General Debate 5 October 2008

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expat

Don’t you love a country that has unrecognisable goat tracks listed as public roads on your Sat Nav and the rental car company doesnt care about the underside bumper damage.
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October 5, 2008 8:09am
calendar girl

My thoughts this morning are still with Varinder Singh, the Otara retailer arrested for dealing to armed teenagers threatening his business. The obvious enthusiasm with which charges were levelled against Mr Singh, and the haughty finger-wagging of Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Pizzini, cause me great concern about attitudes of current police management and their policies.
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October 5, 2008 8:32am
Inventory2

Spot on calendar girl. The fact that Mr Singh has already been before the beak, whereas the 15yo is having his ego massaged by social workers while the Police decide what, if anything to charge him with speaks volumes.
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October 5, 2008 8:40am
Lee C

Don;t be ridiculous, calendar girl. He should have simply dialled 111 and waited for forty minutes while the miscreants cleaned him out, like law-abiding citizens should. That would have made sure his mortgage was paid this week wouldn’t it? Perhaps some kind of collection should be raised via the sensible sentencing trust for him.
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October 5, 2008 8:40am
Tauhei Notts

I cringed when I heard the laudatory statements made about Winston Peters at the Hastings races yesterday.
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October 5, 2008 8:41am
Lee C

It’s quite simple – we live in a society in which deadbeats feel they can walk the streets armed, with impunity. Because the police presence is so low.
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October 5, 2008 8:43am
Lee C

good morning Tony. I’m off to the zoo this morning with the little boy and medium-sized wife, then will open the shopo this afternoon as times are lean. Have a great day, and also you blog is coming on strong – reflecting you evident work-ethic. All the best, message ends.
ps the VDS is crap!
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October 5, 2008 8:46am
dad4justice

Oh well playschool parliament is over and Mr Glenn is getting a sunburnt bottom. Hooray said Madam speaker and Winston launches his election campaign today with radar in the audience. It will be such fun, as John Rowles is going to sing a special song for the old crony, namely,”If I Only Had Time”. Time for what, as surely the Winston-Klarkula side show act is all but over?
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October 5, 2008 9:15am
Tom B

Apologies DPF if this flying to close to the suppression order and I understand if it needs to be taken down – but this is a really grey area.

[DPF: Yes it was too close so I have removed info]
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October 5, 2008 9:15am
cha

Tom B,google is your friend.
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October 5, 2008 9:24am
Patrick Starr

From the SST – “Tim Shadbolt has admitted being unfaithful to his former wife, and claims he shared a bed with Green MP Sue Kedgley, who was drunk at the time”

Kedgley,- who tells all of us what’s safe to put in your mouth. – Lol
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October 5, 2008 9:27am
a3catlady

Unbelievably Winston had a candidate complete with black caravan and outift campaigning in Warkworth yesterday during their annual Festival – I didnt think there was anyone left crazy enough to do this – even stranger this candidate is a relatively young person being a mother of primary school aged children. – I really dont understand this.
DPF for your candidate list she is Tracey Martin, electorate is Rodney
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October 5, 2008 9:28am
Tom B

Cha – exactly! I found a few like that. So what’s the point in keeping that piece of information from the rest of the public who either don’t have the access or the knowledge to find it out. In previous name suppression cases overseas websites have published the suppressed details and then NZ surfers could find them – but in this case it’s not even relying on someone breaking the law.

All just seems a bit short sighted.
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October 5, 2008 9:38am
Christopher

My thoughts are also with Mr Singh.

An effective right of self-defence is among the many goals of the Sensible Sentencing Trust.

Usually I think advocacy groups are completely ineffective, but the SST do remarkable work, and there really is a groundswell of public support for their views.

Take a moment to drop by their website and have a look around. I’d also urge you to consider joining the SST and making a donation. They’re getting there, but they need support, and this is one cause definitely worth my money!
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October 5, 2008 9:40am
cha

Tom B, police conduct in the eastern bay hasn’t changed since the glory days when some thought they were able to do whatever they liked.
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October 5, 2008 10:04am
thewizardnz

Perhaps Tom B and cha, it is a case of the Police looking after their own. It seems ludicrous that they put an occupation supression order in place for a named person who in the past has revelled in the glory of publicity.
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October 5, 2008 11:30am
thedavincimode

a3catlady

That would be Tracey Martin, mother, of Rodney and IQ of 9.

She appears to have much in common with the deranged old biddy that I’ve seen quoted in the last day or so who agreed that Winston had been a bit naughty but she was still going to vote for him because he had such a lovely smile.

One can only imagine how the children of this single diigt IQ mother will turn out.

This raises the issue of voting entitlement and whether anyone possessed merely of a single digit IQ does in fact meet the minimum threshold of sanity entitling a vote.

The Electoral Act 1993 does not itself determine where that threshold lies. However, it does deny voting entitlements to persons locked up in the looney bin under a couple of pieces of legislation; one being the Intellectual Disability (Compulsory Care and Rehabilitation) Act 2003. Section 7 of that Act defines a looney in the following terms:

“7 Meaning of intellectual disability

(1) A person has an intellectual disability if the person has a permanent impairment that—

(a) results in significantly sub-average general intelligence; and

(b) results in significant deficits in adaptive functioning, as measured by tests generally used by clinicians, in at least 2 of the skills listed in subsection (4); and

(c) became apparent during the developmental period of the person.

(2) Wherever practicable, a person’s general intelligence must be assessed by applying standard psychometric tests generally used by clinicians.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (1)(a), an assessment of a person’s general intelligence is indicative of significantly sub-average general intelligence if it results in an intelligence quotient that is expressed—

(a) as 70 or less; and

(b) with a confidence level of not less than 95%.

(4) The skills referred to in subsection (1)(b) are—

(a) communication:

(b) self-care:

(c) home living:

(d) social skills:

(e) use of community services:

(f) self-direction:

(g) health and safety:

(h) reading, writing, and arithmetic:

(i) leisure and work.

(5) For the purposes of subsection (1)(c), the developmental period of a person generally finishes when the person turns 18 years.

(6) This section is subject to section 8.”

Section 8 (which qualifies the application of section 7) provides:

“8 Persons who do not have intellectual disability

(1) A person does not have an intellectual disability simply because the person—

(a) has a mental disorder; or

(b) has a personality disorder; or

(c) has an acquired brain injury; or

(d) does not feel shame or remorse about the harm that person causes to others.

(2) To avoid doubt, if—

(a) a person does not have an intellectual disability, the provisions of this Act relating to compulsory care cannot apply to the person, whether or not the person has any other disability:

(b) a person does have an intellectual disability, those provisions are not prevented from applying to the person simply because the person also has 1 or more of the characteristics described in subsection (1)(a) to (d).”

On the face of it, this suggests that Tracy Martin qualfies to be tossed into the looney bin, but remains entitled to vote until that happens. On the other hand, the application of section 8 would suggest that her party leader would not be locked up under this legislation (although, the potential application of the Electoral Act which denies voting to persons imprisoned for three years or more remains a matter of speculation at this time).

I haven’t looked beyond this point because I’m feeling a bit peckish, but perhaps someone with relevant expertise can shine some light on how these provisions might be utilised in sufficient time that come 8 November, all these nutters are safely tucked up in a rubber room somewhere.

Failing that, the only available option appears to be to arrange for buses to collect them all from their retirement homes on election day on the promise of a cup of tea, a scone and a visit to their local polling booth; but instead deliver them to a remote location on the central plateau.
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October 5, 2008 11:52am
reid

Have you guys heard about the Iranian ship bound for Suez that was captured by pirates who opened the cargo and found a grey powder. 16 of them died from radiation poisoning within days. Ship was owned by an Iranian state company run by the military.

Some speculation is that it was a dirty bomb to be blown up at Suez where prevailing winds would send it over Israel. Would be a huge death toll. Ship is currently anchored in a small fishing village in Somalia. US, Russian and French naval units are waiting for it to enter international waters to board and search.

Brian Harring from TBRNews has the most comprehensive report, also it’s in this newspaper and various blogs e.g. LGF are also running threads on it.

I’d link to those too if WordPress wasn’t so fucking useless. Just Google “Pirates die strangely after taking Iranian ship”
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October 5, 2008 11:58am
Owen McShane

The local mindset at work.
This story indicates the real choice of vision New Zealanders have to make and insist their leaders understand.

The Mindset at Work.
Chris Laidlaw’s Sunday programme had a fascinating discussion on the proposed Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project, one of the largest international science projects ever. The multi-billion dollar project will build a giant set of radio telescopes spread across the Australian continent with a total “dish” area of 1 km2. If New Zealand joins in (at a price of $7 million for four telescopes) the telescope ‘baseline’ is extended from 3,500 km to 5,000 km and performance is increased by 60% – which hugely improves the Australian bid. We benefit from hooking into both the super-computing network processing all the collected data in real time, and the super broadband links between Australia and New Zealand.

This project would be the Southern Hemisphere’s equivalent of the super-collider and is exciting stuff.

But Minister of Science Pete Hodgson was lukewarm to say the least. He scored the “direct science benefit” as “low”, ranked the “good world citizen” element “well”, and the indirect benefits as “don’t yet know”.

Dr Hutchison, National Party spokesman for Research, Science and Technology, was much more enthusiastic about this “terrific opportunity”, but clearly has his work cut out.

After all, at the same time, lobbyists, councils and government agencies were promoting a cycle lane across the Auckland Harbour Bridge, because a fifty million dollar spend-up on bikes symbolises the future direction of “sustainable” transport in New Greenland.
How can supercomputing and super-broadband compete with post-modern-retro fads like that?
Our best and brightest will have other ideas.
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October 5, 2008 12:29pm
s.russell

Actually I think both (the Square Kilometre Array and the cycle lane) are good ideas (subject to detailed analysis).

We spend billions of dollars every year on roads for cars and trucks because this has net benefits to New Zealand. Spending a bit on bikes would too. Cycling to work is healthier, less polluting, reduces fuel imports, and reduces congestion, which saves time and money for commuters, and reduces pressure for more capital expenditure on roads.

Also, to be fair to Pete Hodgson, he is right that the direct science benefit to NZ is low. The broadband and supercomputing is for the project, not for everyone else. I am nevertheless inclined to support the project because of the huge benefit to science.
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October 5, 2008 12:42pm
RRM

Anyone who hasn’t seen Wall-E at the flicks should definitely do so; it’s gorgeous. Great voice-acting can still create a lot with a little. Especially the little girl robot: “wallE…? WallE……?? WallE!!”

In these dire economic/political times it is nice to see something cute like this that reminds you what is important in life and what is *really* important!
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October 5, 2008 1:17pm
boomtownprat

Thats right RRM. Great film …………………and don’t the humans remind you of Parekura Horomia?
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October 5, 2008 1:22pm
riki

Isn’t it strange that we feel confident of leaving behind the the Communist Lairbour era and seeing and end to winston’s dominance on our political scene and then it doessn’t matter cause the uS is falling apart att he seams and bringing us all down. and even John Key cannot speak on how NZ can survive or even stratagise.

The subject is the biggest in the world and yet our politico’s are saying nothing. They’ve simply got no assurances for us.

No wonder people are turning to the churches. Which wil promptly be banned one day I’m thinking. Except for the mosques of course.

Final word from Samuel Dover this morning,, “I’m not PC!”

What sitting politico says that. Not a paid one.
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October 5, 2008 3:38pm
WraithX

cha @ 9:24: Google cache is useful too:

http://209.85.175.104/search?q=cache:otvcQFDnSSIJ:www.trade2win.com/boards/foyer/23381-random-bizarre-stories-around-world.html+%22Adrian+Hilterman%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=17&client=safari
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October 5, 2008 5:34pm
Seamonkey Madness

I heard on Radio Live on Friday(?), a caller rang up (and I can only now assume that it is Penny Bright) saying she has brought a complaint to the SFO against Key with respect to his shares in Tranzrail.

She sounded pretty fired up and like she was in the ‘John-Key-eats-babies brigade.

Just found this on NewstalkZB site:

Key complaint with SFO

05/10/2008 15:16:18

National Party leader John Key’s failure to fully disclose information about his shareholding in Tranz Rail is the subject of a Serious Fraud Office complaint.

Auckland agitator Penny Bright is behind it, and she says she will also be laying a complaint with the police.

Ms Bright says Mr Key’s failure to declare his interest should be given as much, if not more exposure than donations to New Zealand First have received.
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October 5, 2008 7:04pm
big bruv

has anybody ever suggested to Penny Bright that she might like to get a fucking job instead of wasting everybody else’s time?
No doubt the tax payers are funding her “struggle”
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October 5, 2008 7:08pm
Viking2

National increases its lead in the latest tvnz poll

nats 52
lab 33
greens 7
maori 2.5
act 1.5
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October 5, 2008 7:30pm
slightlyrighty

Yay! I love that complaint to the SFO about Key! Haven’t had such a good laugh in ages! Penny Bright should be arrested for wasting police time!
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October 5, 2008 7:37pm
jcuknz

Ithought E-Wall was a good idea but not a particularly good film … but that was perhaps becuase I was revolted by all the obese humans portrayed
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October 5, 2008 7:43pm
Lindsay Addie

Why was the poodle having a sweat-a-thon on the news tonite?
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October 5, 2008 7:54pm
dad4justice

TVNZ just love greasing up political poodles.
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October 5, 2008 8:02pm
bearhunter

with regard to mr singh, i would suggest he aims for a jury trial. i can’t imagine a jury of average peopel convicting him.
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October 5, 2008 8:16pm
Lindsay Addie

TVNZ just love greasing up political poodles.

Hey D4J perhaps the old poodle has got a bad dose of rabies!?
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October 5, 2008 8:33pm
dad4justice

It’s either “rabies” or symptoms that indicate he has been close with someone badly infected with mad cows disease. Maybe the H bug?
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October 5, 2008 8:37pm
Lindsay Addie

Is that the H1 bug or the H2 strain, catching both strains at once leads to madness doesn’t it?

😆
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October 5, 2008 8:54pm
dad4justice

Both the H1 and H2 strain can be fatal when spreading within a deteriorating absolute power regime 😉
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October 5, 2008 9:02pm
Lindsay Addie

Bad poll ratings and H1/H2 bugs accelerates the illness! Esp when your at 2% and no one loves you anymore!

😆
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October 5, 2008 9:05pm
Tauhei Notts

It’s general Debate so I can write this.
Did anybody see Deborah Coddington’s brilliant column in this morning’s Herald on Sunday. Her writing recently has been dreadful, but whatever ailed her is now gone and she is back to the brilliance that we have known. Nice one Debs.
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October 5, 2008 9:12pm
jackp

I am very concerned. National dropped 11 points in the polls today and labour gained. Looks like Helen Clark might win the next election. I think John key has to get dirty by keeping it simple like Helen Clark is doing. He is too sophisticated, the average person’s mentality can’t grasp what he wants to do which is much better for this country. 9 years of handouts have dumbed the public…
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October 11, 2008 12:58pm

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