Cliff was a nice stunt but more needs doing
Taking Cliff the ambulance to Wellington to protest about our promised hospital is a nice gesture, just that: it will be acknowledged and then conveniently forgotten in the media.
If we are serious about continuing to pressure this coalition to fulfil promises made we need to be more media/ tech savvy.
Put full-page advertisements in major newspapers on a regular basis: these will help to embarrass the liars who now backtrack. Flood online discussion on the numerous platforms available so that every message, tweet or similar we send contains the same message of us being lied to and treated like the South Island is irrelevant.
People need to see, in clear, concise language, throughout the country that this coalition is literally willing to sacrifice the lives of people, all in the name of secrecy, duplicity and lies.
Graham Bulman
Roslyn
Many options
Your correspondent’s recent question about the meaning of "kick arse" (courtesy of Prime Minister Luxon) has a number of possibilities.
This could mean that is what should happen to the bottoms of certain politicians including Mr Luxon and Dr Reti.
Peter Sara
Dunedin
Public over private
Graham Dickson’s analysis of who runs our country (Letters ODT 31.10.24) is perfectly right.
We have to recognise, too, that the wealthy elite who are in control have an aversion to public services, including public health. They believe in privatisation.
It is well known that private drives out public. It is a fallacy that private hospitals relieve the burden of public hospitals by taking some patients off the waiting list. What they do is take doctors and nurses away along with the patients, leaving public hospitals far worse off.
Fighting for the Dunedin hospital becomes more and more vital.
Susan Grimsdell
Auckland
Proportional response
To Greg Glendining (Letters ODT 9.11.24): I too have followed the United States and politics in general. In particular Donald Trump, from back in The Apprentice when even then, he just appeared a plonker. Not in my wildest dreams could I see such a narcissist in the White House.
I have had the privilege to stand for Parliament on four occasions for a minor party. That party, along with the Greens, was responsible for getting MMP, a democratic voting system, adopted in New Zealand.
The majority of the US popular vote is at present about 74.6 million for Trump and 70.9m for [rival Democrat] Kamala Harris. That may represent the majority of the voters, but not the American people.
There were 161.4 million registered voters and the US has a 258.3m adult population.
So do the sums: Republican Trump does not represent the majority of Americans.
The majority either voted against, did not vote , or couldn’t care to even register. What a great democracy, when you don’t have a proportional system.
Hessel Van Wieren
Christchurch
Cold comfort
I wonder how long it will take for Republicans and supporters of "he-who-should-not-be-named" to realise that the emperor continues to wear (or own) no clothes? When they do it will be cold comfort, I guess, for those who are currently stuck in Ukraine and Palestine, among other places globally affected.
Theirs is the price of others’ short-sightedness.
Hugh Morrison
Dunedin
A moment while we talk among ourselves
In reply to Russell Garbutt (Letters ODT 1.11.24). The difference between the opposition parties’ ideology and that of the current coalition is simple.
The former can back theirs up with rational discussion having listened to and participated with the relevant and non politically motivated pundits and experts, while the latter gained political power by lying.
The only expertise the current coalition shows us is revealed in nonsensical slogans. Any actual plan about anything that affects our daily life from ferries and hospitals to climate change, for example, remains in the too-hard basket.
They are systematically abusing our once proud international profile as "clean and green", and a caring society by the deliberate creation of a fiscal cliff steeper than experienced in recent history.
They espouse growth while ensuring that the economic and environmental handbrakes remain firmly on.
Marian Poole
Deborah Bay
Why cuts are needed
I would like to reply to Marian Poole’s letter (Letters ODT 31.10.24). If the Labour/Greens government had not borrowed money non-stop for six years the present government would not be in the present position it is in at the moment, i.e. using all available cash to service the interest commitments on these massive loans (which it is going to take a generation to pay back).
This is why there has to be cost-cutting measures put in place.
When coal/gas/mineral and oil exploration is re-introduced this should increase cash flow which will on flow to the work force and communities and hopefully have some dosh left over for our hospital rebuild.
Greg Edwards
Mosgiel
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