LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Govt has failed to deliver on jobs front
 The Social Development Minister wants to "encourage" beneficiaries into paid work (Hawke's Bay Today, June 6).
Well and good. So, where are the jobs?
The start of the global financial crisis in September 2007 made the need for job creation an urgent task for the Government.
Since then, New Zealand's working-age population has grown by 132,000 - but only 23,000 new jobs have been created (Salvation Army report, Stalled, February 2011).
Instead of creating jobs, the Government has sat and watched while the number of people receiving the unemployment benefit has reached its highest level in more than six years.
Hawke's Bay has suffered badly, with what you rightly described as "an alarming loss of jobs" (Hawke's Bay Today, March 1).
As the Christchurch Methodist Mission noted recently: "Compelling people to look for jobs that do not currently exist is unfair, pointless and demoralising." It can only compound a sense of failure and worthlessness.
The Government has failed miserably to develop the jobs that are desperately needed. Without them, the draconian methods suggested in its Working Welfare Group report are a joke in very bad taste.Robin Gwynn Napier
Kudos to club
I would like to give a big shout-out to the Napier Cosmopolitan Club.
On Queen's Birthday weekend, we headed from Gisborne to Greytown for the KISS tri-series darts competition between the Auckland, Gisborne and Greytown clubs.
On the way, we phoned ahead to see what time the Cossie Club in Napier was opening so we could stop for lunch - we would be in Napier around 11.30am.
They told us their opening time was noon but they would open the club for us when we got there, which they did.
They welcomed us in and went out of their way to look after us.
We inquired about the menu for Monday (when we would be travelling back to Gisborne). Although the restaurant had not planned to open that day, they specially opened to prepare lunch for us.
On our return we went into the club to find a "Welcome to Gisborne Cossie Club" quote on their noticeboard and, as promised, our lunch was prepared.
We had the choice of roast lamb, roast pork, or fish and chips.
The lunch was absolutely beautiful and although desserts were available, there was just no room left. Even the chef made time to make sure we were all happy with our meals.
The hospitality from the bar staff was fantastic and they really went that extra mile for us.
Thanks very much, Napier Cossie. I'm sure I speak for the whole Gisborne Cossie Darts Club when I say we'll be back. Angela Wildbore Gisborne
MMP must go
I am surprised to find some of your readers actually favour MMP. Under it, New Zealand cannot claim to be a democracy, it's just not possible.
To be a democracy, the Government must be elected by the people, without any participation in representation from political parties.
We have in Hawke's Bay the classic case of why MMP is so wrong, where Craig Foss defeated Rick Barker as the elected MP for the Tukituti electorate. Despite this, the Labour Party basically said to the Tukituki electorate, Rick Barker will remain in Parliament whether you want him or not. How undemocratic is that?
I was interested to see in a recent online poll that 83 per cent of New Zealanders want to rid ourselves of this terrible system.
Richard Edmunds Napier