National's Shane Reti. Photo / Hagen Hopkins
Prioritising roads over hospitals
The first comment by newly-elected Whangarei MP, Dr Shane Reti, expected to be the next health minister, is very worrying. He has stated he will be funding a highway ahead of funding the already-planned new Whangārei Hospital.
He would rather spend $10 billion on improving highways ahead of $1b on improving Northlanders’ access to health.
An improved highway will get you to the traffic bottleneck in Auckland 10 minutes quicker. An older, rundown, ill-equipped hospital, will have many people getting to their final destination in life well before the highway is even partly completed.
Kevin Grose, Te Kamo West.
Minority voice
The failure of the vote to have a referendum on the incorporation of the Voice in the Australian constitution is an illustration of the limitations, in some circumstances, of democracy: the voice of the minority is often not taken into account.
David Seymour has long trumpeted his intention to hold a referendum on the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. Prime Minister-elect Christopher Luxon has long, and fruitfully it turns out, manifested his fear of co-governance. The Herald (October 17) confirms National will axe Labour’s Three Waters Reforms and the Maori Health Authority. National’s Shane Reti will, as he has indicated, deny his own people priority healthcare, despite their shorter life expectancy. Thomas Coughlan informs us that Luxon appears not to be in favour of Act’s proposals for Te Tiriti. One hopes the concept of shared equality embodied in Articles I to III of the Treaty will shield New Zealand’s founding document from the limits of democracy, foibles of mere mortals.
Elisabeth Garrett, St Heliers.
Starting school
According to the New Scientist, 130 early childhood education experts have signed a letter calling for an extension of informal-based preschool provision for the start of formal schooling in England to be delayed until the age of 7.
This would bring it into line with overwhelming evidence out of Sweden and Finland that, for achievement and child wellbeing, 7 is best. A compromise by starting formal education at 6 is a step in the right direction.
Also of concern according to Mike Bedford, who has completed a doctoral research having made 1500 visits to 700 early childhood centres in New Zealand, is that the poor quality of learning experiences is more common than parents realise.
Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay.
Holding a grievance
First it was Ukraine and Russia, now Israel and Palestine, is there no end to man’s inhumanity to man? History tells us that the aggrieved party generally shows no mercy — regardless, civilised countries must show greater clemency and take a humanitarian and diplomatic approach to resolving the issues that confront them, particularly if many innocent young lives are not to be lost unnecessarily.
Unless the underlying grievance is dealt with, the situation will remain.
Surely there is no greater need than at present to make major reforms to the UN Security Council, eliminating the right of veto that makes the organisation toothless and totally ineffective.
Randal Lockie, Rothesay Bay.
Gain or pain?
Net migration “gain” of 110,000 for the year to August. That’ll continue worsening poverty with ever-rising rents and house prices, as has been the trend with immigration for about 30 years. At least it’s good for businesses and tax receipts.
Rod McIntyre, St Heliers.
Chopping block
National/Act are apparently intending to undo most of Labour’s good work. For example: fixing our public housing shortage, legislating for fair pay, insisting landlords provide better rental housing, implementing healthy food guidelines, cleaning our filthy rivers and our often-toxic drinking water, fixing our inadequate public transport, reorganising our cumbersome health system, improving our weak environmental regulations.
All of these improvements are now apparently on the chopping block. In whose interests is this being done? Definitely not the majority of the population. One can only conclude the lobbyists and donors who propelled them to power are demanding it.
V.M. Fergusson, Mt Eden.
A right to peace
The people of Gaza and the people of Israel both have a history of suffering as refugees, the former as recent refugees from Palestine, the latter driven out from the same land centuries ago, and persecuted for hundreds of years.
At the present time, they both have a right to live in peace and security. The pursuit of revenge by the killing of large numbers of civilians neither recognises their common suffering nor promotes their desire for peace and security. The problem of Israel and Gaza is like a life-threatening infection which can be resolved if addressed with sensitivity, courage and good judgment before it spreads further.
Chris Barfoot, Glendowie.
Stem the flow
According to Watercare’s unofficial estimates, for over 21 days, more than 8.64 million litres of raw sewage a day has been flowing into the Waitematā at Parnell due to the collapse of a sewer line.
This gives a total of over 183 million litres. This is a damning indictment of the lack of a co-operative agreement and action between local and central government for over 100 years to upgrade a broken, sewage infrastructure.
Bruce Tubb, Devonport.
Meaningless mantra
Please Nicola Willis and Chris Luxon, practise giving straight answers. You can stop using the now very generic “people want change” and “New Zealanders must go forward” mantra over and over.
Stop assuming we can’t handle an honest response to the question of who is sitting at the negotiating table this week. You’ve been up there all but five minutes and I feel so patronised already.
F. de Haan, Kerikeri.
Half-baked
If our All Blacks halfback insists on aimlessly kicking the ball to the opposition with just a few minutes till the final whistle, it should be mandatory for him to front the first and as many subsequent ferocious assaults as he is able. Post-match he should be made to front the team and apologise for risking the game.
Assuming we make the final, I trust his opposite number in the South African side is not privy to the above, thereby kicking the ball back to us with just a minute left to play as he did versus France, and gifting us the win.
Bary Williams, Sunnyhills.
Top refereeing
I write to commend New Zealand referee Ben O’Keeffe and his compatriot, video referee Brendon Pickerill, on an outstanding performance in the France/South Africa Rugby World Cup quarter-final encounter.
The concluding minutes featured a number of collapsed scrums which were extremely likely to have been caused by the South Africans and he sensibly (and unusually) stopped the clock to avoid a handicap to the French team. It seems ironic that French captain Antoine Dupont lacerated him for an earlier incident but neglected to commend him for this. Sadly, this was not emulated by a French referee in the England/Fiji game, when the English pack effectively got away with the same tactic.
Paul Cornish, Devonport.
Museum apology
I was disappointed to read the Auckland Museum has apologised after pro-Palestinian supporters protested against the museum’s decision to light up in support of Israel.
A brutal and barbaric massacre took place in Israel. The Auckland Museum’s gesture was appropriate. Protesters missed the point of the war memorial museum recognising the horror of an act of war. Why is the Auckland Museum kowtowing to these protesters?
Will the museum apologise to New Zealand Jews and Israel for its misjudged expression of support following the atrocity?
Martin Whyle, Rakino Island.
Lucky for some
It is lucky Labour got on with the job of building houses for all of those folks who were living in cars, vans and motels.
It will give National something to sell and balance the books in three years’ time, like they did at the end of their last reign.
Jim McCormick, Gisborne.
On shopping
Once again, those on the left have selective hearing. Luxon said he spends $60 a week on groceries for himself when he is in Wellington, not for a family shopping trip. Mark Young, Orewa.
On Labour
Former Labour ministers are dropping away like flies. It is an even more telling story when the rubber hits the road. Glenn Forsyth, Taupō.
On MPs
Some MPs are delusional even when their seats are marginal. Wendy Tighe-Umbers, Parnell.
On Lake Onslow
Your list omitted National’s commitment to scrapping the Lake Onslow project, that should put a good few million dollars into its coffers. C Johnstone, Grey Lynn.
On coalition
National is soon to be in government with Act and (hopefully) Winston — let the games begin! Martin Adlington, Browns Bay.
On Winston Peters
Mr Peters seems determined to avoid dialogue with the press. May I suggest that if the press completely ignored him, he might change his tune. Greg Cave, Sunnyvale.
Derek Cheng: Anatomy of Labour’s collapse — what happened?
The level of anger, particularly in Auckland, over the unnecessary restrictions of the 2021 lockdown cannot be underestimated. Businesses were ruined, healthcare was denied, families were split, children were excluded from education and mental health devastated. Joanne W.
I live in Auckland. I found the late 2021 Covid restrictions wound me up and I am not surprised Labour has suffered a reaction from them. An inevitable reaction, I feel. Simon F.
The sole reason Labour lost is they lost their way through incompetent leadership from Ardern. She built her profile overseas at the expense of the New Zealand public and her own party and when the going got tough, she gapped it. Jason G.
As a Mt Albert constituent, I was disgusted at how Ardern failed to show her face here and in Auckland in general over the last killer of a lockdown. She only wanted to be seen in a positive situation. Denise B.
I think most commentators got it wrong for Labour’s downfall. I blame Three Waters and co-governance. Peter E.
William Seddon had a collection of child abuse images, said to have led to the assaults.