National Party leader Simon Bridges during a press conference. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Simon Bridges seems to think it's okay for his party to "edit" public records of Parliament to emphasise a political point, because satirists and media do the same, and because it is his right under the concept of free speech.
There are at least three reasons why he should reconsider his position.
First because he is the Leader of the Opposition, not of a satirical show, or a "gotcha" media outlet; and as such he is expected to show respect for the institution of Parliament, of which he is an integral part.
To do otherwise is starting us on the slippery slope towards behaving like the current occupants of Westminster.
Second because his "editing" is designed to mislead. As Mark Twain said, "A good lie has a bit of truth in it". It is not attack advertising. It is creating the building blocks of Fake News. It is taking us down the low road of Trump and Johnson. If your policy position can't be defended by good argument and facts, then it is time to reconsider your policy, not publicity stunts.
Third is to remind himself of the parable of the little boy who cried wolf. If your approach to public statements is to cloud facts, who is going to believe you when you do tell the truth?
Regardless of how Bridges rationalises his current position, including defying an order from the Speaker of the House to desist, it is important for both himself and his party, to say nothing of the state of political debate in this country, that he think again.
Personally I expect better from the National Party, whether they are in Opposition or Government.
Richard Alspach, Dargaville.
The demonstration of an estimated 170,000 people including thousands of anxious school children protesting against "manmade" global warming should fill us with alarm.
This is the new religion that will not tolerate those who question humans being the cause of global warming.
Ken Orr, Christchurch.
The National Party has published footage from Parliament with unfavourable comments about the Government and has defended that as "freedom of speech".
Does its new concept of "freedom of speech" include similar comments about proceedings of the courts?
Would it amend the provisions for contempt of court to allow individuals to make unfavourable comments about judges and court proceedings when it comes to power?
Philip N Rama, Auckland CBD.
For the majority of folk when daylight saving rolls around it is a welcome relief from long, dark, cold winter nights with no excuses needed for nights in front of the telly. However for some it means six months of torture. That sleep-deprived, jet-lagged feeling that never ends. It may exacerbate an illness that already makes one fatigued. There are many. While others are enjoying that barbecue, kids noisily playing outside until all hours, some will be wishing it was time to close the curtains at "normal time" and settle down with a cuppa! And there is nothing wrong with that. We can't change larks into owls and vice versa.
Why on Earth are we carrying on messing around with circadian rhythms? Long, long ago folk rose with the sun and slept when it went down. Can we please stop the nonsense of daylight saving and let nature do its thing.
Sharon Jameson, Cambridge.
Changing the fuel-guzzling habits of Kiwis will need a tonne of infliction of pain on the citizens and political pain that only the bravest of Governments endorse.
Incentives are needed — or shall they be penalties? — to change.
Monetary ways can work. How about making diesel and petrol about $5-$10 per litre as a starter to stop the "Sunday Drive" as one accepted Kiwi habit?
Why not restrict every car owner to burning only 20 litres of fuel per month, as a tradeable item? After a year they must reduce to 15 litres a month and so on.
The Government could become a state-owned supplier of E-cars, having the financial clout to do that so consumers get emission-free cars at the lowest prices or at rentable rates for all.
Jacinda, be bold! Follow your own lead announced at the United Nations.
The Kiwi masses will follow like the sheep they are. We don't mind being warned, sheared and part of the global climate change solution.
Rob Buchanan, Kerikeri.
So it was the haka Japanese school kids did in honour of the All Blacks that gave Japan an unfair advantage over Ireland?
John Aplin, Browns Bay.
Why do conservatives worldwide believe it is okay to bend morality, if not the rule of law, so they can be elected to make it? We have Donald Trump in America, the ultimate white supremacist, and Boris Johnson in England defying the courts and Parliament. Now we have our own National Party defying Parliament and the speaker by posting a negative video campaign of trite shallow sound bites in selective video clips of people who gave no permission for their promulgation.
Does the end justify the means?
Like Donald Trump and his tweets, Simon Bridges seems quite proud of his mean-minded project. I hope it reaps him the reward it deserves.
Paul Cheshire, Maraetai.
I have just read two articles in the Herald on Sunday. Heather du Plessis-Allan and Liam Dann gave differing opinions on business confidence or the lack of it and I thought to myself, there must be thousands of businesses in New Zealand who don't need the Government to assist them in providing jobs and making money, they just get on with it. So why don't these so-called captains of industry just get on with it and stop waiting for the Government to hold their hand?
Anthony Barnett, Pukekohe.
I always thought Paul Little was good. However after reading the Herald on Sunday I realised I was wrong. He is great.
Don Anderson, Rothesay Bay.
The editorial in the Weekend Herald on Jacinda Ardern's successful week in New York was right in every way. It included the fact she receives more recognition overseas than she does at home. There are several reasons for this and some are not complimentary. It must be admitted her Government has not met every target but at least it is trying to rectify situations that occurred over the past decade due to financial restraints caused by several factors. On the negative side we have a number of opinion writers — and we all know who they are — grinding out every week propaganda against the Government and Ardern herself.
Then we have those who thought Labour should never have made Government and to make things worse it is led by a woman who should have been home looking after her baby. The fact she has proven all these doubters very wrong has not sat well with them either. It could be said that the pleasure some get from criticising takes away any pleasure that they could have had from acknowledging the achievements of others.
Reg Dempster, Albany.
The memorial at Waikumete Cemetery in Auckland was erected above the graves of those not identified after the Erebus disaster. It was dedicated in November 1980 on the first anniversary of the tragedy. Inscribed on it were the names of the 44 victims whose remains were either not identified or not recovered from Antarctica, including my husband's sister.
A small plaque also remembers all those who were lost, but nothing individually identifies them for future generations, nothing identifies his mother, who was recovered. There's nothing that recognises the efforts of those involved in Ice Phase/Operation Overdue.
There has been considerable consultation with the families over the Parnell memorial, Te Paerangi Ataata — Sky Song, as a place of reflection, peace and healing.
Megan Paterson, Helensville.Local body electionsI am not at all surprised that turnout is so low in Auckland's local body elections.
In my opinion there are two reasons.
The first and perhaps the main reason is that the prospective politicians give us virtually no clue as to exactly what they are standing for so we are given no clue as what we are voting for or not.
It makes no sense whatsoever for anyone to vote for someone if you don't know what they stand for and what they may achieve for us if elected.
One of the people standing in our local board area clearly spelled out what he is standing for, so obviously he has my vote. Just a name or a grouping is not enough.
The second reason is the totally different form of voting for the health board which many people misunderstand. Mixing different forms of voting in essentially the same election is idiotic to say the least. Only bureaucrats and politicians could have developed such a mess. Perhaps we are not really meant to vote for the health board representation.
Shaun Wilkinson, Mt Eden.
It's understood a NZDF aircraft and multiple helicopters are involved.