Police officer Erin Fisher married Kit Johnston, a convicted killer, in November 2022 and has been charged with assaulting her new husband. Photo / Supplied, Supplied
Letter of the week: Melanie Corbett, Westmere
I was fortunate enough to grow up in New Zealand where murder was an extremely rare occurrence; ram raids were not committed by young people; and there weren’t driveby shootings by gang members. We were taught respect – for our parents, officers of the law, teachers, nurses, and our elders. Yet I read of a “prominent senior funds manager” in his 40s being charged with assaulting a 65-year-old man who is now blind in one eye. Saturday morning’s Herald’s front page was the story of a serving police officer being charged with assaulting her husband. What has happened to Godzone, that we now appear to be a society of me, me, me without any regard for our fellow human beings? I also can’t help but think, with Anzac Day approaching, of the thousands of selfless New Zealanders who gave their lives so we could live in a free society, and of those who survived and came home but were never the same after their harrowing experiences.
Pages of history
Two commentators, Mike Munro, and Bruce Cotterill are published on the same page (Weekend Herald, April 15) but are not on the same page as far as the importance of current issues that are polarising the community. Munro blames opposition parties for stirring culture war divisions which he says are of little importance to voters. Cotterill, while positing that while a majority of people are not particularly exercised by the issues that some protest about, raises the question of whether small interest groups should have their point of view heard while preventing the alternate view being presented. Jacob Mchangama, lawyer, and human rights advocate. in his book Free Speech, presents a compelling case for the enduring importance of free and equal speech for all people, regardless of their particular identities or ideologies. Guess it’s up to each one of us to decide which page we are on. Glennys Adams, Oneroa.
Disappointing prognosis
The investigation (Weekend Herald, April 15) into the crisis in our hospitals makes for sombre reading. The president of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) is quoted as saying that nurses are beyond desperation and unable to provide timely and safe care in what is a rapidly deteriorating situation in hospitals across the country. This is a shocking indictment on our healthcare system, made worse by the intransigence of the Government. According to the NZNO, former health minister Andrew Little reneged on an agreement to settle nurses’ backpay which now extends as far back as 2019. The current health minister appears to have done nothing to fix this. Why are hardworking nurses being treated so appallingly? Fixing a straightforward backpay issue should not take four years to achieve. Nurses have been let down by this Government and it’s no wonder they are departing in droves for Australia where significantly better pay and conditions are on offer. William Black, Remuera.
Mixed results
The front page of today’s paper (Weekend Herald, April 15) reports, “Light rail advisors cost $1m per week” - broken down into $920,000 a week to two engineering companies, plus a further $310,000 to its own contractors and consultants. Page four’s headline and half-page article reports, “Beyond desperation” exhausted hospital staff have raised the alarm on unsafe staffing levels more than 23,000 times over three years. This Government really has its priorities in order, hasn’t it? Murray Brown, Hamilton East.
Disillusion-ville
There is not a lot of confidence in our political parties. After six years of a Labour government, full of promises but little delivery, huge spends on projects now canceled or altered, they still lead in the polls because of lack of faith in the opposition parties’ leadership and their lack of policies. Where to from here? Paul Mason, Rothesay Bay.
Palmed off
I turned to the Steve Braunias items (Weekend Herald, April 15) in the expectation of more merriment. In Canvas there was his strong reaction to taking off “Phoenix palm” fronds. He got stabbed by the defensive barbs found at the base of each frond. About the year 2000, Canary Island date palms (Phoenix canariensis) became the focus of Kiwi local government hostility and moves to ban them. A scientific paper counted the sorts of “foreign body injuries” that brought children into Starship Hospital from 1992 to 1997. Of the 250 cases, they found that 21 were caused by those defensive palm parts breaking off in flesh. Infection often followed. Coverage of the bans quite often reported that they are “poisonous”. The barbs may carry outside material with them into the wound. The palms need care in grooming but otherwise are not dangerous or toxic. Moreover, there are many other “Phoenix palms”. Every time you safely eat dates you are eating flesh from around the seed of a Phoenix dactylifera. John D Prince, Waipapa.
Off song
The article (Weekend Herald, April 15) about David and Dale Garratt omitted a few things. Their first EP was “Scriptures of Worship”. I wrote most of the tunes, which were recorded with Les Still, Tony Hopkins and myself along with guitarist Ian Hughes at a small studio in Nugent St. The wonderful drummer Tony Hopkins, who had left my trio at the Montrmarte after four years as he thought “jazz” was the devils work, became a staunch Pentecost. My pay for writing, playing and directing the recording was a briefcase, Les Still received nothing. Their second recording ”Scripture in Song” made a lot of money. I asked Tony whether I was getting royalties, as he was doing very well, thank you, but no. I asked the Garratts at a function some years later only to be told that God told them to give my fee to a charity. Dale said she hoped the man that lost all their money would come to them and say, ”I’m going to try and pay you back”. I say: Amen. Mike Walker, president, Auckland Jazz and Blues Club.
Music to eyes
It was great to read Steve Braunias’ profile of David and Dale Garratt (Weekend Herald, April 15) many thanks Steve for your well-written piece. Although I knew of this couple and their music, I found the article most interesting. Their genuine Christian faith and the music will continue to be an influence for good - so needed in today’s world. Ann Palmer, Pyes Pa.
Anyone who thinks the water reforms will turn out any better than the super city amalgamation is deluded. Graham Fleetwood, Botany Downs.
“Affordable water reforms?” Ah, shouldn’t that be “less affordable” now that the “economy of scale” advantage has been lost? Wendy Clark, Pukekohe.
Someone, please explain why a poem inciting violence against white men is classified as art but Roald Dahl writing about fat ugly people is not. Wendy Tighe-Umbers, Parnell.
The many writers who pounced on Christopher Luxon for his Covid seve-day isolation stance failed to note his proviso “if you’re no longer testing positive”. Cheap shots can be costly, but for whom? Jeff Tallon, Hauraki.
Congratulations to Bruce Cotterill on yet another thought-provoking and insightful article (WH, April 15). Sadly, it won’t be read by the noisy minority. Pauline Paget, Campbells Bay.
Each week seems to bring another politician who scores an own goal. In my distant sports playing days, a team member who let the side down would be anointed as the dick of the day. Alan Johnson, Papatoetoe.
Maybe we should be dragging the previous two-term Auckland Mayor back from his cosy overseas posting to ask for a “please explain” over his council’s six years of inaction over Auckland’s non-existing emergency response plan. James Archibald, Birkenhead.
North Shore commuters do want another harbour crossing, sorry John Roughan (WH, Apr. 15) .We are being held hostage in our commute to Auckland and to the suburbs over the bridge. Lesley Baillie, Murrays Bay.
Hearing about the death of the legendary Mary Quant I said, “Oh my! I remember those days so well, wearing my hot-pants and my mini-skirts.” My (middle-aged!) son went “Aarrggh” and put his hands over his ears. Anne Martin, Helensville.
Good on you Mark Vincent (WH, Apr. 15). It’s not often we read an apology from a councillor. Mark Young, Ōrewa.
Why was the first tent allowed to stay? Protest is always legal, camping on Parliament grounds is not. Susan Grimsdell, Auckland Central
The Green “meanies” would do well to remember that “crybaby” actually won an electorate seat. Mike Wagg, Freemans Bay.
The most accurate barometer of economic resilience is who can continue to pay for Sky TV. Who needs an economist? John Ford, Taradale.
How much longer will that beloved word “amazing” remain alone before “super amazing” takes the stage? John Norris, Whangamatā.
Tim Dodge thought he'd never walk again. Now he's back, and he's determined to help.