Rape trial aborted in NZ because judge went on holiday...

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Could only happen in the Land of Nod where plastics keys cannot open rusty locks...

A rape complainant will be forced to give evidence twice after the trial of her alleged attacker was aborted because the judge went on an overseas holiday.

The 50-year-old woman took the witness stand in the Auckland District Court on Monday for what was originally set down as a four-day trial.

She was part-way through giving evidence when the trial was aborted as it became clear the case would not finish before Judge Philippa Cunningham flew to Australia yesterday for a pre-booked holiday.

The Housing man calls it quits - a quiet key in another rusty lock...

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"Mysterious" resignation questioned - the housing man calls it quits - a quiet key in another rusty lock...

Labour is questioning why Phil Heatley has resigned his ministerial portfolios, when the Prime Minister said he did not need to

Labour is looking for answers over the fall of Housing and Fisheries Minister Phil Heatley.

The Whangarei MP has resigned from his portfolios today after admitting a further mistake on his use of his ministerial credit card, where he documented two bottles of wine costing $70 as 'food and beverage', when no food was purchased. He says he has been careless.

It comes just two days after he apologised and repaid $1,114, saying he had mistakenly used the card for expenditure that fell outside the determination of "ministerial business".

Prime Minister John Key has confirmed that he suggested Mr Heatley stand aside while the Auditor General looked at how he had been using the credit card. He says Mr Heatley instead resigned.

Labour deputy leader Annette King says the affair is mysterious and more information is needed.

"There is a bit of a pattern here, because you'll recall when (Richard) Worth resigned we didn't know why and we weren't given the reason. So I really do think the Prime Minister needs to front up and tell New Zealanders why he has resigned. Particularly as the Prime Minister said he didn't need to."

Mrs King says if Mr Key was showing leadership he would be fully explaining the situation.

However the Prime Minister says if an audit of Mr Heatley's card shows he has simply been careless, then the door is always open for his possible return to Cabinet.

"His actions have been untidy and they've been careless. But as I also said, ministers are human beings and from time to time they'll make mistakes."

One of Mr Heatley's Whangarei constituents Martin Kaipo, who runs the Otangarei Community Trust, would back any possible return to cabinet for his MP. He says Mr Heatley's a hard-working man who would do well with any portfolio.

Mr Kaipo says he was pleased when Mr Heatley became Housing Minister as he has done a lot of work in the Otangarei community.

"I hope John Key decides to encourage him to stay with some portfolios. He's definitely a person that can achieve a lot of stuff."

Mr Kaipo says it takes an honest man to say he is not happy with what he has done, and resign.

Another wino hit the dust!

Telecom's XT problems not surprising under a National Government...

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Sunrise money panel review Telecom's reaction to XT failure.

Telecom's shares are taking a hit as the fallout over the XT failures continues.

Another head has rolled over the debacle - technology officer frank mount, responsible for the design and operation of the network, has resigned, and Telecom boss Paul Reynolds has announced a $10 million compensation package for customers.

Experts to be flown in to try and fix our third world phones. North Korea perhaps? LOL

The Government has described the network problems as embarrassing and wants an urgent report on the matter.


Communications Minister, Steven Joyce has warned he will regulate to ensure 111 calls are a priority.

But are we surprised that something like this is happening with a National Government? No, definately not!

Once again Kiwis will have the finest democracy money can buy, buy, buy...

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Removing the upper spending limit on third party- parallel campaigns will once again entitle kiwis to the finest democracy money can buy, buy, buy!

The Exclusive Brethren, the church that doesn't believe in voting but interferes in elections here in New Zealand and Australia, has been given the green flag to come in out of the cold and do it all again.

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• Exclusive Brethren Schools get $70 Million of Government Funding (seantheblogonaut.com)

Our greatest PM returns for visit and investiture...

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Helen Clark returned home to be invested with her Order of New Zealand. She refused to be made a Dame, the female equivalent to a "Sir"! Some of those "Sirs" are a bunch of conceited pricks anyway. But Sir Colin Meads and Sir Peter Snell deserve special recognition. Should have happened years ago. But hope the next Labour PM abolishes them again. They are an anachronism and won't be continued in the republic of New Zealand in any case.

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Lowering the drinking age down to 18 years was a mistake...

Most New Zealanders think lowering the drinking age to 18 a decade ago has had a negative impact on society, a Research New Zealand poll has found.

Three-quarters of the poll's 500 respondents said changing the drinking age had had a negative effect, five percent said it had a positive effect, and 17 percent said it had no effect at all.

Older people and higher income households were most likely to say lowering the drinking age had a negative effect.

Respondents were split down the middle on whether they agreed with the recommendation of a report by the Law Commission in July of a split purchasing age, where 18-year-olds could buy alcohol at bars and restaurants but had to be 20 to buy it at stores.

Fifty-one percent agreed with the recommendation while 46 percent disagreed.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents agreed with another commission recommendation – that anyone found drunk in a public place should receive an instant fine.

The drinking age was controversially lowered from 20 to 18 in 1999 and since then attempts to reverse the decision have failed.

Commission president Sir Geoffrey Palmer released a discussion paper in late July with a raft of recommendations for liquor law reform to be studied by ministers.

"New Zealand has some serious problems with the use of alcohol," he said.

"Not everyone drinks in a manner that is harmful but the consequences of harmful drinking affect us all."

Sir Geoffrey said the evidence indicated heavy drinking and drunkenness were generating the most acute harm.

He wanted public submissions on the discussion paper over the next three months.

The commission's recommendations would have a significant impact on liquor laws if the Government decided to implement some or all of them.

They include:

* Increase excise tax overall on alcohol or reduce it for low-alcohol products;

* Set a minimum price below which alcohol products can't be sold – a measure being developed in Scotland;

* Splitting the purchase age, leaving it at 18 for on-licence and raising it to 20 for off-licence;

* Making it an offence for an adult to supply liquor to a young person unless it is at a private social gathering, and the adult has the consent of the young person's parent or guardian;

* Putting the Liquor Licensing Authority under a District Court judge and increasing its powers to monitor trends and obtain data;

* Strengthen law enforcement by giving senior police officers the power to close bars; and

* Consider making it an infringement offence to drink in a public place

Australian and Canadian Police versus American police... | BlogEvolve.com

Australian and Canadian Police versus American police... | BlogEvolve.com

Now its youth rates and adult education under the knife...

Now it appears that youth rates and adult education are under the knife from this mean spirited National Party excuse for a government. Whats next? You can read the details in the daily papers, but there now appears a definate attack against the lower paid, the unemployed and the poor in New Zealand.

Let John Key and his rusty-lock Government explain these latest attacks.

Adult education is a means for older people to increase their skill set and have a better chance of getting a job. Many people gained basic computer knowledge through adult education at local colleges.

The previous Labour Government finally got rid of the blatantly unfair youth rates. Youth rates don't help employers from employing more young people, just reduces wages being paid to young people. This is the philosophy contained in the hated Employment Contracts Act,1991.

The National Party is finally showing its "real face", and the Maori Party will be decimaTed at the next election for their support of the fascist National Party Government.

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What a pathetic and mean spirited bunch National really are

What a pathetic and mean spirited bunch National really are. And nobody is fooled by their motives in denying all convicted prisoners in prison the vote. At present prisoners only lose their right to vote if they receive a sentence of three or more years.

Most prisoners would vote for Labour rather than National: That is the motive for the proposed National policy.

Key flipflop over gst increase - credibility waning...

Flip-flop from Key over GST - credibility waning...

John Key's signal GST will rise comes after he promised in a 2008 press conference that National would not increase the tax

It appears the Prime Minister is preparing to go back on his word over GST.

At a press conference John Key held in 2008 he said he would not raise GST, stating: "National is not going to be raising GST. National wants to cut taxes, not raise taxes."

Later at the same conference Mr Key suggested it would be an incompetent Government that would have to raise the tax.

In his state of the nation speech to Parliament yesterday, he virtually confirmed the consumption tax is going to rise, to up to 15 percent. Mr Key's office says he has no comment. Its going to happen customers!

Ambitious John Key's tax reforms lamblasted by critics....

John Key's tax reforms lamblasted by critics. But did they really expect anything different? AS PM John Key has really done nothing. His job is to get National re-elected and then hand over the reins to Bill English, because National knows he couldn't get elected as prime minister. And John Key wants to follow Helen Clark out into the big world yonder.

Economic commentator Bernard Hickey says the Prime Minister rightly pointed out there is a big hole in New Zealand's tax system, but he has done nothing to plug it.

He says Mr Key has ruled out a capital gains or land tax, sending a grim message to those not already owning a home.

"John Key was essentially saying to those people who don't own property now, that there isn't much hope, he isn't going to change the tax system in any major - and if you want to buy a house, you may as well buy a one-way ticket to Australia or somewhere else."

Mr Hickey says Mr Key has decided to take the easy way out to make sure he is re-elected in 2011.Re-elected to hand over the reins to the unelectable Bill English.

Labour's on the warpath over suggestions GST may rise, after Mr Key signaled the idea is under consideration for this year's Budget. A 2.5 percent rise would earn the Government an extra $2 billion, money that could be used to reduce top tax rates.

Labour leader Phil Goff is damning of any move to increase GST.

"What New Zealander that he's met out in the street has told him that they want the price of their bread to go up? The price of their milk? The price of their power? The price of their kids' shoes and their back to school needs?"

Mr Goff says no-one asks for an increase in GST except those in the top income bracket, who will take it in exchange for tax relief for the high incomes they are earning.

Mr Goff says the speech delivers no real action plan for the country and it was more like "tiptoe Tuesday" than the "big Tuesday" National's spin doctors made it out to be.




Acknowledgements: © 2010 NZCity, NewsTalkZB

John Key's doodle like his prime ministership - a nothing...

Looking at John Key's silver fern flag doodle was a bit like doing a review of his prime ministership so far - he really hasn't done anything - just like the doodle.

So his doodle and his prime ministership is a nothing! Neither are worth a toss!

Foreshore and Seabed Act repeal/ Waitangi Day - who really cares...

Foreshore and Seabed Act repeal/Waitangi day - who really cares? I couldn't care a less. When's the next flight to OZ?

Prime Minister John Key has told those gathered at Waitangi's lower marae that the Foreshore and Seabed Act could be repealed this year. So, who really cares?



Prime Minister John Key made the statement while addressing Waitangi's lower marae. Mr Key says there are a number of ideas and some elegant solutions that will work for all New Zealanders.

"But again, like everything it's a negotiation. And there'll have to be give and take on both sides. But we've made our bottom lines pretty clear - which is access rights to all New Zealanders." But who really cares?

Mr Key says a solution is potentially reasonably close. But he says they are at that point of negotiations where the Government and those involved need to ensure progress.

The Prime Minister has told those gathered at Te Tii Marae that Waitangi Day is a day of unity. His visit to the marae has gone relatively smoothly after last year's attack by two protestors.

Mr Key joked and smiled with the public, accompanied by Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples and Northland MP John Carter.

In his address he also touched on the treaty settlement process and National's year-long relationship with the Maori Party. He says there is give and take and mutual respect between both parties. But who really cares?

Mr Key is relaxed about Ngapuhi asking the media to pay a $1,000 fee. Northland elder Hama Apihama told reporters and cameramen that they would not be allowed onto the lower marae unless they paid.

It is understood Maori Television and TVNZ paid the full fee, while TV3 refused and instead offered a $500 koha.

The New Zealand Herald gave $50, while the Northern News put forward $45. Newstalk ZB refused to pay.

Mr Key says he was not aware that money was changing hands. But he says the lower marae is private property and therefore it is up to those who control it.

Labour MPs have been welcomed onto the lower marae at Waitangi without incident.

Titewhai Harawira greeted Phil Goff warmly and kissed her on the cheek before briefly taking her arm. Maori Affairs spokesman Parekura Horomia and Northland-based MP Shane Jones both accepted challenges in the powhiri.

Former Labour MP Dover Samuels is upset the tino rangatiratanga flag is flying at Waitangi this year. He says his ancestors who died fighting overseas did not give their lives to see New Zealand with what he says is the 'separate' attitude symbolised by the flag. Don't worry about the dickheads, Dover!

"Most of the people in this country wouldn't understand what tino rangatiratanga means. It means absolute soverignty. And I think people should think about it very carefully." There is but one Government in this country, and it is based in Wellington.

Mr Samuels says the flag has been manufactured by Hone Harawira and his whanau

Who really cares? They can keep their 'private' marae! They can also fly their flags on Waitangi/Harawira Day too. Who really cares? Waitangi Day is a crock and meaningless to a majority of non-Maori New Zealanders. We need a new national day, perhaps Dominion Day. Something that will be respected as a national day.

The National Standards policy National is ramming through...

The National Standards policy National is ramming through - or trying to, is a bloody crock! John Key has had to rescue the policy which is not fully understood or wanted by the teaching profession.

It's putting the cart before the horse, is using money taken off adult education, and insults teachers by claiming a third of them are bloody useless and shouldn't be teachers. Use the money to support teaching and teachers and to encourage more male teachers back into the teaching profession. Get some balance back into the teaching of our children and grandchildren.

Parents don't fully understand what National is trying to ram through. How can anybody support anything that National rams through? National standards are pretty low all round the traps!