Declare a child abuse emergency

So the Prime Minister is to declare a climate emergency. Surely it is also time for her to declare an emergency of child poverty, abuse and neglect?

After all, Jacinda Ardern said after the 2017 election that a transformational policy for children was needed. We are still waiting.

It is obvious we are becoming involved in the lives of children at risk much too late. As a society we are often held back by fear of infringing adult rights and freedoms. However, if this means children are neglected or abused, it must give way to the rights of the child.

Glennys Adams, Oneroa.

Urban boundary

In Matthew Hooton’s otherwise reasonable contribution ( NZ Herald, November 27) to the housing crisis, his call to scrap the Auckland Rural-Urban boundary is a weak solution. Firstly, the housing crisis is country-wide. Secondly, this option would only be effective if strict ownership restrictions were included to prevent new builds being snapped up by investors.

Thirdly, and arguably the forgotten issue, is that urban sprawl is a blight on New Zealand’s environment. The urban expansion on to elite Class One soils that are the best for food production, such as in the former Franklin District, is an abject failure of sensible planning.

To remove the boundary would only exacerbate that failure. The economy is more than houses, one can’t eat houses to survive.

The hidden, and uncomfortable, supply issue is that too many houses are owned by too few people. This results in investors capturing the supply and effectively holding it to economic ransom. This fact remains all but ignored. Until this inequality is rectified, house prices will remain dictated to by investors, irrespective of geographical boundaries.

MP Boardman,O¯Dunedin.

Largest income

I can’t see a capital gains tax working to curb house price inflation — especially if it is couched as an “income tax” as it has been by our Finance Minister.

Let’s consider income; for most of us this comes by way of a wage or salary which attracts PAYE as an income tax. If you have a job in some middle-income profession, you would be on a much higher salary than the minimum wage (one would hope) and therefore you will be paying more PAYE.

Reducing the amount of PAYE you have to pay would not induce you to give up your middle-income salary to take a minimum wage job, as the total amount of money you have left after PAYE is deducted is more than what you would have after PAYE is deducted from a minimum wage job. Likewise, the increase in PAYE due would not stop you from taking a job with a higher salary, even if it put you in the highest tax bracket.

This is why the introduction of the bright-line test at two years and then five years did not cool the housing market. Vendors will still seek the largest appreciation increase as it will still leave them with the largest total income.

Helen Allan, Te Puna.

Owner ratio

If increasing house prices led to an increasing proportion of people becoming house owners, correspondent John Denton ( NZ Herald, December 1) might be right in that it is the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

Unfortunately, as long as house prices increase because of demand exceeding supply, the proportion of new house owners tends to be diminishing in relation to non-owners, and we would be moving towards the latter becoming the majority.

Can that be “the greatest good for the greatest number”?

Jens Meder, Pt Chevalier.

Working sick

Isn’t it strange that most sick days take place on Fridays and Mondays? Employers are baffled by this phenomenon as well.

The Council of Trade Unions supports 10 days sick leave, stating the importance of staying at home when sick because of Covid-19. The CTU should be more concerned about workers turning up to work when sick because they are afraid of losing their jobs.

Neil Hatfull, Warkworth.

Super disappointment

The piece by Damian Light and the letter from Mike Single ( NZ Herald, November 30), hit the nail on the head. Amalgamation, which led to the so-called Super City, is a disaster. On taking over as mayor, Phil Goff commented on the very low approval rating by ratepayers . . . little has improved.

There were 32 unimplemented recommendations by the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance. Many were “control and performance” measures. Had they been enacted we might not be in this parlous state.

Recommendation 32G was the appointment of a full-time auditor of council’s performance. It should be made at once. Perhaps Damian Light?

John Clements, rewa.

Memorial progress

Who is Damian Light ( NZ Herald, November 30) to disrespect Parnell residents who feel strongly that there is a more suitable site for the Erebus memorial?

It still amazes me that a suitable site at the Museum of Transport and Technology, Western Springs, was not given the due consideration it deserved. A place where generations of schoolchildren and their families visit on a regular basis and learn about our collective history, rather than a local park dedicated to Dove-Myer Robinson.

F. Cobden-Grainge, Parnell.

China sanction

A simple but financially painful way to react to China’s growing arrogance in the region is to put on hold all exports from Australia and New Zealand to China.

China needs us to feed its burgeoning population as much as we have become dependent on them for our exports.

Greed has led us down this path, Australasia ought to collectively bite the bullet for a return to international equilibrium.

Richard Kean, Ngongotaha.

Wage subsidy

While some of our large companies were legally entitled to receive the Covid-19 subsidy, they need to question the morality of keeping it when they are still profitable enough to pay dividends to shareholders.

Having cash reserves to enable this is evidence the subsidy should be returned. This wage subsidy comes from taxpayers, many who also suffered financial hardship during Covid restrictions.

Corporate responsibility includes moral behaviour of directors and executives who should question whether the subsidy their company does not really now need should be paid back, and applied by Government to more equitable needs.

Hylton Le Grice, Remuera.

Congestion charge

Penalties such as the proposed congestion charge are unacceptable as long as we have our present appalling level of inequality.

This charge will have a serious impact on those who can least afford it while those who are doing well in our present economy won’t even notice it.

Workers who have to drive to the city to carry out low-paid jobs, most of which are essential to our way of life, will be penalised at a level they simply cannot afford.

This charge will be regressive and unfair.

Susan Grimsdell, Auckland Central.

Help your shelf

Sharon Jamieson ( NZ Herald, December 1) does not like her home deliveries from supermarkets that are careless with expiry dates.

That is exactly why I like to shop in the supermarket every Monday: to read the expiry dates on all products and go to the back of the shelf to get their newer items.

Get it off the shelf, not off the truck, it’s far safer for your health.

Murray Hunter, Titirangi.

Slamming slammed

Doors, particularly car doors are slammed. But now, losing coaches are slammed, Trump is slammed, the Auckland Mayor is slammed, MPs who transgress are slammed, the Pakistani cricketers are slammed, migration policies are slammed.

What happened to criticised, rebuked, condemned or even denounced?

Rob Elliott, Kohimarama.