I also need to know that it will not replace evidence and wisdom with pragmatism and ideology.
For me -- and, I suspect, the other 999,999 missing voters -- no political party within the current electoral landscape is able to tick any of the above boxes.
Given this outcome, we have simply exercised our right to disengage from a process within which we have no actual power to influence change.
We are not "missing" at all; we have simply realised the systemic futility of a three-year cycle of representative democracy, anchored within a voter population majority too afraid to vote for any meaningful change, and we have declared, "thanks, but no thanks".
Right, now that this issue has been settled, the Labour Party could do the decent thing and pay for these 85 international students to be immediately repatriated and apologise to them.
DYLAN TIPENE
Ranui, Auckland
Deserved win
Our All Blacks played well, but please give it to the Lions: They played better and deserved their win.
So bring on the third test in Auckland.
Isn't sport great? It brings everyone together and, sadly, someone has to lose -- but that's sport.
GARY STEWART
Foxton Beach
Spooky talk
The language of the outgoing Federated Farmers national president as reported June 29 is spooky.
Criticism of poor farming practices is described as anti-farming.
He blames Greenpeace for bringing the international campaign against farming to New Zealand. In the past, he could have described them as those red commies.
He blames Fish & Game for inventing the term "dirty dairying" and wants the government to deal with them.
In the past, he could have described them as fifth columnists, and if the government needed any armed farmers on horseback, it could count on his organisation.
He claims Greenpeace and Fish & Game, together with their sympathisers, do not contain decent New Zealanders.
This implies that if you are not decent, you are not right-thinking. And if you are not right-thinking, you need to be marginalised.
Meanwhile, let the farmer continue to exist as a sacrosanct being.
ROD SACH
Castlecliff
Good story
I was pleased to see the good article on Lynley Fowler on July 1. I've been involved with Lynley for some years at the Alexander Heritage and Research Library, when doing my history on the Whanganui region.
She has always been very pleasant and helpful and I'm sure she has been with many other people.
DIANA BEAGLEHOLE
Karori
Independence day
On July 4, America celebrates its Independence Day as a founding nation, and yet in New Zealand, our independence day is never celebrated.
Queen Victoria's Royal Charter dated November 16, 1840, was our true founding document.
This important document has been ignored. The day we should all celebrate as our Independence Day is May 3, when New Zealand became a British colony under one flag and one law.
It allowed New Zealand to break away from New South Wales and with the consent of the British Parliament to form its own British colony with its own governor and government to make its own laws based on English law under the watchful eye of the British Parliament.
The Royal Charter is completely ignored by the Government.
Te Papa and the Ministry of Justice do not even have a copy of our true founding document and first constitution.
IAN BROUGHAM
Tawhero
