It is telling that despite about 75 per cent of the public supporting medicinal cannabis, 60 per cent of MPs opposed.
National's decision not to make this a conscience vote tells us that they are more interested in obstructing the current Government than representing their constituents. I wonder how our own representative would have voted, had she been allowed to use her conscience?
At least those opposed to this bill can happily pour themselves a glass of state-sanctioned anaesthetic and forget about the suffering of affected members of the community and the financial cost to ratepayers.
It's time for this reactionary and irrational prejudice towards a benign, healing plant to be discarded. The public knows it, so when will the Government and the Chronicle catch up?
NEIL BUDDLE
Gonville, Whanganui
Wrong day
On February 6 the country will celebrate the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi instead of our Independence Day, Queen Victoria's Royal Charter.
The Royal Charter/Letters Patent dated August 25, 1839 extended the boundaries of New South Wales to encompass "all of the islands of New Zealand" and we became a British colony.
A second Royal Charter/letters patent dated November 16, 1840 authorised our separation from NSW to become an internationally recognised British colony in our own right when it was ratified on May 3 1841, our true founding date and the day NZ was born. Why is this date not celebrated?
In 1877 Wi Parata v the Bishop of Wellington court case resulted in Chief Judge Prendergast ruling the Treaty of Waitangi was a "simple nullity".
The Treaty did not found New Zealand, the two Royal Charters/ Letters Patent did. Why were they not moved to the Tohu exhibit, supposedly exhibiting our founding documents?
What's the Maori "Declaration of Independence" doing there? The chiefs never met, never made laws and never claimed sovereignty.
If they had, Maori sovereignty would have been recognised by Britain and the Head of State's signature would have appeared on the Treaty making it a "legal document".
Wake up, New Zealanders. You are being conned.
IAN BROUGHAM
Tawhero
Hospital care
I wish to express my family's sincere thanks and appreciation for the wonderful treatment and care given to my elderly sister by the medical ward staff at Whanganui Hospital.
She was on a visit from the Bay of Plenty and took seriously ill and was nursed beautifully back to health by all those dedicated, hard-working doctors and nurses.
As an octogenarian she has been in a few hospitals in her time and said this is the nicest, friendliest one she has ever been in.
Well done, Whanganui Hospital, and thanks again.
CLIVE E RIVERS
Whanganui
Prayer concern
I object to having the mention of Jesus taken out of the parliamentary prayer.
The values of all western society are found in the Bible in Exodus chapter 20, the Ten Commandments, and in Matthew chapters 5-7, the Sermon on the Mount.
The mention of Jesus gives us the assurance that the values we, in fact, live by are being upheld by our parliamentary leaders.
This is so whether or not we regularly attend the synagogue or church, or say prayers at meal time or as we retire each night.
Drop the mention of Jesus and we have no assurance at all that the Government, the local councils or the police and the courts will adhere to the values we have grown up with.
We have no problem with Maori acknowledging their gods of the forest and sea. Nor with people from other cultures following their values, so long as they do not disregard our Jewish and Christian heritage of over some 3500 years.
TOM PITTAMS
Whanganui
Send your letters to: The Editor, Wanganui Chronicle, 100 Guyton St, PO Box 433, Wanganui 4500; or email editor@wanganuichronicle.co.nz
