There is no such thing as a free lunch and governments cannot spend what the economy has not earned, writes Robert Burrow. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Our coalition Government would be well advised to take note of yesterday's piece in the Business Herald when talking up their "Wellbeing" policies.
Boris Johnson observed that "dramatic improvements in the lives of the poorest — more specifically the National Health Service — was only possible with a thriving economy".
Only the most politically insensitive could not agree the less fortunate amongst us should qualify for assistance, but there is no such thing as a free lunch and governments cannot spend what the economy has not earned.
Surely a responsible government should be advocating policies that encourage the economy to thrive and expand before spending money it doesn't have. Unless it intends to borrow it!
Robert Burrow, Taupō.
Jacinda Ardern comes across like a child when questioned by Australian journalists about criminal deportees. She has no adequate response as to why Australia should keep New Zealand's rubbish — and nor is there one.
Australia has offered a better way of life to many NZers who are prepared to work and respect the laws and people of the land. And when this does not happen why should Australia keep these non-citizens on their shores? It's not their problem that these thugs don't have familial ties to NZ.
Dave Purcell, Orakei.
Correspondent Mike Jarman complains of the noise across Cornwall Park coming from motor vehicles and looks forward to the day when all cars are electric.
Is he aware that from this month all new electric cars produced in the EU must emit a fake sound while travelling below 20km/h and this rule applies to all electric cars in the EU by 2021.
The US is introducing similar laws to apply from September 2020 except that their electric cars will have to make a noise up to 30km/h. This is being done to protect other road users, particularly the elderly and the blind, with British research suggesting that electric and hybrid vehicles are 40 per cent more likely to be involved in an accident which causes injury to a pedestrian.
David Mairs, Glendowie.
It seems those in authority are bereft of ideas when it comes to reducing the traffic congestion on Auckland networks.
We could solve this problem if we increased the cost of car registration to $500 a year or maybe even $1000. This would then be a serious disincentive to people owning a car. Folk would then look to alternative methods of transport such as buses, trains, ferries, cycles and walking.
Fifty years ago when I grew up most Auckland households owned just one car, sometimes only used for weekend jaunts. During the week Dad went to work on the bus, Mum stayed at home and didn't drive and my brothers and I cycled or walked to school. Today, in a family of four there are often four cars. In my view it has become way too easy to own a car and this fundamentally needs to change.
Singapore has car registration costs well in excess of $1000 and only the rich and famous drive cars. The vast majority use public transport or walk.
Glen Stanton, Mairangi Bay.
As a small-medium income country, I don't think that we should become "world leaders" in climate change as a lot suggest. Yes, keep up and do our bit, but National's opposition doesn't mean it wants to align us with the "most irresponsible emitters on the planet". Technology is the way ahead but we should leave the technology to the big industrialised countries.
As we are an agricultural country, maybe we could lead the world in finding a solution to the methane from cows or even planting forests, but we shouldn't be jeopardising our economic growth or people's living standards with more taxes and ridiculous policies just to show we are doing something.
Jacinda is a show pony. Stopping fossil fuel exploration is a case in point. No matter what, we will still be needing fossil fuels into the near future. Surely drilling for our own oil is better than denying Taranaki and NZ income and jobs, paying overseas corporations for it and shipping it from Iran or Iraq.
These oil tankers don't run on fresh air — this policy would add to the carbon emissions, not reduce them.
We are so small, generating about 0.17% of the world's greenhouse gasses, that even if NZ became carbon neutral tomorrow, it would make no difference to the warming of the planet. National is suggesting we take a common sense approach to this matter.
Fred Jones, Te Atatu Peninsula.
The imminent destruction of the landscape at Ihumātao, and the degradation of the adjacent historic reserve, provide one of the more flagrant examples of the way the Super City has enabled democracy and the Tiriti to be ignored.
Ihumātao is the oldest visible Māori landscape in Tāmaki-makaurau and the oldest continuously occupied Māori community in greater Auckland.
The people of Ihumātao and the wider community of Manukau City recognised this with the plans to incorporate the adjacent land into the Ōtuataua Historic Reserve.
Those enlightened plans were a tribute to kaumatua like Maurice Wilson and Manukau leaders like Sir Barry Curtis; they got lost in the mix with the Super City. The democratic heir to Manukau City, the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board, has continued to hold true to the vision of an expanded Stonefields Reserve. However, like the people and the marae at Ihumātao, the board has been ignored and over-ridden by council officials and the "governing body".
Farrell Cleary, Mt Eden.
How does Terence Harpur (Herald, July 19) think the contentious Panuku development on the west side of Hurstmere is going to "better connect the business district with Takapuna Beach" on the East side. The Panuku scheme will do absolutely nothing to improve the linkage between the shops and the beach.
Successive planning studies over nearly 20 years have identified this link as critical for Takapuna. Yet nothing has been done. The space between the Hurstmere shops and the beach is an unsightly mess of ill-formed car parks on what must be some of the most valuable land in the borough.
The situation is bizarre. One looks in vain for any sense in the current proposals to improve Takapuna.
Denys Oldham, Devonport.
I have just returned to the North Shore from a visit to the city — what a mess, like a third-world country.
Walking down Wyndham St was a real eye opener, homeless were staking their claim for the night, the rubbish bins were overflowing with the surplus spread over the footpath like a carpet, not to mention the stench. Beer bottles in doorways of buildings.
The unemployed and those required do community work through the courts could be consigned to clean up our streets over the weekend when council staff are off for the weekend. The council needs to get its act together, particularly with local body elections coming up.
Lime and other brand scooters were also parked throughout in abundance, some just parked in the middle of pathways which I consider dangerous.
It would be great if we could have North Shore City reinstated. This is not the Auckland I grew up in — I feel ashamed and embarrassed to be called "an Aucklander".
Jan Ellin, Milford.
I am a long-time Labour voter and supporter of Jacinda Ardern, but I was astonished and disappointed to see her trying to dictate immigration policy (deportation of Kiwi criminals) to the Australians during her recent visit.
This is arrogant and not something we would appreciate if they did it to us.
It is very simple — do not commit crimes and you will not be deported. It is a privilege to live and work in another country and these people are abusing that privilege.
And as the Australian media pointed out, these Kiwis can apply for citizenship and then they will not be deported.
Why have they not bothered to apply for citizenship? Especially when they have lived in Australia for many years, have no ties to New Zealand and hate the idea of coming back?
Diane Anderson, Sunnynook.