Letters to the Editor

 

Role for whistleblowers
I take some exception to your last editorial (Mangawhai Focus, Aug 25) in which you marginalise the roles of various reporters both here and abroad, who have used leaked or hacked information to further inform the public of what shysters (a Yiddish word to illustrate my non anti-semitism) some of our politicians are. Yes I agree the previous Labour government were just as bad and of course the information enjoyed a timely release engineered by those who wish to discredit National.

Whistleblowers and leakers have always played a pivotal role

in getting hidden information into the public domain. Without Daniel Elseburg we would not have known the truth regards the war in Vietnam (some still don't). Almost everyone knows of the Watergate affair and the subsequent impeachment of Nixon. Will these exposé's change the world? I dunno but they may change a Government. In the words of 'believe it or not' Judith Collins after the passing of the GCSB bill that allows Government agencies the right to keep a big brotherly eye on us at any and all times: “If you haven't done anything wrong then you have nothing to worry about.” That's the thing with liars and hypocrites – their

own words live to haunt them. These people are supposed to draft laws by which we must live. Can we trust such people with this duty of care?

Personally I don't care if anyone publishes my emails. If they ever put me under full surveillance they will have to pay some poor sucker in the GCSB boredom money. I am hoping you will publish this one.

I think we have seen enough to know that both Labour and National are peopled with cheats, liars and hypocrites. You want to hear policy? What was their policy last time? To have policy that is any more than vague and never-to-be-fulfilled dreams, you must first have an

ideology. Whatever ideology these parties began with has been lost to free market reforms and a corporate dominated global economy. They have been the major parties for so long they have attracted some of the worst people. Is it any wonder why so many don't vote? A choice between two evils, can only result in evil. The obvious solution is not to dismiss evidence on the basis that others are also guilty but to vote for someone else.

Chris Sellars
Maungaturoto

---