National’s commitment to Dunedin questioned
National has announced a dairy farmer from Ashburton as their Dunedin candidate for the upcoming election.
This continues their past practice of running candidates in local electorates who go on to get safe rural seats.
Obviously this current government is such a poisoned chalice that no local supporters want to run. It also shows how deeply unserious National are about Dunedin.
Now is probably a good time to remember the past election where their candidate was sidelined and gave up; they sent a carpetbagger in to campaign.
He promised they would station a list MP here and keep the local electorate office open.
That was the very first election promise that National broke, closing the office within days of the election.
Paul Campbell
Belleknowes
Andy Hou. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON
Policy a great first step on a long journey
Thank you for your editorial "Valuing pharmacists" (ODT 20.4.26). We enthusiastically support the government’s proposal to extend funded pharmacy services.
We couldn’t help but smile at GenPro’s warnings about misdiagnosis risks. Community pharmacists have been carrying out exactly this type of clinical assessment for years - only without a cent of government funding.
As your editorial noted, unfunded work makes up between 15 and 50% of a pharmacist’s daily workload.
Despite that, we always refer patients to their GP when a presentation is beyond our scope of practice. That won’t change under this scheme.
Improved access to healthcare is pharmacy’s superpower. You don’t need an appointment to see us.
For families in rural communities, for parents juggling work and childcare, for anyone who can’t wait days for a GP, we are there. It is superb that Minister Brown recognises this.
We share your concern, however, about the elephant in the room. Recognition of our skills must be matched by a funding model that keeps community pharmacies viable.
We urge the government to treat this as a first step, not a final destination.
Gumption praised
NZ First MP Mark Patterson had the gumption to get along and meet the South Dunedin Stormwater Justice Group in Surrey St on Friday, but was unfairly criticised for this in the ODT at the weekend.
I was there, and heard him say to this group that drainage infrastructure is a council responsibility, but that he views resourcing for the drainage works required as no different to a flood scheme protecting rural towns and farmland. This means he is holding out the possibility of at least partial assistance from government, the same as those more rural schemes had. So why look a possible gift horse in the mouth? The MP should be applauded for trying, not just for South Dunedin, but ratepayers facing higher rates. Anything to offset rates is a good thing.
Dunedin City Council's own Three Waters group manager John Andrews admitted back in November last year (ODT 11.11.25) the council decided not to apply for funding for South Dunedin drainage from the Regional Infrastructure Fund.
This group has had no choice but go direct to the government because they're forced to wait anxiously too long for drainage works to begin. The council could at least acknowledge this.
When it comes to protecting your homes and families, and people have hit numerous brick walls, people finding help elsewhere is perfectly understandable. In this case, from a coalition partner in government.
We have got to get this done.
Tell it like it is
It is an election year. Let's tell political parties what we want.
If ministers want to offer funds to help our infrastructure I think we should welcome them with open arms.
I would add stadium debt to that list as well.
[Carmen Houlahan is a DCC by-election candidate.]
Gulf crisis has echoes of prior US bombing war
I am writing to express my absolute horror regarding current events in the Middle East.
I base my views on experience gained during the time of the American war in Indo China in the 1960s. At that time I was in my mid-20s, working for Volunteer Service Abroad in northeast Thailand.
I lived for two years quite close to the Cambodian and Laos borders, and between American air bases and their targets in those two countries. The US air force carried out thousands of raids on Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
My role was to implement a water supply scheme on a Thai government public welfare settlement, next to a new hydro lake. Funding for the scheme was delayed, so we began digging wells in a number of nearby villages.
I will never forget the vibrations coming through the ground, which could easily be felt when digging those wells. The tremors came from US "saturation" bombing on a plateau 50 miles away.
Fortunately America lost their war on Vietnam. Probably America will not succeed in its war on Iran.
The American attack in Iran is an absolute sham dressed up to appear legitimate and reasonable. That pretence is now truly shattered and cannot be maintained by the US and its proxies.
New Zealand has every reason to withdraw its commitment to join Aukus, even as a 2nd tier partner.
[Abridged: length.]
Ransom demand
President Trump accuses the Iranians of holding the world to ransom with their control of the Strait of Hormuz. What was the unilateral imposition of tariffs by the US then?
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