Central government needs to act
Why is it that Wellington is seeing the need for a crackdown on alcohol sales in public places (Alcohol overhaul plan, Aug 31), when in Auckland they are trying to implement alcohol sales in new standalone shops inside shopping malls?
A great example is West Auckland, where West City is planned a new liquor sales outlet in this mall.
Would you not think that, at a national government level, this would not be tolerated? If this Left-leaning Government is so dedicated to stopping child abuse and all other alcoholrelated harm, then where are its policies? Or is it that the large and powerful alcohol industry has more clout than the government on this matter?
This topic needs dealing with at central government level, not a local government one.
Rene´ Blezer, Taupo¯
Hub hubbub
Greater Wellington is struggling to make the new Wellington bus network work. Has it invested enough in the infrastructure needed to do so?
When faced with transferring from one bus to another, I ask two questions: What is the likelihood that I will miss my connecting bus? If I miss my connection, what will be the impact on my journey? Greater Wellington Regional Council has spent the past two months teaching me that I will probably miss my connection and the experience will be unpleasant.
In the old network, GWRC’s strategy was to avoid this transfer risk by providing direct services where possible.
In the new ‘‘hub and spoke’’ design, it needs to manage the transfer risk and so far it has not done so. Managing transfer risk means operating to the published schedule while making sure transferring passengers are safe, warm, and dry. Services need to be frequent enough that if I occasionally miss a connection, there will be another bus shortly.
Greater Wellington officials might start by studying AS/ NZS ISO 31000:2009, Risk Management – Principles and Guidelines.
John Rankin, Wellington
Survey skewed
There is a serious disconnect between the negativity from recent surveys of ‘‘business confidence’’ and the daily optimistic comments on the economy expressed by most business leaders.
There are also many strong company results being reported to the stock exchange. How can this disconnect be? I asked around, as most people I know in business are feeling very positive.
It appears surveys undertaken by the ANZ Bank covers about 600 businesses, of which 50 per cent have fewer than 20 employees – these are small, owner-operated enterprises whose owners would have a deeply entrenched support for the National Party.
So their views on a Labour Government will be biased from the outset.
Early last month the Tourism Council expressed grave concerns about the quality of the information being provided by the regular surveys of tourism spending, saying the data did not reflect the experience of its members.
I suggest the ANZ’s so-called survey of business confidence is is unhelpful and perpetrating a myth that a Labour government is not good at managing the economy.
Russell O Armitage, Hamilton
Positive piece
Reading Rosemary McLeod’s The messy matter of meat (Aug 31), I got quite depressed about the sorry state of farming and the lack of sensible morals in this world. McLeod is to be admired for bringing these matters into the open.
My attention then was caught by the story about medical student Jordan Tewhaiti-Smith. After all the cruel realities concerning animals, it made my day to see there are still quite cheerful matters to be reported.
Against all odds this young guy helped to organise a study on the health of gang members. He himself grew up in a family with gang connections. It was great that he managed to pursue studies with his father’s support and also that the research got the approval of Mongrel Mob Notorious.
People are inclined to dismiss such groups as a menace in society. But their cooperation, as in this case, is nevertheless valuable and should be appreciated. We all have our faults and should think twice before judging others.
Ingrid Babyn, Stokes Valley