No lawyer would be able to make the comments Peters did. The Standards Committee under section 130(c) has explicit statutory power “to investigate of its own motion any act, omission, allegation, practice, or other matter that may indicate misconduct”.
I have had 54 years as a practising lawyer and have been involved in Law Society affairs during that time. As a citizen and a retired lawyer, I am appalled at his attack on a fellow member of Parliament. As Winston Churchill said, “The price of greatness is responsibility”.
Gary Gotlieb, Central Auckland.
‘Cheap rhetoric’
Winston Peters is right to be proud of New Zealand’s democracy, but pride doesn’t excuse using it as a cudgel against a fellow MP born overseas.
Telling someone to “go back where you’ve come from” isn’t defending democracy, it’s weaponising nationality to shut down debate. That’s not a proud tradition; it’s the opposite of the respectful discourse our system supposedly champions.
If Peters wants to compare political systems, he might pause before pointing fingers. New Zealand’s Westminster model closely mirrors the US and UK, both democracies currently struggling with deep polarisation, eroded trust, and foreign policy disasters that have cost countless lives.
Democracy isn’t a flawless virtue; it’s a fragile work in progress. Gloating about it while dismissing a Chinese-born Kiwi who’s been here since 1994 isn’t statesmanship, it’s cheap rhetoric. The real test of democracy isn’t boasting about it. It’s how we treat those who disagree with us, especially when they’re from different backgrounds. On that measure, Peters fell short.
James Gregory, Parnell.
Science funding
In 2021, the Royal Society of New Zealand kindly published a comparison of Rutherford’s atomic model with current models of particle physics, one of which I had authored.
Rutherford is still well known today as the father of nuclear physics, but the status of today’s numerous models of particle physics remains murky. All assume the presence of unseen particles, and I for one am dubious of all of them as they currently stand.
One can only test available models as deeply as possible. The CERN laboratory in Geneva has tested electromagnetic models that Nobelist J. Schwinger and I proposed to no avail. I subsequently proposed a search at higher energies and smaller distances.
In the meantime, successful searches have been made for previously unseen planets near the centre of our galaxy. These results have buoyed our spirits. And negative searches for exotic “dark matter” have also been reported, which could be encouraging depending on which side of the fence you stand on. That’s the way of science today.
I hope that Science Minister Penny Simmonds’ recent funding plan won’t mean that fundamental research by New Zealand scientists, which has seen successful international collaborations, won’t fall by the wayside.
Phil Yock, Ōrākei.
Urgency on AI
Thursday’s coverage of AI and young people raises an urgent question. Why are we waiting?
Suicide, self-harm, sexual exploitation and humiliation are no longer simply theoretical risks. Families are already facing consequences. We need an urgent global response before the next tragedy.
Marie Frost, Freemans Bay.
Data centre concerns
I read with some trepidation the proposed construction of an AI centre in Southland. This large data centre will use huge amounts of electricity and water. Why come to New Zealand? NZ is already close to using our current power generation in winter so to supply this new enterprise we would have to generate a lot more.
The taxpayers are already subsidising the smelter. These huge AI companies are in business to make a profit and their only motive for proposing this centre for NZ is that it is in their interests to do so.
Bob Upperton, Whangārei.
Sexual consent
Congratulations to Anoushka Bloem for her opinion piece on sexual consent (Herald, July 31). I would recommend readers to check her somewhat fuller account on the Herald’s website. At the heart of Bloem’s piece, in my view, lay her central thesis:
“Changing statutory language does not remove the central challenge facing every sexual offence trial: determining what happened when only two people were present.”
Those central challenges seem, in my view, irresolvable in legislation.
Nick Park, Ōrākei.
Planning for ageing
Like Simone Leung (Herald Letters, July 31), I too read Hannah McQueen’s article with interest.
The first thing I noticed was that I am in the minority. I’m male and an only child. Which brings me to the fact that being an only child is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, there is no support/relief from siblings. On the other hand, there is no second guessing/criticism on any decisions.
The second distinction I observed is that my mother was fully competent to live alone for several years after my father’s death.
At her request, we altered as many as possible of our accounts to being joint and the two of us had been handling my parents’ accounts for decades. My father had insisted on this. Therefore, there was no need for any awkward conversations.
Lastly, my mother was in her 90s and I was in my 60s before there was any need for my stepping in to help her handle day-to-day activities. I was therefore in a position to comfortably retire and move into the family home.
I have now become my mother’s primary caregiver and as such I have followed her desire to remain in the home she has known for over 25 years.
Thanks to my father’s planning and our various GPs, along with the health system’s Disability Support Link, we have all the basic aids we need to allow us to live comfortably and safely in a private residence as mother rapidly approaches her 105th birthday.
So, what I can recommend, from personal experience, is that Hannah McQueen is correct. It is vital that each of us actively plan as much as possible for our old age. That planning has to include involving any family members years before any needs arise. It makes your old age much easier for everyone and hopefully enjoyable.
Dunstan Sheldon, Hamilton.
A quick word
A homeless person running away from an incipient move-on order would appear to be obeying the intention of the order with some alacrity. What is the appropriate speed at which they are expected to move on?
John O’Neill, Dargaville.
It is an appalling state of foreign affairs when its minister demeans a foreign-born New Zealand citizen for spurious political advantage. Winston Peters’ mature age is belied by his immature playground bully behaviour.
Michael Smythe, Northcote Point.
At the top of the list for why we are in the bottom 10% for getting value for our tax dollar is the richest New Zealanders pay less tax than our counterparts in nine other OECD countries, and from the first $500 we earn we begin paying tax. In Australia, the first $18,000 earned is tax-free.
Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay.
Latest polls show Labour is trusted to manage the top five issues including inflation/cost of living, health, the economy, housing and unemployment. Of 20 issues, Labour was considered the most capable on 16 of them. Will it be 20 from 20 when they finally decide to release policy on any of these issues?
Ian MacGregor, Greenhithe.