Andrew Little would be my preferred Prime Minister but I strongly disagree with his remarks about it being a difficult line to draw between free speech and statements calculated to cause harm or incite unhealthy responses. There is a clear line. You cannot shout "fire" in a crowded room because it is likely to lead to a dangerous stampede. That is a clear immediate harm where action occurs before anyone can explain there is no fire.
But once you let a government define "incite unhealthy responses" you would stop Martin Luther King, Mahatma Ghandi, Nelson Mandela and William Wilberforce. And you would have a reason for banning Ayaan Hirsi Ali just because a handful of extremist Muslims prefer angry protesting outside Bruce Mason Theatre to hearing her speak. Let's keep free speech free.
Bob Atkinson, Birkdale.
Iwi rights under Resource Bill
Law firm Franks Ogilvie says the Resource Legislation Amendment Bill, "would virtually entrench co-governance and partnership obligations with some Maori into local government, creating an under-the-radar constitutional change. The proposed sections contravene basic principles of the rule of law, they conflict with our basic democratic principles, and they are inherently racist.
These sections would give tribal bodies critical advantages of exclusive prior notice, as well as direct input and discussion, while nothing is proposed to protect non-iwi citizens against the abuse of these privileges."
Is this what mainstream New Zealanders want? If not, then they should lobby the Prime Minister and local MP today as the bill is currently before Parliament and could be approved in the next few days.
Geoff Parker, Kamo.
Fate of airport trains
I completely agree with Lisa Jones. "Light rail" has become a meaningless buzzword without consideration of the duplication of facilities and the restrictions it will cause on Dominion Rd. There is a viable route for a rail loop to the airport from Puhinui, under the Mangere Bridge to Onehunga where the stub line ends. Why isn't this considered? Oh yes of course, the Nielson St overbridge has been levelled and the lines ripped up.
Robert Densem, New Lynn.
Rules on TV refs
The four-shot penalty that robbed Lexi Thompson of winning the recent LPGA golf major can only be described as meeting the gold standard of stupidity. The penalty related to an incident from the previous day as spotted by a television viewer. Based on video replays tournament referees acted on a minor infringement which in effect gives TV viewers the "divine right" to report rule infringements that must be investigated.
The magnitude and timing of the penalty defies belief and has rightly caused a major stir in the golf world. The centuries-old rule book aptly titled the "Royal and Ancient" urgently needs to address the impact of modern technology so as to prevent any further bizarre and unfair rulings.
Bruce Eliott, St Heliers.
Streaming wrong answer
I could not agree more with the headline on Linda Bendikson's article, "It's streaming that really dumbs down students". But I am surprised (no, not surprised) that a functionary at the University of Auckland does not understand what "differentiation" means for teachers who manage different abilities in non-streamed classes.
It has nothing to do with streaming but with the fine skills of teachers to know the different abilities of the students in their particular classes and who have strategies which provide opportunities for achievement no matter what the students' capabilities might be.
She points out rightly that, "students in schools in lower socio-economic areas (many of whom are Maori and Pasifika) are being given fewer opportunities to read texts, are reading shorter texts, and are experiencing significantly less explicit teaching of literacy skills than students in wealthier schools".
I am privileged to have been with a group of teachers who resisted her stereotype in a decile one school. By insisting on the challenges of longer complex texts and focusing on literacy skills, making connections between the ideas and techniques in those texts and really highlighting critical thinking we found in South Auckland students who could achieve at NCEA Excellence and Scholarship level.
Peter Beyer, Sandringham.
SAS inquiry
Like Brian Rudman, many of us have a large hunk of doubt circulating in our minds over the Afghanistan raid outcome that our SAS were part of. The doubt now is not whether the raid was botched but is the Prime Minister telling us the complete truth. He is making his decisions based on information supplied by the alleged perpetrators which could be diagnosed as head-in-the-sand assumptions.
In a court of law, the defence have the right to peruse all evidence but this is being denied under the guise of security. It is not now the integrity of the SAS that is in question but that of our Prime Minister.
Reg Dempster, Albany.
Shelved report
The New Zealand Defence Force shelved a report on its 10-year deployment in Afghanistan (which cost eight lives and $300 million) because it was "insufficiently accurate". I can't imagine a large corporation doing such a thing and getting away with it. That report should be made available to all interested New Zealanders, given those costs incurred.
As well, the failure of the NZDF to produce a report on a major military exercise in 2013 in which glaring deficiencies were highlighted is unacceptable. Do these people not accept they are accountable to the taxpayers of this country? Can the NZDF be trusted when it reassures our Prime Minister the 2010 SAS raid in the Baghlan Province was totally above criticism?
John Walsh, Green Bay.
Immigration fraud
A woman who falsified immigration documents so Filipino dairy farm workers could get jobs in new Zealand that Kiwis could do gets 11 months home detention. The workers get an amnesty, she makes financial gain. A Maori man who recently stole some trout for his family gets jailed. Where's the justice for Kiwis? The perpetrator should be deported along with the workers. If she is a naturalised New Zealander, revoke her citizenship. I'm furious. Another out of touch sentence by an obviously out of touch judge.
Rodger Hedley, Napier.
Segregated swimming
"Muslim Women Only" swimming lessons at the Cameron Pools in Mt Roskill are unacceptable. We are forever hearing how segregation in our community will not be tolerated but it seems those people who make the loudest noise about it are the first to demand environments where non-Muslim people are to be excluded.
Regardless of the fact that they come from war-torn countries or are of different religions and beliefs, they should not be given preferential treatment.
Reading further down, the Muslim women's-only swim lessons page does say other women can join too but the title makes it boldly clear this group is preferred. I'm sick and tired of feeling like a foreigner in my own country.
Gina Bryan, Mt Roskill.
Hosking everywhere
In a recent 24-hour period I encountered Mike Hosking 23 times. I encountered Bill English once. Hosking was on the back of buses, in bus shelters, on hoardings, the side of buildings, in magazines, newspapers, on the radio, TV, in fact I couldn't get away from him. Why is he such a hard sell?
Is it because he doesn't want to talk to us but lecture us at 7pm on weekdays. Or is it because he points his pen at us, waves his finger and talks over the top and down to his co-host on 7 Not So Sharp, Toni Street.
I would like to see him swap places with Bill English so that we can vote him out and get some decent entertainment, current affairs and comment, not lectures, in the media.
Graham Fleetwood, Mellons Bay.
