Just whose money is it? – Ours

I don’t begrudge for a moment the billions of dollars already spent, and the money that will continue to be needed, to help businesses and individual New Zealanders caught up in Covid-19.

But it’s important to remember whose money that is. It’s invariably described as ‘‘Government money’’ but it’s not. It’s public money. It belongs to all taxpayers: all of us.

Simply put, the Government has used extraordinary powers to borrow billions of dollars, on behalf of New Zealand taxpayers, to restart the economy and make sure workers can get back on their feet.

As a result we already owe a huge debt as a country, and that debt will grow. Hardly a day goes by without businesses and individuals (not forgetting politicians) arguing for more support from the public purse, and much of that spending will be fully justified. But it’s a time, too, when many will be jumping on the subsidy bandwagon, and some requests for money will be plain and simply self-serving.

So it’s worth keeping in mind, when we next hear a request for yet more financial support from ‘‘the Government’’, exactly whose money is being spent here. As taxpayers we might want to ask ourselves a simple question: how do we feel about our money being spent in this way?

Bill Gebbie, Ranui

A hornet parallel

Malcolm McKinnon’s Speak truth but think first (May 7) promotes the element of thoughtful pragmatism when our country has to balance interests with principles.

He also suggests that we acknowledge the impacts of colonialism and imperialism on countries with different value systems. And we use ‘‘global channels’’ through which democracy, human rights and human security are advanced – starting with international instruments such as the Declaration of Human Rights.

McKinnon speaks of the need to advocate for Hong Kong’s democratic rights – and listen carefully to voices in East and Southeast Asia that face ‘‘a geopolitical setting’’ between superpowers.

We could also apply this to unaddressed causes of the IsraeliPalestine insecurity, ongoing now for a scandalous five decades – partly because needed UN reforms are undermined by an increasingly unilateral US administration. I hope we speak out publicly about this through all channels – and about any superpower disregarding international law.

Scientist Siouxsie Wiles relates (May 11) that hornets, capable of single-jawly massacring beehives in hours, are now in the US. Apparently Japan’s whirlingwinged bees have learned to envelop the hornet. Vibrating their wing muscles, they raise the temperature to 45 degrees plus, and neutralise the hornet. Not an exact parallel, but a lesson for leaders and followers alike?

Steve Liddle, Napier

Get rid of the noise

The dramatic reduction of traffic volume and noise during lockdown level 4 was initially surreal, but as the days rolled by refreshingly pleasant.

The recent reduction in restrictions has only served to highlight just how many modified exhaust systems there are on our vehicles. Almost every motorcycle and many cars and 4 x 4s as well as very noisy and polluting buses are once again swarming like a plague on our once quiet streets.

Surely there is some legislation either local or central government can enforce which removes these extremely loud and invasive vehicles from our streets? And to combat pollution can we not enforce much stricter emissions standards for all vehicles? Having a month of fresh air and no intrusive vehicle noise was a joy. Why must it stop now?

Tony Jansen, Thorndon

Honouring our trust

Danielle van Dalen from the Maxim Institute suggests that because I am one of ‘‘the 87 per cent of New Zealanders who trust the government to make the right decisions on Covid-19’’ I must have a

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‘‘relaxed and passive attitude to my responsibility in ensuring the Government honours that trust’’ (Healthy distrust better than blind faith, May 11).

In fact I follow local and international events very closely, and in comparison with what is happening in other countries, the Government’s decisions and the inclusive style of communicating these decisions have earned my trust.

Van Dalen suggests that ‘‘reports that [unnamed] government officials proposed to suspend the Official Information Act during lockdown; removing rather than increasing an important mechanism for transparency’’ is proof that we ought not trust this Government.

However, the Official Information Act was not suspended, which gives a further reason to maintain that the Government is indeed honouring our trust.

W.A. Moyle, Christchurch

Taiwan’s response

There are those who defend the actions of our Government in response to Sars-CoV2 such as Geoffrey Booth (Letters, May 12), who look to the US as a comparison and conclude with ‘‘heroic endeavours in the face of extreme adversity’’.

When I look to Taiwan and its responses I find that, should our Government have chosen a similar path, NZ could have had 231 confirmed cases (not 1146), from which there may have been two deaths (not 21).

Could our Government have done much better? My answer is an emphatic yes. Simon Bridges and others have an obligation to draw these failings to our attention.

John Bent, Palmerston North

A call to Christians

Wouldn’t life be so much more pleasant if hardline Christians would simply accept their diluted place in society. Keren Pickering (Letters, May 11) bemoans the habit of secular folk of using what the writer refers to as ‘‘sacred’’ words as common expletives.

Indeed they do, since they differ in their views. The terms ‘‘sacred/ sacredness’’ are merely a state of mind peculiar to whichever religion. Sunworshipping cults such as Christianity establish their figurehead initially, and then gradually embellish the surrounding ad-hoc stories as they go. The existence of the Bible provides evidence for neither.

Atheists by contrast are content with their state, but do not complain when intolerant Christians intentionally slag them off as ‘‘pagans’’, infidels, devil worshippers, heathens etc. All such expletives intended to contempt, spite, disparagement of the victim.

Pickering might well consider that both positions are in fact very similar but that the true tragedy is choosing a redundant cult in the first place.

Wayne Church, Napier

The drugs slide-rule

Thank you, Dave Armstrong, for a muchneeded voice of sense and reason (Schools should educate about drugs, not punish, May 12). Your opinion of Auckland Grammar’s ‘‘slide-rule approach to drugs’’ is a good nudge to anyone still living mostly in the 20th century.

Like standing down a student – not allowing him/her to attend – as a punishment for not attending school regularly, is an illogical and senseless process.

Your point about ‘‘who you know’’ in such a situation I’m sure is totally correct but who knows why, in this day and age. It smacks of privilege and the sense of ‘‘us’’ and ‘‘them’’. I thought the world had shifted.

Robina Smythe, Paeka¯ ka¯ riki

Be wary of scam calls

Just as the lockdown joyfully starts to lose some of its grip, in come two scam telephone calls to welcome in another fabulous autumn day.

The first was the usual ‘‘Telecom will disconnect you unless blah blah‘‘ . The second one much more subtle, coming under the pretence of cancelling Amazon TV. Otherwise? They usually don’t get past first base here before they get identified and labelled for what they are, and at that point, they usually hang up.

But maybe living in a cocoon for longer than I can remember has dulled the mind. I found myself two steps into falling for the sting before senses and alarms kicked in. So be careful out there, folks. These misery-makers hover as always, ready to prey on our gullibility.

Kevin Meehan, Upper Hutt

Tourism boost idea

As an American retiree/baby boomer (now, happily, a New Zealand resident) I have an idea to restimulate tourism here.

I predict many Americans with the means to travel would be willing to selfquarantine in a hotel for two weeks upon arrival here, in exchange for the freedom to travel around our beautiful, safe country. I predict they would stay for quite a while – until the US becomes safe again.

Just think of all those new tourists eager to spend the money they’ve saved during lockdown! This would sure boost our tourism sector. It’s not hard to imagine an advertising campaign offering a two-week luxury quarantine.

Meri Murphy, Masterton