Letters to the editor: Government urgency on terrorism laws 'snail-like'

The Prime Minister claims that her government sought to hurry the changes to the terrorism laws in the months after the man was released into the community.

One must presume that the government was hurrying with snail-like urgency.

I compare the speed at which the Government enacted an Act to disallow local communities to hold referenda for or against Māori wards within councils.

I read that the deceased terrorist has had multiple opportunities to comply with his refugee status. He did not do this, and cost the taxpayer millions of dollars in monitoring him in the interim.

In my view, to add insult to injury, I see this man was represented by Queen's Counsel, the most expensive legal representative one can instruct.

Maureen J Anderson
Pyes Pa

Stronger approach needed

The current buzz words - go hard, go early, be kind, team of five million - do not appear to apply to known terrorists within our developed country.

I feel for the six innocent victims stabbed while shopping at their supermarket in west Auckland.

We need a stronger approach to these types of people so that New Zealanders can enjoy life that they are accustomed to.

Leigh Neilson
Tauranga

Does the CBD really need new buildings?

Re your front-page article on September 3, while I can see the need for council staff to leave a leaky building, I wonder if council has considered whether there is an actual need for new buildings in the CBD.

Limited public access is required, primarily for the library, which is to be located in central CBD with little access to parking; hardly useful for a mother with children when there is very limited parking.

During lockdown, we have been forced to work from home; why not continue with council, with Zoom meetings, fast internet, video phone calls, email and other electronic communications, and limited parking, it makes sense for all but library staff and central computer system staff to work remotely.

This would make the building unnecessary and would save ratepayers considerable costs, both in initial build as well as maintenance costs of buildings which only house staff who could communicate entirely electronically from anywhere in NZ.

Libraries are far better placed in suburban centres, as some are at present.

Perhaps those libraries could have a council person who interfaces with public when necessary.

Alan Willoughby
Welcome Bay

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