Letter of the week: Mike Carter, Pāpāmoa
I am of a generation that crouched in Anderson shelters when London was blitzed. I experienced rationing, the Cold War, two years of National Service.
Now with bombs devastating Ukraine, people here are worried about the cost of petrol.
I watch a train of
cars, each containing one person pass me. I see almost empty buses. Buy a bike, people, car-pool.
I feel sick at heart that the National Party can only come up with "lowering taxes".
As for the "freedom fighters", what a self-indulgent, arrogant, selfish mob.
I did not think I'd ever be ashamed of Kiwis. I am now.
Hopefully, people will take a long hard look at themselves - maybe go for a walk on the Hollyford Track, tramp over Tongariro, play a ukulele, go surfing. For crying out loud, be grateful.
Price of vanity
In the midst of a rising Omicron outbreak and with the cost of living skyrocketing, Labour persists in pushing grandiose vanity projects such as light rail (Herald March 12) tipped to cost $29 billion.
The Three Waters reform foisted upon us without process transparency or public consultation looks dodgier with every new report extracted. Labour's blinkered approach to fiscal prudence is already frightening voters into the arms of National with Christopher Luxon looking increasingly like a safe pair of hands to take over in 2023.
Don't agree with National's tax cuts for the rich, but Labour's spending priorities, if unchecked, are destined to make everyone poor with little or no benefit to see for it.
Coralie van Camp, Remuera
Home truths
In her response to Bernard Orsman's report (Weekend Herald, March 12) about the impending destruction of Auckland's heritage, Auckland Council's Megan Tyler says people will be able to make submissions about the Council's proposal to remove protection from the affected properties.
That may be so, but the Act says the new provisions allowing this destruction will come into effect in August regardless of any submissions anyone may make? What then will be the point of making submissions?
Everyone agrees more affordable housing is needed. The way to get that is for the Government to build it on land it already owns.
It is now four years since the Government announced in March 2018 that it was going to build thousands of homes on the 26ha of land it owns in Mt Albert on the Carrington land.
Yet not a single house has been built there yet. Why?
John Burns, Mt Eden.
Finger on the button
John Roughan, "Ultimately Putin cannot win this war" (Weekend Herald, March 12) supports his argument without once mentioning "the elephant in the room". Putin's menacing nuclear threats cannot be so idly dismissed.
Nato is in no doubt of the dangers when refusing to consider a Ukrainian no-fly zone for the very reason that it might trigger a Russian nuclear response.
Larry Mitchell, Rothesay Bay.
Reflecting on abuse
Your correspondent Maurice Robertson (Weekend Herald, March 12) points out the plight of our children. He then asks whether we think something should change.
Yes, certainly something should change.
Stop driving drunk, drugged or aggressively: $2 billion saved.
Stop being the third fattest nation on earth: $3 billion saved.
Stop abusing spouses and children to the tune of one reported incident every four minutes: $1 billion saved.
It is facile to blame this government, that government, or the "rich". If you want to see why our children are neglected, buy a mirror.
K H Peter Kammler, Warkworth.
