Through traffic
Allowing Northlanders uncontrolled access to drive through Auckland to the Waikato and beyond is extremely naive.
Operating a system of trust, without evidence, is asking for trouble.
As we have just witnessed, with the recent Middlemore Hospital debacle, accepting someone's word at face value can be very risky.
What is to stop someone exiting the motorway and visiting whomever and continuing on their way?
Unless people are literally timed on their trip, from one border to the next, the police will have no idea what the motorist has been up to.
The same applies for people transiting through Auckland to Northland.
It only takes one breach to spread Covid-19 into another region.
Mark van Praagh, Hobsonville Pt.
Wartime governance
The gaping flaw in Charles Hadfield's wartime simile (NZ Herald, September 6) is that, in wartime, coalition governments are formed so that the whole of Parliament is focused on defeating the enemy and the full capabilities of every member of Parliament are brought to bear on that objective.
Far from pushing the capabilities of Steven Joyce and his ilk aside, the Government should be embracing them and seeking to use their expertise.
James Ford, Stanmore Bay.
Island state
A recent article about the alarming increase of Covid cases in Australia (NZ Herald, September 7) contained an important omission. While statistics were given for each individual state, with NSW having by far the most cases, followed by Victoria, Queensland and states to the west, there was no mention of Tasmania.
Following the initial outbreak in Australia in early 2020 when passengers from the notorious cruise ship the Ruby Princess dispersed around the country, with one going to Burnie in Tasmania where infection was immediately eliminated, Tasmania closed its borders. It kept them closed. Later there were limited cautious reopenings, but with the current catastrophic outbreak on the mainland, free entry travel is forbidden. Separated from the mainland by Bass Strait, the geographic advantages of an island are obvious.
Meanwhile, Tasmanians have been vaccinated. It has the highest double-dose vaccination rates in all Australia.
Jacqueline Walker, Parnell.
Deport options
Government ministers' claims there were no legal options to deal with the New Lynn mall terrorist do not ring true. ADLS Immigration Committee chairman Stewart Dalley noted on RNZ that no law change was needed for Samsudeen to be deported.
The Immigration Act already allows the deportation of anybody deemed to be a threat to national security - even if he is a refugee.
That Samsudeen was on 24/7 surveillance confirms he was viewed as a serious security risk. Minister of Immigration Kris Faafoi could have certified Samsudeen posed such a threat, and the deportation order would have been signed by the Governor General.
Deportation would have prevented serious injury to seven people, and millions spent on surveillance. After Samsudeen's refugee status was cancelled in February 2019, he had 28 days to appeal to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal and could not be deported until the appeal was heard - which is usually three to six months but no action was taken since February 2019 to progress the appeal.
If the Prime Minister, Police Commissioner and others had longstanding concerns about Samsudeen, why did they not pursue the existing Immigration Act options?
Janie Weir, Newmarket.
Retained wrongs
Not that long ago, New Zealand was deporting hard-working people who were making good contributions to society and the economy because they had overstayed their visas. Yet, the government could not deport a known, radicalised, potential killer because he came as a refugee.
There's something wrong somewhere.
Pamela Russell, Ōrākei.
Fending blues
The heart-warming story of Akira Ioane's onfield successes, one pundit scored him a perfect 10 for his latest Perth performance, we learn, was preceded by his struggle with the depths of depression.
I am sure many will join me in their admiration and support for his courage.
Larry Mitchell, Rothesay Bay.
Parkland legacy
New Zealanders are lucky to have had someone of the calibre of Lou Sanson to head the Department of Conservation for the past 10 years.
Lou followed in the footsteps of the previous, outstanding director generals of the former Department of Lands and Survey including Bing Lucas, Noel Coad and George McMillan and the Auckland Commissioner of Crown Lands Darcy O'Brien and the surveyor generals Ian Stirling and Bill Robertson.
Their wisdom, foresight and determination resulted in the permanent protection of many millions of hectares of our outstanding landscapes and rich, historic character.
It is important that the leadership qualities of the likes of Arnold Turner of the former Auckland Regional Authority are now used to rezone all golf courses, racecourses and reclamations adjoining marinas, etc, as "public open space".
Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei could confirm its outstanding leadership qualities by setting aside coastal land at Belmont as the Oneoneroa/Belmont Regional Park.
This could be our enduring legacy for the pain of the current lockdown.
Bruce Tubb, Belmont.
Short & sweet
On vaccine
If we ever wish to return to something close to normality, we need to focus all our resources on vaccination to reduce the impact of Covid-19 or we are likely to see the collapse of our health system and our economy. Rod Lyons, Kumeu.
On Seymour
What a reckless, self-serving act by David Seymour. Any method that brings Māori and Pasifika to the programme is a benefit to the whole community. David Hill, Freeman's Bay.
On advice
We were told to stay home and not to get a test unless we had symptoms. Now we are told unless more people get tested we will not move down a level. Wendy Tighe-Umbers, Parnell.
On masks
I'm so thankful we are allowed to remove our masks to eat and drink in public, I wasn't looking forward walking into town each day dragging along my infusion pump. Glenn Forsyth, Taupō.
On Pharmac
Two thumbs up for the article by Dr Malcolm Mulholland (NZH, September 7) about the value of life comparing the funding to fight the Covid virus with the woeful Pharmac funding for other life-threatening illnesses. The contrast between the two is stark. Dr Ross Henderson, Henderson.
On complaints
As we have a flock of sheep, a herd of cows etc, I suggest we adopt the name of a "fester" of complainers? Jeremy Coleman, Hillpark.
The Premium Debate
Lack of building materials
We are a New Zealand specialised building material manufacturer in Auckland that uses two independent NZ operations to put the product together and distribute. [We] are finding the lockdown especially tough going. We supply mainly outside the Auckland district and have orders banking up. As tough as it is for us, it is the end-user, the builder who is affected the most by not being able to complete projects. And then ultimately the homeowner. Geoff T.
When we as tradespeople can go back to sites in Auckland under L3, we are going to find it hard to obtain materials manufactured or imported to Auckland due to the supplies required everywhere else. Because Auckland is the big port, most supplies come in there. Because I work with only an apprentice on a 200+m2 house, we are unsafe even with the full PPE required. I can see us staying off for potentially longer due to supply issues which are far worse now due to this lockdown. Even longer with potentially no income. Gary S.
Allow Auckland building supplies out to the regions that need it badly. Building suppliers could probably work with more staff separation than you get inside a supermarket. Don't stop there either, plenty of other businesses could do the same. Paul E.
The Ministry of "silly rules" continues. Let's make construction supply illegal in the middle of a housing shortage. It's an easy fix for those with common sense (use the same level 4 Covid safety rules as other essential workers). Grant H.
Well, now you are finding out what it feels like being in Auckland in level 4. My engineering business has been sitting idle because we aren't essential. Meanwhile, the overheads stay the same. Sorry builders but it's not all about you, there's plenty of industries suffering. Be thankful you aren't in hospitality. Mike C.
So basically the Government should have kept the whole country at the same alert level as Auckland because, without Auckland, most of the country can't operate. Level 3 won't help a lot either as I guess we will be at level 3 for a week or two. Glenn H.
Here's the real reason for the current housing crisis: monopolistic, anti-competitive behaviour by the small number of building supplies companies in NZ. But of course this current government is instead blaming property investors for high prices. It's akin to blaming restaurants for high food prices instead of the supermarket duopoly. Guy S.
"Profitless Boom" aye? Clearly a falsehood as the reality is they are always going to pass on extra costs to the homebuyer, as admitted in this article. Supply was already constrained pre the lockdown due to Covid, with house building costs already rising as a result. Rick F.
