Our government has correctly always stated that no individual owns the water. In reality the NZ government administers water for everyone, including fresh water and its use and allocation, in a fiduciary capacity as guardian and trustee for all Kiwis.

Total NZ water use is around 2 million cubic metres (2 trillion litres) per annum.

The Labour Party is currently mouthing off about charging commercial water users, potentially targeting one trillion litres per annum, and has taken to its ridiculous conclusion a one cent levy per litre would return $10 billion per annum. You don't have to be Einstein to realise that living costs will go through the roof and every ordinary Kiwi will pay through the nose for this aberration.

Labour's manifesto and race-based utterances indicate they would give 50 per cent of all water revenue to vested Maori interests and that's scary, unacceptable race-based preferential treatment. Maori interests will, of course, be exempt from any water levy and a white elephant water bureaucracy will emerge. Labour has no legal right to charge anyone for water at common law and even the Romans with their Justinian Code 535AD Book of Things stated 'by the laws of nature these things are common to mankind, the air, running water, the sea and consequently the shores of the sea”.

New Zealand First's freshwater policy is spot on.

R Paterson, Mount Maunganui. (Abridged)