Letters: Coalition’s move on Treaty references shows a lack of transparency
Treaty move shows lack of Government transparency
The National Party, along with its coalition partners NZ First and Act, ran an election campaign touting the need for transparency in policy.
This was based on their claim that the Labour Party was pushing through legislation, without consultation, under urgency far too often.
I would now put the same accusation to this Government, which has, to date, pushed through an enormous amount of legislation, without consultation and without a crisis situation (unlike the Covid epidemic, which required emergency measures to save lives).
In particular, it has pushed through so many changes in relation to the Treaty of Waitangi, our founding document.
The latest meddling has taken place once again without consultation, no doubt knowing that it would create huge debate and chaos in the run-up to the election. So a change to the wording within the Climate Change Response Act 2002 that will water down the obligation to refer to Treaty of Waitangi principles when making decisions is being quietly enacted without any announcement to the New Zealand public.
This was part of a promise to NZ First when National held talks while negotiating the coalition agreement.
This is not the way to foster trust and confidence in a Government.
Enough of the pot calling the kettle black.
Claire Bradley, Torbay.
Defence spending
China’s outrage at a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A Poseidon aircraft flying on sanctions enforcement operations against North Korea can only warm the heart of former Defence Minister Judith Collins. At last, legitimacy has been given to increase New Zealand’s defence spending by billions of dollars.
China is one of the world’s largest military powers and to be accused of harassing the People’s Liberation Army with its vast naval, air and missile capability by an unarmed surveillance aircraft should be a source of national pride to all of us.
The fact that the Poseidon incursion has been regarded by China as a dangerous intimidatory act shows what an increase in military spending might do. It will undoubtedly cower China into submission so that it thinks twice about signing any further strategic deals with the Cook Islands and also sending a warship sailing blithely into the Tasman Sea, which it so blatantly did last year.
Bernard Walker, Mount Maunganui.
Harassed? Really?
I recently read in your newspaper (April 19) that the People’s Republic of China protested that the flying of an RNZAF plane in apparently non-Chinese airspace was harassment!
I wondered how little New Zealand could ever have done such a thing.
So far as I can judge, China has a population, and land area, so much in excess of New Zealand that the percentage is incredible. Furthermore, according to Google, China has an airforce with in excess of 2400 planes, compared with the RNZAF, which has a fleet with so few planes that it is too embarrassing to mention.
I would suggest that China is not in a position to feel harassed by anything any country of our size could possibly do to them, except tell them off for being silly.
Peter Brocklebank, Remuera
Building concerns
Your correspondent Gary Hollis, (April 20) is correct in his criticism of the parking chaos and traffic congestion caused by the intensification in Howick and Mellons Bay.
That the council and Government are proposing an exponential expansion of the intensification has potential for further detrimental impact on the community.
In addition to the provision of adequate parking and on-site turning space for cars, planning rules controlling the site coverage, areas of permeable surfaces, and boundary setbacks have been relaxed by the planners to the extent that the living environment will be changed completely for existing residents in our suburbs.
Provision for adequate setbacks and daylighting that have underpinned the protection of any given property are to be completely ignored in the plans that are being prepared by the council for the Government’s desired intensification of the city as a whole.
As a retired building professional, I am familiar with the proposed size of structures and extent of site coverage and would encourage the powers that be to be more forthcoming in informing the public of the impact these structures will have on their homes.
To relax the permeability requirements and increase the population with these new developments is breathtakingly irresponsible when the catchment of the increased stormwater and sewage will be the beaches of Cockle Bay, Howick and Mellons Bay.
Much greater analysis of the proposed intensification needs to be undertaken, and some extra time given for wiser and better-qualified scrutiny of the plan and the effects of such radical change.
The direction of the present thinking will be a dreadful legacy to the Government and the mayor.
Trevor Prichard, Cockle Bay.
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