Compassion has vanished
My daughter recently flew to Auckland on Air New Zealand.
Travelling with her were two of my grandchildren, aged six years old and 17 months. She also had hand luggage, as well as a child’s car seat and a pushchair.
This young mother arrived at the Auckland domestic terminal facing the extended walk to the main terminal area carrying one young child while holding on to the arm of the other child and also having to manage three bulky carry-on bags.
Not one Air New Zealand staff member, nor any passenger, offered to assist her even though this poor woman was clearly struggling.
The days of opening doors or standing up to offer a seat have clearly passed, along with, it seems, based on this experience, helping someone who obviously needs assistance.
Those who can look away or not even consider that others around them may need help might one day be on the receiving end of this unacceptable lack of basic human kindness and consideration.
Stuart Robertson, Stratford
Scooter mystery
As per the dictionary’s definition of a pavement, ‘‘a raised paved or asphalted path for pedestrians at the side of the road’’.
Not for scooters or any other mechanical devices. What part of this basic description do the councils and authorities not understand?
Robert Bicker, Gulf Harbour
Arranged marriages
Parmjeet Parmar and Shane Jones are both wrong for different reasons (‘‘Hate speech’’, News, November 10). Parmar for thinking that because her marriage is a success that all arranged marriages are likewise. Jones for saying ‘‘if you don’t like it here you can go back where you came from’’ – a lazy debate argument given his educational level.
However, my problem is with those protesters bringing Jacinda Ardern into their objections given that no prime minister has displayed as much public compassion toward minorities as she has. For that, the protesters all need to offer her an apology.
John Capener, Kawerau
Rugby politics
If the Rugby World Cup was decided by MMP, the combined scores of England and the All Blacks would surely see us as cowinners.
Jim Young, Lower Hutt
Boomer angst
Johanna Knox (‘‘NZ: A nation of renters’’, News, November 10) is right being angry about being shut out of the property market, due to multiple house ownership by Baby Boomers ().
I am one of these, owning an additional two properties, but just to generate extra retirement income.
Some of my fellow Baby Boomers own dozens, meaning large numbers of properties suitable for first-home buyers are not available.
Such landlords often claim they provide a benefit by making properties available to rent. This is sophistry – perhaps said to salve a guilty conscience.
Property ‘investors’ can always outbid a first-home buyer and can easily raise finance. First-home buyers don’t stand a chance in the market.
The Government must deal with this iniquitous situation head-on.
I bought a house in London last year. Because I already owned a property, albeit in New Zealand, I had to pay a tax of $20,000. This is just one measure that we should introduce. In the absence of a capital gains tax in New Zealand, landlords have it all their own way.
Russell O Armitage, Hamilton
Shamubeel Eaqub is quoted as blaming the Boomers. But the Boomers did not create the economy that they were born into, and grew up in, just as today’s generations did not create the current economy. The blame lies with the politicians. It was the politicians who opened the door to the ‘‘free market’’ economy without understanding the consequences and the role of the Government as a regulator, controlling those who would manipulate the markets. And it is the Government which has failed to regulate to ensure that fundamental need for survival, a home, is affordable and available for everyone. Even today they refuse to regulate to control rents at affordable levels to enable the young to save, or even just survive. Instead their measures are to subsidise landlords.
True some landlords will be Boomers, but many are of later generations as well, and many Boomers are not well off.
What Eaqub should be telling people is that everyone, except perhaps landlords, is better off when houses are significantly cheaper, and ask the question – why are our elected Governments reluctant to regulate a market that is so damaging to our people? Murray Shaw, Whanganui
House prices are demand driven. And that demand has been largely created by high levels of immigration. Eaqub has previously, bizarrely, suggested that the answer to the housing crisis is more immigration – to build more houses!
Yes, the oldies are likely to be ‘‘wealthier’’ than those with less miles under their belt.