Migrant worker shortage is clearly due to the coronavirus crisis
ROSS Davidson (Letters, 2.10.20) asserts the immigration policy of the Labourled coalition has restricted entry to seasonal migrant workers, essential for primary industry. He specifically implies New Zealand First is responsible for this policy.
I would like to suggest that anyone commenting on the levels of immigration into this country should first get their facts right by checking statistics online.
New Zealand’s net immigration levels peaked at 85,000 for the 12month period ending March 2020 (also published in the Otago Daily
This is the highest recorded net immigration level.
I would suggest the issue of unavailable migrant workers is purely related to the Covid19 crisis and all workers of a seasonal nature are now no longer allowed entry due to quarantine issues, not Winston Peters’ opinion on immigration. Susan Broad
Outram
Religion
I’M in total agreement with D. McLean (Letters, 1.10.20) wherein he finds that New Zealand is an atheistic country.
But, unlike McLean, I’m not shocked by this information. I’m delighted.
As a Christian, he worries that this country is embracing a culture of death. Excuse me, but didn’t Christ die? If any group of people has ever made a meal of a death, it’s surely
Christians. Christian martyrs didn’t come alive unless they were dying.
He goes on to say that we cannot expect good to come from anything that is outside God’s word. Well, if raising and being part of a family that I’m proud of is bad, I’m a really bad boy.
If showing compassion to those suffering is bad, count me in for more demerits. If treating delusional people with pity rather than contempt makes me bad, so be it.
It looks like all my badness is consigning me to hell in a handbasket.
Some of us, we just never learn, do we?
To hell with it, it’s my intention to vote Yes at the coming referendum. I can always say the devil made me do it. John Watson
Otaki
Conservation estates
‘‘LOCK it and leave it’’ is no way to manage the conservation estate. The two fires in the Ohau region and the razing of the Lake Ohau township is testament to that. The Department of Conservation needs to learn some lessons or worse is to come. The more land in the conservation estate, the worse the problem.
Jim Salinger says the problem is due to climate change, citing temperatures on Sunday at Queenstown of 8degC above average (ODT, 5.10.20). He needs to remember the difference between weather and climate. The temperature was 10degC below normal just a week earlier.
Jock Allison Dunedin Central