Benign bullying Smoke and mirrors

Most informed New Zealanders are aware, at any particular time, of which way the wind is blowing. This means many may lack the confidence to be emboldened to speak against the prevailing ethos of the day, particularly when directly questioned by journalists.

It is to be hoped that calls for renaming the capital city and its streets result in the same outcome as the ill-advised attempts to change Victoria University’s name.

The agitation for altering established, well-understood place names is increasingly strident. It could be seen as a form of benign bullying; a coercive dose of what an increasingly noisyminority considers is good for all of us.

Carol Brown, Aro Valley

Wellington central library deliberations have become increasingly compromised by the council/officials deliberately misleading Wellington ratepayers about their true intentions for the library and costs. It has now been compoundedwith the proposal to give the current library ‘‘heritage status’’, a cynical and perverse action to inhibit progress.

The current ‘‘consultation’’ is an expensive farce. The preferred ‘‘jack and pack’’ option, will cost $200 million. A total new rebuild is estimated at $156m.

In comparison, the purpose-built ultramodern community-friendly Christchurch library was constructed last year for $92m. It is an exciting venue to visit and see the public interactingwithin the 21st century facilities.

Wellington city councillors/officials should look and learn from that example. Neville Wellbourn, Hataitai