Boult seems too willing to take big risk

THE pronouncements of Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Jim Boult during the pandemic always provide amusement in my household.

His most recent plea fits this bill to perfection. He wants social distancing on aircraft to be scrapped to help alleviate Queenstown’s ‘‘economically desperate’’ situation, even though this would — so the health authorities remind us — increase the risk of possible infection for everyone. In other words, Mr Boult wants consumers to meet the supply of goods and services at greater risk to their health, rather than the supply of such goods and services adjusting to and meeting existing and possible future demand.

Mr Boult wears a great many hats and, as a capitalist with longstanding investments in the tourism industry, his repeatedly expressed views along such lines might by some be considered to be driven by selfinterest. I am sure this cannot be the case and that Mr Boult will reflect, in the wider community interest, that a district putting all its golden eggs in one basket has indeed carried a higher risk of them being broken when the basket drops.

Bryan James

Maori Hill

Toroa name

MANY people will have heard Marcus Lush’s latenight caller on Newstalk ZB complaining that the Department of Conservation’s ‘‘Name the Albatross’’ competition always results in a Maori name.

Marcus’ handling of the racist rant was marvellous.

Of course, that racist argument can be demolished for good by Doc releasing to the media the 20 names they selected for submission to Te Poari a Pukekura (Pukekura Comanagement Trust) for elimination to five names to be voted on by the public.

Brian Chalmers

Brighton ...................................

BIBLE READING: Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you. — Luke 8.9.