How will we remember Jacinda?
Guy Body’s view yesterday along with the Herald’s website made me reflect on our new Dame Grand Companion. In the future, how will historians and the public view Dame Jacinda? Will she be likened to Peter Fraser a respected but not necessarily loved Prime Minister during World War II? Will she be likened to Winston Churchill who was unceremoniously voted out of office shortly after the end of World War II? Or will she be likened to Jimmy Carter? Someone who is highly respected for the work he has done after rather than during his term in office. However she is viewed in the future there is little doubt that she deserves the honour. Her “Services to the State” in promoting the standing of New Zealand overseas alone would be enough to qualify her being given the honour. She may not be universally loved in New Zealand but she is respected in some important places overseas. It is important to remember that.
Dunstan Sheldon, Hamilton.
Well-deserved honour
Such a well-deserved honour for Jacinda Ardern. Most will be so happy it’s been awarded. Here’s hoping the deluders who spread their lies and the deluded who believe them, will for once spare us their spite and envy.
Wendy Fletcher, Ormiston.
Adhering to principles
I cannot understand how a self-described republican, and an ex-president of the International Union of Socialist Youth can, with a clear conscience, accept an honour bestowed by the King of England. My opinion of Helen Clark, by comparison, has risen markedly. She, adhering strongly to her principles, clearly stated that she, “certainly would not have accepted a damehood.”
Philip Lenton, Somerville.
Great communicator
Congratulations Dame Jacinda Ardern — an honour very much deserved. Looking back at her journey through politics one first recalls her as a fresh-faced young woman jousting with Simon Bridges on TV’s Breakfast show. In 2017 she answered the call and for 5 long years put her country ahead of her family. It is said that women are better at decoding nonverbal emotional communication. So when the hard times came with Covid, the Christchurch massacre, White Island etc we were fortunate the right gender was leading us. In addition she had the communication skills to relate to everyone regardless of their position in life. The result was a unified approach to a very grim period in our lives. Jacinda entered and left the fray for the right reasons and it would be very remiss of us if we did not recognise her huge contribution. She has been and will continue to be a great ambassador for this country.
Reg Dempster, Albany.
Camilla the outlier
I am 100 per cent happy for Jacinda Ardern to be awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit. In my view, during her time in office she did more than any other NZ Prime Minister to promote our country in a positive manner on the international stage. I am also 100 per cent happy for the other 180 recipients named for various services to our country. However, the award to Camilla makes a mockery of the system. I thought it was either a misprint or someone is playing an April fool’s Day joke. I would respectfully suggest that her award should be rescinded and if it isn’t people’s outrage will hasten NZ becoming a republic.
Glen Stanton, Mairangi Bay.
Ethnic contributions
It was very pleasing to see around 20 per cent of this year’s King’s Birthday Honours were bestowed on Māori and Pasifika recipients for their various contributions to New Zealand society at large. While this 20 per cent may not seem, to some, to be of much merit, it is in line with NZ ethnic population figures. We must remember that apart from those rewarded there are also many willing people behind the scenes who help along the way. In South Auckland, where I live, it is easy to see and feel the sense of community shared by most among a very diverse mix of cultures and ethnicities. Congratulations to all whose efforts have been rewarded. It’s good to see the acknowledgement of so many for so much.
Jeremy Coleman, Hillpark.
‘In crowd’ honours
Could someone please advise me as to what services Camilla has provided to New Zealand that merit her receiving the top honour? By awarding honours to the “in crowd” we denigrate the recognition given to those who richly deserve them.
Gerald Payman, Mt Albert.
Census bribes
Why is the taxpayer funding the food vouchers and tickets to the Warriors games as a means of enticing people to complete their census forms? Of the 600,000 people still to complete these forms before the June 30 deadline, I wonder how many will be asked to pay the $2000 for not completing them and will we ever learn how many of them will pay the fine? My guess is the majority will get a slap on the wrist with a wet bus ticket.
Margaret Wyatt, Matua.
Humanities hit hardest
I never thought a day would come that I’d find myself agreeing with Steven Joyce — arguably the worst Minister for Tertiary Education ever inflicted upon us. But he is entirely right to say that the present Labour Government is “starving the universities” (Weekend Herald, June 3). We disagree, unfortunately, about the proper purpose of university education. For him a university is simply a “pipeline”, whose task is to provide the “immediate skills” meant to channel students into various professions. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a university as “an institution of higher education offering tuition in mainly non-vocational subjects”, its purpose being (as its name suggests) to teach students to think about all things — not least about what it means to be a human being. A key part in that mission is played by the disciplines known as the Humanities — History, Philosophy, Literature, the Social Sciences etc — that sit at the core of the BA and MA degrees. Because their studies have encouraged Arts graduates to excel in critical thinking, they have always had an enviable employment record; yet thanks to the crudely instrumentalist view of education encouraged by Joyce and his ilk, Arts is the area hardest hit by current redundancies. My own department, which at the beginning of this century was amongst the strongest in this hemisphere, boasting at least 30 fulltime staff, is reduced to 4. This is symptomatic of a wider decline that the University of Auckland has itself enabled — something of which it should, like the Government itself, feel profoundly ashamed.
Michael Neill, Emeritus Professor of English, University of Auckland.
Bilingual sign clutter
Concerning the plan to introduce bilingual signs, I would be opposed to this because of the issue of visual clutter , particularly on motorway and expressway signs.
Some time ago, I was driving in Wales, where signs were all in Welsh and English. From the linguistic point of view, I would say it is interesting, but from the point of view of trying to navigate your way, it is totally undesirable. Not, as one reader has claimed, because this view would be racial discrimination, but purely because of the issue of clutter on the signs. It is difficult enough, especially at complex intersections, such as motorway onramps, highway crossings, lane changes and so on, not to forget that we are approaching these signs at a reasonable speed. Please keep our signs as clear as possible.
Cherry Lewis, Titirangi.
Ram raid curfew
If most ram raids include people under the age of 17 and occur at night then a simple solution would seem to be a curfew. Those under 17 are totally responsible to parents/guardians. Any observed by police in cars or on the street after say 10pm should be returned to their homes. Unfortunately many parents or guardians have little control of their charges or simply don’t care. In such cases the children may well be better off in state care. Do I care? Yes, for the people who suffer the raids and for those whose cars were stolen to facilitate the raids.
Murray Reid, Cambridge.
On honours
Sir Wayne Smith is not really sure he deserves a knighthood just for coaching. Sir Wayne, you didn’t just coach teams, you inspired the whole nation. Gary Carter, Gulf Harbour
Many of these are almost a foregone conclusion yet to me the only ones that are really earned and count are those awarded to people with the title Dr and whose services end with the word surgery. Paul Beck, West Harbour.
Jacinda Ardern’s Damehood is the equivalent of NCEA Level 1, principally for reluctant attendance. Stewart Hawkins, St Heliers
Will all the many recipients of the outdated King’s honours for services to the community now be banding together to solve the problems being created by out of control juvenile ram raiders ? Jock Mac Vicar, Hauraki
What next: arise Sir Christopher Hipkins for services to sausage rolls? Mike Wagg, Freemans Bay.
On Brown
Mayor Wayne Brown reminds me of Keith Holyoake and Rob Muldoon who would not attend a press conference unless they had the prepared questions beforehand. Perhaps Wayne’s media advisers should remind Wayne it is now a different and a new and enlightened century? Bruce Tubb, Devonport
What’s worrying Gen Z and Millennials the most?
I see there is no mention of the Cold War we are now in with China, and the very real risk that it could become a hot war, being among the matters of most concern to the Gen Z and Millennials. It should be. This is disappointing as the burden of this conflict, both the hot and the cold, will fall to them to bear. Needless to say the outcome if they don’t win it will not be a happy one for them. Gen Z and Millennials must become more aware, insightful, and wise about the changing geopolitical landscape that is going on in the world and what will be confronting them in the years ahead, and the implication of that for them. David B
What’s worrying the millennials the most? Gen X! Telling them to get a grip. Mig Z
Just wondering what is the next generation to be called. The current neonates and infants, etc. Will they be Gen Z2.1 or Gen AlphaZ or X-Neo or ...? Gaut S
I remember myself with a young family, a mortgage and a shoddy old house that needed renovating — and of course everyday worries about how to make ends meet. My parents and grandparents told the same story. So nothing new here but I do think material expectations and social pressures were lower then. No ensuite, double garage and TV room, no breakfasts at coffee shops, no label clothing, no trends that were calling, no useless home decoration items that got thrown out soon as, no iPhones/internet and no seductive credit cards. Potter O
Police say they are following lines of inquiry to catch the offender.