Are Plunket visits the answer to many of New Zealand's problems that begin with infanthood? Photo / Getty Images, File
Child welfare
A warm thank you to the Government for allocating serious funds towards affordable childcare (NZ Herald, November 7). Now please also provide full funding for Plunket. Give them the resources they need and make the nurses responsible for ensuring that all newborns within their respective catchment areas are regularly seen and checked for health and development. That they are offered vaccinations, that their eyesight, hearing, dental health and learning is regularly checked, as well as their social living conditions. Then perhaps we will have a chance to prevent later problems in the lives of our young ones. And finally, take Aotearoa from one of the lowest-ranking countries in the developed world when it comes to children’s welfare.
Linda Olsson, Ponsonby.
Basic needs
The NZ Government could help the cost of living crisis in one move: by reducing or removing the GST on basic food items. A two-level GST would be easy for supermarkets to apply and would have the added benefit of encouraging healthy eating. And while we’re at it, let’s reduce the GST on school uniforms and make it easier for parents to fund their kids’ education. The UK and Australia have different-rated sales taxes and it’s perverse that the NZ tax take increases with the higher cost of basics. Time for a relook at our GST.
Karen Couper, Birkenhead.
Low wages
Inflation for the year to September has been 7.2 per cent while wage inflation has been a less stunning 3.7 per cent, This unsatisfactory situation at least comes with the mercy that the labour market is robust and unemployment is low by modern standards. Some people want to blame the victims – wage earners – for the inflation even though wages aren’t keeping up with headline inflation. Is it too much to ask that we get some Members of Parliament who actually care about ordinary New Zealanders? When ACT leader David Seymour says we need to change immigration settings to make it easier for businesses to get overseas workers in, what this means is to freeze these reduced real wage settings into place and never let wages catch up with inflation.
Andrew McCosh, Onehunga.
Fueling concerns
Now that the G7 and Australia have formally decided to impose a price cap on Russian crude oil, what are the plans to keep New Zealand transport and farming operating? There is already a grave shortage of diesel fuel in the EU and US. I have read several statements that Russian and Venezuelan crudes are preferable for distilling into diesel fuel and both are under either price caps or sanctions. Russia, the world’s second-biggest exporter of crude oil, has stated that it will not supply any country which supports the price cap. There has been an uproar from the collective West about OPEC+ reducing oil production by 2 million barrels per day. Finance comments from US bankers indicate that Russia could withstand a reduction of 3 million bpd on its own. Cost inflation anyone?
G. N. Kendall, Rothesay Bay.
Crime time
I have just read the article by David Morris (NZ Herald, November 4). He outlined his many run-ins with criminals and the criminal justice system. Thankfully, I have never had so many instances that he has. But I’m sure whether it be one example or multiple examples, if you are on the receiving end of the criminal justice system, it is both frustrating and seemingly a futile exercise in how to spend copious amounts of cash and time-wasting. And if Mr Morris’ experiences are anything to go by, nothing gets resolved satisfactorily. The recent spate of crime perpetrated by juveniles has shown anecdotally that many just thumb their noses at authorities, knowing full well that they will be free to carry on as though nothing has happened. I would imagine that the 14-year-old who allegedly had 81 crimes recorded against his name was an extreme example of youth dysfunctionality, but it’s a graphic example of a complete breakdown in both family and the wider community structures. Maybe our leaders need to start leading, and not issuing textbook sound bites for this compliant media to repeat ad nauseam.
Gary Kenny, Tauranga.
Leading no one
A letter (NZ Herald, November 4) made a statement about where New Zealand has led before. The question I have is, who has followed? Which countries followed NZ’s lead in declaring themselves nuclear-free? Did it achieve anything for NZ, apart from upsetting our trade relations with both the US and Europe and thereby giving Australia an advantage in those markets? Our lead in taxing agricultural emissions to meet climate targets are going to have the same small to nil following. The only achievements from these proposals, if they go ahead, will be to disrupt the economy, depopulate rural New Zealand, and ultimately increase the amount of pollution as these foods will still have to be produced and will in future be done so in countries less concerned about their carbon footprint and more worried about feeding their population. The Paris Accord specifically said don’t compromise food production to achieve reduced carbon output. Yet here we have a Government that is proposing to do exactly that.
Trevor Steven, Pukekohe.
Banging on
We have just endured another night of explosions with some more to come no doubt, but we can’t know when. It’s disappointing that none of our political parties have the courage to support a ban on the private sale of fireworks, despite the destruction and terror they cause. In spite of a large majority of the population being in favour of such a ban, nothing is done. Every year, we have the mockery of limited days of sale but the ability remains to stockpile and let them off whenever the fancy takes you. Some argue that it would mean losing another right – the right to cause fires, to cause terrified animals to run into fences and have to be put down, and to cause harm to the environment which supposedly we care about. That isn’t to forget the pets and wildlife that must hate this time of the year and struggle to understand why this country has suddenly become a war zone. Isn’t it time NZ grew up and put doing the right thing before their own pleasure? Now that would be unselfish.
Julie Cooke, Mt Eden.
Blasted fireworks
How absolutely stupid it is that people in crowded neighborhoods are allowed to shoot off fireworks in their backyards? The local iwi closed the maunga because they knew of the fire risk. But that just intensified the number of people setting fireworks off in their backyards, with no oversight and with some of them likely drunk as they celebrated Guy Fawkes night. With the wind blowing and a shortage of firemen, I stood by my window watching rockets blow sparks from a nearby neighbour’s fireworks toward my treetops. Everywhere there were loud explosions until after 10pm. The noise had been going on for days. Why are fireworks not restricted to controlled public events in open spaces with minimum fire risk? Where animals, sleeping babies, the elderly, and anyone else who might not want to participate are least likely to be disturbed? Public displays are more likely to be bigger, more beautiful, and more dramatic than backyard displays. And they are far less likely to create a fire risk or disturbance. It is time to regulate the sale and use of fireworks.
Kathy Torpie, Sandringham.
War’s own
It’s Saturday, Papamoa Beach, 2022, 6pm, a lovely spring evening. But I’m on edge. I know the peace is illusionary. I know that come nightfall it will be like the Somme, 1917. We are all very nervous because we’ve been through this so many times before. Very soon the enemy, our friends and neighbours, for pity’s sake, will let slip the dogs of Guy Fawkes and there’s not a damn thing we can do about it. First will come the fearful noise. Dogs will howl. People will cover the ears with trembling fingers. We pray for an armistice, my God, how we pray, but nobody listens. The Government’s empty communiques reassure no one. Before long we’ll almost certainly hear the sirens. Police? Ambulance? Firefighters? Who knows. Will we never learn?
Dean Donoghue, Papamoa Beach.
History lesson
Captain Cook used to have his sailors whipped if they didn’t eat their greens. Was he a tyrant or a kind man? You have to know something about the past in order to answer that question, but I don’t think the history syllabus that’s being foisted on our kids next year will be of much help.
Kerry Craig, Mt Eden.
Superb rugby
I have, along with many others, been for ages one of those in the camp who pondered the worth of women’s rugby. That’s before I watched two of the most exciting, tense, fast and furious matches I have ever seen. The semi-finals of the Women’s Rugby World Cup on Saturday have really and rightfully put their version of the game on the world stage. The skills, speed, and commitment of all involved were a delight to witness. What struck me most was the passion every single player showed the whole time the games were in progress. All four teams deserve the highest of praise for presenting so emphatically a spectacle that will be remembered for a very long time. It’s a shame that there had to be a losing side in each game but that’s the nature of such competitions. It’s often said after epic matches that “rugby won the day”. In this instance “women’s rugby won the day, the hearts of erstwhile non-believers and sent a strong message to the world at large. Women’s rugby is here to stay” and long may it be so. I can’t wait for the final.
Jeremy Coleman, Hillpark.
On with it
Here’s a tip for men’s rugby teams. When you’re awarded a penalty, you don’t have to stand around, scratch your bum, rub your chin, and go into a huddle debating whether to scrum, kick for touch or kick for goal. You could simply get on with the game with a quick tap and go, as Kendra Coxhead does.
Doug Hannan, Mt Maunganui.
Bog standard
Summer’s here, weather’s great, and Takapuna Beach is at its best with the number of beach-goers building. Time then to close the toilets and changing sheds at Hauraki Rd and replace them with two portable toilets until December 16. Thanks, Auckland Council. New leadership, same logic.
Stuart Blake, Birkenhead
On port
The Government can no longer ignore the shambles that is the Ports of Auckland. Chris Parker, Campbells Bay.
On rugby
What a comparison. All Blacks v Wales - predictably, same old. Black Ferns v France - an unbelievably brilliant 80 minutes. Dennis Ross, Glendowie.
On safety
What a pleasure to walk around Dubai and feel completely safe from thugs and bag snatchers. A great pity I no longer feel like that now back in Auckland. Wendy Tighe-Umbers, Parnell.
On cricket
Once again, the Black Caps have “done us proud” getting to the semi-finals of the 20 Twenty World Cup. Whatever the outcome, they have represented all that this sport and country has to offer. Rosemary Howell, Ellerslie.
On Robertson
Grant Robertson is only doing what incumbent governments always do; highlight the inexperience of any contender. John Capener, Kawerau.
On rent
Now that we have a drop in property prices of well over 10 per cent, when are landlords going to reflect that in equivalent rent reductions? David Reid, Cockle Bay.
Aucklanders headed for steep rates rises
A sign of what’s to come when National takes over our books next year and looks in despair at what Labour has done - handed out Band-Aid funds to all and sundry. Dan M.
We can see that already. Tax take increased from $76 billion to $110 billion in four years, but Robertson has taken us from an $8 billion surplus to a $9 billion deficit with multibillion-dollar borrowing in the same period. With no improvement in performance in almost any ministry statistics, it’s a shame the election is not this year because this lot needs to be gone. Kim C.
An easy savings of $33 million by AT not changing the road speed signs next year. That would help the city. Isabella C.
Our previous Mayor along with this Labour Government are full of ideological and totally unaffordable projects and have not concentrated on basic needs. Goff, it seems, has not been upfront with ratepayers of the real economic situation of Auckland which is now out of hand after sadly not applying our rates effectively. Along with this, we have far too many redundant council workers earning eye-watering salaries. I have nothing but sympathy for Wayne Brown who, after finally having the books opened to him, is getting the real picture and it’s not pretty. David J.
Brown promised to cut wasteful spending in council, time to get on to that to fill this fiscal hole. No shortage of opportunity from what is now coming out of the woodwork, too many on the ratepayer’s gravy train. Richard C.
I wouldn’t want to be an Auckland Council, or CCO employee on six figures right now. And there are plenty of them running around not doing anything productive...and paid with our money. The line-by-line cost analysis should be supported with a “what’s the tangible benefit for ratepayers?” If that can’t be answered, then that cost should go. Time for an Auckland Council focused on serving the people again. Jason L.
Police and ambulance staff on scene at night markets.