Robin B Harris

Cheap shots

Forget the motivations of the deranged young man who fired at Donald Trump on Saturday. His rifle was simply the tip of a spear that has been fashioned by the US Left for all of the ten years since Trump entered national politics. From Obama's sneering 'guns

Beware the Trump

With a new Trump Administration becoming more likely by the day, some politicians may rue their past utterances about The Donald. One such is David Lammy the UK Foreign Secretary in Keir Starmer's cabinet line- up. A recent edition of The Spectator records this massive Lammy 'howler&

The real 'Public Interest Journalism'

I find it extraordinary that the Ardern Labour Government found the money to pay newspapers for ‘Public Interest Journalism’, but at the same time didn’t care that newspapers steadily reduced the space devoted to reader correspondence. As a lifetime newspaper reader, I have watched as space devoted to what

We're too nice to criticise Islam

While Western Europe with the exception of the UK, is steadily moving to the political Right and openly declaring a halt to migration from Islamic countries, New Zealand just can't quite bring itself to drink the Kool-aide and arm itself against the creeping tide. The US also, given

Why us?

A lengthy Opinion Piece on Gaza refugees was printed as follows: https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350239007/how-new-zealand-blocking-one-few-avenues-escape-gaza Interesting that the last sentence refers to a reply not received from the responsible minister. I wrote an innocuous and brief response to the article as follows: Matt Hayes: 'How

Proportionality in armed conflict.

As we await Israel's response to the Iranian attack over the weekend, the question of 'proportionality' comes to the fore. Given the readiness and effectiveness of Israel's rocket defences, it is not surprising that few of the rockets (cruise and ballistic) actually landed and

More pro-Palestinian rubbish rebutted. My letter to Sunday Star-Times.

Your correspondent Terri Brown (letters 7 April) states: 'Since 1948 the Palestinians have lived under military occupation (by Israel)'. Not so. Between 1948 and 1967, Gaza and the contiguous territory of Sinai, was under the military governorship (occupation) of Egypt. Similarly for the same period, Judea and Samaria

Winston needs a history lesson (or two)

Letter to Herald The report: 'Peters tells UN civilians must not pay the price of war in Gaza' (9 April), is so ahistorical that one wonders at the level of education of his MFAT speechwriters. It is a basic tenet of warfare (as opposed to terrorism), that its

National's reforming zeal on transport.

Given the National government's reforming zeal and the introduction of Road User Charges (RUC), for electric vehicles, might I suggest another transport inequity in need of a remedy. The ACC account for motorcyclist injuries nowhere near covers the cost. ACC collects $27 Million from motorcyclists, which is a

No tears for TV3

I can't summon up much sorrow at the closure of TV3. I recall the vox pop of its London reporter Lissette Raymer at the coronation of King Charles. It was snide and insulting for two nights running. 'Don't you think Charles is a clown?'

Usman Khawaja needs a gratitude implant, followed by one for humility.

For those who don't recognise the name, Usman Khawaja is an Australian test cricketer. He migrated with his family from Pakistan when he was a boy and has flourished there by virtue of his cricketing expertise. He even has a Caucasian wife and presents himself to the world

Chloe the Untouchable

This letter sent to the Herald NZ yesterday. Not published of course. Noteworthy that US Congresswoman Rashida Talib was censured by Congress yesterday. 'Media darling and MP Chloe Swarbrick, has issued a grudging apology for using the slogan 'From the River to the Sea'. If she looks

Maire Leadbetter and other protected species.

Auckland activist Maire Leadbetter wrote to the Herald on 2 November pleading for hospital patients in Gaza being put in danger by Israeli military operations in Gaza. Her opening sentence 'I struggle to imagine what it must be like to be a dialysis patient or a patient on a

Hamas in Israel

Another missed opportunity

The news that Kim and Putin are meeting to discuss military cooperation, underlines the foolishness of abandoning Trump-era policies towards the Hermit Kingdom.Ever the deal-maker, Trump identified Kim as a millennial, totally sick of propping up the catastrophic and unsustainable 'Juche' (self reliance) policies bequeathed to him

A letter to Sir Stephen Tindall

“Dear Sir Stephen I am taking the liberty of writing to you at the Tindall Foundation. My reason is that if this letter, which is about a serious matter, was sent ‘C/- The Warehouse’, it would be unlikely to reach you. My concern is about the gender grooming present

A Sri Lankan migrant walked into Westpac...

A Sri Lankan migrant walked into Westpac and asked to see a loans officer. Once in the loans office she asked for an overdraft or line of credit. The bank officer then asked if she was a customer of Westpac, to which the young woman stated that she was indeed

Young, ethnic, female, woke and WRONG!

Saturday’s Dominion Post carried a front-pager by Frances Chin with the headline 'They're breaching our human rights'. A quick search reveals that Chin is an active writer for Stuff titles and asserts that her ‘opinions are her own’. Her piece was entirely free from references

Michael Neilson needs correction

Michael Neilson's, unbalanced article 'Asylum changes horrifying' in the NZ Herald on 29 March, gives a woeful account of Australia's approach to illegal arrivals. As soon as our neighbour announced that 'boat people' would not be allowed onto the Australian mainland to

Some recet letters to the Dominion Post

I'm unsure of Joe Bennett's awareness of current affairs. His 'Trump cannot be saved again' (Opinion 22 March), relies on information no more recent than about two months old. He has swallowed the Jan 6 Committee version of 'Insurrection' events and pays

Ardern’s Terrorism Duplicity

In September 2017, Jacinda Ardern was sworn in as Prime Minister and Minister responsible for the security services. Like all incoming Cabinet ministers, Ardern was provided with what is referred to as ‘Briefing for the Incoming Minister’. All Cabinet ministers receive these – one for each portfolio. As one might expect,

What Maori thought of learning English

It seems that on a daily basis, the Dominion Post takes up the cudgels on behalf disadvantaged Maori. One recent article contained this section: 'The Native Schools Act was introduced in 1867, aiming to assimilate Māori into Pākehā society. “The 1867 Native Schools Act established a system of secular

Wrong! Wrong! Penny Wong!

It’s a sure sign that a Leftist government is settling into its work, when it begins lecturing other governments and groups on their sins and omissions. Accordingly, it was of little surprise that in the last week, Penny Wong Australia’s FM, took herself off to the UK to

Miet Wnorowski (centre) with Dairy Board colleagues

Look out Paris!

It’s a brave journalist that predicts good behaviour from Moroccans in Europe ahead of the Football World Cup final. One journalist that has so predicted, is Lee Keath writing in the Dominion Post today. His ‘sweetness and light’ puff piece about Morocco’s World Cup successes having a ‘unifying