During Biden and Harris’ four years, America experienced similar excessive illegal immigration and ensuing problems. Ordinary Americans are also angry and scared, leading to a big Republican win at the ballot box.
Personally, I find it incomprehensible that politicians of all persuasions allow this to happen, to the extent that Western values are being eroded across the Western world.
Steve Clerk, Meadowbank.
Retirement age debate
In the retirement age debate, much has been made of how raising the age severely impacts those in physical, manual-labour jobs. This, of course, is a very valid point. However, it is not all “cushy” in office jobs either. As we age, we deteriorate mentally as well as physically. Memory, concentration and adaptability to change all decrease as we age. This is the norm.
Coupled with a high youth unemployment rate, here is an alternative solution. Instead of increasing the age of retirement, how about decreasing it? This will allow more employment opportunities for the young and give the elderly a chance to better enjoy their later years.
Time to stop “bashing” pensioners and how much they cost the taxpayer, while many youths go idle and wild.
Vanessa Kuran, Kelston.
Serious flaw in home schooling exposed
The Herald’s Hannah Brown has exposed a serious flaw in the failure of the Education Review Office (ERO) to assess home schooling in New Zealand since 2010. That 6518 families chose to remove their children from our free public education system in 2025 is reason enough to challenge what is behind that figure.
It is even more worrying that the ERO made no effort to follow up Tom Phillips when the family’s disappearance went public. The fact that he was entitled to receive $9420 over four years of unsupervised homeschooling is scandalous. No wonder the Ministry of Education tried to gag the release of the review.
The case also highlights the important role of the independent Ombudsman, Kaitiaki Mana Tangata, in our justice system.
Mary Tallon, Hauraki.
Small-target politics
Chris Hipkins appears to have been reading the second volume of the famous Chinese book on war, advising “Make yourself as small as possible to avoid being hit”.
With no policy and little to say of any substance, Hipkins is well placed to avoid inspection or being held to account by journalists.
It brings to mind the saying “if you stand for nothing, you will fall for everything”.
Gary Carter, Gulf Harbour.
City centre joys
Having spent the last 25 years of my life as an Auckland City resident, I agree in some parts with Mayor Wayne Brown’s letter on the joy of our city centre. There are, however, a few areas with which I have issues.
Firstly, there are few if any public toilets available unless one enters such places as Commercial Bay.
The development and beautification about which he sings stops abruptly on the north side of Wellesley St and the area from there to Karangahape Rd is sadly neglected, especially the Victoria Quarter.
Access for the elderly from Albert to Hobson Sts has been made more difficult with the closure of the escalators in the council building.
Removing western bus services from Hobson St sadly affects the residents of our city’s most densely populated area.
Oh, and did I mention public toilets?
Dick Ayres, Central Auckland.