Thursday, June 30, 2005
A majority of Parliament looks set to support sending Green MP Sue Bradford's controversial anti-smacking bill to a select committee for public submissions. A lineup of all eight parliamentary parties at a child summit in Hamilton yesterday saw New Zealand First, the Progressives and the Greens totally support the bill, and Labour and the Maori Party support sending it to select committee. United Future MP Judy Turner said her party had not yet fixed a position but also wanted "to see what potential there is at select committee for further changes". National social services spokeswoman Judith Collins said her party opposed the bill and would replace it with a full review of the child abuse issue if it won power. The Act party said it had not yet decided on the bill but was also likely to oppose it.
Meanwhile, Rex Ahdar has some words of caution on the smacking debate: "It may be that a careful redrafting of the section [59 of the Crimes Act] is desirable to clarify what is unreasonable and illegitimate – for example, prohibition of smacks involving hazardous implements or to a child's head – but this proposal is not the one Parliament has to consider. No, it is the outright ban on smacking. Complete abolition is clumsy and arrogant. Because some enlightened individuals believe the line has been drawn wrongly on some occasions by ordinary citizens (as represented by the jury) we will not leave them to perform that task. Instead, we will ban the practice and thus eliminate "mistaken" verdicts. Importantly, and as some abolitionists now seem to grasp, repealing the section 59 defence would expose well-meaning parents to the full force of the criminal law.
Sir Edmund Hillary is the most trustworthy New Zealander, according to a Readers Digest poll of Kiwi attitudes, while National leader Don Brash and broadcaster Paul Holmes are languishing among the least trusted. [The poll results show that some very hazy thinking goes into the concept of "trust". Considering that sports stars take 8 of the top 10 places, what do we mean when we say we "trust" them? Granted, on the surface of it most of them appear fairly nice characters and we don't have any particular reason to distrust them; but considering that most of us have never had any interaction with them at a personal level, or that their sporting prowess has involved no element of trust beyond turning up on time for their events and not taking drugs, it's all a bit meaningless.] Anyway, here are some of the rankings: 1. Edmund Hillary; 2. Sarah Ulmer; 3. Peter Jackson; 4. Evers-Swindell sisters; also in top 10. Colin Meads, Peter Snell, Hamish Carter and Irene van Dyk; 43. Helen Clark; 45. Rachel Hunter, followed by Suzanne Paul, Russell Crowe and Paul Holmes; 49. Don Brash; 50. Winston Peters.
The Government is proposing sweeping changes to court processes to remove delays, including imposing penalties on lawyers who unnecessarily prevent trials going ahead. Among the proposals are: * Lawyers who cause delays through non-appearance or failing to file documents could have legal aid payments withheld; * Judges will be able to award costs directly against prosecution and defence lawyers where they cause delays. * Judges should have powers to order trials to proceed in some cases where defendants fail to show up; * Where there is agreement on matters such as legal aid, bail and name suppression they should be dealt with by court staff, not judges.
New Zealand's first Children's Commissioner has turned on both major political parties for pushing mothers back to work too soon. Dr Ian Hassall, commissioner from 1989 to 1994, told a child summit in Hamilton yesterday that mothers should not be financially or socially coerced into the paid workforce. He attacked Prime Minister Helen Clark for her opening speech to Parliament this year about women's participation in the paid workforce. He also criticised National leader Don Brash's Orewa speech about getting solo mothers off the domestic purposes benefit.
The United Nations has shut pro-lifers out of a conference designed to set the UN's future agenda, while abortion advocates have free reign. [Most New Zealanders don't realise just how strongly abortion is woven into the UN agenda.]
Canada's Parliament has approved legislation to allow same sex marriages across the country, despite fierce opposition from conservative politicians and religious groups. Legislators voted by 158-133 to support the bill, which makes Canada only the third country in the world after Belgium and the Netherlands to permit gay marriages.
Plans to launch the world's most ambitious biometric identity cards have cleared their first hurdle in the UK parliament, despite the first revolt against Prime Minister Tony Blair since his re-election. Blair's 66-seat majority in the lower house was cut to 31 when lawmakers voted in favour of the cards, designed to counter terrorism, crime and illegal immigration. If the proposals become law, it would be the first time Britons have carried ID cards since they were abolished after World War Two by the government of Winston Churchill.
Tony Blair yesterday gave his clearest signal yet that he will authorise the controversial building of a new generation of nuclear reactors. To the dismay of environmental campaigners, the Prime Minister answered a question about new nuclear stations by casting doubt on whether wind and wave farms or solar power were viable alternatives.
Tail-out: If it's okay to sponsor sports events, why not weddings? So Sandra Crisp and her partner, butcher John Taina, went touting, and have met with a strong response from businesses as they prepare for New Zealand's first sponsored wedding next April. So far they've 65 per cent of the wedding's estimated $19,000 cost. Sponsors have lined up to provide services ranging from the wedding disco, to the cake, to chocolate favours for the couple's 100 guests.
