Fonterra has agreed to sell its consumer businesses – including Mainland and Anchor – for $3.8 billion.
Covid inquiry
The refusal of Dame Jacinda Ardern, Chris Hipkins, Grant Robertson and Ayesha Verrall to appear publicly before the Covid-19 inquiry shows gross arrogance and an abdication of responsibility at the highest level.
$66 billion of public money went into the Covid response. Shouldn’t people who lost their jobs and businesses, parents of children who got behind in their education, relatives of loved ones who were sick or died alone in hospital and those who were prevented from coming back into the country be given some sort of clarity and reasons for the sacrifices they had to endure?
Where is the accountability for all this? They were the publicly elected officials at the time and should have an obligation to show the public of New Zealand what they did with this enormous amount of taxpayer money.
People are still suffering from their decisions whilst Verrall and Hipkins hope to be in power after the next general election. Ardern lives on the benefits of being an international celebrity and Robertson holds a well-paying job as vice-chancellor of Otago University.
They don’t appear to have suffered much from the daily announcements from their so-called podium of truth.
The new podium of truth is the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid-19 pandemic. New Zealanders are entitled to answers, and these people are obliged to give answers publicly.
Bernard Walker, Mount Maunganui.
Fonterra’s deal
The decision of Fonterra to sell its huge consumer business to French dairy giant Lactalis has been hailed as an excellent transaction.
Sadly, however, it needs instead to be regarded as a double-edged sword. Over the years, just like so many other New Zealand businesses being sold overseas, there appears to be an excellent short-term gain, but later on, the assessment is often one of regret that part of this country’s important heritage has been very sadly lost forever. I’m sure this will be so once again.
Dr Hylton Le Grice, Remuera.
Size of car parks
It’s interesting that insufficient width in car parks is becoming the topic of the day. This is apparent not only in some council carparks, but also in other areas such as supermarkets and malls.
Not long ago, the biggest nuisance when using a carpark was coming back and finding a ding, or a larger dent, in the car door.
Now, it can be trying to get back in the car. There have been times when I’ve returned to my car and found a large SUV type vehicle parked so close that when the door is opened, the space is so narrow that I’ve had to become a contortionist to get in. Not good for the back or hips.
Oh, to be agile enough to get in the passenger’s side and manoeuvre across.
Lorraine Kidd, Warkworth.
Stagnant economy
Once again, we see the Reserve Bank being used to try to save the economy, which one would have to say has failed miserably up till now.
Inflation is still around 3%, which means food prices etc will continue to rise. Even if inflation was zero, food prices would still be far too high.
The question that should be asked is: why is there a continued lack of consumer confidence? Nobody seems willing to admit that the actions of the current Government to introduce their visions and changes, instead of being in an orderly manner, were foisted upon the public without thought or care.
This has made a lot of people jittery and careful to open their wallets – providing they have something in them. Why is the building trade in a slump, with thousands of tradesmen leaving the country and now teachers striking for more pay? Due to the lack of revenue since the tax cuts, the Government no longer has the money needed for public works or, for that matter, pay increases. There is no such thing as a free lunch.
Sir John Key found that out after tax cuts, so he put up GST to compensate. It is said that when the farming community does well, so does the rest of the country. Well, that’s now become a myth and the words of our Finance Minister fall on deaf ears as we have heard it all before.
Reg Dempster, Albany.
Terror threat
Is the recent increase in our terrorist threat attack real or imagined or just another good excuse for our defence boys’ and girls’ club to buy some more very expensive, depreciating toys? Would this money have been far better spent on buying some more regional coastal parks for present and future generations to enjoy and enhance in perpetuity?
Bruce Tubb, Devonport.