Re: ‘Setting a new holiday date' article on Sunlive.co.nz on August 21.

Well, let's start at the beginning with Deputy Prime Minister Bill English announcing at Ranigiri on August 19, 2016, according to media reports a new holiday to commemorate the New Zealand Wars. Well that interpretation is wrong because early last week, Mr English and Prime Minister Key suddenly backtracked saying only a Commemoration Day would be entertained, not a public holiday, and this would be a locally driven event - a bit like the Easter trading fiasco.

Clearly what had happened between Friday's kneejerking and Monday's light of day, was the penny had dropped with these slow learners who realised that 80 per cent of Kiwis don't want a bar of a ‘wars' public holiday.

A Gisborne poll held last week confirms only 20 per cent approved of such a public holiday. This ‘fete day' aberration was driven by the Maori Party, which gained only a pitiful 1.3 per cent of the 2014 popular vote, and its sidekicks. In addition Mr English also had one other major problem to overcome, namely the proposal was being considered - not determined - by a Parliamentary Select Committee at the same time on August 19.

Incidentally, any meaningful public consultation has been virtually non-existent on the topic.

Let's be clear there were no ‘land wars', or for that matter ‘New Zealand Wars' the uprisings were open tribal rebellions - and as pre-warned by Governor Grey land was confiscated but then much of it subsequently returned to Maori very shortly after the confiscations.

R Paterson, Matapihi.