Letters: Public paying for mental health failures; painful wake-up call for airplane passengers

Stats NZ staff working at its central Auckland office have reported increasing levels of threatening and abusive behaviour in the surrounding area. Photo / Michael Craig

Letters to the Editor

Public paying for mental health failures

My husband works at a government agency in Waverley St, Auckland, where he, along with his colleagues, feels unsafe when going to work in the office, like the Stats NZ staff (NZ Herald, May 21).

How has it happened that hard-working, tax-paying people should feel this way?

We also have a mentally unwell person living alone next door. Our safety and peace of mind is compromised because of them.

The mental health system is so broken in this country and the police on 105 tell us it’s outside of their scope and they aren’t paid enough to be helping sick people – and fair enough!

Paula Horner, Browns Bay.

No place to go

Further to Thomas Coughlan’s story on homelessness (NZ Herald, May 20) there was a time when it was an offence to be without visible means of support and of no fixed abode.

Persons in this category, often suffering mental illness, were accommodated in institutions such as Kingseat, Raventhorpe, Oakley and, in extreme cases, Tokanui.

In those days, I knew both workers and clients at Kingseat and Raventhorpe. They were generally run professionally. Regrettably, most of these facilities were closed as a result of the Douglas-Prebble neo-liberal revolution, which argued that they institutionalised people who should be living in the community.

Today, so many of those potential clients live rough and are both victims and perpetrators of crime.

David Howard, Pakuranga.

Flight safety wake-up

Interesting to read the fate of so many people injured on the London to Singapore flight that hit turbulence. I experienced the same type of incident in China some years ago.

On most flights, people take their belts off as soon as the sign goes off. On that flight, the plane dived and we fell about 2000 metres, according to the flight screen. People hit the roof and tumbled out of their seats.

Having made about 550 overseas flights, I urge all readers to keep their belts on at all times. Sadly the crew, for passenger comfort, regularly do not have warning enough to get back and strap in.

Barry Hill, Ōpōtiki.

Landlords living large

Every move this Government makes on housing appears to be planned to benefit landlords, which includes most of the current Government. This smells of self-interest.

Cutting the first-home grant does not affect the top earners, but does benefit landlords as it makes it harder for lower wage earners to get on the property ladder and keeps them in rentals.

Every policy benefits the upper salary bracket only. People on a minimum wage will get zero from the tax break as it has already gone on increases of everything – power, rates, petrol, etc.

I am happy to say I did not vote for this lot, as they do not represent lower-wage people and seem to slug them at every opportunity.

Tom O’Toole, Taumarunui.

One fine for all?

If I was drink-driving and smashed into another car and refused to accompany a police officer, would my fine be only $300 ?

Wendy Tighe-Umbers, Parnell.

MPs’ poor example

Chief Children’s Commissioner, Dr Claire Achmad, asks where our school bullying comes from (NZ Herald, May 23).

I suggest she watch the example set for our children by Te Pāti Māori in Parliament’s Question Time on May 22. They repeatedly attacked MP Karen Chhour, her upbringing and culture, asserting that her views on what children need to be kept safe and secure made her less than adequate to be accepted by other Māori.

When we have democratically elected, taxpayer-funded bullies in Parliament attacking the person, not the policies, what chance is there for our children to grow up with decent values?

Fiona Mackenzie, Whangaparāoa.

Smart NZR play

There is one solution to New Zealand Rugby’s (NZR) current disagreements which may suit all.

Divide it into its natural divisions: NZR, with a new independent board in charge of all professional rugby; New Zealand provincial rugby, with a new independent board in charge of all amateur rugby; and the New Zealand Players’ Association in charge of both professional and amateur players, but with a new board.

This would give the protagonists the say over their preferred areas of influence while being answerable to new boards, who could hopefully negotiate with each other for the betterment of the game.

Gary Carter, Gulf Harbour.

The sad score so far

We have now lost 6114 of our people to Covid.

Last week’s dead included a 10-year-old and men and women in their 30s, 40s and 50s. To put that into perspective, we lost just under 12,000 armed forces personnel in the entirety of World War II.

Not interested in a bun fight over vaccination, just announcing New Zealand’s score so far – because it looks like it might be a long game.

Please all take good care of yourselves out there.

Roger Wakefield, Coopers Beach.