R Harris, Kohimarama.
‘The past cannot be undone’
In a splendid move after decades of dissidence and bloodshed, Irish Republican Michelle O’Neill has been elected First Minister of Northern Ireland, with the responsibility of restoring parliamentary democracy. Upon taking office, O’Neill said: “The past cannot be changed or undone, but we now must move forward, working together with an agenda for the common good, respectful of each other, and with one voice.” What a lesson to be learned for us as our national day at Waitangi portends to be the most divisive in years.
Hylton Le Grice, Remuera.
Covid-19 inquiry
The separate inquiry into the handling of Covid proposed by Brooke van Velden is nothing short of muckraking. There is already a Royal Commission of Inquiry, the task of which is to strengthen preparedness and response to future pandemics. This is by identifying those lessons that can be learned from New Zealand’s response to Covid. Big organisations learned a long time ago that apportioning blame is unproductive and finding a solution is the only way forward. Unless this Government comes to this conclusion very soon, New Zealand will be off the rails rather than on track.
Reg Dempster, Albany.
Under the influence
The fact various millionaires, including New Zealand citizen billionaire Peter Thiel, are supporting the development of the Enhanced Games, deemed the “Olympics on drugs”, is an undesirable and alarming development. At the moment, no matter how carefully and how closely these drugs are monitored and administered to athletes, most drugs still have short and long-term health consequences. These include cardiovascular and liver problems, kidney problems and hormonal imbalances and psychological issues such as mood swings and aggression.
Also, some athletes may have better access to performance-enhancing substances than others, undermining the egalitarian aspect of sport. A competition then becomes more about who has better access to performance-enhancing drugs rather than who has the greater level of skill and dedication.
What is a parent to do if their child comes to them and says they want to be a top athlete? Should they first seek out a doctor who specialises in these drugs? Isn’t sport supposed to enhance a healthy lifestyle? The Enhanced Games would only appear to be enhancing the egos of various millionaires and billionaires. Their money would be better spent on trying to catch drug cheats, rather than promoting drug use.
Bernard Walker, Papamoa.
On capital gains tax
Someone I know once said, “Only poor people pay tax.” In NZ, this is true: people who work for wages and salaries cannot avoid income tax. Those who can make all their money from tax-free gains on property sales get to enjoy an unfair tax advantage. Meanwhile, New Zealand has woefully underfunded roads, schools and hospitals; not to mention terminally damaged infrastructure made evident by climate change.
Barb Callaghan, Kohimarama.
Runway rage
Last week, a USA airline flight from Dallas to Auckland landed at Auckland International Airport one hour ahead of its planned ETA. The Dreamliner was held on the ground after the 14 to 15-hour flight for an hour. The flight captain had to apologise to the passengers for the delay to disembark. How do incoming tourists react to such an inconvenience? Bet they would never have to contend with such a similar hold-up in Changi Airport. If NZ wants tourists, we must properly and competitively cater for tourists.
Des Laery, Meadowbank.
Our taonga
Rod Emmerson, you are a national treasure. As much as we love our daily copy of the Herald, it is your cartoons that lift us up, have us regularly laughing out loud and, on occasion, rolling about on the floor with helpless laughter. We love the way you craft expressions, sentiments, themes and your artistry in general. We especially love the way, when it comes to our beloved politicians, you take no prisoners. Looking forward to tomorrow’s.
Jane Seabrook, Albany.
