Letters to the Editor: Political ideology mars Māori ward decision

The Rotorua Lakes Council wants to establish a Māori ward. Photo / Andrew Warner

Council seems to me to have gotten itself into a real mess with its creation of a Māori ward for Rotorua (News, November 26).

In my view, political ideology regrettably intervened in the process.
iwi co-governance has never been tested for community-wide buy-in.

For as long as I can remember, our past councillor representation has been reasonably reflective of Rotorua's racial mix.

However, if guaranteeing a minimum number of Māori councillors is needed then the simplest way would have been to assign three councillor positions to the 28 per cent Māori population registered on the Māori electoral roll, with the other seven councillors voted for by those on the General electoral roll.

As it was, the newly created "voting parity" criterion (where all voters can vote for the same number of councillor positions), was never achievable once the decision was taken to establish a Māori ward. The result that we now have - a Māori ward voting for one councillor – is ridiculous, in my view, and achieves nothing.

Don't waste any more time and ratepayers' money in pursuing these ideological objectives.

Len Watson
Rotorua

On division

A reader writes that, based on the fact that only 7 per cent of our eligible population have yet to have their first shot, we are not a nation divided (Letters, December 10).

An easy conclusion in this current social climate of the mass media and government deluge of Covid-itis.

On every TV channel, every ad break it seems, we are reminded to 'get the jab', do it 'for the whānau' and other messages that, in my view, promote fear and anxiety rather than the messages of security and safety that good government should promote.

I think the reality is that we are a divided society, divided over mandates that destroy the freedom our forefathers fought for, divided over the seizure of the 'Three Waters' assets held in trust by our local bodies, divided over the UN agendas that mean farmers need to reduce their herds and therefore their incomes to mention just a few points of conflict.

John Williams
Ngongotahā

Old St Nick

I was reading about St Nicholas, the man our modern Santa Claus was based on.

He was a compassionate man, who rode around the city on Christmas Eve, (and probably other times) secretly giving gifts to needy people.

Upon hearing of one desperate family, he threw a bag of gold through an open window, it landed in a sock drying by the fire, so now we know how Christmas stockings came about.

Thanks to all the people and organisations who continue this practice of care for others.

Peter Hardyment
Tauranga South

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