Bootcamps
Minister for Children Karen Chhour says it all really in the Weekend Herald (August 9) when trying to justify the disastrous result of the ill-conceived “bootcamps”.
She says reduced reoffending has been achieved. Reoffending is reoffending whether that be reduced or no. But the really telling quote is: “The families of these young people have expressed great appreciation for the support they have been provided such as stable housing and parenting support services.”
Surely this is exactly what has been needed all along? Rather than wasting the millions of dollars on putting offenders through a failed bootcamp, pour the money into stable housing and parenting support. Chhour should put the boot into bootcamps and kick in more of the support she says is working.
Neil Anderson, Algies Bay.
Emissions on a global scale
Emma Mackintosh (August 8) recognises that we need to lift the standard of our infrastructure assets if we are to meet future needs.
Unfortunately, she then loses focus, getting distracted by climate change and the need to keep our people safe from “the destruction approaching our shores”.
She opines that priority should be given to preventing the heating of the planet and ridding ourselves of the need for fossil fuels.
The reality is that on a global scale, our emissions are miniscule and any sacrifices we make at the altar of climate action will have no measurable effect.
We are already witnessing the damaging impact on a struggling economy of short-sighted political decisions that deny access to natural gas with little thought given to the establishment of viable alternatives. The result – stockpiling imported coal to mitigate shortfalls in electricity generation and the undermining of industries reliant on reliable, economic energy supplies. Add to these the folly of planting productive farmland in pine trees.
All of these are factors that have a negative effect on the economy. If we are to build the infrastructure we need, including effective defences against storm damage, we need an economy that plays to our strengths and supports the industries that add to our economic performance. Without meaningless impediments.
George Williams, Whangamatā.
Leaky homes saga
We have another story about the leaky-unit owners hit with $195,000 invoices.
When is someone going to do a deep analysis of why the developers are able to commit these nefarious deeds? More to the point, name names. It’s absolutely unforgivable and why are people being made to pay even more money out than they paid for their units?
New Zealand has a massive problem with people who feed off others’ trust, and has laws in place (naive as that may be) to protect people from incidents such as these. This leaky-building scandal has been going on for years – a friend’s house built in Greenhithe in early 2000 was leaky. We need protection and some counter-checks and balances because the ones we’ve got at the moment are obviously still not working.
Helen Hickford, West Auckland.
Ukraine-Russia war
The US Government believes peace between Ukraine and Russia will involve Russia keeping the land it has taken.
This will send a powerful message to countries all over the world that wish to expand – if you take land from your neighbour and hold on to it for long enough, the West will weaken and let you keep it.
I guess the folks in places like Gaza and Taiwan will be terrified by the return of appeasement as legitimate foreign policy.
Andrew Tichbon, West Auckland.
Bipartisanship
Agreement between the coalition Government and Labour over infrastructure projects and much that concerns education is welcome. What would be even more pleasing would be an agreement concerning other matters where there seems little difference in the policies of either side, but where debate wastes hours in Parliament. It is time for a change.
Dr Hylton Le Grice, Remuera.
