Text the editor

Long live democracy

Have we abandoned democracy here in New Zealand?

Nationally the taxpayers funded a report into the Martin Matthews-harrison affair which has culminated in the resignation of the Auditor-general. This man is supposed to be the watchman over government affairs. This report is being withheld. Why?

Is our Government so arrogant that they think the public should not be informed of what was discovered in the report?

Locally the HDC were withholding the MWLASS report, which identified email interceptions and allegedly other elements of risky practice at council. For some reason this independent report has been judged ‘‘substandard, incomplete, not accepted and subject to a peer review’’. Does this simply mean that HDC does not want transparency?

Wasn’t it strange that so many councillors were sick or too busy to attend the scheduled council meeting causing it to be postponed? Could it be that they wanted more time to gather their thoughts and conspire against our elected mayor who was, after all, elected on a ticket calling for transparency?

I suppose we should be grateful to the gang of nine councillors who seem bent on undermining democracy because, if nothing else, they are waking us all from complacency.

John Batt

Foxton

Meeting no-show poor form

Democracy and openness is being overridden to hide issues exposed in HDC’S Sensitive Expenditure Review of policies and procedures audit.

At heart of the sad story is a breakdown of trust and communication between the chief executive and nine counsellors, and the mayor and his supporters.

When he finally received it, the mayor wished to present this document to council.

Many counsellors failed to attend that council meeting.

The process of democracy and good government is in chaos when counsellors, elected by ratepayers to represent us at meetings, fail to attend such meetings.

This is a manipulation of the trust we the ratepayers place in those counsellors’ integrity and willingness to face the hard issues and solve the district’s problems.

The call for the chief executive to stand aside while a full, best practice investigation takes place into these matters, still stands. Letter abridged

Graeme Lindsay

Levin

Quick action needed

It is interesting to read the texts to your paper and the politicians’ comments regarding the Manawatu Gorge and the method of solving the access problems.

I would have thought that there would have been some collective comments from the local body mayors of Palmerston North, Tararua, Levin, Hawke’s Bay areas and the chairman of Horizons, all of these regions have a vested interest in the solving of problems as soon as possible.

It would appear from past experiences that relying on government ministers to act with any haste in such situations in an election year would only produce the normal approach of being long on rhetoric and short on action.

I would consider that the following suggestion for replacement of access between Manawatu and Hawke’s Bay may have some merit.

Construct a new two-lane road between Ashhurst and Woodville, not part of existing Saddle Rd. There would still be access while new road is completed adn there would be no delays for contractors establishing the new road.

When the new road is finished restrict acess one way on new road and old Saddle Rd (Ashhurst to Woodville one way, Woodville to Ashhurst one way).

Appears that this would reduce vehicle flow to possibly half on each road and providing safer driving conditions.

N Tribe

Palmerston North

Gorge silver lining

A bit of good news from the Gorge. Trampers on the Klein Track know that if you start at the car park opposite the Ballance ❚ Blayne Slabbert on the money two weeks in a row - SD sucks, bring back shop appros ❚ turei finally gone but still in denial, no one to blame but herself ❚ Tony, so Turei should have owned up. She probably thought she got away with it until she entered parliament and she thought she’d come clean before she got found out. I wonder how many others of her friends have done what she did?? ❚ Beware there is not enough length on one of the passing lanes on the saddle to pass a truck and its trailer ❚ Come on Mike are you trying to take the mickey. I don’t recall the army being involved in any major construction. By the time the 50kph convoy gets to the gorge with camo and guns, they will find we need more than a bailey bridge. ❚ The deputy leader of the Labour Party needs to take a look at his presentation. With his rough oneliners he appears as a boy from the sticks who unexpectedly landed on his feet and can’t believe his luck. I can’t see him representing New Zealand on the world stage in his present form. ❚ The bridges thrrough the gorge hav stood the test of time, so why build one long bridge or ‘viaduct’? Get a company that know how to do. Govt can pay. Kam

Domain, when you come out on highway 3, at the far end of the Klein Track, you have to use the highway bridge to get back to your vehicle. Since the space between the shoulder line and the guard rail is narrow, I have seen some distressed trampers. The Department of Conservation says a clip-on has been approved, but there has been no word as to when the funds will be released.

Trampers on the Klein Track have the highway bridge all to themselves now.

And with the track now newly repaired, longer and with better views, this tourist attraction is better than ever.

However, today [August 4] my great granddaughter and I took a walk on the Klein Track and found it is closed. I have called DOC to ask how long the closure is expected to last and was told that they are repairing/upgrading one of the main bridges on the track and that they are making good progress and should soon be done. So we will watch this space. - Two letters abridged

Ring (06) 355 8790 or email editor@msl.co.nz

neighbourly.co.nz/publication/ manawatu-standard

facebook.com/manawatustandardnz/

Email photosales@fairfaxmedia.co.nz or phone 0800 339 796

Milton Wainwright

Woodville