Letters: Free speech, hospital care, plastic bags

A reader says there is a traditional solution to the plastic bag problem. Photo/Getty Images

I was scheduled for prostate surgery and to be honest, it scared the living daylights out of me. I received a phone call early on the morning of Friday, July 6 asking if I was able to admit myself any earlier. I did so and from the time I arrived, through the admission process, surgery and aftercare to my discharge on Saturday, I can do nothing less than to sing the praises of one and all with whom I had contact during my stay at the hospital.

The friendliness, professionalism and care with which every staff member, specialist and team member treated me was, to say the least, outstanding. I have been privileged to experience an amazing experience in our own wonderful hospital and write to reiterate what an outstanding facility we have access to.

Of course, this would be all well and good however the way the staff and nurses undertake their often thankless work in helping us to heal and recover is in my mind beyond any point of measurement, and I thank the staff especially for their ongoing commitment to our community and us as patients.

It has been a wonderful experience for me, and I give you all my highest commendation for the level and professionalism of service you provide.

Thanking you
Rod Topperwien
Ohope
Abridged

Mayor's view not for everyone

I see Auckland Mayor Phil Goff is denying the public the "freedom of choice" to see, listen to, or view Stefan Molyneux and Lauren Southern. Their denial is based on the presumption that the venue ... "may disturb the peace and become a Health and Safety issue".

Ratepayer-funded venues should be available for hire by everyone, no matter their political or cultural viewpoint.

Any untoward or illegal actions taken by protesters can be dealt with by the police.

Maureen J Anderson
Pyes Pa
Abridged

Traditional solution for plastic bag wrath

With the recent shocking pictures of red-necked Australians angrily objecting to the demise of the one-use plastic bags in their supermarkets I realised that this type of behaviour could happen here when these bags are made obsolete.

In considering this problem, I realised that in my youth, before the proliferation of these environmentally poor shopping and rubbish bags, there was another alternative, as the grocer used to place your purchases into a block bottomed brown paper bag.

Also, your rubbish was collected in multiwall brown paper bags.

The managers of the supermarkets and big box stores with the help of the Government should get together to investigate and modernise this solution. It will take a leap of faith for them to jump into a "Tardis" and travel back to the future.

Michael Galloway
Omokoroa