Alexander (Sandy) Milne

There were two guest speakers at last Wednesday’s well-attended Grey Power Whakatāne meeting.

The first was branch secretary Peter Minten, who explained reverse mortgages on personal homes.

I then gave a presentation which I had prepared only hours earlier.

My topics were the cost of unnecessary medical check-ups for elderly drivers, and the need for better health services here, instead of Tauranga.

They generated much spirited discussion, followed by people bailing me up during our social coffee break.

I then spoke on the requirement of local patients to travel to Tauranga for basic procedures like cataract operations.

That generated more discussion. Over coffee, one fit-looking lady told me that she had paid for a driver’s check-up by a nurse and separately paid $120 for a 10-minute chat with her doctor. She then paid $21.50 for the licence.

My main takeaway was that a highly respected Whakatāne GP rose in my support.

I came back to earth with a jolt when I got home and read the Beacon letter from former mayor Judy Turner in which she asked where I had been in the last three years, and implied that I should “stop moaning at politicians and think outside the box and be part of the solutions”.

If any other Whakatāne driver shares her opinion of me and also think that four Waka vehicles are a substitute for a local transport system, which would obviate the need for elderly residents to drive a car, would they please call me and I will enlighten them.

I am right now trying to persuade a high-profile party leader to make a return visit to Whakatāne and be the principal guest speaker at a public meeting to be hosted by Grey Power.

On the previous occasion he came here at my request, we had a full Whakatāne War Memorial Hall reception lounge, then positive action in Wellington two days later.