Re: ‘Tauranga City Council needs help’ published on letters page 27, The Weekend Sun January 24.

It would appear to be an unfortunate sign of testing times that in discussions letter writers choose certain details to support their points rather than a broader discussion. The recent letter ‘Tauranga City Council needs help’ is an example of this.

City councils, both civic and district, are able under provisions of the Local Government Act (2002) to appoint representatives to committees. Examples of this would be those representatives for farming and business, environmental, historical, and other specific communities’ representatives on to Tauranga City Council so to enrich information available and assist council decisions.

However when this specific incident, where esteemed Māori are to be appointed to committees, then is suddenly democracy ‘thrown out the window’?

In the Local Government Act (2002) Subpart 2 - Section 49 and Section 50 (b) the legislation is specific in explaining the right and trust in the ability of councils to appoint representatives to communities.

Surely this is the beauty and wisdom of our democracy in action at its best.

If we wish to offer an intelligent discussion, we should surely present all the facts rather than cherry-pick these, or denigrate the decision-makers who are ultimately exercising their democratic prerogative as per the legislation as noted above.

Wol Hansen, Merrill Simmons-Hansen, Avenues