living in a police state. Actually, they live in a welfare state, if they haven't noticed, with free hospital care for all, Covid or no Covid, jab or no jab. Is it too much to ask these heroic freedom fighters to stop being such cry babies and get jabbed?
Dean Donoghue, Pāpāmoa Beach.
Only in America
On the Kyle Rittenhouse acquittal. In what kind of country is it legal to participate in demonstrations flaunting automatic weapons, killing two people and then be pronounced not guilty?
In what kind of democracy does wealth rule supreme to the extent that the rich and mega corporations have an unlimited access to politicians with financial support to seek favours?
What kind of country has incarceration rates four times the normal for the civilised world?
What kind of country keeps people in prison for 20 years without even stating what they are charged with? (Guantanamo inmates).
In what kind of country does the loser of an election try to stage a coup to overthrow the winner and get away with the attempt unscathed?
What kind of country starts war after war based on fabricated facts causing untold misery for people?
When this country calls on other "likeminded countries" to further their foreign policy one has to ask, is there any other country like that, and if so who might that be?
There is every reason for smaller countries to examine every request for support from such a country on its merits, rather than on historical sentiments and alliances. The need to build a better inclusive world has never been greater and we need to criticise wrongdoing regardless of who is the perpetrator.
Frank Olsson, Freemans Bay.
Eyes of the law
A white teenager walked past police with an AR-15 and they did not bat an eyelid. If a Black man walked near police with a toothpick they would have emptied their magazines into him.
God help America.
CC McDowall, Rotorua.
Short & sweet
On All Blacks
The All Blacks' reputation is now in tatters . Can they ever recover? The magic of the black jersey has gone. We need to push the reset button immediately. Jock Mac Vicar, Hauraki.
Foster must be thanking his lucky stars they didn't play England on this tour. A long tour and tired players are only excuses for poor coaching and player indecision. How long can the NZR tolerate mediocrity? Neil Hatfull, Warkworth.
Oh, no — the All Blacks lost. We might as well blame that on Jacinda, too. Rex Head, Papatoetoe.
On delays
This is no time to get precious or uppity about some furniture delayed from somewhere the Wizard of Oz lives. I called him and got a recorded message about delays. So, off I went to our local Salvation Army store and got a pearler of a bed. It was a win-win situation — it did not create a "mother of all headaches" scenario. Justine Adams, Whakatāne.
On gangs
Isn't it rather sad and ominous that, after months of vaccine encouragement from so many legitimate information sources, both national and local, a certain segment of the population appears to place greater weight on the imprimatur of the gangs. This certainly bodes well for future gang recruitment. Peter Jansen, Henderson.
The Premium Debate
Is anyone surprised people are desperate to get with their loved ones? When we were Covid-free, MIQ served us well, but those days are gone. Double vaxxed and tested and home isolation with checks before Christmas. Steve L.
Our daughter and her husband are having their first baby and they have no one around them that has had children. We live in Sweden and would love to go down and help them for a month but we just don't get a spot in MIQ. It feels like the Hunger Games or something every time I sit in the lottery and never get through. Ian B.
I have been trying to get my sick young daughter home to NZ for months. This is our second Christmas apart. I do not judge this person or any others as I completely understand their desperation. MIQ is not kind. It's immoral and a national embarrassment. Mark C.
Belligerently retaining the not-fit-for-purpose MIQ system for fully vaxxed and tested Kiwis wishing to return home will cost this Government the next election. Shameful. David G.
It's hard to understand why one person believes he can take the law into his own hands. The consequences of moving overseas is that you aren't necessarily entitled to return at a whim. Kathleen M.
Hope he gets the full $4000 fine. The system is broken but it's there for a reason. Nothing excuses that sort of blatant dishonesty. Jean H.
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