Letters to the editor: Average speed cameras for safety on SH2

Average speed cameras on the A13 at Canning Town flyover in London. Photo/Getty Images

Cameras for safety

All the recent communication regarding limiting the accidents on SH2 could be addressed with the use of average speed cameras. These have been used successfully in the UK on long stretches of accident-prone roads. Positioning them between Te Puna and either Katikati or Waihi would give speed monitoring without the need for expensive police presence.
Malcolm Buchanan
Judea

Red card

I was somewhat bemused by the opinion expressed by Dylan Thorne (Opinion, March 16). He is entitled to his viewpoint but is clearly disappointed at being on the losing side. Thorne described the results of the recent TECT deliberations as an own goal suffered by the winning team. However, the victors appear have avoided what is known in the game as a dive or a Hollywood, which is designed to deceive the referee into awarding an undeserved penalty against them. The penalty is a red card. In my opinion, the TECT trustees should be red carded for displaying similar intent. Perhaps Thorne and the purported 20,000-odd other people who share his point of view could donate their cheques to the charitable trust. This would equate to an extra $10 million of revenue available for distribution and would mean that a new total of about $16 million could potentially be donated annually, creating an approximate 50/50 split of the total dividend payment derived from the earnings of the Trustpower shareholding. There is an extra benefit to the Thorne team in that they will retain their right to a share of some future payout when the consumer trust is wound up. It will be interesting to see the size of the opposing team when it comes time to put their money where their mouthguard is. (Abridged)
Ray Anderson
Papamoa Beach

Obama weak

Once again we hear the left, like Tommy Wilson, using snide and derogatory remarks regarding Donald Trump while praising Obama. If Obama was, as he put it, the best president ever, how can he justify it when Obama created more debt than all presidents before him combined, left the world in a mess by being weak and ineffective, had the chance to fix the gun problem but did nothing? Maybe Tommy should stick to what he knows and leave US politics to others.
Neil Harvey
Welcome Bay

Choice key

In reply to Don Brebner (Letters, March 31), I was not trying to muzzle Simon Bridges. He is entitled to his opinion on the end-of-life choice bill, and if he is ever faced with this choice, he can choose not to request it. You state how his poll, which he himself told me about during a meeting I had with him, was not a reliable reference; however, all polls I'm aware of New Zealand-wide show the same results. Unfortunately, those of us who believe we should have the choice of how we die do not have the support of established groups, as in this case religions, who I understand provide already-prepared forms for their members to sign. I focused on Bridges because he is the MP for the area I live in, and he is the leader of the Opposition, a powerful position. To me, this bill is ultimately about choice over the final moments of our lives. Our Human Rights Act allows us this, our laws currently don't. This is wrong and needs to be corrected. The emphasis is on the word choice, if you or Mr Bridges don't want it, then choose not to. But you shouldn't tell me or the 70-80 per cent of others we can't. (Abridged)
Esther Richards
Secretary, End of Life Choice BOP