Thank you for including the article about the increase in nicotine poisoning in young people in the latest edition of World Focus (21.8.23).
I hope that this will be widely read and discussed in families and in schools.
Vapes are not harmless products for any user, and are also addictive. Another issue with vapes which has had minimal publicity is the waste that they generate.
The proliferation of vendors of vapes in recent months is concerning — here in Oamaru one dairy which sells them is located directly opposite a local high school.
Outside the shop are signs which prominently advertise that vapes are for sale. These notices are inappropriate, particularly when displayed near an educational establishment.
Hazel Agnew
Oamaru
Woodhouse hailed
I am a former Act New Zealand MP and continuing supporter of Act. I do however lament the National Party’s treatment of Michael Woodhouse.
He is, in my assessment, one of the few unfailingly competent representatives of the voters of the South.
His advocacy for the building and appropriate funding of a new hospital in Dunedin is crucial given Mr Woodhouse’s background in health administration.
His ‘‘fault’’, for which he is to be congratulated, is that he may have appeared to place his constituents’ wellbeing ahead of his party’s — if and when necessary. Who knows?
It is my hope that the voters in Dunedin will recognise that having Mr Woodhouse as their constituent member could well see his newly acquired but imposed ‘‘independent’’ status as a strategy of enormous value, especially if the election is close. I wish him well.
Gerrard Eckhoff
Alexandra
A bad idea
Removing GST on fresh fruit and vegetables is a bad promise. It provides a greater saving to those who don’t need it ; it starts to ruin one of the best GST systems in the world, creating issues at the boundaries of what is in or out of the GST net; and from the food grower, to those in between and finally to the retailer, why would they not pick up some of the 15% GST.
Maybe it’s better to help those in need through Working For Families and tax rates.
Richard McKnight
Dunedin
A dry year reminder
With respect to Mike Fuge’s comments on 100% renewable electricity (ODT, 17.8.23), it would indeed be wasteful to spend multibillions of government money to remove the last 3% of fossil fuels.
However, he neglects to mention that dry years always have very much less than 97% renewable electricity.
Nature reminded us in 2021 of what happens in dry years. Reduced hydro inflows resulted in fossil fuel power generation sending more than a million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
In addition, electricity wholesale prices doubled from the previous year and caused industry failures.
Earl Bardsley
University of Waikato
Elites and voting
Regarding Anaru Eketone’s article about his perceived ‘‘double standard on Māori , Pakeha elites’’ — in which his main point is ‘‘the hypocrisy of those who would attack Māori elites and ignore Pakeha (elites) ... ..’’, he conveniently ignores the reason for criticism: that under co-governance Māori do not need to be elected to governance positions and do not run the risk of being voted out by a possibly disenchanted public, unlike the rest of our community, elite or not.
John Day
Wanaka
The Taieri Gorge Railway. PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERY
Take pride in rails, do not pull them up
Correspondents Mac Gardner and Ashley Boorer correctly point out that Dunedin is too quick to want to destroy that which currently fails to put funds into council coffers.
Ripping up the rails in the Taieri Gorge is a case in point.We have just come through a major pandemic, which has set back many Dunedin businesses and visitor attractions. Getting back to where we were is bound to take time, judging by the number of people still keen to don masks when in public.
At a time when rail elsewhere is literally taking off again, it makes no sense to destroy what we already have, is world renowned and we take pride in promoting as part of Dunedin’s heritage.
I agree, a lesson should have been learned in 1957 when the cable car rails in High St were ripped up from the bottom before the last car reached Mornington.
An active group of volunteers is now working towards its reinstatement.Visit San Francisco and witness the popularity of this clean, green- running mode of transport and it all boils down to common sense. It and other examples should be heeded before casting the baby out with the bathwater, as those that should know better seem prone to do.
Lois Galer
Dunedin
BIBLE READING: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. — Luke 6.27.
