Craig Boyce, Nelson.
Rugby support dwindling
It is little wonder that the stands are half empty at today’s representative rugby games and that the game is currently experiencing dwindling public support.
When the majority of tries these days are scored by forwards mauling close to goal lines and free running back play is so rare, rugby has become unattractive to watch and continues to lose out to its free-running near relative, rugby league.
A wake-up call and a total overhaul of the rules of the game are well overdue if the game is to survive and thrive.
Larry Mitchell, Rothesay Bay.
Political suicide?
I am so perplexed. Why is the National Party determined on this slow suicide? The alienation of women is totally daft, surely? Females are over 50% of the population after all. Not to mention conservation and all the other issues that are riling so many. Can someone out there help?
Juliet Leigh, Pt Chevalier.
Tongue-in-cheek
There is a way that Brooke van Velden and Nicola Willis could save even more money as regards the equal pay saga, reduce men’s wages by 20% and then everyone will be equal.
Lorraine Barnett, Pukekohe.
Pay equity
In order to discuss pay equity issues we need to know the evidence that there is an actual disparity, and how it’s calculated. Where I work, female doctors earn the same as male doctors, male nurses earn the same as female nurses.
I’d like to be told specific instances where equally qualified and experienced workers earn different amounts because of gender. I’d have thought such situations would be illegal.
Chris Elias, Parnell.
Abuse survivor compensation
Nothing shouts dysfunctional society more than the Government’s decision to pay only $30,000 compensation to survivors of abuse. There are chief executives in Aotearoa New Zealand paid that amount for two days’ employment. To the Members of Parliament who supported this decision – shame on you.
Dave Clark, Hamilton.
Mayor’s political move
Bruce Cotterill’s recent article highlighting the shortcomings of MMP could not have been more timely given the announcement that Tory Whanau may want to become a list MP for the Green Party. This after her rather turbulent time as Mayor of Wellington City where her public gaffes have been well documented.
Whanau has shown to be well out of her depth and even admits that she would have “sought to spend some time on council before becoming mayor”. Despite all this, she rates herself a 9/10 for the job of mayor. So here we have a person who seems ambivalent about whether she is a failure or not as mayor but is contemplating entering Parliament.
Bruce Cotterill states that to become a list MP you only need “to be liked by the small and anonymous committee making the party appointments” rather than having to go through the rigour of being elected on polling day. I am sure that Whanau can confidently assume that people in the Green Party exist in her same alternative universe given the several controversies that have hounded this party with consistent regularity. With this in mind, we only need to wait a few short years before we are further “entertained” by her at the centre of government.
Bernard Walker, Mount Maunganui.
Minister’s emails
Erica Stanford “holds herself to such high standards” when it comes to using private emails that she should take up pole vaulting. [Prime Minister Christopher] Luxon needs to reconcile this ignorance with the fate of ex-minister Claire Curran, who lost her ministerial portfolio for precisely the same thing.
This coalition has successfully besmirched the fundamental premise of Kiwi political incorruptability. Luxon’s credibility as a divisive leader shows the opposite – he has absolutely no control and the rules broken show Trumpish duplicity.
Steve Russell, Hillcrest.
