ELECTION 2008 | The Pub | The Field Mess | The Staff College | Bookmark WAB



Go Back   World Affairs Board > General Forums > Current Affairs
Register FAQ WAB RSS Feed Forum GuidelinesMembers List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Greetings, and welcome to the World Affairs Board!

The World Affairs Board is one of the premier forums for the discussion of the pressing geopolitical issues of our time. Topics include foreign & defense policy, international security, military developments, weapons proliferation, terrorism, international strategic affairs, and politics. Our membership includes many from military, defense industry, and government backgrounds with expert knowledge on a wide range of topics. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so why not register a World Affairs Board account and join our community today?
Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 01-16-2006, 19:18 PM   #1 (permalink)
Parihaka
Moderator
 
Parihaka's Avatar
 
Join Date: 11-10-04
Location: Te Ika a Maui
Posts: 9,465
Country:
And from the "only in New Zealand" file...

Quote:
Headbutted tourist 'disrespectful' of culture
17 January 2006

A Rotorua cultural performer who headbutted a Dutch tourist during a Maori welcome was angry th e man had smirked and looked about during his wero (challenge) to the group.

Richard Mitai-Ngatai, 40, appeared yesterday in Rotorua District Court and was ordered to do 150 hours of community work after pleading guilty last month to assaulting Dutch tourist Johannes Scheffers.

He headbutted Mr Scheffers, breaking his nose during a Maori welcome at the Tamaki Tours village, about 25km south of Rotorua, on November 24 last year.

Speaking after being sentenced yesterday, Mitai-Ngatai said he believed Mr Scheffers was being disrespectful during the challenge, an Auckland newspaper reported today.

"He was disrespecting my culture that I love, a culture I am proud to be a part of," Mitai-Ngatai said.

"I don't apologise for what I did. But I do apologise for hurting a man. What I did was serious. I do know I am lucky I am not in jail because of it."

In court yesterday Judge Chris McGuire convicted Mitai-Ngatai despite pleas by his lawyer not to.
Advertisement
Advertisement

The court was told that during the challenge, Mitai-Ngatai hit Mr Scheffers in the face with his forehead resulting in a small fracture in his nose and swelling to his eyes.

Police said Mr Scheffers gave a nervous grin with no intention to be disrespectful.

Judge McGuire said while he was swayed by the "glowing references" for Mitai-Ngatai and accepted the feeling he held for his culture, it was important that tourists knew they were safe when they visited.

"This was manuhiri (visitors) from the other side of the world who had paid to experience some of the richness of the culture we in this region are so proud of. Manuhiri must know when they come to Rotorua they are going to be safe."
Background. To experience 'traditional' Maori culture, tourists flock to various Maori 'villages' around the country and are welcomed with a traditional challenge. When this actually means something then you'd do well to take it seriously but this is a tourist venture for gods sake, the poor bugger got his nose broken for daring to smile
Parihaka is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-16-2006, 19:29 PM   #2 (permalink)
Parihaka
Moderator
 
Parihaka's Avatar
 
Join Date: 11-10-04
Location: Te Ika a Maui
Posts: 9,465
Country:
Pimps' initiative aims for safe streets

Quote:

Christchurch pimps have begun a new initiative to protect sex workers on the street by compiling a database on clientele.

According to the Sunday Star Times, pimps are using cell phones to collect information such as car registrations and descriptions of vehicles belonging to men picking up prostitutes.

The initiative, which was sparked by the death of two sex Christchurch sex workers last year, is aimed at making the streets safer for prostitutes and is currently in practice on one of the city's well-known pick-up strips, Manchester Street.

All information is provided by spotters who text or send images via mobile phones back to a base. The base holds data which can then identify new or suspicious clients.

The Times says that while police are supportive of measures to prevent attacks, they will not tolerate from any potential profiteering from the service, such as charging prostitutes "rent".

Police are also wary about the organised crime of so-called minders running Christchurch street workers, and are keeping tabs and those who are supposedly keeping tabs.

The regional co-ordinator for the Prostitutes Collective, Anna Reed, is also supportive of tighter security although she says it is up to the individual sex worker whether they choose to use the security being offered by pimps or not.
Prostitution is legal in NZ
Parihaka is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-16-2006, 19:31 PM   #3 (permalink)
Parihaka
Moderator
 
Parihaka's Avatar
 
Join Date: 11-10-04
Location: Te Ika a Maui
Posts: 9,465
Country:
and last but by no means least!

Quote:
Prison jobs open to crims
16 January 2006
By CHALPAT SONTI

Convicted criminals are being considered for jobs as prison guards as the Corrections Department struggles to attract recruits.

The department needs to find 1800 guards – mainly to staff new prisons – in the next four years, including 600 in the next year.

But a move to allow applications from people with minor convictions – which the department says it has always had discretion to do – has been criticised by the guards' union. The Corrections Association says hiring people with criminal records will open the department up to a stack of personal grievance claims.

Corrections considering people with convictions for jobs comes at the same time as a new law bites to remove such people from commercial driving roles. The Land Transport Amendment Act, which takes effect from today, means hundreds of bus and taxi drivers will lose their passenger transport licences because they have in the past – some up to 40 years ago – been convicted of sex crimes punishable by up to seven years prison.

Anyone previously wanting to become a prison guard must have had no criminal convictions in the past 10 years and needed to pass several selection tests.

The association, which represents most of the 2800 guards employed in New Zealand jails, says the selection criteria has been allowed to slip.

President Beven Hanlon said the move would be "disappointing" and could lead to more guards being sacked, more personal grievance claims against the department and its "army" of human resources staff, and lead to further waste of money. His comments followed figures made public by National Party law and order spokesman Simon Power, which showed 13 guards were sacked in the past year.

Four were fired for not turning up to work and one for facing criminal charges.

Mr Hanlon said many others were told by the union to resign before they were sacked.

Fourteen guards lodged personal grievances against the department, of which five received payouts of up to $3000. A list supplied to Mr Power does not state what the payouts were for, though four were for "unjustified action" and the other was because of "disparity of treatment".

A Corrections spokeswoman said any staff sacked because of their own actions were only entitled to receive outstanding pay and holiday pay.

Mr Hanlon said though the number of personal grievance payouts seemed few, the department had to make several more payouts after mediation.

More sackings and personal grievance claims were likely since entry standards were relaxed, Mr Hanlon said.

"It'll lead to more taxpayer money going down the drain to fix something that shouldn't have happened in the first place".

Selection tests had also become easier to pass. Previously, prospective guards who failed a test had to wait a year before being allowed to re-sit. Now they could immediately re-sit the parts of the test they had failed, and receive tuition from the department in how to pass.

The department spokeswoman said the entry criteria for guards had not changed. Each application was considered on its merits. However, violent or drug-related offending – or convictions carrying a custodial sentence – automatically disqualified an applicant.
Parihaka is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-16-2006, 23:54 PM   #4 (permalink)
lemontree
Bandaid
Military Professional
 
Join Date: 10-04-04
Location: India
Posts: 5,916
Quote:
Prison jobs open to crims
16 January 2006
By CHALPAT SONTI

Convicted criminals are being considered for jobs as prison guards as the Corrections Department struggles to attract recruits....
..Now this is a good way of keeping the criminals in jail forever.
__________________

Cheers!...on the rocks!!
lemontree is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-09-2006, 19:48 PM   #5 (permalink)
Parihaka
Moderator
 
Parihaka's Avatar
 
Join Date: 11-10-04
Location: Te Ika a Maui
Posts: 9,465
Country:
A minor but significant victory today in the war against beauracracy.
For the first time in New Zealands history I am actually allowed to call myself a "New Zealander" in our census.
Up until this time I could be a New Zealand citizen but under the ethnicity column I was not allowed to be so.
There still isn't a box to check labelled 'New Zealander" where as there is one for Maori, Fijian, Indian, Japanese, Korean, English, Irish, Dutch, et cetera, but for the first time I am 'allowed' to write NZr in the 'others' category.
Up until now if you wrote this, you would be catalogued as 'European'.
Nor was I allowed to state that I was of mixed race, I could only check Maori, which I partly am, or one of the others such as Irish/Scots/English which I also am.
I couldn't and still cannot even be New Zealander/Maori or European/Maori.
So after 5 generations of my ancestors all being born in New Zealand, I'm actually officially allowed to be one. Apparently the reason for the strict criteria was that the statistics were used to define the demographics of discrimination.
So having won that battle, this year I and others of like mind are organising to write 'Pakeha' or 'Ngati Pakeha', which is of course what we truly are
Parihaka is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-19-2006, 20:25 PM   #6 (permalink)
Parihaka
Moderator
 
Parihaka's Avatar
 
Join Date: 11-10-04
Location: Te Ika a Maui
Posts: 9,465
Country:
Cash sent to pay father's fine in bully case
20 April 2006
By JOANNA DAVIS

Families from throughout New Zealand have been pledging money to pay the $500 fine of the Christchurch father convicted of assaulting a boy who bullied his daughter.

Beckenham mother-of-three Alisha Woodhouse is organising the fund to show support for Daryl Falcon's actions in standing up for his 11-year-old daughter, who had been repeatedly bullied by a classmate.

The bullying included being hit on the head with a book, being punched in the arm and verbal abuse.

Falcon was convicted on Tuesday of assault after the attack outside Mairehau Primary School before classes on March 30 in which he grabbed the 11-year-old boy around the neck (edit: he actually grabbed his collar, not his neck) and poked him in the face.

Woodhouse, a clairvoyant, said a network of parents throughout the country wanted to show support for Falcon and frustration at the lack of action on bullying.

"I don't necessarily condone what Daryl did, but the fact is he felt there was no other platform for him to get something done," she said.

"It shows something needs to be done in our schools."
Advertisement
Advertisement

Woodhouse said any extra money donated to the fund would be given to Women's Refuge, the Whatsup children's helpline or another women's or children's charity.

She was pleased to help the Falcons as they had been stressed recently with an ill premature baby, the bullying and the "blemish on Daryl's record" from the assault conviction.

"He should be commended in standing up for his daughter," she said.

Woodhouse has started an online forum on the case and bullying.

Falcon said the fund was generous and he would not have been able to make a lump-sum payment of $500. "Especially with my wife off on maternity leave and having to pay for a lawyer, and as coincidence would have it, my car broke down, too."

Falcon said he had had support from workmates and strangers.

"Lots of guys have been coming up and shaking my hand and saying, `I would've done the same thing'."

He was initially embarrassed by his actions, but people's response to his court case showed bullying was an issue that needed highlighting, he said.

Falcon said outside court on Tuesday that he was unhappy with the school's lack of action.

"At the end of the day, the bully still wins. The school didn't do anything."

Falcon said his daughter had not been bullied again by the boy but other children had.

He believed the boy should be suspended from school.

Mairehau principal John Bangma said his school had a zero-tolerance approach to bullying. It had run the police-led Kia Kaha programme for at least four years and also devised a special programme for children who bullied and/or had been bullied.

Bangma would not comment on the Falcons' case.

Last edited by Parihaka : 04-19-2006 at 20:29 PM.
Parihaka is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-19-2006, 20:31 PM   #7 (permalink)
Parihaka
Moderator
 
Parihaka's Avatar
 
Join Date: 11-10-04
Location: Te Ika a Maui
Posts: 9,465
Country:
Woman's hair falls out after pharmacy blunder

18.04.06
By Stuart Dye

A woman collapsed and needed hospital treatment after she was given HIV medication instead of drugs for arthritis.

Tracey Sunderland's hair began falling out in clumps as she suffered a severe reaction because of the mix-up by the Unichem pharmacy at LynnMall in West Auckland.

The pharmacy has apologised and blamed human error for the mistake.

The 35-year-old went to the pharmacy with her usual prescription for Methotrexate, a drug she uses to treat the arthritis she has suffered since childhood.

But the mother of two was instead given Thioprine, an immune suppressant to prevent rejection of organs after transplant and also to treat HIV patients.

The mix-up comes less than three months after a 2-year-old nearly died when a Palmerston North pharmacy dispensed the wrong drug for her.

Mrs Sunderland, who is a medical laboratory scientist, says she knows the risks and seriousness of such cases.

"Someone has made a horrible mistake and a simple apology is not good enough."

Mrs Sunderland picked up the drugs at the beginning of last month and took what she thought was her usual weekly dose. The next day she felt dizzy and nauseous, but did not link that feeling to the drugs she had been taking for 18 months.

The following week she took another dose and vomited for several days. Her hair began falling out and she suffered severe cramps.

She attempted to take her dog for a walk but collapsed and was taken to hospital. It was only when her husband collected the drugs to show them to a doctor that the mistake came to light.

Mrs Sunderland had been taking 300mg of Thioprine - a huge dose that legitimate patients usually spend months working up to.

"It could have been much worse," she said. "People need to be aware that this happens and can be very dangerous."

LynnMall Unichem confirmed a dispensing error was made and apologised for any distress caused.

It said a human error was made in the final checking stage of the dispensing process.

"LynnMall Unichem has subsequently reviewed these procedures and changed the way it stores its medicines to help prevent a similar incident occurring in future," said a spokeswoman.
The Health and Disability Commissioner has been notified.

In January's prescription blunder in Palmerston North, toddler Emma Leader was supposed to take a cough medicine but was given a mislabelled anti-psychotic drug. Only hospital intervention saved her life.

The Pharmacy Council estimates that New Zealand pharmacists process about one million prescriptions a week, or 50 million a year.

Steve Wise, president of the Pharmacies Guild of which over 700 pharmacies are members, said the error rate was very low.
Parihaka is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-19-2006, 22:07 PM   #8 (permalink)
Jay
Tamizhanban
Senior Contributor
 
Jay's Avatar
 
Join Date: 08-06-03
Location: Edison, NJ
Posts: 6,191
Country:
Quote:
Mrs Sunderland, who is a medical laboratory scientist
Can she read?

Regardless its a screwup from Pharmacy and she shud get a fat check along with a personal apology
__________________
A grain of wheat eclipsed the sun of Adam !!
Jay is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-25-2006, 21:05 PM   #9 (permalink)
Parihaka
Moderator
 
Parihaka's Avatar
 
Join Date: 11-10-04
Location: Te Ika a Maui
Posts: 9,465
Country:
Men set sail with broomstick oars

Quote:
26/04/2006 11:20:04

The Coast Guard is baffled by the stupidity of two men who attempted to cross Cook Strait in a dinghy.

The men set off from Wellington at the weekend in a four metre wooden boat with just one sail and oars made from broomsticks.

They were spotted by a dive group when they ran into trouble at the entrance to Tory Channel in the Marlborough Sounds and had to be rescued.

Wellington Coast Guard president Dave Collins is amazed at the men's cavalier attitude. He says the least they could have done was told police they were going to attempt such a crazy caper.

Mr Collins is surprised the men got as far as they did, given the flimsy nature of their vessel. He suspects they were probably a bit embarrassed to be rescued, but grateful, as the wind was getting stronger.
Cook Strait is the waterway between the North and South Islands. It's located at about 41 degrees south (that's the roaring forties) and is the conduit between the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean. As you can imagine the currents through it are huge, and the waves regularly get higher than 10 metres. The true stupidity of these fellows can be illustrated by the photos below.




Parihaka is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-25-2006, 23:18 PM   #10 (permalink)
gunnut
Senior Contributor
 
gunnut's Avatar
 
Join Date: 01-27-06
Location: DPRK, Democratik People's Republik of Kalifornia
Posts: 9,375
Country:
Quote:
Convicted criminals are being considered for jobs as prison guards as the Corrections Department struggles to attract recruits.
I guess the inmates do run the prison there...
gunnut is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 05-04-2006, 20:20 PM   #11 (permalink)
Parihaka
Moderator
 
Parihaka's Avatar
 
Join Date: 11-10-04
Location: Te Ika a Maui
Posts: 9,465
Country:
Quote:
Civil Defence hit with tidal wave of criticism

05.05.06
By Elizabeth Binning


The Government has ordered a review of Civil Defence operations after the handling of yesterday's tsunami warning, which saw thousands flee their homes in panic.

Civil Defence Minister Rick Barker called for the review last night, saying the flow of information needed to improve. He wants media and other agencies informed of what's happening within half an hour of Civil Defence headquarters being told about an incident.

"The ministry will be looking carefully at the dissemination of information to the media and all our Civil Defence partners," he said. "We will also be looking at better ways of telling New Zealanders and the New Zealand media that there is no emergency when warnings and alerts have been withdrawn or downgraded."

The shakeup follows criticisms about the lack of information from Civil Defence after an international tsunami warning yesterday morning.

The alert was issued at 3.42am by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii after an earthquake in Tonga that measured 7.8 on the Richter scale.

The warning said it was large enough to cause a destructive tsunami. It then listed times that the wave would hit parts of New Zealand if it eventuated, the first impact being at Gisborne at 6.21am.

Within half an hour of the warning, international media were running the story. That prompted calls from expat New Zealanders all over the world.

Hundreds of residents fled their homes after receiving calls from loved ones. Many were dressed in their pyjamas and had no idea what was going on.

Local councils and emergency service workers were unable to provide much information as they had not been given any official word of the tsunami warning from Civil Defence.

Mr Barker said international media misreported the situation after it had been downscaled and caused unnecessary alarm.

"Misreporting by the BBC overnight led many people to believe a tsunami was heading for New Zealand. It was not," said Mr Barker.

Greg Ward, the BBC's reporter in New Zealand, said he was given his information about Gisborne being in danger at 6.10am by Auckland police.

He told the Herald he repeatedly tried Civil Defence staff and local council emergency staff but could get no response.

Mr Barker acknowledged the flow of information could have been better at this end.

Civil Defence national controller Mike O'Leary defended procedures yesterday, saying headquarters received word that a tsunami was unlikely within 15 minutes of receiving the first Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre report at 3.45am.

For that reason the information was not passed on to the media or any Government agencies.

Mr O'Leary said staff were not aware until 6am that people had begun evacuating. Once aware, they prepared a press statement, but that was not released until nearly 7am.
__________________
In the realm of spirit, seek clarity; in the material world, seek utility.
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
Parihaka is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2006, 17:15 PM   #12 (permalink)
Ray
Postmaster General
Military Professional
 
Ray's Avatar
 
Join Date: 08-20-03
Posts: 26,149
Country:
Great stuff.

Keep it going.

If you don't, you wil get headbutted!

__________________


"Some have learnt many Tricks of sly Evasion, Instead of Truth they use Equivocation, And eke it out with mental Reservation, Which is to good Men an Abomination."

I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.

HAKUNA MATATA
Ray is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2006, 20:52 PM   #13 (permalink)
ZD12
Banished
 
Join Date: 05-04-06
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Posts: 61
Oooh..i've been dying to visit new zealand and australia...new zealand seems to be such a beautiful place..plus i've got a cousin there whos always making me jealous
ZD12 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2006, 23:11 PM   #14 (permalink)
Parihaka
Moderator
 
Parihaka's Avatar
 
Join Date: 11-10-04
Location: Te Ika a Maui
Posts: 9,465
Country:
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZD12
Oooh..i've been dying to visit new zealand and australia...new zealand seems to be such a beautiful place..plus i've got a cousin there whos always making me jealous
Feel free, just remember, everyone here, and Aus for that matter, is a complete Nutter.
Parihaka is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-21-2006, 20:43 PM   #15 (permalink)
Parihaka
Moderator
 
Parihaka's Avatar
 
Join Date: 11-10-04
Location: Te Ika a Maui
Posts: 9,465
Country:
Otter on the run

June 21, 2006 - 2:44PM


Jin the otter is still on the loose after leading a daring breakout from Auckland Zoo.

The four-year-old Asiatic short-clawed otter dug her way through two walls and scaled a 1.8 metre barrier to get out of the zoo last week.

She then swam across the city's harbour.

Two other escapee otters were recaptured the next day, but there was no sign of Jin until she was spotted at a North Shore suburb 10km from the zoo and on the other side of Waitemata Harbour.

"While otters are good swimmers, we're absolutely stunned at the distance she has travelled," curator Maria Finnigan said.

Zoo carnivore keeper Trent Barclay has a few theories.

"We figure maybe she made her way down to the foreshore and maybe caught the outgoing tide which shunted her across the harbour there," Barclay told Radio New Zealand.

"The alternative is taking the harbour bridge which would probably be a bit more hazardous for her."

Government conservation workers and zoo staff are searching the area where Jin was last sighted and even playing tape recordings of otter calls in an attempt to lure her into a trap.
Parihaka is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply




Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 13:58 PM.


Rochen is the business hosting sponsor of World Affairs Board and a provider of reseller web hosting services.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.0.0 RC8