Two a penny

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A massive police blitz in Auckland over the past four days concluded last night with 129 people facing drink-driving charges.

Road policing manager Inspector Gavin Macdonald said about 40,000 drivers were breath tested during Operation Safer Roads, where checkpoints were set up around the region, catching some suburban residents by surprise. The legal limit is 400mcg.

Police impounded 17 vehicles and suspended 34 people’s driving licences after they returned readings of more than 650 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath.

Mr Macdonald said 13 people were also arrested for offences including receiving stolen property, unlawfully taking vehicles, driving while disqualified and breaching bail conditions.

Court bailiffs were also involved in the operation, seizing an additional 12 vehicles and collecting $3000 in cash for outstanding fines.

“One offender actually complained after being stopped that the police had changed the location of a checkpoint whilst he had been drinking at the pub. .

Mr Macdonald said drink-driving was no joke and that police and the community had had enough of irresponsible behaviour by intoxicated drivers.”

The man admitted to having received a text message from a friend telling him which way to travel home to avoid being detected.

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Police have charged Paremoremo inmate George Baker after he allegedly took another man hostage in the Auckland prison the previous month.

Baker, 28, will appear in North Shore District Court charged with kidnapping, assault with a weapon and threatening to kill.

He was believed to have been armed with a makeshift knife and was demanding a transfer to a less secure unit.

The charges are in relation to an incident at Paremoremo prison the previous month when Baker, who has a history of mental health problems, allegedly took another man hostage with weapons improvised from the prison’s recreation room. .

Baker eventually freed his hostage, believed to have been an elderly sex offender, and gave himself up peacefully.

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Baker is due to appear on 18 September

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A desire for retribution led three men to beat to death a Hamilton man on the side of an Auckland highway, a High Court jury has been told.

Ahmad Matlobyaygazwini, 35, TualeFuimaono, 28 and Ali Rafiee, 28, have been jointly charged with the murder of Bjorn Henderson, 28. A jury of six men and six womanwas selected at theHigh Court in Aucklandthis morning beforeJusticeGraham Lang.

Mr Henderson’s lifeless body wasabandoned at the Auckland Hospital emergency departmenton March 10last year.

The crown alleged that one of the accused,Matlobyaygazwini, had been a dealer of methamphetamine at the time of the murder and had been a “close associate” ofthe victim.

In her opening address crown prosecutor Kristin Lummis said that all three men were responsible for the death of Mr Henderson.”

“The involvement with drugs set the scene and provided the catalyst for Mr Henderson’s murder. .

Ms Lummis said this robbery had left Matlobyaygazwini “furious”.”

The court heard how several days before the murder Mr Henderson had “ripped off” Matlobyaygazwini, stealing a “considerable amount” of methamphetamine and assaulting him in a motel room.”

On the day of his death, Ms Lummis said Matlobyaygazwini had “lured” Mr Henderson to a house on the Ellerslie-Panmure Highway to exact revenge.

“He decided to exact retribution against Mr Henderson for what had occurred.

Finding himself wedged between a car and a concrete wall Henderson attempted to escape by jumping over a neighbouring hedge, Ms Lummis said.

When Mr Henderson realised Matlobyaygazwini and his associate Rafieewere alreadyat the address, he attempted to flee, but the driveway had been barricaded by acar driven by Faimaono.”

The crown allege that when the three men caught up with Mr Henderson they brutally assaulted him, inflictingnumerous heavy blows.

“Unfortunately for Mr Henderson he did not get very far.

After the assault Mr Henderson was left lying critically injured on a neighbouringdriveway until an associate picked him up and attempted to tend to his wounds.

Oneblow to the back of the head had caused bleeding on thebrain and eventually killed him, Mr Lummis said.

When hospital staff discovered Henderson “it was clear he was dead”, Ms Lummis said.

However, Mr Henderson was not taken to the emergency department until after midnight when two prostitutes – who saw him lying injured in the back of a car – insisted the associate take him to hospital.

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A Wairarapa mother who crashed her car, killing her four-year-old son, was today found guilty in the High Court at Wellington of his manslaughter. .45pm, after beginning their deliberations at 4pm yesterday.

Her four-year-old son Konrad Truger was thrown about 30m from the vehicle.

Wendy-May Connon was behind the wheel when her car left the road in Featherston, flipping and rolling several times, on January 16 last year.

In his summing up, Crown prosecutor Mark O’Donoghue told the jury Connon was impaired from the cannabis in her system, she had also been speeding, and Konrad was only secured by a lap belt and wasn’t sitting in a booster seat. He suffered severe brain injuries and died three days later.

Connon’s lawyer Jock Blathwayt said there was no evidence she was affected by the cannabis and Konrad would have died regardless of whether he was in a booster seat.

He remanded Connon on bail.

Before the verdict was read, Justice Joseph Williams said it was a tense time and urged those present to remain calm.

Leaving the dock, Connon said: “Thanks for nothing. Sentencing was set for September 24.

Detective Mana Faraimo said there were no winners from the outcome.”

Outside the courtroom, tearful family members consoled each other.

“We still have two grieving families grieving over their four-year-old son.

“We still have two grieving families grieving over their four-year-old son.

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Speeding and taking drugs were a dangerous combination, he said

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Guides are being praised for the speed with which they dug out two skiers buried alive by an avalanche of 100 metric tonnes of snow and ice. .

The second buried ski tourist was dug out within nine minutes and survived unscathed.

The dead man’s name had not been released last night.

The surviving man has been named by the Sydney Morning Herald as Melbourne multi-millionaire John Castran, 53, and the and other tourist – who was caught in the avalanche but not buried in snow – was said to be his son Angus Castran.

The Mountain Safety Council had issued a warning about avalanches in the Ragged Range, close to Methven, only hours earlier, saying the danger level was high.

The three Australian tourists were with two guides from Methven Heliski.

Police, the council and the Labour Department are all investigating.

It was remarkable the guides dug the tourists out so quickly.

Council avalanche programme manager Steve Schreiber said the group had been skiing for four or five hours before triggering the avalanche, which was about 200 metres wide.”

‘HE SHOULDN’T HAVE DIED’

Methven Heliski director Kevin Boekholt, one of the two guides in the expedition, said the dead man was buried a metre down. “It’s pretty heroic to be able to have the skills to get these people out, who are so deep, and to get them all out. He was under the snow but there’s a lot of air in snow. “He had his head up and he had no snow in his mouth. He shouldn’t have died. He shouldn’t have died. “We skied all over the world together.

He had skied with the dead man for 25 years. He’s like one of my best friends. We hang out together all the time. Mr Heuchan, 33, fell into a crevasse and was buried by snow.”

A mountain guide for more than 25 years, Mr Boekholt received a bravery medal from the Royal Humane Society, after he and two other guides worked in vain to save the life of Australian heli-skier Joshua Heuchan in 2004. “They were able to distinguish his track marks and began probing.

Westpac rescue helicopter general manager Simon Duncan said the guides used avalanche probes to search for the buried man who died.

Statistics showed a person buried for up to 18 minutes had a 93 per cent chance of survival.”

He described the area the group was in as extremely remote. “I suspect there was something else going on, maybe an underlying illness related to this. “I suspect there was something else going on, maybe an underlying illness related to this.”

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At least 156 people have been killed in rioting in China’s northwestern Xinjiang region, with the government blaming exiled separatists for the traditionally Muslim area’s worst case of unrest in years.

Hundreds of people have been arrested, the official Xinhua news agency said, after protesters from the Uighur minority took to the streets of the regional capital on Sunday, burning and smashing vehicles and shops, and clashing with anti-riot police. .

“In terms of China’s domestic economy, it is in a remote place and it does not have a big impact on things generally unless there is some evidence, of which there is none, that the government is in some meaningful way losing control,” said Arthur Kroeber, Managing Director of Dragonomics, a research and advisory firm in Beijing.

No figures have been given on the ethnic identity of the dead but a senior security official said that many of the bodies he saw were Han Chinese, suggesting an explosion of pent-up anger against the economically dominant group.

But minorities have long complained that Han Chinese have reaped most of the benefits from official subsidies, while making locals feel like outsiders in their own homes.

By late Monday order was restored.

“It was like a war zone here, with many bodies of ethnic Han people lying on the road,” Xinhua quoted Huang Yabo, deputy director of the Urumqi Public Security Bureau saying.

But if the violence triggers scrutiny of Beijing’s policies in Xinjiang or if officials launch a harsh crackdown, China’s standing as a global power may take a hit, analysts say. Anti-riot police patrolled clean, quiet streets, a reminder of the strength of the Chinese state in an area which has long had a heavy security presence. Coercion alone will not solve the problem.

“This will bring a negative impact on China’s image as a responsible power.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, when asked about the rioting on Monday, urged governments to respect their people’s right to protest. If you use coercion alone it will worsen the problem,” said Zheng Yongnian, director of the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore.

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“All the differences of opinion, whether domestic or international, must be resolved peacefully through dialogue,” Ban told a news conference in Geneva

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Tax cuts that come in on Wednesday will deliver a billion dollar a year boost to the economy while changes to the business tax regime will help companies get through the recession, ministers said today.

April 1 is the date for personal tax cuts that will increase the income of a worker on the average wage of $48,500 by $18 a week.

“These changes form a central part of the Government’s Jobs and Growth plan and will provide a shot in the arm for our economy at a vital time,” Finance Minister Bill English said.

A range of changes making it simpler and less expensive for small and medium-sized business, passed by Parliament last week, also take effect on that date.”

Revenue Minister Peter Dunne said the income tax cuts took New Zealand one step closer to a 30/30/30 per cent alignment of the top personal, company and trustee tax rates.

“The tax cuts we have delivered will stimulate the economy in the short term by putting cash people’s pockets, and in the longer term by encouraging people to invest in their own skills to earn and keep more money.

“In regard to small and medium-sized businesses, the tax assistance initiatives will make it easier for them to manage their cash flows and meet their tax obligations during tough economic times.

“That is something I have long advocated and I’m pleased it is now a medium-term government priority,” he said.

The ministers said close toly every business would benefit in some way from the changes, which allow companies to keep their money longer, reduce the interest they pay on underpaid tax and cut compliance costs.”

For earners, the changes mean tax rate cuts and threshold changes, as well as a new Independent Earner Tax Credit which will give an extra $10 a week to those earning between $24,000 and $44,000 a year who do not receive a benefit, Working for Families tax credits or national superannuation. The minimum level of contributions will drop from 4 per cent of a worker’s pay to 2 per cent.

There are also changes to KiwiSaver from April 1.

WHAT YOU’LL GET

Weekly tax cuts for workers who do not receive the Independent Earner Tax Credit:

Salary.

The employer tax credit and $40-a-year member fee subsidy will also cease. . . … . . . .tax cut

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$45,000. . .. . .$11.54

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$85,000. . .. . .$21.35

$90,000. . .. . .$22.31

$95,000. . .. . .$23.27

$100,000. . …$24.23

Annual tax cuts for workers who receive the Independent Earner Tax Credit:

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$25,000. . .. . .$520

$30,000. . .. . .$520

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$45,000. . .. . .$990

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Coal firm pays for emissions report

Monday, 12 January 2009

A report highly critical of the Government's climate change policy was partially bankrolled by one of the country's largest coal miners and state-owned companies.
Information issued under the Official Information Act reveals Solid Energy paid hundreds of thousands of dollars towards the report into the impact of the emissions trading scheme (ETS).
As a miner of coal, which produces greenhouse gas, Solid Energy faces higher operating costs and potentially dwindling demand.
To encourage use of more environmentally friendly energy sources, the scheme imposes taxes on anything that emits greenhouse gases.
The final report said the emissions trading scheme would impose a heavy economic cost on the country, costing households about $3000 a year by 2025 and reduce average wages by $90 a week.
Solid Energy gave $240,750, including GST, to the $1 million project by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER) on the economic impact of the controversial legislation.
"We pride ourselves on being the best informed we can be," a company spokeswoman said.
Solid Energy has defended the spending, saying it regularly commissioned research to remain fully informed about its business environment and the implications of any regulatory changes."
But Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said the spending was inappropriate, as it was effectively taxpayers' money and the coal industry funding may have "coloured" the report's findings.
"It needs to be remembered SOEs are businesses like any other enterprises. It's effectively taxpayers' money as it would have come back to the Government in its dividend," she said.
"It's not an SOE's job to spend money to try and undermine government policy.
The National Government has refused to wade into the issue.
The mining company incurred the ire of the Labour government in 2007, when it used a paid informant to spy on a group of West Coast anti-mining protesters.
Industries NZIER predicted would be hit by the legislation included agriculture, petroleum refining and mining. .
A review of the institute's report by economic consultants Infometrics found its "conclusions follow logically" and the conclusions were "robust".
"Mining and quarrying is most impacted by reduced demand for coal from the electricity industry," the report said.
The company defended the funding in a briefing note requested by then state-owned enterprises minister Trevor Mallard, saying it was to enable it to understand "optimum climate-change response options". However, it did draw some criticism from Victoria University Climate Change Research Institute director Martin Manning, who said the institute used too narrow a scope with its economic modelling.
Greenpeace NZ executive director Bunny McDiarmid said it was appalling that a coal company funded by the taxpayer could finance a report that potentially could influence the Government's climate change policy.
It also spent a further $27,000 on another institute research project, but has refused to reveal the project's subject matter on the grounds of commercial sensitivity. It's public money that's going into that. "There was a clear conflict."

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Women fired because they were pregnant

By KATHERINE NEWTON Thursday, 04 December 2008

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DAMAGES: Former Auckland bar manager Sophie Melrose, with son Lukus, was awarded nearly $36,000 in compensation and lost wages after being wrongfully dismissed.

Twoemployers have been ordered to pay thousands of dollars in compensation for wrongfully dismissing two employees after they became pregnant.
Ms Melrose was demoted from her job as general manager at The Vulcan bar in December 2007, a week after she told her employers she was pregnant.
Former Auckland bar manager Sophie Melrose was awarded nearly $36,000 in compensation and lost wages, and former waitress Doris Chiu was awarded more than $22,000, in two separate cases decided by the Employment Relations Authority.
She has since given birth to a healthy baby boy, but said the loss of her job marred her pregnancy. . It was very, very stressful for me and my partner. "I lost all my maternity leave."
She said she was relieved to have won her case.
"I found myself always having anxiety attacks – my midwife was constantly checking my blood pressure.
"I just felt like a massive weight had been lifted off my shoulders. "I always knew that what had happened was wrong, but to have that verified by a court was so good.
Her employers, Lina Megawaty and John White, claimed she had failed to provide proof of her entitlement to work in New Zealand, despite being a New Zealand resident."
Ms Chiu was fired from her job at the New Deli Cafe, Albany, in August 2007, a few weeks after she told her employers she was pregnant.
That information would have been discovered when Ms Chiu applied to Inland Revenue for maternity and parental leave.
However, Ms Chiu provided evidence that suggested her employers had dismissed her in an attempt to cover up the fact they had paid only one month of her PAYE tax to Inland Revenue.
"Her memory of the birth of her child will long be marred by what happened when she told her employers she was pregnant.
Authority member Alastair Dumbleton said Ms Chiu had been humiliated by being called "a liar and a fraud, and a fabricator of evidence". "We're being shown as people who discriminate against pregnant women, when we're not."
Mr White said yesterday that he was considering challenging the decision. "I can just imagine what it took for those women to have to go through all this while they were pregnant."
Maternity Services Consumer Council coordinator Lynda Williams said the cases made her despair.
Wellington employment lawyer Peter Cullen said firing a woman because she was pregnant was sexual discrimination and a breach of the Human Rights Act."
She hoped the cases would be a deterrent to employers who thought such behaviour was tolerable. "It's not often that people get discriminated against like that. "It's not often that people get discriminated against like that."

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Fire closes down Far North power station

Northern News Friday, 21 November 2008

Northern News
FIRE HAZARD: A new fire rages at Ngawha, less than a day since fire destroyed more than 60 hectares of DOC land there. Inset: The corner of Ngawha village is closed off by police and fire crews.
Forestry workers were evacuated and fibre optic control cables linking parts of the power station were burnt through when the fire, which had been burning since Wednesday, flared up this afternoon.

A scrub fire which caused the Ngawha geothermal fire station in the Far North to be closed down was brought under control tonight.
"Once we knew we were going to lose those (fibre optic) controls, the station was closed down in an orderly fashion," he told tonight.
Top Energy chief executive Roger de Bray said the station was closed down about 4pm.
"If the fire flares up again they will call 111 but intrinsically it should be out," he said.
But by 9pm everybody at the station had been stood down, except two nightwatchmen and Mr de Bray said the Department of Conservation also had someone there.
Total damage would not be known until the morning and he did not know how long it would take for the power station to be fired up again. .
Department of Conservation fire crews regained control of the blaze using helicopters, backed up by the Fire Service.
The Ngawha Valley fire appeared to have been brought under control yesterday, but jumped Bannister Road into a Carter Holt Harvey forest about 3pm after flaring up again, said Fire Service spokesperson Jaron Phillips. At that stage forestry workers were being evacuated from the area because of the danger.
Earlier this evening he said the fire was "moving quite rapidly with the wind — it's out of control at the moment".
The fire had already burnt through private land and Maori land, as well as the Ngawha Conservation Area, Ngawha Scenic Reserve and the Lake Waiparaheka Scientific Reserve, regarded as a unique place because of the geothermal flora and fauna.
Police had also closed roads to the public in the area.
The first-floor fire was near the southern motorway, prompting a lot of calls from motorists, Mr Phillips said.
In Auckland, two people suffered burns to their hands and smoke inhalation after they were caught in a fire at a commercial unit on Great South Road in Manukau about 5pm.
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The fire was extinguished within about half an hour and the two people were being treated by ambulance staff