Should Prime Minister Christopher Luxon be worried heading into the next election? Photo / Mark Mitchell
Luxon needs to remember he is no longer a CEO
Seeing Christopher Luxon’s preferred Prime Minister status in the latest 1News-Verian poll should come as no surprise to him, or anyone else.
Two things he should consider before he becomes complacent about how our country feels. First is that it’s hard to rate a leader who hardly spends any worthwhile time in the country doing what he promised to do pre-election. So far, the “getting New Zealand back on track” railroad seems to have become stuck in a shunting siding, somewhere remote.
The thing he should take most seriously, though, is that, as the military slogan says: “The biggest threat is to believe there is no threat.” Perhaps he might check his coalition partners, and indeed some within the National stable, a little bit more carefully. He doesn’t appear to have grasped the fact he is no longer a CEO of anywhere. He is an elected member of Parliament charged with the governance of this nation. He can be unelected, even by his own party, quite easily.
Jeremy Coleman, Hillpark
More to NZ rugby than Mo’unga
Firstly, may I state that Richie Mo’unga is an excellent first five and I fully support him going overseas to earn good money to support him and his family in the future.
New Zealand rugby has become obsessed with his absence as if the All Blacks’ future lies fully in his hands. Mo’unga is a very good first five but will never rank up there with the likes of Dan Carter.
Mo’unga enjoyed the benefits of playing behind the great Crusaders pack, which gives a first five the time and space to play expansive football.
Let’s not forget that the World Cup is still two years away and a lot can happen in that time.
So can the All Blacks selectors stop obsessing over the loss of Mo’unga and get on with developing their local talent. Just watch some of the school First XV games and see the talent that is available, just waiting to be discovered.
Jock MacVicar, Hauraki.
Top marks NZ!
Give tax breaks to the better-off.
Cut funding for science.
Sack civil servants.
Remove environmental protections.
Remove EV subsidies.
Make it harder for disadvantaged people to vote.
Deny public health advice.
Promote drilling for oil and gas.
Deny hand-ups to those needing help to achieve equality.
Deny history.
10 out of 10 New Zealand!
Bill Irwin, Nelson.
Troubling trend for sports
The article (August 9) on the termination of the Mountain Green Archery Club’s lease of its base on Ōwairaka (Mt Albert) highlights a troubling trend in Auckland. As with speedway and Western Springs, council officials seem disconnected from the community, expecting volunteers to perform miracles while juggling jobs and personal lives.
Fostering Olympic-level talent in sports like archery is becoming harder. Motorsport and speedway — once breeding grounds for champions such as Bruce McLaren and Liam Lawson — are being pushed out, possibly accessible only to the wealthy. Even golf and horse racing clubs face pressure to relocate or restructure.
Meanwhile, football codes thrive with ample fields and support, producing future Warriors, All Blacks and All Whites. There’s nothing wrong with football — but other sports risk drifting further from reach, even for school-aged kids.
We’re at risk of becoming a football-and-beer nation, losing the diversity that makes our sporting culture rich. The council should start listening and advocate for all sports, the community and the volunteers who keep them alive.
John Riddell, Hobsonville.
Green shoots?
The idea of the Green Party leading the next (or any) Government is political positioning rather than political reality.
Chlöe Swarbrick is right that most New Zealanders lament politics. Most New Zealanders also seem to have little enthusiasm for the kind of “progressive” and “transformational change” the Greens advocate.
The revolution is unlikely to take place in 2026.
Brendan Jarvis, Wellington.
Make a climate stand
George Williams (August 11) rejects the opinion of Emma Mackintosh (August 8) that we should be actively reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and says that a strong economy is more important.
He is correct that our total emissions are but a drop in the bucket on a global scale, but does this give us the right to carry on our high per capita fossil fuel use?
New Zealand has led the world in the past and we could make a stand now, at an individual and a government level to reduce our emissions.
Our grandchildren will be living in a very unpleasant world. I hope they can look back with pride at our actions today.
Linda McGrogan, Taupō.