Letters: Time to speak up, Rotorua

WATER: A reader praises the public for effecting change, including when it comes to the water bottling issue. Photo/File

It's time for a word of congratulations to the people of Rotorua and its greater surrounds in acknowledgement of the achievements of its people, young, old, and in-between, for effecting important changes by reason of logic, wide-spread and genuine community, environment and resource caring, and their concerted effort, rather than by the violent, dangerous and disruptive means that have become the world's hallmark.

My particular motivation came from the people's voice that prompted the reversal of the Korean mud importation AND the request for petition signatures, as reported in the Rotorua Daily Post, begun by a 17-year-old young lady in the Waikato region, who showed initiative in querying the use of NZ water resources for foreign export, at both the loss of this precious resource to New Zealanders, and for profit to the exporters only, without financial remuneration to the people of NZ.

It was in looking up this petition that I discovered that the website provided a forum for dozens of petitions from individual citizens, each with a view to bettering a personal concern covering a broad spectrum of topics, most of which certainly affect much larger numbers of people.

My puzzlement? Why has Rotorua been placed in the third and last phase of the Government's new rail-link plan, when it is our very "tourist hotspot" credentials that are being used, in part, to sell the whole rail concept? It's time to speak up again, Rotorua!

MARY WRIGHT
Rotorua

Maori voice
Like many in Rotorua, I look forward to Monday's edition of the Rotorua Daily Post, a highlight being Tommy Wilson's column.

Wilson typically takes an perspicacious view on the goings-on in the region. However this week, Wilson seems to have taken the week off and has instead given his writing duties to Māori party president Tukoroirangi Morgan.

This week's column repeated Morgan's oft quoted haughty claim that only members of the Māori party are able to speak for Māori. Wilson said with two Māori party members "at the decision-making table", that Māori have a voice in government.

Wilson neglects to remember the whakapapa of a number of high ranking National party members, nor does he remember that on current polling, the Labour party will bring in at least 12 Māori MPs, one of which could very well be the Deputy Prime Minister, on September 24.

Wilson neglects to mention that the decision-making table which his Māori party friends sit around has been responsible for increasing homelessness, an underfunded health system and stagnant wages, all of which negatively affect Māori in a disproportionate way.

Wilson also tried his hand at scaremongering on Māori seats and Winston Peters, while forgetting that Labour have pledged to retain the seats while leaving the decision of their future up to Māori

Thankfully ... most will think for themselves, "do I feel better off with my current government representation?", and vote accordingly on September 23.

RYAN GRAY
Rotorua