It should be required reading for the private service-bashing ministers in the current New Zealand coalition Government.
If you now know that political social media sets out to misinform you in favour of anti-democratic forces, you can switch off and start to read and think for yourself.
Peter Beyer, Sandringham.
Political pendulum is swinging
The crushing election victories for the centre-left Governments in Canada and Australia represent a solid rejection of Trumpism and divisive culture war politics.
This should send a chilling message to our coalition Government that pursues these policies. People are now seeing where these agendas lead us to and how destructive they are.
Hopefully, the pendulum is swinging away from asinine, populist name-calling to more reasonable times.
Roger Laybourn, Hamilton.
Dutton kicked to touch
I am absolutely delighted that Australian Opposition leader Peter Dutton has been well and truly kicked for touch. Over the years, he was never a friend to New Zealand on so many issues.
Australia has done well to see through this nasty piece of work by giving him his marching orders.
Andrew Williams, former MP and former North Shore City Mayor.
Problem with associate ministers
There is a problem with the coalition Cabinet that is more important than the number of ministers – the number of associate ministers. Many of them are selected mainly as a sop to coalition partners and work to undermine the functions they are supposed to improve.
David Seymour himself undermines education by wrecking school lunches. Casey Costello, Associate Health Minister, supports and grants $200 million to tobacco companies. Then we have the likes of Brooke Van Velden, Minister of Workplace Safety and Relations, who is intent on downgrading the safety of our workers, when our safety record is already poor, and undermining relations with unions.
Let’s focus on improving things that matter – improving the quality of life of New Zealand citizens.
Kushlan Sugathapala, Epsom.
Defence spending not the answer
The Government’s plan to double New Zealand’s defence budget from 1% of GDP ($5 billion) to 2% of GDP ($10b) over the next eight years has barely created a murmur.
As former Prime Minister Helen Clark said (Weekend Herald, May 3): “New Zealand faces no direct military threat.”
For instance, upgrading the Navy’s two old Anzac-class frigates – which were built last century – to be launch platforms for hi-tech missiles and drones is wasteful and pointless. Our two small warships are not and never will be a deterrent. Doubling our defence spending to appease an unreliable, demanding and hawkish United States makes no sense. It’s purely symbolic.
New Zealand’s security and economy should be built on developing friendly relations with all our trading partners, not choosing one over another.
As the Minister of Finance struggles to reduce our deficit, increasing spending on militarisation is not the answer.
Mark van Praagh, Hobsonville Point.
Aid ship attacked
Last week, a civilian aid ship bound for Gaza was struck twice, allegedly by Israeli drones, in international waters near Malta. The vessel was part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, carrying humanitarian supplies to Palestinians enduring a total blockade. Hours earlier, it was deflagged, leaving it legally unprotected, a serious violation of maritime norms.
In 2010, nine aid convoy members on the Mavi Marmara were killed when Israeli naval commandos stormed the ship in international waters. In 2018, the flotilla ships Freedom and Al Awda were seized and their crews detained. A New Zealander on board had his foot broken by an Israeli soldier using the butt of his rifle. These are not isolated incidents.
If a ship carrying supplies to Ukraine were bombed, the outrage would be global. Yet when it comes to Gaza, where is the condemnation? More than two million Palestinians, half of them children, are starving.
The Freedom Flotilla is not a threat, it is doing what Governments have failed to do: defend human dignity.
Dana A. Patterson, Waiheke Island.
