Kelston Boys' High School won the World Schools Rugby festival. Photo / Kelston Boys High School
What a great achievement by Kelston Boys’ High School to win the World Schools Rugby Festival title in Abu Dhabi recently against South African champions Paul Roos Gymnasium. This after being a man down for most of the second half, showing courage, determination and enterprising rugby at an extremely high level. In a play-off for third Westlake beat England’s Millfield School. Apparently, New Zealand schools have won this title for three consecutive years.
This is an outstanding record and makes one wonder why Razor Robertson appears so determined to ensure ageing All Blacks, of whom most are looking at retirement, are given more or less free passage back into the All Blacks after a sojourn overseas against, in some cases lacklustre competition. Also, there is the argument that letting these All Blacks play overseas and still be eligible for selection will compromise our local competitions and ultimately the quality of the All Black team.
By looking overseas Razor may be looking in the wrong direction when local talent is flourishing and emerging in our schools. League scouts will be only too willing to fill the gap whilst Razor takes his eye off the ball.
Bernard Waler, Mt Maunganui
Electric scooters
The first paragraph of Max Purdy’s letter (Herald, Dec 27), about children under the age of 14 renting electric scooters and riding from Point Chevalier to the Parnell Baths, put a smile on my face. How bloody marvellous! How resourceful of those children and reminiscent of the way childhood used to be.
However, as I read on, the smile soon faded.
“Licences, helmets, community engagement, photo ID, safety workshops, public awareness campaigns etc.” before scooting would be permitted. I could feel the joy and spontaneity being sucked out from what would have been a normal (not without risk) childhood activity three or four decades ago.
Did Max Purdy never know the joy of hurtling down the road in a homemade trolley, or riding old bikes for miles on dusty roads (all unsupervised) to get to a local swimming hole?
Children are resourceful and soon work out how to keep safe physically. I would suggest that there are more dangers in store for them from the sedentary preoccupation of surfing the “net” than riding a scooter and going for a swim. Childhood, (such a fleeting thing) is for adventure, learning and fun. J.M. Barrie referred to this precious time as “the laughing avenues of childhood where we run but once”. Let the children run, let them ride or let them scoot, because they are not children for long.
Barbara Graham, Tokoroa
Hooton’s view
Matthew Hooton, I don’t know where to start.
I have followed your column for some years, mostly disagreeing during the Key/English and Ardern/Hipkins eras when you were so hard right you were almost a U-turn.
Lately you have been so critical of the Luxon coalition I wondered if you might have straightened out somewhat.
Today (Herald, Dec 27) I was in total agreement with your summary of our political history until the last four paragraphs.
“...cut the size of the state...abolish company tax...deregulate our investment and business rules.
We know this works wherever it is tried.”
What? Where? When?
The only countries I can think of are, or were, third-world countries governed by despots or oligarchs.
We are facing an uncertain future with private equity firms and other profit-focused entities running rampant and roughshod over malleable and purchasable parliamentarians.
The Scandinavian model is our only hope, and if “...the rest of the middle class cross the Tasman” so be it.
Matthew, stay true, hard right into the death spiral!
Maurice Robertson, Torbay
Occasionally opinion writer Matthew Hooton nails some hard truths. But his most recent outburst (Herald Dec 27) really lets his faux mask of political reason slip.
It is clear we are in a recession. It’s partly from the worldwide hangover from the Covid pandemic and trade fluctuations, and partly self-imposed by unfair trickle-down economics.
But for Hooton to thunder that New Zealand’s economic and social trajectory is “disastrous” and needs radical revision is unduly pessimistic, even for a prince of darkness.
His remedy of more imposed austerity, more tax cuts and more dismantling of business rules will only make things worse for most people.
History from every recession and depression teaches us that imposing public sector austerity and cutting taxes means less revenue, fewer jobs, less infrastructure spending and a lot of small businesses going under.
Most of us aren’t “rich and sorted” so pay the price. Instead the huge amount of untaxed accumulated wealth must be put back in circulation by truly fair taxation.
This will provide the revenue to put people to work rather than dump them on the scrapheap and invest in the infrastructure we need to cope with climate change rather than retrench. This will boost the overall economy and improve people’s lives. We must ensure there isn’t a cruel rat race to the bottom by fair wages, decent conditions and honest financial regulations. This is what will lift us out of the gloom.
In other words, build rather than dismantle. Don’t starve the hungry patient while saying it’s for their own good.
Jeff Hayward, Auckland
Boxing Day rates
Congratulations to the traffic management people working on Boxing Day.
On the Northern motorway just south of the Silverdale on-ramp at 10am were two traffic management trucks with two or three men in each truck. The next truck had one person in it and in front of that truck was one person walking and picking up rubbish on the grass berm.
The time-and-a-half payment plus a day off in lieu that will be paid to each worker must make this an expensive option for each bag of rubbish collected.
I guess Traffic Management and Auckland Transport are happy with this use of their budgets in this way.
Lesley Baillie, Milford
Takanini v Takaanini
Graeme Marshall (Takaanini name correction debate, Herald, Dec 27) states that Ihaka Takaanini was honoured with land in 1863 but his name was misspelled as “Takanini”. Yet Marshall provides no evidence how Mr Takaanini signed or wrote his name.
He later states that “the NZGB determined [in 1950] that the name should be spelt Takānini (with the macron to assist pronunciation). However, by accident, the name that went forward for official publication was Takanini – the status quo that all parties knew to be wrong.”
That proposed macron implies that Takaanini would be pronounced as three syllables, with the -aa- representing a long “a” in Waikato-Tainui style.
However, an RNZ story (Consultation for Māori place names, June 6) states that: “The spelling with the double aa correctly reflects that Takaanini is a compound word made up of taka and ānini, together meaning giddy or whirling.”
If that is true, then Takaanini ought to be pronounced as four syllables, and to ensure correct pronunciation would need to be written ‘Taka Aanini’, or ‘Taka-aanini’, or ‘Taka Ānini’, or Taka-ānini’, or Pasifika-style ‘Taka’aanini’.
Perhaps minister Chris Penck is right: leave Takanini alone.
John Trezise, Birkenhead
Love Actually
As tradition requires we gladly sat and enjoyed Love Actually on Christmas Day, though with closer attention this time, being on the lookout for the numerous offences noted by Karl Puschmann in his recent column (Herald, Dec 20). Apparently “Love Actually is pretty bad as far as modern sensibilities go”, even “problematic and creepy”.
And there was me thinking it was just superbly human and very funny.
Actually, Karl does admit as much but points out that the film belongs to an “unenlightened time” – a time presumably when people were insufficently educated to be on the lookout for wrong thinking. Well, clearly I just wasn’t trying hard enough to be offended. Or, more likely, I’m simply a hopeless relic from the 5000 years of misguided civilisation that occurred before Karl and his supercilious ilk came along to save us from ourselves.
Honi soit qui mal y pense, I say.
Ron Hoares, Wellsford
Trump a blessing in disguise?
On reflection, the election of Donald Trump as president of the USA was more likely than not a blessing in disguise.
Had he been unsuccessful - which he would never have admitted - many of his unhinged supporters, with his support, would have created chaos as a minimum, and this could well have led to a full-on civil war in the country. Is this that hard to believe? I do not think so.
Trump can hardly open his mouth without telling a lie and the world holds its breath as to the immediate future with him at the helm. With some luck, however, the next four years will pass without another world war, then he will be gone. We can then look back - thankfully perhaps - at what might have happened, rather than what has. Cross your fingers!
Rob Peterken, Auckland
Coalition wins
So Vivien Fergusson (Dec 27) says the Government has “no new ideas and that they are bringing in cruel and unjustified policies”.
The only cruel and unjustified policies I remember were mandates brought in where good workers lost their careers often because they were advised not to be immunised.
And as to new ideas:
No cell phones in schools. Lessening bullying and adding to children’s well-being. Thank you, Act.
Roads improved. Pot holes fixed. Lessening driver anger. Thank you National.
Gang patches gone. No more intimidation. Their power to intimidate gone. The public are now unaware of who is a gang member, adding to the public’s wellbeing. Thank you National.
Margaret Turner, Milford
A quick word
Attention Mr Hooten, given a choice between a very small government producing opportunities for even greater wealth for the haves (supported by a slave class underneath) and the Scandinavian high tax model of enough for everyone and a generally happier society (for all), I’ll push hard for the latter.
B Darragh, Auckland Central.
Murray Hunter wonders why the rain fell overnight. I have the answer.
Gardeners have been petitioning the Weather Gods so we don’t have to water the veges using that precious resource. They, of course, gave the job to a woman. Being practical she naturally arranged the rainfall when it was least disruptive and ensuring that we all could enjoy the holiday season!
Seasons greetings to all.
Rosemary Mackenzie, Rotorua.
The nickname of “Brownie’s pool” given to the new Karanga Plaza Pool takes on a whole new meaning with news the pool has been declared unsafe due to the presence of high levels of faecal bacteria.
Allison Kelly, Mt Eden
Just three speed cameras earned $3.1 million in six months! Why don’t we have more of them? Then we wouldn’t have to make cuts to public services.
Ian Swney, Morrinsville.
Max Purdy(NZ Herald, Dec 27) is absolutely correct. Electric scooter usage is totally out of control with severe dangers to users, pedestrians, and other vehicles. It’s long past the time when formal safety restrictions, just as with motor cycles, are imposed on users and rental companies alike.
Hylton Le Grice, Remuera.
From working in many developing countries I have learned that only wealthy economies can afford to look after the environment and provide benefits for the disadvantaged. Wealthy economies provide employment for more and more people. Much of the wealth comes from people who take risks with new ventures. Those who succeed become rich and pay lots of taxes. We need more of them.
Bryan Leyland, Pt Chevalier.
Jock Mac Vicar (Dec 27) has missed the point on the 110km/h roading network. There is a total of 55.5km that permit a 110km/h speed limit and they have been built to that specification. They are the safest roads in the country. What he should be more concerned about is the other 11,000km of national roads that permit 100km/h. These road surfaces are substandard, with no protection whatsoever. Any planning to get our roads to the standard that is our three 110km/h sections can not come soon enough.
John Ford, Taradale
Our road toll is the lowest in a decade. This may be due to the lower speed limits on many of our roads over the last year. Why would our Minister of Transport want to increase many of the speed limits, and risk more fatalities. I am quite happy to arrive a few minutes late at my destination than not to arrive at all. Please leave well alone I say.
Bob Wichman, Botany
Matthew Hooten (Dec 27) reckons we shouldn’t blame our Govt for current financial weakness. Alternatively Milton Friedman tweets “inflation is a tax without legislation”, while my first home in the late 60s cost $8K. Small wonder then that with pollies and financial commentators “on the same page”, we’re in for a tough spell ... until their salaries are percentage based.
Gerry O’Meeghan, Papamoa
Julia DeLuney is on trial for allegedly killing her mother Helen Gregory, 79, in 2024.