Whanganui letters: Democracy has stood the test

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said the He Puapua report is not Government policy. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Readers share their thoughts. Find our letters guidelines at the bottom of this article:

What's not to like about democracy? You can vote for whomever you wish and if they don't measure up, you can vote them out. We have freedom to travel locally or internationally (depending on Covid). No dictators or oppressive leaders.

We can meet freely with other people. Personal restrictions are few. Democracy has stood the test. People want it. You have choices, without it, life would not be as good.

Then there is the report called He Puapua. It is available online. (https://www.tpk.govt.nz/docs/undrip/tpk-undrip-he-puapua.pdf)

In 2019 Cabinet established a body to develop a plan and an engagement process strategy to realise the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It was comprised of five non-state representatives and four government officials.

The stated aim of the resulting plan was to break the usual political and societal norms and approaches and have a new constitution in New Zealand, as: "Aotearoa's constitution rooted in Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples".

Seems the governance of New Zealand is to be split between the Crown and iwi, one democratic, the other tribal. Co-governance is the name being bandied about. But do all who qualify want to be in a tribal system or do they prefer democracy?

The report was delivered to the Government on November 1, 2019. In May 2021 the Prime Minister said it was not Government policy.

So why commission the report in the first place? If the intentions expressed in the report are indicative of thinking at a high level or at any level we are in for scary times.

And if it is not Government policy, why are some of the recommendations in the report being discussed and implemented?

Should we be worried about our democratic way of life?

M SANDLANT
Whanganui

Solution to bridge woes?

The traffic congestion at the Dublin St Bridge is easily understood when you look at the road rules, especially at the roundabout at the Dublin St/Somme Pde end of the bridge.

Traffic coming toward the city over the bridge must give way to vehicles entering the roundabout from the right, ie from the Aramoho direction.

At peak times there is a steady flow of this traffic which takes priority to bridge traffic at the roundabout. Vehicles on the bridge cannot enter the roundabout and depart the area until a suitable gap appears. The roundabout on the Whanganui East side fills up with vehicles simply because the bridge traffic cannot exit on the city side.

This is the nub of the problem. A traffic stop light to provide a regular break in Somme Pde traffic may be a simple solution in the short term.

RON NOVIS
Whanganui

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