In a few words
Having had quite a few guests over the years visiting Christchurch, I can say it is not the man-made buildings they have admired but the view of the Alps with snow on them.
BRUCE IMRIE The intransigent attitude of the Anglican Church towards the cathedral demolition causes me to consider cancelling my membership. But come to think of it, having not paid my subscription for some time, my membership has probably expired.
MIKE GRAHAM The Christian Church has only one mandate – to live out the Gospel message as given by Jesus Christ. Any buildings it puts up should be there for that purpose. It appears that no one has mentioned the Christian message of salvation as a reason to restore the cathedral. It could be concluded that those who want it restored have little understanding of, or interest in, the reason why the church exists. The Church does not exist to restore icons.
DAVE PALMER As a place for Cantabrians to worship in comfort and safety, the cathedral was unfit when opened and it is unfit now. Stone cathedrals are not fit for earthquake-prone New Zealand. If the cathedral’s architects had known as much about earthquakes as we do today, they would have built it not of stone but of timber, and that cathedral would have been just as iconic, and would still be standing and working today.
NORM DREXEL I live in Slovenia, which has 60 per cent of its land in forests. We get alpine larch and spruce from 100-plus year-old managed trees for kitset solid-wood houses, which are erected all across the European Alps. Upon offering this material to Christchurch for the rebuild, I am advised that any wood used must be treated. Treated timber is toxic. Slovenian wood needs no treatment above ground.
JOHN RIDING Our nation’s bankruptcy is not because of the Labour Party. It is because the National Party under Muldoon cancelled Rowling’s superannuation scheme. It was self-funding and sustainable, not the unsustainable, non-subscribed superannuation scheme that is now being reduced in various ways.
DAVID KING A few years ago, when times were good, the Christchurch City Council used ratepayers’ money to buy David Henderson’s properties around the CBD. Perhaps now is the time for councillors to show a little compassion. Look at their portfolios and see what can be prudently off-loaded to ease the ratepayers’ burden, when so many are struggling to provide the basic necessities for their families.
J INCH If there were major earthquakes in Wellington, would Gerry Brownlee call their buildings old dungers? Of course not! He and his cohorts would be running around like headless chickens, making sure EQC and the insurance companies paid up immediately. No way would they allow insurance companies to renege on policies promising full replacement for homes.
JULIE NEWSUM Why do so many New Zealanders regard Australia as some form of utopia? I’m an Australian citizen but I chose to live in New Zealand. New Zealand, specifically the South Island, has the better lifestyle. We live in a beautiful country with a temperate climate and plenty of space. All outdoor activities, from the beach to the mountains are easily accessible. Best of all, our population and geographic isolation are a blessing in disguise.
SCOTT TAYLOR I amamazed and outraged at the suggestion that we taxpayers should pay for the proposed royal visit. If Charles and Camilla want to come here they should be welcomed, but surely the royal family, among the richest in the Commonwealth, should finance their own travel, as the rest of us do.
NORAH JELLEY Trusts were originally designed for non-profit organisations, such as tennis clubs. Anyone can easily and cheaply set one up and it has become a popular way of evading taxes and legal obligations, such as those under the Matrimonial Act. I have always assumed that politicians would eventually get around to plugging the legal loophole thus created. But half of our politicians are in on the scam and therefore evading the financial transparency that we demand of representatives.
GRANT FARRELL As we’ve all been told to tighten our belts and make sacrifices, why don’t politicians lead by example? I’m sure we can do with fewer members of Parliament.
JENNY FOOTE