The rich French people of the past came to own everything and then exploited the poor, resulting in the French Revolution.

Britain, conversely, had reforms instead. They banned the slave trade, broke up big estates and fought a brief civil war to keep the reformed king within his constitutional role.

They had their reforming Magna Carta to guarantee due process and eventually introduced reforms called emancipation, which means personal freedom.

New Zealand is at a point where it needs reform.

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Most of the houses and land are owned by a single class of person. This class, in my opinion, doesn't accept that it has any responsibility to the other classes.

It behaves exactly the way the rich French did before the revolution.

New Zealand houses are easily the poorest quality in the developed world, and among the most expensive.

Their cost is a drain on the resources of the nation and a barrier to people becoming members of their communities. (They spend all their time working to pay their rent and so have no community involvement).

Only reform of property statutes will solve this problem.

GJ Philip
Taupo

Parking advice

Ms Raukawa-Tait fills her column (August 9) with her angst over her repeated receipt of parking fines ("over the years I have been a shocker with parking fines").

I may have a solution but read carefully, it's complex: Stop overstaying the time paid for. You're welcome.

William Wright
Rotorua

Centre a civic asset

From the image of the Sir Howard Morrison Performing Arts Centre in Saturday's Rotorua Daily Post (August 4), it would seem the new portico between the two original sections of building, unlike the existing one, serves no useful purpose, such as protection from the elements, particularly when dropping off or picking up theatre patrons.

While Owen Glenn's donation of $3 million is generous, it is the ratepayers of Rotorua who have paid for the theatre over and over again.

This makes the building a civic amenity and should therefore return to its former name of Rotorua Civic Theatre.

J&J Hotch
Rotorua