Should we worry that our posted votes won't arrive on time?
A reminder of the gratitude we owe the police
The Tom Phillips saga is a timely reminder to us all of what gratitude we owe our police each day as they front callouts.
That lone country constable going out at 3am, probably knowing that the burglars were on a farm bike, and who it might be.
Then on arrival at the scene, having to wait for the offender to make the first move.
All alone in the dark. With some comfort that support was on the way. But they, too, must have known there was a chance bad things might unfold, even putting their lives in jeopardy.
Bill Capamagian, Tauranga.
Cautious approach vindicated
The tragic outcome of the Tom Phillips saga vindicates the cautious approach by the police over the past four years, despite public criticism of what some saw as a hesitant and seemingly disinterested approach to the situation.
All credit must go to the bravery exhibited by the police officers who first responded to the alarm and acted in the best interests of the public and the Phillips’ children.
Ian Doube, Rotorua.
Restraint response
The face-off between the police and the protesters who occupied Parliament’s lawn on February 10, 2022, was certainly confrontational.
Sergeant Yancy Hawkins subdued a protester by using a head-restraining tactic that was unofficially introduced to the police college in late 2019 or early 2020, and he was “of the genuine belief that the head-hold restraint was authorised”, according to the Herald (Sept 8).
This tactic was formally stopped only on May 16, 2023, a year after the incident, and Hawkins should have been supported in the subsequent case for damages as his state of mind in 2022 would have been entirely innocent.
But the protester was awarded $7000 by the High Court.
When you consider the response of the Royal New Zealand Police College and the Independent Police Conduct Authority, is it any wonder that there is a critical shortage of police officers?
Johan Slabbert, Warkworth.
It’s in the mail - hopefully
Having received my voting papers for local elections, I read everything I needed to.
I am thinking that the electoral authorities have more faith in our postal service than I and many others have in their deliveries.
I note that the last day for posting is October 7, just four days before voting closes. From my experience of posting over the last year, I would be surprised if they reach the destination in four days.
Last year, I posted a letter to myself to test the system. I am not at all far from one of the only street letter boxes I know. It took 15 days for it to be delivered. Last month, I posted a letter in Devonport to an Auckland University department. Almost a fortnight later, they sent me an email to ask if I had posted the letter as they had yet to receive it.
Should we have faith in the postal service to make sure all posted votes are received?
John Webster, Takapuna.
Uniting for peace
Craig Mokhiber, a veteran human rights lawyer and former director of the United Nations Office for Human Rights in New York, has explained how the UN could act today to stop Israel’s assault on Gaza, despite the constant United States veto. A little-used mechanism called Uniting for Peace, passed by the General Assembly in 1950, allows member states to override a deadlocked Security Council and mandate practical action.
This is not theory. In the 1950s, when Britain, France, and Israel invaded the Sinai, the General Assembly stepped in under this resolution, created a UN emergency force, and deployed troops.
The New Zealand Government, as a committed member of the UN and advocate for human rights, has the opportunity to support a protection force that safeguards civilians, delivers aid, and preserves evidence of war crimes.
The tools exist. What is missing is the political will.
Dana A Patterson, Oneroa.
Par for the course
President Trump may not have helped his underwhelming quest for a Nobel Peace Prize by authorising the Department of Defence to be once again known as the Department of War, as it was called up until after World War II.
Rebranding it the Department of Peace would have been a smarter option and would have potentially been enough to catch the eye of the Norwegians.
However, all is not lost. The President should now turn his attention to another accolade that must be within his reach. Only two US presidents (Dwight D. Eisenhower and George H.W. Bush) have been inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. Given that he owns golf courses around the world, coupled with his lifetime enthusiasm and passion for the game, surely his nomination for the equivalent of golf royalty is simply a matter of time.
Bruce Eliott, St Heliers.