Masks and tests
Being someone who has recently spent 16 days in hospital fighting Covid, our Government’s decision to not require mandatory testing of all incoming passengers seems utterly ludicrous. I can only surmise that the reason is that they don’t want to upset those morons involved in last year’s protest before the upcoming election. In my opinion all travellers should have to be tested and wear masks, no matter where you are coming from or going to. I myself will be more than happy to comply and I believe those that won’t, to be selfish, arrogant and to have a blatant disregard for the wellbeing of their fellow man. While business will likely prosper in the short-term, how long will it take before Covid is so rampant that people will be too frightened to travel or go out? Not long I suspect. I consider myself lucky to have survived Covid, thanks to the expert care of all the medical staff at Waikato Hospital. This may not be available if we allow our hospitals to be overcome with cases in the future.
Warren Cossey, Morrinsville
Disappointed at decision
It is hugely disappointing that the New Zealand Government has decided that travellers from China are not required to undertake a mandatory Covid test before departing China. As an expat who found the whole experience of securing a spot in MIQ a year ago traumatising, I find this laissez-faire attitude to Covid generally of concern. The NZ Government took considerable time to reach the conclusion that its zero-Covid policy was not working because they were too slow in secure vaccines, RAT tests and KN95 masks, it only opened borders fully just over six months ago and now it seems a free for all. China can threaten countries who have recently imposed such measures as “political” but don’t let’s forget it caused the pandemic, its hospitals and funeral parlours are currently overwhelmed, and with these factors new variants could emerge. Sensible governments are responding accordingly until they have the evidence to the contrary. I wait to see if the NZ Government is again too slow to respond, let’s see its response when hospitals start to fill up again and it won’t be just New Zealanders occupying the beds.
Jan Dalgleish, London
Chinese tourists
Good to see the NZ Herald backing our own Dr Ayesha Verrall in the matter of Chinese tourists and Covid testing. As opposed to the knee-jerk xenophobia shown by other countries and our very own leader of the National Party, Christopher Luxon. Who was it who said “if you can keep a cool head while all round others are losing theirs...?”
John Capener, Kawerau
Royal saga
Prince Harry’s recent heartfelt plea that “he would like to get his father back and that he would like to get his brother back” is indeed heart-warming. However, Harry and his wife Meghan chose to leave their royal responsibilities behind them when they left for the United States while directing a certain amount of vitriol at the royal system, that would not have endeared them to the others who stayed. After all, their attacks were an attack on an institution that has prevailed for hundreds of years and despite its faults it has shown to be resilient. In today’s world it could be regarded as an ongoing TV and media reality show of which Megan and Harry are at times star players. And they appear to be doing quite well at it. Harry claims that his family has shown no signs of reconciliation with him since moving to America despite reports that King Charles has invited him and his wife Meghan to his coronation. It would seem that Harry is getting the best of both worlds in this royal soap opera where each act is either contrived for him or manufactured by him to make sure he and his wife have a continued high profile to garner enough funds to keep paying the bills. And there is no hint at the pesky royal duty of having to tour the colonies.
Bernard Walker, Papamoa
Coal and carbon
New Zealand imports about a million tonnes of coal per annum from Indonesia. This relatively low-quality coal is used to fire the Huntly power station and the Glenbrook steel mill. For some reason, I see that the coal that used to be railed from Mt Maunganui to Huntly is now being trucked from Auckland. We do like to burn carbon don’t we? We also export quality South Island West Coast coking coal to China, so they can make steel. If the Government were to tax the imported Indonesian coal and subsidise the West Coast coking coal, then this coal could be railed to Lyttelton, shipped to Mt Maunganui, then railed to Huntly and Glenbrook saving thousands of tonnes of CO2 and removing dozens of coal trucks from Auckland to Huntly on State Highway 1, to Glenbrook, where they are wrecking the Glenbrook Rd as well as removing them from Auckland city’s congested streets and motorway system. The question that needs answering is how important is climate change versus free market economics orthodoxy?
Niall Robertson, Balmoral
On driving
Travelling north between Christmas and New Year, to take an elderly parent home, my wife and I did not see any of the famous potholes that everyone keeps talking about. We did see a number of drivers speeding though, as well as dangerous overtaking manoeuvres from fools impatient with the heavier holiday traffic. We nearly got involved with a near miss from a person behind us north of Kaukapakapa, on a highway that rarely is safe at 100km/h, and there was no way they were getting to the front of the line. Speed, and reckless crazy behaviour, kills. Paul Tudor, Sandringham
On travel
I read with interest the comments re the airlines price-gouging (NZ Herald January 5). It is however, not only the airlines. A return ticket to visit Stewart Island on the ferry is a whopping $200 per person, for a one-hour trip each way. For two adults, that’s $400 for a ferry ride. I have to work 20 hours for this and it is the cheapest way to get to the island. It is always promoted “see your country first” but with these prices you can understand why international travel is more appealing. Carolyn Thompson, Torbay
On pre-flight tests
Why should New Zealand be kind and require tests for flights from China, when China requires mandatory pre-departure tests from everyone entering China from all countries? Nishi Fahmy, Avondale
On beach checks
I have been taking my family to Karioitahi Beach for nearly 20 years and the kids have mostly enjoyed swimming out there. The main problem has always been motorbikes at huge speeds, open exhausts and cars and utes travelling at speed up and down the beach. This summer with a police presence on the beach checking WoFs and regos the beach is transformed into a peaceful, safe gentle environment. Well done and keep it up. Stephen Holden, Manurewa
On tennis
I read that it would cost $20 million to build a retractable roof at ASB stadium. ASB made a profit last year of $1.4 billion. Where’s the problem? R Harris, Kohimarama
On traffic police
People are suggesting that we go back to a separate traffic policing department. We already have that. All police districts are staffed with a road policing manager and a number of specialist road policing groups including strategic traffic units, highway patrol, impairment prevention teams, and serious crash units. Mark Young, Orewa
Premium content
Youth crime: How shopping malls, mental health and broken systems played a part
Unfortunately blaming the country for the problem is a problem in itself. The “country” is a faceless thing that has no actual substance to act in any way to fix a problem. What we need to do is peg this back to individuals and the families surrounding the individual. There has to be a consequence that an individual has to front up to, and by association the families. So first step is to introduce consequences, then put around those consequences action to make adjustments. But before the adjustments had to be a penalty, and it needs to be a meaningful penalty. All political parties have solutions to offer, so they need to get together in a non-political forum and produce the best solutions. But the short action is a consequence penalty before anything else, this may mean an urgent piece of legislation that allows actions against young offenders to be introduced, and those actions to be carried out in a fast-tracked method, and as close to the offence as possible. Storm R
It comes back to the parents. Sure children under a certain age have the excuse of lack of brain development but what excuse have the parents got? And if you can’t/ won’t look after your own children, don’t have them. I’m all for rehabilitation but get these thugs off the streets first. Is boot camp the answer? Maybe, maybe not. But I’m all for giving it another go and having these young offenders off the streets for a period of time. Steven W.
Mr Johnson blaming malls for the attacks says it all. Or blaming security guards for this violence. There must once again be consequences for people in our country if they choose to commit crime. Most people from difficult backgrounds do not make this choice. Mark C.
The biggest broken system versus the past is parents taking responsibility from when kids turn up, and not abdicating that responsibility to others and blaming others.....IMO. Chris J.
The example of putting youth workers in malls, which reduced crime to zero shows that relational approach is exactly what works and “punishment and being further ostracised from society” does not work. Let’s use evidence-based approaches instead of reactionary “hard on crime” approaches. Rob B.
The fault is with our weak ideological misinformed Government and it’s pantomime called “no consequences and no respect” playing out before our eyes. Honest hard-working = punishment. Offending and hand-out = reward. Things will only change in 2023 with the new Government. Mark C.
It’s not like the kids are suddenly going to go “National is in power I better stop offending”. If you look at the statistics, crime has actually gone down under Labour. To have any chance of fixing this you need to look at root causes (upbringing, poverty, cycles of violence) and tackle that. These problems have been brewing for decades and (shock horror) during the time National was in power as well. Kate M.
