New government

P J Edmondson shows his ‘‘colours’’ vividly in his recent letter (Waikato Times, October 26), as he strongly infers the tired old maxim, ‘‘If it’s not broken, why fix it?’’

I strongly believe that ‘‘it’’, being this country’s social structure has been ‘‘broken’’ for the past several terms of central governance, especially these past couple of terms under National. National’s denial of our core social problems such as housing, unemployment, drug dependency and the need for greater health funding, is Trumpish in its wilful arrogance and reliance on ‘‘alternative facts’’. Perhaps for the likes of Mr Edmondson, and other right wingers, National was a great government for those who were the financial elite or had the potential to so become . . . but what to do with the majority enmeshed in the social morass and those who do not lack direction and can see that ‘‘King National’’ was in fact unclothed? Then there was the environment being steadily sacrificed to overseas interests and internal greed.

Mr Edmondson is right when he says that money alone will not solve the country’s problems, but a lot of that will be needed, along with some pragmatic social compassion and forward thinking. Perhaps in opposition, National will do more for this country than it ever did as the government . . . in not opposing those political steps necessary to put the country back on its feet .

Dennis Pennefather

Te Awamutu