Domestic violence is an ongoing problem in New Zealand. The Government should be spending money addressing the issue, not wasting billions on new weapons, a reader writes. Photo / 123RF
Letter of the week
Every week, we seem to be advised of some horrific domestic violence or abuse issue, even more appalling than the week before.
Perhaps this sensitive coalition Government should show some compassion and statesmanship by immediately reallocating the $3 billion to be squandered on five attack helicopters and two new planes to find out why and come up with some quick solutions.
Even our internationally recognised, applauded, worshipped and acclaimed Helen Clark and John Key Foundations might be more than happy to accept an invitation to come to this bipartisan party, provided that their valuable time permits?
Bruce Tubb Devonport
Landlords versus teachers
Cost of secondary teachers’ pay rise: $300,000 over four years. Cost of landlords’ interest deductions: $300,000 over four years. You do the maths.
This coalition values landlords more, overtly prioritising them. Is that why some landlords do not want their housing interests known and hide them in family trusts?
Sure, there are many other reasons for trusts, but it doesn’t stop you being transparent about your interests. If this coalition values landlords more than teachers, that’s fine, but have the balls to put it out there.
Do we need more landlords or teachers, nurses, doctors, paramedics and police? This is the crux of the matter. You make the choice. Prioritise what you value most.
Steve Russell, Hillcrest
Climate obligations
Heather du Plessis Allen writes (HoS, Sept 7) as if New Zealand was free to abandon our commitment to the Paris Agreement on climate change.
If she believes this, she is mistaken. Trade agreements increasingly commit countries to environmental targets. As an example, Article 19.6 of our free trade agreement with the EU requires us to “effectively implement” the Paris Agreement, including to meet our nationally determined contributions. The agreement has a built-in compliance mechanism designed to cause economic pain in case of default.
If we were to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, it would not change our commitment to implement it. If we were to decide not to implement it, the result for our exports would be severe.
Whatever climate change deniers may say, the basic fact of man-made climate change is now internationally accepted. The days of total freedom to exploit the earth’s resources are over for good.
Robert Morfee, Maraetai
Rental income rules
Are we supposed to believe that Mr Bates and all the other landlord MPs - and there are plenty in all parties, including the Prime Minister - will be unbiased when voting on rental property income rules?
The first urgent action of this Government was to vote landlords a huge tax relief of $2.9 billion on their mortgage payments; money desperately needed, now we see the state of our economy and the debt this country is facing.
That vote should have been only by MPs with no property investments.
Vince West, Milford
Sovereign nonsense
University of Otago associate professor Stephen Young shone light on the sovereign citizens in New Zealand (NZ Herald, Sept 12).
Young says: “There’s an intelligence report and a police report that says there are a dozen groups in New Zealand and maybe 1200 people, but we don’t know.”
They are an interesting bunch of people who believe “they are separate from and not subject to government authority”.
No doubt New Zealanders with sovereign citizen ideology have watched the YouTube videos of traffic stops and courtroom procedures of their counterparts in the United States, and are copying what they see.
The patience of some of the police officers and courtroom judges when dealing with the nonsense these people spout, and in the case of court proceedings, dealing with the copious amount of paperwork they produce, is amazing. But now and then they come across an officer or judge who won’t go along with their antics, and much to their surprise, they’re dealt with very swiftly.
Hopefully, when our sovereign citizens are stopped for a traffic offence or are in court, they are dealt with swiftly.
Lorraine Kidd, Warkworth
Silly commentary
The slow news day must be here when the Herald on Sunday chooses to print a letter advocating the purchase of large regional parks in preference to national defence and transport, two of the most vital essentials to operate a successful country.
How this silly commentary passes the editor’s criteria and is printed would indicate a lack of common sense to most people’s thinking.
Bruce Woodley, Birkenhead
Phillips no hero
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers is so right in saying that Tom Phillips is no hero. Heroes are people who sacrifice themselves for the good of others. There was no sacrifice here, only an act of selfishness. In fact, you could say he used his children as human shields for the last four years as police could not possibly make decisive plans to rescue them for fear of them being literally in the firing line.
By being on the run for four years he stripped his children of a stable environment, a proper education, the ability to form relationships and placed them in situations that could have endangered their health. This was not the actions of a hero but of someone thinking only of himself whilst denying his children a normal childhood.
Perhaps some people might have had a sneaking admiration for the man for his resourcefulness and cunning. However, this admiration is misplaced. It might even come out that it is the children that are the heroes here, for their resilience and fortitude in putting up with circumstances for which they had no choice.
Bernard Walker, Mt Maunganui