Let us vote for better kids’ health

Yesterday’s Herald contained a story on the health of the economy. The front page carried a story about the awful health of too many children and their families. I was left asking how can the economy be healthy when so many children are sick?

When we vote next month, let’s vote for children’s health. That will improve the health of the economy too.

Michael O’Brien, Red Beach.

Poor kids

No national shame, it’s poor parents’ shame. Why bring five, six or seven children into the world when you can't feed them? Have these people never heard of birth control? Or are social workers so politically correct today they dare not mention the subject? I feel for those poor kids. They didn't choose their parents. Even the Pope said, “we are not rabbits”. I. Anderson, Pyes Pa.

Cold houses

A report that 30,000 children are hospitalised every year and 20 die from housing-related illnesses is shocking. No doubt this will be used as a call for housing warrants of fitness, but housing-related illnesses don't just mean there is a problem with the house. BRANZ data shows 77 per cent of rentals are insulated.

Our members put in more heatpumps than any other type of heater but many report that tenants don’t use them. Not using heating, smoking inside, using unflued gas heaters, keeping curtains drawn and not opening windows creates sick houses.

We support the Ready to Rent programme launched by the Hawke's Bay DHB which, among other things, helps renters with advice on budgeting, creating a warmer home, and rights and responsibilities. It should be expanded nationwide.

We advocate that families of the 30,000 children hospitalised each year receive an electricity voucher in winter to help heat their home and keep their kids out of hospital. This is a multi-factor issue an expensive WOF will not address.

Andrew King, executive officer, NZ Property Investors' Federation.

Delivered

The National Party slogan is a joke. What they have delivered to ordinary Kiwis is a critical housing shortage, the lowest rate of home ownership in 66 years, stagnant wage growth, double the commute time, record hospital waiting lists and increasing child poverty. National’s globalisation policies have brought no benefit to workers and young people, only misery and hopelessness. How is all this so much better than the Auckland we had before? Time for change.

Derek Wallwork, Milford.

Super question

Regardless of the usual spin Winston Peters puts on, blaming some MSD person, the leaky sieve of the Beehive, or some person that leaked the information for their party’s political gain, the overpayment is seven years old.

This raises an important question. Why has he not managed his own income in seven years? It gives us no confidence in his managing the affairs of the country. Brian Harvey, Farm Cove.

Easy check

Winz can check the application form filled in by Mr Peters and also check the information on the form used by the person who entered the payments for him. This will sort out the “who did it”. Why is Mr Peters angry that the information is publicised? He is a public figure. The public needs to know, it is a matter of honesty and integrity.

It is hard to believe he could not work out he was overpaid over so many years.

H Teoh, Parnell.

He doesn’t need it

I do not much care whether Mr Peters was receiving too much pension. I have just paid my provisional tax and it grates that my tax is going towards people who don’t need it. I propose that anyone receiving benefits such as the pension, student allowance and DPB must make all income information available to the public.

This might shame the fat cats like Mr Peters into not claiming the benefit.

Dave Adams, Mt Albert.

Scenic journey

Your correspondent Phil Hunt rightly complains that $5 million cannot be found to reopen the Napier-Gisborne rail link when billions have been found for the Waterview tunnels. He could have also mentioned the billions more the National Party, if re-elected, proposes to spend on roads of national importance.

I took a train journey on the route mentioned before the washout that forced its closure. The scenery was magnificent, not to mention the freight possibilities and reduction in damage being done to SH2 by heavy trucks. H. E. H Perkins, Botany.

Vital knowledge

I don't conclude schoolkids need to learn another language. They need to learn about the systems intrinsic to the functioning of this country.

Specifically, the parliamentary system, local government, social welfare, justice system, business and budgeting, so they can interact effectively with them as adults. Bruce Robertson, Westmere.

Bribery season

The political bribing season is well under way. So far, Labour’s “free” gifts amount to over $20 billion or nearly $1200 per person. National is not far behind and heaven knows what the Winston First Party will come up with.

People need to understand there’s only one way they can be paid for — higher taxes. Either that or it is borrowed, the cost of which adds to government spending and more taxes.

If there is surplus money, instead of throwing it around as “free” gifts, it should be returned to taxpayers as lower taxes. As far as I can see the only party advocating that is Act. That’s where my vote goes, not to any of the bribers.

Vince Ashworth, Morrinsville.

Roadworks

Complaints about project management readily apply to the Franklin Rd upgrade where the situation verges on the absurd. Belated communications did not prepare residents or road users for circumstances where signage is entirely absent or vague, ambiguous, concealed behind parked vehicles or moved on a daily basis.

So-called “stakeholder managers” at AT and Downers are unresponsive to complaint, other than to say there is a shortage of signage. This farce points to a shortage of thinking. David Hill, Freeman's Bay.

Heavy traffic

On Friday I left French Bay at 3.15pm to return to Tuakau, 66km away and according to GPS a 90-minute trip. I faced stop-go traffic just west of Hillsborough Rd which continued almost to the Papakura off ramp, and finally arrived home after 135 minutes. An average speed of 29 km per hour. As far as I know there were no incidents to hinder the flow.

Murray Reid, Tuakau.

Unwelcome views

I heard that a referendum was held at the University of Auckland to disassociate the pro-life group from the Student Union. Twenty years ago at a National Council of Women Conference in Wellington, the then president blocked a pro-life speaker on ideological grounds. Surely every voice has a right to be heard, including one for the unborn?

Mary Tallon, Western Springs.

Free education

The editorial on free tertiary education makes some interesting points and it is agreed while the scheme will in the main assist many to a good education, some degrees are a waste of time. Rather than have blanket-free fees it would make more sense to scale the benefit so that applicants would take degrees regarded as beneficial to the country. For example, doctors, nurses and such like are always in need and would attract the full benefit offered, while for some other less essential degrees the benefit would be less than 100 per cent.

When tertiary education was free all sorts of adult idiots went to university with little chance of attaining a degree. Surely these people will not be eligible for a handout. Reg Dempster, Albany.

Mental health

Reading Tuesday’s Vote 2017 article about mental health being one of the biggest concerns, the numbers are scary. More scary was the percentage of Northland school-beginner children exhibiting basic mental-health issues, according to TV news. The wheels will fall off at an increasing rate. Nowhere in the article was an attempt to identify a root cause — just the need for more ambulances.

Alistair Smith, Glen Innes.