Commuters boarding a Metlink train at Paremata Station, Porirua. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Letter of the week: Transport, drainage plan needed
The Minister of Transport/Auckland Issues Michael Wood, Auckland Transport CEO Dean Kimpton and Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown need an action plan to ensure Auckland’s public transport and drainage infrastructure is resilient to weather bomb events from climate change. KiwiRail must future-proof the Auckland rail network against extreme weather conditions on the tracks, drainage, signals & power supply. Auckland Transport needs more 24/7 bus lanes to allow the buses to keep moving at all times and have them weatherproof as possible. This will create reliability of public transport that will tempt people out of their cars and prevent traffic gridlock. Create green infrastructure in flood prone areas, making space for vegetation & native trees to soak up heavy rainfall. Construct porous concrete surfaces where possible for water to flow and be absorbed. This will significantly improve and back up Auckland’s stormwater infrastructure. The Government, Auckland Council and Auckland Transport must work together to invest in climate change resilience solutions to cope with increasing catastrophic weather events.
Patrick McFarlane, Onehunga
Teachers get a hard lesson in irony
The irony of Chris Hipkins’ recent announcement early this month of significant pay rises to the New Zealand Defence Force won’t be lost on teachers. The reasons he gave were the high esteem NZDF personnel were regarded while seeing them training Ukrainian troops in the UK, the hours they put in and that the high attrition rate needed attention. This announcement seems to be the product of a whim and knee jerk reaction typical of this government. Hipkins’ observations of the NZ Defence Force whilst overseas can also be applied to New Zealand teachers and he doesn’t have to go overseas to find this out. He just needs to wander down the road to some schools just outside Parliament. From my experience NZ teachers are held in high esteem overseas because they are innovative and adaptable. They gained these skills in NZ. They leave here as they get higher pay over there. That’s where they are respected, their skills are greatly appreciated and they are paid accordingly. A pity Hipkins doesn’t have the same attitude towards teachers in NZ as he holds the Defence Force and give them the pay they deserve.
Bernard Walker, Pāpāmoa
Doesn’t add up
Labour announces they are going to build an extra 300 classrooms here are they going to get another 300 teachers from? They are already acutely short.
Jock MacVicar, Hauraki
Pink Shirt Day
I was a supporter of this day which is about anti-bullying, until recently when I found out my daughter was being bullied at work. As this bully has a history of workplace bullying and made sure there were no witnesses around when she was being a bully, nothing can be done to even verbally warn her. Also, even after approaching Management, they never followed procedures and in not doing this, have placed an even bigger target on my daughter’s back. This Workplace Bullying Act needs to be amended and make complaints about bullies to be amended significantly. As it stands, it is up to the person being bullied to fill in the paper work of time, place and who witnessed the bullying. In most cases the person being bullied will just resign which my daughter wanted to do. I have today made a complaint to the parent company and am awaiting their response before I make an appointment to see the local MP and ask who to speak to in Government about getting changes to this ridiculous act which actually protects bullies and not the bullied.
Lorraine Smith, Hastings
Condescending Judith
Judith Collins’ disgraceful attack on Arena Williams regarding the dropping of the $5 prescription charge should see her lose her seat in Parliament. Others have resigned or been sacked for less. She has become an albatross around National’s neck and her condescending remarks merely confirm they made the right decision when they sent her packing after a vote of no confidence. (It’s probably the only positive decision they have made for at least 15 years, but it was a very appropriate one). For the record, Arena is a very good daughter to a much revered and admired kaumātua in Sir Haare Williams, poet and author. Collins could learn a lot about decency and tact from either of these she has chose to disparage. She deserves no place in the political environment she now taints with her continued insulting manner.
Jeremy Coleman, Hillpark
Not rocket science
The Budget announcement that the prescription co-payment of $5 per item up to a maximum of $100 in any one year will be eradicated from July is poorly targeted. For the already wealthy it will just give them more disposable income. It would be better to retain this fee as is but fully waive it for all Community Service Card holders. This would provide a benefit to those who really need it and the savings made could be directed towards more desperately needed healthcare elsewhere. This is not rocket science folks.
Murray Dear, Hamilton
$5 prescription fee
This fee is very misunderstood: the fee is capped at 20 prescriptions annually per household. So, the maximum cost for a household is $100 even if they have 100 prescriptions. The only requirement is that they have the nous to ensure that they get their individual pharmacy records linked so that the prescriptions accumulate, which pharmacists are quite proactive about. One hundred dollars annually is less than two months’ Sky subscription. Not a lot really.
Andrew Parsons, Ōrākei
Missed memo
It would appear Grant Robertson missed the memo from Adrian Orr begging the government to show fiscal restraint. We will all have to live with higher inflation (and interest rates) for longer as a result.
Lucas Bonne, Unsworth Heights
New ideas
At least the Act, the Greens and the Paati Maori had alternative budget ideas, but only negativity emerging from the National benches this week.
Marie Kaire, Whangārei
Not peanuts
To Mr. Luxon and his supporters $5 is peanuts, chickenfeed. To someone who, after paying bills, has only a few bucks left, it’s a fortune, as they have to choose whether to pick up a needed prescription or to eat.
Anne Martin, Helensville
Budget part 2
It seems to me we have just seen Budget Part 1, which has been treated with derision in some quarters. Part 2 will obviously come in the election campaign when the heavy artillery will be brought to bear.
Alan Milton, Cambridge
More funding
Did I miss the extra funding for teachers, nurses and police in the Budget?
Wendy Tighe-Umbers, Parnell
In season
Just for the record, I bought a large head of broccoli from the supermarket today. It cost $2.
Chris Thompson, Rothesay Bay
Pot holes
Is it not time that EV owners paid for the potholes their vehicles cause?
David Jones, Parnell
He faces two charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.