Government detached

Kerry McDonald’s Symbols over Substance (Nov 22) explains a lot about the recent government of New Zealand.

Is it also just a coincidence that the demise in our economy has occurred since we have been living with MMP and the extreme adherence to political correctness by our leaders when it suits?

Now political parties choose not only candidates but have the certainty of their political leaders being returned through appointing them to the list.

We have seen how our Government could not foresee that an outbreak of measles in South Auckland would translate to an outbreak in Samoa.

Figures show a dramatic increase in venereal diseases and significant drop in the numbers of people practising safe sex. Will this mean anything to the Government? Probably not.

Growing numbers of people are having to meet the cost of adequate cancer treatment personally.

The Government’s detachment from social issues, either from ignorance or self-focus, is sickening. Our prime minister would rather spend her time and effort urging our business community to ‘‘be confident’’, when many former business owners have welcomed the opportunity to sell their businesses, which were failing due to great reduction in customers able to afford to spend.

With its usual lack of foresight, the Government has no idea how all this will end, but the PM will have had her taste of fame and celebrity and they will have all have made their fortune.

Carole Naylor, Papakowhai