New Zealand Listener Issue 32, 2022

When it became clear, a couple of years ago, that the government was serious about reforming the way council-run water services are managed and governed, I was concerned. This meant big things for the role of local government and our communities. What would local government do, or even be, without “big infrastructure”? Then we had the report from the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS), suggesting there could be significant benefits to a new way of structuring the “three waters” – drinking water, wastewater and stormwater – in New Zealand. I have been involved in local government for more than a decade, but I certainly don’t count myself as an expert in big infrastructure. We have engineers and other specialists for that, and they were keen on investigating the WICS proposal…

WINNING CAPTION Kate Gore, Tauranga FINALISTS Novak Djokovic: “Look, Mum! I’m a tennis star!”– Bernard Harris, Palmerston North Djokovic (to umpire): “The balls are on teh line!”– Bernard Harris, Palmerston North Djokovic: “When they asked me to go skydiving, I thought they would give me a parachute.”– Robert Morey, Dunedin Caption: Having beaten Nick Kyrgios in the men’s final, Novak Djokovic takes a moment to unwind.– Mike Hamblyn, Dunedin Djokovic: “This is how I fly under the vaccination radar.”– Paul Kelly, Palmerston North Caption: Novak Djokovic sneaks into the US disguised as a Boeing 737.– Bob Richardson, Christchurch Djokovic: “Bloody Covid: the wheels fell off.”– Muzza Robb, Wellington Djokovic: “Next stop the Qantas terminal.”– George Clark, Auckland Caption Competition {listenercaption@aremedia.co.nz} TO ENTER Send your captions for the photo at right to listenercaption@aremedia.co.nz, with “Caption Competition No 472” in the subject line. Alternatively, entries…

Your article on the Bank of Mum and Dad (“Cash & kin”, July 23) pinpointed the new basis of wealth in this country, a situation not prevalent here since before World War II. Understated in the story was the reason: our laissez-faire economics policy, which hands power and influence to those who already have capital. In such highly unequal societies as laissez-faire-ism breeds, it is very hard to go from a poor upbringing to wealth. This process has been as entirely predictable as lamentable. And stupid. Countries with higher tax takes, such as Denmark, Sweden and Norway, tend to have more wealthy, productive economies than those with lower taxes, because the social and infrastructure investments they make, in social safety nets, healthcare, education and public transport, create the circumstances for strong…

“I think it’s more around how we defend and how we attack.”– Former All Black Ant Strachan on the All Blacks’ recent losses.“I drink to make other people interesting.”– George Jean Nathan“I thought you were in Te Puke!”- Labour MPs heckle Christopher Luxon during Parliament’s question time after the National leader admitted to mistakes in his social media“You don’t have to count every raindrop to know it’s raining. And it’s pouring right now.”– Dr Joseph Kanter, Louisiana’s state health officer, on the surge of new coronavirus infections“Time is the only critic without ambition.”– John Steinbeck“Money is our madness, our vast collective madness.”– DH Lawrence“The outlook has darkened significantly since April. The world may soon be teetering on the edge of a global recession, only two years after the last one.”–…

1. What was the name of the character played by Betty White in the TV sitcom The Golden Girls? ❑ Blanche❑ Dorothy❑ Rose❑ Sophia 2. An object that has had all its original components replaced over time can be described as a ‘ship of…’ whom? ❑ Crusoe❑ Shackleton❑ Sinbad❑ Theseus 3. Lurch the butler is a character in which TV series? ❑ The Munsters❑ Upstairs, Downstairs❑ Blackadder❑ The Addams Family 4. Trinidad Moruga Scorpion, Carolina Reaper, and Dorset Naga are all types of… what? ❑ Hairy caterpillar❑ Rattlesnake❑ Chilli pepper❑ Poisonous mushroom 5. Who wrote a pair of auto-biographical books titled Boy: Tales of Childhood and Going Solo? ❑ Elton John❑ Bob Dylan❑ Orville Wright❑ Roald Dahl 6. Which sacred river is mentioned in Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem Kubla Khan? ❑ Indus❑ Alph❑ Ganges❑ Nile 7. In which modern-day country would you…

Berlin has city councillors for all the usual things: transport, environment, rubbish. But what even a lot of locals don’t know is that, since 1991, the German capital has also employed a city “commissioner” whose sole responsibility is artists’ studios. Martin Schwegmann, the current “Atelierbeauftragter”, regularly appears on telly to discuss how creatives are being squeezed out of the city because of rising rents. Berlin is having an “atelier emergency”, he recently argued. Critics have complained his job is only symbolic, a way of appeasing anyone moaning about how fast Berlin is changing. But coming from New Zealand, it seems fairly radical that a city council would pay somebody to do this for a living. In fact, Schwegmann’s job is just a tiny aspect of the way Germany treats art and culture. In 2022,…