Two a penny

.

LATEST:
The Government will make a second attempt to get controversial changes to the ACC scheme through its first reading in Parliament.

Prime Minister John Key said yesterday that the Government would move the House into urgency from today to push through changes to the “boy-racer” legislation and the victim levy bill.

National is negotiating with ACT and the Maori Party for the votes to pass its ACC changes after being forced to shelve the first reading of the proposed legislation last week through lack of support. Progress is being made, but it’s a little too early to tell whether it will be this week,” Key said.

“We’re in negotiations with our partners.

Motorcyclists bear the brunt of the levy increases, but all motorists, and most workers, will pay more from next year.

ACC Minister Nick Smith has unveiled a range of levy increases and changes to entitlements, and a move to shift the full funding of the scheme out to 2019.

The Government will need to get the legislation sent to a parliamentary select committee soon if it is to have any hope of making the changes law by February.

The Maori Party is pushing for tougher criteria proposed for disability payments to be dropped in return for its support, while ACT wants the Government to investigate part-privatisation. If it does not, the ACC’s even steeper levy increases will take effect.

ACT had said it would look at supporting the bill and had put its policy to introduce competition into work place accident insurance on the table.

Mr Key met with Act leader Rodney Hide last night seeking support for the ACC bill.

PROTEST AGAINST CHANGES

Anger over the Government’s plans continued yesterday, with protests in the main centres over proposed cuts to entitlements.It is National Party policy to investigate opening up the part of the scheme that covers work-related personal injuries to private competition, and ACT was likely to push for that.

Victims of sexual abuse are angry that they would need to prove they had suffered mental trauma as a result of sexual abuse before getting ACC-funded treatment.

Victims of sexual abuse are angry that they would need to prove they had suffered mental trauma as a result of sexual abuse before getting ACC-funded treatment.

The ACC proposals include a threshold of a 6 per cent hearing loss before a person is entitled for assistance for hearing aids.

The New Zealand logical Society yesterday accused the Government of turning its back on thousands of people whose hearing has been damaged at work. .

Society president Lesley Hindmarsh said thousands of people with occupational hearing loss, who were previously entitled to ACC help for their hearing aids, may no longer be eligible

.

Fifteen years after bringing to life one of the most memorable characters of New Zealand film, Temuera Morrison says he is still haunted by the “demon” of Jake the Muss - and worries Jake’s anger and torment will be with him for life.

In a memoir to be published tomorrow, Morrison, who lost his entertainer uncle Sir Howard on Thursday, touches on how the wife-beating Jake character from 1994’s Once Were Warriors took him to a dark place from which he has not fully emerged.

“There’s a lot of torment left in there.

“I had to work hardest on Jake’s anger, and now I think it’s probably with me for life,” says Morrison in From Haka to Hollywood, ghost- ritten by journalist Paul Little. Maybe I need to go through some spiritual cleansing process to get rid of that guy. When you go to these dark places inside you, for some reason things linger on. “Uncle Howard gave us so much, we’re going to miss him very much.”

Morrison told the Sunday Star-Times a dark cloud had come over his family with the death of Sir Howard.

In 1999, Morrison chased a group of teenagers who had set fire to a real estate sign outside his house on Auckland’s North Shore.”

He said the anger he unleashed to create Jake may have been responsible for two high-profile incidents, including his bashing of a teenager and an argument with his former partner, to which police were called. It turned out the boy was not even involved in the arson.

He grabbed a 17-year-old boy by the shirt, punched him twice in the face, dragged him by the hair down a drive and bashed his head against a fencepost. Morrison said of the incident: “I think he [Jake] might have popped out there for a brief moment.

Morrison was not convicted for the assault, instead being dealt with under the police diversion scheme.”

In December 2007, concerned neighbours called police to a domestic dispute between Morrison and then partner Peata Melbourne. Poor kid, it’s a regret.

Morrison said of that incident: “Jake had to quickly run out of the house and disappear and hide in the trees and cool down a bit. She later told a women’s magazine how frightened she felt as the argument spiralled out of control. “Show me the man who’s very calm in those situations.”

He had only just returned from making a film in Bulgaria and was going through a stressful separation from Melbourne. “I created that character, it comes from me really.”

Morrison said filming Warriors was an emotional rollercoaster. . I created this demon of this character, all that kind of stuff I had to draw on. Sometimes I can twitch into an aggressive mode, just like that. Sometimes I can twitch into an aggressive mode, just like that. It’s not there every day, just every now and again.”

.

LATEST:
An 87-year-old Rangiora woman badly burnt in a house fire died in Christchurch Hospital last night. .

Passers-by rescued her 89-year-old husband, who had been fighting the fire.20pm.

Rangiora Volunteer Fire Brigade chief fire officer Ross Ditmer said a couple who were driving past saw flames leaping four metres high about 9. They helped him out of the house but were not able to rescue his wife from a bedroom.

They broke down the door of the house and found the man unconscious in the hallway.

Detective Sergeant Rex Barnett, of Rangiora police, said the fire appeared to have started from an electric blanket.

“They are pretty traumatised because they knew there was someone else in the house and weren’t able to get to her,” he said.

Ditmer said the rescuers were “heroes, but they wouldn’t want to be called that”.

Her husband, who suffered minor injuries, had run to the laundry for a bucket of water, Ditmer said.

Fire crews arrived soon after the passers-by and were able to reach the woman, he said.

“It close toly cost him his life. By the time he got to the hallway he was overwhelmed by smoke. This is a clear example of how people should not try to fight fires but should leave the house and let fire officers deal with it,” Ditmer said. This is a clear example of how people should not try to fight fires but should leave the house and let fire officers deal with it,” Ditmer said.

.

New Zealand golfer David Smail was left fuming after his group was put on the clock mid round on day two of the US PGA Championship at Hazeltine in Minnesota.

Smail made it through to the opening two rounds in his maiden US PGA showing with scores of 75 and 73 for a four-over par tally and right on the halfway cut-off mark.

But while Smail was delighted with his efforts on the longest venue in Major’s history, he was far from pleased with the events that unfolded on the par five, third hole that he was playing as his 12th.

Smail’s effort makes amends after the 39-year old Hamilton player sat out the closing two rounds of this year’s US Open and British Open championships.

“I had hit a good drive down the middle but then my second shot then just ran off into the first cut of rough before I hit my third `fat’ that landed on the fourth tee,” he said.

Smail eventually walked away with a double bogey to drop back to four over par, but then hung on grimly to par his remaining six holes and ensure his place over the weekend.

“It was then a rules official came up to the group to say we were being put on the clock.

“I had no shot from there and managed to get it on the green.”

The player in question was 47-year old American Michael Miles, also competing in his first US PGA.

“But it’s just disturbing that a rules official should put us on the clock when one player in our group, and I am not naming names, but there was one guy in our group and he was the reason we were out of place and behind the group ahead.

Miles, who also qualified for June’s US Open, buckled under the weight of a second round 81 to miss the cut with a nine over par total.

Miles is the Assistant Professional at the Virginia Country Club course in Long Beach, California and qualified for the event after finishing tied 16th in the 2009 PGA Professional National Championship.

“But it’s just disappointing when one of your playing partners just doesn’t try to make the effort to catch up.

“We were slow and we were at least a hole behind, so we deserved to be on the clock,” Smail admitted.”

Smail went to the next tee fuming and it took the intervention of his wife, Sheree, who was walking with her husband, to defuse his anger. If he did, we wouldn’t have been on the clock, and we wouldn’t have to worry.

“But I found myself starting to rush my shots so it did take a while to settle down.

“I have always been a quick player and Sheree knows my game, and she was watching from the sidelines signalling to me to calm down,” Smail said.

.
AFP - A French teenager shot and killed his parents and twin brothers, apparently while they were asleep in their home on the island of Corsica, police said Thursday.

The 16-year-old boy was arrested after he told a friend who then alerted police about the quadruple homicide.

Investigators said they had yet to establish a motive for the crime.

The teenager used his father’s shotgun to kill both his parents, aged 43 and 45, and 10-year-old brothers at the house in the town of Albitreccia in southern Corsica on Wednesday.

The teenager did provide investigators with information allowing them to recover the gun that belonged to his father.

He has not given any explanation, he is tired and in shock, said police colonel Hubert Deininger.

Deininger noted he had no criminal record, lived with his parents, in an average family.

Investigators were looking at the teenager’s psychological profile. .

The boy turned up with a relative at a police station in the early hours on Thursday after apparently wandering the streets of the Porticcio area, meeting several people including a friend to whom he confessed, said deputy prosecutor Valerie Tavernier.

Corsica - murder

.

A South Auckland mum woke to “a man smashing her in the face” as her 16-month-old son lay sleeping next to her.

Memree Warid , a mother of three, is undergoing surgery this week to repair fractures to her cheekbone and jaw inflicted on her by a would-be burglar.

Mrs Warid can’t remember much about the attack except the terror of a stranger straddling her and beating her with his fists.

Her husband Charian had just left home with his brother for an early morning gym workout when the attack happened.

“It was pretty scary, especially waking up with someone on top of you and not knowing who they are.

“I had no idea what had happened – I thought she might be ill or something but I didn’t know until I walked in.

When he reached the gym 20 minutes later he received a call from his 10-year-old son to say his wife was swollen and bleeding.

“I felt sick in the stomach – my two sons were awake and all I saw was blood everywhere. .

“I just saw Memree with swollen eyes, swollen cheeks and asked her what happened.

She was unable to give police a description of her attacker because he abandoned his robbery attempt after the flurry of punches.”

Mrs Warid was taken to hospital but her 16-month-old son Deosi was unscathed.

“He’s tripped over the table and landed on me.

The couple believe the burglar got in through an unlocked ranchslider and tripped over a coffee table which they routinely place next to the door. He would’ve totally freaked out feeling a body under him and probably his first instinct was to start smashing,” she says. He would’ve totally freaked out feeling a body under him and probably his first instinct was to start smashing,” she says.

The couple’s car was also broken into recently.

A neighbour’s ranchslider was opened on the same night and another neighbour was robbed two weeks ago and is now moving out.

“Just double-check everything is locked before you go to bed.

“We never thought it would happen to us but we left the sliding door unlocked – that was our mistake.

“He possibly thought that the house was empty and entered.”

Detective sergeant Dave French thinks the man might have been watching the house and entered it after seeing Mr Warid and his brother leave.”

Police inquiries this week will focus on forensic evidence from the house and checking for other break-ins or disturbances in the Takanini Rd area. He then tripped on to Mrs Warid and lashed out.

.

“We’re interested in hearing from anybody who might have seen something in the street that morning and from any neighbours who have had problems

.

LATEST:
The man accused of running an alleged scam which sold “passport stamps” to immigrants faces another 36 charges.

Gerard Otimi, a spraypainter, was supported by around 40 friends and family when he appeared at Manukau District Court today for a pre-depositions hearing in front of Judge Anna Johns.

He faces three charges of deception relating to five different complainants.

Otimi, dressed in a floorlength black leather court, objected to the presence of cameras at court.

All 36 charges related to alleged offending in June 2009. Another 36 fraud-related charges were also laid today, police said.

“We’ve been carrying out inquiries and as a result of those, these new charges have been laid.

Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Pizzini said the nature of the new charges involved passports which had been altered with intent to defraud.

In June, police said they found $40,000 in cash and 5000 unissued hapu membership certificates when they searched a number of properties connected to Otimi. . Overstayers, mainly from the Pacific Islands, were allegedly told the documents meant they could stay in New Zealand under the hapu’s protection.

Under the scheme, people paid up to $500 for residency papers issued in the name of a Maori hapu.

Another pre-depositions hearing was set down on August 26.

- with

.

A woman with swine flu who died in Wellington Hospital this week was embalmed before the chief coroner’s office was even told about the death.

The 39-year-old had been pregnant but miscarried six to eight weeks before she died. It is not known whether she was sick with the virus then.

He has accused Capital and Coast District Health Board of breaching protocol after a death while under medical care.

Chief coroner Judge Neil MacLean said he was very concerned that his office was not directly informed about the woman’s death till after the death certificate had been signed and the body returned to the family. It brings the confirmed swine flu death toll to 13.

The woman died on Monday after 11 days in the intensive care unit.

The coroner’s office says it is investigating a further 20 deaths in which swine flu was the suspected cause. .

The number of New Zealand deaths attributed to swine flu remained at 13 today, with confirmed cases 44 higher than yesterday at 2748. Environmental Science and Research virologist Sue Huang, head of the national influenza centre in Upper Hutt, said that in rare cases, flu patients could appear to be getting better, only to develop secondary infections a week or so later, “sometimes with fatal consequences”.

She had earlier tested positive for pandemic influenza H1N1 09 swine flu.”

She said swine flu seemed to be affecting more pregnant women than was usual for seasonal influenza but it was not known why.

“Mainly, these are respiratory infections but there have been reports of neurological symptoms associated with seasonal influenza.

Judge MacLean said he found out about the woman’s death from a third party and phoned the hospital.

Judge MacLean said he found out about the woman’s death from a third party and phoned the hospital…”

Capital and Coast spokesman Michael Tull said the board would be happy to discuss the matter with the coroner but that he could not comment further out of respect for the family’s wishes. From our point of view, we will still add it to the confirmed list [of deaths] but it’s not the same as if the coroner had a chance to investigate.

There was no requirement in the Coroners Act for coroners to be automatically informed of pandemic deaths.

Deputy director of public health Fran McGrath said she believed hospital staff had tried to inform the local coroner’s office.”

.

“We’re very happy to discuss this with the chief coroner if he believes this case falls into a grey area, but it’s not appropriate to have that discussion in the media

.

Henry Louis Gates Jr, the pre-eminent African-American scholar, is accusing police of racism after he was arrested while trying to force open the locked front door of his home near Harvard University.

Cambridge police were called to the home on Thursday afternoon (local time) after a woman reported seeing a man “wedging his shoulder into the front door as to pry the door open,” according to a police report.

An officer ordered the man to identify himself, and Gates refused, according to the report.”

Officers said they tried to calm down the 58-year-old academic, who responded, “You don’t know who you’re messing with,” according to the police report. Gates began calling the officer a racist and said repeatedly, “This is what happens to black men in America. He joined the Harvard faculty in 1991 and holds one of 20 prestigious “university professors” positions at the school.

Gates is the director of Harvard University’s WEB Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research and served for 15 years as chairman of what is now the Department of African and African American Research.

He also was host of African American Lives, a PBS show about the family histories of prominent US blacks.

Gates was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge after police said he “exhibited loud and tumultuous behaviour”. Time magazine named him one of the 25 most influential Americans in 1997.

Gates referred comment to his lawyer, fellow Harvard scholar Charles Ogletree, who was not immediately available. . The woman who reported Gates did not return a message on Monday. Cambridge police declined to comment, and the Middlesex district attorney’s office said it could not do so until after Gates’ arraignment.

Many of Gates’ African-American colleagues believe his arrest is part of a pattern of racial profiling in Cambridge, said Allen Counter, who has taught neuroscience at Harvard for 25 years.

Many of Gates’ African-American colleagues believe his arrest is part of a pattern of racial profiling in Cambridge, said Allen Counter, who has taught neuroscience at Harvard for 25 years.

“We do not believe that this arrest would have happened if professor Gates was white,” Counter said. They threatened to arrest him when he could not produce identification.”

Counter said he spoke to Gates, who told him police continued to question him after he showed them his licence and Harvard identification. “It really has been very unsettling for African-Americans throughout Harvard and throughout Cambridge that this happened.

.

Rocks that lurched rather than snapped saved the southern South Island from massive damage in Wednesday night’s Fiordland earthquake. .22pm on Wednesday had the potential to cause extensive damage and threaten life.8 magnitude quake under Resolution Island at 9.

GNS Science principal scientist Martin Reyners said the magnitude of the quake and its shallowness, only 12 kilometres deep, would normally be a dangerous combination.

Prime Minister John Key said New Zealanders could “thank their lucky stars” for such a close escape.

The quake was centred where the Australian crustal plate was diving under part of the South Island on the Pacific plate.

But the country’s biggest quake for 80 years occurred in a remote location and in “soft rocks” that muffled some of its power.

It occurred close to the offshore Alpine Fault but was not on it, and it was of a magnitude similar to that expected when the Alpine Fault next breaks, which some say is overdue.

It ripped open a six-metre thrust between the plates throughout an area about 60km along the Fiordland coastline and down to about 50km below the surface, Reyners said.

“It started about 30km deep and ruptured upwards.

“It’s a good reminder to New Zealanders that we have had earthquakes this size in the past 1931 in Hawke’s Bay and 1929 in Buller and sooner or later we will have one in a more populated area,” he said.

“So with the earthquake, when it ruptured it was more of a ‘lurch’ than a ’snap’. Because it happened between the plates, it’s a place where the rocks are what we call reasonably soft.

“There was a DOC (Department of Conservation) team on Resolution Island, where the fault would have ruptured just about under their feet. People would have felt the low-frequency shaking that’s the rolling rather than high-frequency shaking, which is the shaking that causes damage to buildings.”

A team of seismologists travelled to the area yesterday to install six seismographs along the coast between Dagg Sound and Puysegur Point, Reyners said. As I understand it, they weren’t tossed out of bed.”

AFTERSHOCKS FELT

Strong aftershocks continued to rock Fiordland this morning following Wednesday night’s 7.

“We have a couple of permanent stations in the area Deep Cove and one at Puysegur Point but we want to install a few more stations as we want to get a better fix on the geometry of the fault that broke.

Two earthquakes measuring over five in magnitude hit the area early today.8 earthquake.3 in strength jolted Southland residents at 4.

The first, measuring 5.

It was centred 120km west of Tuatapere and was 30km deep.

It was centred 120km west of Tuatapere and was 30km deep.