What we’re paying is the problem

Sam Stubbs – chief executive of KiwiSaver fund Simplicity – makes a valiant attempt (Nov 24) to justify large executive salaries by arguing it’s not what we pay chief executives, but how we pay them.

It reminds me of the failed campaign to reduce alcohol abuse. ‘‘It’s not what we’re drinking, it’s how we’re drinking.’’ As most rational people pointed out, it’s actually what we’re drinking. Same with salaries. It’s what we’re paying that is the issue.

Mr Stubbs undermines his own argument in his final paragraphs.

In noting that he has had seven-digit pay packets in his career, he says ‘‘I would have worked for a fraction of that, and it didn’t improve my decisions.’’

My observations exactly. After a lifetime working in the public service, I couldn’t help but observe that the best minds and the greatest talents weren’t motivated by money.

It’s time to change the culture. And time for leadership from other CEOs like Sam Stubbs.

SusanWauchop, Ilam

Major threat

Congratulations to Fish & Game for opposing all trout-farming proposals, which would pose amajor threat to our world-class trout sports fisheries – conservatively estimated to be worth more than $1.5 billion annually to our economy.

As DOC recently warned parliament, if the sale of trout is commercialised, NZ must allow trout imports under World Trade Organisation rules from countries with much lower hygiene standards than non-profit Fish & Game trout hatcheries here.

For example, China produced about

380,000 tonnes of farmed trout annually in

2017 with production increasing exponentially. Asian-farmed trout now sells for as low as $250 per tonne.

If trout products are imported, devastating diseases could be introduced by anyone purchasing a foreign vacuum pack from a supermarket for a river or lakeside picnic and rinsing dishes in nearby water.

In Colorado, USA, the disease Myxobolus cerebralis, emanating from a trout farm, wiped out 95 per cent of the state’s rainbow trout in five years and spread to another 20 states. Why risk killing NZ’s goose that lays a golden egg for commercially unviable and ill-fated trout farms?

Colin Taylor, Nelson (Abridged)

Trout meal

Sorry Chris Goom (Nov 25), but I disagree. Why should the potential of a small amount of black-market trout sales spoil the opportunity for the rest of us to enjoy a trout meal? We have overseas visitors coming to NZ to shoot wild deer butwe still farm venison for the rest of us to enjoy. We have black markets in seafood products but that still does not exempt them from being farmed for the rest of us to enjoy.

A trout farm would create an industry which would provide employment, just as salmon farming does.

Overseas visitors will still come to NZ and be flown by helicopter into inaccessible places where they can fish and release. Just let everyone enjoy a trout meal and not just an exclusive few well-heeled people.

R A White, Tai Tapu

I farmed trout

In the 70s Imade a study of ‘‘fish farming’’, trout and freshwater cray in the UK and Sweden, then for at least 20 years successfully (but illegally?) ran my own—yes, ‘‘’fish farm’’!

That came to an abrupt end just a few years ago thanks to the ‘‘deliberate’’ poisoning of the incoming water source which wiped out the trout, koura, crasscarp and the native weed (still not recovered six years later) they’d happily existed and bred under.

If I were a high-country farmer with a 365-day water source looking for a sustainable substitute income to replace the loss-incurringwool cheque, I would, despite the rules, be tempted to ‘‘set up shop’’ again, with hopefully a licence and legal ‘‘trademark’’ attached to the resultant fish for sale. Letters (Nov 25), ‘‘Enforcement of rules’’ and ‘‘Trout farms will create a black market’’ are absolute piffle!

Never mind that millions are facing famine across the world— Fish & Game and scare tactics prevail!

John McCaskey, Waipara (Abridged)

Overtaking hazard

Now that there are more dual lane highways in and around Christchurch I make an urgent appeal to the NZTA and Christchurch City Council to erect signs stating ‘‘Keep left, pass right’’, as we see on other parts of our highways where there are two lanes.

Overtaking on the inside lane can be dangerous.

Paul Marsh, Redcliffs

Rumble strips

How strange that people should complain about rumble strips. If you are driving accurately you will never, ever encounter one.

On the other hand there is a point in considering where they are placed.

We usually see them on the near side of the road, whereas strips down the centre are much more useful.

Head-on crashes in the other carriageway are far more lethal and most unfortunate for the innocent oncoming driver.

Driving off your side of the road is your own fault and, relatively speaking, rather less dangerous.

Pat McIntosh, Redcliffs

Not just foreigners

The news that our road toll is not just down to foreigners comes as no surprise.

Kiwis are killing themselves and others, not just by driving too fast on rural roads, but by driving badly in town.

I amhorrified at the death toll at intersections and elsewhere in Christchurch itself, but an hour driving around town explains the phenomenon – we are simply lousy drivers who regard driving as a competitive activity and have no idea of road craft.

The sooner we have mandatory driving lessons and a seriously rigorous driving test, the sooner we will stop being killed taking the kids to school or doing the shopping.

David Mitchell, St Albans

Interest rate disaster

Depriving loyal savers by lowering interest rates to less than 1 per cent in order to fuel an inestimable speculative housing market is a recipe for social disaster.

Remember National’s ‘‘Think Big Policy’’ that endedwith selling off the railways, steel manufacturing and banks?

Then be prepared for a Black Friday sale of more public assets when the housing speculators’ bubble bursts.

Brian Brodie, Mairehau

More giving

With regard to the editorial ‘‘A valuable tool against inequality’’ (Nov 25), asked for my voice as aminimum wage earner I can say that while an extra $132 per week before tax would be very helpful in meetingmy living costs, it wouldn’t be a leg up, it would only be a leg even.

It is currently near impossible to keep my head above water when I’m paying tradesmen, mechanics, doctors etc more than four times what I’m earning per hour.

They drive around in brand new vehicles while my old car cost $4000.

Capitalism, consumerism and greed are the cause of human misery. We need to stop shopping and do more giving. Chris Shaw, Nelson

Underworked

As Donald Trump is spending most of his days on the golf course, I hope that somebody is docking his pay.

Charles Reddish, Papanui