Women wearing burquas refused entry onto NZ buses

Women wearing burquas refused entry onto NZ buses...

The two bus drivers who refused to accept passengers on their buses because they wore burquas didn't do anything wrong. If I was a bus driver and had a potential passenger wearing a burqua, hoody with dark glasses or a person with a handkerchief around their face, I would refuse them admittance too until they removed them. As far as Muslims wearing burquas goes, remember the adage, "when in Rome do as the Romans do." NZ is not a Muslim country, but we should remember also that the burqua is a cultural requirement, not the Prophet's. I don't have a problem with head scarves, because some Christian sects still wear them.
 
I don't appreciate the comments emanating from Saudi Arabia either about the veiled threats about 'paying students' from that country. We don't like being intimidated by people who won't even let their women drive in their home country.
 

But John Key is such a gutless wonder he won't stick up for NZ citizens either! Strange from a prime minister of Jewish descent too? 

The Alliance Party condemns Attorney General's intervention in sleepover court case...

Alliance condemns Attorney General’s intervention in sleepover pay court case



The Alliance Party believes that the Attorney General’s decision to apply to the Supreme Court for permission to intervene yet again in the IHC sleep over case shows how little regard the government has for low paid workers and for disabled people.

The Alliance believes that the Government would be better advised to spend the money it is using to fight the case on helping to pay sleepover workers a decent pay rate instead, says Alliance Disability Issues Spokesperson Chris Ford.

“With or without the Attorney General, the Supreme Court will rule against them, as has the Employment Court and the Court of Appeal. Therefore, the whole exercise is a blatant waste of taxpayer’s money.”

“What exactly is wrong with paying disability support workers a decent wage and paying them for all of the hours they work? Nobody should have to work 16 hours for eight hours wages, especially not at the miserly hourly rates support workers are paid. This would not be tolerated in any other sector.”

The government can afford to increase funding to IHC and other disability support providers to enable them to pay their workers adequately for the very valuable work that they do.

But they choose not to because they don’t consider the disability sector important enough. They prefer to spend taxpayer’s money on such things as tax cuts for the wealthy, rugby tournaments, stadiums, cycle tracks, and BMWs for MPs.

“The Alliance Party believes it is time to reprioritize and spend money where it really matters, so that all New Zealanders earn a liveable wage and that those in need of support receive the assistance they require to live a decent life,” says Mr. Ford.

The Alliance fully supports the SFWU in their fight for justice for support workers and disabled people and calls on all other political parties to do the same.

KR says: Good question. Why is the government doing this? For the same reason they won't raise the minimum wage to $15.00 per hour.

A NZ education union claims $63 million in cuts to schools...

A NZ Education Union claims schools facing $63 million in cuts to schools...



The Post Primary Teachers Association claims secondary schools are facing $63 million in cuts, while having to pay more for KiwiSaver contributions.





A NZ teachers' union claims secondary schools are facing $63 million in cuts, while having to pay more for KiwiSaver contributions.



Post Primary Teachers Association President Robin Duff says the Government has been sly in saying education would get more funding, when in reality money is being stripped from schools.



He says schools also face being stripped of $24 million in the guise of quarterly funding.



Mr Duff says there needs to be clarity around exactly where the cuts are going to be made.



The Government has claimed that there would not be any cuts to health or education. Are they now telling porkies to New Zealand?

Nats to reject any deal in Epsom: Mathew Hooton...

WEEKEND REVIEW: Matthew Hooton: Nats to reject Act deal in Epsom for this year's NZ elections



Rodney Hide :The greatest remaining risk to John Key’s re-election is his handling of Act in Epsom.



It’s been assumed that Rodney Hide holding Epsom for Act helps National. In fact, careful analysis of forecast party vote indicates that if Mr Hide wins Epsom, National will only be able to govern with coalition partners. If Act leaves Parliament, Mr Key and National will be able to govern alone.



Mr Hide’s situation is desperate. Polling suggests he would lose Epsom by as much as 30 points even if National stuck a blue rosette on Donald Duck. Further probing suggests that even if Mr Key instructed Epsom voters to back Mr Hide he may not prevail.



The only scenario pollsters have identified where Mr Hide might scrape in would be if National voters believed (a) that National couldn’t remain in government without Mr Hide and (b) that it would be certain to stay in government with him.



Most probably prompted by such data, Mr Hide and his Wellington aide Peter Keenan approached the Prime Minister’s office proposing that Mr Key interfere in the local National Party selection to impose a senior minister as candidate.



The idea was that the minister would have the reassurance of a high list ranking and would default the seat to Mr Hide. Trade minister Tim Groser’s name has emerged.



Impertinence

As well as being impertinent, the Hide/Keenan proposal is against National’s interests in every respect.



First, such a cynical deal would be an enormous boost to Labour’s themes of tails wagging dogs and secret far-right agendas. After the chicanery around Labour’s list, National would forgo the moral high ground.



The toxicity of Act’s brand is now such that National’s co-operation with it does not increase the overall centre-right vote but turns a greater number of centrist voters to Labour than Act brings to the table.



Second, a prime ministerial imposition of the Hide/Keenan deal would cause dissent in the Auckland National Party, where Mr Key needs every hand on deck.



In Epsom, party members want the right to choose their own candidate and have a local National MP, and a strong field of locals, including electorate chairman Aaron Bhatnagar, Parnell businessman Tom Bowden, former city councillor Paul Goldsmith, ex-UnitedFuture president Denise Krum, and long-serving party stalwart Scott Simpson, is emerging.



Even worse, were National to submit to the Hide/Keenan proposal, a general shuffling of National’s Auckland line up would be needed.



This would include crucial West Auckland seats such as New Lynn, where, ironically, Mr Groser has built up a strong personal following after beating Labour’s David Cunliffe for the 2008 election-night party vote.



The National Party and centre-right voters in New Lynn want Mr Groser back. They would be no more impressed than the people of Epsom in having an outsider imposed on them as part of a dodgy deal.



The third problem is that Mr Groser would probably win Epsom anyway. After living with Christine Fletcher and Richard Worth, and then suffering Mr Hide, Epsom people would relish the opportunity to have an MP of Mr Groser’s calibre. Labour, Green and other voters would also be told by their parties to tick Groser.



The Winston factor

These are only the start of the risks to National of the Hide/Keenan proposal.



Were it clear National was playing silly buggers in Epsom, Winston Peters would put his name forward.



With the media having already decided the general election is over, hordes of TV cameras and journalists would descend on the Hide/Groser/Peters circus.



Mr Peters would lose but winning would not be his intention. The publicity would push his party above 5% nationally and make a Labour/Green/NZ First/Maori Party/Harawira government feasible.



The Hide/Keenan proposal is the one thing that could make Phil Goff prime minister.



New right party

Wise heads in National are now preparing to give Act the bad news, with only one remaining argument in favour of capitulating to Mr Hide and Mr Keenan: that while such a deal might risk the 2011 election, National may need Act in 2014.



The opposite is true.



Act is so discredited as a serious political force that talks have been held about a credible new party on the right. The most important factor preventing it has been doubts that Mr Hide and his dwindling band would co-operate by folding Act’s remnants into a new structure.



Two parties to the right of National, competing for the same votes, would each doom the other.



Plan B is now in play. It involves Act being put out of its misery in 2011 so that a credible new party has three years to establish itself before 2014.

Acknowledgements: NBR on Mathew Hooton

An effing tragedy not a loss or an accident either

Image via Wikipedia


Key  is a Joke

John key was visiting an Auckland primary school and the class was in the middle of a discussion related to words and their meanings.

The teacher asked Mr Key if he would like to lead the discussion on the word 'Tragedy'.

So our illustrious leader asked the class for an example of a 'Tragedy'. A little boy stood up and offered: 'If my best friend, who lives on a farm, is playing in the field and a tractor runs over him and kills him, that would be a tragedy.'

'Incorrect,' said Key. 'That would be an accident.'

A little girl raised her hand: 'If a school bus carrying fifty children drove over a cliff, killing everybody inside, that would be a tragedy.'

'I'm afraid not’, explained Key, 'that's what we would refer to as a great loss'.

The room went silent. No other children volunteered. Key searched the room.

'Isn't there someone here who can give me an example of a tragedy?'

Finally, at the back of the room, little Johnny raised his hand and said:

'If a plane carrying you and Mr. English was struck by a 'friendly fire' missile & blown to smithereens, that would be a tragedy.'

'Fantastic' exclaimed Key, 'and can you tell me why that would be a tragedy?'

'Well', said Johnny, 'it has to be a tragedy, because it certainly wouldn't be a great loss, and it probably wouldn't be an effing accident either!

Destiny Church could lose its status as a charity - the Bishop to call on the Key

Destiny Church has tax issues...

The Charities Commission is preparing a final notice for Destiny Church, reportedly behind schedule with its tax returns.

The National Party at prayer, the Destiny Church, could be at at risk of losing its status as a charity.

Bishop Brian Tamaki is reportedly three months late filling the church's tax return, and the Charities Commission says it is sending a final notice.

New laws require all charities, including those operating as churches, to disclose their accounts.

No doubt the Bishop will be calling on the Key to get some sort of law change.




Acknowledgements: © 2010 NZCity, NewsTalkZB

Government accused of not taking the issue of cancer seriously...

Demand for melanoma awareness:

Cancer Society spokeswoman Judith Galtry says the government must raise melanoma awareness among young people

The Government is under fire for not appearing to take the issue of skin cancer control seriously enough.

The Cancer Society has released figures today showing the disease costs the health system more than $57 million a year. Spokeswoman Judith Galtry says there should be more funding for a schools sun protection programme. She says part of the problem is the issue is being sent backwards and forwards between the Ministries of Health and Education.

Dr Galtry says neither ministry appears to support the programme, despite the fact it is very successful. She says young people are at a higher risk of melanoma and early learning can be effective for establishing good practices throughout life.

Dr Galtry says skin cancer prevention is highlighted as a priority in the Cancer Control Strategy developed by Government and non-Government agencies.




Acknowledgements: NZCity, NewsTalkZB














© 2009 New Zealand City Ltd

Key Government a one term government...

The John Key led National government is a one term government if there was ever one, but is Phil Goff the answer to a Labour led government? Is he pressing the right buttons and getting onside with voters?

Apolgising for the alleged sins of the last Labour Government isn't something i would be doing if I was Phil Goff, a man who was incidently a delegate to labour party conferences I attended nearly thirty years ago.

Remenber this Phil, you will never be fit or good enough to lace up Helen Clark's shoes now or in the future,

Are you a future prime minister?

The Budget - slash and burn and no credibility...

The budget - slash and burn the media said. Yeah right!

This excuse for a PM and a government came to power - in fact they campaigned for a year before - on tax cuts, tax cuts! I think there was even a song about it - tax cuts!

They won the election through false presenting themselves - false pretences is a criminal offence.

Even they have any credibility at all, they will call an early election to get a mandate to govern!

The Government to beef up ER Act to protect temporary and casual workers...

The government has announced plans to beef up Employment Relations Act protection for temporary and casual staff

The government has announced plans to beef up Employment Relations Act protection for temporary and casual staff. It is also planning a campaign to make sure those workers are aware of their rights.

Council of Trade Unions spokeswoman Helen Kelly says the insecurity of such employment makes it difficult for those workers to assert their rights. She says many workers who are classified as casuals are expected to turn up on a regular basis, and are really no different from permanent workers. The Council of Trade Unions is welcoming the moves.

Ms Kelly says there is an army of casual employees, often low-paid workers, many of whom are insecure about their terms of employment, hours of work, and entitlements. She says today's announcement will be a real help for casual staff to get the rights at work the rest of the workforce have won.

While the Government is in this sympathetic frame of mind it should force employers to pay at least time and a half for overtime - I would have expected this to have happened afyer eight and a half years!

Southland surgeon exploits elderly woman - a scenario under a future National Govt.

This is a possible scenario under a future Key government - exploitation and corruption of our health services.Would you be stupid enough to let it happen?

14 August 2007
A Southland surgeon has been ordered to pay back money he charged an elderly woman for postoperative care following publicly-funded cataract surgery.

Health and Disability Commissioner Ron Paterson has found the unnamed surgeon exploited the patient and failed to comply with ethical standards. He says the surgeon should have made clear the patient was entitled to completely free treatment

As well as refunding her money, Mr Paterson has recommended the surgeon apologise to the woman. He also wants the National Ethics Committee to advice the Minister of Health of issues raised by the current mix of public and private treatment options available for elective surgery.