Remember the "The Crusher Collins" law that came in to deter boy racers? It worked very well and although it still happens it is not a big problem.
Our wonderful Government should fast forward this type of law and, if they think it too harsh, then I say to them that they may rue the day when one of their friends/family is seriously injured or killed by one of those inconsiderate cellphone users.
Russ Hawkins
Mount Maunganui
Separatism
There is no need for Maori wards on councils.
Establishing separate Maori Wards is separatism, organised racism. If Maori want more representation at the council, then put up candidates. The process is already there for any group to be represented at the council.
Respect to Maori culture and protocol is already entrenched in council affairs. A Maori ward would mean over-representation.
Let's not go there.
Stephen Whitwell
Tauranga
Fairer system
The claims that a Maori ward voting system for the Western Bay Council would be apartheid, separatist, divisive, racist, undemocratic, Maori privilege and not a level playing field are all simply name-calling unsupported by sensible argument.
The present voting system for local councils is unfairly biased against Maori candidates. The evidence for this, available on the Internal Affairs Department and Human Rights Commission websites, is that only 5 per cent of local councillors throughout New Zealand are Maori. The most obvious explanation for this is that voters choose candidates that they identify more closely with, and the 85 per cent of voters who are non-Maori mostly do not vote for Maori candidates.
The addition of Maori wards would make a system that is unfair to Maori into a fairer system. It would do this at no cost and take nothing from non-Maori voters.
People signing a petition against Maori wards are amazingly voting to spend $70,000 to support an unfair voting system and oppose a fairer voting system making no material difference to them at all.
Peter Dey
Welcome Bay
WHAT DO YOU THINK? SEND A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Bounty for landlords
The new Government has unwittingly become a participant in the process of setting market rents. Clear evidence exists that landlords, especially in university towns, have lifted rents to match this year's increases in student allowances.
Unwittingly well describes many of the other actions taken by the new Government as inexperienced politicians rush to dissolve carefully accumulated budget surpluses.
Increases in student allowances were surely not intended as additional bounty for exploitative landlords. As for so many of the pre-election promises, this is a further example of bungling intent.
Ray Malcolm
Mount Maunganui
Not democracy
The current editorial thrust is towards changing New Zealand into a republic. Rudman's feature (Opinion, January 17) proposes removing the monarch and allow our elected Members of Parliament (by a two-thirds majority vote) appoint New Zealand's head of state.
That, I believe, would result in common people (like myself) having, yet again, no voice in who is appointed. When you consider that so many of our so-called elected MPs are list members who have been appointed by their political cronies. Then, if the proposed legislation to lock them into not being an independent voice, when their party deviates from their stated manifestos, that is not democracy. When MPs are sworn into Parliament they pledge to serve in the best interest of New Zealand – not their political bosses. As recently demonstrated, the government can be appointed by just one person and now your paper is promoting that our head of state be appointed by those elected Members of Parliament. No way!
Just remember this one fact. The power of the monarchy - is the unfettered power they deign our politicians of having. (Abridged)
Jim Sherlock
Parkvale
