Michael Corboy

Congratulations to Ōpōtiki District Council and Ōpōtiki RSA for the effective organisation and presentation of the 11am ANZAC Remembrance Service at the Ōpōtiki Cenotaph last Saturday.

I have attended every commemoration since 2010, except those held during the Covid outbreak, and believe that Saturday’s was the best yet.

What was most special was the passionate and heartfelt speech by Jo Luxton, List MP and Labour Party candidate for the East Coast. She eloquently captured the sacrifices of the Ōpōtiki men and women who travelled overseas.

She spoke of the community left behind and how they rallied to support our brave service people.

In case we forget, wars create more problems than they solve, and the loss of human life scars families for generations. Sadly, sometimes we have no choice but to go to war to save our democratic way of life.