Over all this sits the ever-reasonable Chris Luxon. Well he, too, needs to wake up and smell the coffee.
His election was largely promoted on his business and management acumen.
Luxon needs to dust off the negotiation text book, confront these two antagonists and convince them that the bigger picture is infinitely more important than their petty egos — and get on with the negotiations.
Nick Rowe, Greenlane
Freedom from thrall of Hamas
Lorraine Kidd’s support (Herald on Sunday, November 5) of the principal of Diocesan School for Girls shutting down of planned gatherings to stand in solidarity for Palestinian liberation is to be applauded.
However, the question should be asked as to what are the Palestinians to be liberated from.
At the moment Gaza and the Palestinians have been controlled by the designated terror group, Hamas.
It does not take much research to find out that Hamas has stipulated in its Charter the complete destruction of Israel and that it constantly advocates for the elimination of all Jews.
This is in complete contrast to the principal’s stated core values of Diocesan School such as love, compassion, hope, justice and diversity.
Until Palestinians can be freed from the thrall of Hamas, with its manipulation and control of its own people, then this sorry conflict will never end.
If this was to be the aim of these planned gatherings, then maybe they should go ahead.
Bernard Walker, Pāpāmoa
Devastating impact
Can you imagine surviving these murderous attacks on Palestinians in Gaza, but to have lost one or maybe all of your family to the indiscriminate bombs or shells?
Can you then imagine the burning hatred toward Israel that will be with you forever?
I can think of nothing more devastating than to watch your innocent child killed in this way. I guess the pilots of these planes or the crews manning the guns do not see the devastation they cause or surely they would refuse to continue.
And the Western world watches and says nothing.
Vince West, Milford
Look who’s talking
Chris Bishop on The Nation on TV (November 4) informed us: you can’t expect to lambast a party for months before the election and then expect to be asked to help form a coalition government. He wasn’t talking about NZ First but the Greens and Te Pāti Māori with National.
Winston Peters could be thinking: how hypocritical can you get, mate?
David Seymour has stated we’re all talking. Really?
Like how “untrustworthy” Peters is? Somehow he can get away with lambasting Peters for months and still have an innocent smile, but be assured he represents the “good of the country”.
How cynical will that sound in a few months? Learning to rope at the rodeo takes practice.
Steve Russell, Hillcrest
Protect democracy
As a result of the time being taken to form a new coalition government some people are now suggesting that New Zealand should ditch the MMP voting system and return to first past the post, which is still practised in many countries.
However, that would be a disaster for New Zealand’s democracy because the first past the post system allows minority governments to be formed.
A good example of this is the British Conservative party holding a sizeable majority in the House of Commons in the UK with only 43 per cent of the popular vote.
Clearly we do not want similar results in New Zealand, which is one of the most democratic countries in the world, and it is important that we protect that level of democracy.
David Mairs, Glendowie
Ruffling feathers
Comedian John Oliver has ruffled feathers with his call to stack the NZ Bird of the Century voting.
This “Lord of the Wings” attempt to ridicule New Zealand again will not enlarge the number of followers who find his sarcastic humour amusing.
Oliver is an unfunny man who identifies with “standing around, unsure about what to do next”.
He is not a bird lover — more self-promoting emu who advertises his rear end while his head is in the sand.
Gary Carter, Gulf Harbour
