Garden place was fantastic

Garden Place was used as a car park for many years until it was changed into a garden park in 1971. One of many efforts to beautify the area over the years.

The 1971 landscaping and design of Garden Place was fantastic and makes the current setup look extremely drab.

That design was the best effort and can be viewed in the ‘‘Hamilton as it was’’ photo collection on the third floor of the Hamilton Central Library.

It looked more like a green oasis then – somewhere you could actually enjoy taking time out.

If HCC wants plaudits about Garden Place, it only needs to change it back to the 1971 design.

It says something about the HCCs over the years that we could end up with the current abomination when we had it right all those years ago . GEORGE GARARD Hamilton

Dubious politics

Recent events surrounding the very belated resignation of Justice Minister Judith Collins underscore the need for change in this year’s elections.

Do we really want a government that engages in this kind of dubious behaviour, or would we rather have something a little better?

Dismissing politics as a ‘dirty game’ and refusing to play is not a valid response: that way, nothing improves.

We would do well to take our current political state as a wakeup call and the chance to vote for a better future, where our children and our environment take priority over money-making, inane personal attacks and revenge.

Vote on September 20. If you don’t, you’ll get what someone else thinks you deserve. J MCDONALD Hamilton

Committee listens

The Coromandel Catchment

INSANITY STREAK

Liaison Sub-committee met in Whitianga on August 21, the first of the new committee’s three year term.

This committee is supposed to provide regional council and staff with outlying locals’ concerns.

For years there have been complaints from Coromandel that these sub-committee meetings have been orchestrated by council staff to simply rubber-stamp approval for the funding of further work for staff. No meeting time was given to hear local concerns. And council has made a change. At Whitianga we saw the first of a new-style of meeting.

Visitors from as far away as Port Jackson and Thames came to be heard and were listened to. They have come before, time and again, to meeting after meeting, without ever being heard. This time they were heard.

The topic of 1080, for the first time, was allowed on the agenda.

Coromandel has the highest density of aerial 1080 in the country. 34 per cent. One out of every 3 square metres of land here has been aerial 1080’d.

Apart from locals and the committee members themselves there was a huge turn-out of executive officers from Regional Council and DOC who came to make sure that their jobs were not threatened; a very stark reminder of the large number of people who make their livings, directly or indirectly, out of poisoning wildlife.

A change seems to be coming. JOHN VEYSEY Coromandel

I was wondering. . .

I have one key question: if National is returned to power, will an ‘‘unwise’’ person be appointed Minister for Justice this time in? FRED SPONGE Huntly

Killing children

I read with utter horror and disbelief the report in the Waikato Times (August 29) of Isis’ action to exterminate the al-Sheitaat tribe. This included the beheading of children.

What have these children done to deserve this treatment? They’re innocent, defenceless, weak against strong men. They live at home which should be a safe haven. Judgment has been decided without their being heard. It’s totally unjust and breach of human rights.

Then I realised that we have a similar situation in New Zealand. We have people who want to kill children whom they do not know and who have not done anything wrong. They’re innocent, defenceless, weak against adults out to kill them. They’re unsafe even at home. Judgment has been decided against them. It’s totally unjust and breach of human rights.

And yet ALRANZ, the Green, Internet-Manna and Labour Parties are intent in decriminalising abortion. And to obtain this law, they disguise their argument as a women’s health issue.

What sort of psychological state would you have to be in to want to kill innocent children? If a full-term child can be killed in the womb, what’s to stop infanticide next? JOHN FONG Putaruru

Times

Waikato When we visited Petra Paulson of Hamilton, she had her head in a beehive.

‘‘I read on Yahoo Answers that it’s a great hair treatment,’’ she buzzes. Asked about whether Nicky Hager’s book Dirty Politics would affect her vote, she complains that she doesn’t understand the fuss about the allegations of massive corruption stemming from the country’s highest political office.

‘‘I don’t even know what we use whale oil for,’’ she says. ‘‘Who cares? Don’t make us read a book to find out.’’

A reminder that John Key’s staff had been summoned by the Inspector General of Intelligence and Security to answer for allegations of documents being declassified in order to embarrass political opponents is met with dismissal and several angry bees.

‘‘I don’t care if he’s a demon wearing the stretched skin of orphans, at the end of the day – at the end of the day, he looks like a prime minister, and I will vote for him,’’ says Petra.

Matthew, of Matamata, is standing too close to an open fire. He is a Key person, through and through.

‘‘I wouldn’t normally say that I am in love with a man, apart from my husband,’’ says Matthew. ‘‘But I think it’s fair to say that I love John Key. He hauled this country back from the brink. A brink filled with eco-friendly lightbulbs, more accessible tertiary education, and owning our own assets.’’

He shows us where he has tattooed John Key’s name into his forehead, in mirror writing. ‘‘That’s how much I love John Key,’’ he says. ‘‘When I see myself, I want to see John.’’ He begins to cry. A passer-by, wearing a Labour ‘‘Vote Positive’’ T-shirts, hands him a flyer.

‘‘You’re just jealous because our foreign debt isn’t at record highs under John Key!’’ shouts Matthew.

The passer-by says: ‘‘It is, actually, but never mind. Also your leg is on fire.’’

‘‘See, I don’t like that sort of attitude,’’ says Matthew, as the fire licks at his limbs. ‘‘Typical Labour. They say ‘vote positive’ but they’re actually the ones who are all about the negative.

‘‘They can’t help finding fault. That’s why I’ll be voting for John Key.’’ He smiles. His tears dry on his face, consumed by the flames.

WAIKATO TIMES - THE WAY WE WERE

The annual social of the Cambridge branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union took place recently. This year the proceeds were for the Cambridge branch of the Plunket Nursing Society. In the past the Hamilton nurses have visited Cambridge once a week, and it is felt the time has arrived when there should be a resident Plunket nurse in Cambridge. Mrs E J Wilkinson, the president, and Mrs W Sands, the local secretary, arranged for the flower cage, and sweet stalls. They were assisted by the members of the committee, all of whom worked very hard to make the function a success. More than 40,000 people are expected to line the streets of Hamilton tomorrow to watch the highlight of the city’s centenary celebrations – a parade of 130 floats, with bands, marching girls, soldiers, sailors and airmen. Although some scattered showers can be expected tomorrow, the weather for the parade should be generally fine. ‘‘Right on the dot of 10.30,’’ was the answer given by Jaycee president Peter Heighton and parade organiser Graham Judd when asked what time the parade would leave the starting point tomorrow morning. A centre for Environmental and Resource Studies may be set up at Waikato University. The university council this week received a proposal for a centre which would develop environment and resource studies teaching and encourage research on the environment. The proposal comes from the university’s environmental studies unit, an ad-hoc committee set up in 1972, and from departments involved in resources and environmental planning degree courses. The centre would be unique in New Zealand and would serve the interests of many local authorities, the proposal says.