A22 Saturday, October 1, 2011 , Letters

❯❯ In a few words Government must back insurance for Christchurch I know. How about Fonterra’s farmers subsidise our milk and we’ll subsidise their water and is underestimat- While we wait, the rich plan Defaulting now would save the their carbon taxes? Oh wait, we ing the seriousness of the their tomorrow. It’s vastly New Zealand taxpayer from more already do. Time for those guys to insurance problem for Canterbury different to what ours may be here expense, save us from four years of cough up. home and business owners. in Christchurch. moaning about a forward pass, and SARA TEMPLETON At a time when insurance cover TROY HOLIDAY save us from watching endless Why sell the Crafar farms? Why is needed most, the insurance New Brighton documentaries on the Auckland not lease them for 100 years? market is clearly not fulfilling the transport system. Leasing seemed to work for Hong need, and it is clear that the Not their business GRANT CHELLEW Kong. situation will get worse not better. It is looking very likely that Redwood GRANT MAGRATH Home and business owners earthquake insurance will be John Key is positive about the can’t afford to wait for an uncer- either unobtainable or Crucifixion risked economy. As a social worker that tain date when insurers will re- substantially more expensive as Of course, as God’s only son, is not what I see. I see families enter the market. It could be years. policies roll over. Jesus always knew his fate. If struggling to make ends meet, The insurance market failure is But I understand that the insur- rugby is our new religion, I hope coping with redundancy and now also a Government failure. ance industry is contributing to poor Ritchie McCaw does not unemployment. I see services cut Government intervention is need- the decisions made on the future of suffer a similar fate, if, on October for elderly people and people with ed now and on a permanent basis. the orange zones. Why should the 23, he is not the winning captain special needs. I also see my State Insurance, once a insurance companies have any say proudly standing with cup raised colleges and non-government Government-backed insurer able in whether our homes are con- towards the heavens. agencies stretched to their limits. to fill the insurance gaps that have demned, or not, due to insurance MELANIE EGDEN SANDRA McCARTHY now appeared again, was one of re-issues, if in 12 months they will Bryndwr I agree with Ruperte Dobson about many necessary state-owned not provide insurance cover at an the obsession with cooking shows enterprises sold off by successive affordable level to other homes in Move prostitutes on on TV (Sept 29). Produce home- Labour and National governments. Christchurch? We may have to It was with distress that I read grown garden shows, which show Extraordinary times require abandon our homes because they of the Prangell family having to how to produce food. extraordinary measures. It is now cannot be insured, only to relocate endure noisy and intimidating JENNY RESIDE time for New Zealand to once again to another property that then loses prostitutes outside their In response to Wendy Nichols own an insurance company, back- affordable cover. residential home (Sept 30). letter re the photo of Robbie Deans ed by the Government, with a mis- J COLLIER Having to put up with fighting not setting an example and sion to provide cover for all home Halswell and sexual transactions being wearing a life jacket (Sept 27), I owners and business property conducted outside one’s home like raised the matter with him. He owners who need it, and without City under-insured Artist’s impression: Architect Shigeru Ban’s design for a temporary, . It is badly needed, says a an auction is unacceptable. What said he was wearing a life jacket the burden of inflated premiums. The Diamond Harbour Com- correspondent, Joy Hird. one does in private (assuming it and never steps onto a boat Kiwis made KiwiBank a munity Association met to discuss does not breach the law) should be without one. success. Now we need the future rebuild on the site of ‘‘very fair’’ (Sept 29). But we have colleagues many votes that would Linked again no-one else’s business, but this PETER R SMITH KiwiInsurance to do the same in Godley House. had calls from people saying they otherwise go his way. does not confer a mandate to cram The Press picture of our naked the insurance market. That’s the It became apparent that city have sale and purchase EVAN SMITH James Armitage becomes the young families’ faces up against rugby captain posing as God is assurance New Zealand First now managers have seriously under- agreements showing they have Convenor latest link in the constantly the window of sex workers’ lives surely conclusive evidence of the offers – a simple, tried and trusted insured the assets of Christchurch, paid between $30,000 and $80,000 Riverside Community Group evolving connections between any more than it is acceptable to homoeroticism that pervades practical solution. No politics, no including Godley House, with the more than Rateable Value. If these Richmond Oxford University’s cathedral strap random strangers down and every aspect and area of the dismal more overseas junkets, just result that an inadequate insur- home owners are forced to sell, college, Christ Church, and our force them to watch pornography. game (Sept 24). effective action now. ance payout will go into a general they will face negative equity We need the Cathedral eponymous city. Street workers are like boy WALTER PITT DENIS O’ROURKE fund to be used on damaged when entering a spiralling What’s happened to the Christchurch-born Mr racers: they seek to use streets and Will we ever see every All Black NZ First candidate, Port Hills buildings. The council says the property market. Is that fair? cardboard cathedral? I would love Armitage has just been employed thoroughfares for something other singing God Defend New Zealand?. Mt Pleasant rebuilding of Godley House is A retired couple – he’s 71 – have to see this up and open by next in a fascinating double function in than their intended purpose, Perhaps if New Zealand had a therefore not a priority. had to go to work to get funding to February, as a living monument to the college: as coach of the first generally being monumental pains better national anthem the All Time to step in How can the councillors and buy a section. Is that fair? what we have lost and to how well eight rowing crew and as a fund- in the proverbial to regular Blacks wouldn’t mind singing it. I The house insurance market is city manager have let the assets of Here is a statement from we are surviving. raising assistant in the citizens in the process. don’t blame them for not singing broken. Buyers can’t buy quake our city be so underinsured that Quotable Value’s website: ‘‘A My nephew saved his money to development office of the college. I suggest the same approach to the present dirge. I wouldn’t. insurance at any price because only selective buildings can be council Rating Value is come from England for the Rugby The rowing job especially is a the former as the latter. Offer an NICK WILLIAMSON new policies are non-existent. repaired from the funds available? undertaken by local councils to World Cup. His time in great honour, for the Christ acceptable venue (preferably a After the earthquakes, Under these circumstances, it is Would these managers of our city establish property values at a Christchurch was limited, as the Church first crew is currently brothel) and, if this is not used, Christchurch migrated. befitting that the Government assets carelessly underinsure their specific point in time to enable matches he had tickets for had Head of the River, ie, the best institute prostitute-free zones. Commercial, retail and intervene in the market, offering own properties to the same extent? council rates to be assessed. Most been transferred elsewhere. eights crew in Oxford. Those who do not respect the professional services moved to itself as an insurer to enable this We in Diamond Harbour cannot councils in New Zealand reassess He loved the Botanical Gardens, Moreover, Christ Church is a rights and privacy of others Addington, Riccarton, Hornby, city to recover. wait 10 years or more for the property values every three years, the museum, local cafes and the rowing college with a distinguish- deserve no accommodation. Tower Junction and Northlands. There are precedents for this council to get around to replacing and hence a Rating Value is only fanzone. A drive past the Roman ed tradition. In the first generation DARREN A SAUNDERS Road traffic has consequently type of intervention in New Zea- Godley House. Adequate funds an accurate measure of a Catholic Basilica told him of the 19th century, just a few years Waltham become congested and dangerous. land and overseas. Furthermore, it need to be made available now by property’s value at the date of the something about earthquakes but before Canterbury’s founder, John All these centres are very close to would be consistent for the Gov- the council to rebuild the heart of last revaluation.’’ what I needed to show him was a Robert Godley, began his To the stake! railway lines. We need local ernment to do so, as it has already our village. Each property should be city that is coping, a resourceful undergraduate studies at Christ Yet another passenger trains now. demonstrated by offering to BRUCE GLENNIE allowed the opportunity to be and resilient city, sensitive to the Church, the college was the main earthquake prediction has failed. HUGH ISDALE purchase red-zone properties at Church Bay independently valued as at 2010. grief but hopeful and creative for driving force behind the inaugural He predicted a major seismic One great option for Unlimited 2007 values. That would be fair. the future. boat race between Oxford and event. While not saying it would be School, displaced from the city We have had over 8000 quakes Thanks, guys Instead of Mr Brownlee The cardboard cathedral could Cambridge, providing five men in in Canterbury he certainly centre by the February and aftershocks, yet many areas Kudos and kisses for the guys attending corporate functions and embody this for us and draw the first Oxford boat. Oxford won. insinuated it, for the period earthquake, would be to rebuild are completely unaffected. A great working on the Normal School dinners with insurance visitors for the right reasons. George Augustus Selwyn, later September 22 to September 28. the school on the old Turners and opportunity exists for an building, at the corner of Cranmer companies, his time would be Like it or not, the Anglican to become Bishop of New Zealand, In fact, that period was the Growers Site, on Tuam St. It is insurance provider to offer policies Sq, for the last six months. better spent at ground zero, where cathedral was an icon. It was in the losing Cambridge boat. second quietest period in the last large enough to provide for school to unaffected properties in I passed that way daily and, those worst effected by these represented more than its HAYDN RAWSTRON six weeks. buildings and a green space that unaffected areas. The first to do so seeing that beautiful building earthquakes have had a gutsful of doctrinal roots. The cardboard Lansdown The rational among us was lacking at the old site. The will reap huge business. battered and broken, my heart being told by the Government and cathedral could be a new icon – a disregard him as a lunatic – in the location would also encourage a If companies cannot see this, would sink. But now some dignity insurance companies that they are sign of our city in transition, Excuse my mirth sense of that word’s original activities between Unlimited and then the Government must take has been restored to the old ex- getting a fair deal. feeling our way into a new, Not content with stitching up definition. Ring is, however, a very CPIT. Other educational activities charge, fix what is broken and get Grimsby’s Restaurant and she is BRENT and SHIRLEY CAIRNS creative, inclusive future. the New Zealand taxpayer for dangerous fellow preying on could also be combined into the this city moving forward again. looking patched but proud. JOY HIRD $70-$80 million to allow the RWC to people’s fears solely for self- site. A J RUSSELL The rubble has been cleared Spreydon be hosted here, Steve Tew is now promotion and profit, I think. MICHAEL ROBINSON Addington and the tower is upright, albeit on Compassion lacking complaining that the NZRU cannot He provides a very strong case Victoria Square should be spared the ground, and the gaping holes In his letter to The Press, Gerry Yes, he’s human afford to play in the next one. for bringing back witch burning. from the onslaught of more motor While we wait have been carefully covered. Brownlee is wrong to claim the I am disappointed with the Excuse my mirth, but I thought BILL WHALAN vehicles and its peaceful and It’s nice to know that for all the My husband and I had our first offers to red zone residents are vitriolic letters and comments that the NZRU wanted a RWC to Harewood beautiful character preserved for years of insurance payments, all romantic dinner at Grimsby’s, ‘‘very fair’’ (Sept 29). He is ignoring following Steve Gurney’s recent improve the brand value of the All all to enjoy. Christchurch has lost the years of profit these companies with silver service and hushed the very large number of red-zone collision with a train. Blacks. It is a bit cheeky to accept Hello, I’m Luna Man too much already and needs more have reaped, it all comes down to reverence, under that amazing RVs that are demonstrably At the time, Mr Gurney was the RWC and then want to change Leaving aside the fact that I am green space not less. Traffic the very bare minimum that can ceiling. Memories to treasure. undervalued, the collusion that very apologetic and showed the rules once it is underway. now too nervous to do any ironing, density seems worse since the be squeezed out of a dry and grey The love and attention that the allows insurance companies to genuine concern for the train The RWC is a part of brand I was puzzled that God’s warning earthquakes with more Swiss stone. original stonemasons gave to cre- grossly undercut the cost of driver involved. I don’t recall him value that filters down to all NZ to the North Canterbury ironing impatience, hazardous driving and While our ministers were ating our stunning heritage build- hypothetical repairs and the lack trying to blame anyone other than rugby players. That’s why there lady proved to be untrue. The probably pollution. The motor car prostrating themselves at the feet ings around Christchurch is being of available and affordable himself for the crash. are New Zealanders in most of the answer suddenly came to me – not should not dominate our city. of the rich in Monte Carlo, it was echoed in the work that is being rehousing options. I have always suspected that teams playing here (if you had to in spoken form, however. DAVID HAY great to read that the insurance- done to repair some of these gems. This is more than a real-estate Steve Gurney was more machine play for your country of birth there The voice wasn’t God’s! Clearly I agree with David Pennycuike’s linked securities market is poised They would be proud – as am I. issue. It’s about householders hav- than human. What this incident would be no teams to compete). what the ironing lady heard was Rant (Sept 29). Pricing a product at, for continued growth (Sept 7), SUZANNE RIVERS ing to leave family homes of many has proved is that he is human If Steve is serious about the Man in the Moon, the very say, $399.99 (or even at $399.95) is a This is made worse by Swiss Somerfield decades with no clarity about what after all and can make mistakes changing the model now, why same chap who leads Ken Ring up ploy to make us feel, maybe even Re’s fantastic claim that it is will happen to those lands. just like the rest of us. Give the doesn’t he threaten to pull out of and down the garden path think, it is a $300 purchase we are ‘‘committed to providing an expert Very unfair Mr Brownlee’s blunt statement man a break. the current RWC, and not the next monthly. looking at, rather one of almost insight into what tomorrow may Mr Brownlee says the lacks compassion, justice, leader- FRANK DOWLE one? Then the IRB might take his KATHERINE GILLARD $400. It is deceptive. bring’’. Government’s offer to red zoners is ship and vision. He is losing his Weedons threat more seriously. Ilam ALLAN CAMPBELL

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