Friday, April 15, 2005
The government last night passed under urgency the Identity (Citizenship and Travel Documents) Bill, which changes passports and border security. The new law halves the life of a New Zealand passport to five years, though current passports can be used until they expire. It also allows passports to be refused or cancelled in cases where New Zealand's security was threatened (though this is badly defined). Also passed were tightened criteria and vetting procedures for citizenship. The Green Party, the Maori Party and Progressive MP Matt Robson opposed the bills. Mr Robson said the ministerial right to withdraw an individual's passport was an erosion of the rule of law, and extending the residence period required for citizenship was "a philosophy based on division". He also disagreed with the removal of automatic citizenship rights.
And the Charities Bill was also passed under urgency last night. The government says the right of charities to carry out advocacy has been protected, but it is still unclear whether that advocacy has to be related to the charitable purposes of the organisation.
Unemployment is down by a quarter in one year and the DPB has fallen below 100,000 for first time in a decade. Quarterly figures released today show the number of working-aged New Zealanders on the Unemployment Benefit dropped by a record 27 per cent in one year and the number of sole parents on the DPB fell below 100,000 for the first time since 1995.
"The success of the environmental movement is driven by two powerful forces — romanticism and science — that are often in opposition. The romantics identify with natural systems; the scientists study natural systems. The romantics are moralistic, rebellious against the perceived dominant power, and combative against any who appear to stray from the true path. They hate to admit mistakes or change direction. The scientists are ethicalistic, rebellious against any perceived dominant paradigm, and combative against each other. Over the next ten years, I predict, the mainstream of the environmental movement will reverse its opinion and activism in four major areas: population growth, urbanization, genetically engineered organisms, and nuclear power."
Two blows for advocates of same-sex marriage. The Tasmanian Govt has ruled out support for same-sex marriage. It has backed a Liberal Party motion calling on the House of Assembly not to support the principle.
And the Oregon Supreme Court today invalidated nearly 3,000 marriage licenses issued to same-sex couples by Multnomah County in April 2004. Justices found that Oregon counties do not have the authority to trump the state constitution, which has considered marriage to be between two people of the opposite sex since statehood began.
Roger Scruton has launched a significant new Spectator series with an investigation into the consequencs of the sexual revolution. "The condition in which we now find ourselves [sexually] is novel in many ways. Perhaps the most interesting is the enormous effort that is now devoted to overcoming or abolishing shame."
Labour approved a discussion paper that proposed legalising brother-sister sex for over-20-year-olds, according to official documents released today by National’s Law and Order spokesman, Tony Ryall. “When asked in Parliament this morning why he had approved the paper, Justice Minister Phil Goff said ‘because it was an issue’. “Official documents show that Labour’s advisers wanted to remove brother-sister sexual relationships for those over 20 from the offence of ‘incest’.Fortunately, this proposal did not make the bill,” Mr Ryall says.
In what other sphere would a 78 year old be considered the frontrunner as CEO of one of the world's largest organisations? But Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is being seen as top contender for the new Pope.
The UK’s fifth terrestrial TV channel, mocked for years as an archetype of ‘dumbing down’, is to run a major new series on big ideas that have changed the world – including Christianity, presented by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Tail-out: Japan is giving its prisoners more brightly coloured clothing and bed sheets in the hopes of cheering up the mood behind bars. "We hope to stabilize the mental states of inmates by giving them warmer and brighter colours," Shigemi Tanimoto, a Justice Ministry official, said. "Colour experts told us the colours currently in use were too cold and aggressive."
And the Charities Bill was also passed under urgency last night. The government says the right of charities to carry out advocacy has been protected, but it is still unclear whether that advocacy has to be related to the charitable purposes of the organisation.
Unemployment is down by a quarter in one year and the DPB has fallen below 100,000 for first time in a decade. Quarterly figures released today show the number of working-aged New Zealanders on the Unemployment Benefit dropped by a record 27 per cent in one year and the number of sole parents on the DPB fell below 100,000 for the first time since 1995.
"The success of the environmental movement is driven by two powerful forces — romanticism and science — that are often in opposition. The romantics identify with natural systems; the scientists study natural systems. The romantics are moralistic, rebellious against the perceived dominant power, and combative against any who appear to stray from the true path. They hate to admit mistakes or change direction. The scientists are ethicalistic, rebellious against any perceived dominant paradigm, and combative against each other. Over the next ten years, I predict, the mainstream of the environmental movement will reverse its opinion and activism in four major areas: population growth, urbanization, genetically engineered organisms, and nuclear power."
Two blows for advocates of same-sex marriage. The Tasmanian Govt has ruled out support for same-sex marriage. It has backed a Liberal Party motion calling on the House of Assembly not to support the principle.
And the Oregon Supreme Court today invalidated nearly 3,000 marriage licenses issued to same-sex couples by Multnomah County in April 2004. Justices found that Oregon counties do not have the authority to trump the state constitution, which has considered marriage to be between two people of the opposite sex since statehood began.
Roger Scruton has launched a significant new Spectator series with an investigation into the consequencs of the sexual revolution. "The condition in which we now find ourselves [sexually] is novel in many ways. Perhaps the most interesting is the enormous effort that is now devoted to overcoming or abolishing shame."
Labour approved a discussion paper that proposed legalising brother-sister sex for over-20-year-olds, according to official documents released today by National’s Law and Order spokesman, Tony Ryall. “When asked in Parliament this morning why he had approved the paper, Justice Minister Phil Goff said ‘because it was an issue’. “Official documents show that Labour’s advisers wanted to remove brother-sister sexual relationships for those over 20 from the offence of ‘incest’.Fortunately, this proposal did not make the bill,” Mr Ryall says.
In what other sphere would a 78 year old be considered the frontrunner as CEO of one of the world's largest organisations? But Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is being seen as top contender for the new Pope.
The UK’s fifth terrestrial TV channel, mocked for years as an archetype of ‘dumbing down’, is to run a major new series on big ideas that have changed the world – including Christianity, presented by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Tail-out: Japan is giving its prisoners more brightly coloured clothing and bed sheets in the hopes of cheering up the mood behind bars. "We hope to stabilize the mental states of inmates by giving them warmer and brighter colours," Shigemi Tanimoto, a Justice Ministry official, said. "Colour experts told us the colours currently in use were too cold and aggressive."
