Central people just want to be treated equitably

PEOPLE in Central Otago are justifiably upset and angry at the proposed increases in the Aurora line charges.

I attended both the public and stakeholder meetings in Alexandra and do not recall foul language or rude, disruptive behaviour. If Aurora considers justifiable criticism as insulting, it has a problem.

How can Aurora justify having the Central Otago residents pay the largest line charge increase when the majority of the electricity is generated in Central Otago?

The Commerce Commission ran the meetings fairly, giving people a chance to have their say. I was very grateful for the presence of Richard Healey, Steve Tillyshort, Rob Douglas and Geoff Wilson at the meeting as they are people with knowledge of the electricity industry and were able to pinpoint areas where maintenance has been below par. How Aurora could label these people as ‘‘unexpected attendees’’ at a public meeting is beyond my comprehension.

Aurora needs to take responsibility for the state of the network and come up with a price increase that is affordable and fair — that is the same increase across the whole network and not leave Central Otago with the largest price tag.

Margaret Hill

Roxburgh

Retail

MIKE Hamblyn (Letters, 11.1.21) seems to have missed the point.

I spent many years working in ‘‘big box’’ retail, very often for minimum wage. I know the pressures placed on the frontline staff at the sharp end who are always the lowestpaid workers. Most of the pressure comes not from customers, but from the owners and bosses of these large corporations to have everything ready for the next sale being promoted, very often with a TV campaign, which starts the next morning.

At this time, in the middle of January, the commercial breaks on television are a relentless barrage of advertisers offering huge discounts on their products.

Yes, I confess to waiting for the sales to come along to buy certain items, but I only do this because I know what the margins are and that even at the vastly reduced sale price the big retailers will still make a good profit.

I also know that if I miss an ‘‘unmissable’’ bargain, unlike a train from Dunedin, it won’t be long until another one comes along.

Bob Scott

Cromwell

US riots

ALL it took was the exhortation of an orange, misogynistic, racist, insecure, infantile and pathetic excuse of a man to lay bare the bones of democracy.

Truth be told, the United States of America has had it coming for a number of years. Because of the toxic partisan nature of their political elites, the focus of what was needed and best for their country has long been forgotten in a miasma of selfserving, selfindulgent rhetoric and action.

It’s embarrassing and sad that a country that held itself up as being the doyen of democratic process has instead revealed itself to be a shallow, disjointed and fractured semblance of what it purported to be.

Graham Bulman

Roslyn

[Abridged]

Dunedin Hospital

I WISH to make a positive comment about the care and support my wife and I received while she needed care in Dunedin Hospital.

On January 6, I had to take her into the emergency department as she had trouble breathing. She was admitted to the emergency department and later admitted to Ward 7A.

From the time she was admitted, until she was discharged late on January 7, we couldn’t fault the care she received and the support we were both given.

We both want to thank all of you wonderful people for what you do and who you are. It made our journey bearable.

Noel and Karen McAnally

Green Island ......................................

BIBLE READING: I have refined you . . . I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. — Isaiah 48:10