Reason for ban reverse
Just recently the Nat/ACT/NZ First coalition, in its zeal to get everyone back at the coalface or behind a school desk, has reversed the ban on the sale of pseudoephedrine (brand names Codral and Sudafed).
Although these medications do not remove the viral infections of colds and flu, they do “dry up” nasal and bronchial discharge and reduce fever, thus persuading the cold/flu sufferer that s/he is better than s/he actually is. So, s/he heads back to work, taking the virus with her/him to spread amongst their colleagues and/or classmates.
The main reason for banning these drugs about 15 years ago was not about preventing the spread of infection, but to prevent the conversion of the contents into the party drug methamphetamine, ‘ice’.
However, if you’re a government that is more interested in forcing people back to the office, shop floor and/or school, then why would you care if, along the way, people ‘cook’ up some meth?
At least they’ll be paying GST to obtain the pharmacy drugs. It’s all about the money, honey! Let’s party!
Maggie Kennedy, Kilbirnie
Far, far away
I cringed inwardly and groaned loudly, when I heard the Minister for Police, Mark Mitchell, tell one of the other members attending the Swiss conference for peace in Ukraine that he had come the “furtherest”.
There is no such word. This one is further away than that one as a comparative of two objects. This object is the furthest away of three (or more) – a superlative. I learned the difference between an adjective, its comparative and superlative forms when I was 13 years old in Latin lessons.
I expect better of a person who is representing New Zealand at an international conference with all the major world leaders.
I suggest he tunes in to Al Jazeera and listens to the announcers to improve his English, both the grammar and the pronunciation (and beware of “pronounciation” because that is another sin!) Jim Sharp, Island Bay
Road rules
For cognitive tests for older drivers it might be helpful to have a list of suitable words to draw from. They could include “pothole, geyser, boy racer, ram raider, red-light runner, and jay walker.
But it’s hard to see how being able to recite any words from memory can be of any help in driving a motor vehicle. Unless, that is, you are required to follow the instructions of a backseat driver.
David Wright, Hataitai
Lives at stake
While I'm sure there is room to improve on aspects of health and safety legislation, I do wonder if some in our Government are aware of its history and their own parties’ involvement? In simple terms the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 was a direct result of the Pike River mine disaster. The government passing the legislation, like the present coalition, was led by National, with a clutch of others in confidence and supply: ACT, Māori Party and United Future.
A contributing factor claimed for the disaster was the 1990s deregulation of mining, resulting in significantly more lax operations than applied in Australia, with which we are forever compared.
There may be room to reduce the number of road cones that seem to litter work sites around the country, but care should be taken with any rewrite of the law (written by National and ACT). People's lives are at stake. Andy Maciver, Turakina
Borrow and save
Members of Parliament are to be commended for securing high-paying jobs with regular salary increases and perks. For example, if they own a house in Wellington, but live outside the city, they can receive financial support for living in it. Considering this, similar benefits should be extended to others, such as those commuting from Levin to Wellington daily.
Another option is to allocate the funds earmarked for MPs’ perks, along with recently approved tax rate decreases for the middle tax bracket, toward promised cancer treatments. The estimated cost of these treatments is said to be $280 million. If necessary, funds could be borrowed from the amount set aside for pothole repairs, estimated at $500m. I understand that $4 billion will be spent on potholes over three years.
Perhaps it’s time for the Government to shift its focus away from growth, especially for those who are already well off, and prioritise welfare issues.
This includes considering the wellbeing of all beings we share the world with, as well as the Earth itself. Wealth, built on everyone's labour, should be shared rather than expropriated for the benefit of a minority living the high life.
Rev Dr Graham Bull, Levin
Plain planes
Why do our leaders have an obsession about travelling in air force planes? Even Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived recently by Air China. The NZ Government owns 51% of ordinary shares in Air New Zealand, a company Christopher Luxon is not unfamiliar with. Those big planes with the fern motif would look far more impressive on a foreign tarmac than our clapped-out air force.
Or perhaps Luxon gets a self-important kick out of the military palaver?
Marg Pearce, Whitby
Work and pay
Finance Minister Nicola Willis is talking about reintroducing performance pay into the public sector. Is she blind to the mountain of evidence that performance pay does not enhance results and productivity?
The research shows the opposite, emphatically showing no relationship between such incentives and company performance. Harvard University research, the David Eccles School of Business (Utah), Swiss behavioural economist Prof Ernst Fehr, research by the United Kingdom High Pay Commission, the list is endless, calling out those perpetuating the myth that performance incentives work.
Closer to home Bernard Fraser, ex-Reserve
Bank governor of Australia, says he was “amazed at how quickly banks had embraced the US tradition of paying big bonuses to executives, despite the overwhelming evidence it did not work”. Deborah Hargraves ex director of the British Higher Pay thinktank, and author of the 2018 book Are Chief Executives Overpaid?, conclusively proves, that rewarding failure is routine and performance pay does not work.
She, along with our own Martin Hawes, says “There is no reason to pay people extra for simply doing their job”. Reverse gear, please Finance Minister. Just pay a suitable salary for the work position.
Alec Waugh, Tasman
Heritage park
The Northern Miramar (Watts) Peninsula is a superb site for the proposed National Heritage Park (The Post, June 18).
Now 13 years since the Memorandum of Understanding signed by Wellington City Council, government and mana whenua, it is surely past time that the park be formally gazetted. The site, its predator-free status just confirmed, should now be sufficiently cleared of pine trees to allow the original forest planted, so that even more of the birds and other native wildlife, already returning, are encouraged.
The Māori Treaty rights should be respected, and their involvement in the setting up and administration of the park promoted. Their occupation over centuries must be celebrated and marked – the just- completed School of Architecture student project, led by extensive community involvement, is a wonderful display of the possibilities – open to the public this weekend 22-23 June at the Worser Bay surf and life-saving club rooms.
Russell Tregonning, Seatoun
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