Hidden interests in port move

The tenor of the discussion about the removal of Ports of Auckland to the distant north ( Herald, October 3) does not instil confidence. It smacks of partisan interests supported by foregone conclusions.

About 295,000 cars alone cross the Auckland wharves each year. More than 67 per cent of the country’s cars come through Auckland. This volume increased 43 per cent from 2014 to 2018. Growth of between 59 per cent and 109 per cent to 621,000 is anticipated by 2049. This is a vast cavalcade and a trade that New Zealand First and their running mates, would have us believe can readily be transferred to Northport.

Most cars are required in Auckland or beyond. A car transporter can take about 10 cars. So, about 80 return journeys by large, articulated trucks per day would be necessary to shift this number to Auckland. Ironically, will we see belching diesels bringing electric cars to Auckland? Then there are all the other vehicles.

Proponents of rail are suggesting the line north is to have new life breathed into it. Great idea but by when? Even if it can be shown to be economically credible, is a decade plus of eco-mayhem worth it?

This is clearly a vanity policy contrived in a moment of soapbox enthusiasm by a couple of “retail” politicians.

Joseph Gillard, Carterton.

Local business

The Government owns Kiwibank, yet does all its business with ANZ or Westpac. It’s a similar story with NZ Post: Government owned, yet the Auckland District Health Board sends out its mail by DX, a German company.

Can you imagine McDonald’s using KFC for their catering? It would be just as ridiculous. If these two examples were changed, we could have been opening more branches of Kiwibank and NZ Post, instead of closing them, and providing services to all small rural centres.

Don Park, Onehunga.

Parents’ entry

The complaints about the increased cost of bringing aged parents here are risible ( Herald, October 8). To gain entry to Australia, a friend’s mother had to post a A$500,000 (NZ$534,000) bond to reassure the authorities that she would not be a burden on their taxpayers. With the escalating costs of a rapidly ageing population (most of whom have contributed to this country), perhaps New Zealand should consider taking a similar line. L Barker, Blenheim.

Super contributions

Applicants for parent visas should not be surprised by the stronger conditions now in place. Previous Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse in 2016 stated that, of the then 5500 arrivals each year, 70 per cent were from either China or India.

Neither of these countries made any pension contributions to our National Superannuation, resulting in an even heavier burden on the state once these residents are left to their own devices. That load has led to difficulties of providing pensioner housing for our own citizens as well as the critical demand for health dollars in the final years of life.

One possible alteration to the new conditions would be to allow for some limited relief where the parent has a secure state or private income in their own right.

Drug control

Hylton Le Grice ( Herald, October 7) seems to think that the recent harm to partygoers from synthetic drugs should convince us that cannabis should remain illegal. This is woolly thinking. No one is suggesting that cannabis can’t cause harm.

But all these drugs are readily available despite being illegal. This illegality does nothing to deter demand or limit supply. The illegality achieves two things — uncertainty about the exact make up of the drugs, and huge profits for gangs.

Those who take drugs will continue to do so regardless of their illegal status. Those who don’t currently take them still won’t, even if they are decriminalised, because they can be harmful.

The worldwide war on drugs is unwinnable. It has been, and will continue to be, a catastrophic and hugely expensive failure. The only beneficiaries are criminals, gangs, and cartels. The huge income generated by the drug trade makes gangs attractive to young people with poor job prospects. Little wonder that gang membership is increasing.

Chris Elias, Mission Bay.

Deported crims

Correspondent Jenny Kirk (Herald, October 7) is wrong in her comments that National did nothing to try to stop the deportation of so-called Kiwi criminals from Australia. I saw and heard John Key say in Parliament when opposing the return of criminals from Australia “that we don’t want rapists and murderers coming into New Zealand”.

The present administration, then in Opposition, shot him down with comments that there weren’t any rapists or murderers among the criminals being sent back to New Zealand thus implying they were all okay to come back to live here.

Power of one

David Reid, Cockle Bay. Jim Radich, Hillsborough.

I totally agree with your correspondents Waddell and Silver ( Herald, October 7) regarding climate change despondency. Let’s not forget our individual power.

Economics is supply and demand and we can vote not only with a tick but with our wallets and investments. From taking our own takeaway cups and bags to supermarkets, to our choice of KiwiSaver and what products we buy with what packaging, if we make a stand suppliers will take note. Take a moment to imagine how life felt during the war, friends and family dying every day. Food rations. The general feeling was not to feel despondent but to make a difference. I quote I heard recently sums it up: “The flame of victory comes from the spark of individual effort.”

Samantha Cunningham, Henderson.

Sinbinnings

The context in which some yellow and red cards are issued need to be balanced. Rugby is played at speed, while a replay can be slowed to near frame by frame so the contact will be clearly observed and clearly noted. This is manifestly unjust, as is the TMO interjecting after the fact and citing a play they have had the ability to view on their screen, while the referee is in actual time and managing the multiple phases of play. If there was no protest from the captains on such a play, the TMO should mind their own business. I am all for managing head high tackles and gross levels of foul play, but this TMO replay system has really gone too far.

John Ford, Taradale.

World rugby

To your correspondent Frank John (Herald, September 26): more than 100 countries play rugby with a fan base of 410 million. Twenty of the best nations contest the Rugby World Cup. Rugby is the second biggest team sport played globally after football. How many countries do you need before you can call it a global sport?

Thomson Phillips, Sunny Vale.

Cheque mates

I have sympathy with Clark James over his torrid time getting a cheque processed (Herald, October 4). I too, bank with Westpac. Last year, I took a cheque in and steadily got to the front of the queue. Instead of serving me, the young teller said I could get the cheque processed at an ATM out the front of the bank.

I asked politely if she knew how to process a cheque. The reply was carefully crafted in financial services jargon but translated as “Yes, but this is easier”. So much for customer service. Thankfully, that teller no longer works at my local branch and the current staff are more than happy to process cheques.

Hamish Barwick, Gisborne.

Footpaths compared

I use a walker as a spritely 80-plus-yearold woman, living in Takapuna.

Recently, I spent a week in Mt Maunganui, Tauranga, and walked from the end of Marine Parade to the Mount

— 45 minutes. I had a dream experience in that the footpaths were smooth and boardwalks formed as I neared the Mount beach itself. I returned back in the same comfort. I mentally compared the uneven footpaths that I traverse in Takapuna: broken surfaces; patched, uneven surfaces; dangerous culverts; and a construction in strips of a brick craze that does not allow smooth progress. There are others more critical in moving around: Mothers with pushchairs; toddlers; old people, some with walking sticks; and people pulling shopping bag on wheels.

Oh to whisk the footpaths of Mt Maunganui to Takapuna.

Evelyn Kaye Gilbert, Takapuna.