Whanganui letters: NZ history, bilingual signs and prison water

An Ombudsman reported on the discoloured water and sub standard conditions last August. Photo / file

The real history of Aotearoa

Wow, that's going to be very interesting, the real history of Aotearoa New Zealand is going to be written and taught in schools. So the first lesson should be that there was never any legitimate reason for any European country or people to colonise Aotearoa. But the English soon invented many excuses. Most of them quite comical when examined closely in the light of modern sciences. I wait in great anticipation.
POTONGA NEILSON
Whanganui

Your letters.

No to bi-lingual road signs

I believe there is no such thing as a bad idea, as ideas lead to our development. But there are a lot of ideas that should never be acted on and bilingual signs on NZ roads one of them.

Claire Breen (Chronicle, December 28) thinks her, woke, politically correct idea, that we should have bilingual signs in Pākehā and Māori is a good idea but is actually one that should not be acted on.

She quotes Europe as having bilingual signs, forgetting that for the people who read those signs, one of the languages is their spoken language.

Just over 3 per cent of the population is fluent in Māori; maybe more with time, but not while hurtling past at 100km/h. So leave the classes in Māori to the marae and the school classroom.
GARTH SCOWN
Whanganui

Prison water

I feel Kelvin Davis' response to the Waikeria prison protest is disgraceful and self-serving.

This is his area of responsibility and he should have been there from the beginning. An Ombudsman reported on the discoloured water and substandard conditions last August. It would be appropriate for him to display horror and disgust at this report and ensure remedial action was taken.

If Davis and co didn't bother to improve the prisoners' treatment why would the prisoners have faith in using any other channel for complaint? Why would they believe the system would listen to them when it was ignoring an Ombudsman?

The prisoners' actions had nothing to do with those who waded in, Mr Davis, so, please, stop trying to guide the blame away from the man ultimately responsible, you, as Minister.

Let's get the facts out in the open immediately. Let's not bury them under mountains of paper and millions of dollars of cost.

It's time accountability was established within the public service and amongst MPs. Kelvin Davis should be held to account.
D LOCKETT
Whanganui

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