Letters: What David Seymour could learn from brave 8-year-old; Run it straight ban a no-brainer
Hairdressers, (who may or may not be qualified), can now offer their clients coffee and dogs can enter a salon if the owner allows it. While David Seymour gives a 'buzz cut' to archaic regulations, the minister may want to have his department turn the shears on himself totally wasting taxpayers' money.
I'm fairly certain the Child Cancer Foundation could have made better use of that money.
Mary Hearn, Glendowie.
Run it straight out of town
I find it hard to believe the Government is going to 'seek advice' about the possibility of banning Run it Straight events.
Duelling with swords and pistols has been banned for decades. This new contest of who has the thickest skull may not involve weapons, but as we've seen already the potential for a fatal outcome is, tragically, only too obvious.
How many more combatants will have to die or be maimed for life before the 'advice' being sought comes to the conclusion this new brand of stupidity should be outlawed immediately?
Jeremy Coleman, Hillpark.
RMA changes at what cost?
So the Government has traded off increasing pollution of our water and land for higher returns for farmers and easier property development.
The proposed RMA changes loosen regulations and standards to promote more industrial farming, make mining and quarrying easier and reclassify wetland to allow more building development.
This will mean more pollution of our water, land and air, no matter how you cut it. This will bring with it huge health and environmental costs, which we all pay.
This may be a quick sugar rush for the short-term business cycle but it's bad for everyone and the planet in the long term.
The vital concept of sustainability has been smothered by the siren song of unrelenting growth. We are going to pay a very high price for this short-term thinking.
Jeff Hayward, Auckland Central.
Regulatory Standards Bill demands scrutiny
The Regulatory Standards Bill, put forward by David Seymour, is marketed as upholding democratic values, but it does not explicitly protect free speech and may in practice do the opposite.
It threatens protest rights and freedom of expression. For months, people across Aotearoa, including in downtown Auckland, have gathered peacefully to call for an end to Israel's assault on Gaza and urge our Government to uphold international law. Under this bill, such protests could be deemed 'inconsistent' with vague principles, judged by a minister-appointed board.
The bill also sidelines Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It lacks any requirement to honour Treaty principles or include Māori voices, a major constitutional failure.
Steve Bannon, former Trump adviser, once spoke of 'flooding the zone with chaos' to overwhelm the public. This bill feels just like that: unnecessary, confusing and dangerous.
We already have checks in place: the Bill of Rights Act, Regulatory Impact Statements, select committees, the courts and oversight bodies like the Ombudsman and Human Rights Commission.
With the June 23 deadline approaching for submissions, now is a good time for anyone concerned about our democratic rights to look closely at what this bill could mean.
Dana A. Patterson, Waiheke Island.
On stopping crime early
Re 'Police push crime message' (Herald, May 28): since most crime is fuelled by substance abuse, each arrest is an opportunity not just for accountability but also for intervention, rehabilitation and healing.
Most citizens consistently report wanting this approach rather than contributing to mass incarceration.
The 'Broken Windows' theory of policing, which began in 1982, suggests that not intervening at lower levels of crime will result in the escalation of crime and also supports taking all theft crime more seriously.
New Zealand is known for its innovative approach towards crime reduction, beginning with juvenile offending. Giving free passes to minor crime is inconsistent with best practices.
Eugene M. Hyman, Judge Superior Court of California (retired), California, USA.
Political blame game
The coalition Government has been in the House for half of an electoral cycle and yet continues to blame Labour, who coped with a massive pandemic and kept thousands of the population alive, and also a huge cyclone, for the lack of economic growth.
They also continue to blame Covid for their lack of action to address vital basic needs.
The best this Government can do to rectify this is chase 30,000+ of our brightest offshore, make massive job cuts, disrespect women and our indigenous people, reduce the income and housing for those who have remained, increasing homelessness and poverty.
They have not addressed child poverty or the climate change issue but pander to the wealthy and lobbyists by making laws under urgency with little or no consultation.
These MPs live in a fantasy world and are totally out of touch with the real world.
Marie Kaire, Whangarei.
Something in the soil
According to an article published in the 1961 American Popular Mechanics' science overseas section, New Zealand made headlines by the discovery that the metal molybdenum ingested with foods grown rich in the metal prevents cavities in teeth.
A New Zealand study showed residents of Napier have fewer cavities than those of nearby Hastings, although they have common milk and water supplies.
The different factor in their diet is the crops grown for food. Napier grows its crops in a former lagoon that has higher amounts of molybdenum, titanium and aluminium than those used for crop-growing in nearby Hastings.
Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay.
NZ's voice on Gaza
Firstly, I agree with John Minto (Herald, May 30) As usual he speaks from the heart and empathises with persecuted people wherever they are in the world. The United States, by supplying the weapons of war to Israel, is hugely complicit in the genocide of innocent women and children in Gaza.
Our Foreign Minister's apparent willingness to go along with everything the Trump White House does actually makes us loosely complicit too.
Our Government should have the fortitude to speak out whenever and wherever injustice is.
Evidently, 147 of the 193 UN members recognise Palestine as a sovereign nation. It shocked me to learn New Zealand is one of the 47 countries that do not. To me this is shameful and needs to change. Surely this is the least we can do?
Glen Stanton, Mairangi Bay.
More female referees too
It is not only 'NZF under fire for overlooking female coaches' (Herald, May 29), it is also female referees. When I watch the all-men NRL games every weekend, often the major referee is a woman. Here they are always men in both male and female games.
Why not share the jobs of rugby coaches and referees so half of both tasks are done by women? Please do it in 2025 for fair equal rights and fair choice, as New Zealand women absolutely deserve to have this equal right now.
Murray Hunter, Titirangi.
Online gambling harm
Auctioning 15 online gambling licences is going to be devastating for addicted gamblers and their families.
Thousands of those caught in this cruel addiction will be financially ruined. The odds are heavily stacked in favour of the online casinos, run by remorseless multinational corporations. The gambler will inevitably lose everything they gamble.
Now thanks to legal online gambling, this will be available all-hours in your own home.
How cruelly short-sighted and expedient is this?
So the Government can generate a few million dollars in taxes and licence sales, many thousands of people will be financially ruined. The health and social costs incurred alone will dwarf any gambling tax gain.
Jeff Hayward, Auckland Central.
Speak out about Gaza
I completely agree with all the statements made in the letter from Keith and Jo Ballagh (Herald, May 29).
Being a small country, all we have is our voice, which we have used very effectively in the past.
For example, helping stop nuclear testing in the Pacific during the 1980s, despite the French Government's threats to damage our trade relationship.
I urge our Government to recognise Palestine as a state and a full voting member of the UN.
Ineffective hand-wringing and vague comments about joining with other countries etc do not help the starving, mutilated and dying people of Gaza and the West Bank. The time is now!
Those who see an injustice and turn away or delay action become complicit in the actions of the perpetrator.
We have our own voice and should use it in total condemnation of the Israeli genocide now. Silence is complicity.
Ruth Coombes, Auckland.
Tiny setback for school lunches
The school lunch programme continues as an embarrassment and frustration for David Seymour, with a report that a larva was found in one school lunch recently.
However, the school lunch programme delivers approximately 244,000 lunches to schools daily. This one lunch represents 0.0004% of all lunches. Although hygiene should be of paramount importance in any food programme, this is hardly evidence of gross mismanagement to the point of being overly concerned. Let's just call it added protein.
I was given banana sandwiches as a kid that were brown and mushy by the time I got to eat them. I saw, I ate and I survived!
Bernard Walker, Mount Maunganui.
A quick word
It's going to be a long 18 months as we watch David Seymour hog the headlines as Deputy Prime Minister. What an opportune time for Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to reassert his authority and call a snap election.
Graham Fleetwood, Tauranga.
The Holocaust: Nazis treated Jews like animals, confiscated their property, herded them into camps with unspeakable and unstoppable violence. Needing additional Zionist inhabitable space, Israel is tragically repeating its own history.
Michael Howard, Mt Eden.
There has been a lot written about the Equal Pay Amendment Bill 2025 but did I miss the publication of all the companies that don't pay women the same as men who are doing the same work? That is what is missing from all that has been written.
Mike Wells, Kawerau.
The problem with patients absconding from hospital ED units is not a crime. Patients are not prisoners and are free to make their own decisions no matter how wrong.
Neville Cameron, Coromandel.
When I returned to NZ after years abroad I was advised not to subscribe to the Herald as it was too right-wing. I have not found this to be the case. Your editorial (May 28) that Nicola Willis' Budget, like her $1100, dress highlights the growing gap between the haves and the have-nots confirms my view.
You ask readers to consider supporting local foodbanks or social agencies. Please continue to highlight the huge gap in this country between those who can afford to fly business class and those who struggle to find a bus fare.
Sarah Beck, Devonport.
Imagine there's less Super, it's easy if you try, no Working for Families, it isn't hard to do, dreams Matthew Hooton (Herald, May 30) like a neoliberal John Lennon.
Mike Wagg, Freemans Bay.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
2 hours ago
- Scoop
Operation To Assist New Zealanders In Middle East
Rt Hon Winston Peters Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon Judith Collins KC Minister of Defence The Government continues to call for diplomacy and dialogue in the Middle East, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. 'We acknowledge developments in the last 24 hours, including President Trump's announcement of US strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran,' Mr Peters says. 'Ongoing military action in the Middle East is extremely worrying, and it is critical further escalation is avoided. New Zealand strongly supports efforts towards diplomacy. We urge all parties to return to talks. Diplomacy will deliver a more enduring resolution than further military action.' Meanwhile, the Government is pursuing all options for assisting New Zealanders stranded in Iran and Israel, Mr Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins say. 'We remain seriously concerned about the risks New Zealanders face in Iran and Israel given continued military strikes between the two countries,' Mr Peters says. 'Airspace has been closed since the beginning of the current conflict, and it is highly uncertain when it will reopen. That is why we continue to recommend that New Zealanders do everything they can to leave now if they can find a safe route. 'We know it will not be safe for everyone to leave Iran or Israel, and many people may not have access to transport or fuel supplies. If you are in this situation you should shelter in place, follow appropriate advice from local authorities and stay in touch with family and friends where possible.' As part of government efforts to pursue all options for assisting New Zealanders in harm's way, government personnel and a C-130J Hercules aircraft are being deployed to the Middle East and will stand ready to assist if needed. The Government is also in discussion with commercial airlines to assess how they may be able to assist. 'This deployment is part of our contingency plans in preparation for supporting New Zealanders seeking to leave Iran and Israel,' Ms Collins says. 'The New Zealand Defence Force is playing an important role in this operation, stepping up to help New Zealanders in distress overseas.' 'Airspace in Israel and Iran remains heavily restricted, which means getting people out by aircraft is not yet possible. But by positioning an aircraft and Defence and Foreign Affairs personnel in the region, we may be able to do more when airspace reopens.' The situation in the Middle East is fast-moving and it will take several days for the C-130J Hercules, scheduled to leave Auckland tomorrow, to reach the region. All New Zealanders in the Middle East – not just in Iran and Israel - are urged to register on SafeTravel. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is running 24/7 consular operations, including via teams in the region. New Zealanders in Iran and Israel needing urgent consular assistance should call the Ministry's Emergency Consular Call Centre on +64 99 20 20 20.
Scoop
21 hours ago
- Scoop
Tai Rāwhiti Protest: A Burning Question On Ngāti Oneone's Redress
Article – Zita Campbell – Local Democracy Reporter An online petition supporting the hap has over 1950 signatures. A fire signalling Tai Rāwhiti hapū Ngāti Oneone's call for the return of their ancestral lands has been burning for over six weeks. The hapū said it will stoke the fire until the grievance is resolved, but after three generations of attempting to remedy it, does not want the redress to fall on them. 'It always falls on us to 'make the case',' Ngāti Oneone chairwoman Charlotte Gibson told Local Democracy Reporting (LDR) when the movement started on 5 May. The Crown said any potential redress in this case is the responsibility of the landowner and the hapū. As part of its protest, members of Ngāti Oneone have inhabited Te Pā Eketū Shed, a warehouse-sized property on Gisborne's Hirini St. Rather than an 'occupation', the hāpu calls the action 'a reclamation of whenua'. The location is where Ngāti Oneone's marae and pā were originally established in 1852 before being removed for harbour development under the Private Works Act. Eastland Port, of which Trust Tai Rāwhiti is the sole shareholder, owns the shed and others on the hapū's ancestral land on Hirini St and the Esplanade. At the beginning of the protest movement, the hapū called on the trust, Eastland Port and Gisborne District Council to return land not used for 'core business'. Council chief executive Nedine Thatcher Swann told LDR the council had started exploring how land could potentially be returned following formal requests from Ngāti Oneone in 2024. This includes investigating the relevant legal processes, policy settings and the interests of other Treaty partners. However, Trust Tai Rāwhiti, which has a funding partnership with the council and serves as the region's economic development and tourism organisation, earlier said addressing historical Treaty breaches was not its responsibility, but rather a matter for the Crown, after it sought independent legal advice. 'We support Ngāti Oneone in pursuing this with the Crown,' chairman David Battin told LDR when the protest started. Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka had a different view. The 2010 Ngāti Porou settlement of historical Treaty of Waitangi claims includes Ngāti Oneone, Potaka told LDR. 'The matter being raised … is outside of the process for the settlement of historical Treaty claims. 'Any exploration of options to return and/or purchase the land is a matter for the landowner agency to undertake in discussion with Ngāti Oneone,' he said. Regarding Potaka's statement, a Trust Tai Rāwhiti spokesperson this week said trustees continued to 'engage directly with Ngāti Oneone and remained focused on constructive resolutions'. The 'reclamation of whenua' Gibson confirmed the hapū had met with the landowner groups involved under Trust Tai Rāwhiti and would have a meeting with the council next week. She was unsure whether the groups would respond individually or together. The hapū has committed to maintaining the protest for two months and then will reassess depending on outcomes, she said. 'We'll keep the fire burning until we've had an acceptable response.' In addition to the return of land, the hapū has made other requests to the landowners through an online petition signed by over 1950 as of Friday. The petition urges the Tai Rāwhiti leaders to take three actions: 'Whakahokia Whenua Mai', which requests the return of land not used for core business, 'Whakamana Tangata' and 'Te Tiriti'. Whakamana Tangata requests that Trust Tai Rāwhiti financially compensate Ngāti Oneone for 'the alienation' of their lands without conditions. 'Te Tiriti' requests that the leaders seek a pathway that treats Ngāti Oneone in the same vein as a 'Treaty' partner, rather than 'a community group'. Gibson said that after Eastland Port sold a shed on their ancestral land to the Gisborne Tatapouri Sports Fishing Club three years ago, they worried about what could happen to the rest of their ancestral land, so they started negotiations for the Te Pa Eketū Shed. If the land were sold, it would be harder to reclaim, she said. However, they then realised the port had other sheds in the area, not used for 'core business'. 'In my view, it's not an occupation, it's a reclamation of whenua,' Gibson said, explaining that the shed had been leased while negotiating the sales and purchase agreement. The port would send the hapū the bill, which they would send to Trust Tai Rāwhiti, who would pay Eastland Port (owned by the trust), she said. Trust Tai Rāwhiti was going to give them $1.4 million to purchase the shed, but the hapū wanted to use the money to buy the lot. When their request was denied, they understood and looked into other ways of obtaining the sheds, Gibson said. However, when the hapū got the sales and purchase agreement, things shifted. 'There were four clauses within the sales and purchase agreement, which undermined Mana motuhake [self-determination], which made it untenable,' said Gibson. On 5 May the beginning of the hapū's 'Reclamation of whenua', they were supposed to sign the sales and purchase agreement but decided to 'reclaim' the land instead.
Scoop
a day ago
- Scoop
Tai Rāwhiti Protest: A Burning Question On Ngāti Oneone's Redress
A fire signalling Tai Rāwhiti hapū Ngāti Oneone's call for the return of their ancestral lands has been burning for over six weeks. The hapū said it will stoke the fire until the grievance is resolved, but after three generations of attempting to remedy it, does not want the redress to fall on them. "It always falls on us to 'make the case'," Ngāti Oneone chairwoman Charlotte Gibson told Local Democracy Reporting (LDR) when the movement started on 5 May. The Crown said any potential redress in this case is the responsibility of the landowner and the hapū. As part of its protest, members of Ngāti Oneone have inhabited Te Pā Eketū Shed, a warehouse-sized property on Gisborne's Hirini St. Rather than an "occupation", the hāpu calls the action "a reclamation of whenua". The location is where Ngāti Oneone's marae and pā were originally established in 1852 before being removed for harbour development under the Private Works Act. Eastland Port, of which Trust Tai Rāwhiti is the sole shareholder, owns the shed and others on the hapū's ancestral land on Hirini St and the Esplanade. At the beginning of the protest movement, the hapū called on the trust, Eastland Port and Gisborne District Council to return land not used for "core business". Council chief executive Nedine Thatcher Swann told LDR the council had started exploring how land could potentially be returned following formal requests from Ngāti Oneone in 2024. This includes investigating the relevant legal processes, policy settings and the interests of other Treaty partners. However, Trust Tai Rāwhiti, which has a funding partnership with the council and serves as the region's economic development and tourism organisation, earlier said addressing historical Treaty breaches was not its responsibility, but rather a matter for the Crown, after it sought independent legal advice. "We support Ngāti Oneone in pursuing this with the Crown," chairman David Battin told LDR when the protest started. Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka had a different view. The 2010 Ngāti Porou settlement of historical Treaty of Waitangi claims includes Ngāti Oneone, Potaka told LDR. "The matter being raised ... is outside of the process for the settlement of historical Treaty claims. "Any exploration of options to return and/or purchase the land is a matter for the landowner agency to undertake in discussion with Ngāti Oneone," he said. Regarding Potaka's statement, a Trust Tai Rāwhiti spokesperson this week said trustees continued to "engage directly with Ngāti Oneone and remained focused on constructive resolutions". The 'reclamation of whenua' Gibson confirmed the hapū had met with the landowner groups involved under Trust Tai Rāwhiti and would have a meeting with the council next week. She was unsure whether the groups would respond individually or together. The hapū has committed to maintaining the protest for two months and then will reassess depending on outcomes, she said. "We'll keep the fire burning until we've had an acceptable response." In addition to the return of land, the hapū has made other requests to the landowners through an online petition signed by over 1950 as of Friday. The petition urges the Tai Rāwhiti leaders to take three actions: "Whakahokia Whenua Mai", which requests the return of land not used for core business, "Whakamana Tangata" and "Te Tiriti". Whakamana Tangata requests that Trust Tai Rāwhiti financially compensate Ngāti Oneone for "the alienation" of their lands without conditions. "Te Tiriti" requests that the leaders seek a pathway that treats Ngāti Oneone in the same vein as a "Treaty" partner, rather than "a community group". Gibson said that after Eastland Port sold a shed on their ancestral land to the Gisborne Tatapouri Sports Fishing Club three years ago, they worried about what could happen to the rest of their ancestral land, so they started negotiations for the Te Pa Eketū Shed. If the land were sold, it would be harder to reclaim, she said. However, they then realised the port had other sheds in the area, not used for "core business". "In my view, it's not an occupation, it's a reclamation of whenua," Gibson said, explaining that the shed had been leased while negotiating the sales and purchase agreement. The port would send the hapū the bill, which they would send to Trust Tai Rāwhiti, who would pay Eastland Port (owned by the trust), she said. Trust Tai Rāwhiti was going to give them $1.4 million to purchase the shed, but the hapū wanted to use the money to buy the lot. When their request was denied, they understood and looked into other ways of obtaining the sheds, Gibson said. However, when the hapū got the sales and purchase agreement, things shifted. "There were four clauses within the sales and purchase agreement, which undermined Mana motuhake [self-determination], which made it untenable," said Gibson. On 5 May the beginning of the hapū's "Reclamation of whenua", they were supposed to sign the sales and purchase agreement but decided to "reclaim" the land instead.
