King’s voice lost in din of apathy Workplace cover-ups

Mike King’s frustration resignation brought this classic response from our veteran Prime Minister: “. . . it probably doesn’t suit him sitting in meetings talking about generalities”. Which is the modus operandi for staying in power: look intensely busy and caring, but be careful not to do anything unsettling or expensive. Same for housing, tax loopholes, and so on. The public are generally too busy to be fazed by the plight of society’s struggling fringe elements.

Letting them die is the cheap option, so we just shrug. The world is getting overcrowded anyway. Survival of the fittest is the natural order. Feel sorry for Mike, he’s a lone voice.

Jim Carlyle, Te Atatu Peninsula.

Houses need builders

Various political parties say: “We are going to build thousands of houses.” No, they are not. Labour doesn’t own a hammer. Neither does National or any of the others. The Ministry of Works is long dead. So who is actually going to put on a hard hat and build all these promised new houses?

Private building contractors, that’s who. All the private builders are flat out right now, and there is a serious shortage of tradies. But we do have an abundance of lawyers. So any house the Government builds will be one fewer house built in the private sector, as pulling workers off one to build another means the first one does not get built. So I see no prospect of any catch-up in the shortage over the next number of years — at least until we can get the Tiger Mums to divert their ambitious offspring from law school to Unitec. Peter Lewis , Forrest Hill.

Defending Trump

Oh come off it, Mr Pedersen. You just make yourself look ridiculous defending the Emperor’s “new clothes” when the rest of us are shocked or giggling and pointing at his nakedness. Here’s what you’re up against in accusing the Herald of left-wing bias and Steve Braunias of a childish and disrespectful insult. Within the past 48 hours you have former CIA Director Leon Panetta stating on American television that Trump is a “loose cannon” who needs some “grown-ups around him” to restrain him and columnist George F. Will who has been writing on American affairs since 1974, detailing in a column that Trump “can’t think”.

The situation, I agree, is serious but not for the reasons you put forward. Steve Braunias has a function for those of us who look at facts and make an effort to interpret them carefully. If I didn’t resort to laughter from time to time, I’d cry.

Elaine Schultz, Titirangi.

Lake Rd solutions

Your correspondent Richard Horner urges revival of a 1960s plan for a road on the western shore of the Devonport Peninsula. It would be more realistic to revive a similar plan for rail. In 1950, London-based transport experts proposed a short railway tunnel under the harbour at Mechanics Bay. Trains would have surfaced at Devonport and run west of Lake Rd to points north. London Underground (light metro) trains were also recommended, which is why the Auckland Harbour Bridge was not designed for rail. Instead, clip-on lanes were added to the Harbour Bridge, thus increasing traffic and congestion at both ends of the bridge. The 1950 light metro scheme remains viable today. Light metro trains could run through Barrys Point to Smales Farm, and then on to the Northern Busway. Light metro could also run around the Waitemata Harbour in the medians of existing motorways.

Chris Harris, Thames.

Ports of Auckland

The business and control of the Ports of Auckland is just as important a strategic asset as the land it’s sited on, so close to the CBD. It is unfortunate that Mayor Phil Goff seems to be influenced by the usual asset sale rabble into considering selling this asset, which provides essential shipping access to Auckland’s burgeoning population and a gateway for tourists.

A former mayoral and National Party candidate has already poked the borax on what is perceived as a broken promise. Doubt cast on this issue will not help Labour in the forthcoming election as Mayor Goff’s role as a former Labour MP cannot be disconnected from the policies espoused against asset sales during his time in Parliament. He would be wise to close the door on a PoA business sale sooner rather than later and look for infrastructure funding elsewhere.

Coralie van Camp, Remuera.

Sediment and planting

The statement from a Watercare consultant that without pine plantations there would be no sediment problem in the Hunua catchment is contradicted by the video evidence. The rainfall intensity of the March storms in that area was the highest ever recorded. It made no difference what type of tree cover there was — native or pines. The land slipped under both. Watercare’s video shows this.

However, given that we need to adapt to a changing climate and the extra storms which come with it, pine trees are better at sequestering carbon than regenerating native podocarps. Peter Weir, Forest Owners Association, Wellington.

Assault rifles in schools

It has been reported the army is delivering a leadership course in primary schools involving children using assault rifles. The first school visit by the Army Roadshow was to Whakarongo School in Palmerston North. During the course each child aged 9-13 assembled and fired an unloaded assault rifle. As an experienced teacher, I am most concerned about the association of assault rifles with the concept of leadership. Young impressionable minds will equate leadership with guns and violence.

New Zealand has a serious family violence problem. I believe combining assault rifles with leadership in primary schools will exacerbate this problem. If we are to have a more peaceful society, our youth need to learn skills and processes to resolve conflict peacefully — as taught by programmes of the Peace Foundation, like Cool Schools and Leadership through Peer Mediation. Assault rifles have no place in primary schools.

Yvonne Duncan, Taupo. The Prime Minister’s claim that the matter of fraud at the Ministry of Transport has been “dealt with” because a prosecution has succeeded whitewashes the issue of those who have been really “dealt with” — namely those ministry employees loyal to their responsibilities to the public who were apparently got out of the way when they raised their legitimate concerns.

The ignoring of their concerns and the removal from their livelihoods constitutes institutional leadership irresponsibility and cover up to the level of outright bullying. When linked to other cases where people who raise such concerns are bullied out — the Unitec fiasco over assessment a recent example — it seems some sort of more robust support mechanism will need to be put in place for those dismissed by the bullies as “whistleblowers”, as any current processes appear to favour bullying and cover up. Under guises such as “restructuring” — Auckland libraries are an example — the increasing uses of constructive dismissal, “voluntary redundancy” and other such strategies are making the professional workplace unsafe for those who hold high standards of conduct in the face of aggressive management practices.

Peter Beyer, Sandringham.

Abolishing negative gearing

Oh my heart bleeds for the poor old property investor if negative gearing is abolished. I’ve heard sob story after sob story about how they will suffer hardship or even go broke. My goodness, I didn’t realise that they were doing us all a favour and were in fact involved in charitable deeds. Well there is a solution. If the pressure gets too great they could SELL their second, third or fourth property to a desperate first-home buyer, thus making a friend for life while relieving themselves of this terrible burden. Oh dear, I think my mentioning the “S” word has just brought on another wave of sobbing.

Rachael Scott, Birkenhead.

Wonders of Kaikoura

I want to encourage New Zealanders to visit Kaikoura this winter if down that way. I visited Kaikoura last year before the earthquake on a road trip with my daughter from Dunedin to Auckland. Yes, it was winter but we had fine weather and the views of the sunset and sunrise on the mountains are spectacular. And there were no hordes of tourists to contend with. Accommodation was easier to get and it was much more pleasant wandering about in the town. Yes, it is more difficult now but make the effort while the crowds are staying away. And visit Cheviot on the way, too — it’s a lovely little town with a great cafe. Support the local businesses through a difficult time and enjoy yourself in a wonderful location with lots to see and do.

June Brookes, Glendowie.