Act Party leader David Seymour during the budget at Parliament in Wellington. Photo / Marty Melville
Queen Elizabeth II was one great lady
In February 1952, I was 8 years old when Princess Elizabeth became Queen on the death of her father. I am now 79!
We can debate the merits or demerits of traditional, hereditary, constitutional power until we're blue in the face but the fact remains, the late Queen Elizabeth has given a lifetime of devoted service to her country, her Commonwealth and all of her people. She was dutiful, but also very funny. She was compassionate, but also had backbone (as Margaret Thatcher found out on more than one occasion). She presided over the end of the despised British empire and its transformation into the Commonwealth of nations we know today. She eased 300 years of hurt, pain and grievance between the people of Britain and Ireland, with her famous "With the benefit of historical hindsight, there are certain things that should have been done differently, or not at all" speech in Dublin. She was warm friends with South Africa's first post-apartheid President, Nelson Mandela.
And finally, she made no bones about which side of history she was on, regarding the important questions of environmentalism, conservation, equal rights and social justice. In short, she was one great lady. I don't believe, we shall see her like ever again.
Rest in peace, ma'am! You've earned it, in spades!
John Watkins, Greenlane
Could marae host troubled people?
Motel residents in Rotorua do not seem to have any respect for authority or for their provided accommodation. Causing damage and inflicting abuse on other residents and visitors.
Perhaps the only people who would be respected and instil order and better behaviour are kaumātua.
Marae have so many times shown such fantastic heartwarming hospitality to people made homeless in natural disasters.
Would the many marae be prepared to host a few each of these problem people under the authority of the kaumātua, of course with the financial support of the Government?
Perhaps also providing some local employment and instilling pride and purpose. The motels in Rotorua could then return back to their intended purpose.
Vince West, Milford
Calorie criticism of Bennett
Paula Bennett's admission that she was unable to control her weight surely invalidates her entire political philosophy.
Her party insists that taxes should be low because people know best how to budget their money, yet Bennett was incapable of doing the same herself with respect to calories to ensure avoidance of obesity. Much like people who spend on cigarettes and alcohol, Bennett was unable to resist her cravings.
This is why it's essential for government to tax us and use the revenue to provide for our needs and when people get into trouble as Paula did, step in and help just as someone stepped in to help Paula by stapling her stomach. This is classic Labour Party economics.
Susan Grimsdell, Auckland
The path forward
In all the talk going on about how New Zealand should be governed in the future, there seems to be the view that the only alternative to a monarchy is a republic. Frankly, it strikes me that changing from an elected government presided over by someone purely on the basis of birth to one presided over by someone elected or chosen by some other means is simply changing one archaic system for one that is equally bad. I sincerely doubt that either system provides us with a level of protection against government excess as has been suggested.
Surely, the answer is for us to be ruled solely by a government elected by the people with the prime minister acting as head of state for his or her elected term. At the end of that term, if we do not like what that government or prime minister has done, we can vote to change them both.
Gerald Payman, Mt Albert
Covid inquiry
I'm not sure a Covid inquiry is entirely necessary. Apart from the cost, it will only serve to vilify, or endorse actions taken. We all have an opinion; some aspects were logical, some downright annoying. Everyone will have their own view on what was right, or wrong. The best enquiry one could ask for is next year's election, that will be the ultimate result of any inquiry outcome.
John Ford, Taradale
Get over it Seymour
Labour's Covid reponse under the circumstances is now recognised internationally as about as good as it gets. So get over it David Seymour. His response therefore to waste taxpayers' money on a pointless inquiry is indicative of how much value he puts on taxpayers' hard-earned input.
Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay
Tomatoes
How is it that fresh tomatoes this week are selling for $14/kg wholesale but pre-Covid in 2019 for the same week at $6/kg wholesale, and everyone was cruising along just nicely, clearly.
It is a very interesting picture that is playing out across the world regarding food and population control post-Covid.
Glenn Forsyth, Taupo
Air NZ fares
The Government has been attacking the supermarket duopoly for "excessive profits". When will they be looking into Air NZ, the airline that has a monopoly on domestic air travel and has increased airfares by 20 per cent to make up for lost profits due to Covid?
Mark Young, Orewa
Open for business?
The Prime Minister claiming New Zealand is open for business obviously hasn't done a trip around the country to see how many businesses are closed due to lack of staff and tourists.
Even the Chateau at Mt Ruapehu wouldn't sell a coffee to tourists unless you are staying there and they are only operating at a 40 per cent occupancy as they have a shortage of staff. Arthurs Pass in the South Island has one cafe open — everything else is boarded up. Again, there is no staff to help run these places.
Airfares from Australia are currently nearly $2000 return per person as their is a shortage of airlines and staff to service this route. Why would you come to New Zealand?
Lesley Baillie, Murrays Bay
Prison visits and home D
I understand that our prisons are short of 1600 staff, in part, due to this Government's immigration policy over the past two years. As a result, thousands of prisoners have not been able to have visitors for more than a year. It also explains why judges are directed to give home detention rather than prison sentences — even for serious offences. Is this why both the prosecution and the defence sought a sentence of home detention in a recent rape case? A decision which naturally aroused widespread public outrage.
Janie Weir, Newmarket
A fast game
I enjoyed the fast-flowing game and great win. All Blacks who needed some luck, you got it when it counted.
Gary Stewart, Foxton Beach
Reffing rugby
It would be helpful to everyone's understanding if the World Rugby Referees body issued a prior notice to media, teams and viewers advising which rules they had instructed the match referee team to be extra vigilant on, and which rules to ignore, for specific matches in advance. The Bledisloe game showed closing lineouts and wasting time were hot rules to penalise, while not releasing a tackled player with knee on the ground, hands on the ground past tackled ball, sealing off and not supporting body weight by the tackler, were all OK.
Gary Carter, Gulf Harbour
Kemp died at home, aged 50, after battling aggressive kidney disease.