Australia’s deportee shame

In December 2018 while my wife and I were visiting with family in the UK, we viewed a BBC documentary about Australia’s extraordinary powers to deport foreigners (about 1500 New Zealanders so far, mostly Ma¯ ori and Pasifika.) Our English family watched in aghast horror at the story of a New Zealand citizen who was arrested in Perth because he was deemed to be of ‘‘bad character’’, owing to his being a member of a motorbike gang whom the police suspected of criminal activities.

He was held for six months in prison without charge while his extended family in Western Australia took his case to the Supreme Court. The court decided in his favour and he was released. Peter Dutton, Minister for Home Affairs, then had him arrested and deported to New Zealand. I dare say similar stories have been aired in many countries.

Of course, not all the deportees are innocent of crime. For example, deported members of Australia’s Comancheros gang have now set up shop here, dealing in methamphetamine. Thank you very much, Peter Dutton.

Australia has enjoyed the ‘‘high moral ground’’ of being wronged as a penal colony from 1788 until 1868. Australia’s hypocrisy in now using deportation is obvious to all in the international community, particularly to the English.

Australia is nonetheless a democracy. The guilt is therefore shared by the Australian electorate.

John Matthews, Mangonui

Disconnect danger

Seeing many people walking around my city, and other places, with ear plugs connected to their ‘devices’ has got me thinking about their thinking. (I am exempting people wearing hearing aids, for obvious reasons.) Do they believe that in being ‘‘connected’’ to an electronic device, they are more in touch with their world? Do they not see the irony that, in their belief that they are connected, they are really disconnected from their environment? Are they unaware of audiological research literature relating to early onset hearing problems associated with having ear buds plugged in for long periods of time, especially when listening to loud music and sound? Are they oblivious to their environment, to such an extent that their personal safety – and that of other people – is at risk?

If these folk are addicted to their devices, as so many of them appear to be, then treatment options are available. I suggest they seek professional help. In a complex world, within which we are confronted with many things to consider at short intervals, citizens need to be especially alert – not inert. Perhaps you are far less connected than you think you are.

Dr Gregory Lee, Christchurch

Carefree Jones

It seems that MP Shane Jones with his AR-15 shoot-up isn’t overly concerned about Labour’s ban or the Northland Muslim vote. It’s hard not to like this guy.

Jim Young, Lower Hutt

The religious right

Comment on the religious right support for President Donald Trump surely must be a classic example of an oxymoron. If religion in concept stands up for the less privileged, the poor, and for good works in general, one wonders how such a group could support treatment of the less advantaged within America, and those aspiring to get into the country. Their president is laughed at by the world in general and lampooned by numerous talkback shows, yet supported by much of the religious right. Religion in New Zealand also seems to be right wing which could suggest a possible generalisation, for religion and some inconsistency with teaching of the New Testament.

Phil Malpas, O¯ taki

Encouraging voters

Much as Andrea Vance can raise the smile (‘‘Would ‘bottom-up’ politics be better?’’, Sunday Politics, October 13), I’m not sure that an inflatable giant poo would encourage me to engage in the huff of local politics and the polling booth, or not, when it allegedly matters.

What might do so is the anticipation that such puffs can lead to a fully-blown-up turd, in which respect I can imagine that hard-pressed ratepayers subject to the fanciful whims of local mayors and councillors might well enjoy seeing all such turds and associated grandiose, highrate schemes detonated (blownup). On the downside of course is the prospect of carrying a huge extra rates burden to finance the subsequent cleanup of such an unholy mess.

Vance’s comments should raise more than just a smile. They should encourage us all to appreciate that local government finance and its practices are perhaps in need of an overhaul and simply trying to encourage, or indeed enforce, voter turnout will not necessarily do that. John D Mahony, Christchurch

The real San Fran

You describe San Francisco as a Green City with these stunning insights: ‘‘restaurants prefer local and organic’’ and the city is ‘‘biker friendly’’ (‘‘Cities with a green conscience’’, Escape, October 13). Sure, if you can get around the sea of homeless