The Otago Daily Times is pursuing information about money paid to Ngai Tahu for advice and other help to Corrections in setting up a new 335 bed prison in Milburn, near Balclutha.
The department is obligated under the Resource Management Act to work with iwi in the construction of prisons. It pays iwi $45 an hour and up to $350 a day for this collaboration, which it said was consistent with rates paid in the public sector for the kind of work.
In a statement, new facilities development project manager Catherine Hall said it was vitally important the department involved Maori in the service provision, development and operation of the prison because Maori were overrepresented in the criminal justice system making up about half of all prisoners.
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Friday, April 07, 2006
Richard Worth on suppressed information
National MP Richard Worth is considering drafting a Private Member's Bill to change the law regarding suppression of evidence. He needs caucus approval. Names of victims should be suppressed but not names of accused. He quoted a US Supreme court judge who said, sunlight is the best disinfectant.
A simple person like me thinks that the accused is still just that though.
A simple person like me thinks that the accused is still just that though.
A pointer to the future
Here is one of the tables from the Family Court Statistics just released;
Ethnicity Distribution of Children in Care and Protection Cases in 2004
New cases Reviews
% European 42 45
% Pacific 10 7
% Māori 45 45
% Asian 2 2
% Other 1 1
There were 5,983 cases involving 8,165 children.
I tend to take the view that "grown-ups" are big enough and ugly enough to look after themselves. But what of the children? A lot of these kids will move around in foster care and end up as statistics on other tables, very likely to do with crime.
Hard to see the ethnic make-up of our prisons changing much in the near future.
Ethnicity Distribution of Children in Care and Protection Cases in 2004
New cases Reviews
% European 42 45
% Pacific 10 7
% Māori 45 45
% Asian 2 2
% Other 1 1
There were 5,983 cases involving 8,165 children.
I tend to take the view that "grown-ups" are big enough and ugly enough to look after themselves. But what of the children? A lot of these kids will move around in foster care and end up as statistics on other tables, very likely to do with crime.
Hard to see the ethnic make-up of our prisons changing much in the near future.
Hot off the press
For those of you interested in these things, for the first time Family Court Statistics have just been released.
According to the Minister; Key findings within the report are:
- The number of guardianship cases has decreased between 2003 and 2004.
- The number of domestic violence cases dealt with in the Court has decreased.
- Care and protection case continue to increase but at a slower rate than previously.
- Mental health and relationship property cases are increasing.
According to the Minister; Key findings within the report are:
- The number of guardianship cases has decreased between 2003 and 2004.
- The number of domestic violence cases dealt with in the Court has decreased.
- Care and protection case continue to increase but at a slower rate than previously.
- Mental health and relationship property cases are increasing.
Govt, liberty and such matters
These quotes are from Peter McWilliam's book "Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do" which explores the absurdity of consensual crime.The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. Bertrand Russell
I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones. John Cage
I don't make jokes - I just watch the government and report facts. Will Rogers
It is hard to fight an enemy who has outposts in your head. Sally Kempton
No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programmes, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Bureaucracy defends the status quo long past the time when the quo has lost its status. Laurence J.Peter
If a nation expects to be ignorant and free....it expects what never was and never will be. Thomas Jefferson
Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other. Ronald Reagan
Award-winning IRD
Shouldn't be surprised that the Best Government Website coincides with what they do best - take our money off us.
Pathetic
From the ODT; "Gareth Morgan earlier this week he would be giving away his share of the sale.
I have had thousands and thousands of letters, and 90% are basically asking for help with their mortgages, he told The New Zealand Herald.
Amongst that, there are some genuine needy cases, but I wonder if New Zealanders should look at themselves hard.
It’s no wonder the Government has such a job sorting out the benefits and has to employ armies to sort out the genuine cases from the freeloaders, he said.
He was shocked by people coveting his new-found millions after the Trade Me deal was announced. I am a bit surprised by the self-centred nature of it."
I have had thousands and thousands of letters, and 90% are basically asking for help with their mortgages, he told The New Zealand Herald.
Amongst that, there are some genuine needy cases, but I wonder if New Zealanders should look at themselves hard.
It’s no wonder the Government has such a job sorting out the benefits and has to employ armies to sort out the genuine cases from the freeloaders, he said.
He was shocked by people coveting his new-found millions after the Trade Me deal was announced. I am a bit surprised by the self-centred nature of it."
KiwiSaver scrutinised by the Wall St Journal
The Wall St Journal says KiwiSaver is a lemon. Here the NCPA identifies why;
More worryingly, KiwiSaver does little to address the root cause of New Zealanders' atrocious savings habits; namely, the country's generous welfare system:
* Today, Wellington guarantees 65 percent of the national average wage upon retirement at age 65.
* These payments aren't income or asset tested, meaning everyone receives the same treatment, regardless of wealth.
Observers ask: Why would New Zealanders save today if the government will look after them in their old age?
And, in the meantime, why should New Zealanders earn too much and accumulate assets when they'll lose their state benefits or be forced to start paying child support or paying back their student loans?
More worryingly, KiwiSaver does little to address the root cause of New Zealanders' atrocious savings habits; namely, the country's generous welfare system:
* Today, Wellington guarantees 65 percent of the national average wage upon retirement at age 65.
* These payments aren't income or asset tested, meaning everyone receives the same treatment, regardless of wealth.
Observers ask: Why would New Zealanders save today if the government will look after them in their old age?
And, in the meantime, why should New Zealanders earn too much and accumulate assets when they'll lose their state benefits or be forced to start paying child support or paying back their student loans?
Thursday, April 06, 2006
What happened to promised "transparency"?
I mentioned the other day the seemingly precarious disposition of Pete Hodgson, Minister of Health. This is a shocker. ACT MP, Heather Roy, has referred a directive from him to the Auditor General. He wants MPs to seek his permission before meeting with DHBs and to be provided with a meeting debrief from the DHB.
Whatever happened to the "transparent and accountable " government Clark promised us?
Whatever happened to the "transparent and accountable " government Clark promised us?
Times have changed
Here Jim Peron describes his experience of trying to deliver a lecture on political economics to an American high school class. It raised my eyebrows. Does anybody know how this would compare to a NZ high school?
How big is a billion?
A billion hours ago, our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.A billion minutes ago, Jesus was barely dead.
A billion seconds ago, it was 1974.
A billion dollars of NZ government spending ago was just 7 days, 2 hours and 24 minutes ago.
(adapted from the Adam Smith blog)
Update; My most cringing apologies. A reader has pointed out that a billion minutes ago Jesus would have been dead 105 years and a billion seconds ago it was 1974!
I did get the bit about govt spending right.
Once the cat is out of the bag.....
Further from the Hansard debate on the Social Security Amendment Bill which introduced the DPB (reading historical Hansard is preferable to listening to Parliament today).
Dr Wall (Labour); "Step by step we are moving to the situation where financial provisions, quite rightly, are being based on the economic requirements of the people who are being supported by our pension schemes of one form or another; but unless there is very close supervision we will see the economic considerations gradually producing economic pressures to alter the social structure of our community, particularly in the family sphere.
We see this overseas, particularly in Sweden, where some very drastic and far-reaching changes have occurred in the pattern of family life, and when one looks at the processes by which these developed one finds they are largely due to the step-by-step increases in benefits along the path we are now treading."
So some of the members knew they were taking a risk, that they might be letting a cat out of the bag. The "close supervision" never happened.
And look! We are still following in Sweden's footsteps.
Dr Wall (Labour); "Step by step we are moving to the situation where financial provisions, quite rightly, are being based on the economic requirements of the people who are being supported by our pension schemes of one form or another; but unless there is very close supervision we will see the economic considerations gradually producing economic pressures to alter the social structure of our community, particularly in the family sphere.
We see this overseas, particularly in Sweden, where some very drastic and far-reaching changes have occurred in the pattern of family life, and when one looks at the processes by which these developed one finds they are largely due to the step-by-step increases in benefits along the path we are now treading."
So some of the members knew they were taking a risk, that they might be letting a cat out of the bag. The "close supervision" never happened.
And look! We are still following in Sweden's footsteps.
Famous last words
Here is the low key, Evening Post, page 16, Dec 1, 1973 press clipping that announced the introduction of the DPB.
"The new benefit will provide all solo parents, irrespective of the cause of solo parenthood, with defined benefit criteria; rates and income exemptions," said Mr King (Minister of Social Welfare).
The next is the Hansard from 25 October, 1972, which shows Hon. L.R. Adams-Schneider, Minister of Social Welfare (soon to be replaced by a Labour government Minister as per above) detailing the expected cost of the DPB.
"The cost of the proposed domestic purposes benefit is estimated at up to $250,000 a year."
Adjusting for benefit inflation, that's around $4 million by today's standards.
So what is the bill for today's DPB recipients? $2.3 billion
"The new benefit will provide all solo parents, irrespective of the cause of solo parenthood, with defined benefit criteria; rates and income exemptions," said Mr King (Minister of Social Welfare).
The next is the Hansard from 25 October, 1972, which shows Hon. L.R. Adams-Schneider, Minister of Social Welfare (soon to be replaced by a Labour government Minister as per above) detailing the expected cost of the DPB.
"The cost of the proposed domestic purposes benefit is estimated at up to $250,000 a year."
Adjusting for benefit inflation, that's around $4 million by today's standards.
So what is the bill for today's DPB recipients? $2.3 billion
The goings-on of Christchurch gangs
Women and children of Aoteroa gang members who are in prison are being victimised by Mongrol Mob members. This makes my skin crawl frankly. There will be very young children and babies involved, quite probably the crimes won't just be against property.
A mother speaking to the media says; "I suppose the women's role is really to look after our kids – we are mothers. It's (gangs) a male thing – I don't see women with patches on. We might be around the gang scene but we don't get told anything. We are just the ones who get s... from it". The whole gang scene was "s... really", but it was a case of sleeping in the bed you made for yourself, she said.
A detective involved says, "Unfortunately, kids are being exposed to things they should not be seeing when they are kids. If these women believe they are the victims of crime we are quite happy to help them.
"In some ways they are victims of their own involvement. If they broke away from the people then they would not be subject to this type of intimidation from the other chapters. The trouble is, they find it hard to break away."
And you know who's funding all this misery don't you.
A mother speaking to the media says; "I suppose the women's role is really to look after our kids – we are mothers. It's (gangs) a male thing – I don't see women with patches on. We might be around the gang scene but we don't get told anything. We are just the ones who get s... from it". The whole gang scene was "s... really", but it was a case of sleeping in the bed you made for yourself, she said.
A detective involved says, "Unfortunately, kids are being exposed to things they should not be seeing when they are kids. If these women believe they are the victims of crime we are quite happy to help them.
"In some ways they are victims of their own involvement. If they broke away from the people then they would not be subject to this type of intimidation from the other chapters. The trouble is, they find it hard to break away."
And you know who's funding all this misery don't you.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Thank God for Working For Families
From today's DomPost;Benefit cheat spared prison
A young mother fraudulently pocketed thousands of dollars in benefit payments despite receiving generous financial support from her husband - and taking holidays to America.
Her lawyer says she can repay the $27,000 in domestic purposes benefit because she is now eligible for the Government's Working for Families welfare assistance.
I kid you not.
Lynley Hood
Lynley Hood, author of "A City Possessed", has written about the appointment of Howard Broad as Police Commissioner. She is not happy.
Are Facts Obsolete?
Is the question posed by Thomas Sowell in this excellent column
"People who have made up their minds and don't want to be confused by the facts are a danger to the whole society. Since the votes of such people count just as much as the votes of people who know what they are talking about, politicians have every incentive to pass laws and create policies that pander to ignorant notions, if those notions are widespread."
"People who have made up their minds and don't want to be confused by the facts are a danger to the whole society. Since the votes of such people count just as much as the votes of people who know what they are talking about, politicians have every incentive to pass laws and create policies that pander to ignorant notions, if those notions are widespread."
Police on trains
Scoop reports, Police are going to start travelling in train cabs.
From today motorists who try and race trains across level crossings could well find out their act of stupidity has been witnessed by police.
This is apparently to deter would-be racers. How? If anyone is that damn fool to play "chicken" with a train is the fact a cop's on board to see them do it going to make a blind bit of diference. Actually I think it might encourage them.
From today motorists who try and race trains across level crossings could well find out their act of stupidity has been witnessed by police.
This is apparently to deter would-be racers. How? If anyone is that damn fool to play "chicken" with a train is the fact a cop's on board to see them do it going to make a blind bit of diference. Actually I think it might encourage them.
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