Two a penny

.

The Government will not be pressured by the United States to send the Special Air Service (SAS) back to Afghanistan, Prime Minister John Key says.

The US has put more pressure on its allies to boost their contribution in Afghanistan and has warned New Zealand through its Nato ambassador that it should fight as a “partner and ally” in case it ever needs US military support.

Ambassador Ivo Daalder told a New Zealand journalist visiting Afghanistan that New Zealand should be fighting the Taleban and should consider its relations not just with the US, but with other allies such as Australia. Wouldn’t it be good for a country like Holland or Canada or Slovakia or the US to be there?” Daalder said.

“God forbid there be a threat directly to New Zealand.

Daalder had merely been stressing that members of the international community needed to support one another, she said.

A spokeswoman for the US embassy in Wellington said the US had been at pains not to pressure any of its allies over Afghanistan.

“We understand that this is a decision for the New Zealand Government and for New Zealanders,” she said.

“I think you’ve got to take those comments with a grain of salt,” Key said.

Key said yesterday that Daalder’s comments were “a little gung-ho”, and New Zealand would make its own decisions.

“I’m reasonably relaxed about the comments that are being made. “It’s quite clear the Americans have asked all of their Nato and ISAF [International Security Assistance Force] partners to contribute greater effort to Afghanistan to stabilise the position there.”

Asked what he meant, Key said: “Well, only in the sense that read the wrong way they could be implied as putting pressure on New Zealand. They are a little gung-ho, but I’m reasonably relaxed about it. .”

He said the Cabinet would decide on whether to send the SAS back to Afghanistan by mid-August, “but that decision will be made in what we deem to be the best interests of New Zealand”. Whatever decision we make has to be made here in New Zealand,” he said. “We are able to say `no’. They are the people entitled to that answer, not anybody else.

“I answer to the New Zealand public.

“Whether we agree or not is something Cabinet has to consider, but my view is I am somewhat sympathetic to the position on the basis that we send New Zealanders all around the world and they are in harm’s way,” he said.”

Key said he was sympathetic to the US request. I can’t see how that is in New Zealand’s best interests. “What is the counter-factual? If the world doesn’t get on top of the position in Afganistan, the counter-factual is it becomes an even bigger hotbed for global terrorism.”

.

Slippery fugitive William Stewart is styling himself “Billy the Hunted One” and appears to be enjoying his new-found notoriety.

A Teddington farmer, whose property was broken into by the 47-year-old, showed Stewart’s table-top calling card yesterday.

Stewart, who broke into the farm’s smoko room and helped himself to a meal the weekend before last, had carved his thanks into the dining table.

Stewart has been on the run since early February.

“Thanks guys, Billy the Hunted One,” he wrote.

He has five warrants for his arrest and is thought to have committed a string of burglaries and car thefts while on the run.

He has not been seen since he picked up hitchhikers in Hororata more than a week ago.

Police believed his latest crime was to swap a stolen car for a 2008 Hilux in Waddington, central Canterbury, on Tuesday.

“He helped himself to a nice meal of hot pies and coffee and wrote a thank-you note carved into the table.

The Teddington farmer, who declined to be named, said Stewart had been “sleeping rough” in the hills towards Gebbies Pass behind the property before he ventured down to the farm’s sheds.

“It was more that he had been watching and seeing where the keys were kept,” the farmer said.”

The fact that the door had not been forced but was opened using keys hidden on the property was unnerving.

The farmer said it was clear Stewart was “having a lot of fun and games”.

After carving his thanks, Stewart stole one of the farm motorbikes and blasted through a police cordon towards Governors Bay early on March 22.

However, police had called his antics “silly”.

However, police had called his antics “silly”. .

The Teddington farmer said Stewart, who had popped up in Tai Tapu the following day he evaded police in Governors Bay, obviously had some bushcraft skills as it was a long hike over the hills

.
Second doctor says MidCentral Health gagging staff

By – Tuesday, 27 January 2009

A Palmerston North hospital doctor says MidCentral Health is a "propaganda machine", confirming staff were gagged from speaking publicly about lengthy waiting lists for cancer patients.
The senior radiation oncologist, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals, said MidCentral Health was lying when it said on Friday that staff weren't gagged. He revealed some patients were waiting up to four times longer for treatment than the national guidelines stipulate – with some waiting up to 17 weeks.
Last week, Johan Nel wrote a letter to the expressing his disgust at waiting lists for radiation therapy.
Last week MidCentral Health denied these claims.
When the Standard approached him for further comment, Dr Nel said he had been told he was not allowed to speak to the media.
And the same spokesperson continued to deny the claims last night. A spokesperson said: "We do not gag or censor our staff", and "I don't know who told him not to speak to the media". If that impression was given it's most unfortunate.
"We don't gag our staff.
But the second senior doctor said the hospital's claim the doctors has not been silenced was a "direct lie"." He said if the senior radiation oncologist's name was known he would be able to make further comment.
"In fact, contrary to what the DHB had told you, we had a staff meeting .
He said the same day MidCentral Health rejected Dr Nel's claim he had been silenced, staff at a weekly radiation department meeting were explicitly instructed not to talk to the media. . ."
A senior colleague addressed the meeting, saying he had received instructions from someone further up in the hospital hierarchy, the doctor said. [on January 22] and that was brought up as part of it."
Dr Nel's letter said radiation therapy waiting lists were "appalling", with no sign of improvement unless the hospital's budget was increased.
"He was passing on a message that we were told not to talk if the media contacted us.
Last week, MidCentral said most patients were seen within the recommended timeframe, but went on to say treatment times would be brought back to "acceptable" levels within six months.
He called on board chairman Murray Georgel and other board members to lead a protest march on Parliament.
The senior doctor said this was not true.
Staff were working overtime and a new liclose to accelerator machine would speed therapy up, it said.
"Clearly there's not enough resources – that's a fact. . But the DHB and senior hospital management have been aware of this for probably three years. . . It seems to be the accepted norm now."
MidCentral had claimed staff were working overtime and weekends to cull the waiting list. This had not been standard practice, and with at least four staff members going on maternity leave in the next few months, the doctor feared treatment times would increase.
"It's more likely there will be less treatment in the next six months, rather than more."
A new $4 million liclose to accelerator, which was meant to replace an old unit, would not be enough to get treatment times down, he said.