Today's Letters to the Editor from readers cover topics including the pandemic, bikes, life jackets and local politics.
Pandemic legacy still affecting the economy
Irrespective of whether the economy is technically in recession or not, it continues to perform badly and is struggling to rebound from the devastating financial impacts of the Covid pandemic lockdowns.
The salutary learnings from the government's fiscal and monetary response to the pandemic including advice from Treasury and the Reserve Bank will make for grim reading.
How can we ever forget the unprecedented inflationary impacts, precipitated primarily by a massive increase of money supply through quantitative easing coupled with alarming increases in Crown borrowings to fund the Covid response and recovery programme.
Can we forget the Reserve Bank governor, back in November 2022, stating he was deliberately engineering a recession by way of increases in the OCR interest rates to combat excessive inflation?
There is a sobering reality that cannot be brushed aside. The legacy of the pandemic continues as a major handbrake to economic recovery. For example we have been left with a nasty ongoing annual interest bill of circa $9 billion which effectively translates to the cost of building not one (desperately needed) but four Dunedin hospitals.
Needless to say, New Zealand's GDP statistics over recent years are underwhelming.
No government or political party should assume the political high ground, show complacency or an indifference to the formidable challenge of articulating their future revenue and economic growth plans. Intense public scrutiny and debate awaits as does a general election in 2026.
Bruce Eliott
Arrowtown
Carrying bikes
In response to Dr Colin Mackintosh's letter re bikes on Taieri Gorge Rail services. (31.1.25). As a former staff member of near on 30 years, the place did, in former days of halcyon, have quite a bit of capacity for bikes. Two ‘‘roadsider'’ freight wagons, received by the Otago Excursion Train Trust in 1989 were often used, though these were sold off approximately 15 years ago. However, they still do have a wooden guards van with quite a lot of room, but, around five years ago this useful vehicle was taken out of service (followed not too long after by the ever popular wooden balcony carriages).
There is some space in a couple of vehicles remaining, as far as I'm aware. I certainly have many memories of dozens of bikes being unloaded/loaded at Middlemarch, all of course for the rail trail.
Paul Jeffery
Dunedin
The law is an ass
I think it was Charles Dickens who, in Oliver Twist, had Mr Bumble say “If the law supposes that, the law is an ass – a idiot.”
The same applies today, nearly 200 years later. Janet Dickson, who has an unblemished 30-year career as a real estate agent in Auckland, refused to undergo a course which was going to force her to listen to stories about Maori culture, the Maori language and the Treaty of Waitangi. The content, and compulsory nature of the course was introduced in 2023.
The content of this course has nothing to do with her ability to do her work in selling properties, but everything to do with indoctrination and ideology. The Real Estate Agents Authority, however, is apparently unbending. No matter that because Janet Dickson seriously holds the view that being made to listen to stories about mythical Maori gods is contrary to her own Christian beliefs, she will now face having her practising licence revoked.
If there was ever a case where urgent government action is needed, then this is it.
Russell Garbutt
Clyde
A scenic photograph with a glaring omission
That six of the seven people photographed fishing for blue cod out at sea (ODT 4.2.25) didn’t bother to wear life jackets. After all the water safety promotions to always do so, I’m surprised at their stupidity.
Annette Carr
Belleknowes
Deficit budgeting
I see that Dunedin City Council is planning on deficit budgeting again. I wonder if any one of the councillors run deficit budgets in their private affairs? If they do, how do they finance the deficit when they cannot compel us ratepayers to make it up?
Perhaps they could let us ratepayers know so we can do the same.
Cyril Gilfedder
Opoho
Disruption is not needed, but balance is
It was with a wry sense of amusement that immediately after I read Dunedin City Council had kiboshed Andrew Simms’ long-held wish for a rail trail to Middlemarch, he has decided to run for mayor. Then I turned the page and saw the advertisement for Future Dunedin and my spirits dropped.
Once more the voters of Dunedin are treated transactionally as resource for personal advancement rather than complex individuals with genuine needs and concerns. Local government (or national as Chris Luxon discovered) is not a business. It is a rich tapestry of public servants, be they elected or officials working hard to provide local services and plan for our future.
Elected officials always take the lead, but public servants deliver the goods and services we pay for.
Mayoral candidates should follow Cicero’s creed of public service and treat the voters as adults. We do not need another populist single slogan campaign with glossy ads invoking moral panic and making grand promises that will not survive the first council meeting. We certainly do not need promises of being a ‘‘disruptor’’ when experience suggests that New Zealand’s oldest civic government will only experience even more disruption should that ensue. Governing is a complex balancing act.
As a growing city welcoming new residents from the north and overseas, we need a stable, responsible and representative government able to make long-term plans, not sloganeering to achieve personal aims.
Dr Duncan Connors
Macandrew Bay
Left hand, right hand
Three letters to the editor on MPs offending other MPs on the topic of identity but all address only the political right (Shane Jones and Winston Peters) offending the political left (Francisco Hernandez and Lawrence Xu-Nan) and ignoring the political left (Mariameno Kapa-Kingi) offending the political right (Karen Chhour).
Ralf Schruba
Dunedin
