This year's general election will be held in October. Photo / Bevan Conley, File
An honest plea
We have an election in October, just seven months away. There is no accountability from all our elected politicians to fulfil their promises to us when they get into power. We just get plenty of excuses with carefully crafted statements from their spin doctors, full of “huff and puff”, on why they have not implemented policies they promised. This is dishonest. Furthermore our politicians suddenly surprise us with new policies, that we have not approved, discussed or known about, before an election. This is dishonest. I would like to see true transparency from all our politicians and that they can only implement policies that they have included in their policy manifestos. How else can we be expected to vote for the best party we like and the policies/manifestos they stand for? We must therefore implement rules that force all our politicians to abide by these rules and forbid “sneak attack new policies” as they will be ruled out of order and cannot be implemented. From there, the best woman/man/party may win and good luck to all of them. Tom Reynolds, St Heliers.
In our hands
Simon Wilson’s comments (NZ Herald, April 4) have one major flaw - people are not prepared to change. It is not governments who need to change, it is people. Here in Hawke’s Bay, the sun is shining, the Government is fixing the bridges, life is back to normal, and people are flying overseas for their winter holiday. If we truly care about preventing the worst of climate change, we, the public, need to change our daily habits. Children need to go to school by bus or walk. Fly less, drive less, bike more. We should all transition to using electric cars, buses and heat pumps rather than wood fires. In that regard, Christopher Luxon is right about producing more climate-friendly electricity. He is proposing what he can realistically do to help. Politicians cannot do this alone; they can only guide us. We have been hearing the message for 30 years and yet have done very little, and then only what has been forced upon us. It is up to us to change our behaviour. S. Hansen, Hastings.
Two leaders
During one of the 21st century’s greatest challenges - Covid - one country had one of the lowest death rates in the OECD, while the other had one of the highest. New Zealand has, by its own metrics, reduced the number of children living in material hardship from 11 per cent to below 10.3 per cent, while in America 16.2 per cent of children lived below the official poverty line by the end of 2020. At its worst, political leadership can be a pugilistic sport, and at its best an opportunity to create a better and just society. I hope we can objectively assess both leaders, and thank Jacinda Ardern for her contributions to New Zealand, and recognise that Donald Trump’s contributions are in service to his own megalomania. Mary Hearn, Glendowie.
Better advice
Perhaps if the two major parties stopped listening to their lobbyists and read instead the Herald’s lead writers on our environment, Simon Wilson, Jamie Morton and the occasional editorial, we’d be further ahead on planning towards a safer existence. Our changing climate is life-threatening to all living things. Nothing is more important right now than preparing to stay alive and the only way to do this is for our two major parties to work together, placing the safety of our planet at the top of their agenda. Emma Mackintosh, Birkenhead.
Strategic assets
Correspondent Peter Burn (NZ Herald, April 4) questions Auckland Airport’s shopping mall construction while disputing Mayor Wayne Brown’s determination to sell the council’s airport shares. As an airport shareholder buying in from the time a foreign pension fund attempted to take over our major air gateway to New Zealand, thwarted by then Prime Minister Helen Clark and Deputy Michael Cullen on the grounds of it being on sensitive land, I too understood the need to withhold dividends during the Covid pandemic. In prior years I appreciated excellent dividends from my investment in these shares and expect a return to normal soon. Incidentally, the shopping malls helped prop up the airport balance sheet during shutdown time. It is a very disturbing aspect of Brown’s mayoralty that he is so heavily focussed on first closing down the Ports of Auckland’s business shipping gateway to the biggest city in New Zealand, but that he is also ready to sell what could be a blocking stake to a foreign takeover in our airport. In the wildest stretch of his imagination, this part of his “fix” for Auckland is not why I voted for him. Coralie van Camp, Remuera.
Infamy undeserved
I enjoyed your article on Sir Wayne Shelford (NZ Herald, April 4) but I was surprised, though, to see our rangatira Te Rauparaha referred to as “infamous”, especially by another Tainui. If the successful destruction of one’s enemies following their attacks and insults is a cause for infamy, then all rangatira were infamous – more or less. If the decimation of Ngāi Tahu at Kaiapoi was the reason, then a closer reading of history would reveal that Raha explained himself to Ngāi Tahu rangatira when he arrived and his explanation was accepted i.e. Tangatahara’s treachery in murdering Te Pēhi Kupe provided justification for Ngāti Toa’s response. Alternatively, if the infamous label is because the colonials saw him that way, then that is the worst reason of all for any Māori to use. I can’t think of a good reason why you might have perpetuated that colonial characterisation of our rangatira, unless it was inadvertent. Helmut Karewa Modlik, CEO, Tumu Whakarae.
Education Impediment
I cannot believe that from the Minister of Education down to the classroom teacher are all so naive as to believe the cellphone isn’t the ultimate distractor for students. There are more addictive games in these devices than there are students in Auckland. Heck, I’m 82 and am already addicted to playing Scrabble with friends seven and eight times a day on the ultimate distractor and I’ve only been playing it a week. Any switched-on teacher worth his or her salt should have a receptacle at the front of the classroom for cellphones to be deposited before the lesson; to be retrieved at the end of the lesson and in all school classrooms throughout New Zealand. Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay.
Pedagogy-go-round
With reference to the concerns expressed by your correspondents on changes in our education system, I should point out that this is the “that-was-wrong-this-is-right” year, otherwise known as “election year”. This is the time when education is always a key policy area and politicians feel obliged to make changes regardless. However, in the matter of education, I do not respect the politicians’ right to be wrong. Gerald Payman, Mt Albert.
Western responsibility
Steven Lincoln’s letter on Ukraine (NZ Herald, April 4) lacks acknowledgment of the US-led allies’ 20 devastating years of wars of aggression on many countries. None were approved by the Security Council. Why amnesia on these far longer, appalling, illegal wars with Western countries refusing to be held accountable? After all this carnage, Western countries now have the outrageous cheek to pillory Russia about Ukraine, as if they are innocent parties. Professor of Law in Geneva, Alfred de Zayas, reported on January 2022: “There would be no conflict in Ukraine today if Barack Obama, Victoria Nuland and several European leaders had not destabilised the democratically elected government of Viktor Yanukovych and organised a vulgar coup d’etat in 2014 to install Western puppets.” For nine years now, the US-installed, anti-Russia Kyiv regime banned speaking the Russian language and shelled millions of civilians in their own country for opposing a government they didn’t vote for. If Western countries don’t change course away from trying to dominate the world with violence and acknowledge their devastating wars, they may well annihilate us all. Kay Weir, Wellington.
Resilient network
The latest NZTA announcement of five new crossing options for the Waitematā Harbour is disappointing, with none being what is needed to provide the best mix of creating a resilient free-flowing transport network and aesthetic appeal. What is needed is a new bridge to replace the current bridge, running between Victoria Park and Northcote Pt, built to a similar design to the attractive Anzac Centennial Bridge proposal, with general road traffic and bus lanes on the top, and light rail and pedestrian and cycle paths underneath. The Government should drop the incredibly expensive proposed half-tunnelled light rail line to the airport, and use the money to convert the Northern Busway to light rail, linking via the new bridge and Fanshawe St to street-level lines along Symonds St and Dominion Rd to Mt Roskill, Queen St, Great North Rd and SH16 to Westgate, and a Ponsonby Rd loop line. The airport would be better being linked with a new heavy rail line between Ōnehunga and Puhinui/Manukau, which would enable it to become part of a new city loop route with the Eastern Line, and the current Southern Line and Western Line linked together via the new CRL tunnel as a new crosstown route, running from one side of Auckland to the other. Isaac Broome, Pukekohe.
Strike up the band
The problem with orchestra funding in New Zealand (NZ Herald, March 31) is the failure to update the national orchestra model to the one used by the rest of the world - a network of city-based orchestras. The current system sees the heavily taxpayer-funded NZSO competing with the tax/ratepayer-funded city orchestras. The NZSO takes 70 per cent of government funding, and spends a fortune on hotels and Air New Zealand to ride into town several times a year to compete at the box office with the city’s orchestra. Everywhere else in the world, the people’s taxes are used more efficiently by supporting city orchestras that tour their hinterland. Our economists and politicians should collaborate to produce more art for the buck, with less reliance on rates funding. Tony Waring, Grey Lynn.
At crossed purposes
Last Wednesday, AT contractors repainted the road markings on Beach Rd, Long Bay. On the same day, AT did a leaflet drop advising residents of plans to resurface the road. Sure enough, on Sunday AT contractors resealed the road, and in the process covered the freshly applied road markings. On Monday AT contractors returned and redid the road markings. Included in these markings were two bus stops. AT ought to know that they permanently withdrew buses from the area five years ago, so these bus stops are redundant. It would be helpful if AT managers would talk to one another to avoid this sort of waste of ratepayers’ hard-earned money. J. P. Kania, Long Bay.
On Heath
Matt Heath’s (NZH, April 3), experiences with his yoga classes were inspirational, and so funny, it cracked me up laughing as a respite from all the “doom and gloom” daily news. Many thanks. Josie Coyne, Torbay.
On teachers
If people think teachers get such great holidays and shouldn’t strike for extra pay and better conditions then why is there a shortage of teachers and why isn’t there a long line of applicants wanting to become teachers? Bernard Walker, Pāpāmoa.
On Ardern
Chris Hipkins wants us to “leave Jacinda alone”. Believe me, the country already has. Ian MacGregor, Greenhithe.
On Jones
Thank you to Shane Jones, for the excellent, informative article (NZH, April 4); for having the ability to put it all together and the guts to say it. Rod Milne, Taupō.
On offence
Imagine going through life hoping to never be offended by someone else’s opinion. How incredibly arrogant and conceited. Narcissistic to the core. Time to grow up, people. Mark Lewis-Wilson, Mangōnui.
On Trump
What’s the odds that the media circus that is Donald Trump is going to be a far greater news story in 2023 that the coronation of King Charles II? Graham Fleetwood, Botany Downs.
Business survey shows falling sales now a bigger worry than labour
You do not shut a country up, close it down and throw away the key for the best part of 2.5 years and then even when you do finally winch the door open a tiny bit for DJs, you don’t let in doctors or anyone else for that matter and expect that things will go well do you? Honestly? And even after all of this, you still keep the doors shut to anyone useful yet open and open your wallet to everyone who doesn’t want to work? Go figure. Mark C.
Immigration NZ just offered free permanent residence visas to overstayers. This is the second time it has done this. It shuts the door to skilled workers who will work and pay tax, business owners who create employment opportunities, and investment category applicants who will invest in New Zealand, instead, offers to open the door widely to overstayers. What integrity level do you think the overstayers are at? If you don’t comply with a country’s immigration and border legislation, I would question their integrity. How is this fair for all those skilled immigrants who worked their way up to get their residence? Vivian Y.
Those overstayers you mention have probably been working very hard and paying taxes doing menial jobs most New Zealanders won’t do and for minimum wages. Most will have been here for a long time. Kenneth T.
So the RBNZ has created inflation, which has become stagflation due to our poor productivity, now it is crashing the economy by putting up interest rates during stagflation. Dumb and dumber. Emily S.
The winter months were always going to be the hardest for business and any downturn will count heavily against a government in power, especially in an election year. David S.
The electorate always gets the government it deserves. Keith S.
Rain started falling at the top of the country before dawn.