Letters to the Editor: Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown should be praised for promoting Auckland’s city centre
Mayor Brown’s central message on Auckland
Well done to Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown for his promotion of the newly revitalised Auckland city centre (Letters to the editor, May 16).
With our weak currency, New Zealand is on sale to the rest of the world and, with the global “Baby Boomer” generation looking to expand their horizons beyond the overcrowded and expensive traditional hot spots of Europe, New Zealand’s tourism potential and upside are immense.
New Zealand is blessed with unmatched natural beauty and historic layers of a unique indigenous culture, and more Unesco world heritage sites would not be out of order for multiple areas throughout the length and breadth of Aotearoa.
The time has come to move on and beyond the negative stereotypes and images currently prevailing within the country and we should applaud and embrace the type of positivity embodied in Brown’s letter.
Bruce Eliott, Siracusa, Sicily.
Defining climate change
Prominent people, including Santana Minerals’ board chairman Peter Cook and US President Donald Trump, claiming climate change is a fraud are perfectly entitled to their opinions as climate change is always changing.
The missing component which they avoid is “accelerating”, which changes the whole scenario.
The number of rapidly increasing catastrophic climate events is undeniable proof that Earth is racing towards out-of-control, irreversible climate change and those claiming that is a fraud are themselves defrauding the public and should be held acountable.
Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay.
Coalition ‘insanity’
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is reported as having said that a grand coalition between National and Labour would be “insanity”. He is obviously concerned that a large section of the New Zealand electorate might consider it a good idea to reduce the see-saw change of lawmaking that it has seen in the past decade.
Luxon seems to be proclaiming National policy on the fly; is he speaking for the whole National caucus? Or is he just in denial?
If he says that he would never consider a coalition with Labour, then the electorate will punish National for the mistakes it made in the coalition with Act and NZ First.
Peter D. Graham, Helensville.
It’s just a few seconds
I’m not sure how the fuss about the three-second rule in rugby got started but it may be worth considering the reply of legendary NFL coach Bum Phillips when questioned about how slowly his star running back Earl Campbell got up after being tackled: “Yep, and I noticed how slowly he went down each time.”
When you see the likes of Ardie Savea, Wallace Sititi and Samisoni Taukei’aho take ages ploughing their way into carnage before finally being felled, it might be worth granting them a few more seconds to get back up.
Peter Beyer, Sandringham.
Covid ‘blame game’
Claire Chambers in Sunday’s Herald takes issue with Chris Hipkins’ assertion that Aucklanders have moved on from Covid. Would she prefer to revisit it and see if we can do any better?
I think New Zealanders are generally pragmatic and realistic, although we are seeing the “blame game“ raising its ugly head as the election draws near.
Actual citizens realise that it’s really a cop-out from reality.
Hamish Walsh, Devonport.
Back to the future
I started my teaching career at Cambridge High School in 1963. In those days, most youngsters left school at the end of Form 5 (now Year 11) after sitting School Certificate. To be awarded School Certificate, they had to score 200 marks in English and three other subjects. Assessment was almost entirely by external written examinations.
Marks in all subjects were scaled to ensure “parity” between subjects. Academic subjects taken by the brighter students such as physics, French and German had marks scaled upwards, while vocational subjects like woodwork, metalwork and home economics were deemed to be easier and taken by less-able students and marks were scaled downwards. Overall scaling ensured 50% “passed” and 50% “failed”. Failure meant students could not go into Form 6 (Year 12) where much the same rules applied to University Entrance.
The similarities with what the Government has announced as new policy on school qualifications are clear. What it claims as taking education forward is in reality taking education backwards, by at least 60 years.
David Hood, Hamilton.
Tunnel vision
Every Aucklander should ride the NX1 or the NX2 Busway service to the North Shore if only just to enjoy the views of our beautiful harbour. This scenic service is a joy to use.
Yet Errol Anderson (Letters, May 16) wants to send bus-users by tunnel to the CBD.
If private vehicles were tunnelled to the Southern Motorway the load on the bridge would lighten enormously.
NZTA well knows that. It needs to fast-track its 8-year-old plans.
Jan O’Connor, Hauraki.
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