Letters: Time to put sex crime victims’ interests first; the debate rages over lunches in schools

The Government and Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith have ignored advice from multiple legal groups about what’s been called a potentially 'dangerous' plan to give victims of sexual offending veto power on their abuser’s name suppression. Image / Photo montage

Letters to the Editor

Time to put victims’ interests first

Many of the objections to the proposal to allow victims of sexual offending to oppose name suppression of the offenders show little concern for the victims (March 4).

Ruth Money, chief adviser to the Government, argues that opponents to the change are often disrespectful of the victims and belittle their ability to make a rational decision on the issue.

Our current justice system appears to give undue emphasis to the offender’s situation. Sentences often appear inadequate due to the judicial practice of discounting sentences for factors in the offender’s life.

Also, name suppression is too often allowed, especially if the offender is a famous sportsman or other celebrity. Name suppression also prevents victims from warning others about a dangerous person – or even discussing the matter publicly.

It is time to put the interests of victims first.

Janie Weir, Newmarket.

Compulsory reading

Richard Prebble’s “Why I resigned from the Waitangi Tribunal” (March 5) implores the Government to “implement the coalition agreement to refocus the scope, purpose and nature of the tribunal’s inquiries back to the original intent of that legislation”.

“It is time for the Prime Minister to lead and uphold that there is one Treaty, one country and one citizenship,” he writes.

I would add that New Zealand needs an Equal Rights for All Bill too.

Prebble’s opinion, resignation and request for action are to be applauded and respected. Compulsory reading for all New Zealanders.

Action is now required by PM Christopher Luxon and Deputy PM Winston Peters.

Gary Carter, Gulf Harbour.

Doctor training

Building a new medical school in Hamilton is a huge unwarranted expense that will not start training doctors for many years.

The two existing medical schools have capacity to start training hundreds more doctors now. It is claimed that a new facility is needed to train rural doctors. This is nonsense.

The money should be spent on supporting all medical practices in cities and in rural towns. We spend millions training nurses only to reduce job opportunities for them.

A proper long-term plan for properly resourcing hospitals, family doctors and midwives is sorely needed.

Bob van Ruyssevelt, Glendene.

Supporting GPs

Any plan to increase the number of GPs deserves applause. However, the reasons why we have a dearth of these professionals must be addressed, otherwise they will continue to come in one door and go out the other.

GPs feel under-appreciated due to underfunding of practices and the lack of understanding how complex their job actually is. Bluntly, they are required to be a jack of all trades and because of time restraints have to make too many decisions under pressure.

Currently, we have a situation where it is expensive and difficult to see a GP, resulting in emergency departments being inundated with primary care patients. It’s a matter of spending money to save money.

Reg Dempster, Albany.

Common sense

I wholeheartedly support Christopher Luxon’s advice for people unhappy with the school lunch programme, to make a Marmite sandwich and put an apple in a bag just like you and I had.

While I feel sorry for the families who are struggling, in the long run the state forking out for school lunches en masse is surely not necessary, nor fiscally prudent.

Once again Chris tells it as it is, showing common sense is still alive and well.

A J Dickason, East Tāmaki Heights.

Lunch debate

Few issues have roused the public to pen in your paper than the school lunches issue.

There seem to be two very vocal camps – the “Marmite and apple” brigade who think it’s still 1970 and that the lunches are indulging deadbeat parents; and the opposing team, who consider the meals a vital aid to making sure our school pupils are ready and able to face their daily lessons.

Right now, I am waiting for the former camp to just come out and say it: “Let them eat cake”. The only problem is, if the kids were given cake, it would probably be unidentifiable, covered in melted plastic, or delivered 14 weeks too late at 3am on a Sunday.

Jeff Stone, New Plymouth.

Swap meals

May I suggest that the lunch menu from Bellamys be offered to a local Wellington school and the Marmite sandwiches and apple that Mr Luxon suggests be offered to Parliamentarians instead.

I suggest a month would be quite adequate for the trial. Yes, the Members of Parliament are hard-working (or should be) but growing children are also hard-working and playing if they have sufficient nourishment.

At the end of the month I would hope we see some happier and well-nourished children and hopefully some slimmed-down and fitter parliamentarians (that is if they don’t cheat). In that way we would see if the complaints about the quality of the school lunches are justified.

I think both parties in the experiment will thank me for my suggestion in the long run.

Barbara Lomas, Remuera.