Had the ship been at sea rather than in the tight confines of the sound, the crew may have got away with the error and been able to right the situation without anyone knowing or being worse off.
However, as it was, an extremely perilous situation prevailed and the result could have been catastrophic given different circumstances.
The fact that KiwiRail has brought in an international expert to assist its inquiry when the facts are simple and speak for themselves seems to be a further unnecessary expensive “overkill”.
One wonders what the total cost of this debacle will be — no doubt an eye-watering amount.
The only possible excuse would appear to be if the autopilot mechanism was faulty and in the short time before being grounded, the crew were unable to force an override.
Whatever the result, KiwiRail has been disingenuous in its public communications regarding this serious incident.
Randal Lockie, Rothesay Bay
Ambulance staffing ignorance
Associate Health Minister Casey Costello sees no problems in Hato Hone St John’s recruitment and retention. She quips: “St John’s ‘vacancy rate’ is the lowest it’s been for a long time.”
The vacancy rate is not the most critical data — it’s response time surely? Is she aware many are working 52.5-hour weeks to keep afloat financially and keep St John staffed? There is a toll dealing with victims of suicide and horrific accidents. Is her weekly agenda so stressful with her regular breaks?
Next time an MP resigns, should the remainder just take up the slack and fill in? Why waste money on a byelection, not withstanding there are plenty of list MPs without electorates and party votes on record for proportionality.
Costello talks of vacancy rates but considering the nurses, paramedics and doctors struggling in her portfolio, that is arrogance. The public considers a government’s prerogative is to provide salaries that staff St John fully giving a lifesaving response time.
Unsurprisingly, her health credentials are no better than David Seymour’s, and Health Minister Shane Reti, too, takes management’s word as gospel. Get down and dirty before stating such quintessential political bulls*** — it smacks of ignorance.
Steve Russell, Hillcrest
Underfunded angels
Recently, I had need to call on the help of our Hato Hone St John paramedics.
The team consisted of a woman and a man and the man looked more like a nightclub bouncer than an ambulance paramedic. He was an absolute gentle giant.
The lady had beautifully manicured fingernails, which I commented on, so they were not what I was expecting from my ambo team. They were like absolute angels to me and went over and beyond anything I would have expected of them, and I shall be forever grateful to them and for them.
St John paramedics are special people, therefore it is just craziness that they are so hugely underfunded, unappreciated and have to almost beg for funds. The people of New Zealand simply could not survive without them, and the knowledge so many are leaving for better funds and conditions in Australia horrifies me. New Zealand Government, please help.
Also needing more funds is the Kitea Health foundation, which has just pioneered a brain implant used successfully in an operation at Auckland Hospital recently. As I was reading the article on this I could not help but feel huge admiration for these brilliant, empathetic people who strive daily to enable our lives to be lived more fully and hopefully.
New Zealand must not, at any cost, let these people go.
Andrea Dorn, St Heliers
Reading starts at home
Correspondent Phyl Belsham had some valid points regarding testing and improving kids’ reading (HoS, July 7), stating ”There is nothing like success for a child to be engaged in learning”.
A parent is a child’s first teacher and learning to read starts at home. By listening to a book being read to them, a child is developing an awareness that a book tells a story, they hear the pattern of language, and see the words that tell the story. These words are generally supported by a picture that reinforces what is being read.
This reading to their child isn’t the reading instruction that is in the classroom. It’s a time when the building blocks for school learning are put in place. A child who has been consistently read to at home generally has a headstart for success in reading at school, and is engaged in their learning.
Unfortunately, there is a growing number of children who don’t get this at home and arrive at school not knowing anything about a book, or reading.
Yes, life is busy, parents are worn out, but where there’s a will there’s a way.
Lorraine Kidd, Warkworth
Deport mosque gunman
The Prime Minister should look at sending mosque assassin Brenton Tarrant back to Australia.
Why should we pay for his secure detention? The Australian Prime Minister indicated to Jacinda Ardern he would listen favourably on any request to do so; so why do we not get on with it.
Christopher Luxon should notify the Australian Government this is going to happen, and point out Tarrant was trained in Australia, just like most of the 501 deportees.
Hugh Webb, Hamilton
Tempting voters
Shane Te Pou might like to remember no matter how good a political party is, it is the voters who decide who wins an election (HoS, July 7).
Britain’s 14 years of Tory rule that he complains about is more the result of the electorate’s stupidity than the “incompetence” of the Labour Party.
As in contemporary NZ, people simply cannot recognise their true interests and vote for whoever offers them lower taxes, which always means worse services.
Ian Pashby, France
