Ban on Brash a travesty

I am overwhelmed by shame and embarrassment at the move by Massey University Vice Chancellor Jan Thomas in closing down Don Brash from speaking on her campus. Brash is a political pussycat whose occasional scratches at our social fabric have done no harm. Not that I hold any particular truck with Don Brash, but I sure hold on to his right to speak freely and openly and on a university campus of all places. Yes.

When completing my second degree at Victoria University of Wellington many years ago Tim Shadbolt and Germaine Greer waxed on freely with their strong ideas. The university welcomed them, as threatening as they were to many at that time.

Shame! Yes because I always thought that our universities were the purveyors and protectors of academic freedom and the free interchange of ideas.

Embarrassment! Yes that too, because our international reputation as an open democracy will be tarnished on the international stage by cowardly moves such as that displayed by Thomas.

She has surely over-reacted and shown that the job and the tough decisions are beyond her. Wally Hirsh, Stonefields.

Hate speech

The cancelling of Don Brash’s talk at Massey University by the Vice Chancellor and her purported justification of it that some of Brash’s views verge on hate speech seem to me to be far more hateful than anything I have ever heard him say. I wonder if the Vice Chancellor realises how damaging it is to a society when free speech is suppressed.

Bruce Robertson, Westmere.

Facile statements

If the intent of Tai Poutini Polytechnic’s half-page advertisement in Wednesday’s Herald was to give a perfect lesson in meaningless bureaucratic gobbledygook abysmally short of facts and crammed with empty phraseology, they succeeded. Talk of redefining its purpose, fixing the issues, 18 months of refocusing, making solid progress, shared path, creating a better focus, listening to the needs and so on.

Did we really need, for example, a thumbs up, smiley face, and a medal to accompany further facile statements?

John Norris, Whangamata.

Boris and burka

Boris Johnson has been criticised for making derogatory remarks about Muslim women wearing burkas, saying that they look like bank robbers and mail boxes. The British Prime Minister quickly jumps into the debate, scolding Boris for being rude and insensitive about the burka as a form of attire. She states that “women should be free to choose” how they dress in public. Oh the delicious irony of it all. The very reason most Muslim burka-clad women wear such outfits is because they are constrained, and not free to choose what they wear in public!

Shane Kennedy, Wattle Downs.

Forced marriages

It beggars belief that it has taken a fiveyear-old private member’s bill by Dr Jackie Blue to address this archaic culture of child marriages in this country.

This is tantamount to “legal” rape. This is a good example of bullying adult males forcing young girls into subservient roles for their own gratification.

Dave Miller, Rotorua.

Trump rallies

When I watch old news reels of Adolf Hitler in the 30s, I see huge rallies, arms outstretched, excited faces in adoration of this new leader who promises to make Germany great again. Today I see a new leader with huge rallies, the crowd looking on adoringly arms raised in salute, abusing anyone who dares find fault with this man who promises everything. Their fanatical calls rallying to the cause, they will follow all and any direction he takes them. The silent majority and other politicians cowed into silence. Now he forbids any country from trading with Iran, a sure way to destabilise a country and possibly bring another civil war to the Middle East.

Vincent West, Milford.

Delicate ecosystem

After 400 million years of plants quietly sequestering teratons of carbon, thereby chilling the planet, troublesome bipeds got all obsessed with energy consumption and blew up earth’s delicate ecosystem. Good luck, humans, with ever restabilising the polar ice-caps. Better buy a farm high in the hills somewhere because the second flood is coming, and maybe The Second Coming too!

Jim Carlyle, Te Atatu Peninsula.

Tenant’s bank statements

The fact property managers ask for bank statements in assessing someone’s ability to pay rent is not in itself a bad thing. Bank managers do the same when assessing an application for a loan. What is bad is drawing the wrong conclusions. If someone earns enough money to buy KFC (salads perhaps) every night of the week and still pay the rent and is able to verify their living expenses and income through the production of a bank statement that is what the property manager is actually or should be looking for, the ability to pay the rent.

Landlords are renting out property for a reason, not to provide someone with free accommodation.

If the bank statements showed payments to the local head hunters’ gang for cannabis would that be a reason to prevent someone renting the property, the answer would be no. However, the property manager on behalf of the landlord should be able to ask the question do you smoke (including cannabis) and that would be grounds to deny someone the property to live in.

The bank statements are and should only be used for verification of your ability to pay the rent. John Riddell, Massey.

Mates and Dates funding

Teaching our young people about consent needs to start well before secondary school. My children did a fabulous programme while in early childhood called “We can keep safe” run by the Help foundation with a wonderful tutor called Jude and her puppet. It teaches children in a sensible, safe, way that they are the boss of their body. What a pity then that while the funding to Mates and Dates has increased there is now not enough funding to continue a programme that would help address our alarming sexual abuse statistics. Cathy Fraser, Devonport.

All Black selection

For more than 60 years I have listened with interest to the announcement of the All Black team. Over those years there have been many very talented players that have been unlucky not to receive selection. What should be appreciated is that players who are are already part of the squad will always be preferred providing they are playing well. One cannot argue with the record of Steve Hansen and the team. However there are always exceptions to the rule and and Richie Mo’unga is that person. Beauden Barrett currently deserves first place but one’s imagination has to be stretched when saying McKenzie is the number two. Yes, he can open up the opposition with his mercurial running but other aspects of his game are not of All Black standard.

The margin of ability between countries is narrowing with the All Blacks finding it more difficult to run the ball. When that happens the Number 10 must have all skills and Mo’unga definitely fills that role. Reg Dempster, Albany.

Nurses’ settlement

While commending the recent nurses’ settlement I have my doubts about its sustainability. The long-term solution to the nursing shortage, and the need to pay nurses what they deserve, is very simple. Go back to a two or three-year hospital based practical training combined with formal teaching as was done for nurses and enrolled nurses some 40 years ago. These nurses would staff the hospitals working alongside registered nurses, and would be paid a minimum wage. They would have lectures and study periods to complement their skills.

Once registered they would go to a higher level of pay to continue working in low-risk areas where caring and compassion are the main skills required.

Those wishing to advance to more senior roles and high-skilled areas such as operating theatres, intensive care, emergency, neo-natal etc would then be required to do one or two years postgraduate study both practical and theoretical, and once they had graduated they would be paid according to their skills and responsibilities.

This solution would ensure full staffing of hospitals and other areas, with a much lower overall wage bill.

Linda Robert, Parnell.