Stop destructive trend Anti-change mantra
Further to Geoff Bertram’s letter (Sept 14) about the digital exclusion petition, during MikeMoore’s lifetime hemany times expressed the view that in particular the lower quartile of our nation should not be left behind in our quest for a better New Zealand.
In his own words ‘‘these are our people. For if we don’t speak for them, who will?’’
It is long past time that Labour recognised that 10 per cent of our citizens cannot, for a variety of reasons, do things online.
Not only is there a need for an immediate reversal of the ‘‘tsunami of non-public service’’, but an immediate moratorium should be placed on any further closure of PostShops and notice be served on the banking sector in particular that any further erosion of services in making them less user friendly will not be tolerated.
Ten per cent is far too big a sector of our citizenry to be simply written off and left behind.
Wake up, Labour, put a stop to this destructive trendwhich although fattening the performance bonuses of those at the top of the tree contributes nothing overall by means of anything worthwhile to society as a whole.
Garth Fraser, Newlands [abridged]
I’ve nevermet letterwriters GraemeMacFarlane, Reg Fowles or Philson Sherriff, but I feel I know them just the same as they trot out the standard anti-change, antiMa¯ori, anti-evidence mantra we’ve all heard before – though I’d hazard a guess they enjoy a good haka when the ABs are playing.
Alice Sneddon’s brilliantly funny and sharp interview with Don Brash (Bad News, TVNZ on demand) inspires the following:
Graeme, how can Poneke, a transliteration as you pointed out, be the ‘‘real New Zealand name’’ (whatever that means) for an area where Ma¯ori had been living for centuries?
Reg, every te reo class is and has been oversubscribed for years as ‘‘an overwhelmingmajority’’ seeks to rectify its incomplete education.
Philson, despite what you ‘‘firmly believe’’, there is substantial and unequivocal evidence that the justice system is not racially impartial, withMa¯ori many times more likely to be searched, prosecuted and
imprisoned than theirwhite counterparts in the same circumstances.
I applaud all thosewho are upholding te reo Ma¯ori to counter demonstrable racial ignorance, inequity and injustice in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Marilyn Head, Newtown