Letters: Public servant cuts’ rationale not the full picture

Regarding Australia, this is definitely not the full picture. The comparison between New Zealand and Australia ignores the fact that discounting local government, Australia has two levels of government – Federal and State – compared to our one level.

The six states, through funding agreements, control and manage many major services such as hospitals, schools, police and law enforcement, housing, local government, prisons, corrective services, electricity and water to name some. The two Territories are similarly managed but with stronger controls available to the Federal government.

I understand the system because I was a research consultant for many Federal and State departments. But since an increased use of AI is mooted to help cover staff reductions, I also consulted ChatGPT about Australia. I did not go as far as the UK and Finland but perhaps others, including the finance minister, might confirm the real level of transparency of those comparisons.

Jennifer Rush, Tauranga.

Singapore, the country which our Prime Minister professes to admire, has 89,000 civil servants in their core public service and another 60,000 working for their statutory boards. They pay high salaries to attract the best talent to the public service and look after them. Lee Kuan Yew, who built modern Singapore, was insistent that the country needed a high-quality public service to succeed.

Hiring and firing and denigrating them at every turn, as the current Government does, is hardly the way to run a high-quality public service. The coalition is aiming for mediocrity, not success.

Kushlan Sugathapala, Epsom.

How disgusting for Finance Minister Nicola Willis to suggest social housing tenants “have won the Lotto”.

How uncaring to not understand the situations many tenants are undergoing, either short term or long term. Judging everyone together shows no empathy at all.

We know what it’s really about – especially as Chris Bishop is involved. What the Government wants is to be rid of social housing unless they can fob it off to charitable entities to help out. If they don’t have to build the houses, think of all the money they will have saved. They’ve already started by selling off valuable houses. They say they are reinvesting the money in houses, but there’s not much re-building. All the houses that were cleared away in Māngere, for example, are now large empty blocks of land.

Sue Gallahar, Māngere East.

How clever is that from Housing Minister Chris Bishop? Giving some more joy to landlords, without it looking like another tax break, and finding a way to reduce the Kainga Ora waitlist without having to build more houses.

Bishop announcing that if you have been “too long” in Kainga Ora housing (well, too long according to Bishop), then you need to start looking for a private sector landlord as you will be out. No need for more unpopular landlords tax breaks in the budget, clients will be encouraged to rent from and boost the income of private sector landlords. Of course they will be also encouraged to seek accommodation supplements from Ministry of Social Development if they can’t meet the rental costs. Not a landlords’ tax break, just a redistribution of our tax.

Neil Anderson, Algies Bay.

George Bush Jnr once described Iraq, Iran and North Korea as the “Axis of Evil”. That phrase entered political language, condemning nations he believed threatened global security.

But what term should we apply to the United States and Israel? Both nations have consistently violated international law and human rights. Both have launched military actions without United Nations authorisation. Both have imposed collective punishment on civilian populations. Both have used lethal force against unarmed crew members in international waters. Israel has done so repeatedly against humanitarian aid flotillas. The US has done so against alleged drug-smuggling vessels.

I feel the appropriate term is the “Diabolical Duo”.

These two nations’ actions are indefensible under the Geneva Conventions, the United Nations Charter and basic moral standards. The United States maintains brutal economic sanctions on Cuba that amount to collective punishment against ordinary families. Israel has repeatedly boarded humanitarian flotillas in international waters, beaten crew members, and opened fire on unarmed civilians.

Dana Patterson, Waiheke Island.

Poverty, homelessness, mental health, youth suicide (which is highest among LGBTQ people, according to statistics), climate change and war are issues we should be concerned with – not what defines a “man” and a “woman”.

The only motivation behind this bill is simple fearmongering. The fear that cisgender women are in danger from trans women in public toilets is irrational and born of ignorance rather than of any actual logical reasoning.

Shame on you, NZ First. We are an inclusive country and your MAGA-esque bill has no place in 2026 NZ.

Monique Leary, Royal Oak.

Jonathan Ayling’s Opinion piece is a worthy read, one we should be taking seriously, one that has been presented before, but needs reiterating.

His call is how our society is changing as we continue selecting immigrants purely on economic terms with little regard for society as a whole, which he says should rely on trust, shared habits and confidence.

He calls for our immigration policy to cover equal citizenship, the rule of law, freedom of conscience, personal responsibility, ordered liberty and the conviction that people are more than members of a tribe.

The most worrying for me, though, is the dogmatic attitudes of some men towards women. Their rights are often at the expense of women and children.

Ayling offers that protection among his personal selections.

A strict adherence to the law needs to be asserted with consequences, all explained and signed as acknowledged.

Emma Mackintosh, Birkenhead.

The link between brain damage (MED) and collision sports is now not disputed. And yet the wearing of protective safety headgear remains optional and players showing signs of incapacity still run up more than 100 appearances.

The personal tragedies arising from brute force trauma extend to the sufferers’ families, while the costs of lifetime care and support are borne by their communities.

It is now well beyond time for bans and player safety rule changes. The status quo is not an option.

Larry Mitchell, Rothesay Bay.

Top marks to David Fisher for his disturbing account of the ordeal to which the police subjected good Samaritan Jamie Lawry. The police had footage of almost all of the incident. But seven important minutes are “unavailable”.

Do the police really think we’re that stupid?

Phil Robinson, Ngunguru.

Applying the same AI logic as the Finance Minister uses to justify the removal of 8700 public servants will we see their bosses, the MPs, getting a proportionate reduction also?

Graham Fleetwood, Bethlehem.

Nicola Willis and Chris Bishop claim their tinkering with social housing and accommodation entitlements will address unfairness in the system. Their rationale for the changes has the ring of satire, but it is no joke.

The gap between rich and poor in NZ is wide and rapidly growing, contributed to by the policies of this National-led Government.

Andrea Dawe, Sandringham.

I’m sure most fair-minded people are aghast at Nicola Willis’ statement people in social housing have “won the Lotto“. that must be the most egregious statement made by a politician in a long time.

Hamish Walsh, Devonport.

“Households fear inflation could hit 5%” on the front page.I’m of an age when something like 20% inflation was the norm: 5% was consigned to being a margin of error.

Mike Newland, Matakana.