Housing burden
The Government's social housing programme is threatened; 27,000 applicants seek assistance; a massive increase from 5000 in 2017.
An initiative to house "rough sleepers" has instead seen others terminating private rental leases as they too seek the Government's free offer of motel accommodation.
In addition, many were residing
with "family" and they also enticed were by the generous terms on offer.
Further, the situation was aggravated by the shortage of private rental housing, compromised by government regulation.
The result is thousands occupying motel units, hindering the tourist market.
This is a problem of the Government's own making.
The solution is to encourage private sector participation and loosen the stringent rules surrounding rental legislation.
P. J. Edmondson, Tauranga.
Island 'neglect'
It must be disappointing to leaders in Wellington, Canberra, Washington, and Tokyo that their hundreds of well-conceived, respectfully negotiated, co-operatively executed, grant-financed aid projects in the Pacific Islands are dismissed as ignoring core needs, lacking "equity, equality and the inclusiveness", and "treating the islands as geopolitical pawns".
By my accounting, for a half-century the traditional donors have contributed far more in social, administrative, educational, agricultural and health value to the Pacific countries than China's recent infrastructure projects financed by loans and executed by Chinese state corporations. This should be acknowledged, not dismissed as "neglect".
Granted, traditional donors can, and should, re-structure some of their projects to enhance adaptation to rising sea levels. And so should China.
A climate-change-adaption project focus could promote healthy cooperation rather than divisive competition between donors.
Stephen Hoadley, Castor Bay.
Secret accusers
In the Doge's Palace in Venice there is a lion, in whose mouth one could post anonymous denunciations.
It appears that this practice is used in New Zealand by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Being accused of being a danger to the public by an anonymous accuser leaves the victim of this practice totally at the mercy of bureaucrats.
Secret justice is an anathema that we criticise China for; but it seems it is now practised in NZ by the CAA.
We have an exposed case where an ex-wife's new husband vindictively destroyed a career and, now, more of this but with CAA refusing to identify the complainant.
That the CAA was not able to even contact the complainant, makes the matter worse.
It seems we are heading back to the Inquisition and witchcraft trials.
Neville Cameron, Coromandel.
It's a wrap
Temporary shrink-wrapped scaffolding structures, erected to keep the building site dry in wet weather, are I believe a potential hazard as they could blow over in a strong wind.
My wife and I live next door to a site where one of these structures is about to be erected.
As someone who has spent their entire working life in the construction industry, I wrote to the property owners and to the Auckland Council building inspector, who is being paid to inspect this project.
The reply was that we should just let the temporary shrink-wrapped structure be built and then, if I have any further concerns, I should communicate with him again.
As there are now probably more orange cones in New Zealand than there are people, I thought that health and safety were considered by public authorities to be important.
I thought that the Pike River disaster would, or should, have caused us all to reflect on the difference between checking and approving your own work to having independent inspectors check.
But I guess, as they say, it is what it is?
Ray Peel, Kohimarama.
Ominous outcomes
One thing Christopher Luxon was not talking about while in Ireland was Covid-19 deaths. That outcome is nearly five times our outcome but we have similar populations.
The "outcomes crusader" needs to explain why they allowed more than 7500 Covid deaths. Is that what we could expect from Luxon in power? Is he hiding from the truth? Covid is not over. Epidemiologists say it isn't and Luxon admits he will take their advice.
The truth is, even Jacinda Ardern is not listening to advice from epidemiologists to go early to flatten this second Omicron wave, looking ominously like it could swamp our health services.
Politicians putting their votes ahead of rational advice disgust me.
Steve Russell, Hillcrest.
