David Bain not guilty, not innnocent - no compo

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Joe Karam angry about Bain doco  - not guilty, not innocent -  no compo...








David Bain supporter Joe Karam says documentary claiming to have new evidence in Bain case "outrageous, untrue"



A documentary calling into question defence evidence at David Bain's retrial has angered long time supporter Joe Karam.



Mr Bain was found not guilty last year of murdering his father Robin, his mother Margaret and his siblings Stephen, Laniet and Arawa in Dunedin in 1994. His defence team argued that Robin killed the family before turning the gun on himself because he was having an incestuous affair with his daughter Laniet and feared it would be exposed.



Bryan Bruce's documentary which screened last night, questioned some of the testimony given by witnesses for the defence case at the murder trial in 1995 and the retrial in 2009.



In its attempt to argue that Robin was involved in an incestuous relationship, the defence team drew on evidence from Daryl Young who told the retrial he had sold Robin a photocopier for the principal's school in 1993. Mr Young said he came across Robin at a camping ground and believed he had been arguing with a woman. He said Robin was wrapped in a towel and smelt of alcohol. However, Mr Bruce produced a sales document which had the signature of Robin and a different sales person, Ian Arthur, who confirmed he had sold the photocopier to Mr Bain. He said it is possible Mr Young accompanied him when the document was signed but he did not recall any occasion when he saw the principal half undressed.



Other issues covered on the programme included the lack of Robin Bain's fingerprints on the gun used to shoot his family.



Mr Karam says TVNZ refused to listen to supporters' plea to postpone the documentary while they sought compensation for David Bain.



"They promote this thing and get this vast audience with the claim that one phone call to us could have put to bed completely and would have meant they couldn't make this outrageous, untrue claim that they'd found new evidence which busted the case wide open."



The documentary had an audience of 626,000 viewer


Actually David. Bain was found not guilty, not innocent.












Aknowledgements© 2010 NZCity, NewsTalkZB

NZ Opposition MP's staged walkout in protest against National chairwoman...

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Opposition MPs staged a walkout at a parliamentary committee today in a protest against the undemocratic conduct of the chairwoman, National MP Sandra Goudie.


Labour MPs Clayton Cosgrove, Rick Barker and Carmel Sepuloni and Green MP David Clendon walked out of the law and order select committee.



Mr Cosgrove said the walkout was a protest at Ms Goudie's conduct.



It was the "culmination of 18 months in which she had refused to respect the democratic role of Opposition MPs to ask questions and challenge government departments", he said.



Mr Cosgrove said Ms Goudie should study the way other committee chairs worked, specifically National's Chester Borrows who was "unfailingly polite" and seemed to want Opposition MPs to contribute to the democratic process.



"It's a matter of giving everyone a fair go."



Mr Cosgrove said he would write to Speaker Lockwood Smith about Ms Goudie's undemocratic behaviour.



Acknowledgemts:  - NZPA

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The National Government is testing the water to consider asset sales...

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Home > News > Politics





The National Government is testing the water, so to speak, to consider asset sales...


Public's view on partial privatisation of state assets to be assessed; Labour claims Nats testing water for future sale of SOEs; of course, what would you expect?



Labour is suspicious of work being done to assess the public's view on partial privatisation of state assets.



The Crown Ownership Monitoring Unit is undertaking the task at the request of Treasury.



Labour Party Finance spokesman David Cunliffe claims the Government's motivations are clear. He says it is obvious National intends privatising state assets if it is re-elected.



Mr Cunliffe says the Monitoring Unit's actions are a pre-cursor to that.



I wonder if NZ Post and Kiwi Bank are both being considered?








Acknowledgements: © 2010 NZCity, NewsTalkZB

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Julia Gillard is the first female prime minister of Australia...

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Julia Gillard is the new prime minister of Australia...


Julia Gillard became Australia's first female prime minister today when Kevin Rudd stepped down, as the Labor government sought to avoid election defeat later this year by changing leaders.



Gillard is expected to present more of a change of leadership style than substance, but investors hope she will soften a controversial super profits mining tax, which is threatening $28 billion worth of investment and has rattled voters.



The Australian dollar briefly jumped after the leadership change, while shares in BHP Billiton, the world's biggest miner, and Rio Tinto rose around two percent, on hopes of a mining tax compromise.



"The market is going to assume that the (mining) tax is going to be amended, and hence the worst case outcome they were staring at is not going to eventuate," said Richard Schellbach an equity strategist at Citi.



Rudd become the shortest-serving Australian prime minister since 1972, with his leadership falling apart after a string of poor opinion polls showed him losing ground over recent decisions to shelve a carbon-reduction scheme and impose a new mining tax.



Government lawmakers believe Gillard has a better chance of winning back voters ahead of an expected October poll because she is a warmer personality who can sell policies more effectively.



Miners expect tax softening



Miners have launched multi-million dollar advertisements warning of widespread job losses, spooking voters, if the 40% tax goes ahead in its current form in 2012.



Global miners such as Rio Tinto, BHP, and Xstrata are expected to campaign strongly against the tax, if it is not changed, at the next election and help a resurgent conservative opposition's bid to oust Labor.



"If they've gone to the trouble to put a new leader in to get their re-election chances up, then obviously they're going to water down the mining tax as well - all part of that strategy to shore up voter support," said Mark Taylor, senior resources analyst at Morningstar.



"I think you'll find that they might do something fairly radical. They might either say they're going to put it on the backburner and look at the whole thing all over again from a fresh start, or they'll make a fairly large concession on the uplift rate or the headline rate."



Despite investor hopes that a leadership change might spell a major backdown on the mining tax, left-winger Gillard's backers expect her to mount a much more effective defence of it.



Some economic analysts expressed concern over Gillard's left-wing, trade union background.



"Clearly this is a positive for the Australian dollar and stocks in the short and medium term," said Su-Lin Ong, senior economist at RBC Capital Markets.



But Ong cautioned: "She has been more left-wing than Rudd; she favours more regulation and spending. So maybe it means the budget deficit shrinks more slowly than otherwise."


The big question in my mind is...when will John key follow suit?


One news/ Reuters

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Roughed up NZ MP plans to complain for being assaulted by Chinese security in NZ...

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Roughed up New Zealand MP plans to complain - he was assaulted by Chinese security...



Parliament's Speaker will receive complaint from Green MP Russel Norman, who was roughed up by Chinese security as he held Tibet protest



Green MP Russel Norman plans to lay a complaint with Parliament's Speaker after he was roughed up by the Chinese Vice President's security officers.



The party co-leader was waving a Tibetan flag outside Parliament as Vice President Xi Jinping arrived. He was then manhandled by members of Mr Xi's entourage.



Political editor Barry Soper, who witnessed the scene, says the security contingent was very rough with Mr Norman and he describes the incident as "quite extraordinary.



"Chinese security and there are very large numbers of them, roughed (Mr Norman) up in a way that I've never seen a member of Parliament treated. He had the Tibetan flag ripped from him and trampled on by the Chinese security. He was prevented from getting anywhere near the vice president.



"If somebody does want to wave a Tibetan flag, which is clearly offensive to the Chinese and with the flag went Russel Norman chanting 'freedom for Tibet', well, we live in a democracy and should be able to express our views in the way Russel Norman did."



Mr Soper says Mr Norman can probably expect to receive similar treatment if he waves a Tibetan flag in front of the vice-president again.


Do you expect John Key to put a complaint in to the Chinese? Don't be funny! Seriously the Chinese security need to keep their hands to themselves while on NZ soil or water. There jog was to protect the Chinese dignatory. Any New Zealander is quite free to wave a Tibetan flag here in NZ - I would wave one myself! The Chinese invaded Tibet in the early 50's. Long live Tibet!




Acknowledgements: © 2010 NZCity, NewsTalkZB

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PM gives Maori Party ultimatum - like it or lump it - Bwana Key has spoken...

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PM gives Maori Party ultimatum - like it or lump it...





Maori Party given an ultimatum by PM John Key - accept the proposals for a new Foreshore and Seabed Act or the staus quo remains


The Government is moving closer to finalising its plan for replacing the controversial 2004 Foreshore and Seabed Act.



The issue was discussed at Cabinet yesterday.



John Key has laid things on the line for the Maori Party. He says if it does not agree to his proposals to replace the foreshore and seabed act, the 2004 act will stay the same until a later government can find a resolution..



The Prime Minister believes negotiations are nearly complete. He says while in theory he may get approval for the government's plans from other parties, he is insisting he has to have Maori Party support.



There are three conditions for the Maori Party - that the 2004 act is repealed, Maori customary rights are restored and iwi are given the right to go to court or negotiate with the government directly over the foreshore and seabed.


So there Maori Party, like it or lump it - Bwana Key has spoken!



Acknowlegements. © 2010 NZCity, NewsTalkZB

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Sports investment will not create significant numbers of jobs here in NZ...

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John Key and the National Government is to invest more millions into sport. Great ! I would have to support the basic idea. but what is he really trying to achieve?

This government's inane philosophy has destroyed thousands of public service jobs. How is sport going to create significant numbers of jobs. Its sports policy appears to be about putting money into elite sport. This is not the priority at present.

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