I'm pleased to see our new mayor is not going to be swayed by racial hysteria with a knee jerk reaction and have Andrew Hollis stand down. These are the sort of people we need in Council: strong and not afraid to voice an opinion on things that concern our fair city. It would be unfair and unjust to have Mr Hollis removed from Council for a few remarks that do not attack any one person, but it seems to me he was criticising a system, rather than any one race. Let him stay and see how he performs, before condemning him.

It is time people got off the grass and looked forward to a non-racial future, something that can't happen with the present mindset.

R Smith, Tauranga.