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Letters to the Editor

Letters: Security services rethink needed after Bondi Beach tragedy

Letters
NZ Herald
One reader says the recent Bondi Beach attack highlights the need for a rethink on how security services deal with credible threats. Photo / Getty Images
One reader says the recent Bondi Beach attack highlights the need for a rethink on how security services deal with credible threats. Photo / Getty Images

Time to reassess security powers

In the wake of the Bondi Beach tragedy, it’s clear we must reassess how our security services identify threats.

The Australian authorities’ struggle to foresee this danger echoes the painful lessons we learned after the Christchurch attack.

As we protect civil liberties, we may also need to consider granting security services a bit more leeway in assessing and detaining credible threats.

Finding this balance is crucial to ensure that such horrors do not happen again.

Pete Martin, address not supplied.

Teachers play valuable role

Paul Beck compares a body of parliamentarians to “infighting like children in a kindergarten” in his December 29 letter in the Herald.

Comparing children to parliamentarians is unfair and disrespectful to teachers, leaders and children.

Running a kindergarten or a childcare centre is no walk in the park. Teachers play a valuable role in not only guiding play but offering strategies for promoting social competence, while taking on the huge responsibility of being a caregiver to the youngest citizens in their formative years.

Nishi Fahmy, Avondale.

Hope remains for democracies

An incredibly interesting podcast interview on RNZ (December 30) – our beloved Kim Hill discussing with Professor Ingrid Robeyns, of The Netherlands, her book and thoughts about protecting and developing democracy in our world today.

It is gratifying to know that scholars are embracing ideas to change the ever-growing global divide between poverty and wealth in our populations.

The ideals of a limitarian system offer such sensible alternatives to the grossly unbalanced society our struggling democracies currently try to support.

The growing right and ultra-right wing “broligarchy”, billionaires and their selfish political agendas protecting each other at the highest level of leadership stands firmly in the way of an equitable global society and a fair future for all of us.

Janette Anderson, Paeroa.

MMP best reflects public will

Your correspondent Russell Hoban (December 30) has made some interesting points about the limitations of MMP (mixed member proportional).

However, I remain convinced it is the best of all the flawed systems on offer.

Unlike the highly unfair FPP (first past the post) it replaced, the party vote component of MMP we are given every general election treats all of New Zealand as a single electorate, thereby returning a Parliament closely resembling the public wish.

Minorities (both ethnic and opinion) are given a fairer representation, because each political party knows their lists contain the more important vote.

Chris Kiwi, Mt Albert.