Govt’s pay freeze a disgrace
Andrea Vance (Sunday Politics, May 9) has made the right call, for the Government to back down on the public sector wage freeze.
As the husband of a nurse and the father of a nurse currently in training I was both shocked and disappointed by this cavalier treatment of our public sector workers, many of whom have been on the front line of the war against Covid. To treat these dedicated workers in this manner is a slap in the face. This Government shelled out $13 billion in the wage subsidy with little, if any, controls on how the funds were distributed. It now appears our nurses, doctors, police and teachers, etc, are paying for this largesse by having their salaries frozen for three years. What an absolute disgrace.
William Black, Auckland
Opening the mind
With all due respect to Arthur Bott (Letters, May 9), our soldiers did fight for Aotearoa New Zealand. New Zealand soldiers of Ma¯ ori, European and other ethnic origins fought for the freedom for their children to grow and develop and build a nation with a rich tapestry of experience.
In one sense I agree that there should be one law for all, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone should be treated the same. Not everyone has had equal opportunities. It therefore makes sense to sometimes target areas and peoples that need those opportunities and funding to redress the imbalance. Maybe Bott could visit an iwi health agency and see the work that they do.
I would also encourage him to sit down with other New Zealanders who are different and listen to their stories. Have a go at te reo. Maybe just learn a different word each week. I’m sure if he has an open mind he will experience a richness in life that he may have been missing. He waka eke noa.
Mark Row, Hamilton
Shackled mums
The article about the treatment of mums in labour (‘‘Degrading and humiliating’’, News, May 9) was shocking. Our prisoners are treated almost with contempt.
Countries like Norway and Sweden have reduced reconviction rates from 60 per cent to between 20 and 30 per cent, with significant reforms during the past 30 years, prioritising rehabilitation over punishment. Our justice system has opted to stay on a punitive path.
The following quote from the Safe and Effective Justice advisory group, appointed by Cabinet, best sums up our approach: ‘‘It is more than 30 years since two landmark reports proposed transformative changes to Criminal Justice in New Zealand . . . In the decades since, there have been many reports and reviews; none have led decision-makers to undertake fundamental change.’’ Kushlan Sugathapala, Auckland
The special investigation highlighting the treatment of prison mums suggested that it was ‘‘ a legacy of colonisation’’. What utter rubbish. When are we going to stop blaming the past for the ills of today?
The practice is appalling and should cease but, please, lay the blame where it rests, with the here and now.
Steve Porter, Tauranga
Invest in health
In the articles on how readers manage the finances and investments they value most, nobody mentioned the importance of investing in our health.
All those shares, dividends and cryptocurrencies will not buy peace of mind or independence, should you suddenly realise you can’t make it to the bathroom unaided.
Never forget, our wellness is the most valuable asset we have. Gael Binns, Masterton
‘Battery’ doubts
The article ‘‘The lake and the current’’ (Business, May 9) says that ‘‘in the absence of schemes like Lake Onslow, wind energy can’t be stored’’.
That is simply wrong. In South Australia, Tesla has built the 100MW/129MWh Hornsdale Power Reserve, the largest lithium-ion battery in the world. It is co-located with the Hornsdale Wind Farm consisting of 99 wind turbines, providing renewable energy to be used locally and exported to the national grid.
Furthermore, we are at the earliest stages in battery technology. A new study, commissioned by Transport & Environment, a Brussels-based non-profit organisation that campaigns for cleaner transport in Europe, predicts new-battery prices will fall by 58 per cent by 2030. Further, they will charge faster and have much greater capacity.
If we’re not careful, Lake Onslow could be a very sour lemon.
David Nicholson, Wellington
Lake Onslow could turn out to be another white elephant like Australia’s desalination plants built to counter earlier drought, which then reversed.
We already have an up and running system which copes effectively with renewable energy shortfalls – natural gas.
This is now unfavoured because of a decision by the prime minister, who disregarded official and industry advice at the time, and now the Climate Commission’s recommendations.