Let Winston get on with his most excellent work
Winston Peters has a very long, distinguished career in politics and despite his advanced age he is as sharp as ever.
I think he has a wider understanding of foreign policy than most of us would, and the courage to stand up against the latest backlash of criticism. The fickleness of public opinion fuelled by the constant images from Gaza, cloud the real issues.
Empty gestures like recognising a Palestinian state won’t stop the slaughter or the illegal settlers on the West Bank.
Is the world ready to boycott Israel and US? Will New Zealand continue to deal economically with these two countries? Will we welcome them at next Olympic Games? Do we feel so strongly about Gaza that we would send our sons over there to die for them?
Let Mr Peters do his job and stop with the defilement.
Tone it down
It was disappointing to read the ODT editorial (29.9.25) regarding the government decision not to recognise Palestine, although probably not surprising given the ODT published the vitriolic rubbish from Jean Balchin last week (Opinion 23.9.25).
The ODT should do better than follow the extremely biased mainstream TV media. The only sensible reporting I have seen was on TVNZ Q&A. The former diplomat guest disagreed with the decision but started by saying it is a complex issue "on which reasonable people can reasonably disagree".
Winston Peters' speech to the UN was excellent and right on the money. Tone down the rhetoric and discuss the issues.
Facile explanations
The coalition government's’s facile explanation for New Zealand’s failure to support the Palestinian state does not alter the fact that we are expected to stand by and watch the remnants of a legitimate government in Palestine bombed and starved to extinction.
Insulting, appalling
Winston Peters’ failure to recognise a Palestinian state is appalling. To not foreshadow the decision, or to gauge public feeling beforehand, but leave us, with the rest of the world, in the dark until his speech at the UN, is as insulting to New Zealand as it is arrogant and appalling.
That he, and his co-leaders have ignored the example of the 150-plus countries who have already recognised a Palestinian state, including our closest neighbour Australia, and the mass walkout of delegates in the face of the Israeli PM, is mind-boggling.
For Luxon and Seymour to try to justify this stance by pointing to the presence of Hamas and the hostages still held captive, while being silent on the genocide being perpetrated by Israel, by not acknowledging the tens of thousands of civilians killed and their homes destroyed is shamefully and utterly unacceptable.
Add to this Israel’s ongoing occupation of the West Bank, the illegal settlements being built there, the killings, evictions of Palestinians from their homes and land to be taken by Israelis, and we, New Zealand, are looking weak and inconsequential.
Saying that recognition of Palestine rewards terrorism, is an obsolete argument now. Not recognising Palestine, rewards all of Israel’s actions.
We are on the wrong side of history. We should, we must speak out. We must be loud in our call for the world to act.
[Abridged — length.]
A proportionate and fair defence of the ORC
Dunedin City councillor Lee Vandervis repeats his refrain that the Otago Regional Council should be taken over by the DCC (ODT 30.9.25).
Unfortunately he does not appear to acknowledge the important work that the ORC oversees for our environment (monitoring and protecting freshwater, air quality, biodiversity, land and soil as well as biosecurity) and climate change and resilience (including flood protection and drainage, natural hazards programme, river management and maintenance and emergency management).
He does not acknowledge that all of these tasks, required by law, would have to be added to the load on the DCC, but concentrates only on the economic assets such as Port Otago, which help to keep the ORC rates low.
Given that the ORC covers a much larger area — a rural area which stretches from the Waitaki to the Catlins and across to the Southern Alps, and also an area in which the major users of the Port reside — than Greater Dunedin, how will he ensure that other councils (e.g. Oamaru, Balclutha, Alexandra, Queenstown and Wānaka), who have these tasks also added to their workload get their proportionately fair share of the revenue from Port Otago?
Ins and outs of allowing folk to go in and out
Vehicular and foot access to the Shepherds Creek valley and the council-owned public road via a small section of Ardgour station farm track has never been contested until just recently.
What has changed since Santana arrived is the "Private Access Only, Trespassers will be prosecuted" sign over the gate that allows this access, and the threat of enforcement Santana is wielding.
That access is therefore now only possible by climbing a fence instead of through a farm gate.
As such, vehicular access on to the Shepherds Creek public road is no longer possible.
It is now "blocked", and being "prevented" via Santana’s threat to prosecute.
Discussion about a public-excluded council meeting on a "land access agreement" over the Shepherds Creek valley — on which it is proposed to build the processing plant and other mine structures — is an entirely different matter.
It is unfortunate to see this legally challenging topic mixed up with the above foot and vehicular access issue (ODT 29.9.25).
Santana has omitted informing the fast track authorities in their original application that they needed this "land access agreement" with Central Otago District Council.
It is now scrambling to force through this agreement with CODC as the landowner.
This agreement will likely also attract Overseas Investment Office approval and is further complicated by the fact it involves the Shepherds Creek as a waterway.
The issue is highly complex and contentious and may well require arbitration in future, as prescribed under the Crown Minerals Act.
CODC as the landowner is entirely in its right to continue to negotiate maximum benefits.,
We would urge them to include the local community that will be most affected in its considerations.
Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: letters@odt.co.nz
