Dear Editor, I note your article regarding a diplomatic visit from Japan in light of that country’s stated intention to dump its nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean. I further note that Japan is bordered by four oceans, two of which comprise significant portions of its EEZ, of which the Pacific Ocean is but one.

Whilst there is a stated claim on Japan’s part of commonality regarding the Pacific, with all courtesy to our visitors, there is no comparing worldviews on the role of the oceans in our respective cultures and countries. The two are vastly different and it is facetious to pretend a shared respect of the Pacific Ocean when one party has unilaterally decided a plan to discharge tritium into neighbouring waters.

Japan’s immediate problem is concerning. But it is not correct to have smaller and younger states bear the risk of that problem when they are in no position to do so. Indeed, environmentally if we are honest with ourselves as human beings, none of us are in a position to jeopardise our ocean eco-systems any further than we already have. 

If the water is safe, Japan should have no issue whatsoever dumping it on its own land, a few hundred thousand litres at a time. It is irresponsible of such an advanced and developed country to set the example that when things go wrong, we can put the mess to our lesser developed and smaller friends. It is irresponsible and it is disappointing. 

Japan has a very advanced skill in developing technology and the world certainly needs scientific advancement in dealing with nuclear messes. Continue storing that water in your country and work on developing larger scale technology to deal with nuclear waste. If humanity is not scientifically advanced enough to know how to clean up the consequences of a nuclear disaster, it really has no business playing with nuclear power as an energy source. 

With regards, 

Citizen B

(Name and address supplied)  

Operation Tauturu Aotearoa 

This writer won’t be giving any money to the NZ cyclone appeal, and neither should government, until there is published a verifiable, complete description of the persons entrusted, and the method for collecting and banking donations.

We’ve just too many stories, over decades, of sticky fingers.

(Name and address supplied)

Response – I treat this mischievous anonymous person as underserving the privilege of a response. The people on our team like aunty Nga Teao have been doing radiothons for 30 years without fault. That is why we opened a bank account under Operation Tauturu with the Bank of the Cook Islands, we prefer the government and others to pay directly to the BCI. We invite the letter writer to make an appointment with me to visit our treasurer to be shown all the records of our fund raising, bring your accountant and lawyer as witnesses.  Thank you. 

Norman George

Patron

Operation Tauturu Aotearoa

Tereora College faces

financial difficulties 

Public schools don’t have Boards, they have PTA’s (Parent Teacher Associations) with very little to do with the management of the school. The Ministry asks that PTA’s meet a certain number of times a year, contribute to policies, fundraise or apply for grants for school development projects and help create a positive learning environment for children as best they can.

We need Boards here though, the Ministry asks a lot of teachers and parent volunteers to support our schools, parents do this because we want good schools for our kids, we don’t want to have to keep sending them to NZ.

Linda Ruamoana

(Facebook)

The missing $150,000 is a small amount for the government, considering the big infrastructure plans with building a walkway in Nikao for two million dollars. 

Is that more important than the education of our kids? Something has to changed. Top up the schools and the teachers’ wages!

Sabine Vogel

(Facebook)