Letter of the week: John Trezise, Birkenhead
A parliamentary democracy needs a head of state like a fish needs a bicycle. Parliament is sovereign.
The death of EIIR gives us the opportunity to improve the democracy we have. Our one-chamber Parliament lacks the check on its legislation that an upper chamber gives
Australia, Canada and Britain. New Zealand could provide that check without the expense of a senate by replacing the Governor-General with a constitutional court of the Chief Justice and two other Supreme Court justices. Unlike the Governor-General, the court would be expected to reject legislation and orders-in-council that breached the Bill of Rights, and to dismiss governments that persisted in trying to breach the Bill of Rights. The court would be the guardian and protector of our freedom against the potential tyranny of a future government.
No need to mention the word "republic". A king could continue in London, constitutionally irrelevant, Rex Otiosus, for whoever wished to believe in him.
Social responsibilities
Bruce Cotterill (Weekend Herald, September 24) seems to have only a limited knowledge of how councils actually work.
For instance, the power the bureaucracy (CEO, and council officers) has overall, in influencing the formulation and enactment of a council's policy-making.
He cites the pursuit of "democracy" as a major factor in assessing candidates' election promises - yet the public has no "democratic" say as to who these bureaucrats are. They are unelected, and so are "democratically untouchable", in spite of the significance of their mandated policy influence.
Cotterill repeats the flawed mantra that "success in business" qualifies someone to take on the much broader societal responsibilities that government - national or local - also requires when elected.
Millionaire businessman John Key lacked leadership in the fight against climate change, being "quite comfortable" for New Zealand to lag behind internationally, as a so-called "fast follower"; increased the income gap between rich and poor through his tax cuts; raised GST to pay for them, which hurt middle- and low-income earners the most; and ran annual deficits all through his tenure.
Clyde Scott, Birkenhead.
Guilt established
Sheal Herman Bangera stabbed his mother and father to death with a large kitchen knife (Weekend Herald, September 24).
In my view, the correct verdict after the subsequent trial should have been "guilty but insane". The official court ruling is "not guilty due to insanity". Clearly, Sheal Bangara is guilty. It is undisputed that he killed his parents.
Hard to believe that he is insane when we see a photograph of him at his university graduation. There is no doubt he suffered a psychotic episode during the murder. Why else would he kill his parents who by all accounts had been loving and caring towards him? Reports say Bangera will eventually be released back into the community. Again in my view, once he has recovered from his psychosis, he should start a sentence of life imprisonment for double murder. Anything less is surely a huge disservice to the victims and is a miscarriage of justice.
Glen Stanton, Mairangi Bay.
Last post
Postboxes appear to be a thing of the past in this country. There used to be three postboxes within reasonable walking distance from my place. There are now none.
When I look for postbox locations on the NZ Post website, all I find are the locations of Post Shops, not postboxes. My nearest Post Shop is 2.8km away.
To post a letter, or to cast my postal vote in the current local body elections, I have to take the bus to a Post Shop in another suburb.
How did things get to this?
Derek Bean, Hillsborough.
About faith
What a surprise, John Roughan (Weekend Herald, September 24) saying positive things about the royal family - even Charles.
I am not sure that he actually grasped the true significance but, obviously, he felt it, as we all did.
Faith is the key word in all this. The Queen had great faith and it was what supported her throughout her reign.
At her death, her faith shone more brightly than ever. We all felt it.
Sandra Hansen, Hastings.
