Bye-bye, Labour, Mr Smith has had it
I am an old-school Labour voter, who supported Labour based on traditional labour values — supporting the community, strengthening the workforce, helping the genuinely deserving poor and disabled, in a real democratic movement. Now minority groups have hijacked the party. When did the Labour left ask we the people what changes we want for society? This has not happened for 20 years.
I will never vote Labour again until they return to traditional working class democratic values. The rental market is out of control, Labour did nothing. Power prices are high, food has GST, the Labour government did nothing. Bye bye Labour. I’m not voting for you.
Brett Smith
Waikouaiti
No place for misogyny
Dr Robert Hamlin (Letters, 14.9.23) says that if Mr Barry Williams had referred to the woman who made the mistake of getting his order wrong as a stupid b.... instead of a stupid black b.... this would have been entirely fine with the media, DCC and Mr Williams’ employer. One would hope not as neither racism nor misogyny have any place in society today.
Margaret Shaw
Mosgiel
Time for self-reflection
As the apologies are still flying in all directions over the unpleasant and racist remark in Middlemarch, what saddens me most is the fact in a little frustration over a meal, that was the spontaneous remark. It just reveals how deeply ingrained these traits remain, unconscious bias, call it what you like but don’t waste time with apologies. Maybe some self-reflection would help?
Liz Selbie
Dunedin
A plea from a male
As a male, I am alarmed at the possibility of a evangelist Christian becoming our next prime minister. If I was a female, I would be very, very alarmed. These are the people busily and shamelessly stripping away the rights and freedoms of women in the US, and do not think for one second that it can’t happen here.
Mr Luxon needs to be pressed on the subject of abortion, and if he equivocates, as he likely will, then that will be proof enough that nothing good lies ahead for women.
For the sake of your daughters and granddaughters, please do not let them take power in this country.
Peter Flower
Lawrence
Co-governance defended
One of the hot-button issues in the lead-up to our election is co-governance. In my view, co-governance is the opposite of divisive.
It is about putting Te Tiriti into action through the practice of actual democracy and unity, where, instead of our Westminster-based adversarial system of governance, we have governance by consensus.
Currently we operate a colonialist/white supremacist quasi-absolutist system of governance with a democratic veneer, dating back to the 19th century.
Despite the divisive and racist claims of largely white New Zealanders co-governance has nothing to do with race, and everything to do with the rights of the First Peoples and indigeneity. Their race is irrelevant, and to claim otherwise is a malicious twisting of the truth.
Those perpetrating such toxic assertions are fanning the flames of fear and bigotry amongst people looking for someone to hate.
Are we to continue to live with the suppurating injustices of the past 200 years? The results of this election will decide.
Paul Elwell-Sutton
Haast
Long Covid proof more hospital beds needed
During and following the Spanish flu an illness occurred which the public called sleepy sickness or sleeping sickness which doctors eventually labelled encephalitis lethargicus.
Spanish flu was said to have killed 100 million people, encephalitis lethargicus thought then to be somehow caused by the Spanish flu, caused another 20 million following the Spanish flu. I have actually looked after patients who were diagnosed as having encephalitis lethargicus. Encephalitis lethargicus is widespread inflammation of the brain causing anything from chronic tiredness to total lack of motivation to catatonia to coma.
What's the point? The facts are that New Zealand needs at least 20-30% more hospital beds than we have now. There is no doubt in my mind that politicians already know this. Abraham Lincoln said you can fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.
Peter Neame
Cobden
[Peter Neame is a former elected member of the West Coast District Health Board. — Editor.]
Bullying unacceptable
The unacceptable abuse the Bryan family has received via social media is unfortunately a sign of the times we live in (ODT, 15.9.23).
The Oamaru Today facebook page is just one example of many around our country that are used to torment others.
There was an apology for the comments on that page, yet if anyone takes the time to look at Oamaru Today they will see there are plenty of provocative posts that elicit such cruel unpleasantness.
Andrew Bardsley
Oamaru
BIBLE READING: Preserve my life, for I am devoted to you. — Psalms 86.2.
