* To the person asking what stay at home mums do all day with kids at school and dads working: We ferry your kids around on school trips at no cost to you and spend hours fundraising and helping to get school costs down for everyone and we don't get a penny for this or much thanks! We mums/dads have the most under estimated roll of work and our children aren't the ones ending up going off the rails!
* Ok so being a stay at home mum involves a lot of work as it does for a working mum and a solo mum on the DPB. So then if National plans to send women on the DPB out to work when their child turns one then is it not fair to make all mothers do the same? Of course not as it's a stupid idea in the first place just another one rule for the haves and one for the have nots.
* Abortion Re abortions: We must not loose the service provided at HB Hospital as the safe option for all women.
* I agree the abortion rate is too high. Rather than scaring children with plastic foetuses we need cheap, accessible contraception and comprehensive sex education.
Other thoughts
* Thumbs up to Sam Medlands, the elderly gent who picks up trash. You do great, often unrecognised, taken for granted but valuable, work and could certainly teach these litter bugs a thing or two. Raewyn of Marewa
* Really tired of beneficiaries being tarred with the same brush. We are not all smoking, alcoholic gamblers. Stop judging.
* Re Chris Tremain's column HBT, December 3: I agree with you 100 per cent about leaving personal attacks out of any political debate. Nash and his predecessor seemed to be obsessed with the personal slights, very immature in my view. GW
* Could council reply to this please. . You have stopped recycling drop off point on corner of Murdoch Rd. Where's the drop off for rural people now?
* Having once again printed the name and shame page it appears as though some people will never learn about drinking and driving. Sentences are not severe enough.
* Someone please tell me what the difference is between Bridge Pa being a township and Havelock a village.
* NCC leave the Taipo Stream alone. It is an off leash area for our dogs. I have a small dog and can't let her off on shared pathways because it is too dangerous with speeding cyclists. NP
I* also had phone call about Napier medical survey. Is it genuine? JN
* Congratulation to Henare O'Keefe re community garden at Flaxmere.
* St Vincent de Paul, Hastings, has one of the best Xmas window displays I've seen. Not over or under done and I for one will be taking my family for a night visit to see it lit up in all its glory. Congratulations on a job well done and looking forward to next big 50 per cent sale, so helpful at this time of the year.
* Why bring in foreigners to rebuild ChristChurch? NZers too lazy?
* Have Mahora rate payers been short changed ie cracks in the footpath upgrades.
* I hate the microsoft dancing idiot dad TV ad.
* I can't understand why the city council is not doing something about the erosion on Hardinge Rd. There was an article in the paper months ago and another recently, what's up?
* Nice to see all the privet trees in the Hastings District in flower.
* Re. Solo mum. Good on you for putting your children first. My ex relation expects everyone else to pay especially the dad for shoes, clothes, school and food. It must be hard on benefit but you do it. Good mother puts kids first.
* National won and Labour lost. Not because everyone is happy with Key, but because one million people didn't vote in the elections.
