Young people protecting their futures
Steam commuter rail is reported as possible in Christchurch – all developed and mooted by a young West Melton man (July 10). Both the Young Nats and Young Labour support the Zero Carbon Act introduced by Gen Zero.
We await news of the current court case being taken by Sarah Thomson against the Government. Decisions and policy promulgated by those in power who thought this was a world of infinite resources and time are meeting challenges. The young are protecting their future. Fossil power (both authority and fuels) can be no more.
Sharyn Barclay
Upper Riccarton
Bad message sent
Harry Brown (July 10) asks whether the Anglican Church is going to contribute to the cathedral’s redevelopment. They have already done so twice, in the insurance payments over many years and in the original building. The question is whether they should pay three times, and what must be sacrificed in doing so. What message is sent to others who built and carefully tended beautiful buildings nearing heritage status?
Might they have to bankrupt themselves or be subjected to crushingly bad PR because they kept it? A better approach would be to devise an insurance protocol where the community (we who gain from heritage) guarantees the difference in cost between ‘‘normal’’ rebuilds and the heritage-sensitive efforts that cannot be certain until well into the restoration.
Mark Aitchison
Sydenham
Market brainwashing
The auto fuel market that Martin Van Beynen describes (July 8) is a simple and obvious example of how market forces are not the solution they have been painted to be. If they were price driven they would be different not the same at each outlet.
We were absolutely brainwashed with this theory in the 80s and 90s. Milton Friedman was either wrong or more likely rather simple people have misused it for an easy but profitable answer. All political parties base policies on preconceived ideologies not practical circumstances.
National is loathe to interfere in any market, be it housing, labour or electricity. This is their Achilles heel someone just has to fire the arrow. Gary Patterson
Kainga