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Moral leadership

Congratulations are due to John Key for his speech to the Security Council. Sadly, if he really meant the ‘‘blood on their hands’’ line, he would have committed our troops to peace-keeping in that illegal Iraq war. Defending refugees in a corner of the Muddled East would have a far greater impact than creating cannon fodder for the multi-dimensional war where enemies are ill defined.

As for the morally dead TPPA, we should follow the Europeans in rejecting this, as it only benefits a few, while causing a minimum of 5000 job losses in NZ. The pharmaceutical industry has revealed its greed in recent times, and you can guarantee that Pharmac will be in their sights via those 10,000 pages of legislation written into TPPA by corporations.

If we want to enhance trade, we should chase the Alibaba offer for clean green organic products, where we would get a premium for removing the antibiotics and poisons from our food chain. This would also work positively against the super-bug problem quickly becoming an international crisis.

Moral leadership is more than words, Mr Key. David Russell Invercargill

Out of touch

Can someone please explain how Government reform is so out of touch when it wants councils and services to be more efficient and accountable to ratepayers and voters instead of being secret and underhanded in lining their own pockets?

The Local Government Act Amendment Bill will implement reforms to deliver high-quality local services, at a lower cost to the ratepayer and residents. There will be greater transparency and accountability.

The new act would allow councils to create more efficient council-controlled organisations to jointly deliver services and infrastructure. It will also provide a more facilitative role for the Local Government Commission to work more closely with councils and communities to make appropriate locally specific changes.

I support the Government priorities to deliver better public services and build a more productive, competitive economy. J Hoogeveen Bluff Abridged – Editor

Wooden it be nice!

Please Steve Tew can we please play off for the plastic spoon this year; we do not think we can make the wooden spoon playoff.

The present Southland Rugby Union members has stuffed our club rugby and now has carried on its merry way to destroy our rep team.

Whopper must be watching on with delight. Not wanted so as to let in younger players to rebuild, like Jimmy Cowan and discards from other provinces, plus a Brumbies halfback, you must be joking.

Get a new committee in and get back locals who actually play club rugby in Southland and have pride in Southland. Stop the free drinks and feeds for committee and hangers-on, put that ill-spent funding back into club rugby and watch the progress. You will be surprised what local dedicated players can achieve instead of pastused-by-date players and off-casts from other provinces who are only interested in their pay packets.

We hold our breath for action. New committee, good coaches and local players all sweet to get the fans back to rugby. L Ellis Winton

Beyond worrying

I am almost over the American elections – surprised?

As I am almost beyond worrying about who will look after my civic wants when I’m eventually out of this hospital (a wonderful facility, great staff)! But I often wonder while staring out of my picture window why would a bright young person consider looking after a huge house full of ageing ‘‘grumpies’’ – for a little more than the minimum wage! Beats me! However, if the stealing of election hoardings is as exciting as it gets, then I’m settling for second best!

Anderson House is still getting the attention it deserves (almost). I was recently taken for a Sunday drive and I asked my driver to park near the duck pond and I noted that the whole area was full of visitors. As I gazed upon the wonderful architectural profile, I shed a silent tear. Why is this natural beauty so neglected?

If the inner city is dying, why did the council that you are about to vote out allow the likes of the Warehouse and Harvey Norman establish in the ‘‘almost suburbs’’. Many years ago, a prominent art critic said to me while valuing the Anderson Park collection of New Zealand: ‘‘This is perhaps the best collection of New Zealand art in the country’’. So show it off in the CBD. J Husband Riverton