E-bike praise

As someone who has actually ridden an e-bike from Whangamata to Auckland, I can assure CG Duff (Letters, January 14) that it’s quite achievable, and beats being stuck in a traffic jam on the southern motorway.

However, I think Duff misses the point David Slack was making. We need alternatives to fossil-fuelled metal boxes for transport, and rapid rail combined with bikes (eor otherwise) provides a flexible and efficient 21st century option.

Alastair Smith, Wellington It was extremely disappointing to see Slack (January 14), completely overlook and give context to the reason why the National opposition have submitted so many written questions in Parliament.

The Labour-led Government have provided nonsensical and obfuscatory answers. If National ask how many meetings a minister attended over a period of, say, a month, the response might be a request to define what is meant by ‘‘meetings’’ and to be more specific as to the timeframe.

The asking of a large number of

specific questions is an entirely proportional response to the refusal of ministers to seriously answer reasonable questions.

Incidentally, in July 2010 Labour asked 8791 written questions. I assume Slack would call that ‘‘vigorous opposition’’.

Frederick O Williscroft, Wellington