Letters: Leave Pike River dead in the mine

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Your cartoon by Hubbard (January 24) re the Winston Peters "bottom" lining the Pike river disaster is a good one and sums up the truth of it. He forgets that the decision to close off the mine was an engineering one made for safety reasons and not based on a negotiable political stance. It is sad that we now have political parties for no other reason than vote catching setting themselves up as experts in mine safety giving false hopes to the bereaved families of those who died.

Reality is that it is unlikely a whole body lies inside waiting to be found and reburied in a proper grave. Instead after the tremendous force of the internal explosions and furious fires that followed there is unlikely anything left to find even if it was possible to re-enter the mine. Sad as it is, that is the reality and giving false hopes that it could be otherwise, shows a disrespect for the deceased miners and their grieving families.

For myself I could not vote for any politician or party that would in effect prey on the dead all for the sake of votes. Leave the dead in the mine. That is now their monument.

A.J. MacKENZIE
Rotorua

Your correspondent CC McDowall (Letters January 24) lauds Tauranga while criticising begging in Rotorua's CBD. In fact Tauranga has its fair share of not only beggars but entire homeless families. Auckland, Wellington - in fact most New Zealand cities - share this identical situation.

The prime reason for this shameful fact is that we face the most acute housing shortage in New Zealand history.

As a result, landlords are benefiting hugely, and both landlords and real estate agents are laughing all the way to the bank.

Roll on the next election!

JACKIE EVANS
Rotorua