Letters: No intent to sabotage

Mayoral candidate Rob Kent responds to comments from Reynold Macpherson. PHOTO/FILE

Re comments by Reynold Macpherson.

Firstly, at no time was I ever a member of Rotorua District Residents and Ratepayers, although I was a founding member of the Pro-Democracy Society, and like several other members, quit the organisation.

Secondly, I was independently nominated to stand for possible endorsement as "preferred mayoral candidate" by what became the newly formed Rotorua District Residents and Ratepayers at that same meeting and so I agreed to accept that nomination and take part in their selection meeting. However, I very clearly stated to the selection meeting, before any vote was taken, that irrespective of any endorsement or non-endorsement by that organisation, I would be standing as an independent mayoral candidate anyway.

I did not leave the group and announce that I would run independently in retaliation for Reynold receiving that group's endorsement or to sabotage his campaign.

Thirdly, there was no agreement with RDRR members I would become deputy mayor if he was elected. (Abridged)
ROB KENT
Rotorua

Perhaps it's a good thing that Reynold Macpherson didn't get elected as the mayor of Rotorua.

With his claims of sabotage and conspiracies against him in my opinion it looks like and sounds like sour grapes.

It's best for all concerned that sort of behaviour stays in the kindergarten where it belongs with all its petty responses and allegations. (Abridged)

CRAIG KIRKLAND
Rotorua

So less than half of people eligible to vote had their say in the recent local body elections in Rotorua and less than half of those that did vote decided to re-elect Steve Chadwick as mayor. This means that about only one in five eligible voters re-elected Steve Chadwick as mayor. But hey, that is democracy and we will have to live with the results of this apathy for another three years. Hopefully, however, the council has learnt some lessons. We will watch with interest. (Abridged)

PAUL CARPENTER
Rotorua

Re letters by Harry Brasser and Marie Booth (October 4).

Let us examine some of this and focus on Rotorua. Prior to the 1860s Te Arawa's economic base thrived through flour mills, tourism, flax, shipping, fishing, orchid and vegetable growing operations. The Native Land Acts of 1862 and 1865 shattered this.

With the goals of making land sales to settlers easier and destroying Maori communal social systems by which they had mana whenua, land was wrested from Maori. Administered by the Pakeha-controlled Maori Land Court, assimilation was the process by which Maori would be turned into Pakeha, to 'amalgamate the Maori race into our social and political system.' (Henry Sewell, Justice Minister, 1870.)

'He iwi tahi tatou,' existed so long as it adhered to Pakeha ideology. It was Maori who were forced to change, not Pakeha.

The Fenton Agreement set out the establishment of Rotorua. The government would act for iwi to both lease land to settlers and collect the rents. The system bombed, in my view. This triggered iwi claims and petitions through to present times. Assimilation in my view created a New Zealand where Pakeha would have control and power and the advantages this brought.

The Treaty principles bear no resemblance to the Maori predicament today. With negative statistics everywhere, inequality and inequity are as foreign to Maori now, as the early settlers were so long ago.

[ABRIDGED]
WAIRANGI JONES
Rotorua