Opo 182 Report post Posted December 8, 2014 NZ Herald 9/12/14 PARLIAMENT’S PRAYER The English part of Speaker David Carter’s prayer is not that bad. But the Maori part is a sham, and why does Parliament need a prayer at all? Hasn’t Wellington got churches and marae that MPs can go to if they want a religious start to their day? I am surprised the religious people in Parliament are so arrogant they would want their prayers to be read parrot fashion over colleagues who do not believe in it, and surprised the non religious MPs have so little pride in their own beliefs that they put up with it. But the real damage is when the same abuse spreads to school children, in assemblies, and Bible in Schools. To encourage that kind of arrogance in the Christian pupils and grovelling in the others is not good for either. Parliament and state schools exist to serve the whole community. To open the day with a burst of one-sided religion puts a flavour of parochialism over the business that follows. D H Westmere. Bay of Plenty Times 9/12/14 LET DEMOCRACY RULE IN COUNCIL How Peter Dey (Letters, December 5) can expect anyone in Tauranga who has common sense to accept his line of nonsense is beyond belief. His latest flawed contention is that because possibly 75 per cent of the constituency are non-Maori, then accordingly those people will not vote for Maori candidates, so therefore Maori candidates are disadvantaged. What nonsense. In the general elections a smaller percentage of voters will in all likelihood vote for the smaller parties. That doesn't mean that that smaller party is disadvantaged in any way. If the Maori of Tauranga put up Maori candidates and the 25 per cent of voters in Tauranga who are Maori (according to Dey) all exercise their rights and vote for Maori candidates, then they could have 25 per cent of the candidates on council. This would give them a significant voice and the leverage to represent the needs of their voters. That's how it works. This is not racism, but simply democracy in action — something that we as New Zealanders (both Maori and nonMaori) fought and died for. I still hold my democratic rights as precious. M M Welcome Bay Wanganui Chronicle 9/12/14 RESULT WAS RIGHT Re: items in the “Maori outraged†and “We have not seen the end of the H issue†( December 4): What a poorly handled shambles. Fortunately for the majority of Wanganui ratepayers, the result was right. This matter needs to be put to bed once and for all. It has to go to a binding ratepayers’ referendum that is controlled and supervised, sent out in the next rates account. None of this texting or emailing your reply, either; that is open to corruption. A simple and clear yes/no to having Wanganui spelt with an “H†or not and send back or drop in your reply to council. It’s that simple. I know this will not be popular with the mayor and her supporters, but in some enlightened circles it’s called “direct democracyâ€. Whatever the results, we move on. If the ratepayers vote to leave things as they are and Ken Mair and his supporters get upset and throw their toys out of the cot, that’s their problem. Democracy for all, not democracy of the vocal majority. I agree with former councillor Stephen Palmer (letters, December 4) that Ken Mair should pull his head in and the council concentrate on putting its financial house in order. That is the most important issue facing all Wanganui ratepayers right now. B W St John’s Hill More letters from todays roundup can be read here > KIWI FRONTLINE Letters > https://sites.google.com/site/kiwifrontline/letters-submitted-to-newspapers Check KIWI FRONTLINE'S Newsdesk for the latest news > https://sites.google.com/site/kiwifrontline/newspaper-editorials-and-articles Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opo 182 Report post Posted December 10, 2014 Taranaki Daily News 11/12/14 SEPARATION, EQUALITY The world has recognised and honoured what Nelson Mandela did to overcome the apartheid era in South Africa. Apartheid simply means ‘‘apartness’’. It is the mechanism of enforcing non integration and preserving a separation among various ethnicities, cultures and groups. Now, there are no officially separate or exclusive identities in South Africa. No special privileges, representations or considerations are given to any groups. None is sidelined. There is full integration – there is equality for all. What Mayor Judd is proposing to do to Maori in New Plymouth is tantamount to ensuring the separation of a minority group and preventing full integration. I do not believe that the Treaty of Waitangi was meant to be an apartheid instrument for keeping Maori separate. On the contrary, I believe it was meant to ensure equality. If I am wrong, then the Treaty should be scrapped. By the way, equality in representation does not mean a 50-50 split between different groups. If you were doling out lollies to 14 people, you would not give half to a group of 13 people and half to the remaining one – that would not be equality. Likewise with representation. J P Oakura Other great letters from today's roundup can be read on KIWI FRONTLINE Letters > https://sites.google.com/site/kiwifrontline/letters-submitted-to-newspapersKIWI FRONTLINE homepage > https://sites.google.com/site/kiwifrontline/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opo 182 Report post Posted December 11, 2014 A great letter in the Taranaki Daily News 12/12/14 JUDD SHOULD QUIT "Mr Judd should do the honourable thing and stand down, then put himself forward in a by-election - this time openly promoting his plan for co-governance," Muriel Newman says (Daily News, December 5). She is right. The shame is many of us voted for Judd. To our horror, if only I had known, Mr Judd would have never received my tick on election day. The Treaty of Waitangi is open slather for people to create mischief and that is precisely what Judd is doing. Interpretation of history depends on who the writer is and along with truth is a measure of what it suits the writer’s pen. Why can’t we move on from this separatism? How many families in Taranaki now have Maori blood in them? Many, I am picking, and mine is certainly affected. Hugh Johnson has launched a petition calling for a binding referendum. Congratulations Hugh, I can well imagine the time and effort this man has put in. You, Hugh, are an example of democracy in action. L S New Plymouth Other great letters from the TDN can be read at KIWI FRONTLINE Letters > https://sites.google.com/site/kiwifrontline/letters-submitted-to-newspapersKIWI FRONTLINE > https://sites.google.com/site/kiwifrontline/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opo 182 Report post Posted December 21, 2014 A great letter in the NZ Herald 22/12/14 SPECIAL MAORI SEATS Race-based special Maori seats are an attack on the very fabric of democracy and do great damage. Requirements for permission for many activities from a small elite are found across the whole country. In Wellington, the descendants of warrior bands who killed the inhabitants in the 1820s have special powers. In Auckland, payment is asked for planning permission on culturally sensitive sites. Yet Dialogue writer Catherine Delahunty would have it that all is well so long as democracy is not completely destroyed and the sky has not fallen on communities or upon decision-making. Should we wait for complete disaster before opposing stupidity? Maori are not marginalised. There is equality, one person, one vote among all citizens and ratepayers. The early inequalities were protective of Maori, when Maori did not have to pay rates but were given the same facilities, including free healthcare, as everyone else. We live together in a sovereign nation. Our democratic government should not be whittled away by the unequal representation and claims for separation into tribal sovereign entities that Catherine Delahunty supports. JOHN ROBINSON, Wellington. KIWI FRONTLINE > https://sites.google.com/site/kiwifrontline/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opo 182 Report post Posted December 30, 2014 Two great letters in the Taranaki Daily News 31/12/14 MAORI WARD DIVISIVE You recently published an article by Rachel Stewart ( Taranaki Daily News, December 22) who picks Andrew Judd as a New Zealander of the Year. She admires his staunchness in attempting to establish a Maori ward for his council. I also have two picks for New Zealanders of the Year. The first is Mary Barnard, a Maori woman, who finds it offensive that Maori are considered unable to achieve on their own merit. She considers the very idea to be divisive and belittling to Maori. The second, for the very same reason is Chris Manukonga, and he will also actively campaign against a Maori ward. I sincerely hope that when election time rolls around again, that both Mary Barnard and Chris Manukonga are successful in their bids to become voted on to the council. They will be doing so as citizens without a racist agenda unlike those who are pushing for a separatist, divisive Maori ward. A council is there to provide services to the community whether that community is brown, white or brindle. How does being Maori impact on parks, footpaths, libraries, drainage, recreation areas, rubbish collections? A councillor represents all citizens and is not there to bow to separatist demands. Mary and Chris – you rock! R B Tauranga EQUALITY IGNORED Wonky thinking from Rachel Stewart who wants to reward stupidity and profiting from crime. Stewart wants to honour New Plymouth mayor Andrew Judd ‘‘for services to equality in the face of staunch ignorance and redneckery’’. But Judd’s proposal of a 50/50 Maori/non-Maori council would have six councillors to represent 48,615 general roll voters and six to represent 3697 on the Maori roll. The only prize Judd could qualify for is for staunch ignorance of equality. Stewart also wants to honour Dirty Politics author Nicky Hager for services to the exposing political corruption. Hager may have used stolen emails in a book that he profited from. This is an offence known as receiving and is a punishable under section 246 of the Crimes Act 1961. Hager’s book is already haunting Hager who is facing a police investigation. Dirty Politics may well haunt those who cooked up the Labour Party’s ‘‘Vote Positive’’ campaign when the link between Hager and the person who stole Right-wing blogger Cameron Slater’s emails is exposed. M B Hastings https://sites.google.com/site/kiwifrontline/letters-submitted-to-newspapers Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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