Online grocery start-up Supie has gone into voluntary administration.
Markets sure are not super
On the demise of Supie and the power of the supermarket duopoly and their suppliers (NZ Herald, October 31).
When I owned a small but busy restaurant a few years ago, I was approached by both my opposition and some suppliers complaining that I was undercutting them by selling at prices below what they considered necessary.
One went as far as to accuse me, on air, of buying product “off the back of a truck” as it was impossible to be legitimately surviving at the mark-up I was happy with. Another, a wine supplier, openly told me that their product should not be sold in our restaurant as it was aimed for more “up-market” establishments and at prices well above what we charged. In their eyes, we were degrading their premium product.
Fortunately, our customers appreciated our more down-to-earth approach over pricing for the 37 years I was profitably in business.
Maybe the supermarkets and suppliers should spend less on marketing and trim their profit margins by a few percentage points to help all in this time of high food cost inflation. After all, a healthy profit does not need to be an excessive one.
James Archibald, Birkenhead.
Nats must take crisis seriously
Given the ongoing weather conditions we are experiencing in Aotearoa/New Zealand, I wonder if the incoming Government might have a rethink about ministerial offices soon to be handed out?
I suggest that a minister for climate change issues and responses might be rather more worthwhile than a minister for space. The only reason I can imagine we would need this is to negotiate who gets the window seats on the spaceship Rapid Reset when the escape from responsibility exodus begins.
Jeremy Coleman, Hillpark.
Misinformed made a choice
Adam Pearse lays out suspicions about a Winston Peters intrusion once again into New Zealand politics, this time by wanting to change the current Royal Commission’s inquiry into our Covid response (NZ Herald, October 31).
Pearse reminds us of New Zealand First’s campaign on compensating people who were injured by the Covid vaccine or who were mandated out of work, which plays into the hands of the disaffected, those reliant on manipulative misinformation that spread during Covid, ending with a disorganised group of misguided individuals protesting outside Parliament.
The unvaccinated knew their potential to harm a country, knew how vulnerable schoolchildren, patients in hospitals, friends and neighbours would be when they chose not to be vaccinated and they knew they would not be able to work, because they were told. Clearly it was their choice, but it was part of the country’s call to keep ourselves and others safe. Now Winston wants to reward them for this disregard of common decency by calling for a change to the current royal commission of inquiry into a “proper one”.
Go figure!
Emma Mackintosh, Birkenhead.
Too soon to judge
Emma Mackintosh (NZ Herald October 30) never leaves us wondering where she sits in the political landscape, and she deserves credit for that.
However, her latest contribution indicates she may be straying into the same territory as some All Blacks supporters in being a sore loser.
The election result is obviously of great concern to her. But to express alarm by claiming the new Government will disregard those who are struggling, and will also dismiss climate concerns, is a little premature. The make-up of the new administration is yet to be determined and the priorities will not become clear until sufficient time is allowed to examine the true nature of the economic situation and the limitations it may impose.
Language such as “calamity and climate setback” is unhelpful and reflects an equal disregard for the fact that the last two terms of Government have left us all poorer, and a pandemic cannot be entirely responsible for that result.
George Williams, Whangamatā.
Call for Labour to step up
In my opinion, the two major challenges facing the country are climate change and the rich/poor divide in our population.
The Green Party has policies that address both these problems. It is imperative that the Greens form part of our next government.
So we need Labour to step up. We Kiwis are smart people, our votes can’t be bought with election handouts, placards and smiling photo-ops.
Hipkins, we need you to put on your statesman hat. Stand up and tell us what we need to hear. That climate change will bring us an uncomfortable and costly future. That the Government has a limited amount of money to spend, you will do your very best to spend it wisely for the benefit of all New Zealanders.
And please, we do not need more roads, we need fewer cars.
Linda McGrogan, Taupō.
Done with rugby now
Monday night was the second evening I’ve lain awake angry about the ruined World Cup final. Like watching heavyweight fighters with each in turn made to compete one-handed because of some tortuous interpretation of the rules.
What should have been a spectacle became a debacle.
Take Frizell’s card. Either the drop on to Mbonambi’s leg was deliberate, in which case it should have been red, or it was an accident: penalising a player for an accident in contact sport is ridiculous.
Then Sam Cane’s tackle on Jesse Kriel, where someone, viewing slow-mo replays off the field, subjectively decided the head contact was red-card deliberate, despite it being impossible for them to actually know the player’s intent.
That decision cost New Zealand the game and Sam Cane’s peace of mind, maybe for years to come, which is something the official too must live with.
The game was micromanaged out of existence, and I have vowed never to watch another. How about commissioning a poll among your readers to see how many others share my views, then send the message loud and clear to world rugby officialdom. Unless they fix the TMO problem, rugby is finished as a spectator sport.
John Denton, Eskdale.
Boks skipper an inspiration
The speech made by Siya Kolisi after South Africa won the World Cup was so inspiring and humble.
He is such an impressive athlete who left us realising that they needed and wanted this victory more than us.
Dave Miller, Otumoetai.
Rankings rank
Is anyone able to explain the men’s World Rugby rankings after the World Cup?
South Africa 1 — yes. Ireland 2 — ? New Zealand 3 — ? France 4 — ? England 5 — ? Scotland 6 — ? Argentina 8 — ?
The four semifinalists were South Africa, New Zealand, England and Argentina.
If the rugby rankings are correct, then World Rugby have a lot of work to do to get their showpiece Rugby World Cup seedings and new pools for 24 nations in Australia in 2027 worked out to make the results more meaningful.
Gary Carter, Gulf Harbour.
On former PM
Murray Brown (NZ Herald, October 30) is entitled not to like Jacinda Ardern, but the two main planks of his opinion are entirely flawed.
He questioned whether the former PM was a beacon of hope for young women. Of course she is. Any number of her achievements as a young woman are proof of this, but one clear example is becoming PM and increasing Labour’s majority by a long shot.
Brown’s assertion that Ardern’s legacy is a more racially-divided nation is wrong. It is more united. Muslims of many ethnicities appreciated Ardern’s embracing reaction to the mosque murders and the outpouring of grief from all ethnicities was profound.
Auckland is even more multi-ethnic than in 2017. Look at almost every sector of society: sports teams, classrooms, most businesses, councils and you’ll see people of many backgrounds working and playing together.
If by racial division, specifically Māori and non-Māori were being referenced, I think it’s shameful that when an indigenous minority asks for more representation in decision-making, the white men in suits and those influenced by social media algorithms moan and oppose it. Look at the referendum result across the Ditch. White Australia running scared of a mere 3 per cent Aboriginal population.
Chris Bangs, Hillsborough.
On RWC
If the Rugby World Cup final was the economy, the All Blacks would be a tech company, the Springboks a staid utility, and the referees the Tax Department.
Eric Skilling, Milford.
On Ardern
In his fulsome praise of former PM Jacinda Ardern (NZ Herald, October 30), Jeremy Coleman writes: “It will be a long time before we see her like again.” I hope he’s right.
Steve Challis, Northland.
On Henare
Tau Henare says he will vote no to anything put forward by the 11 councillors who voted against Māori seats on Auckland Council. We are in a democracy: you can vote how you like.
Ian MacGregor, Greenhithe.
On AT
I hope that Tau Henare votes against any funding for Auckland Transport to build any more bike or scooter lanes, speed bumps, pedestrian crossings or traffic lights so we can all enjoy the uncluttered roads again.
David Johnson, Herne Bay.
On rugby
Cut all the talk. We lost by four penalties. One less, we win.
Peter Arnott, Auckland.
Jetstar's first planes to Sydney and Gold Coast have taken off from Hamilton this week.