Letters, February 24: Great Kiwi impresses

New Zealander of the Year, Ray Avery: what a great Kiwi. I found myself being incredibly impressed with his achievements. However, there was no mention of any reward, financial especially.

I do hope research and development finance or other assistance would be forthcoming for such a person. I'm also impressed he does not appear to be chasing rewards for himself. Can New Zealand give these kind of people assistance to realise their potential? Surely they have earned that.

BOB MORTON

Hamilton

`Fixit' failing

It is a year since the protest at Fairfield College, Hamilton, caused the media to turn the spotlight on principal Julie Small. This in turn led to the appointment of commissioner "Fixit" Dennis Finn for one year. Mr Finn has taken over more and more of Mrs Small's roles – a recognition that she is not up to the job. The Government has quietly appointed Mr Finn for a second 12-month period – recognising the seriousness of the problem. In the meantime nothing has changed.

One measure of a school is the roll number. While Hamilton Boys' and Girls' High Schools, Hillcrest and Fraser are literally bursting at the seams, Fairfield, which is the school in Hamilton's biggest growth area, is in rapid decline. While the former schools have rolls of nearly 2000, Fairfield has well under 1000 and is sinking fast. Fairfield had a roll of 1400 in 1978, when Hamilton's population was only half what it is now. Another measure of a school is its NCEA results.

The 2008 results were catastrophic – it will be interesting to see if 12 months of Mr "Fixit" has made a difference. (Abridged)

MIKE LEACH

Hamilton

Gullible Kiwis

Four major oil companies, the same number of banks, electrical suppliers and communication giants, all foreign-owned and all this attention lavished on a population of just over four million – not enough for a decent sized city. The monetary returns must be great with all those profits going overseas.

Even New Zealand companies have their nose in the trough. Fonterra sells overseas and we have to match that cost. What about a domestic price for Kiwis?

The two large food chains seem to be working in collusion like the afore-mentioned companies.

Telecom – totally extravagant lot extracting countless outrageous billings from us, and the most expensive and worst communication outfit around.

Successive governments by the people, for the people, more intent on serving their time to collect a pension ordinary folk can only dream of.

Who needs a government when the country is run by multinational companies.

Never mind folks, just grin and pay up like good little citizens.

To top the lot, the global warming scam of carbon emissions will be an opportunity to tax us even further.

GLEN GRAY

Ngaruawahia

Spruce-up needed

Recently I had the privilege of witnessing a kapa haka performance in Hamilton. I commend the ropu (group) for their dedication and enthusiasm for the task at hand; nevertheless I was a little disappointed and saddened to see that some piupiu (flax skirt worn around the waist) seemed dowdy and tatty and in need of a spruce-up.

I would like to also point out that the kaitataki (leader of the men's haka) was dressed in civilian clothes along with some others.

To my way of thinking, when appearing in public, a ropu should be all the same or nothing at all.

This may well appear to be a criticism, I like to think it is more of a guidance.

Kia kaha, kia maia, kia manawanui.

TOM TE APATU

Hamilton

Crewe murders

On January 19 the Waikato Times published my abridged letter telling little-known facts about why a blameless Arthur Thomas was locked up for nine years. And that a little-known royal commission of inquiry was set up to block any further inquiries into why the brutal and cowardly murderers of Harvey and Jeanette Crewe were not locked up.

I thought my letter was jolly good and informative so I was dismayed when I read David White's letter (January 27) lamenting the questions I've been asking and inquiring as to whether I had read David Yallop's book Beyond Reasonable Doubt, 30 odd years ago.

David writes "leave the baby and her carer alone". The only reference in my letter I made of Rochelle was an excerpt from the report of the royal commission of inquiry – "we have decided not to name the woman who fed Rochelle because of likely public pressure, criticism and vilification". The description of the woman who fed Rochelle tallies spot on with a woman with a close connection with the murdered couple. She also has an American husband.

If good cops had locked a Yank up in a New Zealand lock-up, New Zealand would have had a massive military invasion to contend with.

BOB KNIGHT

Hamilton

Lock me up

Prince Charles has decreed that we have until July 7, 2018, at 3.13pm to do something to avert climate change or the world is lost.

This colossus of science also decrees that those who continue to deny global warming should be punished. As a self-confessed climate sceptic I plead the following extenuating circumstances.

For many years we have argued that the science was complex and was certainly "not settled".

The attitude of the salaried scientists who pushed the warmest theories was suspicious because independent scientists contended that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports were inaccurate.

This was subsequently confirmed by the leaked emails from a staff member at the East Anglia University.

If I am to be consigned to the Tower of London it is going to be crowded with more than 40,000 scientists who have signed various petitions against the notion of man-made global warming. Many of them are IPCC contributors. However, if I get off with home detention I hope part of my punishment will be having to watch the comedy An Inconvenient Truth inspired by the anti-Christ and his sorcerers, so I can laugh at the ridiculous lies.

W R H WEST

Hamilton

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