Former Prime Minister Jim Bolger at home in Waikanae. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Time for statesmanship politics
The tributes to former Prime Minister Jim Bolger have been united in one theme — he was a leader unafraid to put the nation ahead of his party. Perhaps that’s a lesson our current politicians could take to heart.
Today, we face a political landscape where small minority parties with often extreme positions can hold the balance of power. That is, frankly, unacceptable and not in the spirit of MMP.
The latest opinion polls show National at 34% and Labour at 32%. In other words, roughly two-thirds of New Zealanders support neither the extremism of the left nor the hardline rhetoric of the right. The majority sit in the centre, looking for leadership and stability.
So perhaps the answer is staring us in the face: National and Labour should form the next coalition. Both are centrist parties at their core — why not unite around what most New Zealanders actually want, and own the centre with a strong, stable majority?
Maybe it’s time for the “Purple Party”.
Mark Crouch, Matangi.
Bolger’s legacy
The many tributes to Jim Bolger are well deserved, especially for his work with Māori. However, it was under his leadership as Prime Minister that National brought in the drastic benefit cuts in 1991, causing beneficiaries poverty and hardship for many years.
I was working in community housing at Housing Corporation at the time and the community workers told us that 400 households in Glen Innes cut off their phones because they could no longer afford them. Not being able to call an ambulance in an emergency would have been frightening, especially as many of them had children and did not own a car to take them to hospital. Nor could they use a neighbour’s phone as their neighbours’ phones were cut off too.
Jim Bolger leaves a mixed legacy.
Raewyn Maybury, Tauranga.
Meeting Jim
Hearing of the death of past Prime Minister Jim Bolger brought back memories of the only time we met. In January 1990, I was President of Ōrewa Rotary Club and Jim, then leader of the opposition, was invited to deliver what had become the “state of the nation” address, replacing the incapacitated Rob Muldoon. He accepted and, as was customary, he and wife Joan came to our home early to meet the club’s board of directors and ready themselves for the meeting.
What we found so amazing was firstly that he, Joan and his press secretary drove themselves to Whangaparaoa, unaccompanied by any security, and of their humility, which put everyone at ease. The dinner and speech proved a great success and provided us with a lasting memory.
We proffer our sincere condolences to Joan and the family as they mourn the passing of a great New Zealander.
Alan and Jill Thomas, Hibiscus Coast.
Drug advertising
This I believe is the only country in the world other than the USA that allows prescription medicine and vaccines to be advertised.
Surely any medication that we need should be recommended by our medical fraternity or the government, not by an international multibillion-dollar overseas company. A company that is first and foremost in business to make money.
Is this like the tobacco companies with their vapes, a case of big business, big political donations and very strong lobby groups?
Vince West, Milford.
Small towns fried
The editorial in Friday’s Herald regarding Tīrau’s special character was timely.
As the editorial points out, Tīrau is one of those charming villages that happens to have a certain character and that includes a choice of local cafes.
That American fast-food franchises wish to set up there might be considered a natural consequence of capitalism, but quite apart from their potential negative influence in a location like Tīrau, let’s remember what they peddle – US-style fast food.
The food is high in calories, sodium, saturated and processed fats and sugar. It is low in essential nutrients and fibres.
To add further insult, it is usually consumed with a sugary fizzy drink.
So what? Unfortunately, regular consumption of it leads to weight gain, hypertension, diabetes and heart disease.
As a visiting American cardiologist said, when asked about the proliferation of the US fast-food outlets in NZ: “Well, if people here wish to eat like Americans, they’ll die like them too”.
Quite.
Barry Watkin, Devonport.
Capital gains tax
Introducing any new tax carries political risk. However, our national debt is testimony to the requirement to broaden our tax base.
Many of the things we consider necessities, such as modern infrastructure and first-world health and education systems, require ever-increasing expenditure.
Capital gains tax is not a panacea, but it can aid in addressing this deficit over time. Political reality demands a cautious introduction, which in itself is likely to be inadequate to do much to fix the budget gap. However, as with GST, once the tax has been established it can always be extended.
An alternative extension of our tax revenue would be due to an economic growth spurt. However, there is no evidence that we are likely to achieve the level of growth required to generate the requisite funding.
Peter Jansen, Mission Bay.
Climate change
Regular letter writer Emma Mackintosh continues with her failure to recognise that there are two directly opposing opinions as to climate change. The one that many readers hope that she would recognise is that the climate has been changing warmer and colder as a natural phenomenon for millions of years since time eternity and has nothing to do with man’s evolution on Earth.
Authoritative geologists say that evidence of this is to simply look at any cliff face which always reflects what has happened to Earth over an inordinate time scale. They say this shows authentic and definitive testimony that alteration in climate is in fact a billion-year-old phenomenon.
Hylton Le Grice, Remuera.
It is remarkable how President Trump’s signature resembles a seismogram of an intense and destructive earthquake.
Brian Byrne, St Heliers.
Sir Tipene O’Regan remembers Jim Bolger responding to his MPs who questioned why we should compensate Māori via settlements by replying: “Because it’s the right thing to do.” Can anyone imagine Luxon even voicing those words?
Susan Grimsdell, Auckland Central.
Is this the same organisation (BSA) that said there was no lack of balance when TVNZ political reporter Maiki Sherman reported on an earlier polling of the Government’s performance. 309 complaints were received and none were upheld! Even Sherman said she would be prepared to tweak her style in future after the complaints
Ian MacGregor, Greenhithe.
Given US President Donald Trump’s desire for the Nobel Peace Prize, maybe we should have him sort out the Te Pāti Māori feud – he would then be worthy of the award.
Chris Mann, Mount Albert.