National was in the process of organising the construction of "roads of significance". They announced the Chinese would get these contracts — hello, what happened to the tender process for Government procurement? What happens to our own contractors?
As more and more of these agreements are signed, such as the CCTPP, more and more of our work will be given away to foreign corporations.
So have these Chinese workers been given a guarantee of citizenship? Do they get first dibs at available housing while many thousands of Kiwis are homeless? Are they employed under our own employment laws or are they exempt? What have they been promised?
As we watch our employees in the Beehive selling our sovereignty, environment, conservation lands, seabed and employment, do we conclude that we are bankrupt? Why else would those employed to care for our dear country betray us? And selling off your own country is gross betrayal, treason, in my eyes.
D LOCKETT
Whanganui
Players ignored
Following on from the stories on March 15 and 19 about the concerns of local footballers, there has not been any information forthcoming to the local senior footballers as to what the $100 they each pay (as part of a $1668 team fee) to the local federation is spent on.
The season started April 7 and 10 men's teams play in a competition where they are charged $16,680 by Central Football to play.
The draw has been done and, other than checking a few team cards and recording scores each week, and generating a league table occasionally, there is nothing else to do.
The vast majority of these players have no ambition to do anything other than turn up and play in a social competition.
Yet football's financial model seems to be to sting these players right throughout their playing days, right until the end of their playing days.
That's when they have the least need for anything the governing bodies have to offer.
The Federation's CEO is more than a bit disingenuous when he insinuates that these players, the ones who can't get any explanation about where their money goes and now want to manage their own football, do nothing for the development of the game.
They have paid for 30 or more years, most of them.
The threats of banning juniors and travelling teams deterred the main clubs from wanting to be involved in the new initiative.
Now ALL these senior social players are all going to have to pay $80 each more than they needed to, to just turn up and play. Per team that is $1280.
Most clubs have at least three teams involved, so that is just under $4000, or just over $5000 with four teams!
This argument will continue until the explanation sought has been provided to our satisfaction, and we have a competition that suits our needs, cost in particular, as social players.
RUSSELL EADES
President, Marist FC
Apology needed
Had Richard Pierce (letters, April 16) known the Reverend Tom Pittams for over 30 years, as I have, he would know that Tom has done over 60 years of theological study.
He has been awarded a BD from a reputable university in Aotearoa/New Zealand and has done studies at Oxford University. It is with this breadth of theological learning plus decades of experience in pastoral care and pastoral theology that the Rev Tom Pittams would have spent Easter studying "books bought at a recent book sale".
It would appear to me that an apology from Richard Pierce to the learned reverend gentleman might be courteous, to say the least.
REV GRAHAM JUDEN
Durie Hill
Send your letters to: The Editor, Wanganui Chronicle, 100 Guyton St, PO Box 433, Wanganui 4500; or email editor@wanganuichronicle.co.nz
