Letters: Greens and Labour need to say how they would fund programmes

A reader says Joseph Los’e gave David Seymour a reasonable hearing and kept to the point. Photo / Getty Images

Letters to the Editor

But how would you fund them?

Both the Greens and Labour say if they are returned to Government, they will restore the pay equity legislation to what it was. The problem with this is, as in other utopian projects such as universal free-school lunches, how to fund them.

It would appear that when the previous Labour-led Government implemented both of these, costings were not looked at very carefully. Maybe there was enough allowed initially but they have been very vague as to where the ongoing funding was coming from.

Following last week’s Budget, the Greens have at least been honest as to how they plan to restore the pay equity arrangements – tax and borrow. Labour is far more vague – “the money will be found“ and “all will be revealed in the lead-up to the next election”, or words to that effect.

Trevor Stevens, Pukekohe.

The Budget losers

The big losers in last week’s Budget were child poverty, pay equity for women, housing, and animals to be transported live overseas.

A budget for the haves, not the have-nots and the vulnerable!

Marie Kaire, Whangārei.

Positive spin on Seymour

It was totally refreshing to see a more balanced Herald (May 25) giving David Seymour, our soon-to-be Deputy Prime Minister, a positive spin.

At least Joseph Los’e gave Seymour a reasonable hearing and kept to the point.

Incidentally, I thought Nicola Willis looked very attractive and was appropriately dressed for the Budget release last week.

John McOviney, Mount Maunganui.

A weapon of war

Starvation as a weapon of war is a cheaper alternative to missiles, fighter jets and tanks, especially when those targeted are locked in between a wall and the sea.

The effects of starvation are well known and once again being clearly documented.

The vulnerable and sick die first, the severely malnourished children are at high risk of permanent brain damage and physical growth changes, while the focus of those still able is totally around obtaining food. This focus can lead to internal division and loss of compassion for others.

All this has been seen before: the Warsaw Ghetto, the Nazis’ death camps, the Russian Gulags, the Japanese PoW camps.

World leaders and international voices of integrity must continue their pressure to bring about a resolution for those suffering in Gaza.

Dr Greg Dunn, FRNZCGP, Fairfield.

Word of support for staff

Murray Crane, a retail warrior of experience, made some interesting comments in Saturday’s Herald regarding the forthcoming demise of the Smith & Caughey’s department store.

However, I don’t agree with him totally on his observation that differently trained staff would have made the difference.

I’ve always enjoyed browsing without pressure. Trying on shoes, comparing prices, enjoying the breadth of goods, fashion, cosmetics, furniture and kitchen goods under one roof along with the added allure of holiday displays.

In my experience, the store provided attentive service when needed. Unlike smaller boutiques where staff may hover or upsell, Smith & Caughey’s allowed for unhurried exploration, it offered a sense of space and neutrality, where everyone was welcome and nothing was rushed.

Its closure means the loss of this non-intrusive shopping experience. A haven for thoughtful shoppers who prefer to make up their own mind without the hard sell. It was also a great place to meet people for a cup of tea.

James Gregory, Parnell.

Resist the Deal

Over the 80 years since World War II, the United States has behaved as a world leader guided by admirable foreign-policy principles.

All this has suddenly altered under an “Art of the Deal” Trump presidency acting without a proper consideration of the moralities involved and concerned more with clinching the “deal” and enhancing Trump’s own domestic electoral support.

International settlements reached on this deeply flawed basis will inevitably founder in the long term. New Zealand must make its voice heard by expressing its opposition to Trump’s morally bankrupt foreign policy machinations.

Larry Mitchell, Rothesay Bay.

Trouble for Trump

Donald Trump’s retaliatory action against Harvard University, banning international students, based on his claim that it has not done enough to tackle anti-Semitism and is un-American by allowing criticism of his policies, shows how uninformed and despotic he is.

America is comprised of several different cultures, including one with which Trump is totally unfamiliar – the East Coast intelligentsia.

When I lived in Boston, I had a Jewish flatmate who went to Harvard and a Jewish friend at MIT, another top university down the road from Harvard known for its radical student protests and for dissident Jewish intellectual Noam Chomsky.

She became the first female satellite engineer in the world. These universities are not anti-Semitic. In fact, they have many Jewish students.

The East Coast intelligentsia are part of a proud American tradition of political protest and campaigning for social justice. They are smart, not flashy and you won’t see them on TV. Their world is far apart from Trump’s shallow world of casinos and beauty pageants.

Donald Trump has no idea of who he is taking on.

Raewyn Maybury, Tauranga.