Two a penny

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The Office of the Auditor-General says there are no grounds for an inquiry into Finance Minister Bill English’s housing arrangements. .

The Auditor-General’s conclusions were predictable, Mr English says.

“Importantly, the Auditor-General concludes that the current parliamentary system is designed to establish whether an MP maintains a current residence outside Wellington, rather than where an MP lives in an everyday sense.

“I welcome the Auditor-General’s confirmation that I correctly completed my declarations and provided other information as required to claim Wellington accommodation costs.

The report called for a “simple and sensible” system for providing MPs and Ministers with support for the costs of their accommodation while in Wellington.

Mr English came under fire after it was disclosed he received more than $900 a week in allowances while living in his family home in Karori, twice what he was able to claim for living in the same house as an Opposition MP.

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Some ACC programmes, including one targeted at preventing very elderly people suffering falls, were cut because they were not cost effective, ACC Minister Nick Smith says.

The decision to cut funding for the Otago Exercise Programme targeted at 80-year-olds and over was made earlier this month.

Under the programme, physiotherapists or trained nurses visited 80-year-olds and over (or 65-year-old and older if Maori or Polynesian) in their homes six times during a year, teaching leg strengthening and balance retraining exercises.

Otago Medical School’s Professor John Campbell at the time said the programme’s benefits were just beginning to be felt, but the number of ACC claims for falls in the area had already dropped.

The programme was targeted at those most likely to have a fall. Phone contact was maintained in between visits.

The programmes that were cut were those that were not cost efficient, he said. .

“Playing bowls, getting active, all those sorts of things.

“I think there are all sorts of things that older New Zealanders should be doing,” Dr Smith said. But I think it’s a long stretch for an organisation that’s in financial trouble to be funding some of those programmes, especially when their cost effectiveness is being questioned by the board.”

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Auckland police investigating a suspicious
death believe they know how the man died, but lack enough evidence
for an arrest after being stonewalled by witnesses.

Damien Loder Allen, 33, the previous month died from head injuries which were not accidental.

Police believe the house where his body was found on September 24 in the suburb of Hillsborough had been cleaned and his body had been moved.

Mr Allen had head injuries and police were still waiting on toxicology results.

Several possible witnesses were refusing to co-operate.

He would not say how Mr Allen got his injuries, or if they had found a weapon.

Detective Inspector Scott Beard said he believed witnesses may be protecting someone involved in the death.

Others in Mr Allen’s house made 111 calls the night he died.

It was not a party but people were socialising and drinking.

Four people were in the house when police arrived and others had visited the house on the night.

He said information was still flowing in but police still wanted to hear from anyone who knew what may have happened or knew the people at the house. .

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Anyone with information should call the confidential Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111

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A second prison officer working at Wellington’s Rimutaka Prison has been arrested on drug charges.

Corrections chief executive Barry Matthews said the prison guard had been arrested under the Misuse of Drugs Act. .

“This second arrest should send a very clear and strong message that corrupt and illegal behaviour will not be tolerated in our prisons,” Mr Matthews said.

In June this year, a senior prison manager, Jeffrey Mark Reid, 43, was arrested and charged with selling cannabis to inmates. There is always the possibility of corrupt practices occurring within the system, he said.

He said it was disappointing such action had to be taken, but the department was confident the overwhelming majority of officers were honest.

In August a female prison officer was suspended on full pay, accused of having an affair with a violent criminal.

TVNZ also reported more arrests were imminent, following the investigation into one of the country’s largest prisons.

She was one of five Rimutaka staff suspended at that time - two years after a spate of staff problems prompted a more than 15-month inquiry into corruption at the prison.

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Mr Matthews said he could not provide further details on the arrest as the case was before the courts

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A Queenstown commercial pilot had to chase his light plane, with passengers on board, after it began speeding towards the runway without a pilot at the controls.

The Transport Accident Investigation Commission is investigating the incident involving a Cessna 207, owned by Milford Sounds Scenic Flights, getting “out of control” at Queenstown Airport last month.

“During that time the aircraft took off by itself,” Mr Mathews said.

Commission deputy chief investigator Ken Mathews said the pilot got out of the aircraft when the engine wouldn’t start and used his hands to get the propeller moving.

It did not go on to the main runway or disrupt flights.

The pilot managed to get into the aircraft while it was moving and control it before any harm was done, Mr Mathews said.”

The Milford Sounds Scenic Flights aircraft was scheduled to fly to Milford Sound when it began moving without its pilot.

“But there were other aircraft about, so it wasn’t a good thing.

There was a person in the cockpit, but it was unclear what their role or qualifications were, he said. .

Milford Sounds Scenic Flights director Mark Quickfall said the pilot was stood down after the incident and safety procedures improved to ensure aircraft did not set off without their pilots.

The aircraft could carry up to six passengers but it was unclear how many passengers were in the Cessna at the time of the incident, Mr Mathews said. “Our report to the (Civil Aviation Authority) included actions to prevent this happening again.

“It was a serious incident and error of judgment by the pilot,” he said. He declined to comment further on the incident until the investigations had been completed.” The company reported the incident immediately to the Civil Aviation Authority, Mr Quickfall said.

The commission had not provided a completion date for its investigation.

Queenstown Airport chief executive Steve Sanderson said he was aware of the incident but would not comment.

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A defiant Maori Television Service (MTS) says it won’t withdraw its bid for free-to-air Rugby World Cup broadcast rights despite the Government backing a rival bid by TVNZ.

In a bizarre twist, the taxpayer-funded networks are competing for the local broadcast rights to 16 world cup games.The MTS bid is backed by Te Puni Kokiri, the Ministry of Maori Development, which has put up $3 million.TVNZ followed at the last minute with a consortium bid involving privately-owned TV3, backed by the Government.Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples supports it and didn’t tell his Cabinet colleagues before the bid went in.Broadcasting Minister Jonathan Coleman said TVNZ asked for a level playing field.Cabinet will have to sign off funds, likely to be $3m-$4m, if the TVNZ bid succeeds.”You can do the sums - you can see it’s going to be a reasonable amount of money.”It was a reaction by some iwi to say to us ‘you’ve been done and we should help you’,” he told reporters.”Dr Sharples, clearly angry about the way the situation developed, said iwi were offering money to boost the MTS bid.He said he was “extremely concerned” about allegations that the TVNZ bid was developed with access to confidential information about the MTS bid, which indicated the tender process had been compromised.MTS chief executive Jim Mather said last night the Government’s decision amounted to an attempt to defeat MTS and was “extremely disappointing”.”What is the rationale for this, and why is funding for TVNZ now deemed to be appropriate use of government funds?”Mr Mather said MTS had addressed Government concerns that its signal did not reach 10 percent of the population by modifying its bid to allow for the sub-licensing of some games.”The TPK support has been labelled inappropriate use of government funding, yet now the Government is providing more funds to beat the Maori Television bid,” he said.”It is our understanding that Prime Minister John Key was happy with this arrangement.”It is our understanding that Prime Minister John Key was happy with this arrangement.

FREE TO AIR GAMES

Sixteen Rugby World Cup games will be live free-to-air no matter whether the TVNZ-TV3 or Maori Television (MTS) wins the right to screen them.Broadcasting spokesperson Brendon Burns said the Government’s belated intervention would simply line the pockets of the International Rugby Board as it played off two state-funded bids.TVNZ and TV3 would screen six games each, and MTS could screen all 16.Broadcasting Minister Jonathan Coleman yesterday spelled out what would be available if the TVNZ’s consortium bid won.TVNZ and TV3’s games would include two All Blacks’ pool games each.All three would be able to screen the final, semis and third and fourth playoff.If MTS won the bid it has agreed to subcontract to the other broadcasters. .

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LATEST:
Police say they believe the death of toddler Aisling Symes, whose body was found last night in a drain on a West Auckland property, is a case of misadventure.

The two year old’s body was discovered in the drain last night and finally removed at 1.

Inquiry head Inspector Gary Davey earlier today confirmed the body found was that of Aisling.30am today.5m underground.

She was found 36 metres away from a manhole into the drain and 1.

The decision to re-check the drain, made at the weekend, was as a result of “other areas of the inquiry going nowhere”, he said. Concrete cutters and a digger were required to open the drain up and retrieve the body.”

However police would still keep an open mindto thepossibility of foul play.

Mr Davey said: “I believe it is more likely than not she was there from the start and it is a case of misadventure.

Mr Davey said a manhole into the drain was seen to be 8 to 10 centimetres ajar on the night Aisling disappeared.

Mr Davey said part of the police inquiry would be to establish how Aisling got into the drain.”

He said it had been raining that night with water sluicing down the drain.

However he said: “I’m sure we would not have been able to save her on the night.”

Police put their heart and soul into the hunt for the toddler, Mr Davey said.

“It would have been impossible for her to turn around if she was crawling.”

The family are distraught.

“I’m personally deeply saddened with the discovery of Aisling’s body, I truly hoped we would be able to find her alive and bring her home for the family. I know it is going to be a tough few days,” Mr Davey said. .

DRAINPIPE SEARCHES

The drainpipe where the body was found was searched up to five times before her body was discovered.

The small solace was that theywere able to grieve with the body of Aisling. The officer estimated he could see five metres either direction, Mr Davey said.

A police officer searched it twice on the night, including climbing two metres down into the drain and shining a torch up and down the drain, calling Aisling’s name with no response.

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LATEST:
Threats to pull the plug on an NZ Bus contract if the company refuses to end its lockout of 900 bus drivers are unrealistic, the Auckland Regional Transport Authority (Arta) says.

NZ Bus, which operates most bus services in Auckland, began the lockout on Thursday after drivers said they would work strictly to the rulebook in support of their wage claim.The company and four unions representing bus drivers are still in facilitation, but there has been little progress reported.No NZ Bus services have run since the n and the disruption became greater today on the first day of the fourth school term.”Like any commercial contract, NZ Bus contracts can be terminated for non-performance,” Mr Lee said.Auckland Regional Council chairman Mike Lee today said the council would begin procedures to end its contract with NZ Bus in coming days if the lockout did not end. .”If this dispute is not settled, I will be calling on Arta to start the process of terminating the existing contracts and finding someone else who will deliver the services that Auckland expects and pays for.”We would need to find an operator that could come up with that level of service in 180 days - that’s fairly impossible.”If we terminated New Zealand Bus completely then we’d leave a 700-bus gap overnight, and we couldn’t do that to the public,” Ms Hunter told Radio New Zealand.”But at this point we’re not examining at that process,” she said.”Ms Hunter said she hoped there would be a resolution in the near future, but if there was no progress within the next few days the authority would look at intervening.”NZ Bus spokeswoman Megan McSweeney said Mr Lee’s comments were “not helpful”.”In terms of the services that we are running, with alternative operators including our train operators, we are actually managing to get people into work on time.

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The 80,000 Auckland bus passengers who have been finding other ways to get to work were joined by more than 9000 school pupils today, threatening to turn the roads into crowded chaos.

The wage row between the 900 drivers and their employer NZ Bus has kept most Auckland buses off the road since last Thursday.

Travellers had coped by switching to trains, buses provided by other companies, car pooled or brought their own cars.

The union issued a work-to-rule notice but the company said that was strike action and locked the drivers out of their depots.

An offer by the drivers to drive pupils for no pay was rejected by the company as “at best misguided and is at worst mischievous”.

But today with pupils returning after the school holidays, many of the buses used for public services last week were switched back to school routes.

Frustrated passengers have been told to go to the Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) website maxx.

Pay talks at the weekend failed to resolve the claim by drivers.nz for alternatives.co.

She said the daily subsidy of $160,000 paid to NZ Bus had been suspended while the buses were not running.

ARTA spokeswoman Sharon Hunter said it had scraped together a skeleton bus service and the trains into the city were packed.

Most of the alternative services were insisting on cash rather than pre-paid tickets.

NZ Bus provides the bulk of public transport into and out of Auckland and around the city during the day but other operators, including Ritchies, Howick and Eastern, were expected to operate as normal.

Bus passengers should be patient, Ms Hunter said.

Some passengers said last week the alternative services offered a better ride on more comfortable buses, with music and a friendly atmosphere.

Union spokesperson Karl Andersen said they could not understand why NZ Bus turned down a “bona fide offer” to drive the students at no charge.

The industrial row has been going for five months but reached a head last week. That was caused by the company lockout of its staff.

He said the work-to-rule notice would have meant minimum, disruption and would not have stopped buses taking children to school.

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A man tried to snatch a 10-year-old boy just half a kilometre away from where Aisling Symes vanished two days later, can reveal.

The boy’s story has emerged as police announce the investigation into Aisling’s disappearance is to be further boosted by additional police staff. He offered to buy him sweets as he shopped in the Discount Food Mart, on Rathgar Rd, Henderson.

The schoolboy was approached by a man in his 30s two days before two-year-old Aisling’s disappearance, has learned. It made me feel weird,” the boy said.

“I asked the shop person the price of the candy and, when she said $4, the man asked if he could pay for me and said I could go along with him.

The boy’s mum, who is desperately concerned for Aisling, said: “It could have been anyone’s kid and even ours.

He ran screaming from the store, which is close to where two-year-old Aisling disappeared from her late grandparents home in Longburn Rd last Monday.

“From what has happened in the last week in this area it is going to make me a lot more careful. I always tell my son not to go off on his own but he doesn’t listen. Who knows if the guy was joking but my son did the right thing.

“I didn’t like hearing about what happened in the shop with my son.

Police spokesperson Noreen Hegarty downplayed the incident.”

Police questioned the boy on Thursday and again last night for several hours.

She said police were not seeking the man. She said police believed the man hadn’t made any attempt to “abduct” or “lure” the boy away from his family.

The boy, who has agreed not to identity, was in the superette around 12. Asked why police then interviewed the boy’s parents, Hegarty said they had to “take everything that comes to this investigation seriously”.

“I was by the candy and the guy came up to me and gave me a really strange look and started talking to me,” the boy said.30pm last Saturday while his mum and aunt were in Creative Cutz hairdressers nearby.

“That made me worried,” said the schoolboy.

He was concerned that the stranger, who described as about 33, Maori or Pacific Islander, wanted to buy him candy.

“I was scared, pretty scared.

“Suddenly I ran out of the store screaming for my mum as I thought he wanted to kidnap me.”

The brave lad knew he had to run away from stranger danger.”

The brave lad knew he had to run away from stranger danger. “I’ve been told that if someone wants to give you something or take you anywhere you just say `no’ and get away,” he said. .

Harrison Williams, the owner of Creative Cutz hairdressing, has also been spoken to by police.