Fight fluoride
Re fluoridation: Are you aware that the National Government intends to take away our right of choice as to whether Whangarei water is fluoridated or not?
A referendum was held in 2002 when 70 per cent voted against fluoridation.
The current elections are very important to those who have educated themselves on the toxic effects of drinking this poison.
We have contacted as many nominees as we could and have six replies to date, five are anti-fluoride or pro-choice on this.
A Freedom of Information Act request by Fluoridealert.org has uncovered an explosive document from the American Dental Association (ADA) calling for research on the health effects of drinking fluoridated water.
Proponents of fluoridation admit they lack research showing "optimally" fluoridated water is safe for kidney patients, minorities, diabetics, and seniors, as questions swirl in burgeoning scandal.
Fluoride is known as an endocrine disruptor and damages the thyroid.
Other research shows a decline in IQ of 7 points in children, which is enormous.
(Abridged)
Pam Blowers
Whangarei
C'mon ref
One has to wonder what the Northland rugby team has to do to get a fair go during a game.
I suspect referees approach a game involving Northland with a preconceived plan that Northland will be the perpetrators of every law-breaking offence possible because they are at the bottom of the pile while the opposition are lily white.
Recent games have been a disgrace, verging on a joke with unwarranted yellow cards, bent lineout feeds, bent scrum feeds, un-noticed knock-ons and un-noticed forward passes from the opposition supported by incompetent referees while Northland's opposition has a free hand to fling the ball under the hooker's feet, down the wrong side of the lineout and 5-metre forward passes.
Obviously sideline umpires are there for decoration and referees operate using Braille. Could we have a little equality please?
Mike Eagles
Maungatapere
UK pension row
If there is one quote that encompasses the plight that immigrant pensioners and returning Kiwis to New Zealand are experiencing with MSD it is the following:
"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it."
This quote by Upton Sinclair highlights the position Brendon Boyle, Chief Executive of MSD, has on the subject of Section 70 of the Social Security Act 1964 - direct deductions of overseas pensions.
His perceived inability to understand and distinguish between a government-funded pension and non-government-funded pension is what keeps him in a job being paid a huge salary.
When faced with a New Zealand High Court ruling clearly stating non-government-funded pensions were NOT subject to direct deductions under Section 70 (a ruling MSD appealed and lost), his way around this was to redefine the NIF as being a tax paid to the UK Government and all UK pensions were then government funded.
This redefinition overrides the High Court case ruling and allows MSD to continue to steal overseas pensions that were not contributed to by a government but paid into by employer/employee contributions.
Is this democracy working in New Zealand when a public servant can change the rules to suit his purpose, acting as both judge and jury? I think not!
We are not dealing with a stupid person, on the contrary, he is very smart at what he does and that is why he is paid the big salary.
Theft is theft and cannot be redefined in any other way, perhaps Brendon Boyle and MSD can put another spin on this to let those pensioners living on the breadline know why they should continue to do so!
Paul Rea
Chairperson, NZ Seniors Party