Q: Does Chris Hipkins have what it takes to lead Labour to victory in the October election?

Blenheim

Well, he’s from the ‘mighty Hutt’. Of course, he’s the man for the job.

Probably not. He’s really going to struggle if he dumps 3 Waters with his own caucas. And even then everyone knows what the agenda is.

Blenheim

I guess time will tell – he is familiar and comes from a different values upbringing than Luxon.

McCosh Dunedin

I think the public know what he might potentially be capable of after his Covid role and minister of police –watch this space I guess.

Wellington

Honestly, I’m more of a greenie and don’t follow politics too much. I will say about Chris Hipkins is he has a kind face.

Mason Blenheim

My main memory of Hipkins was referring to Kiwi’s being deported back after committing crimes here when they had grown up here as ‘garbage’ after (Australia’s) Peter Dutton referred to it as ‘taking out the trash’. Hope he has a better moral compass than that.

Dear Editor.

There has been considerable talk already about the legacy that our just retired Prime Minister has left.

Sadly her legacies will be remembered for years to come as the country is forced to recover from the huge debt that has been created by her and the Government she lead and the significant divide that she has created between the people of this country.

The Treaty of Waitangi should be encased and remembered for what it meant all those years ago.

Today it’s meaning and in particular its interpretation has no bearing on the people of this nation and is being used by less than a fifth of the population in a monetary and ridiculous way to create divide that can only be considered racist in the extreme.

How predicable that Jacinda would throw in the towel when it became obvious before Xmas that her mana had gone. What sad legacies she has left for someone else to sort out.

I only hope that the majority of New Zealanders have common sense and vote accordingly in this year’s election.

K.L. Barrowman

Can someone explain why on a trip to the North Island petrol prices in inland locations were much below prices in Marlborough and indeed elsewhere.

In Taihape for example prices for diesel at pay-at-the-pump were $1.97 litre and at other pumps $2.06.

In contrast Blenheim diesel prices were around the $2.45 mark. I thought the free market with competition was supposed to result in fair prices to consumers. But it seems business greed results in under-the-table collusion both with oil companies and petrol pumps in towns?