Reflecting on rights and responsibilities
Councillor Michael Laws appears distressed (ODT 13.2.24) that while he can play politics as a councillor, that the staff of the Otago Regional Council should not have this right.
While, as one of the elected leaders of the Greens locally, I cannot confirm or deny if the party has installed a Greens activist cadre right under the councillor’s nose, it is worth pointing out that the concepts of neutrality in the public sector, and local government I hasten to add, and freedom of association are not mutually exclusive.
It may come as a revelation to Cr Laws that staff at any organisation in New Zealand have the right to associate themselves with a political party if that is how their values align. Most staff, including those at the ORC, ensure any conflict of interest between public and professional roles is made clear.
Speaking of values, and minor political parties, it would be worth Cr Laws reflecting on what values he espoused when he defected as an MP of the National Party in the ’90s for a minor political party called New Zealand First. It’s hard to trust someone who has been voted for one thing and then does another.
Daniel F Benson-Guiu
Mornington
A paltry rise
Along with many others I am appalled the minimum wage is to increase by such a paltry amount. It is unviable for many with the huge increases in the cost of living. How the inflation rate is only 4.7% must be achieved by dishonest accounting. The tax rebate also is less than useless; it would help no-one.
When I was young an increase in wage or salary was a flat rate of $10 or $20 per week for everyone which was fair. It’s the percentage increase which has gone a long way to widen the pay gaps.
If this system was reintroduced it would be much fairer and be cheaper for businesses and government alike.
Lyndsey Hughes
Wānaka
Outrageous statement
Marian Poole says she is no expert on Māori or colonial history (ODT 6.2.24), but then makes an outrageous statement that the attitude of the Victorian government was that societies other than white were deemed to soon become extinct and their needs could be ignored.
That is a nonsense, without any basis of fact, and totally ignores the desire of the Crown in 1840 to sign a treaty guaranteeing Māori the protection of the Crown while bestowing equal rights and responsibilities to all peoples of New Zealand.
Ms Poole should be reminded that the signing of the Treaty was largely led by the self-destructive path being followed by Māori in the course of the Musket Wars.
I would urge her, and readers of the Otago Daily Times, to read Ron Crosby’s excellent book on the subject to bring enlightenment.
The here and now statistics clearly show that personal responsibility plays a major part in Māori health. The government is not forcing Māori to smoke at higher rates than non-Māori, nor is it the government’s role to set up a separate race-based authority to ensure that Māori actually get or take their prescribed medicines. Just what is it about personal responsibility that is so frightening?
Russell Garbutt
Clyde
Satire ahoy
Our recycling is truly a shambles.. It is reported (ODT 10.2.24) that food scraps and garden waste will be taken to Timaru, a five-hour round trip with its consequent emissions and road wear. You wouldn’t write about it. But you did. Nice bit of satire.
Kevin Foley
Timaru
Can we opt out of having green-lidded waste bin?
For those of us who have tried to reduce our waste, do not throw food away, and compost all our garden cuttings etc, could we not opt out of having a green-lidded bin? Also, we put out a plastic bag about once a month. It would take a year to fill a 140L red-lidded bin. Is there not a smaller alternative?
Jacqueline Wood
Opoho
Dunedin City Council waste and environmental solutions group manager Chris Henderson replies: No, you can’t opt out. It’s great that you compost at home already. However, a significant amount of waste collected from Dunedin households is from food which then goes to landfill and produces greenhouse gases as it decomposes.
Our new service will greatly reduce that. The green-lidded food scraps and garden waste bin can also be used for items that are not easily composted, such as meat, fish, cooked food, and dairy.
It is up to you whether you use the service, but your rates help pay for a number of services available for you to use whenever you wish. From February 1-April 30 2025, after the initial "settling in period", if you find the new bins aren’t suitable, you can swap the green-lidded bin size (from 23L to 140L or vice versa) or down-size your red-lidded bin to an 80L option for free.
Careful calculations
Recently I calculated the previous pay round, with the current pay to December 2024 with the new 11th step for secondary teachers. Then I looked at the official compound inflation over that period. The result, teachers working eight years or more FTE will be $6000 a year worse off than in January 2020. Clearly, it is time to link teacher income to inflation if we want to retain teachers and the profession.
Brett Smith
Waikouaiti
Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: editor@odt.co.nz
