A child has a right to know who their father is

I WAS alarmed when reading your story ‘‘National expresses child support fears’’ (ODT, 15.11.17).

Both Labour and National are missing the point, focusing solely on the financial impact of fathers not being named on a child’s birth certificate. There is a bigger social impact to consider.

A child should have the right to know the name of their father. The father contributes half of the chromosomes to a child’s genetic makeup. We all need a sense of identity and this cannot be established without knowing one’s ancestry.

Why should a mother be given the choice of withholding this information from a child? Lacking a sense of identity can contribute to mental health problems later in life. Also, why should fathers be allowed to stop supporting their children?

I implore the Government to review this proposed change of policy for the social and financial implications it will have on the country.

Janette Potter

Fairfield

It’s called MMP

JUST how easy is it using selected statistics to suit a personal opinion. This occurs regularly in the ODT’s editorial pages.

Regarding the current elections, there is only one statistic that counts.

R. Thomas (ODT, 15.11.17) just has to get his head around the fact that a little under 1 million voters wanted a National government.

Nearly 1.6 million voters did not. They wanted change, and got it.

It’s to do with proportional representation, called MMP.

I suggest R. Thomas studies this.

Jim Childerstone

Hampden

R. THOMAS (ODT, 15.11.17) claims we have a ‘‘fraudulent government’’ because 65% of voters voted against Labour. No comment is made that 56% of voters voted against National.

The governing coalition was supported by 50% of the electorate. Hardly fraudulent.

Dr John Holmes, Dr Anna Holmes

St Leonards