Letters: Hard-working groups are making a difference

I read with interest the leading article (November 26, 2019) on damp mouldy homes in the Bay of Plenty, and the inevitable effect on particularly the health of children living in such homes; what Nick Gregg says with regard to poor and inappropriate building standards in the past are absolutely correct.

There are some organisations in Rotorua working very hard and very specifically to improve the living circumstances of such families in need and these groups deserve our congratulations because they are making a difference.

Curtainbank Rotorua is very proud to be associated with these organisations and fully support their goals.

Our group of volunteers is also very proud of, and humbled by, the huge support of the Rotorua public in donating good used curtains for Curtainbank to repair and refurbish before donating such curtains to families in need.

We are also grateful to funding organisations in Rotorua who keep Curtainbank solvent and thus conducting our business successfully.

Yes, inevitably, more needs to be done but I think that Rotorua is a fine example of a community working constructively together to improve the living conditions and state of homes in our society.

Judith Gregor
Curtainbank Rotorua Administrator

Too broad brush in generalisations

Dawn Picken's column on free speech (Opinion, November 23), as always, made for excellent reading.

But I think she is maybe a little too broad brush in her generalisations.

Denigrating criticism aimed at individuals or sectors of the community are not acceptable.

But if we disagree with legislation passed or proposed by our Government we have a right to say so. We don't have to be an opposition MP to air our views.

For example, if we don't agree that we should be deprived of the freedom to discipline our children as we see fit; if we don't agree that people of the same sex should be allowed to marry; if we don't agree that human life should be prematurely terminated for any reason; if we think government legislation unfairly disadvantages or favours a particular sector of the community, we have a right to say so.

God willing we will never have to go to the extremes that citizens of Hong Kong have done to preserve that right.

Ian Young
Pāpāmoa
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