Opinion: Kiwis capable of thinking for themselves

The Governor's Burger from the Duke of Marlborough Hotel in Russell. Photo/Supplied

I am not a fan of hamburgers. I might have one a year if that.

I have always found the meat pattie rather dry. Perhaps others do too and that's why they request a medium or medium rare cooked hamburger. Good for them. You order and pay for what you want.

Not any longer. The Hamburger Police, known as the Ministry of Primary Industries, has issued new food preparation guidelines for restaurants that insist minced meat and liver needs to be cooked at high temperatures for a longer period of time than previously, to avoid contamination.

By eating a medium or medium rare cooked hamburger we could get very ill, perhaps even die. They may be right although after all these years I can't recall an epidemic of sick hamburger eaters.

But I do know a number of people who have become violently ill from eating chicken and pork that they believe wasn't cooked properly. Soon enough we could see guidelines issued as to how these should be cooked in our restaurants. I would have thought trained chefs were on to that.

Like so many things we put into our mouths today, all probably have the potential to make us sick, very sick or even kill us.

I wash all the fruit I buy, even the ones I peel before I eat them. The same goes for vegetables particularly greens, including lettuce and also tomatoes. I never know if they have been sprayed with chemicals so want to be sure and safe.

But just having the potential to make me ill doesn't mean it'll happen. What's the probability? Pretty damn small I would say. We can't go through life thinking and expecting the worst to happen.

Just about everything these days has the potential to kill us but a pox on those who decide it is their responsibility to get heavy handed, insist restaurants must remove medium and medium rare cooked hamburgers from their menus.

No wonder restaurant owners and their chefs are not impressed with this stupid decision. They say "basically the ministry is telling us how our customers need to eat their food". "Bureaucratic red tape gone mad."

Will we now see undercover hamburger detectives moving in on the remaining restaurants that have hamburgers on their menus? Ordering a medium cooked hamburger and when served with one, named and shamed and slapped with a hefty fine. Prison even. MPI should realise how foolish they look. Producing guidelines for chefs to save members of the public from ordering what they please.

We have so many public watchdogs these days it's a wonder we're not too afraid to cross the road. Local councils, those that have cliffs and old quarry sites in their districts, are now reviewing access to these. Often they have been used by rock climbers in the past. Some of these sites are in Auckland, Mt Maunganui, Wellington, Queenstown and other places around the country. Mostly used as training places for rock climbers, some in use for over 50 years.

But Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 requirements could see access to these sites closed. It all comes down to who is responsible under the law for ensuring public safety. I would bet that within a short time these sites will be closed to the public. Absolutely, we have to be protected from ourselves. Just too risky. Another outdoor activity hits the dust.

New Zealanders are a happy, fun loving, outgoing people. We don't require the ever increasing number of rules and regulations raining down on us today.

I agree that some are necessary but when I see the slow creep of regulations and compliance we are being subjected to, I say enough is enough. I am quite capable of thinking for myself and looking after myself, thank you.

I am not stupid. I am sick and tired of being told "we know what's best for you. It's our job to keep you safe".

No it's not. It's your job to make me aware of issues you think could endanger my health and safety. It's not your job to erode my right to think for myself, to take away my right to choose what I think is in my best interests, without harming others.

I don't want to see New Zealanders turn into compliant zombies. Leaving it up to those who think they know what's best for us is turning the clock back. Back to the future in other words. No way, butt out.

Merepeka Raukawa-Tait is a Rotorua Lakes Council councillor, member of the Lakes
District Health Board and chairs the North Island Whanau Ora Commissioning Agency. She
writes, speaks and broadcasts to thwart the spread of political correctness.