Roads lead to more cars, more cars lead to more climate change emissions, a correspondent writes. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Roads lead to more cars, more cars lead to more climate change emissions.
New Zealand's emissions have continued to grow while the UK's emissions have dropped 42 per cent over the last three decades as a result of government policy. Seventeen countries
are planning to ban fossil fuel vehicles before 2050. The UK has brought the date for its ban forward to 2035 because it realised it could not meet its commitments under the Paris agreement.
Strangely, more than half of New Zealanders are satisfied with our Government's action against climate change, yet only 40 per cent of the UK residents are happy with their government's actions.
Who is at fault here in NZ, us or our governing bodies?
If central government raised taxes by over 200 per cent over the rate of inflation each year, then the population of New Zealand would be in an uproar, and there would likely be a change of government at the next election.
But here we have Phil Goff and Auckland Council, with central government approval, raising the rates (a tax by another name) by 216 per cent over the current rate of inflation.
By even considering increasing rates when quite clearly an economic disaster is staring them in the face, clearly demonstrates how totally out of touch the mayor and his council are.
Auckland currently has a council that could not run a bath let alone a business and yet they continuously treat the ratepayers of Auckland as a bottomless pit of money.
One small example is they continue to allow Auckland Transport to build "street calming measures" (all in the name of safety) at enormous expense, ($2,800,000 for the Curran St/ Sarsfield St "improvements") but cannot release the money clearly needed to safely speed up Auckland's traffic.
The rates increase "research" did not give the council the result it expected, even after it skewed the questions, so what did it do? Simply ignored its customers and boldly went where no sane council would go, and increased rates by 3.5 per cent anyway.
Roll on the next election.
Roger Hawkins, Herne Bay.
Whoa, Mr Grueber (Weekend Herald, July 18) you have some wrong views on how the 6 per cent make money.
The 6 per cent pay 42 per cent of the income tax in NZ. As there is no capital gains tax – they must work for a living rather than sitting on their bums.
For most of my life I have worked up to 60 hours a week and paid approximately 43 per cent of my income in tax (income, GST & indirect). Assuming I survive another 30 years, you believe I should be taxed 60 per cent of what I have left as well.
What part of this is fair? My mother advised me "not to bite the hand that feeds me". This is one bite too many. We do understand private health care and private schooling etc. We have used it for most of our lives.
If I leave – I won't be back nor will others like me and the 6 per cent will become 5 per cent, then 4 per cent and so on until there is no tax left. What will you do then?
Rob Erskine, Remuera.
Well done the police for appealing the non-sentenced, name-suppressed perpetrator who planted spy cams in a gymnasium changing room (Weekend Herald, July 18).
Police spend hours putting a legitimate case together only to be discarded and disrespected.
I hope that they get a different hearing, one sympathetic towards the victims.
If this guy is a promoted government official, no wonder ordinary people are sceptical of government agencies and politicians. The number of images were astronomical and obviously not a "one off" criminal act. All those who used any gym will be feeling vulnerable as the name was suppressed. It is also unfair to all other gym facilities and owners. People will be questioning their own attendance at a gym.
If you commit a crime, then you must be held accountable and clearly this guy was not. One law for all.
Marie Kaire, Whangārei.
I was so glad to read (Weekend Herald, July 18) that the new Auckland Council chief will
be paid $98,000 instead of the stupid $698,000 paid to his predecessor.
Can we now see the Watercare head get $75,000? This would seem about right and all the rest of these over-paid people be reduced by the same amount.
We have already proved you do not get the best people just by giving the most money.
Aidan Crabtree, Titirangi.
It was good to see (Weekend Herald, July 18) National supporting the proposal to connect rail to the airport from Puhinui rather than light rail down Dominion Rd. It is common sense, cheaper and will provide faster travel into the city.
It was also good to see in the proposals electrification of the rail to Pokeno. With significant residential development in Tuakau and Pokeno this should be happening now and also the East–West link, which the current Government cancelled. With the chaos on the roads in the Church/Neilson streets areas, with huge trucks causing significant congestion and the difficulty trying to travel through that area, this link cannot come soon enough.
Ken Graham, Greenlane.
I'm not sure what TVNZ wants to gain by cutting back on the news team.
I watched the TVNZ news last night and after the fourth ad break in 30 minutes I decided
enough was enough. I turned the TV off all together.
Who do these money-mad bureaucrats think we are? Our television programmes are totally destroyed by a continual bombardment of mind-numbing advertisements repeated ad infinitum. At the end of the day what does this frenetic advertising do? Nothing, absolutely nothing, because it seems all of our TV stations are running at a huge loss. No amount of advertising is going to solve the problem.
A government rethink of the whole system needs to take place. What one wonders does the Minister of Broadcasting actually do for his big fat pay check?
Thankfully I have recently discovered that reading the newspaper is far more interesting and far less stressful. I can sit down comfortably for an hour or so and read your news from cover to cover without any mind-bending advertisements. Nor with anyone shouting at me "But Wait There's More!"
More! Yes, more garbage. No, thank you very much.
Bob Jessopp, Massey.
Looking at the face and the language, there is the realisation that we are back to "dog eat dog and devil take the hindmost" politics. No surprise Adams and Kaye bailed. Gail Burrows, Waiheke Island.
So, we will have four lanes to Whangārei within 10 years. And then a tunnel within 20 years of National. At that time we will have four lanes to a viewing platform. Is that clever? John O'Neill, Dargaville
While there were excellent articles (Weekend Herald, July 18) that were very fair to Judith Collins, I did not appreciate the ratio of seven out of 11 snide comments attacking National under "a quick word". Jennie McKeown, Red Beach.
There is no shortage of water in New Zealand, folks, just an almost criminal political disregard for provision of necessary infrastructural growth. What price tourism now? Terry Harris, Mangawhai.
NZ can do without this divisive, power-hungry, win-at-any- cost, dirty player in politics. Tess Parlane, Waiheke Island.
The "superduperpower" US, and it's Denialist-In-Chief don't understand the nature of this virus. Sadly it is just too small to bomb, their normal threat response. Rob Buchanan, Kerikeri.
That NZ First and Peters has to call in a couple of Poms to tell them how to get people to vote for them at the election, should speak volumes on how devoid they are of policy and ideas. John Oliver, Remuera.
"Back Your Future" or "Back to the Future" yet again with the septuagenarian Winnie McFly and his DeLorean campaign bus? Mike Wagg, Freemans Bay.
I find it amusing, although unexplained as to why, when a lead politician is speaking there is a bevy of puppets, as if on a string nodding in the background. A. D. Kirby, Pāpāmoa.
Govt about to bill returnees; Nats opt for $3000. Finally, practical, reasonable and responsible bipartisan governance. Let's hope for more of this in the future from all parties. Ron Czerniak, Northcross.
We, all of us, have a huge stake in securing our own decency come election day, September 2020. Andrea Willett, Ōhope.
Have we learned nothing from the recent resurgence of Covid-19 in Australia? Why are hospital ED nurses being allowed to also work at our border quarantine facilities? Madness. Joe O'Brien, New Lynn.
Is the corollary to Trump's if-we-did-less-testing-we'd-have-fewer-cases brainstorm "If I keep looking at my bank balance I'll have more money"? Dennis N Horne, Howick.
With all the latest happenings from both parties, who needs to pay good money to go to a circus? We have all the best of performers right here. Darren Masters, Panmure.
The road is closed, and motorists should follow diversions.