Act immediately on climate change
As usual, your regular columnist Vaughan Gunson has some very wise words to offer in the Wednesday Comment section (Outsourcing our carbon emissions is hardly ideal). The paper is lucky to have a journalist of his calibre, able to analyse a complex document and present a cogent critique in terms that the average person can understand.
Vaughan rightly warns us that the gently-gently, slowly-slowly approach of governments throughout the world (including ours) to tackling climate change is unlikely to avert disaster. If we cannot reform global and national economies and change our lifestyles much faster than is currently happening, we will increasingly be in a situation of simply reacting to more severe crises such as droughts, storms and floods. History is likely to show that the frequently derided Greens were offering a more sensible timetable for the way forward and were ignored at a drastic cost to societies worldwide.
Nigel Chadwick, Whanga¯rei
Ask all voters
I refer to Dr Smith’s letter in your edition of February 24. His council approached 3630 Ma¯ ori in the Kaipara district regarding the introduction of Ma¯ ori wards. They didn’t consider it necessary to approach all the other constituents, did they? It’s clear that all his councillors are not representing their constituents at large as they are required to by local government legislation. If he wants to prove that they are, he should hold a districtwide poll as he has been petitioned to do. Judging by his letter though, he is going to hide behind the government’s hasty change to the local electoral act. Shameful.
John Nicole Pataua South
China’s long march
Through recent years there have been a group of Chinese protesters at the Avondale Market, in Auckland, to highlight the plight of the Uighur people being persecuted in Northern China. China has established a body parts production from these unfortunate people — millions of them. A situation ignored by our government and our press.
To its cost but moral credit our close neighbour and ally, Australia has criticised China's human rights record. Under President Trump America has added an embargo on another 11 companies to the 34 existing by what is believed to be slave labour of the Uighur people.
Britain has also added criticism to China's human rights in addition to China ignoring agreements made regarding Hong Kong.
New Zealand's foregn policy is “don't support the criticism”. We have adopted a path of “follow the money”. Our lack of moral fibre is noted by our allies.
It is surely time for New Zealand to become aware of the strategy in “China's Long March” — a massive buildup of military spending, expansion in the South China sea, increased spending and influence in the South Pacific. Pressure on Taiwan, India.
Last April Fool's Day, China joined a group of five nations in the United Nations who select independent human rights experts. In the matter of free speech disappearance and persecutions China would have firsthand information.
Bob Martin Whanga¯rei