Australia clamped down hard on bikie gangs. Photo / Getty Images, File
Lead on, then
How many times do we hear that politicians here should wake up and follow Australia’s lead? But why does this country these days always need to follow another whereas in the past we just got on and did things to the extent we were once an envy of the world? To counter smoking, for example, we allowed vaping which was uncontrolled and was always going to be an issue. We force the police to stand back and watch as gangs control entire motorways and entire communities for their events then watch judges issue the most ridiculously lenient sentences simply because the government wants the prison population kept down in order to look good. Australia, on the other hand, admittedly has its problems but when push comes to shove, they will clamp down; harshly if required and empower those responsible to stamp out uncivilised behaviour. We need to do the same. Follow the leader, as we simply don’t have one.
Paul Beck, West Harbour.
Road to redemption
Reading Manu Vatuvei’s story (NZ Herald, August 21) was quite uplifting in a way. Prison gets such a bad rap as a grooming place for criminals, too often we always hear the negative stories of this and other scenarios in society (as it makes better “news”). Prison has done what it ideally does; made him reflect on what he had done to arrive there and helped him with psychological assistance to go out and turn a negative into a positive. Good on him and I wish him well. Live and let live people.
Hamish Walsh, Devonport.
House always wins
After the Second World War, the Canadian government helped create a million low-cost Victory Houses using government land, direct grants and industrialised production processes that allowed new homes to be assembled in as little as 36 hours. If Canadians could do it, so could we, 50 years later, but it’s not going to happen. The reason is that scarcity of housing underlies the wealth of the majority of New Zealanders - landlords and homeowners. The idea of having enough houses would be a nightmare scenario for them. Unfortunately, decision-makers – Parliamentarians – are those very people, landlords and homeowners. Foxes looking after the hen-house indeed.
Susan Grimsdell, Auckland Central.
Minding pennies
The Labour Party’s plan to require schools to teach “financial literacy” sounds like another way of blaming those at the bottom of the economic heap for their own misfortune. If the plan has any value, it’s as an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff for the children of the poor. And yes, that is a reference to John A Lee. I don’t believe the children of the well-off need training of this sort, though they might benefit from a study of the guiles of consumer culture and the damage they cause. Discussion of Lee’s book might also prove salutary. Instead of teaching poor children how to budget, let’s address the inequities that underpin their parents’ poverty.
Andrea Dawe, Sandringham.
Medical alert
The Government’s proposal for all pupils to have a compulsory class teaching them fiscal responsibility is one of the best things I have ever heard come out of Wellington. While they’re at it, they should grab the bull by the horns and include compulsory first aid classes also, as this would be another beneficial asset for all New Zealanders, going forward.
Gavin Sheehan, Long Bay.
Solely punitive
Like the Dickason family, we came to NZ seeking a better life. There were many challenges, but a great comfort to us was that Kiwis were kind, caring and aware of the challenges of mental health. The experts in court cannot have an opinion on whether Lauren was a loving mother as only those close to Lauren know this and duly testified thus. The experts could also not agree to what degree her mind was impaired at the time of the dreadful event. Surely this indicates reasonable doubt. There is no doubt that Lauren suffered many stressors. There is also no doubt about her struggles with mental health. The combination resulted in a deadly consequence. This loving mother now faces the prospect of a life sentence. This seems non-restorative and solely punitive. Graham, the father, has forgiven his wife, and has urged us to do the same. The hardest of all will be for Lauren to forgive herself. Losing her three lovely daughters and having to live with the knowledge that this was by her own hand, must be the ultimate penalty. It is a sad day for women’s mental health.
Peter de Graaf, Tauranga.
Correct verdict
The verdict in the Lauren Dickason murder trial is the correct one. I had severe post-natal depression after my second child and thought of killing myself but I never once considered killing my children. They are innocent. If a mother or anyone is severely depressed and feels like harming their children then they must walk away and let someone else care for them. A majority of the expert psychiatrists agreed she had been planning it for weeks and killed them in a “cold, calculated” way. At any point, she could have stopped but went on to kill all three children. If she can plead insanity then anyone who murders another person can.
Diane Anderson, Sunnynook.
Motorist pays
Auckland and Tauranga both had tolls on the bridges built in those communities and when the toll, being paid, had repaid all the loans the toll was abolished. Tauranga currently has two of the only three toll roads in New Zealand and whilst they do cost a toll there are alternative routes, to take, should you wish to do so and therefore avoid paying a road toll. The latest Labour Party commitment, to fund new and existing roads, by increasing petrol taxes, by 12 cents a litre is grossly unfair, unjust and a ridiculous way to fund new roads and also upgrade the ones that we already have. They gave us $2, if GST is removed on food and now propose to tax us an additional, $3 based on a 25 litre per week average fill - what planet are they on? Why should people living on, say, Stewart Island pay increased petrol tax when there will be no new roads in their locality? Why should people filling their boats or lawnmowers also pay increased petrol tax when neither use roads - ever. User pays is the way to go as the person using the road is the one that pays for the road - simple.
Mike Baker, Tauranga.
Rates penalities
Many ratepayers would feel sympathy for correspondent McAuslin (NZ Herald, August 18). Two points that stand out from her experience (of being hit with a 10 per cent penalty tax twice): “The council staff refused to discuss a solution for my short-term problem” and “Ironically, my financial stress resulted from flooding due to council drains being inadequate due to subdivisions around me”. Clearly, this is unacceptable by any standards. Greater fairness and efficiency by Auckland Council has been promoted...a response from Mayor Brown would be of interest.
B. Watkin, Devonport.
Pass it forward
There has been amazing, unprecedented interest in the Fifa Women’s Football World Cup both here and in Australia. Let’s hope Football New Zealand has a plan in place to capitalise on this massive new popularity of their sport. Recently Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown suggested that, due to being under-utilised, the North Harbour Stadium should be demolished. This should become the home of Football in Auckland. We should fast-track an Auckland-based team in the A-League to complement the Wellington Phoenix. Then both cities could apply for teams to play in the Liberty A-League. Both the men’s and women’s Auckland teams should be based at North Harbour Stadium. Junior football academies should be set up if they aren’t already and again based at North Harbour Stadium. These measures will ensure the future growth of the sport in New Zealand and give them the security of a home base for their long-term future.
Glen Stanton, Mairangi Bay.
Corridors of power
The Draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport, released on August 17, highlights the complete lack of coordination between transport projects and master planning for Onehunga. Forty-five per cent of feedback on the Auckland Light Rail route came from Onehunga and made it clear that use of the KiwiRail corridor was the least desirable of the two ill-favoured routes proposed. Not using the KiwiRail corridor for light rail was based around the impact on nearby properties. If the Avondale to Onehunga heavy rail route now proceeds, as proposed in the Government’s policy statement, then the impacts along the KiwiRail corridor are unavoidable and likely would have changed the outcome of the ALR consultation. The Government and Auckland Transport need to develop a master plan for Onehunga transport corridors. These plans should include ferry services on the Manukau, giving the option for a transport hub at the Port of Onehunga. Only once a master plan is developed and consulted on should any of these projects proceed. The same goes for the National Government if they win the upcoming elections, as they are stating they will bring back the East-West Link. We need a master plan.
Stephen Lasham, The Onehunga Enhancement Society.
Tapping out
An item about managing one’s money (Viva, August 16) recommended checking regular bills, which I do. When my monthly Watercare bill, usually between about $40 and $60, suddenly jumped to $105 I queried it. “Have you filled your swimming pool recently?” I was asked (haha), “or had extra visitors?” No, nothing unusual. A leak? No, I had checked. Oh, well, can’t explain it then - the meter cannot lie - tough. The next three bills were back to normal but I then received two consecutive monthly bills of $90.56, both estimated and identical in all respects. A letter to Watercare got no response. One can switch electricity companies to get a more affordable deal but one is powerless (pun intended) in the hands of one’s water supplier.
Anne Martin, Helensville.
We’ve bin had
While I applaud the rollout of food waste bin collection in Auckland City, I have two concerns. Firstly, they are manufactured in Australia. Surely there was a local company which could have produced them? Secondly, the pathetically flimsy “locking” handle is easily dislodged, and I fear will lead to collection day turning into a buffet for stray dogs.
Phil Parker, Pt Chevalier.
On camera
Woolworth’s NZ is trialling surveillance cameras at self-service checkouts (NZH, Aug. 18). I thought it would have been better to replace the self-service lanes with staffed checkouts until I remembered cameras don’t require wages or holidays. P. Harlen, Mount Maunganui.
On EVs
Why is the Government still holding off from making electric car owners pay some sort of road user charge? They contribute nothing towards road maintenance or improvement, unlike owners of hybrid/petrol/diesel cars. Pauline Murray, Henderson.
On consultants
I disagree with Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown’s dismissal of a $1.4m payment for advisory fees as “not material” (NZH, Aug. 18). We could have had four raised concrete pedestrian crossings for that. PK Ellwood, Beach Haven.
On promises
The Labour Government will need to plant a million money trees to pay for all its election promises. Graham Fleetwood, Botany Downs.
On rhetoric
David Seymour’s “Guy Fawkes” comment may have been made “in jest” but recent history has shown that there are enough members of the lunatic fringe to take such comments seriously. Donald Trump’s January 6 comments are a case in point. Greg Cave, Sunnyvale.
On Warriors
Congratulations to the Warriors. Six wins in a row is brilliant. “Up the Wahs!” Lorraine Kidd, Warkworth.
Ferry suspensions raise housing fears
The article tells us that AT have purchased four vessels from Fullers and that they have had extensive re-fits for a planned return to service in February 2024. What level of disclosure was there about the price paid for these obviously unfit-for-service vessels? How much has AT spent on the refit, and how does the combined purchase/re-fit cost compare to the market value of those vessels? Why has AT invested directly in transport equipment, deviating from the otherwise applied model of contracting out services to transport operators? Will this become the permanent modus operandi, and will it be applied more widely? That would be a reversion to the public transport model for Auckland Transport Board and Auckland Regional Authority buses in the 1950s-70s. Not in itself a bad thing, but we should be informed. Phil M.
Did you see the latest from our Transport Minister? Light rail down Lake Rd to meet up with one of the proposed new harbour crossings. I must admit I’m having trouble visualising how that will work. Debbie K.
Councillors and the community board need to get priorities straight. They are wastefully consulting on building a new Takapuna Library for millions of dollars. The current one is excellent. Meanwhile, no money for Lake Rd upgrade and, after 12 years, they can’t do a deal on Firth land to ensure the iconic coastal walk between Takapuna and Milford remains. Daniel S.
I note that AT bought four rundown ferries from Fullers and is in the process of upgrading them. So far, okay. Then, what is the plan? Sell them back to Fullers at half price? This, of course, would then enable Fullers to return to a tidy, profitable service. AT also says it is looking for another company to come in and set up in competition. Why not use these four upgraded vessels, plus a couple of new builds, to get a company up and running and then get another marine company to take it over? Alexander M.
Brilliant, just brilliant. Making it ever harder to get around by narrowing roads and waging an endless war on cars, to force us on to...what exactly? Trains that don’t run, buses that don’t turn up and ferry services that don’t exist. Jonathan S.
A scene guard is in place, and inquiries continuing, police say.