Letters: The difference between NZ and Nordic countries — maybe it comes down to a matter of trust
Comparisons: Maybe it comes down to trust
As your correspondent Chris Parker (Aug 29) correctly says, the five Nordic countries are doing well by comparison on happiness and wellness measures. Generally, they also have higher taxes.
But arguably the biggest difference is the level of trust these countries are blessed with.
The general public believes all public employees, the majority of whom are women engaged in teaching and social services, are committed to, and in fact are doing, a high-quality job, built on their values and supported by their training and education.
New Zealand seems to be lacking in that trust in the public sector and an important goal would be to build or rebuild that trust.
Combined with that is a deep conviction that all citizens should have what they need to participate in modern society.
This thought and approach seem also to be wanting in New Zealand where too many rich and high-income families fail to see the value of ensuring fair conditions also for the less fortunate.
Changing the culture to be more inclusive would probably allow some of the Nordic quality of life to be experienced also in New Zealand.
Frank Olsson, served as honorary consul for Sweden in Auckland.
Nursing issues
When I graduated as a registered nurse in 1991, there were virtually no jobs. Fortunately, I managed to get one by the thinnest of margins.
In 2026, we are still in the same position.
The staffing situation in any service industry is prone to natural attrition. It was a problem in 1991, and it remains a constant in 2026. Political posturing every three years clouds any common sense.
Graduates are not interested in any of that. They want a job; they want to erase their student debt and contribute to their profession.
When the pressures on the public system get factored in, no wonder 24-hour waits in an emergency department are a regular occurrence.
Political vote-grabbing is but a handbrake on a simple and basic expectation.
John Ford, Taradale.
Punching down
Simeon Brown seems to be pursuing a policy of undermining public wellbeing with his systematic dismantling of our health system.
It seems every day we receive more bad news of the disastrous effects of this.
Last week we were given yet another example — the abrupt and unexplained cancellation of contracts of highly valued, non-profit providers of essential services to our most vulnerable people.
Just one example (of many) is Vision West in West Auckland which has been serving the community for well over a decade. Its services include in-home care for the elderly and disabled, emergency food for the hungry, shelter for the homeless, and care for people with unmet mental health needs.
As a result, thousands of people will suffer, including both workers and those who receive care and support from Vision West.
The current Government seems to prefer to punch down on the needy while generously supporting its friends.
Vivien Fergusson, Mt Eden.
Make them pay
Good on National for promising a shake-up of the Kiwi student loan defaulters who are living overseas.
It’s unconscionable that so many are avoiding their student loan obligations, collectively racking up an overdue debt of $2.3 billion.
Like any debt, you repay it, and failing to do so there’ll be consequences. Restricting access to KiwiSaver for those living abroad permanently, until their student loan debt is paid, should be a real incentive to face up to their responsibilities.
Lorraine Kidd, Warkworth.
High-stakes election
Global research has shown that under the current coalition Government, wage growth has been the worst in the developed world.
Conversely, under the Ardern Government, the minimum wage for workers rose by more than 40%, one of the highest in New Zealand’s political history and draws a line in the sand.
Do you vote for a party whose political ideology is centred around rewarding the labour forces serving others that supply us with a variety of basic needs from education to healthcare, or do you support the business class whose political ideology is exploiting the hard work of those who serve others?
Then we have the pillaging of the planet’s finite resources and the emitting of greenhouse gases accelerating climate change to the point that globally we may already have passed critical tipping points.
Much is at stake when we vote in November.
Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay.
E Ihowā Atua
With David Seymour back on his pet crusade masquerading as One Law for All I am surprised he has not yet suggested removing te reo Māori from our national anthem.
John Bower, Mairangi Bay.
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