Ahmed Zaoui being interviewed in his new home in Algeria for the Herald series Enemy of the State. Photo / NZ Herald
Among the countless innocent people who paid the price of the 9/11 "war on terror" were asylum seekers and refugees. For Ahmed Zaoui, the final outcome was positive but, as your impressive podcast series illustrated, Zaoui was fortunate to have some tenacious truth-seeking allies in his corner.
Just as well there were key people who were sceptical of the "suspected terrorist" narrative right from the start. Shortly after Zaoui was transported to the high-security prison at Paremoremo, Green MP Keith Locke visited him, using his statutory privilege that entitles an MP to visit any prisoner. Locke was strongly criticised by Immigration Minister Lianne Dalziel for meeting with Zaoui. Fortunately he did not take her advice to leave matters to "appropriate authorities", such as the SIS.
In Parliament, the dissenting voices of Locke and Progressive MP Matt Robson were a crucial counterbalance to the distorted picture of Zaoui's past filtered through our intelligence and foreign affairs officials.
Parliamentary work complemented the grassroots campaign, Amnesty's advocacy, investigative journalism and the incredibly diligent legal work of Deborah Manning, Richard McLeod and Rodney Harrison. All accompanied by the extraordinary support of the Dominican friars.
Janfrie Wakim, Epsom.
Skilled counsel
Your recent episodes about the "Ahmed Zaoui File" are well written and of great interest to me. At the time, I followed all of the revelations in the papers. It became very clear to me that forces opposed to Zaoui were often "bowling underarm".
To her credit, Deborah Manning was often placed in a "check position"; she always responded with great skill. Her opposition never managed to force her into "checkmate".
By the end of the saga, it became clear that vested interests had overplayed their hand and Zaoui was not deported.
Manning did a wonderful job defending the interests of her client.
Johann Nordberg, Paeroa.
Family support factor
The article by Madison Wood (NZ Herald, August 9) suggested possible causes for youth depression and suicide. Is one factor the breakdown of traditional family life?
Many children today are raised in dysfunctional households without care or guidance; no wonder they are bewildered. Single parenting, de facto "parenthood", now commonplace, are not always a substitute for a balanced family. So many of our social issues stem from disruptive "family" origins.
The media coverage of the Olympics revealed the presence of stable family support for many competitors, graphically illustrated by Lisa Carrington's parents together with grandma urging her on. Is it all about the family?
P. J. Edmondson, Tauranga.
Buridan's mule
Reading Jamie Morton's sobering report from the IPCC (NZ Herald 10 August), stating human-induced climate change was now influencing weather and climate extremes across the globe, I recollect the ancient tale of the procrastinating mule.
The philosopher Buridan had a mule, safe in his barn. In front of him, a pail of oats, and a pail of water. Both hungry and thirsty, the unfortunate creature tragically expires, in a perpetual state of indecision.
Procrastination is the thief of time. As a species, are we collectively and individually to share a similar fate, unable or unwilling to amend our habits, as the planet accelerates in rising temperature?
Martin Van Zonneveld, Westmere.
Bloom and bust
I have not the faintest idea how the cryptocurrency system works, but I do know about tulip mania on the Dutch stockmarket in 1637 - and many other similar phenomena.
Don't all absurd, weird and wonderful money-making schemes eventually collapse under their own weight?
Andy Espersen, Nelson.
Cold comfort
How is it that the company with the biggest area - the Ruapehu and Waitomo districts - managed to keep the power going during the cold snap? Easy, they used their brains.
They shut down the hot water heating and allowed the power saved there to be diverted to the mainstream operation.
Of course the other lines companies could have had ulterior motives: bigger dividends for shareholders.
National trying to make it look like it was Labour's fault is rubbish, the lines companies are independently run.
If you want to blame someone, blame Max Bradford and National for allowing the power to be privatised.
Tom O'Toole, Taumarunui.
War's end
On August 15, we will celebrate the end of WWll, 76 years ago.
Not many people know about the Pacific War when the Japanese Imperial Army raged through China, Singapore and the former Dutch East Indies from 1936 to 1945.
For the war effort, the Japanese needed oil and rubber, which was in the Dutch East Indies. The Dutch East Indies was easily overwon by the Japanese Imperial Army. The Japanese had a slogan: "Asia for the Asians".
They wanted the Dutch out and incarcerated them from 1942-1945. Men were used as slave labour on the Burma Death railway and coal mines in Japan. Women with children were in concentration camps - from several hundred to 10,000 in horrendous conditions. The Japanese did not hurt children. They just did not feed them and medication was practically not available. Food was the only thing the women were concerned about.
My Dutch mother was tall and in August, 1945, she weighed 35kg. She survived with two children. If the war had lasted another three months they would not have survived.
Lest we forget those who perished.
Ivo Pabbruwe, Botany Downs.
Warnings unheeded
It is hard to now ignore Bryan Leyland's warnings about the security of power supply in New Zealand. He has warned specifically about these blackouts in a low rainfall, low wind, low sunshine, low gas supply scenario. Regrettably, he missed out on one scenario, low profitability, as demonstrated on Monday night.
This now is a really good time to completely reform the electricity market, to separate generation and retailing. The public of this country has had enough.
Geoff Williamson, Mission Bay.
Filtered exhausts
Surely, it must be possible for world scientists to develop a water-based filter exhaust system to be fitted to all vehicles using petrol and diesel to drastically cut harmful emissions. If this were to cut vehicle speeds then so much the better, as so many motorists are speeding anyway.
B. R. Arthur, Massey.
School policies
The claim by the principal of Macleans College (NZ Herald, August 10) that the Ombudsman was "operating to a different standard" and "that he has to follow a legal argument as opposed to probably what society values most" demonstrates his failure to understand the rule of law is a reflection of what society values. Laws are based on the democratic consensus of what is and isn't acceptable. Therefore, Macleans College is the one operating to a different standard.
The school's bring-your-own-device policy is another example of the school operating to a different standard. Its website states "all students… will be expected to bring a personal IT device to school every day". This is not entirely in line with the Ministry of Education's position, under the right to a free education, that parents cannot be compelled to supply a device.
Only by adhering to the rule of law, and the societal norms deciding those laws, can schools provide the public service they are funded for.
Anything less, then schools risk disintegrating into discriminatory, taxpayer funded services available only to those who are prepared to feed their child to the personal agendas of a minority.
Ellen Peoples, Lower Hutt.
Village profits
It was interesting and very concerning to read in the NZ Herald a retirement village in Parnell has set new price records (NZ Herald, August 11) with 80 per cent already sold for $3m - $4m each.
It is concerning as their profits for decades will be tax-free, just like the top four retirement village companies that have made record profits of billions of dollars each in 20 years and paid almost zero tax as they offset income and expenses so all the profits are made on their resale.
They have a minimum age for residents so many will die in 10-15 years, so they get their tax-free dollars much sooner.
When will they give 33 per cent tax on profits like all other New Zealand companies do? Hardworking New Zealanders also pay tax on every dollar earned. Why not retirement home companies? We urgently need their billions of dollars tax in the next 10 years for so many urgent taxpayer-funded projects like housing, health and fighting Covid-19. Change their tax law now.
Murray Hunter, Titirangi.
Reaching teens
The editorial (NZ Herald, August 11), was excellent and thought-provoking. Unfortunately, it is often hard for parents, teachers and other adults to get through to young people, especially teenage males, the extreme dangers of taking risks in cars. Advice, given through love and with the best of intentions is often met with eye-rolling and the teenage response "whatever", and other ways teens show they're not interested in what is being said.
The teenage brain is undergoing big changes and in many cases they act without thinking and, unfortunately, so often a tragedy occurs.
Lorraine Kidd, Warkworth.
Wimmin's work
The letter (NZ Herald, August 10) regarding the pronunciation of the word "women" is really trying to push water up hill. Give up.
I had a letter on the very same subject printed in the Herald about 30 years ago, resulting in absolutely no change.
It's interesting that it seems to me that most Australians and Americans seem to know how to pronounce the word.
Mike Jarman, One Tree Hill.
On Vake
There are times I'm ashamed to be a New Zealander. When I see a man who helped kill another man get six months home detention, this is one of those times. W Rogerson, Kohimarama.
On outages
"Power outages: The perfect storm that broke the network - and what we can do to fix it." Kindness, I think, will fix it. Andrew Montgomery, Remuera.
On vaccine
Singapore has a similar-sized population to NZ, yet has double-vaccinated 70 per cent compared with only 16 per cent here. Hardly an acceptable situation. Hylton Le Grice, Remuera.
On Thunberg
Greta Thunberg's comments are "irritating" (NZ Herald, August 11) because "she's too young to vote". Really? She turned 18 in January. Jeremy Hall, Hauraki.
On firearms
In 1983, police abandoned the current firearms register because it had never solved a crime, in spite of (their words) the huge administrative burden it imposed. John Walsh, Green Bay.
On priorities
It would be helpful if the Government could issue some guidance on which of the following denotes greatest urgency: "we're working on that", "we're having a conversation about that", "we'll be asking questions about that", "we'll be making an announcement shortly". Keith Berman, Remuera.
The problem is that David Seymour, or anyone else for that matter, can open the door to this nightmare… but not he, nor anyone else, can deal with it once it gets a significant foothold. Gordon L
"We can't keep isolated forever". I don't think I know of one single person who has suggested that. We will be opening up, gradually I imagine, in one form or another when everyone has had the chance to get vaccinated. John B.
I like David Seymour but, if only it was that simple. This needs a balanced approach, just look at what is going on overseas. David R.
Finally, some sense from someone in politics. Maybe there is hope after all. Keith M.
Well, let's take David Seymour's advice then. He obviously knows more about epidemiology and virology than anyone else. Silly me. Adrian H.
The current Government strategy of no rush because we have no Covid in the community is going to work against us as the rest of the world moves on. As a nation, we are now a gilded bird in gilded cage. Rowan K.
As soon as everyone who wants to be vaccinated is vaccinated, open the borders. This elimination strategy is not going to work. Sandra M.
Bring in compulsory vaccine certification in order to enter high-risk social venues. Your choice to get vaccinated or not. No choice in keeping the rest of New Zealanders and our economy safe. Philip W.
It looks very much like David Seymour will be in the position to make this happen next election. Alan S.
‘This is about a bigger sort of commitment that we have to te reo Māori.’