A councillor’s policies should be the major focus

I SEE Lee Vandervis is in the news for all the wrong reasons (ODT, 13.1.21). This is wrong in my view — there’s a lot to debate Lee on: his climate change denial, his likely selling of council assets if he became mayor, his opposition to cycling, his myopia about South Dunedin flooding, and so on. And although I am not one to deny that he has a bad temper, surely the adults in the room could handle this with a little more decorum and not exaggerate it.

The one time I saw this on display (last year’s election campaign in Middlemarch), Lee pulled back immediately when challenged on it by those locals in attendance.

If his attributes were encouraged, instead of his temper, I’m sure that he has a lot to offer the council.

He is, after all, a businessperson of some years experience, has spent time out of New Zealand (it’s always good to get some grounding outside this little village) and, unlike Aaron Hawkins, he will actually engage with you if you’re running for mayor against him.

It’s time to fight Lee on his policies, not his personality.

Richard Seager

Kew

Helicopter rescue

MY late father, Bill Black, was a search and rescue pilot back in the early days. He very rarely had medics on board yet managed to save many people’s lives.

Much like the hero pilots of the White Island tragedy, he would go help regardless.

The fact that a machine was already located in the very area a diver was missing (ODT, 14.1.21) yet unable to search reeks of patch protection and bureaucracy. If my loved one was missing, I would want every man and every resource available to locate the victim. How distressing for this family. Maybe the outcome this time, sadly, would not have made any difference but what about in the future? Every minute counts in a rescue operation. Marlene Black

Scroggs Hill .....................................

BIBLE READING: Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything. — Ephesians 5:20.