DEMOCRATIC PRIVILEGE

Taupo Times, Volume XIV, Issue 56, 20 July 1965, Page 7

DEMOCRATIC PRIVILEGE

Sir, I am a citizen of Taupo, and I wish to appeal to my fellow citizens. So how do I do it? What avenues for so doing are available to me? In a country under. democratic rule — government of the people, by the people — there should be effective avenues available to the people for public expression. But if there ever were such avenues available to the people of New Zealand, then they are not available today — except one! Now if there is but one effective avenue through which the people may have their say, then surely the people will make good use of it. But do they? Recently the citizens of Taupo have been refused a referendum over a very important issue. I refer to the fluoridation of our water supply. Public indignation followed the borough eouncil's decision to fluoridate the water, hence a request for a referendum. Further public indignation followed the counciTs refusal to allow a referendum. But — and here is my point — if the citizens of Taupo are boo apathetic or too proud or too lazy to make use of the oue and only avenue still available in a democracy for the expression of public opinion, then I say they do not deserve a referendum, and the council is justified in refusing it. We are as good as asking the council to "decide for us", if we neglect to use the avenue available to us by democratic right. I refer of course to this public opinion column made available to the citizens of Taupo by the courtesy of a democratically - minded press. This is the one and only effective opportunity left open to the people, all the people, twice a week, to state their opinion in a public forum. So for goodness sake let us make use of it; only a fraction have made use of it yet! Let Taupo, and the council, hear what you think. If you want fluoridation, then confirm the council's action. If you don't want fluoridation, then make use of your democratic privilege of saying so. But don't sit back and say you can't do anything. Fluoridation is an important issue; it could act as a precedent, and probably will do, if the people do nothing. So come on Taupo, let us know what you think A short, concise letter is not beyond the

powers of anyone. Sorry this one has had to be so long. Yours, etc.,

TAUPO

CITIZEN.