Return of the Unknown Warrior
"... But dear wife if anything untoward happens to me, you must not grieve too much - there are our dear children to be brought up. You know how much I love and have loved you..."
"My desire for life so that I may see and be with you again could not be greater, but I have only done what every man was bound to do in our country's need..."
At the church service honouring the Unknown Warrior, a reading of the last letter written by Lt Colonel Malone to his wife, on the eve of the Battle at Chunuk Bair, was one of many moving moments I experienced during the emotional return of the Warrior to his final resting place. There were many more touching moments where the country honoured our fallen soldiers who never returned home.
The ten thousand people who streamed through Parliament to view the soldier's coffin, the thousand that filled Wellington Cathedral for his state funeral and the many more who lined the streets for his procession through the city, is a reflection of the great esteem we hold for those who have made sacrifices to defend our country. They leave their families for months at a time to go to some of the most hostile places on earth, and they carry out their duties with honour and pride.
The return of the Unknown Warrior also serves as a solemn reminder that all defence forces are never free from danger.
New Zealand has lost more than 30,000 soldiers in battle, making the ultimate sacrifice for their country and for peace. 9,000 of these soldiers have never been identified.
This Warrior will provide solace for families who have lost their loved ones during battle, for them never to return home. The Unknown Warrior was killed during the ghastly battle of the Somme. He fought and died alongside 1500 other Kiwis, of which 1272 were never identified.
Yesterday was a historical moment for the country, when we all joined together to welcome home one of us who made the ultimate sacrifice for New Zealand.
Highway Robbery
Last week, the tax hungry Labour Government introduced a Bill that will add another 5 cents to petrol prices. This will be rushed through the Select Committee process so it can be reported back to the House on the 16th of December. This is the Labour Government's Christmas present to New Zealanders.
Say a litre of unleaded petrol costs around $1.24, from that, 56 cents goes straight into various Government coffers. Hence 45% of the total price of petrol is tax. The average household spends $30.80 each week filling up their cars - out of that around $14-00 is tax.
The proposed 5-cent tax will be subject to GST, and the amount of petrol tax that goes towards the National Land Transport Fund will go up every year according to the Consumer Price Index. This means you will be paying even more to fill up your car.
The total tax take from the 5-cent increase will add $165 million to the Transport Fund. From that, Auckland will get around $58 million; hence we should not be holding our breath for that to provide a quick fix to the city's transport problems.
Since they took office, the Labour Government has introduced 25 taxes and levies, collecting $34 billion more in tax. Last year the surplus was $7 billion - in the first three months of this financial year, the surplus was running at 22 % above the forecast. One can envisage the Minister of Finance rolling in cash, tucking into his Christmas turkey with a smirk just like Scrooge.
The Government is sitting on the biggest surplus in a generation - where is all the tax going? Waiting lists are growing - 110,000 people are waiting for a first specialist assessment. Parents are contributing more and more to school funding and now it looks like we will be paying even more to fill up our cars.
It is time for the Finance Minister and the Government to front up to hardworking New Zealanders who deserve to know where their tax has gone. Even one of their allies, Jim Anderton, is advocating for cuts to the company tax rate, surely they should take that as a signal they have gone to far.
Places to Meet, Eat and Treat
Someone in the neighbourhood told me GPK was the place to go for wood fired pizzas in Ponsonby.
On its diverse menu, GPK serves up a veritable symphony of gourmet pizzas, including tastes from Asia to North Africa, Europe to Central America. Recommended is Bodytech �V a healthfest, wholemeal base pizza with baked ricotta, spinach, wood-fired pumpkin, field mushrooms, and other tasty yet slender garnishes that Les would approve of.
The high ceilings attribute good acoustics �V muted noise that is perfect for after movie conversation and parents treating their angelic brood.
GPK Restaurant
262 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby, Auckland
Bars, Cafes, Restaurants p: 09 360 1113
