And from the "only in New Zealand" file...

[Parihaka]

Mother admits buying son alcohol

Puna Rae (L) Rae Rae and sister Temarie Rae


The mother of a drunken 16-year-old, who smashed his car into a pole as he sped from police on Friday night, has admitted she buys alcohol for her children. And Puna Rae says she will keep doing it.

Her admission has shocked anti-drink drive advocates, who say parents must take responsibility for supplying their children with alcohol.

Her son Rae Rae crashed the family car after a high speed chase with police through Otara.

He and his 14-year-old sister Temarie and two others have admitted they indulged in a 14-hour drinking session before the crash.

Now it has emerged his mother regularly buys her son alcohol and will continue to do so.

"Sometimes he forces me to buy [alcohol with] his own money, not my money," she says.

ALAC acting CEO Sandra Kerby says if you choose to supply your children with alcohol then you must think about what happens afterwards.

But the mother of 10 says she will not be disciplining her kids.

"I can't stop them. If I stop them then they run away, then it's my problem to find them."

Police met with Rae Rae on Sunday, who as yet faces no charges. His girlfriend, 17-year-old Anita Matangi, is still in hospital with severe injuries to both her legs.

Meantime, drink drive checkpoints through South Auckland this weekend caught 21 males and nine females. Six of those busted over the limit were under 20.

What a caring mother the boy has! Is she going to be charged by the police?

Somehow I doubt it. While there are laws governing supplying alcohol to minors, the police don't want to be accused of cultural insensitivity, now do they?;)
I'll keep you posted...

[highsea]

...The wanted man eventually gave himself up.

I applaud his sense of civic responsibility. The constable clearly posed a threat to innocent bystanders.

[Parihaka]

Cardboard cop car gets results
By KARIN CHUG - The Nelson Mail | Wednesday, 24 January 2007


LOOKALIKE: Fulton Hogan's traffic management supervisor Mike Gibney is trying out a fake police car to slow down drivers near road works in the Nelson area.

A cardboard cutout police car is slowing traffic at Nelson roadworks sites in an initiative that roading contractor Fulton Hogan hopes to push nationwide.


The $1000 model has been used by the company for just over a week to prompt motorists to heed speed restrictions at state highway roadworks in the Nelson region.

Fulton Hogan's regional manager Tim Talbot said the idea originated out of concern that staff could be injured by speeding motorists.

"On Monday we had a van drive through a work site on Queen St (Richmond) and clip the finger of a guy using a rake. It was not accidental because the guy then yelled at him out of the window. People think they are having a bit of sport."

Staff were often injured by gravel sent flying when people drove too fast through roadworks, he said.

The two-dimensional police car was being placed near work sites where the speed limit was reduced from 100kmh to 30kmh, and moved between sites to keep drivers on their toes, Mr Talbot said.

Fulton Hogan's traffic management supervisor Mike Gibney came up with the idea and has monitored its effects using a hand-held speed gun.

He used the cutout at Hira on Tuesday and said there was no doubt that it was more effective than speed restriction signs.

At a Hira roadworks site on Tuesday, the cardboard cutout reduced the number of cars travelling at over 60kmh from 21 out of 50 to five out of 50 and the average speed dropped 15kmh.

One motorist came down from a speed of 73kmh to 38kmh when they saw the cutout, and many others hurriedly put their seatbelts on, he said.

Mr Gibney is planning to present his statistics to Transit New Zealand, in the hope that it will adopt the initiative nationally.

Tasman district road policing manager Hugh Flower said police were impressed by the idea.

Speeding through roadworks sites had always been a problem and was targeted by police as often as possible, he said.

While the cardboard cutout was getting results for Fulton Hogan, Mr Flower said anyone else wanting to slow motorists would be unable to employ the same tactics.

"Fulton Hogan are contractors for Transit New Zealand and it is a Transit New Zealand road, that is why they can do it."

[percentage_plyr]

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

i think you're supposed to look in the eye of the maori warrior and not turn ur back,something like that! saw that in an episode where ur prime minister herself took the tv crew on an adventure tour across NZ. Got to give it to the lady, she is a powerhouse of energy and adventure!
the dutch guy just found the maori style of welcome 'funny', didnt deserve a broken nose however

[Parihaka]

Japanese whaling ship catches fire in Antarctic waters; one crewman missing
The Associated Press
Published: February 14, 2007


WELLINGTON, New Zealand: A Japanese whaling ship caught fire Thursday near
Antarctica, leaving one crew member missing and raising fears of environmental
damage to the frozen continent.

The Nisshin Maru sent out a distress call early Thursday after the fire erupted
below decks where whale carcasses are brought for processing, and left the ship
drifting without power. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.


Most of the 148-member crew were evacuated to three nearby Japanese whaling
ships, leaving 31 behind to fight the blaze and search for the missing crewman,
27-year-old Kazutaka Makita, said Hideki Moronuki, an official with the Japan
Fisheries Agency.

Hatches were closed to seal off the burning area and prevent the fire from
spreading and bring it under control, Moronuki said.


Steve Corbett, a spokesman for Maritime New Zealand, whose country is nearest
the area, said his agency had been in constant contact with the ship's captain
and was standby by to send ships to help.

It was not clear if the missing crewman was inside the ship or went overboard into
the icy waters of the Ross Sea, he said.

"The ship has lost all engine power," he said. "The crew are still fighting it, but ...
they are confident it won't sink and the fire won't spread further."

New Zealand Conservation Minister Chris Carter said the safety of the Nisshin
Maru's crew was the top priority, but noted it was only 100 nautical miles (176
kilometers; 110 miles) from the Antarctic coast.

"We are also gravely concerned about the environmental risk to Antarctica's
pristine environment if the ship is sufficiently damaged to begin leaking oil," Carter
said in a statement.

Carter's office contacted his counterparts in Japan, Australia, United States and
Britain — other signatories to the Antarctic Treaty with responsibility for protecting its environment — in case "an international environmental response is
needed," ministerial spokesman Nick Maling said.


The 8,000-ton (7,280-metric ton) Nisshin Maru is the mother ship for five other
Japanese vessels, to which whales captured under Japan's research program are
brought.

Kenji Masuda, an official with Japan's Fishery Agency, said the extent of damage
to the ship was not yet clear so it was too early to say what affect the fire would
have on the whaling operation.


Japanese whaling ships off Antarctica have been harassed in recent days by
anti-whaling activists from the group Sea Shepherd, who have thrown foul-smelling
acid and other objects on the ships to try to stop them hunting whales.


A Sea Shepherd ship and one of the whalers collided on Monday during a protest,
but the Japanese ship involved was not the Nisshin Maru. The two Sea Shepherd
ships left the area on Wednesday after running low on fuel


Weather and sea conditions on Thursday in the Ross Sea were good, with no
swells and light winds.

Maritime New Zealand received a distress call from the ship at 5:15 a.m. Thursday
(1615 GMT Wednesday), Corbett said.

"We are standing by, talking to the master. At the moment he has got the
situation under control so we are just seeing if he wants any assistance," Corbett
said.

The Royal New Zealand Navy said the navy frigates HMNZS Te Kaha and HMNZS
Te Mana could get to the scene quickly, but both were currently heading away
from the area.

Just great The tossers come down here and kill the whales we've spent
such large amounts of time protecting and bringing back from extinction, them and
the Sea Shepherds duke it out, loose crew that we have to search for, we
evacuate the Japanese sick seamen who then demand hidden private hospital
rooms to shield them against the hostile barbaric New Zealanders, we break all
sorts of international rules by allowing the Sea Shepherd ships to re-fuel here
because we can't leave them drifting about in the ocean, divert our frigates from
essential patrol duties to keep an eye on them, then the tossers go and set fire to
one of their ships and no doubt we'll have to clean up after them.
Tossers.

[Parihaka]

Cross-dressing Miss Alice guilty of contempt



A New Zealand lawyer who took to wearing an Alice in Wonderland costume in court to highlight an alleged cover-up by the army has been found guilty of contempt.

But the conviction had nothing to do with Rob Moodie's decision to use fashion as a form of protest.

Instead, he was convicted for publicly releasing a court-suppressed report about the fatal 1994 collapse of an army-built bridge on a property owned by his elderly clients.

Moodie admitted releasing the report, which apportioned much of the blame for the collapse on the New Zealand Army, and not his clients.

He took the action despite the suppression order and the fact the report was provided on the condition it could not be used as evidence.

During hearings in the High Court in Wellington last month, his defence lawyer said Moodie did not believe he was guilty of contempt.

Moodie felt his actions in releasing the report to the media, and on the internet, were justified by public interest in an alleged cover-up by authorities, the defence lawyer said.

But the court disagreed today, finding Moodie guilty of contempt and suspending him from practising as a lawyer for three months. He was also fined $NZ5,000 ($A4,430), and ordered to pay costs.

Moodie, 68, found himself named by a columnist for The Times newspaper in London as winner of the world "award for bizarre conduct by a lawyer" in 2006.

He had officially changed his name to Miss Alice and began donning women's clothes in court as part of a protest against what he said was the "old boys' network" running New Zealand's judiciary.

The protest spilled over when he began fighting the contempt charge, and Moodie used the same methods to draw attention to his case and the plight of his clients, Keith and Margaret Berryman.

Moodie today said his cross-dressing days were over as he no longer needed to appear "in a 19th-Century Alice in Wonderland environment that allows pomp, self-importance and deference to the court to eclipse the truth".

He also announced that he was quitting as a practising lawyer, but vowed to continue fighting for justice for the Berrymans.

In its judgment, the High court said that if Moodie wanted to highlight an injustice, he should have done so through proper channels and formally sought authority to release the report.

However, Justices John Hansen, Judith Potter and David Baragwanath acknowledged that Moodie was acting in what he considered to be the best interests of his clients.

[Parihaka]

Parliament farewells first transsexual MP


The world's first transsexual MP Georgina Beyer came into Parliament making a joke about her sexuality and left yesterday on the same note.

In her maiden speech Ms Beyer joked that she was the stallion that became a gelding, then a mayor (of Carterton) and then she became a member.

"Well Madame Speaker can I say to you at this point that while I have relished the opportunity at being a member in this House I am glad I don't possess one," she said in her valedictory speech last night.

But it was not all lightness and laughter as she talked about the difficult decision to support Labour over the foreshore and seabed legislation.

"I am Maori but I held a general seat and my electorate wanted me to support the Government."

However, she was listening to family and Maori who opposed it.

"We all actually experience from time to time being torn in this way."

Ms Beyer said her biggest achievement was being elected.

"The first transsexual in the world to be elected to a Parliament ... it was inspirational in itself."

She praised colleagues Chris Carter, who was New Zealand's first openly gay MP, and Tim Barnett.

"This has got to add to our country that significant minorities can have a voice, can have a say and can stand for representation in this House."

Other achievements included support for prostitution reform and the legislation enabling civil unions.

"I will not resile ever from being a staunch supporter for both of those."

She was also proud to have supported the Labour programme.

"I will always be a person that will have the utmost respect for democracy. I have been pleased and proud to be a positive participant in our society. I am so glad that I have been able to redeem my more lurid past and practise proper rights of being a citizen of this country.

"I could ask for no more than that and whatever my future holds this will have to have been the greatest moment of my life."

After her speech Ms Beyer was kissed and hugged by colleagues from several parties.

She was MP for Wairarapa from 1999 until 2005 then continued as a list MP.

Ms Beyer is considering running against incumbent Wellington City Mayor Kerry Prendergast.

She will be replaced by Southland union organiser Lesley Soper.

[Parihaka]

Drink-driver nods off at pump
By DAVID DICKENS and KAY BLUNDELL - The Dominion Post | Wednesday, 28 March 2007


HAVING A WEE LIE-DOWN: The man slumped on the forecourt in this picture from the service station's security camera.

A two-year-old girl is safe with her mother after her father - with one of the highest alcohol limits recorded in New Zealand - fell asleep at a Rotorua service station refuelling his car.

Police say the man - whose daughter was unrestrained on the back seat - drove to the service station on Sunday morning and prepaid for his petrol before collapsing at the pump.

Officers called by a concerned service station attendant had to wait 40 minutes for him to wake up before he could be breath-tested.

The 30-year-old Auckland labourer tested more than four times above the legal limit, with 1729mcg of alcohol per litre of breath.

Police said it could be one of the highest readings in New Zealand.

They said he pleaded guilty to drink-driving and would be sentenced on April 18.

In a case that has left police equally flabbergasted, a 27-year-old Levin man nearly three times over the legal limit - and with his pregnant wife in his car - hit a pedestrian crossing pole and a power pole.

A member of the public caught him crawling along the pavement.

Police said he was driving along York St about 1am yesterday when he hit the first pole before crashing into a power pole around the corner, leaving it on such an angle that the power lines were all that kept it upright.

Senior Constable Alan Ward said he recorded a breath-alcohol level of 1027mcg. The legal limit for his age is 400mcg.

The man's wife was checked by ambulance staff at the scene as a precaution, , Mr Ward said.

"I am speechless. The message is so plain - you do not drink and drive.

"Driving with this level of alcohol is just atrocious - especially with his pregnant wife in the back seat and given someone walking along the footpath could have been hit and seriously injured.

"He was a mobile time bomb."

A man will appear in Levin District Court today.

Senior Sergeant Ed Van Den Broek of Rotorua police said the mother of the girl in the Rotorua case did not know her daughter was with her father.

She "was pretty upset" when her daughter was returned home by police.

Mr Van Den Broek described the man's actions as "shameless".

Service station attendant Gloria said she called the police because the man, who was "very polite", was so unsteady on his feet.

When she went out to check on him, she found him asleep on the station forecourt near his car.

The girl - a "cute, beautiful, lovely little thing" - was looking at her father from the back seat of the car saying "Daddy", she said.

She had to tell the girl her father was "having a sleep" and comforted her till police arrived.

[Parihaka]

Students catch out a food giant

A simple school science project has embarrassed food and pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline and cost it $227,500 in fines.

A science experiment revelation by 14-year-old Pakuranga College students Anna Devathasan and Jenny Suo led to GSK admitting 15 charges of breaching the Fair Trading Act.

The students' 2004 experiment found negligible traces of Vitamin C in the popular blackcurrant-flavoured drink Ribena, which had sales of about $8 million a year and has been advertised as containing blackcurrants with "four times the Vitamin C of oranges".

After being brushed off when they took their findings to GSK, and having no luck with the Advertising Standards Authority and Brandpower, the students' case was picked up by the Commerce Commission.

It tested the product and found no Vitamin C.

Fifteen charges were laid under the Fair Trading Act relating to claims that ready-to-drink Ribena contained 7mg of Vitamin C per 100ml and television advertising promoting the "four times" claim.

GSK admitted the charges in Auckland District Court yesterday and was fined $227,500 and ordered to undertake a national campaign of advertising in newspapers to explain that some forms of Ribena contain no detectable level of Vitamin C.

The world's second-biggest pharmaceutical company, GSK has a global turnover of more than $61 billion.

Commerce Commission lawyer Nick Flanagan told the court: "Many parents have been persuaded over many years that the product is healthy and good for children.

"But in fact the ready-to-drink Ribena is high in sugar, more in fact than Coca-Cola."

Commission chairwoman Paula Rebstock said GSK had misled thousands of people and the behaviour constituted a "massive breach of trust with the New Zealand public".

It was disappointing to see a major pharmaceutical and health products company mislead the public in this way, she said. GSK had been alerted to the misrepresentation by the students in 2004 and again by television programme Fair Go but did not stop making the claims till May 2006.

"The company specifically promoted the Vitamin C-related health benefits of Ribena for children, teenagers, and pregnant women," Ms Rebstock said.

GSK issued a statement yesterday saying the claim that "the blackcurrants in Ribena contain four times the Vitamin C of oranges" was factually correct but admitted it may have misled consumers.

"There was never any intention to mislead our customers."

Ms Rebstock said the commission applauded the pupils' actions.

The case has been reported by CNN and newspapers in Australia and Britain. A story has also appeared in the prestigious journal Scientific American.

[Parihaka]

Tiny Terrier Rescues 5 Children From Pit Bulls

Tiny Terrier Rescues 5 Children From Pit Bulls

Wednesday, May 02, 2007


WELLINGTON, New Zealand — This is a dog story.

It's about a plucky little Jack Russell terrier named George, who stood like a giant against two marauding pit bulls and gave his own life to save five kids from the steel-trap jaws and razor-sharp teeth of the vicious attack machines.

Local officials say it's also a story about the people who trained the pit bulls to kill and who may have fed the animals methamphetamines to make them even more deadly.

The tragedy unfolded Sunday afternoon on New Zealand's North Island, in the town of Manaia, where a group of children — and George — were walking back from a trip to the candy store.

Out of nowhere, the children told police, the two pit bulls lunged at them.

One of the kids, Richard Rosewarne, 11, told the local paper that George never backed down against the pit bulls, doggedly refusing to let the them get at his little brother, 4-year-old Darryl.

(Story continues below)

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"George tried to protect us by barking and rushing at them, but they started to bite him — one on the head and the other on the back," Rosewarne said. "We ran off crying and some people saw what was happening and rescued George."

It was too late, however, to save the little 9-year-old terrier. Steven Hopkinson, the veterinarian who treated George, said the dog's wounds were the worst he'd seen. Putting him down, Hopkinson said, was the only option.

For Allan Gay, George's owner, the loss is especially devastating. He lives alone and George had been his faithful companion for seven of his nine years, inheriting the pup when neighbors moved away.

"These two pitbulls rushed up and were going for the little boy," Gay said, choking back tears. "George went for them, it's what he would do. He didn't stand a chance, but I reckon he saved that boy from being chewed up.

"If it wasn't for George, those kids would have copped it," Gay said.

Gay said he had been receiving phone calls non-stop from relatives and news media since word got out about George's heroics.

"The phone has been going since about half past seven this morning. Every time I hang up it rings again. It's worn out; I might have to get a new one," he said.

The pit bulls, meanwhile, were found Tuesday and turned over to local officials, who said they would be destroyed.

Officials also are investigating reports that the dogs could have been given methamphetamines to make them more aggressive and very unpredictable.

"I understand it commonly happens in Rotorua," animal control officer Kiernan Best said.

"The pitbulls I've had dealings with are naturally aggressive because of the type of people they are with," Best said. "They keep pitbulls around because they don't like visitors, and one can only presume they have something to hide, that they are into crime and drugs.

"They are paranoid about officials visiting and the dog emulates the owner," Best said.

Gay, meanwhile, and the kids George saved built a makeshift memorial to their hero.

"George was brave," Gay said, as each of the kids held a photo of the little pup they'll never forget. "He took them on and he's not even a foot high. ... He jumped in on them, he tried to keep them off."

And, he gave his life doing so.

Source

[Tasman]

Scary stuff Parihaka and not just in New Zealand! Comes just a few days after a pit bull attack on alpacas across the Tasman:

Dogs kill valuable alpacas

Tuesday, 01/05/2007

Seven valuable suri alpacas have been killed by dogs on a farm near Canberra.

A neighbour shot two pit bull dogs during the attack.

Police have confirmed they were owned by local residents but have yet to lay charges, which could result in a fine of up to $2,000.

Alpaca breeder Nerida Hart says each alpaca was worth an average of $6,000.

"When I got there it was the most horrific thing I've witnessed in my entire life," she said.

"There were seven alpacas down, all dead. Three babies dead, which was unbelievable - I don't think I've ever seen anything like this, just blood and guts.

"One poor alpaca had had her insides ripped out and she was still alive and I couldn't do anything, I was waiting on the vet."

Dogs kill valuable alpacas - 01/05/2007

I love dogs but can never understand why people want to keep dogs of this type. They give other dog owners a bad name. The suggestion in the report you posted that the dogs "reflect the type of people they are with" was interesting.

Cheers

[Shamus]

Scary stuff Parihaka and not just in New Zealand! Comes just a few days after a pit bull attack on alpacas across the Tasman:

Unfortunately here in Detroit as well.Detroit is known for its' illegal dog fighting rings.Pit bulls are the favored breed along with bull mastiffs and various other breeds.There are packs of strays wandering the city streets and they can be very frightening to encounter.I also believe Pari that the demeanor of the dog reflects their owner.

[Parihaka]

The best description of such dogs bred and trained to be vicious I've heard of is that they are penis extensions for the un-endowed owners.

[Shamus]

The best description of such dogs bred and trained to be vicious I've heard of is that they are penis extensions for the un-endowed owners.

Bingo!!! Nice shot Pari,right in the gonads!!!

[Parihaka]

Police investigate woman's power cut death

Having cut the power to a South Auckland home, a Mercury Energy contractor stood in front of Folole Muliaga and, over the shrill alarm of the oxygen machine, told her he was only doing his job.

Less than three hours later, the 44-year-old pre-school teacher from Mangere was dead.

Her son, Letitaia Muliaga, 20, said the contractor showed not one ounce of sympathy for his mother.

"He was the man," he said.

"He said he was just here to do his job."

Family spokesman Brenden Sheehan said he was outraged and disgusted that Mercury Energy cut off her power without giving her a chance to address the problem.

"Particularly when I look at her power bill and see there have been two payments made in the last month," he said.

"And there is nothing in the bill about disconnection and it was only issued last Wednesday."

Victim Support contacted Mercury Energy after the woman had passed away and asked them to put the power back on.

"But they refused to do so until the bill was paid," Mr Sheean said.

"I don't believe the statements made by Mercury this morning that they have put the power back on to help the family, I think they put it back on to avoid public embarrassment."

Mercury Energy general manager James Moulder said the company restored electricity to the household early this morning "to help the family through this difficult time".

"We are distressed by this tragic event and have offered our condolences to the family." he said.

"We are doing everything we can to understand the cull circumstances of what occurred."

Mercury had policies in place to prevent power being cut to homes when it was made aware there was a medical need.

Mercury Energy is investigating the incident and it was hoped a fuller picture of what had happened would be available this afternoon.

Auckland law lecturer Bill Hodge said today if what the family said was true the contractor could face a manslaughter charge.

Inspector Bruce Bird, area commander for Counties Manukau west, said police would investigate the death.

"We will have a look at the whole circumstances...and make a decision on what the facts tell us and review that.

It was too early early to speculate on what, if any charges, may be laid.

Mercury is the retail arm of one of two state-owned power companies. The Govt owns them but has decreed them as being profit driven. Both companies, (the other is Genesis) have arbitrarily changed their billing rules and cut-off times last month. It'll be interesting to see if it was because of a ministerial directive....
And I've just changed from Genesis to a private power company.