LETTER OF THE WEEK

SBW RULES

Much has been made of Sonny Bill Williams’ reluctance on religious grounds to promote banking ( Sport, April 29).

This is not something new. South African cricket has been sponsored by Castle Breweries, whose logo appears on player shirts – with the exception of that of Hashim Amla.

As a Muslim – as well as being a fine batsman and sometime South African captain – he was exempted from advertising the brewery.

As long as sponsorship of this sort exists, there will be sportspeople who have concerns about what labels they are asked to wear and valid reasons for objecting.

I am, incidentally, a retired banker. Bob Hamilton (Paraparaumu)

Now that Sonny Bill Williams’

brand sensitivities have been placated, can we enquire as to how Plunket feels about its new brand ambassador, whose faith endorses polygamy, underage marriage and female subjugation in general? Geoff West (Takapuna)

THAT TACKLE

Paul Thomas excludes some important background in his condemnation of Alastair Campbell, the Lions’ media manager on the 2005 tour to New Zealand ( Sport, April 22).

He accuses Campbell of being influential in “the scale and ferocity of the smear campaign” aimed at All Blacks captain Tana Umaga for his part in play in the first test that left his counterpart, Brian O’Driscoll, with a dislocated shoulder.

From the Lions’ point of view, O’Driscoll was deliberately spear-tackled by Umaga and All Blacks hooker Keven

Mealamu. The All Blacks’ management chose to see the episode as no more than vigorous tackling without any malice intended.

The furore that broke out carried on throughout the tour, with fierce accusations and counter-accusations being made by both team managements and opposing media.

Wherever the truth lies, it’s also worth noting that authorities were more lenient towards such incidents 12 years ago. Regardless of intent, such tackling today is deemed careless at the very least and earns a yellow card, if not a red card. Injuries of the severity of O’Driscoll’s would also arguably result in a future ban.

Whatever one’s views of this sad incident, to imply that Campbell was guilty of initiating some ferocious smear campaign lacks balance. Kieran Smyth (St Marys Bay, Auckland)

A MATTER OF TRUSTS

One might feel for the difficulties Bill Ralston faced organising a family trust to buy his new Hawke’s Bay home or dismiss it all as a First World problem ( Life, April 22). What irks me is why people use trusts to buy homes at all.

A family trust seems to be the business you have when you don’t have a business; an asset-owning identity for the wealthy and the smart that does not share the responsibilities individuals have for their actions.

So, if you act in a risky manner and cause material damage to someone, then

they find it difficult to get recompense; or if you need rest-home care, your assets might be discounted in assessing entitlement to the state subsidy; or your estranged partner cannot get a full share of what would ordinarily be marital property; or your despised offspring does not inherit your assets; and, of course, your tax liability is reduced.

It could be that the present legal provisions are inadequate or unfair. If this is the case, let’s have a public debate. Let’s, if necessary, change some laws. What I fail to see is how the system can be fair when

some people are able to avail themselves of provisions that protect their assets outside of the intent of existing legislation.

Some trusts – those that assist in managing the financial affairs of the vulnerable or that provide income for charities in perpetuity, for instance – do good. But these are the exceptions; the rule seems

more to do with greed. Peter Dawson (Tauranga)

QUANTUM OF WATER

One major aspect of freshwater management that both Sir Peter Gluckman and the Vivid report to Parliament’s GLOBENZ cross-party climate change group neglect to properly consider is the risk of having too much or too little water at any one time. This has adverse environmental effects that, on the one hand, Edgecumbe and other towns and suburbs know well, and on the other, rivers such as the Selwyn illustrate.

Without a national risk profile, the country has not had a considered scientific debate about risk tolerance or acceptability for such events. It is time we did, otherwise the Government, councils and individuals operate in a vacuum regarding choices about where to live and earn an income.

If our level of acceptable risk of E coli contamination, damaging inundation or loss of wildlife habitat were to be quantified and widely accepted by the community, there could be proper consideration as to whether, for example, Edgecumbe should be rebuilt where it is or relocated, and whether dairying should be reduced or further developed.

Niwa, given its skills and data, should be given this task. Without such an assessment, politicians and individuals have no basis for sound decision-making. Robin Gunston (Porirua)

GREY WATER ISSUE

Some people have been effective in demonising the dairy industry and farmers but the causes of water deterioration are many. Twenty years ago, we could all drink from any stream in the country, and many of us did. Then giardia, brought here from overseas, infected our pure waterways and a quench was followed by an upset stomach. The work of a toxic tourist, you might say.

Later, pristine South Island rivers were polluted with didymo, or rock snot as it is known. This was probably brought into the country on the gear of a fisherman who had been in a foreign infected

waterway. Possibly a filthy fly fisherman.

Each waterway is different, but the Waikato River’s purity is often criticised. Originally, it took five days for water leaving Lake Taupo to reach the ocean, but now, with eight hydroelectric power sites along the river, in the summer it takes more than 40 days to run its course.

This makes the water warmer, encouraging algae growth and taking eight times as long to change leaves the water much dirtier. Leave your undies on seven times longer and see the difference. The river encourages life and birds, fish and other animals live in and on it and must all eat and crap to survive. Run-off enters it from farms, towns, roads, factories and parks, and more time means more dirt. We enjoy the convenience of clean electric power, but we should realise we are each a part of the dirty-water problem. Bruce MacDougal (Tauranga)