Representing Māori voters
In my view, Don Brash (Letters, May 26) seems to be hugely ignorant about Māori representation in government. Don says people of Māori ancestry already get elected to government, so Māori do not need race-based election systems. But he is wrongly referring to parliamentary, not local, elections where Māori do not get elected. Also, Don does not seem to understand that somebody who has Māori ancestry but has nothing to do with Māori activities does not represent Māori voters at all. Local Māori who support activities such as marae, culture groups, sports clubs, the Māori university and schools make up about 10 per cent of the population. The Treaty of Waitangi entitles them to be represented in local government. Eighty per cent of voters in the recent poll opposed a Māori ward, but they do not have to worry about good race relations. Politicians do. They cannot be racist, and they get no secret ballot. So they now have the challenge of changing the law to provide for better Māori representation in local government. There will be people who will object, but it is politicians who have to deal with the international embarrassment of racially unfair law.
Peter Dey
Welcome Bay
Pro-life not Neanderthal
I want to register my disgust at the Hubbard cartoon (Opinion, May 31) which portrayed pro-life supporters as Neanderthal cavemen opposing the enlightened majority who, in my opinion, readily want to abort unwanted children and cover their actions with legal immunity. In fact, Mr Hubbard, you have your characterisations exactly the wrong way around. In my view, it is the duty of an enlightened civilisation to protect those defenceless members of the community who cannot speak for, or defend, themselves. You choose to malign religious and conservative people who oppose abortion but I would think that the designation concerned citizen covers all the bases.
Christopher J Archer
Maungatapu
