The SOUL hikoi from Ihumatao in Mangere to Jacinda Ardern's electorate office in Mt Albert. Photo / Kahlia Strong
The 2005 Charities Act is under review by minister Poto Williams as she scrutinises the rules around giving and helping others. The act is based on the 400-year-old Statute of Elizabeth 1601 seeking public benefit from voluntary giving.
New Zealanders are among the most generous in donating to the relief of misfortune from which no one is immune. About $17 billion of donor funds were spent last year for the betterment of society in New Zealand.
The head of the Blind Foundation recently argued for more streams of income to cushion charities during economic turbulence. However by focusing on the money he has lost sight of the poor state of services for blind people wishing to live their best lives. Whether we can see or not does not change our drive to count and contribute.
For example there is a critical shortage of guide dogs, with around 50 blind people competing for a handful of puppies being trained. Reading this newspaper is something most take for granted but if a blind person is having trouble with their technology and gets no support, they are in the dark yet again.
Self help can only come from rehabilitation and support. A critical balance must be struck between running donor funded services and filling the rainy-day piggy bank.
Queen Elizabeth I ruled charity is the search for the public good and community benefit. Accumulation of wealth must relate to this age-old ethic. All strength to minister Williams as she revamps the act to clarify the purpose of charities.
Some call it charity, others reading Paul's letter call it love, which is a doing word and an action that transforms lives.
Don McKenzie, member and former chairman of the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind.
The United States is engaged in a non-winnable battle to prevent China from becoming the world's number one economic super power.
Many Americans think that because they prevented Japan from overtaking the US as an economic power that they can do the same to China. But Japan's population is a lot smaller than the US and it was never going to overtake the US.
However the situation with China is completely the opposite. China's population is more than four times that of the US, and China's internal market is already the largest internal market in the world and is the largest market for NZ dairy and forest products.
In time, despite President Trump's efforts to prevent it happening , the world's two economic superpowers will be China and India with the US, with its much smaller population, following far behind.
David Mairs, Glendowie.
Cannabis lawYou can't tell me that all the drug-fuelled, gang-related serious incidents occurring in South Auckland and other areas of New Zealand are going to reduce if cannabis is decriminalised by our "progressive" politicians.
Mary Tallon, Morningside.
Rod Emmerson's views are always clever and to the point and although I do not always agree with them Saturday's was exceptionally pertinent. Highlighting the Prime Minister as being in the centre of the Ihumātao maze with no obvious way out simply emphasises she should not be involved in any way whatsoever.
This is essentially a commercial transaction between Fletchers and a particular tribal hierarchy. The fact the various elders can no longer agree with what was negotiated in good faith by Fletchers is nothing to do with the Government.
Worse, should they get involved and front up with any form of compensation to any of the parties in this dispute, it could, as I understand it, open the way for all previous Waitangi settlements to be renegotiated, which would be a disaster for the entire country.
Rod Lyons, Muriwai.
I disagree with your columnist Simon Wilson's view that the Ihumātao situation is akin to earthquakes or floods and that the Prime Minister should have visited the site.
The situation is one of an historic injustice having been carefully and deliberately manipulated over a number of years in legal and council chambers for the financial benefit of one family.
These events appear to have finally placed the local iwi leaders in the impossible position of accepting a compromise.
Where was the Prime Minister of the day when that injustice was enacted? I applaud the current Prime Minister's action in giving the parties time to (re)negotiate and am sure she will visit if and when the time is right — surely her past responses to events have shown that; but for now let the negotiations continue out of the media spotlight.
There is a lot of history to be untangled — to me the fact that some of it is very recent history shows we as a country learnt nothing from the Bastion Pt experience.
Peter Kelly, Glendene.
A scheme which offers the ability to bring $10 million into New Zealand as a guarantee of citizenship is loosely thought-out and arbitrary.
How would this wealth be used and for whose benefit?
It would be more far-sighted, and mutually beneficial, to give priority to intending immigrants with not necessarily wealth, but the skills and willingness to engage in a worthwhile way with their adopted country.
We need doctors, nurses, craftspeople, builders and so on.
Prospective residents might enjoy using their qualifications in a more congenial environment, perhaps even be willing to settle away from the overcrowded magnet which is Auckland. So welcome!
Anne Martin, Helensville.
While I can understand the sentiments behind this desire to save thousands of cats, mostly feral, I wonder if these people have any empathy toward the creatures that arrived here long before we did, like the birdlife and geckos etc. I would prefer a garden with birdlife, plus a protected area for the veges. Not hard to do.
Spayed cats still stray and are mean killing machines. We brought an old cat to this land when we bought it, and in his last hours he tried to hook a fantail.
We have 17 species of birds here at present. Lots come and go. Shining and long-tailed cuckoos and the magic they bring is profoundly more sustainable than critters that take great pleasure from killing them, sometimes for fun.
I salute animal lovers, I always have been, but keep this passion for cats balanced please. Our unbalanced natural world is crumbling and it is hard to come to terms with the destruction mankind has enacted in his short term of "guardianship".
Kris Khaine, Kaitaia.
Judith Collins is evidently writing a book which has a few pundits predicting political hit jobs on some possible targets in National. Unless Collins is leaving Parliament at the next election I won't be holding my breath. Jami-Lee Ross is a cautionary tale on just how much dissension the National Party will tolerate from the ranks no matter how much seniority you may have.
John Capener, Kawerau.
Extra weight and size has little to with the 7kg maximum limit for your carry-on baggage as suggested by R. Williams. The weight restriction is there for safety, a 7kg bag falling out of the overhead locker or dropped on to a passenger would do less damage than an 8kg or 12kg bag.
If his wife carried her coat separately when the bag was being weighed, there probably wouldn't have been an issue, in the same way that a camera, a laptop or duty-free may be carried on if it can be safely stored under the seat. The 7kg restriction is an industry standard.
Fred Jones, Te Atatu Peninsula.
It is reported that there have been an increasing number of grumbles about banks charging a break fee if they agree (they don't have to) to a customer's request to reset the interest on their mortgage at a lower rate than originally agreed because current interest rates have fallen since the deal was struck.
Presumably that will still be to the customer's benefit even after allowing for the fee, otherwise they would not ask.
But I wonder.
If for example they went to a supermarket and bought a kilo of steak for $12, and next day found the price had gone down to $10, would they ask for a $2 refund? And would they grumble if the supermarket agreed, but split the difference 50/50, i.e. charged a fee?
Even more interestingly, if the bank went to them and pointed out that interest rates had risen since they took out their mortgage and would they mind if agreed terms were changed so that they paid more, what would their reply be?
I suggest it would be two words, the second of which would be ... off.
H.E.H. Perkins, Botany Downs.