Two a penny

.

Child Youth and Family staff at a regional office have been told they are Social Development Minister Paula Bennett’s servants who should not trouble their master with concerns about their work.

In an email dated August 13, supplied to by Labour Party deputy leader Annette King, Kaitaia CYF staff were told to show respect to the minister when she visited the next day.

“It is not appropriate for staff to pour their hearts and souls out to the minister,” a manager wrote. It’s a bit like the relationship between a servant and a master, i.

“This is a formal visit and she is not your `friend’. the servant knows their place.e. She should not be presented with the woes of the office, or lack of resources, or anything like that.

A anonymous person copied the email to the government, Labour and other political parties as well as the Children’s Commissioner.”

However the email said it was okay to state there were challenges that could be managed.

“This amounts to workplace bullying, and corruption within a public service department,” they wrote.

The person was “gobsmacked” by the email.

Ms King questioned the point of the minister’s visit in Parliament.

The author said it was shameful that in an area where there were many Maori communities the department was “trying to cover up the realities of our communities”.

“If staff are not allowed to talk to her (Ms Bennett) how can she really know what pressures staff are facing if reports to her have to be sanitised?”

Ms King later said she expected Ms Bennett to ensure staff felt they could speak out about work problems.

“If staff are not allowed to talk to her (Ms Bennett) how can she really know what pressures staff are facing if reports to her have to be sanitised?”

Ms King later said she expected Ms Bennett to ensure staff felt they could speak out about work problems.

“I would hope she would in fact encourage staff to talk to her.”

As a former minister Ms King said she learnt more from talking to staff than through department reports.

“I have visited a large number of offices and I have purposefully targeted visits to Work and Income and Child Youth and Family because I want to talk to staff and hear what is happening there,” she said.”

Ms Bennett said that she wanted staff to speak to her about concerns.”

Ms King said there were wider problems of the Government blocking information and communication and said she was frustrated by poor responses to written questions and Official Information Act requests.

“I very much value them and their opinions and I am disappointed in the manager’s email.

National’s Judith Collins in Parliament today said she had struggled to get access while in opposition and Labour had created a political environment. .

.

LATEST:
One of the pilots killed after a small plane clipped a helicopter over New York is reportedly a New Zealander.

One News reported that Jeremy Clark was flying the helicopter that hit the plane, both plunging into the Hudson River killing nine people. According to the New York Times Mr Clark lived in Lanoka Harbor, New Jersey.

TV1 said Mr Clark’s parents were at Auckland airport this evening preparing to fly to New York. Three bodies had been recovered by nightfall and officials held out no hope of finding survivors.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said there were five Italian tourists and a pilot aboard the helicopter and three people on the plane including the pilot and a child. “There’s not going to be a happy ending.

“This has changed from a rescue to a recovery mission,” Bloomberg said. The weather was clear and mild.”

Search and rescue craft rushed in vain to the crash area in the vicinity of West 14th Street in Lower Manhattan immediately after the collision at noon EDT (4am NZT).

The helicopter was operated by Liberty Helicopter, the largest sightseeing helicopter operator in the US Northeast.

Bloomberg said the plane, a Piper Saratoga, appeared to hit the back of the helicopter, a Eurocopter AS350, which immediately broke up and fell into the river.

The NTSB’s 10-member investigation team suspended operations at nightfall and would resume the search on Sunday at 7am (11pm NZT), Hersman said.

Debbie Hersman, the chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said in a briefing the helicopter had been located and marked with buoys and investigators were using side-scanning radar to try to locate the aircraft.

While the NTSB does not expect to find recording equipment in the wreckage because small aircraft are not required to carry them, Hersman said investigators expected to be able to determine the cause of the crash by interviewing air traffic controllers and reviewing air traffic control and radar data. She said the team hoped to be able to remove the debris from the river on Sunday. “He saw a small single-engine aircraft approaching from behind (the helicopter). . . . He stated that he saw the right wing of the aircraft impact the helicopter.. Others reported hearing a loud boom.”

An eyewitness told the NY1 local TV station he saw a wing come off the plane and the helicopter “fell like a stone” into the river.

.

.

Gisborne’s mayor says redundancies announced by several large employers in the past month could take the region some time to recover from.

Today, WPI International told 65 staff at their Prime Sawmill in Gisborne it would be closed, after a downturn in international prices and a continued high New Zealand dollar.

This followed Gisborne food processor Cedenco confirming at the weekend it was closing one of its factories, resulting in at least 125 seasonal workers losing their jobs.

In June the Pernod Ricard winery announced it would cut some of its Gisborne growers and a substantial amount of grapes.

A WPI shift worker said the company was closing the mill down over the next four weeks.

“Job opportunities aren’t the greatest, so any redundancy in our business sector is serious.

Mayor Meng Foon said the losses were “quite serious” for a small region in this economic climate.

“We’ve had three bombshells in the last month.”

Mr Foon, who was attending the local government conference in Christchurch, planned to facilitate a meeting on Friday for those who lost their jobs, or feared they may be redundant.

“Gisborne is generally slow to react to the international recessionary cold, but it has certainly caught up with us now and it will take a while for us to get back on top of things.

“(The goal) is to give people a bunch of information that will hopefully make it easier to cope. .”

The Wood Processors Association today said layoffs at the sawmill showed how tough the market had become.

“Some have never been to Work and Income before and it’s pretty foreign to them – so just to give them that support is saying `this is what’s available’.

“The point needs to be made very clearly that this is not a marginal milling operation.

“The point needs to be made very clearly that this is not a marginal milling operation.

“While the immediate impact is felt by the 65 mill staff, the wider community of contractors, loggers, truckies and many others who rely on the sawmill for their livelihoods will also hurt. This is a worrying development for the industry and shows how deep currency instability can cut,” chief executive Peter Bodeker said.”

.

A 10th person has died of swine flu, the Ministry of Health says.

The latest death was a Gisborne man in his 40s with serious underlying medical conditions. Both also had underlying health conditions.

The two previous deaths were a 56-year-old man in Wellington and a 79-year-old woman in the Hutt Valley last week.

Overseas, pregnant women had been suffering severe cases of the virus and they were at greater risk of complications, including pneumonia.

The ministry today said pregnant women with flu symptoms should call their GP or Healthline on 0800 611 116.

The doctor would assess the risks of prescribing Tamiflu or Relenza on an individual basis, and may need to seek advice from an infectious diseases specialist or obstetrician.

Deputy director of public health Darren Hunt said pregnant women should not take any antiviral medication without consulting their doctor.

The Ministry of Health said the actual number of cases would be significantly higher as only a small proportion of people were being tested, as most people were able to recover at home without medical treatment.

The total number of confirmed cases of swine flu in New Zealand has risen, with the ministry recording 2107 cases, up from 2025 yesterday.

The World Health Organisation is no longer issuing tables with confirmed numbers of cases for all countries as a result of difficulties testing the increasing number of cases.

On Tuesday, a total of 113 people were in hospital with swine flu or complications stemming from the virus, with 23 of them in intensive care.

.

LATEST:
An Air Force helicopter loaded with searchers has taken off for the Tararua Ranges as the hunt for missing Te Papa chief executive Seddon Bennington his and female tramping companion Marcella Jackson continues.

Police earlier today released the name of Mrs Jackson, known as Rosie Jackson.

The pair set off from Otaki Forks on Saturday for Kime Hut, about 10 kilometres into the range, but failed to return on Sunday afternoon as planned. Mrs Jackson is also from the Wellington area, and is described as a long standing family friend of Mr Bennington.

The search resumed at first light today – but early efforts to send in extra rescue teams were far been hampered by heavy rain, low fog and mist. .15am carrying five searchers.

Taking advantage of a break in the weather, an Air Force Iroquois helicopter took off from Levin Showgrounds at 10.

Four or five more teams could either be flown in or hike in from Otaki Forks later in the day. The rescuers were heading for Penn Creek, close to Kime Hutt.

She said it was “still very challenging” weatherwise, although there was some suggestion it could clear this afternoon.

Police spokeswoman Kim Perks told Radio New Zealand some searchers had remained in the ranges overnight. They may not be able to get our personnel right to the very top but they’ll certainly be able to look for opportunities to get them in as high as possible.

“It’s not all doom and gloom.

Teams today have to contend with low cloud, strong wind and heavy snow, with an overnight low last night of about -2 degrees Celsius.”

More teams are likely to be deployed this afternoon.

There had not been any contact or sign of the missing pair but police were still hopeful they would be found alive and well. Snow is waist-deep in some areas.

A freezing southerly is due to sweep up the country and hit the area today, however the MetService has cancelled a weather alert for severe gale-force winds about exposed areas of Hawkes Bay and the Tararua District.

Ms Perks added that there had been cases in the past of people being trapped in the area for extended periods and getting out safely.

In all, four search and rescue teams comprising 14 people started searching, but stopped about 6pm when it got dark.

The initial search and rescue operation was launched yesterday morning when teams were carried into the ranges by the Square Trust rescue helicopter.

. Heavy cloud had prevented the use of a helicopter

.

A gunman has killed 12 or 13 people in an immigration services centre in Binghamton, New York, Governor David Paterson said.

The gunman then killed himself, ABC News reported.
“An individual went into an American civic services centre .
ABC News, citing federal and state authorities, said 26 people were also wounded in the incident at Binghamton, about 150 miles (240 km) northwest of New York City… and has killed 12 or 13 people,” Paterson said..
The area was surrounded by police with rifles, some carrying shields. There was no immediate word on a motive for the shooting.
As many as 41 people were inside the building when a man entered and started shooting, local television WBNG said, citing police scanners. Some local media reports said the suspected shooter was Asian and that authorities requested a Vietnamese translator to speak with him.
Four people were removed from the American Civic Association building on stretchers and taken to hospitals, the Press & Sun-Bulletin newspaper reported on its website. It said some fled to a basement and more than a dozen were hiding in a closet, adding that emergency dispatchers had been in contact with people inside. .
Others came out on foot.S.
The American Civic Association building is used to teach English and provide other services to recent immigrants to the United States who are preparing for U.
–

Ad Feedback –>
loadAd(’300×250′,’STORYBODY’,300,250);

. citizenship

.

An American tramper missing in rugged South Island back country wrote of the dangers of crossing swollen fords and his desire to cover tracks at speed in his New Zealand adventure blog.

Edward Dale Reynolds, 39, was last seen on February 23. .

He also wrote that he had almost run out of food on one leg of his South Island trip.

The lightly equipped tramper, who wrote in a travel blog that he pushed himself to cover tracks at speed, has not been sighted for more than five weeks.

However, Hughey said Reynolds’ father “is positive”.

Hanmer Springs police constable Chris Hughey, who spoke to the missing man’s Pennsylvania family yesterday, said “his mother is not coping well”.

“It’s a delicate situation and they have got their fingers crossed,” he said.

Nelson search incident controller Senior Constable Dave Colville said: “They said he was chatty and cheerful, but there was steady rain, predicted thunderstorms and it was cold with snow on the tops.

Reynolds breakfasted with three New Zealand trampers at Blue Lake on February 23.

“If he had told DOC when he entered Nelson Lakes, we could have been advised a lot sooner,” Colville said.”

Reynolds’ friends, who had tramped with him in the North Island, had told him to inform the Department of Conservation (DOC) when he entered parks and to complete intention books.

Eight South Island search teams will finish scouring tracks close to the Lewis Pass for Reynolds today. Nelson assistant Search and Rescue co-ordinator Sherp Tucker warned that the minimal supplies Reynolds carried meant he had no room for error.

Tucker said a check by searchers on Wednesday revealed Reynolds’ note in the park’s East Matakitaki Hut intention book, saying he was leaving the hut on February 24.

Tucker said a check by searchers on Wednesday revealed Reynolds’ note in the park’s East Matakitaki Hut intention book, saying he was leaving the hut on February 24.

Ad Feedback –>
loadAd(’300×250′,’STORYBODY’,300,250);

Tucker said Reynolds was a fast tramper who carried about 10kg of gear, minimal food, a sleeping bag and tent, and wore running shoes or sneakers and light clothing.

The alarm was raised when Reynolds failed to pick up gear from friends and missed his flight back to the United States on March 29.

“There is no room for error in what he takes,” he said.

He was not carrying an emergency locator beacon.

A spokesperson for the Interpol office in Wellington said Reynolds’ bank accounts had not been touched since February 22, which was also the last entry date on his adventure blog.

Reynolds had completed the Heaphy Track about February 19 before heading to Nelson Lakes to tramp from St Arnaud.

He had then intended to continue to Otira.

The entry details Reynolds’ South Island tramping and hitchhiking trip through Picton, St Arnaud, Westport, the Heaphy Track and Nelson.

.

Adventure and experience of other cultures were the main motivators for New Zealanders moving overseas, rather than earning more money, a new study has found.

Massey University department of management and international business PhD student Kaye Thorn conducted the study, called Flight of the Kiwi, for her thesis.

She asked 2608 highly educated emigrants, including doctors, lawyers, bankers and scientists, why they left and whether they would come back.

Ms Thorn said economics as the third priority was contrary to popular analogy that more money was drawing New Zealanders overseas.

Respondents said their key motives in where to live were, in order of priority, culture and travel opportunities, career, economics, relationships, quality of life and political environment.5 percent, with career second at 22.

For people living in Britain, who made up half the respondents, cultural and travel opportunities was the top reason at 36. .

For those in Australia (21 percent of respondents), more than 30 percent said career was the driver, with economics second at 21.6 percent.3 percent.2 percent and quality of life third at 17.

Some of the emigrants’ motives were very specific.

Under 35s were concerned about making enough money to pay back their student loan faster, she said.

“Some people were keen to meet others in a larger gay community, one person wanted to find a Jewish partner and another woman said there was a man drought so she had left for London,” she said.

“Some people were keen to meet others in a larger gay community, one person wanted to find a Jewish partner and another woman said there was a man drought so she had left for London,” she said.

She anticipated that departures to Britain may also decline over the next few years, as people delayed their OE until casual employment there increased.

Ms Thorn said the economic crisis appeared to have resulted in a slowing of the movement of New Zealanders overseas, particularly to Australia.”

–

Ad Feedback –>
loadAd(’300×250′,’STORYBODY’,300,250);

.

“There is very little a government can do to prevent that mobility, but perhaps the Government could consider creating a cultural visa that allows a person to travel and or work overseas for up to two years with their job held open and appropriate recognition for their international experience on their return

.

A “pirate” charter operator has been ordered off the water after taking groups on illegal fishing trips out of Auckland, and legitimate operators say the case is just the tip of the iceberg.

Bond Fishing was slapped with a discontinue notice two weeks ago after Maritime New Zealand inspectors found it had been offering illegal fishing trips, charging about $120 a person for a day.

The business was not licensed and did not comply with maritime regulations or safety requirements.

Such operators are considered “pirates” because they operate outside the law.

The trips used a privately owned boat and were still advertised on Chinese-language websites as recently as January, more than a month after Maritime NZ became aware of the operation..

Sharyn Forsyth, general manager of maritime safety systems for Maritime NZ, said the operator was “advised . .

Operator Eric Jiang denied he had been running illegal trips. that as a result of investigations, legally he was unable to operate that vessel until he obtains a safe ship management [certificate]“. We are just a private boat.

“No, no, we’re not for fishing charter at the moment.

Maritime NZ was told of Bond Fishing in December.”

He said his boat did take trips “sometimes just for friends and family”. Advertisements obtained by The state that trips for a maximum of eight people leave from Half Moon Bay marina on a “private luxury yacht”. Advertisements obtained by The state that trips for a maximum of eight people leave from Half Moon Bay marina on a “private luxury yacht”.

The agency is also aware of an illegal charter operating out of Great Barrier Island, however, it says its investigations are often curtailed because the skipper is regularly tipped off that investigators are about to visit.

Maritime NZ has investigated eight formal complaints against “pirates” in the past year, resulting in at least two discontinue notices..

“He simply replies with a total denial of his charter operation . it does come down to resource, cost and practicality at the end of the day,” an email from a Maritime NZ staff member states..

One source said: “The potential is there for a disaster.

Legitimate operators say pirates are costing them thousands of dollars in lost earnings and their unregulated operations could result in tragedy.

“Vessels are invariably recreational craft, operated by pleasure craft skippers who don’t have any qualifications of any sort, and they are doing it for cash under the table. Do we have to wait for a disaster to happen before something is done?”

Ad Feedback –>
loadAd(’300×250′,’STORYBODY’,300,250);

Keith Ingram, publisher of Professional Skipper magazine and a marine assessor for the Transport Accident Investigation Commission, said Maritime NZ was failing to enforce its rules. Maritime NZ are bloody useless. Maritime NZ are bloody useless.”

Ms Forsyth, however, said taking action against pirates was difficult, given there were more than 400,000 recreational boats in New Zealand. Most charters were legitimate and legal.

“We have to go through quite a lengthy process to investigate and gather evidence that will stand up in court,” she said.

– Sponsored links –
add_batch_ad(‘adSPONSOREDLINK1′, ’310x16_SPONSOREDLINK’,'SPONSOREDLINK1′);
add_batch_ad(‘adSPONSOREDLINK2′, ’310x16_SPONSOREDLINK’,'SPONSOREDLINK2′);
add_batch_ad(‘adSPONSOREDLINK3′, ’310x16_SPONSOREDLINK’,'SPONSOREDLINK3′);
add_batch_ad(‘adSPONSOREDLINK4′, ’310x16_SPONSOREDLINK’,'SPONSOREDLINK4′);
add_batch_ad(‘adSPONSOREDLINK5′, ’310x16_SPONSOREDLINK’,'SPONSOREDLINK5′);
add_batch_ad(‘adSPONSOREDLINK6′, ’310x16_SPONSOREDLINK’,'SPONSOREDLINK6′);
add_batch_ad(‘adSPONSOREDLINK7′, ’310x16_SPONSOREDLINK’,'SPONSOREDLINK7′);
add_batch_ad(‘adSPONSOREDLINK8′, ’310x16_SPONSOREDLINK’,'SPONSOREDLINK8′);

– Next Crime story: –
Lawyer loses battle in drink-drive case

– National Homepage -

.

An elderly dog, stolen from its owner’s home and used as fighting “bait”, was mauled by snarling pit bull terriers then suffered a man trying to break its legs.

Lincoln, a 14-year-old ridgeback cross, was left cowering and bleeding after the brutal attack and is now recovering from serious bite wounds at Wellington SPCA.

The charity is offering a $1000 reward for information leading to conviction of those behind the callous crime.

Yesterday, distressed owner Janet Cuthers said Lincoln was “a lovely, placid dog”. Four men are thought to have been involved. He’s an innocent dog, and these people were going to leave him for dead. “He just likes to lie around, he’s very friendly, he thinks he’s a human. I’d like to snap their necks,” she said.

At midday a witness saw him at Shelly Bay with a man who arrived in a red hatchback.

The pet was stolen from Mrs Cuthers’ home in Titahi Bay about 10am on Monday. .

A pit bull chained to the back of a white van was set on Lincoln, and another pit bull encouraged to join in.

When Lincoln bit one of the pit bulls, a man tried to break his legs by pulling them apart. He was all bleeding,” the witness said. “I think because it got a hunk of the other dog they just wanted to kill it. “I think because it got a hunk of the other dog they just wanted to kill it. I’ve got dogs and I’d hate them to be used like this. “It was disgusting. Detective Rebecca Snook of Porirua police said the incident was dreadful.”

After the attack, Lincoln hid in a toilet block and had to be coaxed out by police and animal control officers.”

The owner of the red hatchback was described as a tall Maori, aged about 30, with a ponytail.

“It appears the elderly dog was brought in to be killed or used as bait for dog-fighting practice. The maximum penalty is a $25,000 fine and/or six months in prison.

Dog fighting is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act.

Ad Feedback –>
loadAd(’300×250′,’STORYBODY’,300,250);

Mrs Cuthers said the next few days would be critical as vets tried to stop Lincoln’s wounds getting infected.

SPCA spokeswoman Lisa Snow said it was hard to say how big a problem dog fighting was because it was underground.”

Anyone with information can call Porirua police on 04 2381400.”

Anyone with information can call Porirua police on 04 2381400.