The Black Caps celebrate a wicket at Eden Park, where the crowd failed to show up this week. Photo / Photosport
T20 shame
Watching the Black Caps vs West Indies in the second T20 international at Eden Park on TV1 Thursday night I felt a sense of shame because of the pitiful crowd. With the stadium capacity of 50,000 it was deeply embarrassing to see just a few hundred people in the stands. In a city of 1.8 million people how could this happen?
Given that this match would be broadcast around the world, it is a very poor look for Auckland and indeed for New Zealand. In my opinion the marketing people involved should be sacked. Surely there could have been incentives to attend? Maybe a special deal for families. Or “one free with each paying person?” or, why not offer high school cricket teams $1 admission. This to encourage and inspire our up-and-coming young cricketers.
Glen Stanton, Mairangi Bay.
Rough sleepers
It is clear that the Government’s motivation for removing rough sleepers from Auckland CBD is because of the impact on the profits of local businesses, not because of any desire to improve the lot of homeless people.
PM Christopher Luxon is fond of saying “everything is on the table” when the Government is considering an issue and he frequently asserts that “we are working very hard”, when asked why the Government is failing to deliver on its promises.
What never appears to be on “the table” is humanity and a genuine concern for the vulnerable, while one area where the Government’s “hard work” is consistently successful is its commitment to protect the interests of the wealthy few.
Andrea Dawe, Sandringham.
Guy Fawkes
Ask any teenager who Guy Fawkes was and they wouldn’t know. The event happened in the United Kingdom centuries ago, nothing to do with New Zealand history.
My teenage grandchildren in Melbourne don’t know because they do not have fireworks - only at managed displays.
Wendy Galloway, Ōmokoroa.
Fireworks
We live beside a public park and for the last four nights it sounds like we live in a war zone. In between the deafening booms and bangs we can hear the nesting birds screeching in panic. We know that this will not end although Guy Fawkes night is past.
It is time to ban public sales and enjoy safely organised fireworks. Thankfully at least one politician is willing to support the police, the fire brigade and the SPCA in this endeavour.
Jane Carmichael, Glendowie.
Pot, kettle, black
Labour Party’s education spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime’s opinion writing, Stanford is stripping our curriculum of its identity, was an interesting take on Education Minister Erica Stanford and the National-led Government (November 7).
She says: “We cannot let political ideology overrun a curriculum that’s meant to give our kids the best start to life”.
I’d suggest that’s a perfect example of “the pot calling the kettle black.”
Lorraine Kidd, Warkworth.
Dunedin students
Imagine if unruly groups of youths in South Auckland or West Auckland decided to have out-of-control street parties, setting furniture alight in the roadway, firing rockets at police and leaving the mess for council workers to clean up?
How do you think the public would react? It is very worrying that the students in Dunedin think they are entitled to behave in this manner.
Remember these are some of our future leaders. Imagine the reaction if they had one of their notorious Castle St parties in Victoria Ave, Remuera?
Jock MacVicar, Hauraki.
Lifeline crisis
Lifeline, a crisis centre staffed in large part by trained volunteers, has been helping distressed people for 60 years.
Due to a funding crisis they will no longer be able to reply to calls during the night, which is probably the very time they are most needed. The amount of money they need is $2 million. This Government has found three times that amount to encourage Michelin to come to this country. Fine dining matters, New Zealanders in crisis do not.
This is at a time when mental health is one of our most serious problems. We rate 36th out of 36 comparative countries for mental wellbeing.
Susan Grimsdell, Auckland Central.
Bipartisanship
It would be nice if there was more bipartisanship across the House on long-term projects, to aid stability and so-called “certainty” on periods of more than a few years.
However, it will probably have to wait for a change in Government, as this current one has already reneged on two such bipartisan agreements (in housing and climate change) already.
It’s not bipartisan if one side can unilaterally rip it up as soon as they decide it doesn’t suit them.
Morgan L. Owens, Manurewa.
Naval build-up
The build-up of the United States Navy in the Caribbean while the US administration mulls options that include invading Venezuela and seizing the oil fields, is most troubling. Added to this is the recent, ongoing destroying of their boats in international waters, based on allegations of drug trafficking, with 67 killed to date.
This is illegal in international law. All this from the man who campaigned on the promise, “the president for peace”. Unilateral action such as the overthrow of the president or an invasion, which would be outside any United Nations mandate, is illegal. May the ghost of Dick Cheney make them reconsider this folly. Have they not learnt from Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq? Rather, stop the Russian war in Ukraine.
Stephen Lincoln, Botany Downs.
Simon Wilson (November 5) is correct in saying that Zohran Mamdani may not be the revolutionary New York is expecting him to be. Two core planks of his platform - raising taxes and the minimum wage - aren’t the purview of New York’s Mayor, it is the Governor and State Legislature that set both of these.
Without the additional tax revenue, can Mamdani afford free public transport and more affordable housing? New York already has rent controlled apartments, Mamdani lives in one, despite receiving a comfortable salary as a New York State Assembly member. All in all, it seems the most he can accomplish is reforms in childcare.
Wilson is certainly correct that Mamdani’s rise does pose some interesting questions for the Greens, and all to the left of NZ politics. New York State already has one of the highest tax rates for income tax and corporations out of all 51 states. Florida, on the other hand, has no personal income tax and a lower corporate tax rate. It is well worth considering what New York State has provided for their citizens, over and above what Florida provides, for the extra tax they take.
Fortunately for Americans, if they are unhappy in the state they are in they can move to another. Net migration between New York and Florida is in favour of Florida. Surely this demonstrates more clearly than any arguments which approach is better.
Helen Allan, Tauranga.
Arise Sir David Beckham, lovely photo of Posh and Becks post investiture. A couple of questions, why does Becks never shave and Posh never smile in photos?
Steve Dransfield, Wellington.
As a user of the cleaner ‘Handy Andy’, I wonder if the company should reconsider the name.
Anna Johns, NZ.
Businesses, especially hospitality, are struggling. So what does AT do? They decide to charge for night-time parking in central Ponsonby, an area where there are lots of hospitality venues. Just what the area needs. Unbelievable.
Dennise Cook, Torbay.
It is good to see the coalition Government is focused on the things that matter for ordinary New Zealanders. Having Michelin star restaurants available locally will be far more convenient than having to pop overseas for lunch. It’ll also allow the plutocrats in the Cabinet somewhere to spend their untaxed capital gains from house flipping.
Bruce Tennent, Māngere Bridge.
Many consider the CEO of NZ Rugby to be the top job in the country, at least in importance. So, a $4 million dollar package for the CEO of Westpac Bank, would seem to be a market indicator. The NZ Rugby Board will have to urgently review their offering for the new NZR CEO search if they want a top result.
Gary Carter, Gulf Harbour.
It seems that calling Simon Watts the Minister for Climate Change is very apt.
Geoff Leckie, Flat Bush.