Nursing ambitions
Currently, around 60 per cent of nurses working in New Zealand are immigrants; thank goodness for them but where are our homegrown nurses?
My belief is that we should return to hospital-based training. Classroom
training could still be done by institutes but the majority would be apprenticeship learning at the coal face.
The model would be a 2-to-3-year training while paid a small salary. The entry qualification would be at NCEA level or similar.
The current model has a high academic standard for entry, leaves nurses with a large student loan and not a great deal of practical experience.
Once nurses graduate they could choose to work in general nursing roles, including age care, and be paid a good wage. Those wishing to specialise in areas such as intensive care, operating theatre, neonatal, etc, would do an extra year or two in a technical Institute with advanced practical and theoretical training, then be paid a higher salary than general nurses.
Linda Robert, Parnell.
Unchartered waters
Former Act leader, Richard Prebble expressed concern (NZ Herald, August 3) that "we are witnessing the collapse of what was once the world's finest public school system".
The cause, he wrote, is growing school non-attendance with the resultant deterioration in literacy and numeracy achievement. He added: "International comparison tests reveal NZ education standards have fallen from being the best globally to Third World status."
The future is bleak if this trend persists, the major social issue of our time, yet political indifference seems apparent.
The solution, if the state is failing our children, is to reintroduce charter schools, previously successful in ensuring attendance and academic attainment, yet sadly abolished.
P. J. Edmondson, Tauranga.
Teachers to teach
Richard Prebble (NZ Herald, August 3) used the term "pupil-led learning". From my experience, children are not very good teachers (A for effort but F for results).
My kids were subjected to this learning and as a parent wanting my kids to do well, I spent more time teaching than the teachers did. A lot of parents don't have the time or aptitude or dollars to school their young ones outside school hours.
Time for teachers to get back to teaching. The old system was developed over thousands of years and is still better than anything new.
Randel Case, Bucklands Beach.
Attack mode
The performance of Opposition parties in the democratic world has been abysmal. In the perfect storm of the pandemic, Ukraine war and climate change, leaders from Christopher Luxon to the UK's Labour leader Keir Starmer relentlessly attack incumbent governments without presenting any realistic alternatives. Each pretends their own government is to blame for the cost of living while avoiding the real culprits including Putin who must be laughing at the antics of the Western democracies. Those such as the United Kingdom's former chancellor are pilloried for orthodox economic solutions which might well be the only realistic prescription for working our way out of the mess we now collectively find ourselves in.
The massive subsidies paid during the first Covid-19 wave, not just in New Zealand but in other countries, must now be paid for, as must the costs of earlier failing to tackle climate change. The ongoing embargo on Russian oil also bears a cost if it is to succeed.
All these incur financial pain. Opposition leaders everywhere need to be brave enough to state this and not tell fairy tales.
Gehan Gunasekara, Stonefields.
Opposing views
Mark Young of Ōrewa (NZ Herald, August 3) wonders why the Opposition should offer workable solutions for problems when the Government will just use their ideas and take the credit.
One good reason, even if you believe the Government will take the credit, would be because you care more about New Zealand and helping to make it the best it can be than you care about getting the credit.
All MPs represent their communities and, regardless of whether they sit on the Government or Opposition benches, should be going to work every day to do their best for their communities, not score points and tally up the score.
Megan Mills, Western Springs.
Covert solutions
Mark Young's thinking (NZ Herald, August 3) is more about trying to get control than to actually improve New Zealand.
If National, Greens or the McGillicuddy Serious Party has a good idea, bring it up now. Holding it back because you don't want someone else to take credit shows the real motivation is only self-advancement.
Craig Stanton, Beach Haven.
Fiscal humour
To any critics of the Labour Government, you all have to at least admit it must have a great sense of humour.
Posting out many thousands of dollars to non-qualifying Kiwis overseas, on the one hand, and soliciting a donation of ten dollars on the other (NZ Herald, August 4).
Who said we weren't in safe fiscal hands?
Ted Partridge, Mangere.
Quality care
I would like to thank all staff at North Shore Hospital who gave such great care and attention to my partner over the four weeks he was in the hospital.
It would have been quite difficult at times I am sure but you carried out your duties with the utmost respect and the care he received was first class, it could not be faulted.
We are very lucky to have the services offered by our hospitals and under the pressure they are experiencing at the moment, I must say my partner did not appear to be neglected in any way.
Keep up your excellent work, there are those of us who do appreciate it.
Jan Ellin, Milford.
Flagging athletes
Congratulations to all our athletes in Birmingham. It is good to see the Silver Fern on the uniforms.
But why do our athletes need to drape the colonial Union Jack over their shoulders? It might be the official NZ flag, but the Southern Cross can barely be seen because the colonial Union Jack dominates.
Whatever happened to the Silver Fern flags that our athletes used to wave?
Carrick Bernard, Mt Albert.
Medalling ways
With all the fantastic winners at the Birmingham Games, let's splash their pictures all over the front page and put the bad news on the back where it belongs.
Maggie Kensington, Red Beach.
Scrap charge
On the face of it, the new project to collect food scraps is commendable. However, the cost is added to our rates and the project takes no account of people who have no food scraps to collect.
All of our food "waste" goes into our compost bins or our worm farm.
I know I am a bit naive to expect the scrap charge to be removed from my rates bill, but not so naive that I am aware that local body elections are not so far away.
Greg Cave, Sunnyvale.
Short & sweet
On monkeypox
In the event that monkeypox is declared a pandemic, will we be required to wear a monkey suit when leaving home? Garry Wycherley, Awakino.
On tunnels
Viv Beck promising to open the Albert Park tunnel is great news. I hope she has a plan to prevent homeless people from making the tunnel their home. Tiong Ang, Mt Roskill.
On climate
Couldn't we have had more warning about global warming? I blame Svante Arrhenius, a Nobel laureate who calculated doubling atmospheric CO2 would increase the temperature 4C, but he died. Nearly 100 years ago. Dennis Horne, Oxford, UK.
On rates
Now all Auckland house prices have dropped dramatically, will Auckland Council lower all CVs by the same percentage, effective immediately, so everyone can afford to pay their house rates from this month on? Murray Hunter, Titirangi.
On protest
Sydney police issued a warning before a planned protest that anyone attending such an illegal and disruptive event would be arrested and fined around $1000. Nobody showed up. Perhaps a similar or even larger fine could be inflicted on those here? Jeremy Coleman, Hillpark.
On payments
If our Government wants to give money away, and it looks like it does, why not get people returning/recycling glass, cans, plastics, etc, pay them the free money? Hugh J Chapman, Hingaia.
The Premium Debate
National drops tax policy after criticism
A cost of living payment is a government handout using money the government has borrowed, this adds more money to the money supply and is therefore inflationary. Or it is a return of tax via a bureaucratic process with its attendant inefficiencies and associated additional costs, which are again inflationary. A shift in the tax bracket levels simply leaves more cash in the taxpayer's pocket. It doesn't create more money and is therefore not inflationary. John D.
The cliche, the myth, that National are the go-to for sound economic thinking and action takes another hit. Steven Joyce did it, (to the extent of 5 billion, wasn't it?) and Paul Goldsmith was one who carried the grease-covered baton in slippery hands. Ever so briefly. Gold medal quality incompetence. Peter N.
Clearly, this shows National is not too proud or so idealistic they can't pivot as circumstances change. What a welcome breath of fresh air. Luke H.
Good housekeeping. Christopher Luxon is getting better but it's slow. Brendan C.
It's sad how many Kiwis twist tax breaks for all into "tax breaks for the rich". Any changes on lower tax brackets are capped for all of us. The top 5 per cent of income earners already contribute 33 per cent of taxpayer funds (and this is before the new 39 per cent tax bracket and Working for Families Tax credits are taken into account). The top 10 per cent pay 50 per cent. The top 50 per cent pay 90 per cent. The most successful Kiwis are now taxed 39 per cent + 15 per cent GST for their ambition (+ other taxes like fuel tax). That's working for free for 30 minutes every hour before you're allowed to keep anything for yourself. How is that fair? Where does the envy end? With a broke and broken NZ with our most successful taking themselves and their jobs offshore? Geoff N.
The tax take YTD is $4 billion above budget. In simple terms, the Government has siphoned $4b more out of taxpayers' pockets than it planned to spend. Economics 101 - the Government spends every cent it gets - it can't help itself, so invents new stuff to spend that $4b on - suggest a new line in the aggregate accounts - waste. If the $4b is put back into the hands of the taxpayer (threshold adjustments) unlike Government - not every dollar is spent - some is saved or invested so it is less inflationary. Seymour at least should know this. Don B.