"While Donald Trump's win is disappointing, the sky isn’t falling." Photo / Getty Images
Health bureaucracy and a lack of accountability
In her article in the Weekend Herald, political editor Claire Trevett wrote about a statement made by the Treasury that said, “no one inside Health NZ appears to have a clear picture of what is going on”.
This is a shot-on-target statement. Health NZ is like a complex network of many pipes with leakages in all of them.
Unfortunately, they all leak enormous amounts of dollars and resources. The leakages have been recognised over the years; however, the ones chosen to repair the leakage have never been made accountable for not producing the intended outcome. This is the dire state of affairs at Te Whatu Ora.
There are far too many bureaucrats and not enough health workers. American anthropologist and author the late David Graeber spent many years researching his book Bullshit Jobs in which he talks about the global increase in meaningless work and the rise of public sector bureaucracy. He jokingly adds the only real purpose of those roles is to kill the joy for those who are engaged in real work.
This is exactly what health bureaucrats do. They add complex and unnecessary administrative load on the already-exhausted health workforce whilst not producing measurable outcomes in their own positions. Many bureaucrats in HNZ are salaried without KPIs and are not held accountable for failing to produce results.
The biggest problem in Te Whatu Ora can be summarised as a lack of accountability and not producing measurable outcomes. Changing this will plug the leak that is now gushing.
Sadhana Reddy, Lynfield.
Trade and Trump
The unbelievable has happened and Donald Trump will become the 47th President of the United States. While I’m very disappointed in the results, like the tale of Chicken Little, the sky isn’t falling.
But this isn’t an old folk tale and on a positive note there won’t be a protracted period of uncertainty and an increased opportunity for social dissent and violence. Also, while the threat of increased tariffs is concerning, NZ companies have worked tirelessly to consolidate positive relationships with US businesses that value New Zealand’s services sector (tourism, ICT), dairy, quality meat and wine.
Meanwhile, in our own small trading nation, we’ll continue to cement our ties with our third-largest trading partner and at home contend with a dysfunctional health system, unprecedented truancy numbers and families struggling to make ends meet.
Not all doom and gloom, as we possess a quiet determination to resolve challenges within a modern, stable democracy and a chance for consensus rather than conflict. Not a cure-all, but perhaps we need to go for a walk on one of our beautiful beaches and be grateful for what we do have.
At the very least, we aren’t experiencing the sadness and anxiety 47.5% of the US population is feeling.
Mary Hearn, Glendowie.
Voter motivation
In my opinion, the real reason the vast majority voted for Donald Trump this week was most people considered they would get a better deal for themselves under Trump and his team, and that Kamala Harris was unproven and weak compared with Trump and his proven record over four years in office.
Simply put, most people’s only real concern is for themselves and their families. Trump has a proven track record, Harris does not and came across as a shaky and unproven leader. It did not help that Joe Biden stayed on as an election contender until pulling out late in the race.
We see the same in local politics, with Act being decried by a minority of Kiwis for introducing a national conversation on the Treaty principles and opposing a debate by the elected Government of NZ, when a smaller but noisy minority feel the Treaty should never be subject to a national debate by our lawmakers.
Bruce Woodley, Birkenhead.
Labour’s lesson
After their electoral defeats it is to be hoped the NZ Labour and the US Democratic parties have a hard look at themselves.
In a capitalist democracy it is not the customer or the voter who is wrong. It is what you are offering that is wrong.
Both parties supposedly represent the working classes. Unfortunately, because of the backgrounds of their leaders, they were captured by the “progressive elites” who not only don’t embody the concerns of the working class, but often condescendingly look down on them for their more conservative beliefs.
The progressive overreach is getting its backlash. Progress is a very relative word and is not inevitable.
Kevin Port, Tauranga.
Unlocking Key-speak
While Sir John Key may have stepped away from politics some years ago, it’s clear that politics hasn’t quite stepped away from him (NZ Herald, Nov 8).
His recent comments re the US election, as reported in the Herald, about “feeling” a “movement” demonstrate that classic political gift for making statements that simultaneously say something and nothing at all. When our former PM declares “you can’t deny it” about something he hasn’t actually defined, we find ourselves in that peculiar political paradox – how does one deny (or indeed confirm) something that remains mysteriously unspecified?
It’s rather like being asked to disprove the existence of an invisible elephant in the room. Perhaps Sir John could share what this “movement” feels like for those of us who apparently can’t feel it. After all, in politics as in medicine, it’s generally helpful to have a clear diagnosis before declaring the condition undeniable.
James Gregory, Parnell.
Taxing the rich
Richard Prebble’s blueprint for a Labour win in 2026 surely has to be an April Fool’s Day joke (NZ Herald, Nov 7).
The new UK government’s Budget, released on October 30, sets out to increase taxes on the “wealthy” by some NZ$86 billion. Sir Keir Starmer’s approval rating after only 100 days in office has collapsed more significantly than any other British PM in modern history, with the exception of Tory PM Liz Truss.
Pre-election day promises of telling voters what they want to hear works to get elected but promises, ideology and delivery are polls apart (excuse the pun) and the ever-revolving political landscape is testament to that.
Prebble, to his credit, points out the disastrous downsides to taxing your way out of fiscal black holes, but it may already be too late for Keir Starmer’s embattled government.
Bruce Eliott, St Heliers.
Climate alarm
Correspondent Karla Rix-Trott points out that much of the climate alarm could be relieved if our Government were taking more serious action in response to the science (NZ Herald, Nov 7).
The science tells us that however serious the action we take, it will make no difference to the global or NZ situation. Our human numbers are simply too small to matter on a global scale.
The carbon credit and Emissions Trading Scheme, electric cars, wind farms, solar farms, the cow-fart research and the managed retreat schemes do not look like planet-saving solutions to our young people. Something more believable is required to convince these children.
John Veysey, Coromandel.
In support of the view put forward by Johan Slabbert (NZ Herald, Nov 5) regarding jury trials, may I also add that I have witnessed a juror nodding off to sleep during a trial. A juror once told me after a trial that she couldn’t really understand the law, so had gone along with the majority. And then you have the rogue jurors who, for a variety of reasons, have already come to a decision before the trial has even started. Perhaps the time has come to abandon the practice and rely on professional and expert opinion and experience when handing down decisions.
Ian Doube, Rotorua.
It must be deeply distressing for those who fought in WWII and all the Jewish, Polish, Czech, Scandinavian and many of European descent to watch the Mongrel Mob gang’s disgusting use of Nazi-style chanting and salutes and our NZ Government condoning it by allowing them the right of free speech to do so. They know not how deeply offensive this is and where are the legislated limitations for such practices. What kind of values and messages does this give to those ignorant of history, including the 80,000 truant children whose parents do not value education.
Marie Kaire, Whangārei.
Fireworks are available to buy from November 2-5 and this year Diwali was a five-day celebration that began on October 31 and ran through to November 4. The huge loud bangers let off from October 31 this year went every night from 8pm. Clearl, a huge number of fireworks are stockpiled from last year, as can be done quite legally. Auckland Council asks that fireworks cease at 10.30pm, but this is never enforced and carry on until mid-mornings. Surely it’s time to stop selling fireworks, which mean nothing to the kids setting them off, and allow Diwali celebrations under controlled conditions.
Stephen Holden, Manurewa.
The population of the US have exercised their democratic prerogative in electing a President who is simultaneously supercilious, narcissistic, misogynistic, sociopathic and a convicted felon. I am, and will remain, confused.
Mike Donovan, Remuera.
This week established that there is still too much sexism and racism in the US. I believe a credible, middle-aged white Democrat like Gavin Newsom or Josh Shapiro would have beaten Trump. But an equally credible mixed-race woman didn’t have a chance. A French philosopher once opined that people get the government they deserve. It seems he was right.
Peter Topzand, Whangārei.
One has to wonder why TVNZ, which is bleeding staff and taxpayer money, is wasting so much money on Jack Tame and co in the US for the election, which could easily be covered by local US sources. We did not need NZ reporters covering Trump or Harris camps. Nor do we need half or more of the 6pm news devoted to the US election. Interested parties could follow the election on social media. The rest of us are more interested in local news.
Derek Paterson, Sunnyhills.
PM Luxon must be very pleased that a quarter of a million Kiwis have newly taken up private medical insurance. A good way to reduce pressure on the public health system that doesn’t require taxpayer dollars. Which other parts of the public sector could go down that user-pays path?
Barbara Darragh, Auckland Central.
David Seymour is disgruntled at the Waitangi Tribunal making public the Government’s advancement of the Treaty Principles Bill before its due date. I’d say one under-arm bowl deserves another.
Mattie Wall, Westmere.
