With respect to my personal vote, it makes me very humble to think anyone could imagine that I would make a good MP for Napier.Paul BaileyNapier electorate candidate, GreenParty of Aotearoa New ZealandCall to voteI would like to make it known that around 2pm on Saturday, November 26, I received a phone call at home.
The person, a woman, identified herself as from the Labour Party and asked if I had voted and if not if I knew where the nearest voting booth was.
I advised I had already voted, thank you very much.
I would define this call as electioneering on election day and, therefore, unlawful.
It would be interesting to see who else received phone calls. Telecom could identify where the call came from if need be.
Brenda Crene, Taradale
Winston is back
People with long enough memories will recall that in September 1939, Winston Churchill, after many years in the political wilderness, was invited by Chamberlin to join the War Cabinet as First Lord of the Admiralty.
At once a signal from the Admiralty Board went flashing round the fleet and naval bases: "Winston is back."
The rest, as they say, is history.
One could perhaps conjure up some interesting parallels in our political scene.
Eric Lamb, Taradale
Money squandered
Thank you Mr Yule and those of your staff to whom I contribute my rates each year and who continually squander our monies by mindless acts like resealing Flaxmere Ave ... and in doing so ... cover over designated cycle lanes painted less than some 12 months ago.
I say "hello"... how much use has this lane had since it was painted?
Sorry, as a retired person I did witness someone use it today ... my goodness somebody actually cycling ... wonderful.
Now these have to not only be repainted again but one wonders as to how many people is it going to actually take to mark out the lanes?
And will they be wider now the old ones are not there?
I am willing, now that I am retired, to give up mowing the grass that the council owns in the front of my boundary and expects me to keep cut ... put the cycleway there, so that this poor sole cyclist might survive the speeding motorists that use our street as a dragstrip.
Might I suggest that the priority would be to actually repair the footpaths that frankly are a disgrace.
A wonderful walk/cycleway was constructed down Wilson Rd ... and wide too. I am yet to see anyone using that, however, I do witness people of my age and older having to navigate their scooters and themselves around the broken pavement while out for their daily exercise along Flaxmere Ave.
Come on people, get it right.
I hope to see some improvement soon as we are beginning to feel like the lost suburb with all the beautification going on in and around the town centre.
S Robson, Hastings
Scheme good for NZ
Anne asks if overseas visitors are covered by ACC, and if New Zealanders have similar cover when travelling overseas (Texts to the Editor, 18 November).
Overseas visitors are covered by ACC. This is because ACC is a 'no fault' scheme, which means you're unable to sue somebody for causing your injury in New Zealand.
There are some restrictions on the help ACC provides to visitors.
For example, ACC only covers the cost of medical treatment that visitors receive in New Zealand, ACC doesn't cover ongoing medical costs incurred once visitors return home.
It's generally accepted that New Zealand is not being unfairly burdened by providing ACC cover for visitors.
This is because the costs to the country would likely be a lot higher if visitors were able to sue for personal injuries here.
No other country has an identical scheme to ACC. New Zealand has reciprocal health agreements with Australia and the UK, which means New Zealanders can access certain types of publicly funded health services in these countries.
More information about ACC cover for overseas visitors is available at www.acc.co.nz
Mike Tully, National Manager ACC Claims
Management Network
