Time for southern MPs to stand up for voters
I am extremely concerned about the failure of the government MPs in the South to stand up for their community, who voted them in and demand the delivery of the promised Dunedin hospital
I have contacted some of these representatives and they seem to think they can fob people off. One of them sent me a copy of the National party’s health policy, which isn’t much use as they say one thing then do the another, so why should we trust such a document.
Miles Anderson (MP for Waitaki), Penny Simmonds (MP for Invercargill) and Joseph Mooney (MP for Southland) have a choice: they can either continue to trot up weak excuses to defend the indefensible actions of this government or they can join the great majority of Southerners they say they represent and demand the government honour its promises.
People will make their own mind as to who these MPs are representing.
The new hospital will not just serve the people of Dunedin but will mean the difference between life and death for people throughout the South.
Deliver the hospital - no cuts, no lies, no excuses.
Phil Adams
Port Chalmers
A basic trap
Those planning the new Dunedin hospital have fallen into a basic tendering traps. The hospital planning committee tendered for quotes while uncertain about the scope and budget for the project.
Consultants and contractors tendering are aware of this uncertainty and turn it to their financial advantage. Those tendering will keep their initial quoted values lower than true costs to win the tender knowing that variations due to uncertainty will give them the opportunity to make enormous profits. This is what causes massive cost overruns.
Those experienced in building homes or developers tendering multimillion dollar projects are aware of these traps. This is why final tender documents must have a very clear scope with all I’s dotted and T’s crossed and quantity surveyed for estimated costs.
Often those quoting discover mistakes in tender documents and don’t advise the tenderer, knowing the variations will achieve massive margins. Every time the project scope changes consultants and contractors benefit financially often off setting the savings trying to be achieved.
The hospital planning committee should have included a contract engineer experienced in the brutal realities of multimillion dollar competitive tendering and contracting.
Steve Tilleyshort
Mosgiel
[Steve Tilleyshort is a retired engineer. Editor.]
Random reckons
Chris Bishop describes the calculations of Pete Hodgson - a man who represented Dunedin North in Parliament for 21 years, was a Minister of Health, chaired the Southern DHB and led the new hospital partnership group - as ‘‘random reckons’’.
As Mr Bishop and his colleagues continue to explore unrealistic options such as a refit of the existing hospital or removing floors from the new hospital. I reckon I know who the randoms are here.
Ruth Chapman
Dunedin
Get my point
The letter from Greg Edwards (ODT 21.10.24) stating ‘‘positive cash flow is critical for the well-being of both business and state’’ misses one salient point. Poorly targeted tax sourcing, tax cut timing and unnecessary expenditure similarly cripple the core service of the state (eg appropriate hospitals etc) and the viability of business.
Michael Williamson
Alexandra
Security expert backs controversial defunding
Re the article ‘‘Broken promises’’ (ODT 24.10.24): congratulations to the government for finally assessing and ceasing the funding of the extremist research centre in Wellington.
It is a known fact that these academic think-tanks offer little or no tangible input into the fight against global or domestic extremism or terrorism. In effect this has been an absolute waste of taxpayers’ money.
The money is better off being allocated to provide and enhance the intelligence and security services with the resources to make calculated decisions regarding extremism and terrorism.
Sadly, sometimes these extremists and terrorists do escape through the net. However, that is a global issue and not just related to the New Zealand case. The advantage is always on the side of the extremist/terrorist.
I disagree with the reported comments by the Muslim Community spokesman Mr Abdur Razzaq for the reasons stated and also the unnamed trust spokesman seems out of context with events over the past years by focusing solely on white extremism.
Stephen Quirke
Central Otago
Roading conundrum
I read with interest the letter from B. Bishop (ODT 24.10.24). In an effort to assist in making good the promised new road lengths, I engaged in serious, in-depth consultation with my next-door neighbour. What we spoke about, as in most consultation processes, was immaterial however, as a result of that discussion, I further engaged several groups of international roading experts to provide a workable solution. After calculations lasting all of three minutes the following report was released for further discussion. The full report is below.
“Rather than make them shorter, make them narrower.”
Bob Farrell
Arrowtown
Helping people up to knock ’em down again
I could not believe what I was reading (ODT 17.10.24) in an article headed ‘‘Boost aid in month, or risk arms cuts: US’’.
It stated US officials and US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin wrote to Israel demanding they improve humanitarian aid to Gaza in a month or they could face arms cuts.
I thought I was reading the script of a Monty Python comedy show.
What are they saying? To me it sounds like ‘‘feed these people, give them medicine or you won't get any more bombs to kill them’’.
We are talking about civilians here. That's who this aid is for.
Sounds to me like America is covering their tracks with the old good cop, bad cop routine and making no attempts at all to rein in this Netanyahu lunatic, who has not only destroyed Israel but is making America a laughing stock and dragging us down with them as we are part of the 5 Eyes setup.
America could stop this tomorrow, but there seems to be a hidden agenda.
G. Palmer
West Harbour
Ethical stands
Tony Kan and A. Levy (ODT 17.10.24) are deploying a classic motte-and-bailey argument against universities taking an ethical stand by joining the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel.
Our university was active in protests against apartheid-era South Africa.
Universities in many countries have taken a stand against Israel more often than not encouraged by Jewish activism.
It is the Netanyahu regime and its friends who are suppressing free speech and criticism and the accusations of genocide.
Stuart Mathieson
Palmerston
Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: editor@odt.co.nz
