Sport reporting

Who read the sports pages in the Friday edition the week before last? Except for Peter Jones professionally written two articles, at least two others will cause you to groan and probably grimace at the clumsy appalling unprofessional writing in others.

First Ian Anderson’s Jess Ryder cricket piece began with a weird reference to ‘‘Snoopy’s Christmas’’ and then referred to ‘‘it’s as inevitable as buying a Pinky bar and being distraught when you open it, that it’s squashed like a bug on a windscreen and stuck obdurately to the wrapper.’’

Then further on somehow Anderson switches sports and refers to Jonah Lomu running over English winger Mike Catt.

Worse was to follow from ‘‘journalist’’ Richard Knowler, previously notorious for clumsy metaphors and uneconomical writing. In his first sentence on rugby wing Julian Savea, Knowler talked of ‘‘puke inducing copy’’. Then came if ‘‘words of praise were gold ingots, Savea would have coined it’’. This followed some rambling about the ‘‘national selectors’ tent’’ and ‘‘curtains and cushions’’ and then a pitiful reference to Julian Savea’s ‘‘jock strap’’ and further down a touch of salt with ‘‘the All Black selectors’’ gave Savea ‘‘the old octopus treatment and squeezed him tight.’’

Fairfax should send these two to journalism school or is that now a thing of the past?

If you didn’t read Friday’s paper’s sport sections, dare to do so but appreciate Peter Jones’ professionalism in contrast to Anderson and Knowler.

Tony Orman

Blenheim sum, logic tells me that we taxpayers – thanks to GST, that’s all of us – are owed a prompt, thorough look at what we tax and how we collect that tax.

Sure, it’s a very lucrative industry, and lots of very important people will be most averse to stream-lining – as they always have been. A measure of how sturdy Kiwis really are will be, in my book, how we deal with this looming $1.7 billion imposition and all the stuff-ups guaranteed to attend its’ implementation.

Computerization is unavoidable, essential and logical, perhaps along with the doing away with 2000 paypackets, but let us apply logic to its’ introduction.

An aside; the ‘‘trucking industry’’ won’t be burdened with the extra costs of transport Christchurch to Picton, the public will, after the ticket is clipped. Inevitable.

WHolvey

Witherlea ban on her re-entry. Her husband has no travel documents and is unable to leave the country either voluntarily or involuntarily.

Without being forewarned to say a permanent goodbye, the couple now look as though they have been separated for the rest of their lives.

The Ombudsman has ruled that INZ is acting within its rights and has no obligation to offer any explanation. The Human Rights Commissioner says that there is nothing the Commission can do.

I wish the McKelveys better luck.

Hugh Steadman

Blenheim