National Party boss still doesn’t get the problem

PETER Goodfellow still doesn’t get it (ODT, 23.11.20), which probably explains why National was thumped in the election.

Covid19 clearly required a quick, decisive and firm government response to avoid catastrophic spread and many deaths, not to mention total hospital overload.

You only have to follow the news to see that this was our only viable strategy, and it has been a great success.

To suggest that this was a temporary tyranny is ridiculous. Maybe Mr Goodfellow should brush up on what a tyranny actually means.

Tyranny usually results in considerable numbers of citizens being deliberately killed by the government for some kind of opposition, real or imagined.

Instead of this, New Zealand was fortunate to have caring and intelligent leadership communicated by an outstanding leader and a solid team who were all on the same page.

John Key understands the situation. Mr Goodfellow doesn’t, and he should hand over to someone who does. Graham Kitchin

Oamaru

South Dunedin

AROUND the time of Covid19’s Level 1 restoration citywide, my good lady could report that on three separate occasions the centre city’s business precincts had been — to use her terminology — ‘‘dead’’, despite the council’s measure of having painted spots on the streets to ‘‘ward off evil spirits’’ (for I can think of no other reason for them); in which objective, it appeared, they had failed miserably.

At the same time, to our surprise, in South Dunedin it was not only ‘‘business as usual’’ but we had an impression that by comparison with the central city it was positively booming.

Ample parking (most times), room to move, and seemingly all systems go.

Is there a lesson to be learned there somewhere?

Ian Smith

Waverley ...................................

BIBLE READING: Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love. — Psalms 107.6.