Howterrifying. I think most New Zealanders will be shaking their heads and asking how on earth a person under 24-hour surveillance managed to stab several people.
However, the bigger question in all this is why was he allowed to stay here in the first place?
I've heard all the "reasons" about the attacker's "legal rights". I have also heard that he lied on his application to become a refugee here.
Shouldn't that be enough to deport someone? If they are accepted under false pretence, why was there any need for a change of law to send him packing?
Honestly, I'm glad we live in a kind country but to have a known Isis sympathiser, who had already been arrested by police for allegedly planning a "lone wolf" knife attack, living in our midst is not a kind way to treat us.
Change the law.
Then Saturday afternoon, just as people were winding down for the day, the earth shook.
First there was a bang and then things started shaking. I went outside and the silence was what struck me first. Usually, the air is full of birdsong, but there was no singing or chirping for about 30 seconds and then off they went.
That sound made me feel slightly better. It's another reminder for us all to be prepared.
You just never know what's going to happen next. These days being prepared also means having something to cover your face when you are out in public.
Linda Hall is assistant editor at Hawke's Bay Today.
The downside to this is the appearance of disposable face masks littering out streets.
A reader sent in this photo and said every time they had been for a walk since the level 4 lockdown began, they had seen discarded masks on the streets.
It makes much more sense to invest in a reusable one. You don't have to spend a fortune, I've seen them for as little as $5.
