Two a penny

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A bill drawn today which would make it legal for parents to lightly smack their children will not have the Government’s support, the Prime Minister says.

The member’s bill, put up by ACT MP John Boscawen, was drawn from the ballot today.

Its selection threatened to revive the divisive smacking debate just days after a referendum resoundingly backed the right of parents to smack.

The bill, which would make it legal for parents to lightly smack their children, has been in the ballot since March.

Labour is also likely to oppose the bill when it comes up for debate in a few weeks.

But Mr Key today scotched any likelihood of the bill passing its first parliamentary vote by declaring National’s opposition.4 percent of voters do not want a light smack to be a criminal offence.

Having the bill on Parliament’s agenda offered Mr Key an opportunity to change his mind about leaving the law as it is after the referendum result which showed nearly 87.The law as it stands bans smacking for the purposes of correction but the police have the discretion not to prosecute for inconsequential smacks.He did not take it and is standing by the decision he announced on Monday, which was to strengthen assurances that the police and welfare authorities will not prosecute parents who lightly smack their children.”I’ve given New Zealanders an absolute assurance that if the law doesn’t work I will change it and I don’t need a member’s bill to do that. .”We’ve had 33 complaints, we’ve had one withdrawn prosecution,” he said.”Mr Key said all the statistics showed the law, which was passed in 2007, was working the way Parliament intended it to. I feel very strongly I’ve got a message from New Zealanders and they want a degree of comfort.”I gave this due consideration.”Mr Key said the message from the referendum was that there was “some unease” about the law.”I’m going to try and provide that comfort, I’m very firm in the view that I can deliver that comfort that the law is working.”I think that’s a more difficult issue.”It didn’t ask the question about whether the law should be changed,” he said.”I’m comfortable that I have the support of the National caucus,” he said.”Mr Key could have allowed his MPs a free vote on Mr Boscawen’s bill but he decided against that as well.”I don’t think giving parents comfort is sufficient when 87 percent of New Zealanders say that they don’t believe a smack as correction should be illegal,” he told .Mr Boscawen said he was very disappointed by Mr Key’s decision.”Mr Boscawen rejected Mr Key’s assertion that the law was working.”Mr Boscawen rejected Mr Key’s assertion that the law was working.”How do you know a young child doesn’t come home and give the fingers to their parents, or say to their parents ‘you can’t touch me’,” he said”John Key doesn’t know how many parents are frightened to physically discipline their children if all other methods have failed.”

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Travellers between New Zealand and Australia will be able to use electronic passport control and bypass queues for baggage screening from the end of this year.

Prime Minister John Key and his Australian counterpart Kevin Rudd have just outlined details of a new streamlined Trans-Tasman travel arrangement at a joint press conference in Canberra today. .

Australia already has the kiosks and New Zealand passport holders are able to use them now.

The kiosk will also be available to departing passengers in Auckland from late next year and in Wellington and Christchurch by mid-2011.

Only New Zealand and Australian passport holders are eligible and they must have one of the new biometric passports, issued since 2005.

Smart Gate allows travellers aged over 18 with a new electronic passport containing a biometric chip to be able to scan their own passports and use facial biometrics technology to identify themselves and proceed to departure gates without going through immigration control.

At the same time most Kiwi and Australian passengers arriving in New Zealand will no longer automatically have their baggage screened, under changes announced by MAF.

But an increase in passenger numbers has made this increasingly difficult.

All travellers arriving in New Zealand have had their luggage screened since 2001 when the government ordered 100 percent x-raying in response to a foot and mouth disease outbreak in Britain.

Instant fines for bringing risk goods into New Zealand will double, however, from $200 to $400.

Australia does not screen all luggage and already has a “direct exit” lane for low-risk passengers.

The change falls some way short of full passenger pre-clearance as occurs in EU countries and between Ireland and the United States but Queensland University is to undertake an “Airports of the Future” research project looking at full integration of Trans-Tasman travel.

Officials are also exploring the use of x-ray image transfer allowing bags to be screened in one country at departure and images viewed by arrivals officials while an aircraft is still in the air.

Key said the changes announced today were just the first step but would mean more people would get a faster exit from border control.

Key said the changes announced today were just the first step but would mean more people would get a faster exit from border control.”

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A New Zealander has set a new land speed record in Utah this morning.

Dean Veale, 44, from Kaukapakapa, north of Auckland, set the new land speed record – for the 1650cc A-G class of motorcycles – at the Bonneville Salt Flats.

With the existing record for the class standing at 191. He was riding “White Elephant”, his special construction Hayabusa engine motorcycle.5mph (311.593mph (305kph), Veale confirmed his initial record breaking run yesterday with a backup run this morning (local time) that set the new record at 194.

This morning’s conditions were apparently near perfect for the record setting run.2kph). .

A statement released this morning said Veale had been concerned something might force him to have to repeat his runs.

Only at that point did Veale relax, and revealed the purpose of a pipe which ran along the bottom left-hand side of White Elephant/

“Releasing the retaining clip and removing the custom made aluminium cap, Veale pulled a Bunnings umbrella from the pipe: ‘I’d been told it got hot here and didn’t want to sit in the sun and cook, so I packed some shade’,” the statement said. Extending his hand toward Veale the inspector offered his congratulations as he confirmed the record with the words ‘Welcome to the record books’.

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New Zealand navy dive ship Manawanui has left for Tonga to help in the recovery operation following the Princess Ashika sinking as the number missing from the disaster rose to 85.

The inter-island ferry is believed to have been carrying 141 people when it sank on Wednesday night. . It would not arrive in Tonga until Friday, and would return to Devonport if a suitable vessel could be found closer to Tonga.

Prime Minister John Key said the Manawanui had sailed from the Devonport naval base about noon as a incident measure to support rescue and recovery efforts.

New Zealand and Australian dive teams arrived in Tonga overnight and were today conducting a survey of the recovery site using an underwater search vessel.

“She will support the Royal New Zealand Navy’s operational dive team and the Royal Australian Navy divers to carry out recovery of victims from the submerged ferry, the Princess Ashika,” Mr Key said.

Mr Key said he was extremely concerned, and saddened, to hear that up to 85 people might now be unaccounted for after the sinking — up from 33 initially unaccounted for.

“The New Zealand Government remains in close contact with the Government of Tonga and we are ready to provide whatever assistance we can.

“This has been an extremely distressing time for the people of Tonga, and New Zealand’s thoughts are with the families and friends of those who have died and who are missing,” he said.

SEARCH RESTRICTED

New Zealand’s Rescue Coordination Centre (RCCNZ) will this afternoon hand control of the search for survivors of the Princess Ashika sinking to Tongan authorities.”

The Tongan government had asked for a disaster victim identification team from New Zealand, and the police were considering that request, Mr Key said.

RCCNZ was collating the search data and preparing to hand co-ordination of the rescue over to the Tongan police, he said.

RCCNZ search and rescue mission co-ordinator Geoff Lunt said poor weather was restricting the air force Orion’s ability to search safely, and it would be withdrawn this afternoon.

“Despite an intensive search over the last 3-1/2 days, there has been no new information or any further sign of survivors from the ferry,” Mr Lunt said.

“Despite an intensive search over the last 3-1/2 days, there has been no new information or any further sign of survivors from the ferry,” Mr Lunt said.

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A Taupo man is to stand trial for murdering his five-week-old baby son, after a depositions hearing today found he had a case to answer.

Adam Christopher Lock, 21, pleaded not guilty in Taupo District Court to murdering JayRhis Ian te Koha Lock-Tata in March.

He was remanded in custody for a callover in the High Court at Rotorua on October 8. He also denied two charges of assaulting a female. .

The prosecution said that Lock assaulted JayRhis after being left alone in charge of him in the family’s Taupo home on March 5.

Lock sat quietly beside his solicitor Bill Lawson as 46 witness statements were handed up to the court today.

He died in Auckland’s Starship hospital on March 7 after being taken off life support.

The baby’s mother, Shannel Tate wept while giving evidence yesterday.

Two videos were also received as evidence by Community Magistrate Robyn Patterson.

Ms Tate said the baby had been unsettled during the night but was asleep when she left the home. She explained that she had left JayRhis at home with Mr Lock for a short time.

She rushed home and found ambulance officers in her bedroom trying to resuscitate the child.

Ms Tate was at a neighbour’s house when she saw an ambulance at her address.

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The Labour Party intends to lay a complaint with the privacy commissioner against Social Development Minister Paula Bennett for releasing income details of two beneficiaries.

Ms Bennett released the income details of solo mothers Jennifer Johnston and Natasha Fuller after they publicly criticised the Government’s decision to scrap the training incentive allowance (TIA).Justifying the unusual action – government ministers seldom comment on individual cases – Ms Bennett said she did it to round up a one-sided story. Ms Fuller received $715 net a week and Ms Johnston $554, Ms Bennett’s office said.”I think most New Zealanders will see that actually they’ve been given a real fair go. She felt the women were misleading the public by releasing “selective information”.

”I think it was a very rude thing for her to do,” Ms Johnston said.”

But one of the woman, Jennifer Johnston, said Ms Bennett was trying to intimidate her by releasing details of the welfare she receives.”

Ms Johnston said she was very grateful for the $553.

”She’s targeted me in this way and insinuated in her statements to the press that I have misled and withheld information for my own ends.

”I think the whole point of this was to intimidate us out of exercising our democratic right to protest the Government’s decision,” she said on Radio New Zealand.95 a week she received but it was not enough to live on and fund a tertiary education as well. By all means make it recoverable, make it a loan, let us pay it back or increase the amount that we can apply to StudyLink for.

”I’m not asking for a hand out.

She was also upset by the minister’s actions.”

Natasha Fuller said she had been ”doing really well” and had intended becoming a teacher before her training allowance was cut. I thought we had privacy laws in New Zealand,” she said on One News.

”I couldn’t believe someone could actually do that.Ms Bennett based her decision on guidelines on the Privacy Commission website but in Parliament she revealed she not sought legal or officials’ advice.

Ms Bennett said while she had not sought the women’s permission she felt they had taken the matter public by talking to the news media and writing on the internet.Labour Party MP Charles Chauvel said he would lay a complaint.Privacy Commissioner Marie Shroff, in response to media queries, said ministers and departments needed to consider the Privacy Act when they released personal information.”When an issue is raised publicly, it will often require the minister to make a careful judgment about how far he or she can go in response,” Ms Shroff said.Ms Shroff did not say whether she believed a breach had occurred, but would consider any complaint made. .Another consideration was whether disclosing the information directly related to the purposes for which the information was obtained.Prime Minister John Key told reporters he was “comfortable” with the women’s information being released and accepted Ms Bennett’s justification.Labour has accused Ms Bennett of using bullying Muldoon-style tactics to silence welfare policy critics.Labour deputy leader Annette King said beneficiaries had the same rights as others and the women’s concerns about training were unrelated to benefits to help them raise their kids.Facing questioning from Mr Chauvel in Parliament, Ms Bennett said she had not sought any advice other than checking the website.Mr Chauvel said it was disturbing Ms Bennett had not done that before releasing personal information which he said was invasive and unnecessary.”The minister’s decision was clearly not taken in good faith and I believe it breaches several of the Information Privacy Principles contained in the Privacy Act.”Even the most basic taking of advice from officials or a lawyer would have made this clear to the minister.”Mr Chauvel said Ms Bennett’s actions were “an attempt to intimidate and silence people who are disappointed the minister has allowed access to the Training Incentive Allowance for sole parents – which she herself used – to be severely curtailed”.He questioned her judgement.Mr Chauvel, in Parliament, also suggested Ms Bennett may have got her facts wrong about what benefits the women got, asking her if she checked information provided about payments under the Child Support Act was right.Ms Bennett said she had relied on her ministry.”I can’t present information that I do not have.”Ms Bennett confirmed she had received the TIA when a beneficiary.”I have never made a secret of the fact I have been on and off the benefit and that I did receive the TIA.”What I can tell those people who are looking at tertiary study is that it’s not going to be easy but if they back themselves, and this Government is backing them as well, then they can get off the benefit. They may even end up a cabinet minister.” -

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Forget fast cars and wild women. The recession has changed the way many younger men are living, with stability and security at work and home becoming top priorities, according to a survey.

It showed that men are putting a bigger emphasis on security in their jobs and at home in a return to traditionalism, including smartening up their wardrobes, although they are continuing to embrace new technology at a fast pace.com, which conducted the poll.

“We have seen a clear move by men toward seeking more security in their finances, in their relationships and in the workplace,” said James Bassil, editor in chief of the website AskMen.

The annual lifestyle survey by AskMen.

“It seems guys haven’t been as affected as negatively as they anticipated by the downturn but they’ve changed their habits pretty dramatically to anticipate losing their jobs or careers changed and are saving more money and seeking more stability in their jobs than in the past,” he added.com included 50,000 men in their 20s, 30s and 40s who were questioned about how the economic crisis had impacted their lives.

Last year 21 percent said salary was the major consideration for any new job but this dropped to 14 percent in 2009, while the number of men who cited personal achievement as the major motivator rose to 40 percent from 34 percent.

It showed that five percent more men than last year said stability and security were key attractions in a new job while salary was no longer the most important factor.

The survey showed 84 percent of men think it’s important to have a girlfriend with serious “wife potential.

Bassil said this shift toward a more traditional approach in the workplace was also reflected in attitudes toward relationships.

The poll also showed that 84 percent of men own at least four pairs of shoes, 20 percent have at least four suits, and 50 percent have a daily skin care regime.”

“We saw this move toward more traditional relationships in 2008 as well but the numbers spiked up in 2009 with 12 percent more saying it was important that a girl has “wife potential” and 15 percent more men believing in marriage,” said Bassil. .

Seventy-five percent of men spend more time in front of their computer monitor than any other type of screen and email is going the way of the telephone with more men using Facebook than email.

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Clayton Weatherson’s defence lawyer has told a jury that Lesley Elliott’s evidence about the day her daughter was killed is “less than reliable.”

Judith Ablett-Kerr QC has finished her summing up for the defence in the Weatherston’s murder trial.

Justice Potter will sum up tomorrow and the 11-person jury will retire to consider its verdict after hearing more than four weeks of evidence at the High Court in Christchurch.

Weatherston admits stabbing Elliott 216 times, but says he is guilty only of manslaughter because he was provoked.

Weatherston, 33, is on trial for the murder of Sophie Elliott, 22, at her Dunedin home on January 9 last year.

“With great respect and due deference to her .

To gasps from the public gallery, Ablett-Kerr told the jury Lesley Elliott’s recollection of the day her daughter was killed was less than reliable.. .. It was dreadful what she saw, absolutely dreadful.

“I don’t want to have to say it, but I have to.

Ablett-Kerr finished her closing telling the jury that: “You want to fight it but you can’t because the science supports it.”

Gil Elliott, Sophie Elliott’s father, stood up and walked out of the court room in apparent disgust at the comment.”

She said provocation was supported by the evidence of their relationship supports it and by Elliott’s own diary.”

She said provocation was supported by the evidence of their relationship supports it and by Elliott’s own diary. But your duty is to bring in a verdict that is in accordance with the evidence and with the law,” she said. It’s tragic, it’s awful. Each one of you individually bear that responsibility.

“The rule of law must prevail.”

NEW ARGUMENT FOR DEFENCE

Earlier, the defence unleashed a new argument which it says shows science is on his side.

“Members of the jury, reluctant as you may be, the evidence is that manslaughter is the verdict here, not murder.

This was important because Elliott must have been injured enough to draw blood before Weatherston drew the knife from his bag.

Ablett-Kerr told the jury that forensic evidence showed Elliott’s blood was found inside the pocket of Weatherston’s laptop bag.

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After he had stabbed and disfigured Sophie Elliott in a bedroom attack, Clayton Weatherston told a police officer: “I killed her” in a calm, normal tone, a court has been told.

“It appeared that he was in normal control … he was just standing with his hands either side of himself,” Constable John Cunningham has told the Christchurch High Court.

Weatherston is on trial for Elliott’s murder at Dunedin on January 9 last year.

Cunningham was the first person at Elliott’s Ravensbourne home the day she was killed. The defence says he was provoked to kill her.”

Cunningham said he went upstairs to Elliott’s bedroom.

He described talking to Elliott’s mother, Lesley Elliott, on the driveway who told him “that her daughter was dead.

“I tried the door handle but it was locked.

“I then heard the door being unlocked so I opened the door and walked in to a small bedroom.

I voice appealed to open the door or I would kick it in,” he said.

“I was confronted by a body, lying face up.

I saw in front of me on the floor a young female caucasian … I then saw a male standing a the end of the bed.

He asked Weatherston to lie prone on the floor, which he complied with, straight away.”

Cunningham said he asked the man, who was Weatherston, what he had done and he said: “I killed her” in a calm, normal tone. He said his name was “Clayt”. He said his name was “Clayt”.

“I then asked him, why did you kill her.

“I asked him if he understood these rights and he replied that he did,” Cunningham said.”

He asked what he had killed her with, and Weatherston said a knife. He replied, the emotional pain she has caused me over the past year.” Cunningham also asked him about a pair of scissors he found between Elliott’s legs. .

“All this time, the defendant Clay was lying face down in the room.

“He replied, I used them at the end,” Cunningham said.

“I could clearly see the stab wounds to the right side of her throat,” he said.” Cunningham said he put gloves on and checked Elliott’s carotid artery, finding no pulse. … Her legs were spread wide. … Her legs were spread wide. … She had multiple cut and stab wounds to the left side of the throat with a large amount of blood around the throat area.”

Cunningham said he took Weatherston downstairs and told him was under arrest for assault – “he replied he understood.”

Weatherston was on the ground outside the house and continued answering questions. “He was very forthcoming and just answered my questions.”

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New Zealand peacekeeping soldiers have been involved in a night time gun battle with a group of insurgents in an isolated area of Afghanistan.

Although no one on the New Zealand or Afghan National Police (ANP) side has been killed or hurt, Defence Force Air Vice Marshall Peter Stockwell said they do not know if any of the insurgents had been hit.

“If they get up there I would be surprised if they find anything.

New Zealanders were only now leaving the ANP compound in Do Abe to check where the gunfire came from…

The New Zealanders would not try to track them in the rugged countryside. there may be trails,” he said.”

It’s the first hostile exchange for the 140-member Army, Navy and Air Force New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT).

“We would need to be very cautious about that approach.

The PRT are posted to Kiwi Base in the normally quiet Bamiyan Province. The secretive Special Air Services (SAS) have been in fights in the country but are not currently deployed there.

Although Bamiyan has been peaceful, he said with national elections in August, tension was growing around the country, including in New Zealand’s area. .

After dark last night they were camping in the ANP compound when it came under attack with light arm fire and rocket propelled grenades.

He would not disclose the size of the PRT patrol, saying it had gone to Do Abe to investigate the attacks.

They would probably have been surprised to know the New Zealanders were in the compound.

He said at this point they do not know who the insurgents were and whether they were Taliban or bandits.

Air Marshall Stockwell said he did not know the nationality or type of the Coalition planes, but they were only engaged in a show of force and did not drop bombs or fire on the insurgents.

The New Zealanders returned fire for around 15 minutes and called in air support.

“It would have let the insurgents know that we have access to a degree of force they may not have expected; a show of force and deterrence.

The noise alone would have been a show of force.

He expected their training would have helped their state of mind but added it “will certainly be an interesting experience for them.”

Air Marshall Stockwell said that as it was only dawn around now, the patrol had been debriefed about the hostilities.”