Could the Covid 19 coronavirus pandemic lead to a much better world, long term? AP Photo / Bernat Armangue
Reading and listening to the daily litany of misery concerning coronavirus, it's easy to conclude that New Zealanders have given way to despair, or at best, weary resignation.
For the great majority the only ray of hope is that the virus will one
day end and we can revert to the "new normal".
What the overwhelming number of people do not recognise is that this pandemic, regardless of its source, will be the catalyst for a revolutionary and unprecedented change.
There can be few of our citizens who are unaware of the many leaders, young and old, who are no longer prepared to tolerate the insatiable appetite for power and control, the financial manipulation and greed that drives our current society. These new leaders have become voices for radical change: movements empowering youth, female and racial equality, climate change, sustainable living, care for our precious Earth, LBQT rights and a financial system that will lead to a far greater equality in our society.
They are the groundswell of a vibrant, creative society that will emerge slowly after the pandemic subsides.
This evolutionary change is long overdue, but its time has come.
Rob Buchanan (Weekend Herald, September 12) makes an impassioned plea for New Zealand to "go it alone" and leave the Commonwealth, implying that the relationship with the Queen is outdated and "the royal lot doesn't do a lot for us way down south".
The Queen (bless her in all her apparent irrelevance) is the heart of the Westminster style of Government we enjoy in New Zealand. The Police, the Armed forces and the Law Courts are all warranted by and answerable to her and are thus removed from the political interference that we see in Australia, and America in particular.
She also has the last say in passing laws handed down by the ruling party in Parliament. What alternative style of government does he propose? None? Communism? The American Republic model? Just look at the chaos there under that system where they elect a new dictator every four years.
The Queen (I'm not a royalist) will do me, thank you. She may seem irrelevant to some but the alternative (a Republic?) has not delivered democracy or wellbeing to its citizens, anywhere in the world.
New Zealand is still proudly independent under the existing system. It's not perfect but it will do.
Paul Cheshire, Maraetai.
Re: Zara Potts' story (Weekend Herald, September 12), my husband Ulli Weissbach took his life exactly three years ago. The media knew it before me.
He was a journalist too, an independent TV producer for German TV with a long history of hundreds of documentaries about New Zealand and South Pacific Islands.
The interview with Caroline Chevin sounds very familiar. I've had the same experiences with losing friends even before and then after his death because they couldn't deal with his mood swings and irritability and didn't know how to handle the situation after his death. They simply left. Which, on top, was very hard to deal with.
There was no real help available, apart from medication. Only a few counselling sessions were paid by the government which is a joke when it comes to depression.
Although I knew suicide was on his mind for years, the day he chose was a total surprise for everyone.
Thanks for doing this interview. It is very important to bring this out to the open. There are still many questions to answer.
Marianne Weissbach, Greenhithe.
The interview with Greg Boyed's widow (Weekend Herald, September 12) raised the stigma around mental illness and suicide in this country and the high cost of getting treatment. There is not the same stigma in Australia where depression is discussed more openly.
Availability of affordable counselling in Australia may be a factor in normalising mental health problems. Across the Tasman a depressed person can access 10 counselling sessions a year, with a GP referral, at little or no cost and more sessions are available if that person is at risk of suicide. Last month, additional subsidised counselling sessions were offered by the Australian government, given the impact of Covid-19 on mental health.
If our government were to consider a tax for mental health wellbeing, I suspect many readers would be in agreement. This would enable counselling to become more affordable for those with severe depression and help reduce the high rate of suicide.
Sarah Beck, Devonport.
Your article on so-called private or independent schools (Weekend Herald, September 12) was illuminating.
The article mentioned most of the schools are registered as charities and much of their wealth is held in trusts, that is, they have many tax advantages. Further investigation shows that they are also directly supported by Government, my taxpayer dollars again, to the tune of over $40 million a year.
I have little argument with the existence of private schools but I object very strongly to my money being used to further the education of those who are already seriously advantaged. Most of their students come from families who can afford the fees of at least $20,000 per year.
After I retired, I spent time as an advisor to secondary principals in Auckland and visited most of the schools in the Auckland region including private schools. The advantages and disparities were huge.
At St Kentigerns, the top six senior staff salaries average nearly $250,000. For large state schools this figure might be nudging $130,000 per year. The comparisons frankly are odious.
It is time the government removed these huge inequities and levelled the "playing fields".
Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
Peter Malcolm, Tauranga.
I could not believe what I was reading (Weekend Herald, September 12). Our leader of the fight against Covid, Dr Ashley Bloomfield, claims he only has control over 15 per cent of his life. I wonder how the team of 5 million feel about that – I find it scary.
I don't know how most people feel, but if I didn't have at least 90 per cent plus control of my life, and what happens to me, let alone anyone else, then I could only be described as "out of control".
Perhaps some adventurous young journalist could pluck up enough courage to ask Jacinda Ardern how much control she feels she has over her life.
If her response is similar, that may explain a lot to the electorate.
On the other hand, if she feels like me, that she has over 90 per cent control of what happens to her, then ask her if she expects senior public servants to have considerably more than 15 per cent control over their lives.
John Oliver, Remuera.
Hekia Parata gave air to the non-word "learnings" (Weekend Herald, September 12) when she was, ironically, in charge of education in the last government. Perhaps she thought it sounded more weighty than learning itself. It has since caught on with others.
Grammatically, "learning" is an uncountable noun so it's already a collective type of word, it doesn't need to be plural. Uncountable nouns are words like "sand". You can't count sand, you would have to count grains of it, in the unlikely event that such counting would be needed or even make sense.
Yes, I've used the deeply unfashionable word "grammar", not to be pedantic but because grammar demonstrates courtesy in the use of any language.
It is disrespectful to continually use a fractured form of anyone's tongue, probably more so in the mistaken belief that it is being used in a superior way.
Barbara Matthews, Onehunga.
I have stage 4 metastatic melanoma and the care I have received from the Hastings Hospital, Auckland Hospital and Palmerston North Hospital has been wonderful. Thank you for all of the additional support services and kind staff. Allen Ladbrook, Hastings.
The gap between the rich and poor, especially in New Zealand's case, is not determined by the Government but by the rich through property investment who make the rules, inevitably and increasingly at the expense of the poor. Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay.
The Labour Party want's a public holiday for Matariki. Does this also mean a national holiday to celebrate Chinese New Year as well? Phil Dunbier, Kerikeri.
Let's be realistic. The SANZAAR decision makers can hardly have been relishing the prospect of playing all the Rugby Championship matches at Fortress All Blacks. Neil Anderson, Algies Bay.
What was a two-way battle for primacy in decision-making has now become a three-way battle - the economy and health have been joined by sport for many people. Jack Linklater, Hamilton.
Pity help the future of international tourism if we can't even safely manage a rugby tournament. James Archibald, Birkenhead.
Being in my late seventies, I'm not qualified to speak on the question or causes of global warming, but anyone who believes New Zealands' climate is similar to the one in which I grew up in has a serious thinking disorder. Jon Stafford, Hastings.
Businesses that took the wage subsidy when they didn't need it are not part of the team of five million. I look forward to them paying it back to us and joining the team. Sharon McGaffin, Birkenhead.
Sir James Mills, founder of the Union Steam Ship Company certainly made his contribution to the recognition of the Māori language by giving almost all of the company's ships Māori names. Obviously a man ahead of his time. Garry Larsen, St Heliers.
Two words to describe Jamie Lee-Ross and Billy Te Kahika jr: irresponsible idiots. Peter Brooks, Mairangi Bay.
How come that members of the Mt Roskill evangelical church were told by their God to ignore instructions not to gather, when other equally religious groups didn't receive the same message? V. Hall, Whangaparaoa.
As a Kiwi, who - like the Prime Minister, grew up in Morrinsville - I am very concerned at the continued damage live animal export is doing to the reputation of New Zealand. Betty de Wit, Orewa.
Should Auckland stay at alert level 2.5? I think it should be indexed to one year fixed rate home loans. So right now? Level 2.49. Andrew Montgomey, Remuera.
Trump supporters aren't assaulting eldery people in restaurants, burning down blocks, tearing down statues of Jefferson, forcibly indoctrinating people with critical race theory, cancelling classics or burning the flag. Trump and his supporters actually seem to like America. Don't be too surprised when he wins in a landslide. Michael McKerrow, St Heliers.
Julia DeLuney is on trial for allegedly killing her mother, Helen Gregory, 79, in 2024.