No record of meeting
Re More than a 5, definitely not a 10 (Jan 28), legislation exists for the safekeeping of public records.
The purpose of the Public Records Act 2005 includes: enabling the Government to be held accountable by – (i) ensuring that full and accurate records of the affairs of central and local government are created and maintained; and (ii) providing for the preservation of, and public access to, records of long-term value; and to enhance public confidence in the integrity of public records and local authority records. (http://www. legislation.govt.nz/act/public/ 2005/0040/latest/DLM345529.html)
While working as a nurse, I submitted a Protected Disclosure to my employer district health board regarding compromised patient safety. Board members were advised that a briefing relating to this would take place during the ‘‘Board/CEO section of the Board meeting on 10 April 2018’’. Under the OIA, I requested the resultant minutes/ record of this discussion.
The DHB’s CEO advised that the discussion occurred outside the board meeting, and that no minute or record was kept.
A follow-up OIA request to ascertain when the decision was made for the discussion to take place informally, and to be advised of other items that were neither represented on an agenda nor minuted, was dismissed as frivolous and vexatious. That such discussions take place informally, and not be recorded, should be of grave concern to us all. Julie Hopcroft, Feilding
Misleading statement
Under the headline Election clock starts ticking (Jan 29), I read with dismay that on September 19 ‘‘Kiwis get to decide if they wish to euthanise the very sick’’. This statement is completely misleading.
The referendum is about voluntary euthanasia for those enduring unbearable suffering and with less than six months left to live. The word ‘‘voluntary’’ is constantly left out of the discussions. The flippant tone of the article makes it sound as though someone else, not the ill person, makes the decision to end the life.
Then I noticed that the item was an opinion piece by one of your reporters, not a straightforward news report. Surely our capital city’s newspaper should be expected to have news on the front page, not opinion pieces. I hope this practice will not be repeated.
Jill Abigail, O¯ taki
I hope developers ‘get’ it
Shelly Bay property developer Ian Cassels has said ‘‘that Shelly Bay is not a strong issue for Wellingtonians’’ and only ‘‘a big issue for Peter Jackson’’.
Wrong. Any developer who has to hold workshops for over two weeks to ‘‘explain’’ what is planned so people can ‘‘get it’’ has learnt some lessons and it is an admission that more than a moviemaker didn’t like what he had in mind nor the way he went about securing the land for it.
The transport issue from Shelly Bay was a small part of the equation and any housing developer who runs rough-shod over residents from a small city crying out for preservation of special areas, whilst acknowledging the need for more quality, modest housing, should take a lesson from how not to do it.
The walk-through display will be interesting and hopefully the developer will put his money where his mouth is and listen to people who are not developers, but who care for their city and what happens in it.
If the bus operators ‘‘got it’’ then perhaps housing developers should too. Janet Weir, Melrose
Masks do protect
Despite experts saying that wearing a mask is largely ineffective unless someone is already sick, as a retired nurse with public health experience in the Third World I believe there are two very good reasons why wearing a mask will be effective against contracting the latest coronavirus.
Firstly, it will stop you from touching your face, a common and often unconscious way of contracting an illness and, secondly, it will make you think twice before putting something in your mouth before washing your hands, properly, with soap and water.
Helen Carver, Dannevirke
Services under-resourced
Suicide calls to police average 67 a day (Jan 25) highlights the inability of health services to address this situation.
For those who have a SMI (principally schizophrenia and bipolar disorder) and others, the Mental Health and Compulsory Treatment Act, enacted with good intentions, is the first barrier encountered by police and families because it is used to exclude those referred for treatment and care.
The second is the gross misallocation of resources, resulting in far too few beds. The often-repeated standard is 50 beds for each 100,00 population.
Here in MidCentral there is one inpatient ward of 23 beds when four 18-bed wards are required.
The recent Mental Health Inquiry was near to totally silent on these two issues where the burden of care, and associated costs, for those afflicted by the ‘‘ills of society’’ and those having a SMI are shifted to police in the first instance. John Bent, Palmerston North
Hypocrisy on show
Have you spotted the hypocrisy of the Ministry of Education making all parents purchase uniforms online – sent out in boxes, everything wrapped in plastic while – at the same time, bringing in the science of climate change to the classroom. I’d vote Green Party but they are actually in power – what is going on in NZ?
On a personal note, I actually went to my son’s new school as his PE kit was only available on school pickup, he tried it all on and it fitted perfectly – only to be told it still had to be ordered online. So that’s two boxes in the post!
Tom Reid, Camborne
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