Three quick thoughts on the announced legal aid changes:
1. The claimed $400m blowout is bogus. Total spend last financial year was $173m. Increases in costs were because of more cases as well as an increase in entitlement and a long overdue increase in the rates of pay for lawyers. These factors do not occur every year but the increase has been extrapolated as if it will occur every year.
2. Giving more cases to the public defender will not reduce charges. The cost of a case handled by the PD is significantly higher than that of a private provider.
3. Without any analysis or justification Power is using the smoke screen to attack the Counsel for the child scheme, whereby experienced lawyers are appointed by the court to represent children’s interests in Family Court cases. They overwhelmingly do a very good job and help to resolve what can be otherwise intractable cases. But Power is having a chop with them even though there is no justification to do so. And this will NOT SAVE 1c of legal aid because they are paid from Vote Justice.
There is a lot of fertile ground here for a bigger article or number thereof. Power has also pushed through the committee stages the Criminal Procedures bill, which goes far further towards injustices than ripping away the legal aid system. As I understand it we will lose our right to silence, have to give the defense case to the prosecution prior to trial etc etc.
There are a lot of big questions about why we are headed in such a draconian direction, I dont buy that it is about efficiency. Is there a lawyer out there who can run a few columns on all the changes Power and Nact have brought in?
Agreed Bored and the really interesting bit of news was Power’s announcement yesterday that he was giving up his role as SOE. Am I being cynical or is he kicking up dust to blur everything? There were a lot of announcements yesterday and the use of urgency was pretty strange.
What are they trying to cover?
Is there a link between this and NZ Rail’s reopening of tenders for the provision of rolling stock so that companies associated with Sammy Wong could put in a bid? Why did two of the tenderers, including one that wanted to build some of the stock in New Zealand, pull out after complaining about the process?
I have done lots of criminal legal aid in the past but changed my practice to get out of it. Essentially pay became worse and worse as the job became more and more complex and the choice was either to do it exclusively and operate a really cheap office or have a more normal office in which case it did not pay overheads. Because of these factors Criminal Legal Aid is dominated by barristers who do it pretty well exclusively but who are now being bashed around because of their choice.
A couple of interesting statistics:
1. PDS enter 10% more guilty pleas than defence counsel.
2. PDS charge on average $250 more per file than private defence lawyers.
Like everything else this Government does the decision seems to be based on prejudice rather than reality.
On radionz this morning they discussed the legal aid debacle coming. And they have interviewed many including the top banana of the service who came out with the news that numbers of judiciary and others have praised it. Can’t argue with such compelling evidence m’lud.
Kathryn Ryan talked to the mother of an autistic young man sentenced to 8 years prison on rape charges. The victim picked him out from a montage but with reservations. Alibi evidence was withheld. Dna evidence was inconclusive etc. The police decided they could hang the case on him and being autistic he wasn’t able to make a good case for himself. He went to prison and retreated inside himself not speaking for two years, not even to his mother. She does a workout with a punching bag regularly now and says the anger and distrust of the system will never leave her. Her son didn’t speak because he said what’s the use nobody believes me but he did write notes and did write to the Appeal Court on his own behalf.
His last lawyer said that the son would still be in prison if his mother hadn’t campaigned strongly for him. The lawyer used to do legal aid but doesn’t any more for the usual reasons, among them poor pay. (And that your work can be damned by some middle class woman with a well-paying career on the grounds that a lawyer somewhere is rorting the system.) This wrongful and destructive sentence happened under the present legal system. What will happen when all the lawyers are being employed by someone akin to a hanging judge? Perhaps under the neo liberal public system the young lawyers will be paid bonuses based on the number of their successful cases receiving convictions!
prism that is shocking, which proves that parents of differently wired kids must always be on their guard but what if the young man’s mother was too dispirited to fight or worse had died?
Recently I had to face down a lawyer at BOT meeting for my eldest because or some vicious rumour spread about my kid who has ADHD and said I’d make a complaint to the police about a false statement being made and then read out an excoriating statement because there is no way my kid is going to become a figment of circumstance because someone is at a loose end and needs to make shit up to get their kicks. He’s still in school but now trusts virtually no one. So much for neurotypicals
Your comment about bonuses being paid for successful convictions does not seem far fetched considering the crap that goes on now.
Anti-spam: fight, yes to get justice these days is a fight to the death.
Unless you are very rich or very poor, most people cannot afford equitable access to the justice system.
This is pretty much a direct quote from a retiring UK Privy Council judge whom Kim Hill interviewed some years back. A truly emminent jurist whose family had been in the legal system at the highest level for generations. This interview as I recall was at least a decade ago and he predicted that matters would only become worse.
M- I distrust the way that many local controlled schools operate despite the high expectations of Tomorrows Schools program. I think BOT can be more interested in the smooth running of the school with the least fuss and bother than they are in the actual education and the pupils. But also I have family in teaching and have heard how hard it can be when children are unsettled.
If you could have a heart to heart with the Principal or form teacher and work out a plan to improve things it might help. It’s hard on a parent to feel they have to constantly battle for their child. If you and the teaching staff could work together without BOT involvement you might get better understanding and success. All the best anyway.
So you guys are against the public defender system because there is too much state involvement? This also seems to come with an assumption that a state-provided service is inferior.
Hey buddy the state service is being set up so it is inferior. Done to do it on the cheap, and to disadvantage the underclass who rely on legal aid for their defence.
The flurry of activity yesterday was interesting to observe. That is translating into the volume of news heard this morning.
With question marks hanging over the flurry of past business activities of Pansy Wong’s husband and Simon Power’s potential post-Parliamentary business, people should be asking the question about the ethics and, indeed, legal propriety of Cabinet Ministers (including family members) engaging in commercial activities, especially when related to their portfolio responsibilities, while they are in office or after leaving office for a specified period – i.e. conflicts of interest rules.
Are there any such rules relating to this in the Cabinet Manual currently?
If not, it is timely to have public discussions about formulating such conflict of interest rules and giving them legal force or setting them out in the Cabinet Manual.
Would any Parliamentarians on the opposition benches look into this? Winston might be interested to raise this?
…I dont buy that it is about efficiency.
The justice system should be fair before it is efficient. This step away from fairness, in the name of efficiency, is a retrograde step.
My cynical side says that this is just another way of ensuring the profitability of private prisons.
Protest against another NZ government dictatorial legislation that is the copyright, guilty-upon-acusation law that was passed last night. They have ignored many of the submissions made against this, and rushed the law through parliament in a very sly manner.
The Blackout of Twitter avatars & websites started last night, with advice from sites such as this.
The faceless, conscienceless, evil cooperations pulling the strings again, we need to resist then every chance we get. People please don’t support there products or services, the only way to kill them off is cut of there money supply.
Get used to the world of Douglas and Hide people.
When a severely disabled person, confined to a mobility chair,
has to pay to use public transport, we seriously need to
rethink where we are heading.
North Shore Times is having lots of fun with the locals’ vitriolic response to Rodney’s suggestion that Gold Card entitlements are unaffordable and old folk should pay for their own public transport. I don’t think Act will be getting many votes on the Shore from over-60s…
Hide gets to ride in air-conditioned comfort whilst a senior citizen struggles to get anywhere. Next to these people Hide could almost be superman as he doesn’t appear that frail to me and doesn’t look like he’s ever missed a meal either.
Is that why the new limos were needed? To encase the extra space of Hide’s waist?
Sorry felix – no link – just saw it being practised.
Veolia transport appears to be a French based multinational company and runs Auckland’s train service. As with most transport systems there are concession fares but the passenger still coughs up in “user pays”.
Veolia is also tipped to be the new owner of our water, if my sources are correct, if it can get its hands on the 35 year contract this government is mooting. i.e. ownership and profit take. Apparently, they got thrown out of their own country’s water contract because they ran the water infrastructure into the ground. Complaints flowed in while the water supply quality did not.
It’s all about the money, honey.
A quick Veolia Google reveals they are into just about everything and anything – rubbish and waste disposal across USA for starters.
Not the small, personal touch there at all really. Just a rather large multinational by all accounts…
Call me naive, but, just imagine you worked up a bit of credit overseas (you know, on your O.E) and perhaps left some of that money in trusts and those trusts invested in these large conglomerates, and then you came back home and got yourself into positions of influence where you could shape public policy … like councils for example, and changing control of water, transport et cetera. Just thinking.
Logie97,
You mean like the one million dollar loan to America Bank by a Mr John Key and when interest over that amount as shown in his list of assets as required by Parliament, was shown the detail suddenly disappeared and became just ‘doing business with the bank’. Truly fascinating.
I think a genie has been let out of the bottle and a lot of sleight of hand is going on.
Gordon Campbell on the changes to legal aid, etc: “The common denominator to these changes is that they are all occurring on one side of the scales of justice – they increase the powers of the state, and/or reduce the rights of the accused” http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/2011/04/13/gordon-campbell-on-legal-aid-and-the-hobbit-saga/
Furthermore, once the independent lawyers have been sufficiently knee-capped, what’s to stop them from selling off the public defence outfit as a going concern, with a private prison company as the major share-holder?That way we could have a mac-legal system that reliably reflects the same biases as our mac-media.
What is shocking is the seemingly bland indifference of most of the population as this country gets converted into an overpriced, underpaid tyranny.
what’s to stop them from selling off the public defence outfit as a going concern
Actually they have already contracted a hell of a lot of our defense logistics out to a big US corporate…. Lockheed Martin. That’s the main portion that the private sector is interested in, because that’s where the big dollars are.
What is shocking is the seemingly bland indifference of most of the population as this country gets converted into an overpriced, underpaid tyranny.
Actually we are grateful for a strong, visionary National leader and those fine upstanding businessmen who allow us ordinary people some share of the wealth they work so hard to produce. Who are we to complain? We’re lucky to be paid at all.
Question for the Prime Minister: If the government advocates that private companies are more efficient and competitive when it comes to providing services such as power, as this is used as a reason to privatise public assets; why then is the government going to nationalise the legal aid system? Surely private lawyers are more efficient and effective.
Mike Hoskings really is a knob; this morning he states Len Brown will be a one term Mayor because he supported negotiating the Maori Stat Board funding in private. What would Mikes reaction be if his owners shareholders demanded that his contract was negotiated in a public forum…no wonder Hoskings got booed as MC at the William Shatner gig last week.
G8,
I once had a lot of time for Mike Hosking as an objective interviewer, but it seems when you want to keep in with the money your ethics take a tumble.
“And the great boat sank, and the Okies fled And the great emancipator took a bullet in his head”
Titanic. “God moves on the water, and the people had to run and pray.”
Black Sunday. The Dust Bowl got its name after Black Sunday, April 14, 1935. More and more dust storms had been blowing up in the years leading up to that day. In 1932, 14 dust storms were recorded on the Plains. In 1933, there were 38 storms. By 1934, it was estimated that 100 million acres of farmland had lost all or most of the topsoil to the winds. By April 1935, there had been weeks of dust storms, but the cloud that appeared on the horizon that Sunday was the worst. Winds were clocked at 60 mph. Then it hit. “The impact is like a shovelful of fine sand flung against the face,” Avis D. Carlson wrote in a New Republic article. “People caught in their own yards grope for the doorstep. Cars come to a standstill, for no light in the world can penetrate that swirling murk… We live with the dust, eat it, sleep with it, watch it strip us of possessions and the hope of possessions. It is becoming Real.”
Today Sue Bradford has posted a blog, entitiled The charge of the right brigade, on the announcement yesterday that Paula Rebstock has been appointed to the Board of ACC. Bradford quotes from an NZ Herald article of 2006, in which Rebstock laid out her philosophy:
‘I never lose sight that all the benefits of our society derive from the activities of the business community….the free market economy is a great way to allocate the country’s resource, but to make sure the benefits flow through to everyone, you have to have competition.’
To me that’s a contradiction, because a comeptition means there are winners and losers. It’s not a problem if the game is tiddleywinks, but it’s a major problem when they play a game with people’s lives. And we have ample evidence now that the trickledown theory doesn’t work in practice, it just makes the rich richer.
Another National Party person, Jill Spooner, has also been appointed to the ACC Board.
Moral of the story: Dont have an accident until Labour gets back in.
ACC arent going to be around for much longer. And Len Brown had better hurry up with that public transport, because a lot of people are going to be priced off the road when the ACC motor vehicle account is opened to competition.
Ah, right, that psychopath that thinks punishing people for not being able to find work when there’s no work to be found is a viable form of welfare reform.
The sadistic Rebstock is not on the ACC board to make sure you get your entitlements. She detests everything to do with public ownership and the ‘no fault’ model which obviously makes her a good choice for the natz.
And on the subject of myths, I liked the one from the Nats about cutting the back office (inference: bloated and wasting resources) so they could redirect the money to the front office. Here’s the facts:
The 33 agencies measured in the report spend an annual $1.85 billion on back-office functions, or about 9.8% of their total operational costs
Taken from the recently-released report into ICT efficiencies from the Department of Internal Affairs and Treasury. So 90.2% of expenditure in the 33 largest agencies is already in the front office …. doesn’t leave much room for cuts.
Crombie and crew are wannabe corporate big boys working for the state sector but wanting to do everything with the corporate sector because “it will all be more cost effective and efficient”. Years back Telecom went down the same path and outsourced their IT to EDS…cost them a fortune and now it is being brought back inhouse. The lesson for Crombie and crew is that one size does not fit all, and that playing with the corporate IT providers such as IBM costs a lot more. The reality is you get a bigger bang for your buck if you shop around the trusted smaller players, who in turn have a far higher interest in delivery because they live or die accordingly. A corporate has enough size to not really care.
Did a UMR survey last night – online – about politics.
Most interesting feature was the non-cycling of options. When asked a preference question National was always top/first choice, Labour always second. When asked to prefer between Key and Goff, Key was top.
It’s all in the asking…what you ask, how you ask…rather than the results…
So, anyone got any questions over SAFE in relation to the Kakapo? I can’t get a hold of the paper in question (since I’m not a student at present), but I do know enough of the science behind it to answer anything but post-grad level questions 😛
Personally, I’m all for ecotourism and selling culling rights. The problem though with hunting reserves for threatened species is that often the gene pool isn’t in the best shape and given trophy hunters habits of going for trophy specimens it can cause long term issues with genetic variation and thus all sorts of fun with long term population viability. However, that’s all going to depend on the habitat size, population size, reproductive rate and genetic variation, as for some non-endangered herbivores like deer, or African savannah grazers etc it’s relatively non-problematic.
As for forestry rights, the main species that are worth big dollars are hardwoods, and even in rain forests they take up to 50 years to mature and are often keystone species. On top of all that lovely carbon fixed inside them. In this case, I’d rather see forests preserved and the locals paid to protect them and the carbon stored there, above and below ground, of course with decent compensation + rights to exploit the forest for fruit, wood and meat etc in sustainable ways
It does have potential, but it can also clash with conservation goals, particularly if ownership clashes occur, or you’re dealing with non-photogenic species and/or degraded ecosystems which require major, long term capital and research investments to fix. Or in the case of the developed world, serious habitat fragmentation require co-operation from multiple land owners to establish habitat corridors. So I wouldn’t call it the “best way” by a long shot.
Although hardly an expert in the field, it seems to me that the SAFE index it just another way of quantifying how threatened each species is, which the authors argue is a better predictor than things such as the IUCN Red List. As far as I can tell, the paper itself makes no mention about an appropriate ‘SAFE index threshold’ for which conservation effors should be stopped – I suspect such a decision cannot be made on such a simple basis, as many factors are clearly important in such a decision. I suspect the paper co-author who brought the kakapo issue up was trying to raise the profile of their paper and is a proponent of the ‘conservation triage’ idea.
Any chance you could please email a copy to me at ignorance.maims[at]gmail.com then? 😛 (gmail’s spam filters are strong)
But yeah, I was assuming it’s an evolutionary offshoot of the Population Viability Assessment system, looking less at local populations and more at the metapopulation level, with what I’ve picked up off the Conservation Bytes blog, that it’s primarily a much more precise tool for working out which species are at a high risk of extinction in comparison to the current system.
<blockquote>I suspect such a decision cannot be made on such a simple basis, as many factors are clearly important in such a decision.</blockquote>
Actually it can be boiled down to population size, structure, genetic variation and growth rate. If all of those are stuffed, a species is probably doomed to extinction without extensive, intensive and expensive intervention. Although from invasive species we know that they aren’t always a limiting factor and in fact high reproductive rates can quite easily save some species/genera after bottlenecks.
<blockquote>I suspect the paper co-author who brought the kakapo issue up was trying to raise the profile of their paper and is a proponent of the ‘conservation triage’ idea.</blockquote>
Yeah, personally I would have framed it more as that more money is needed for conservation efforts, but he does have a point. Kakapo are extinct on the mainland and the niche and ecological roles they used to occupy is taken up by other native birds. In particular, the kereru is key to dispersal of our native trees that have large fruit and has suffered major population declines across NZ over the decades, which has the potential to retard native regeneration and stuff up forest assemblages. However, it’s not in such a precarious position as the kakapo, and with a bit of effort could be easily saved. So given the choice, I’d probably invest in preserving the kereru over the kakapo if the money was really tight.
The triage concept does however make good sense especially when dealing with the limited funds developing countries often have available for conservation. And it also highlights the major trouble with keeping endangered species only at one or two sites in terms of vulnerability to natural disasters.
Just finished The Grapes of Wrath. I was keen to know what New Zealand’s future under this government will be if they get in again this year.
There were some excellent lines, but one that interested me was the conversation between two petrol jocks seeing the poverty stricken Joad family off into the desert – they had been kicked off their land by tractors and ‘no one’ seemed to be to blame. One jock in his neat white outfit was shaking his head and wondering aloud how all those types could be travelling around the country looking for work “No human being could stand to be so miserable.” Therein lies the truth; those with money do not see those without as people; that’s why they can stab them in the back and take those last cents off little children to put on the latest hat or the latest car.
There have been various movements throughout history who managed to divorce themselves from other people by labelling them in damaging ways. It’s now happening in New Zealand. And it disgusts me.
So, SCF was guaranteed, then asset-stripped under our noses. And yet the National government repeatedly renewed the guarantee. That decision already looked foolish, now it looks simply insane.
According to the study, produced by economist Jim Stanford, the Conservatives’ plans for a three-percentage-point reduction in corporate tax rates from 2010 levels would cost the public $6 billion a year, yet only stimulate about $600 million of new business investment annually.
Conversely, “if the federal government spent $6 billion on public infrastructure instead of corporate tax cuts, the total increase in investment would be more than 10 times as great as the increase in private investment from tax cuts alone,” Stanford wrote.
Yep, government spending produces better economic results than cutting taxes.
“Don’t be nervous. I have the new Ryan serve. It’s bold!” “Trust me on this. Don’t serve to his backhand.” Thomp. Wham. Here’s a basic fact of American politics. The American people like Medicare. They are not so enthusiastic about tax cuts for the rich.
“The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already,without a shadow of a doubt, what is laid before him.”
Tolstoy
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It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
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Three quick thoughts on the announced legal aid changes:
1. The claimed $400m blowout is bogus. Total spend last financial year was $173m. Increases in costs were because of more cases as well as an increase in entitlement and a long overdue increase in the rates of pay for lawyers. These factors do not occur every year but the increase has been extrapolated as if it will occur every year.
2. Giving more cases to the public defender will not reduce charges. The cost of a case handled by the PD is significantly higher than that of a private provider.
3. Without any analysis or justification Power is using the smoke screen to attack the Counsel for the child scheme, whereby experienced lawyers are appointed by the court to represent children’s interests in Family Court cases. They overwhelmingly do a very good job and help to resolve what can be otherwise intractable cases. But Power is having a chop with them even though there is no justification to do so. And this will NOT SAVE 1c of legal aid because they are paid from Vote Justice.
There is a lot of fertile ground here for a bigger article or number thereof. Power has also pushed through the committee stages the Criminal Procedures bill, which goes far further towards injustices than ripping away the legal aid system. As I understand it we will lose our right to silence, have to give the defense case to the prosecution prior to trial etc etc.
There are a lot of big questions about why we are headed in such a draconian direction, I dont buy that it is about efficiency. Is there a lawyer out there who can run a few columns on all the changes Power and Nact have brought in?
Agreed Bored and the really interesting bit of news was Power’s announcement yesterday that he was giving up his role as SOE. Am I being cynical or is he kicking up dust to blur everything? There were a lot of announcements yesterday and the use of urgency was pretty strange.
What are they trying to cover?
Is there a link between this and NZ Rail’s reopening of tenders for the provision of rolling stock so that companies associated with Sammy Wong could put in a bid? Why did two of the tenderers, including one that wanted to build some of the stock in New Zealand, pull out after complaining about the process?
Is there a lawyer out there who can run a few columns on all the changes Power and Nact have brought in?
Now, ms, aren’t you a lawyer?
Bunji
In another life …
I have done lots of criminal legal aid in the past but changed my practice to get out of it. Essentially pay became worse and worse as the job became more and more complex and the choice was either to do it exclusively and operate a really cheap office or have a more normal office in which case it did not pay overheads. Because of these factors Criminal Legal Aid is dominated by barristers who do it pretty well exclusively but who are now being bashed around because of their choice.
A couple of interesting statistics:
1. PDS enter 10% more guilty pleas than defence counsel.
2. PDS charge on average $250 more per file than private defence lawyers.
Like everything else this Government does the decision seems to be based on prejudice rather than reality.
On radionz this morning they discussed the legal aid debacle coming. And they have interviewed many including the top banana of the service who came out with the news that numbers of judiciary and others have praised it. Can’t argue with such compelling evidence m’lud.
Kathryn Ryan talked to the mother of an autistic young man sentenced to 8 years prison on rape charges. The victim picked him out from a montage but with reservations. Alibi evidence was withheld. Dna evidence was inconclusive etc. The police decided they could hang the case on him and being autistic he wasn’t able to make a good case for himself. He went to prison and retreated inside himself not speaking for two years, not even to his mother. She does a workout with a punching bag regularly now and says the anger and distrust of the system will never leave her. Her son didn’t speak because he said what’s the use nobody believes me but he did write notes and did write to the Appeal Court on his own behalf.
His last lawyer said that the son would still be in prison if his mother hadn’t campaigned strongly for him. The lawyer used to do legal aid but doesn’t any more for the usual reasons, among them poor pay. (And that your work can be damned by some middle class woman with a well-paying career on the grounds that a lawyer somewhere is rorting the system.) This wrongful and destructive sentence happened under the present legal system. What will happen when all the lawyers are being employed by someone akin to a hanging judge? Perhaps under the neo liberal public system the young lawyers will be paid bonuses based on the number of their successful cases receiving convictions!
prism that is shocking, which proves that parents of differently wired kids must always be on their guard but what if the young man’s mother was too dispirited to fight or worse had died?
Recently I had to face down a lawyer at BOT meeting for my eldest because or some vicious rumour spread about my kid who has ADHD and said I’d make a complaint to the police about a false statement being made and then read out an excoriating statement because there is no way my kid is going to become a figment of circumstance because someone is at a loose end and needs to make shit up to get their kicks. He’s still in school but now trusts virtually no one. So much for neurotypicals
Your comment about bonuses being paid for successful convictions does not seem far fetched considering the crap that goes on now.
Anti-spam: fight, yes to get justice these days is a fight to the death.
Unless you are very rich or very poor, most people cannot afford equitable access to the justice system.
This is pretty much a direct quote from a retiring UK Privy Council judge whom Kim Hill interviewed some years back. A truly emminent jurist whose family had been in the legal system at the highest level for generations. This interview as I recall was at least a decade ago and he predicted that matters would only become worse.
M- I distrust the way that many local controlled schools operate despite the high expectations of Tomorrows Schools program. I think BOT can be more interested in the smooth running of the school with the least fuss and bother than they are in the actual education and the pupils. But also I have family in teaching and have heard how hard it can be when children are unsettled.
If you could have a heart to heart with the Principal or form teacher and work out a plan to improve things it might help. It’s hard on a parent to feel they have to constantly battle for their child. If you and the teaching staff could work together without BOT involvement you might get better understanding and success. All the best anyway.
So you guys are against the public defender system because there is too much state involvement? This also seems to come with an assumption that a state-provided service is inferior.
Good one .
Hey buddy the state service is being set up so it is inferior. Done to do it on the cheap, and to disadvantage the underclass who rely on legal aid for their defence.
The flurry of activity yesterday was interesting to observe. That is translating into the volume of news heard this morning.
With question marks hanging over the flurry of past business activities of Pansy Wong’s husband and Simon Power’s potential post-Parliamentary business, people should be asking the question about the ethics and, indeed, legal propriety of Cabinet Ministers (including family members) engaging in commercial activities, especially when related to their portfolio responsibilities, while they are in office or after leaving office for a specified period – i.e. conflicts of interest rules.
Are there any such rules relating to this in the Cabinet Manual currently?
If not, it is timely to have public discussions about formulating such conflict of interest rules and giving them legal force or setting them out in the Cabinet Manual.
Would any Parliamentarians on the opposition benches look into this? Winston might be interested to raise this?
…I dont buy that it is about efficiency.
The justice system should be fair before it is efficient. This step away from fairness, in the name of efficiency, is a retrograde step.
My cynical side says that this is just another way of ensuring the profitability of private prisons.
Bazely’s inquiry was a a total sham. She found what she was told to find. This whole NAct Administration is based on lies.
Protest against another NZ government dictatorial legislation that is the copyright, guilty-upon-acusation law that was passed last night. They have ignored many of the submissions made against this, and rushed the law through parliament in a very sly manner.
The Blackout of Twitter avatars & websites started last night, with advice from sites such as this.
Cheers Carol.
The faceless, conscienceless, evil cooperations pulling the strings again, we need to resist then every chance we get. People please don’t support there products or services, the only way to kill them off is cut of there money supply.
Get used to the world of Douglas and Hide people.
When a severely disabled person, confined to a mobility chair,
has to pay to use public transport, we seriously need to
rethink where we are heading.
North Shore Times is having lots of fun with the locals’ vitriolic response to Rodney’s suggestion that Gold Card entitlements are unaffordable and old folk should pay for their own public transport. I don’t think Act will be getting many votes on the Shore from over-60s…
Do you have a link for that, logie97?
I’m surprised Jekyll & Hide don’t want disabled people to pay more for taking up extra aisle space.
It can’t be far off felix.
Hide gets to ride in air-conditioned comfort whilst a senior citizen struggles to get anywhere. Next to these people Hide could almost be superman as he doesn’t appear that frail to me and doesn’t look like he’s ever missed a meal either.
Is that why the new limos were needed? To encase the extra space of Hide’s waist?
There’s also a horrible irony in Hide opposing publicly funded transport for people who aren’t him or his girlfriend.
Thank you – that was the missing barb in my delayed post on the subject.
Sorry felix – no link – just saw it being practised.
Veolia transport appears to be a French based multinational company and runs Auckland’s train service. As with most transport systems there are concession fares but the passenger still coughs up in “user pays”.
Subsidies to Hide and his lot are anathema.
Veolia is also tipped to be the new owner of our water, if my sources are correct, if it can get its hands on the 35 year contract this government is mooting. i.e. ownership and profit take. Apparently, they got thrown out of their own country’s water contract because they ran the water infrastructure into the ground. Complaints flowed in while the water supply quality did not.
It’s all about the money, honey.
A quick Veolia Google reveals they are into just about everything and anything – rubbish and waste disposal across USA for starters.
Not the small, personal touch there at all really. Just a rather large multinational by all accounts…
Call me naive, but, just imagine you worked up a bit of credit overseas (you know, on your O.E) and perhaps left some of that money in trusts and those trusts invested in these large conglomerates, and then you came back home and got yourself into positions of influence where you could shape public policy … like councils for example, and changing control of water, transport et cetera. Just thinking.
Logie97,
You mean like the one million dollar loan to America Bank by a Mr John Key and when interest over that amount as shown in his list of assets as required by Parliament, was shown the detail suddenly disappeared and became just ‘doing business with the bank’. Truly fascinating.
I think a genie has been let out of the bottle and a lot of sleight of hand is going on.
Gordon Campbell on the changes to legal aid, etc: “The common denominator to these changes is that they are all occurring on one side of the scales of justice – they increase the powers of the state, and/or reduce the rights of the accused”
http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/2011/04/13/gordon-campbell-on-legal-aid-and-the-hobbit-saga/
Furthermore, once the independent lawyers have been sufficiently knee-capped, what’s to stop them from selling off the public defence outfit as a going concern, with a private prison company as the major share-holder?That way we could have a mac-legal system that reliably reflects the same biases as our mac-media.
What is shocking is the seemingly bland indifference of most of the population as this country gets converted into an overpriced, underpaid tyranny.
what’s to stop them from selling off the public defence outfit as a going concern
Actually they have already contracted a hell of a lot of our defense logistics out to a big US corporate…. Lockheed Martin. That’s the main portion that the private sector is interested in, because that’s where the big dollars are.
What is shocking is the seemingly bland indifference of most of the population as this country gets converted into an overpriced, underpaid tyranny.
Actually we are grateful for a strong, visionary National leader and those fine upstanding businessmen who allow us ordinary people some share of the wealth they work so hard to produce. Who are we to complain? We’re lucky to be paid at all.
Now STFU and get back to work you idle buggers.
Question for the Prime Minister: If the government advocates that private companies are more efficient and competitive when it comes to providing services such as power, as this is used as a reason to privatise public assets; why then is the government going to nationalise the legal aid system? Surely private lawyers are more efficient and effective.
Now answer that Mr John Key. Twist that key and open your mind to some real analysis not just fictional right wing bullshit.
I thought that Blinglish wanted to cut down on government departments, why are then creating a new one for Public Defence?
Mike Hoskings really is a knob; this morning he states Len Brown will be a one term Mayor because he supported negotiating the Maori Stat Board funding in private. What would Mikes reaction be if his owners shareholders demanded that his contract was negotiated in a public forum…no wonder Hoskings got booed as MC at the William Shatner gig last week.
G8,
I once had a lot of time for Mike Hosking as an objective interviewer, but it seems when you want to keep in with the money your ethics take a tumble.
He did? How cool is that! 🙂
14th day of April eh?
“And the great boat sank, and the Okies fled
And the great emancipator took a bullet in his head”
Titanic. “God moves on the water, and the people had to run and pray.”
Black Sunday.
The Dust Bowl got its name after Black Sunday, April 14, 1935. More and more dust storms had been blowing up in the years leading up to that day. In 1932, 14 dust storms were recorded on the Plains. In 1933, there were 38 storms. By 1934, it was estimated that 100 million acres of farmland had lost all or most of the topsoil to the winds. By April 1935, there had been weeks of dust storms, but the cloud that appeared on the horizon that Sunday was the worst. Winds were clocked at 60 mph. Then it hit.
“The impact is like a shovelful of fine sand flung against the face,” Avis D. Carlson wrote in a New Republic article. “People caught in their own yards grope for the doorstep. Cars come to a standstill, for no light in the world can penetrate that swirling murk… We live with the dust, eat it, sleep with it, watch it strip us of possessions and the hope of possessions. It is becoming Real.”
http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe30s/water_02.html
Lincoln. “The ballot is stronger than the bullet”
ref: Gillian Welch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS34wz0zc-A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yXM8wxg6XM
[lprent: Different machine? I corrected your e-mail after I did my identity theft check. ]
Thanks, and nah, I’m just an idiot.
Today Sue Bradford has posted a blog, entitiled The charge of the right brigade, on the announcement yesterday that Paula Rebstock has been appointed to the Board of ACC. Bradford quotes from an NZ Herald article of 2006, in which Rebstock laid out her philosophy:
To me that’s a contradiction, because a comeptition means there are winners and losers. It’s not a problem if the game is tiddleywinks, but it’s a major problem when they play a game with people’s lives. And we have ample evidence now that the trickledown theory doesn’t work in practice, it just makes the rich richer.
Another National Party person, Jill Spooner, has also been appointed to the ACC Board.
Moral of the story: Dont have an accident until Labour gets back in.
ACC arent going to be around for much longer. And Len Brown had better hurry up with that public transport, because a lot of people are going to be priced off the road when the ACC motor vehicle account is opened to competition.
Ah, right, that psychopath that thinks punishing people for not being able to find work when there’s no work to be found is a viable form of welfare reform.
The sadistic Rebstock is not on the ACC board to make sure you get your entitlements. She detests everything to do with public ownership and the ‘no fault’ model which obviously makes her a good choice for the natz.
WE HAVE NO AMBITION FOR NZ – Don McBrashen And The NACT Party Chorus
http://youtu.be/wEg357pGTvI
Dunne’s Bouffant… Classic!
Have a look at the posts from yesterday
Lynn, still having the same belly laugh as yesterday at the clever lyrics, shame it’s all too true.
Reckon this should head up all Open Mikes until the election.
Yep. Try this one…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgLyShghYxE
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DrH6_i8zuffs&h=9083c
I don’t have a Ph.D in Economics but there are some very interesting similarities.
And on the subject of myths, I liked the one from the Nats about cutting the back office (inference: bloated and wasting resources) so they could redirect the money to the front office. Here’s the facts:
Taken from the recently-released report into ICT efficiencies from the Department of Internal Affairs and Treasury. So 90.2% of expenditure in the 33 largest agencies is already in the front office …. doesn’t leave much room for cuts.
Be interesting to compare that with the private sector.
The whole point of NACTs cuts to government are to make it so that government can’t work. This simplifies taking the wealth of NZ away from NZers.
Crombie and crew are wannabe corporate big boys working for the state sector but wanting to do everything with the corporate sector because “it will all be more cost effective and efficient”. Years back Telecom went down the same path and outsourced their IT to EDS…cost them a fortune and now it is being brought back inhouse. The lesson for Crombie and crew is that one size does not fit all, and that playing with the corporate IT providers such as IBM costs a lot more. The reality is you get a bigger bang for your buck if you shop around the trusted smaller players, who in turn have a far higher interest in delivery because they live or die accordingly. A corporate has enough size to not really care.
Did a UMR survey last night – online – about politics.
Most interesting feature was the non-cycling of options. When asked a preference question National was always top/first choice, Labour always second. When asked to prefer between Key and Goff, Key was top.
It’s all in the asking…what you ask, how you ask…rather than the results…
On that note, is there a pollsters bible or other important reference material?
I know there’s a few pollsters lurking around here.
Yeah, I have.
I heard someone some time ago claim that the best way to save a species is to commercialise it, what’s your opinion on that?
Personally, I’m all for ecotourism and selling culling rights. The problem though with hunting reserves for threatened species is that often the gene pool isn’t in the best shape and given trophy hunters habits of going for trophy specimens it can cause long term issues with genetic variation and thus all sorts of fun with long term population viability. However, that’s all going to depend on the habitat size, population size, reproductive rate and genetic variation, as for some non-endangered herbivores like deer, or African savannah grazers etc it’s relatively non-problematic.
As for forestry rights, the main species that are worth big dollars are hardwoods, and even in rain forests they take up to 50 years to mature and are often keystone species. On top of all that lovely carbon fixed inside them. In this case, I’d rather see forests preserved and the locals paid to protect them and the carbon stored there, above and below ground, of course with decent compensation + rights to exploit the forest for fruit, wood and meat etc in sustainable ways
It does have potential, but it can also clash with conservation goals, particularly if ownership clashes occur, or you’re dealing with non-photogenic species and/or degraded ecosystems which require major, long term capital and research investments to fix. Or in the case of the developed world, serious habitat fragmentation require co-operation from multiple land owners to establish habitat corridors. So I wouldn’t call it the “best way” by a long shot.
Although hardly an expert in the field, it seems to me that the SAFE index it just another way of quantifying how threatened each species is, which the authors argue is a better predictor than things such as the IUCN Red List. As far as I can tell, the paper itself makes no mention about an appropriate ‘SAFE index threshold’ for which conservation effors should be stopped – I suspect such a decision cannot be made on such a simple basis, as many factors are clearly important in such a decision. I suspect the paper co-author who brought the kakapo issue up was trying to raise the profile of their paper and is a proponent of the ‘conservation triage’ idea.
Any chance you could please email a copy to me at ignorance.maims[at]gmail.com then? 😛 (gmail’s spam filters are strong)
But yeah, I was assuming it’s an evolutionary offshoot of the Population Viability Assessment system, looking less at local populations and more at the metapopulation level, with what I’ve picked up off the Conservation Bytes blog, that it’s primarily a much more precise tool for working out which species are at a high risk of extinction in comparison to the current system.
<blockquote>I suspect such a decision cannot be made on such a simple basis, as many factors are clearly important in such a decision.</blockquote>
Actually it can be boiled down to population size, structure, genetic variation and growth rate. If all of those are stuffed, a species is probably doomed to extinction without extensive, intensive and expensive intervention. Although from invasive species we know that they aren’t always a limiting factor and in fact high reproductive rates can quite easily save some species/genera after bottlenecks.
<blockquote>I suspect the paper co-author who brought the kakapo issue up was trying to raise the profile of their paper and is a proponent of the ‘conservation triage’ idea.</blockquote>
Yeah, personally I would have framed it more as that more money is needed for conservation efforts, but he does have a point. Kakapo are extinct on the mainland and the niche and ecological roles they used to occupy is taken up by other native birds. In particular, the kereru is key to dispersal of our native trees that have large fruit and has suffered major population declines across NZ over the decades, which has the potential to retard native regeneration and stuff up forest assemblages. However, it’s not in such a precarious position as the kakapo, and with a bit of effort could be easily saved. So given the choice, I’d probably invest in preserving the kereru over the kakapo if the money was really tight.
The triage concept does however make good sense especially when dealing with the limited funds developing countries often have available for conservation. And it also highlights the major trouble with keeping endangered species only at one or two sites in terms of vulnerability to natural disasters.
Check out Photostream
Feel free to copy, use and distribute.
Just finished The Grapes of Wrath. I was keen to know what New Zealand’s future under this government will be if they get in again this year.
There were some excellent lines, but one that interested me was the conversation between two petrol jocks seeing the poverty stricken Joad family off into the desert – they had been kicked off their land by tractors and ‘no one’ seemed to be to blame. One jock in his neat white outfit was shaking his head and wondering aloud how all those types could be travelling around the country looking for work “No human being could stand to be so miserable.” Therein lies the truth; those with money do not see those without as people; that’s why they can stab them in the back and take those last cents off little children to put on the latest hat or the latest car.
There have been various movements throughout history who managed to divorce themselves from other people by labelling them in damaging ways. It’s now happening in New Zealand. And it disgusts me.
SCF Breached the terms of it’s guarantee
It’s not looking so much as insane as corrupt.
The poor RWNJs are being disproved by reality again.
Yep, government spending produces better economic results than cutting taxes.
Frum on how Ryan set up Obama’s comeback.
“Whatever you do, don’t serve to his backhand.”
“Don’t be nervous. I have the new Ryan serve. It’s bold!”
“Trust me on this. Don’t serve to his backhand.”
Thomp. Wham.
Here’s a basic fact of American politics. The American people like Medicare. They are not so enthusiastic about tax cuts for the rich.
Scientific American: Anecdotes from the archives.
Here is a little gem I found today .
“The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already,without a shadow of a doubt, what is laid before him.”
Tolstoy