Letters to the editor: Citizens Advice Bureau plays an important role in our city

Readers speak out about the possible closure of the Rotorua Citzens Advice Bureau as a result of reduced council funding.

Letters to the Editor

Opinion

I was appalled to read your article (News, April 28) regarding the possible closure of the Rotorua CAB as a result of reduced council funding.

The Citizens Advice Bureau plays a vital role in our city in supporting its people, including ratepayers, in their efforts to negotiate difficult pathways.

They include the elderly and the marginalised.

To receive this devastating news in an email, rather than at a face-to-face meeting is, in my view, insulting, given the CAB’s years of selfless service to the Rotorua community.

Stopping funding community groups, which work tirelessly to support Rotorua citizens, is, in my view, putting Rotorua on par with Auckland’s now infamous council organisation.

Jackie Evans

Rotorua

Cancelling CAB funding ‘wrong’

I see that the Rotorua Lakes Council is considering dropping its modest financial support of our local Citizens Advice Bureau.

This is part of a general clawback of what, in my view, has been badly managed citizens’ rates by the council organisation.

In recent times, I believe the council got carried away with creating the seven deputy chief executive roles.

In my opinion, the council should redirect some of this cost to the CAB.

I was a CAB volunteer for many years and also assisted as a Justice of the Peace. I know what good work the CABs of New Zealand do.

Cancelling funding for useful voluntary agencies such as the CAB is, in my opinion, pathetic and wrong.

David Field

Rotorua

Protest report one-sided

The report in Thursday’s Rotorua Daily Post (May 4) on the protest and counter-protest outside Parliament on Wednesday raised some question marks in my mind with regard to its seemingly biased view.

Two representatives of the counter-protesters were quoted, namely Eliana Rubashkyn, who has a court appearance scheduled over the recent Posie Parker affair, and Tristan Cordelia, organiser of the Poneke Anti-Fascist Coalition, who represents cis and trans women’s solidarity.

However, the protest group, numbering about 50 (the opposition numbered about 200) and representing Speak Up for Women, was not given the same courtesy.

I have to wonder how one can trust journalism in this country if we are treated to only one side of the stories that seem to be on the edge of a major change in societal values.

Freedom of speech would seem to be a privilege of the majority.

John Williams

Ngongotahā

The Rotorua Daily Post welcomes letters from readers. Please note the following:

• Letters should not exceed 200 words.
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