One letter writer wants Jacinda Ardern's Government to continue acting on the best advice on the right course to take next. Photo / Mark Mitchell
So many commentators seem to want certainty - no such thing exists in the world around Covid-19 and its future course. If you're in business and you want "certainty" you should find another calling - business is about measured risk, and the payoffs that go with that IF everything works out.
The best we should expect of our Government is that they continue to react to Covid-19 based on the best evidence about what is happening right now. Closing our eyes and committing to definite dates and outcomes is not a plan, it's hope that nothing changes about Covid-19.
We need to keep our options open, while moving to very high rates of vaccination and keeping a close eye on developments overseas and the outcomes from the various real-time experiments in opening up in other countries.
Peter Wharton, Pt Chevalier.
Rent-a-tent
The Government's Covid strategy seems predicated on reaching a level of immunity in the population such that the unvaccinated, were they to become infected, won't overwhelm our public health system.
Given Covid's rate of mutation, this seems optimistic at best.
Would it not be prudent to explore in parallel a scheme for bolstering our national ICU capacity? I don't contemplate "bricks and mortar" investment so much as "pop up" facilities along lines of field surgical units used by military around the world. Think M.A.S.H.
I appreciate there would be corollary challenges in sourcing equipment and personnel but afterwards, presuming there is an afterwards, this asset could be employed as part of our international aid commitments in the Pacific and beyond.
Jock O'Connor, Paihia.
Business senses
New Zealand is an economy, not a medical laboratory. Eighteen months ago, it worked but business and commercial expertise must now be part of the mix.
Time to introduce flexibility into the hard and fast rules around the Covid levels where, in a number of areas, logic and common sense play no part. Let private MIQ facilities be established. Give business some credit – they want Covid controlled as much as any Kiwi does.
For a successful return to "normality" whatever that may be, I would rather have my fate more in the hands of the commercially astute than the politically astute, and with timely advice from the medically astute.
Warwick Maxwell, St Heliers.
Rundown and worsening
I was wondering when the former National Party leader would come out (NZ Herald, September 27) and face the issues he helped create.
We were overseas, constantly hearing about the NZ "rockstar" economy.
When we returned in 2015, we found homeless sleeping on Queen St, families without food, soaring rents and a rundown health system.
Please explain further your plans for the hermit country emerging from Covid restrictions in light of all of the worsening of the above.
Pam Dougal, Long Bay.
Rewarding laggards
I hear there are calls for financial inducement to motivate those who have not been bothered to get vaccinated yet. How about putting some money into my account and the others who went out of their way to do the socially responsible thing themselves?
In my case, it took a bit of planning. Why does it seem only the lazy and laggards get rewarded in this country?
Graham Hansen, Howick.
No easy answers
According to a recent report, DHBs are still working through substantial elective surgery backlogs from the first Covid lockdown in March last year. A costly strain on the health system, set to be added to when the current lockdown ends.
A real Covid outbreak would be catastrophic for our health system.
Sir John Key (NZ Herald, September 27) suggests we just need to bolster the health workforce, yet specialist intensive care nurses take some seven years to train, and we have a national shortage of nurses as it is.
Pre-Covid, our health system was already struggling to meet the needs of many New Zealanders, including those with chronic conditions such as kidney dialysis and diabetes.
The Government has been prudent, cautious, and the Prime Minister well attuned to the myriad complexities Covid has created both for country and citizens. Sir John Key would be better off contributing his leadership expertise helping the National Party find a competent leader from within its ranks that can lead and provide cohesion.
Sam Clements, Hauraki.
Stir things up
If Sir John Key's controversial comments were intended to stir things up, he was successful. This Government doesn't like criticism of any sort but the plain fact is, it is a reactive government. It waits to see what happens overseas and to hear what people are saying. This used to be a country where sound government example and initiative were hallmarks.
Sadly, there has not been much sign of these qualities in recent times.
Graham Astley, Remuera.
Other views
Regarding Anthony Mercer's concern (NZ Herald, September 27) about an article praising Jacinda Ardern.
I presume the postman has forgotten to deliver his Herald on the days, of which there are many, which feature articles by Hosking, Prebble, Joyce, Key, Trevett, Hooton and all the other National Party supporters. You can't have it both ways.
Paul Hicks, Warkworth.
Water monster
It's amazing how "Three Waters" is going to provide a higher quality water infrastructure at about a third the price of what the local bodies can. The Government's claim of scale efficiencies is a gross misrepresentation, as no evidence has been provided to support this.
Experience tells us these organisations become top-heavy with many layers of remote, highly-paid bureaucrats who often lack any knowledge of the engineering required at the
workface.
Water infrastructure often forms part of other civil engineering works such as roading upgrades and new subdivision construction. Having an additional party involved will create higher costs, delays, disputes and more "buck-passing".
The Government uses the Havelock North failure as one of the reasons to nationalise the water services. This failure was due to a simple design flaw in that the open top of the bore casing was below ground level and allowed contaminated surface water from an adjacent sheep farm to enter the bore during a period of high rainfall.
This is hardly a reason to justify the creation of a new bureaucratic monster.
Lindsay Smith, Hamilton.
Aotearoa
The name "Aotearoa" as an alternative name is nothing new. I was taught this over 70 years ago in primary school, and Don Brash (NZ Herald, September 22) notes that it has been in use since the 19th century.
So we have two names with historical usage. For the future, we have choices. Perhaps the time has come for us to consider whether we want to continue with a name coined by anonymous Dutch cartographers and adopted by the British colonial powers, or do we want to adopt a name that has had its birth in the indigenous culture of this country? There are many precedents for countries moving from a name imposed by colonial powers to one emanating from local culture.
Maybe, by the 200th anniversary of the treaty, in 2040, we will have severed our last links with our colonial history by declaring ourselves a republic and by adopting a name and flag chosen by the residents of the country.
Keith Garratt, Rotorua.
Flow charts
I sometimes wonder about the ability of those supposed to be qualified in land development and planning to think forward.
It seems obvious to me (and many other know-nothing citizens) that land on which grows grass and other vegetation absorbs rain. Concrete does not. Ergo the water runs off and has to go somewhere. That "somewhere" is not planned for. Years ago, I bought a house in Kumeū, the scene of recent floods (NZ Herald, September 27).
During a previous event, the road outside the house had flooded so they had raised the level of the road. The result was that the road then formed a dam and, during the next flood, the water trapped behind it turned my property into a lake.
After I complained, the council came and lowered the road. Couldn't the "experts" have predicted that?
Anne Martin, Helensville.
On solutions
The "key" to getting on top of this pandemic is to look after the needy before the greedy and health before wealth. Eric Bennett, Red Beach.
On the one hand we have visionary light at the end of the tunnel and on the other we have tunnel vision; fixated on lockdown, elimination and little else. George Williams, Whangamatā.
All the heavy lifting has been done and along comes Sir John Key to do a bit of tinkering.
Barbara Matthews, Onehunga.
Troglodytes of the world unite. You have nothing to lose, apart from the respect of a retired money-trader. David Blaker, Three Kings.
On vaccine
With vaccines becoming increasingly available, is Covid-19 becoming an illness of choice?Nick Hamilton, Remuera.
On water
Does, "there are no plans at this stage to lift Auckland water restrictions on using sprinklers to water the garden, despite heavy rain filling the city's dams in the past month" (NZ Herald, September 24) indicate Watercare concedes its infrastructure will never be fit for purpose?
P Raine, Auckland Central.
Well said, Simon Wilson. Ex-politicians, more than anyone, know how easy it is to demand action when they are not responsible for delivering it, nor accountable for the aftermath. Smiling assassin indeed. Chris B.
Yes, Key has done a superb hatchet job on Judith Collins. Particularly in recognising Seymour's contribution but making no mention of Collins whatsoever. The latest Colmar poll shows that sentiment is virtually unchanged from the start of September poll done by UMR. Key hoped to kill two birds with one stone by also giving some much-needed impetus to National's moribund campaign, but ludicrous comparisons to North Korea won't garner him any more votes from centrist-Labour supporters. Rick F.
He is hardly an old rogue. He was a very popular Prime Minister. I am really amused with the media and Labour reactions - I think he hit a nerve. Forget about the polls right now, there is a wave building and it's against this Government. Sooner or later, it's going to break. Ian U.
Get back into politics John, New Zealand needs you. Daniel H.
John Key shouldn't have to step in and fill the void of an effective Opposition leader. Where is the National Party? This Government has great support because, other than David Seymour, there is no alternative. Anna K.
Well said, Simon, a voice of reason. I do not know why many Herald readers would ever be calling for John Key to make a political comeback, when he did nothing but worsen the gap between the rich and poor with his total neglect of our state-owned assets. Laura S.