The public good must come first

The majority of New Zealanders today were born after the end of WWII. We have experienced a way of life that can probably not be matched at any time in human history.

Thanks to improvements in healthcare, our life expectancy is greater than ever. We are used to shops full of goods from overseas as well as New Zealand. A large number of us have been lucky enough to buy a new car when we wanted and travel overseas regularly for pleasure and to visit friends and relatives. I realise not everyone has been this fortunate.

When my ancestors left the UK, it was in the full knowledge that they would never see their loved ones again. The pandemic has put us in a similar position, maybe for some time. I have a son in London and a sister in Australia whom I haven’t seen since before the pandemic.

Hard as it may be, I place the welfare of the community ahead of what I would like and I have little sympathy for those who expect a magic wand to be waved so that they can have their way.

Greg Cave, Sunnyvale.