How can a country expect to develop and prosper if it does not prioritise the health of its citizens and workforce? Photo / Richard Robinson, file
Kathy Spencer's commentary (NZ Herald, August 28) on the current Canterbury DHB impasse was very informative.
Revelations that a capital charge regime still exists whereby the Board is expected to annually return 6 per cent of its new hospital funding, shows how absurd this feature is. What would the
ministry do if it could not or did not return it - sue?
Presumably, this a remnant of the follies of the 1990s health reforms which re-directed health boards, then renamed them Crown Health Enterprises; to operate as commercial entities instead of being what they are - essential national infrastructure.
How can they be financially sustainable if they are perpetually underfunded for purpose? The reforms restructuring led to the degradation of public health services, which are now struggling to cope during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Canterbury impasse is another long-term casualty of consistent underfunding by successive governments. How can a country expect to develop and prosper if it does not prioritise the health of its citizens and workforce?
I support Spencer's disagreement with the Simpson Review recommendation to establish a new Maori Health Authority. In our society, health care delivery should be evidence-based, not ethnicity-based.
Nick Nicholas, Greenlane.
Glaringly omitted from Kathy Spencer's informative Friday comment is the inescapable conclusion: successive governments endlessly repeat heath system structural reviews as a distraction from actually building enough hospitals. "Don't fund it, restructure it" is the perpetual mantra.
There are Scandinavian countries who eschew medical waiting lists, but they pay more tax, a Kiwi anathema. We prefer to just keep rearranging the deck chairs while people are dying.
Jim Carlyle, Te Atatū Peninsula.
What an excellent opinion piece by Fran O'Sullivan about having a fresh look at tax policy (NZ Herald, August 28). A comprehensive capital gains tax is sensible when one considers that almost every other OECD country has one.
But the extreme proposal of the Green party for a wealth tax would ensure that those who invest in creating New Zealand jobs would shift and take their money to Australia or elsewhere.
New Zealand would no longer be a first world country if such a proposal became law. That is one good reason the Tax Working Group ruled out a wealth tax.
Dan McGuire, Nelson.
Ron Hoares' highly intelligent letter (NZ Herald, August 28) on raising the voting age to 74 must rank among the best to appear in the Herald for a very long time. Without intending any offence, however, might I suggest age 74 is still just a little immature? If Mr Hoares does not object, may I propose on my own experience that the age be raised to a more practical 85.
Richard Leary, Browns Bay.
Pieter Van Dongen (NZ Herald, August 27) is quite right in his support for lowering the voting age to 16. Most of the problems debated in these columns would be solved by getting younger people to vote.
The older we are, the less stake we have in the future. We've all seen enough stupidity from "mature" voters. If immaturity is the problem, we should raise the voting age to 27 or maybe never for some of us.
In my 70s, I also sign off as a pale, stale male.
Martin Ball, Kelston.
I have reservations about recent social trends. One example is the suppression of the lyrics to Elgar's rousing Land of Hope and Glory. Surely any real understanding of slavery has to happen within the context of colonialism.
Revisionists who give certain cultural sensitivities primacy are themselves practising discrimination is my uncomfortable feeling. Readers of history will be the poorer and less well-informed for it.
Ellie Carruthers, Eden Terrace.
The idea of Auckland Council selling down some of its equity in Ports of Auckland is not a new one.
Previous suggestions have almost always compared the struggling financial performance of Ports of Auckland with the success of Ports of Tauranga under a public/private equity mix, suggesting the commercial disciplines of public ownership would drive performance improvements.
When I read the idea of central government taking a slice of the equity to help the balance sheet of Auckland Council I was so gobsmacked I had to read it a number of times over to be sure of what I was actually reading.
I didn't think there could be a worse ownership model than the current one, but clearly I lacked the imagination to think of bringing in central government.
Surely Auckland Council can do better than this; but then again that could be applied to almost everything they turn their hand to.
John Christiansen, Mt Albert.
Congratulations to Bruce Kay (NZ Herald, August 26) on his support for the Government and criticism of the "referees in the stand".
Bruce appreciates, as do the vast majority of our fellow citizens, that coronavirus is an unprecedented pandemic and that responses have had to come "off the hoof".
Decisions so far have been made from a humanitarian approach, unlike the US where the great lord Greenback presides.
Alan Thomas, Silverdale.
It's a bit rich the National Party complaining about the Greens supporting the funding of a private school. At least the money isn't from the education budget.
In 2009, John Key's government stripped community and night classes of funding and gave the money, and more, $50 million or so over four years, to private schools.
Too bad that community education was deemed not necessary because it didn't lead directly to paying jobs, despite the immeasurable benefit to society and wellbeing.
The current Labour coalition has recently restored funding for community education,
to their great credit.
Dave Spiers, Henderson.
David Gibbs (NZ Herald, August 28) speaks of "climate alarmist warnings", and refers to concerns about coral reefs. It is uncertain what the long-term effects of bleaching through ocean temperature rise will be.
Coral reefs have been with us for 500 million years and have adapted to many changes. Caution needs to be taken, however, for two reasons. Firstly, the rate of change is currently rapid. Secondly, the rate of ocean acidification due to CO2 absorption inhibits the development of the coral skeleton. So, still cause for concern.
The term "alarmist" is political and emotive. When my grandmother was born in 1865 Earth's population was 1.2 billion people. When she died in 1959, it was nearly 3 billion. Now it is 7.8 billion people. My grandmother was born before the use of electricity. When she died we were flying in the Boeing 707. These rapid growth figures correspond with many other figures, such as CO2 in the atmosphere being 280ppm for 10,000 years until 1880, but now about 420ppm. We are losing Arctic ice at 12.8 per cent per decade and about 415 gigatonnes from ice sheets per annum.
I am very concerned. It is later than we think.
Niall Robertson, Balmoral.
Larry Mitchell (NZ Herald, August 28) correctly identifies the issue of excessive salaries paid by local bodies. The most egregious example is of course Auckland Council. The major achievement of the Super City appears to have been the creation of a huge rump of middle management, who have received large increases for doing essentially the same jobs they had pre-amalgamation, because they are now part of a bigger organisation.
This has led to 1532 employees in Auckland Council receiving salaries in excess of $100,000 in 2019, an increase of 18.4 per cent on the previous year. If we include council subsidiaries, the total rises to 2831.
By contrast, Brisbane City Council had a total of 148 employees drawing over $100,000 last year. Mayor Goff owes the ratepayers of Auckland an explanation.
Duncan Simpson, Albany.
The fiscal impact of the recent level 2-3 lockdown has produced a clear demonstration of just how critical Auckland is to the national economy. Perhaps other regions should now regard support for greater Central Government investment in its infrastructure as being in their own best interests.
Makes me proud to be "Just Another Fruitful Aucklander".
Chris Devereaux, Matakana.
It's just terrific to see the boardwalk up the tihi (summit) of Maungawhau (Mt Eden). I hope fervently that attention is given now to paths on Maungakiekie.
The maunga must be weeping with sadness given the neglect of her western Auckland Council-controlled walkways. With the increased popularity of the taonga with the arrival of Covid-19, immediate action is needed. With boardwalks installed, healing can begin and degradation be prevented.
Janfrie Wakim, Epsom.
On voting age
Great letter from Ron Hoares, Wellsford (Herald Friday 28 August). I think he has got it about right. I'll settle for 76. Gillian Dance, Mt Albert.
On lyrics
Seeing the BBC has banned the traditional versions of Rule Britannia and Land of Hope and Glory being played, shouldn't they re-name the concert The Last Night of the Poms? Roger Hall, Takapuna.
On masks
Congratulations to all those who are making masks at home, for any mask is better than no mask. Robin Thompson, Stanmore Bay.
On priorities
It is heartening to see economics commentator Brian Fallow (NZ Herald, August 28) state clearly that the economy should serve the people, not the other way round. The challenge will be to ensure that the cost of repaying the debt is shared fairly.Bob van Ruyssevelt, Glendene.
On overstayers
Unless our many thousands of overstayers show some human decency and come forward and have the Covid test, NZ can never expect to control the virus. Don't they realise they are putting their own lives at risk? Jock Mac Vicar, Hauraki.
On fines
Removing the 10km speed limit threshold, where Police discretion can be used, is simply revenue-gathering. Drivers who are drunk, driving dangerously, using cell phones, not wearing seat belts or holding up traffic should be targeted. Ray Calver, Grey Lynn.
On terrorist
Why is it so expensive to imprison the mosque killer? I thought it'd be relatively cheap to lock the door and throw away the key. B Horton, Kohimarama.
The woman was shaken by the incident.