The recent apology to Maori by the Anglican Church for their sale of the Te Papa block illustrates how true the claim is that history is endless rewrites and deletions.

In this case it is also the elevation of sensitivity over truth. The two blocks of land bought and paid for by the Church Missionary Society, and confirmed as fair by the Spain Commission, are now being claimed to be 'gifts” and 'handed over” with no mention of payment.

While the basis of the Church's apology may be questionable, it is not for me to suggest they don't have a round of mea culpae if they see fit, and if they wish to compensate the hapus out of their assets then that is their affair.

A reading of Alistair Reese's history on which the apology is based finds that this is not the Church's idea. What is being suggested is that Tauranga Council and ratepayers gift the proposed museum site on Cliff Road to Maori and finance the building of a marae there.

The Council and ratepayers are not there to finance compensation for the Church's supposed sins. Council needs to quickly dissociate themselves and ratepayers from this foolishness.

R Prince, Welcome Bay