Letters, March 5: Whaling protest

The tenacity with which M Krause continues denigrating and spreading misinformation about Pete Bethune is incredible. (Waikato Times, February 22.)

Did Pete thrash him at marbles in their school days and so cannot be forgiven?

Or is Mr Krause an unlisted shareholder in the whaling company?

He accuses Pete of playing with the devil, presumably referring to the Sea Shepherd Trust which bought the Earthrace to protest at the continuing illegal whaling by the Japanese. (They have since been told by both ANZAC governments to stop by November or face World Court Action.)

Mr Krause then accuses Pete of boarding the Shonan Maru without lawful excuse, while those with sufficient intellect to use YouTube and the internet could see a video of the Shonan Maru at speed, turn into the stationary Ady Gil and slice through its fortunately empty bunkroom.

That gave Pete more right than anyone to challenge the Japanese captain and demand payment for the Ady Gil.

That he was able, alone, to get on to the Shonan Maru Bridge and demand payment for the sunken boat is the sort of feat that made James Bond famous. (Pete's Dad is justifiably very proud of him.)

DON BETHUNE

Hamilton

Weight in gold

This is the first letter I have written to any newspaper, as I feel compelled to express through your forum my absolute sincere and grateful appreciation for the complete care and commitment afforded me during my recent stay at Waikato Hospital.

The nurses, particularly from wards 2,12 and 14, were devoted and went about their tasks with a smile day and night, running from patient to patient which seemed to be constant.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my surgeon Mr Simi Lolohea for what appears to be a successful operation. Thanks also to my specialist Mr Richard Reid and his team for all their work, and for explaining the procedure so I understood clearly.

Finally a big thank you to all the other staff in various other departments who are otherwise not seen at the coalface, they are also worth their salt.

Please acceptt this as a personal thank you (you know who you are), as it is not possible to name you all.

STEVE BUTLER

Te Awamutu

Election pledge

It was gratifying to see that Environment Waikato's rates increase has been set at 1.86 per cent.

The Rates Control Team have certainly carried out their election pledge, and for probably the first time, the rates increase has been below the rate of inflation.

It's good to know that they have responded to the economic times and have kept a firm hand on the finances when many at the grass-roots are hurting financially.

Ratepayers not only received a bitter blow when they found a huge amount of their funds had been mismanaged (millions lost in unwise overseas investments) by the previous council but were staring in the face of another huge rates increase this year.

Without the Rates Control Team as a check and balance, this no doubt would have gone ahead.

To maintain this low rate, public feedback is now needed.

This can be done by carefully looking at the annual plan with a view to making submissions as there are a number of things that could be added to the rates to inflate the 1.86 per cent increase.

ROBYN JACKSON

Hamilton

 

Surprise, surprise

Has the Waikato Times completely lost its sense of balance and proportion?

The article "Climate change to jolt Britain" (February 27) appears to me to be nothing more than alarmist nonsense.

A bunch of scientists (we are told 300) develop three scenarios, assuming that the world is warming and (surprise, surprise) come up with apocalyptic stories about the future.

Before regurgitating this article from Britain's The Times, did the Waikato Times stop and consider the journalistic principle of balance?

For example, did this group of scientists consider, in their report, the predictable bene-fits of global warming science and history tells us the civilisations are better off (more food, better health and greater wealth) when the Earth is warmer than now.

Did these same scientists compare the consequences of their three warming scenarios with scenarios based on the assumption that global temperatures might remain constant or indeed decline?

This would make sense given that there has been no global warming since 1998 despite and increase in carbon dioxide emissions?

The question of climate change and specifically the impact or otherwise of human induced global warming is a major issue for this nation and our community needs to be properly informed. (Abridged)

DR D C EDMEADES

Agricultural spokesman

NZ climate Science Coalition

 

Telecom inquiry

Telecom has appointed an independent party to investigate the debacle but shareholders should be demanding answers to a number of basic questions, including:

Did the company have an open and contestable tender process for the construction of the XT Network?

Why was Alcatel Lucent appointed?

Was the appointment based on price or some other issue?

Did Telecom comprehensively test the XT Network before it was launched?

Why was the XT Network aggressively marketed before it was completed?

Why is there no reliable backup when the system fails?

Why where employees who questioned some aspects of the launch aggressively quashed?

If you seek the counsel of yes men, you reap the wisdom of mediocrity. The employees who are questioning your actions are at least thinking about it and are engaged in the process with you.

Welcome to mediocre service, people. (Abridged)

PAUL EVANS-MCLEOD

Hamilton

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In Reply

Peter Bullick, Tauranga; J M Lincolne, Nelson; Frank Macskasy, Upper Hutt; Peter Cleave, no home address; Martin Toop, no home address: Letter published elsewhere.

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