Letters: What about an NZ rugby island of origin? Finally, we have a Budget that isn’t a lolly scramble

The first 2026 game was played in Sydney, and NSW won 22 to 20 at the last minute, solely because earlier Queensland did not take a penalty kick right in front of the goal posts.

Please think about the great yearly excitement for both players and spectators, and do it ASAP. List the probable players in both teams so we can decide which island is more likely to win the three rugby games a year, just as NSW is always expected to. So will it be the South Island, from where the strong Crusaders were? Or the North Island, where the powerful Chiefs are now? If it comes, enjoy it, as I do with State of Origin three times every year.

Murray Hunter, Titirangi.

No more lolly scrambles

Well, we finally have the details of a Budget designed, as the Government says, to focus on savings because the country simply cannot afford endless lolly scrambles.

With the Budget now out in the open, one would expect Opposition leader Chris Hipkins to immediately highlight what he believes is wrong with it and outline what he would do differently to steer the country towards the prosperity he has long claimed would be achievable under his leadership.

Yet, when questioned on the issue, and now unable to rely on the standard excuse that policy announcements must wait until after the Budget is released, what do we get? The same old response – that Labour still needs weeks, perhaps even months, before presenting alternative ideas to the public.

That explanation is beginning to wear rather thin.

Alan Walker, St Heliers.

Animal cruelty

In response to last Saturday’s article alleging widespread cruelty to sheep inside shearing sheds, I question Peta’s priorities. Have they ever been to a meatworks?

They are reluctant to give details, as reported in the Herald. And an Asia-Pacific vice-president? Who funds these guys, the petrochemical industry?

The irony here is that when wool was king, when NZ grew wealthy on the sheep’s back, sheep were well looked after. The percentage of abuse is minimal, given the numbers shorn. The industry is responding.

Synthetic fabrics pollute the Earth with microplastics. Buy natural. Buy wool.

John Brigham, Maraekakaho.

Europe heatwave

Seeing the insane temperatures in Britain and Europe this week, an unimagined record for spring, one would expect some reaction from politicians. Instead, we have a vague mention of this strange phenomenon as if the causes have not been long proven.

The leader of the free world in the United States explains climate science to be a big hoax (drill baby, drill), and others just shrug and say, ‘What can we do?’ Many political parties around the world are supported by big oil.

The price of fuel today is a huge opportunity in New Zealand (an 85% renewable power country) to once and for all push fossil-fuelled vehicles to be as unpopular and unacceptable as we have made cigarette smoking.

Massive investment in solar on all new houses, a rejection of power-hungry databases, use of Manapōuri for New Zealanders, not Australian profits, and a drive to convert motorists to accept electric cars as the norm. I am old and will not see the devastation to come, but the 36C temperatures in London should have young people screaming for a change of direction in this fossil-fuelled world.

Vince West, Milford

Wilding pines

I applaud the Government for budgeting $109 million to assist in the control of wilding pines.

If nothing is done to support existing efforts to address this problem, I see negative environmental and ultimately economic consequences. At the same time, I think our Emissions Trading Scheme, which encourages planting of pines for the sake of the CO2 they absorb, sits rather uncomfortably alongside the wilding pines problem.

Such self-sown pines are capable of spreading from actively managed production forestry, and much more so from more passively maintained “carbon farming”.

Production forestry serves vital purposes in our economy; carbon farming amounts to a licence to continue polluting, in my opinion. Our lives as New Zealanders would be made better if we could reduce the pollution in our own country.

Mark Vincent, Maungaturoto.

Australian property speculators

Liam Dann questions whether New Zealand is now a tax haven. Yes. Aussies can now invest in New Zealand housing, thereby avoiding their new Australian capital gains tax. And they get a nearly 20% boost with our lower currency. While New Zealand property price increases have slowed recently, Australia’s have rocketed.

This is why Australian property investors are taking a much closer look at real estate investment and development this side of the Tasman.

Gary Carter, Gulf Harbour.

Moving to Australia – think again

My family and I had planned to relocate to Perth, being assured that after the short exclusion period, our new private health care would cover all pre-existing conditions and the “slate would be wiped clear”.

That is the law. However, after March, the health funds now have the ability to use three options.

Option 1 is to exclude that pre-existing ailment for good.

Option 2 is to extend the waiting period.

Option 3 is to load the premium.

The decision is made by the doctor the health fund appoints, not based on your records. This even applies to Australians changing providers. So, picture this: you migrate and get a Medicare card and then cannot cover your previous conditions.

You are then stuck with Medicare only, which is inferior compared with our health care by a long way. You have been warned!

Dr Alan Papert, Queenstown.

Auckland’s mini Tube

This was decided and started with few ideas about the cost of building this mini Tube system (CRL).

Now we are told it will cost $230m to run, and council rates must increase by 7.9% to pay the loan on the railway.

Very few people will use this folly, yet we all must pay. Time to put a stop to this folly – close down the project, lock up the tunnels and stations.

Keep paying off the loan and achieve more savings until the loan is repaid. That will be the time to open the mini Tube system.

Once it starts running, it will cost a further $200m to operate, with wages and maintenance. How much will it cost to travel? No one has shown the ticket revenue, but it will not be equal to the operating costs.

Public transport, worldwide, runs at a loss. Maybe in 10 years, we will have high enough rail fares to break even on this folly.

Erik Marjo, Milford.

With all this talk of ducks and horses, it recalls a time when a mallard tried to take on a herd – or was that just horsing about?

Ian Doube, Rotorua.

When I was at school in the 40s and 50s, our response to verbal bullying was to chant the mantra “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!” Perhaps we should be teaching that and other defences against bullying to our school children.

Bryan Leyland, Pt Chevalier.

Crikey, if anyone wants a reason to switch to the exciting world of rugby league and the NRL, they only need to watch a full replay of the State of Origin match played on Wednesday night!

Glenn Forsyth, Rangatira Park.

For those complaining about the imminent 7.9% increase in Auckland city rates, spare a thought for those ratepayers in the North Shore and rural areas who will never ever use the city rail link or for that matter would not have ever been asked to pay for city rail if the Super City had never been formed!

Bruce Woodley, Birkenhead.

It wouldn’t have mattered what Budget the coalition delivered – it was always a foregone conclusion that it would be heavily criticised by Labour and the Greens. And so it proved, unnecessarily so in my opinion. The coalition was left with no easy task. By prioritising health, education, and much-needed infrastructure, the Government has demonstrated sound fiscal discipline and sensible decision-making.

Randal Lockie, Rothesay Bay.

An Anzac game at Eden Park will be a big success and will draw a big crowd, but that is a one-off. All home games should remain at Mt Smart, where you can’t beat the close viewing and the wonderful atmosphere of a Wahs game. The Warriors games at Mt Smart are a big success. It would be a mistake to change it.

Dorothy Walsh, Pakuranga.