Letters to Editor: Let elderly Tongan women stay

Let elderly Tongan women stay
I was appalled to read in Hawke's Bay Today (May 28) about the two elderly Tongan women, Luisa Lata Fifita, 89, and her niece Ana Leha, 67, who have been served deportation notices by Immigration NZ. These two women are supported by their families here in Hastings and Immigration NZ proposes to deport them to live in Tonga, to separate them from their children and grandchildren, with no means of support and nowhere to live.
These women have devoted their lives to raising their families and in their old age should remain in the loving embrace of their families, not cast off and banished to die in loneliness and poverty. These women lovingly raised their children, and grandchildren, sacrificed and struggled to support them to maturity, and now it is the sacred duty and privilege of their children and grandchildren to reciprocate and care for them in their old age. Their families are New Zealand residents and hardworking members of our community whose wish is to honour and care for their mothers in their old age.
Please Immigration NZ, reconsider and allow them to stay here with their families, who love them. Christine Pani HastingsLow income woes Phillip M. Ward (Letters, May 26) is quite right about many Napier people living on very low incomes and having to cope. The recent release of figures showed that Hawke's Bay is now doing worse in this respect than any other region.
At least the Labour Party has recognised the problem and proposed doing something about it e.g. tax incentives for research and development, to promote new industry, rather than just throwing money at people already earning more than $150,000 per annum.
Like many others I currently live on my lifetime savings, earned over 50 years, plus NZ superannuation, for which I am very grateful. Having helped pay for others for so many years, now I'm getting something back. But my sympathy goes to people on low incomes trying to provide for their families in the current savage recession. The last thing they needed was National's GST increase.
And I see the next thing to be cut back on is the gold card.
Bill Sutton, Napier

Maori have own voice
The article on May 26 headed Maori Slam Gauche Ghost Hunter Crew infers there was a groundswell of opposition by Maori against the recent Ghost Hunters International investigation at the Napier Prison.
This is based on the statement of Denis O'Reilly a non-Maori who purports to represent activist Maori.
Strangely, I have never heard of a Maori activist who needs a person of another ethnicity to articulate their views.
Maori activists don't do rent a mouth. Nor do they like racial prejudice. I consider Maori are prejudicially implicated by that article. Honest investigative journalism would have at least identified a credible Maori source for the stated disapproval.
No local Maori leaders I have talked to are aware that there was a meeting that discussed the matter.
The other suspect thing about the article is the word gauche.
Ninety nine per cent of Maori people would have no idea what that word means and I dare say nor would most New Zealanders unless they took French at school.
It is an unlikely term for Maori to use in a press statement.
Maori have always had a high regard for investigation as the cure for ignorance.
The Ghost Hunters team used highly sophisticated scientific equipment to identify spiritually sensitive areas that can now be factored into the responsive management of the Napier Prison Museum facility.
The Ghost Hunters gave me assurance that their work would be conducted and presented in a respectful way.
Doug Laing, one of the journalists of the article, knows I am associated with the Napier Prison and the fact that I have worked in government departments to provide advice on Maori Cultural perspectives.
On that basis I would be an unlikely person to put my credibility at risk by being associated with activities that disrespect the dead. No attempt was made to contact me.
Maori are not invisible bystanders in local affairs and nor should we be discussed without regard for our input or feelings.
Hawke's Bay Today should have the ethical decency to do what the ghost hunters were doing, investigating and gathering facts instead of sensationalising and misrepresenting the Maori world.
I believe Maori have been ill used by a manipulative individual who appears to see himself as a Messiah for gangs, drug addicts and Maori.
Maori have no need of this new age missionary pushing the same colonial message "we know what's good for you".
It also insinuates that if Maori engage in free will we have done wrong. (Abridged)
Toro Waaka, Napier Prison
Ed's note: Mr Waaka's partner Marion was quoted in the original story on Ghost Hunters at Napier Prison. Mr O'Reilly's comments were a follow-up to that story.