Citizen A with Chris Trotter and Keith Locke

Old news is not good news

Today, Wikileaks tweeted:

Here's the BBC article:

Sweden has cancelled an arrest warrant for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange on accusations of rape and molestation.

The Swedish Prosecution Authority website said the chief prosecutor had come to the decision that Mr Assange was not suspected of rape but did not give any further explanation.

The warrant was issued late on Friday.

Wikileaks, which has been criticised for leaking Afghan war documents, had quoted Mr Assange as saying the claims were "without basis".

That message, which appeared on Twitter and was attributed directly to Mr Assange, said the appearance of the allegations "at this moment is deeply disturbing".

It certainly looks very suspicious that the warrant was cancelled without any explanation.

That's until you realise this article is from fucking August 2010. Why Wikileaks is promoting this outdated story now, and trying to trick people into thinking Sweden has again dropped the charges is questionable.

Personally I think such manipulation doesn't do Assange's case any favours.

Raoul Neave - Asshole of the Week

Today, the NZ Herald reported:

In Auckland District Court yesterday, Judge Raoul Neave criticised the media for referring to the offence as a hit-and-run, saying Hallwright was driving "away" from the situation, which had been escalated in seriousness by Mr Kim banging on the bonnet.

"What I know of your character ... I consider it highly unlikely you would have driven at him," Judge Neave told Hallwright.

He said describing the incident as a hit-and-run was "irresponsible and inappropriate".

"[Mr Kim] has gone under the wheels of your car, you've driven over him before carrying on with your manoeuvre [of pulling back on to the road]," Judge Neave said.

He told Hallwright he was a contributor to society with a "spotless reputation" and "impeccable character" but he did not want it to be thought that he was overlooking the "very serious" effects on Mr Kim.

"[It caused] very significant and severe injuries to Mr Kim ... though it goes without saying you never sought out to cause those injuries."

Judge Neave said the reparation represented Hallwright's remorse and was not a loophole of the legal system that allowed rich people to buy their way out of more serious sentences.

Hallwright's employer, Forsyth Barr, felt he had brought the company into disrepute as a result of media coverage of the trial, and the judge criticised the media's "prurient" interest in the case as "vulgar in the extreme".

The media had "seized upon and reported for no reason other than a desire to take an unhealthy degree of glee" from someone of Hallwright's esteem being on trial in a criminal court. "The Germans have a word for it: schadenfreude."

Balderdash! Guy Hallwright was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with reckless disregard and should have been punished appropriately. The maximum sentence for this crime is up to 14 years imprisonment. Just because Hallwright is a wealthy businessman doesn't mean he should be let off with a slap on the wrist.

Obviously Hallwright did intend to cause injury by accelerating forward while Kim was under the vehicle. He was after all found guilty of doing so for gods sake. To second guess that judgement and conviction just goes to show how factually baseless Raoul Neave is.

Neave's biased reasoning and lame excuses for such a pathetic sentence are completely unacceptable. Criticizing the media's coverage because he wanted Hallwright's crime kept out of the limelight shows him to be a complete asshole that should not be in a position of power.

Unfortunately this kind of corrupt judgement makes people lose all faith in the justice system as it clearly shows there's one law for the rich and another for the rest of us. Despicable!

Vladimir Putin - Asshole of the Week

Yesterday, the Guardian reported:

Three members of the Russian feminist punk band Pussy Riot are facing two years in a prison colony after they were found guilty of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred, in a case seen as the first salvo in Vladimir Putin's crackdown on opposition to his rule.

Maria Alyokhina, 24, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, were calmly defiant as a judge handed down the sentence, to cries of "Shame!" inside and outside court. Judge Marina Syrova said she rejected their arguments that they had not intended to offend religious believers but were protesting against the Orthodox church's support for Putin.

The case has galvanised Russia's anti-Putin protest movement and raised the international profile of their cause, with dozens of protests held worldwide.

Make no mistake, this has nothing to do with Pussy Riot causing a public disturbance and everything to do with closing down criticism of the current regime. Unfortunately for the dictator Vladimir Putin, it has been widely reported on and ensured huge amounts of support for the punk rock band and their cause.

Yesterday, CBC News reported:

Jane Buchanan, a senior researcher on Russia at Human Rights Watch in New York, said the band members were legitimately exercising their right to free expression with their performance.

"To face criminal changes with a heavy sentence is scandalous and it speaks volumes to the environment for free speech and political opinion that's critical of the government," she said.

The judiciary in Russia is not an independent branch of the state, as it is in most Western countries, observers note.

"It's closely controlled by the executive and, in the Pussy Riot trial and trials before it, we have seen such a scandalous number of fair trial violations that it gives a strong sense that there's a political motivation and a political direction behind this kind of trial," Buchanan says.

What makes this even more disgusting is that Putin publicly called for Pussy Riot not to be judged too harshly.

Earlier this month, the Telegraph reported:

The Russian president said there was "nothing good" about the band's protest, but added: "Nonetheless, I don't think that they should be judged so harshly for this."

"I hope the court will come out with the right decision, a well-founded one," he said during a visit to the Olympics.

However the punishment clearly shows that there has been political interference in the judicial system and Putin's comments were simply made to appease foreign criticism while he was in the UK. So for being a disingenuous dictator that's widely disliked by the people of Russia, and repressing free speech and the creative spirit, Vladimir Putin wins this week's Asshole Award.

Cameron Slater vs Colonial Viper

On Friday, Cameron Slater claimed that The Standard was allowing death threats to be made against John and Josie Pagani, basing the accusation on his misinterpretation and an obvious lack of Sci-Fi knowledge. He was responding to a comment by Colonial Viper, who wrote:

Time to put Zarak and Gaeta back in their place.

This seems rather innocuous to me. Here's a recap of the particular episode referenced:

Colonial Viper has clarified the situation:

The bottom line being, if the Paganis had performed a bloody coup to overthrow the legitimate Colonial Government in the SyFy universe, while co-opting local military forces (as Zarak and Gaeta had, at gun point) then they might be in a spot of bother today, in some faraway fictional universe. Anything else is up to Whale’s fevered, and vastly overstretched, imagination.

Now let me make this clear... Writing something like this:

They are uncouth, they are scum who should be gut-shot and left to die. They have no respect they are opportunists and did I mention scum. I think the Police need a SOS policy Shoot on Sight for looter and thieves.

...Breaches New Zealand's laws, which state:

Threatening to kill or do grievous bodily harm

(1) Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years who—
(a) threatens to kill or do grievous bodily harm to any person; or
(b) sends or causes to be received, knowing the contents thereof, any letter or writing containing any threat to kill or do grievous bodily harm to any person.

Referencing a BattleStar Galactica episode is not a death threat, which makes Cameron Slater's next statement all the more ludicrous:

Josie and John must be beside themselves. They have a young family and those are serious threats.

The Pagani's have the option, just like Arie Smith-Voorkamp, of making a complaint to the police. However I can assure readers that the police would simply laugh in the face of anybody making a complaint concerning Colonial Viper's comment, unlike Cameron Slater's disgusting breach of the law when he called for Arie Smith-Voorkamp to be gut-shot.

Of course this isn't really about upholding high moral standards at all, and is simply being used by the hypocrite Cameron Slater to undertake another baseless attack on the excellent leftwing blog The Standard:

The authors of The Standard and Lynn Prentice as the ostensible “owner” of The Standard know a great deal about this commenter…for a start with all of Lynn’s self professed IT literacy he will certainly know the ip address from which those comments were posted.

The authors at The Standard like to call my blog and DPF’s blog – “The Sewer”. I think that title has been snatched beyond doubt now by The Standard.

Talk about pot calling the kettle black. This has now all disolved into an attack on annonimous bloggers in general.

Today, Whaleoil posted:

An anonymous coward from The Standard Lynn Prentice’s blog has taken objection to my post about the disgusting treatment of the Pagani’s.

I have a very simple message for “Colonial Viper” and all the anonymous cowards at The Standard Lynn Prentice’s blog and it is about accountability for what you are writing online.

[...]

They are so cowardly none would write the same way if everyone in the blogging community and mainstream media knew their identity.

Which makes the next observation from the comments on that post all the more interesting:

A fair enough assertion considering some of the underhanded tactics the rightwing employ to try and close down their critics. The response was:

Clearly the comment was directed at Cameron Slater... It was however answered by the anonymous Joe Bloggs... including a spelling mistake that Slater often makes as well. God forbid Slater has adopted a pseudonym to make anonymous comments at his own and other blogsites? Oh the irony!

More truth from Hone Harawira

“Once upon a time we were proud of having a health system that catered for everyone but now you pay for the privilege every step of the way” says MANA Leader Hone Harawira.

“Health Minister Tony Ryall, who earns $257k, can afford to smile when he hikes prescription charges another $2 but for those struggling to make the right choices with little money, two bucks means deciding whether to get your medicine or not”.

Harawira said that research showed that Maori already had a higher rate of uncollected prescriptions “because they just can’t afford it” and expected that figure to get worse with the higher charges.

“When kids get sick, mums will be forced to choose which medicines to buy and which ones to leave and they will pray they get it right” said Harawira, “and when old people get sick, they will just go without …”

“That will see more poor people being admitted to hospital because they’ll get sick when they haven’t taken their medicine due to the cost - and taxpayers will have to fork out $1,000 per person, per day”.

Harawira said that all it would take was one in 500 to wind up in hospital and that’d be government’s savings gone down the toilet. “Go figure.”

“As for the proposal to throw money at more swabs for rheumatic fever, let’s not kid ourselves” said Harawira. “More swabs are good but even Dr Lance O’Sullivan admits that they won’t fix the root cause of the problem which is poor housing.”

“In case you weren’t sure what National’s housing policy is,” said Harawira, “take a look at Glen Innes where they’re kicking poor people out of good homes, Hobsonville where they’ve just cancelled a perfectly good housing project and communities all over the country where housing estates are being sold off to private developers.”

Harawira said that NZ had a health system that worked for those who could afford it “but that those who needed it most were the ones who would be forced to the back of the queue.”

“And higher prescription charges will make sure that’s where they stay …”

               ~ Hone Harawira Leader of the Mana party

NORML protests

Aotearoa is not for sale Hikoi

Aotearoa is not for sale Hikoi 2012 Questions and Answers:

What is this Hikoi about?

This Hikoi is to demonstrate public opposition to privatization and the continued selling of our countries natural resources, land and public services to private investors.

Who is leading the Hikoi? 

This Hikoi is a non-political event providing an opportunity for all people across all sectors to oppose privatization. Therefore it is not being organized or led by any particular political party or group. The “Frontline” of the Hikoi will be led by Kaumatua  (Elders) and mokopuna (grandchildren).  As the hikoi move across the country it will be led by the local iwi and community members of the territory we will be passing through.

Who is welcome to participate?

This event is open to all concerned people, we urge participants to bring their friends whanau, groups, and organisations

Why now? 

The government is currently attempting to push through a number of laws that will further undermine the economic sovereignty of our country. In addition large blocks of land are being made available for purchase by foreign companies and individuals.

At the same time there is currently an aggressive oil drilling and mining tendering process that is opening up large areas of the marine environment and on land including private Maori land. The Government is trying to push these matters through parliament while engaging in whirlwind “consultation” processes that we don’t believe has any integrity. Now is the time to put pressure on the government to abandon the privatization agenda.

Isn’t the government claiming that they have a political mandate from the people to proceed with privatization?

Opinion polls taken prior to last year’s election reported that 80% of New Zealanders were opposed to asset sales. It is also reported that over 75% of eligible voters did not cast a vote at the last election. The mandate that the government is relying on only represents a small minority of citizens

Will this campaign succeed?

It will if enough people support it. When the government announced that it was going to mine conservation land 50,000 people marched in Auckland and forced the government to abandon the policy.

The FSSB Hikoi failed to change the governments mind why will this one? 

The government of 2004, successive governments and their agents have played upon the fears of the non Maori population by suggesting that Maori people are seeking “advantages” “rights” and “privileges” that will disadvantage the rights of the general population. By playing the race card they created enough political will amongst the population to deny Maori the opportunity for Maori claims to the FSSB to be heard in court.  However the issue of privatization transcends the question of race and culture, all citizens of this country stand to lose from privatization and this provides an opportunity to stand together and defeat this policy.

Is the Hikoi going to arrive in Wellington only to disband and go home again?

Upon arrival in Wellington there will be a one-week series of events, activities and demonstrations that will take place in and around Wellington. Accommodation will be provided for those from out of town.

Where will the Hikoi members stay while on the road?

Marae and other community facilities will be made available for those traveling as part of the Hikoi and preference will be given to elders and children although we urge parents to be responsible about the participation of young children.

What is the alternative?

To establish a vision for our society that is determined by the citizens and not the politicians and then have this vision imbedded constitutionally as the highest form of law therefore ensuring that these rights, freedoms and responsibilities cannot be tinkered with at the whim of politicians, political parties or their agents.

Are there any rules?

Yes most certainly! No alcohol or drugs, no violence, no sexual harassment, no racism, abide by the instructions of the local leaders and road marshals Learn and abide by the rules of the Marae where you will be staying (if in doubt ask a local)There will compulsory singing, laughing and whanaungatanga (fellowship)

What will I need to bring?

Bring two friends to provide support while you are on the road, be prepared to take reasonable measures to be self reliant so bring a small tent, blanket or sleeping bag, water bottle, good walking shoes, warm clothing and a rain proof jacket, placard and signs, flags noise makers etc. Take responsibility for any special diet needs you may have.

Do I have to come all the way?

No, Participate in your local area as the Hikoi travels through your town, you may be able to support the event in your region. Come to Wellington for the last part of the Hikoi if you are unable to participate in the whole event. THIS WILL BE THE MAJOR ASPECT OF THE HIKOI!

How can I support this event?

Tell as many people about it as possible (Face book, Twitter, Talkback radio, word of mouth) get a little group together to help organize awareness, distribute posters in your area, donate any spare produce to the local Marae where the Hikoi will be staying in your area. Contact you local organisor and offer assistance.

Where can I get more information?

Go to: http://www.facebook.com/events/170682386382094/

Email: rangiwhero@gmail.com

Richard Pearson - Asshole of the Week

Yesterday, One News correspondent Stephen Smith reported that the Port of Auckland refute Union claims that it was planning redundancies all along, with Ports of Auckland Chairman Richard Pearson saying:

That is not true, we were not plotting outsourcing until we got to a stage where negotiations with the Union showed that they could not, and that they were against delivering the much needed changes that need to take place at the port.

What a load of bullshit! Richard Pearson is ignoring the fact that PoAL's illegal Labour Strategy (PDF) that outlined how they would make the workers redundant has been made public.

It stipulates what PoAL shareholders would support the plan, the legal maneuvering that would be required and the $7 to $9 million it would cost to make the stevedores redundant.

The PoAL's Labour Strategy outlining the plan to sack the stevedores was written well before 30 September 2011, which makes Richard Pearson a big fat fucking liar! He is therefore this week's Asshole Award recipient.

The Maritime Union says the battle is far from over after Ports of Auckland struck a devastating blow in a bitter and long-running industrial dispute.

The port will begin the process of making almost 300 striking dock workers redundant, a move it says will boost productivity at the port.

In order to achieve more productivity ie 100% more profit for the Auckland Council, PoAL are willing to discriminate against the collective bargaining rights arranged by MUNZ.

This is clearly a breach of the Employment Relations Act 2000, which states:

(6) It is a breach of subsection (1) for an employer to advise, or to do anything with the intention of inducing, an employee—
(a) not to be involved in bargaining for a collective agreement; or
(b) not to be covered by a collective agreement.

Sacking all the workers because PoAL want them on individual contracts is a breach of good faith in employment relations outlined in the Act.

David Tamihere recall has ulterior motives

Today, the NZ Herald reported:

Convicted killer David Tamihere has pleaded not guilty to breaching his parole conditions by flying over a crime scene with a television crew.

Tamihere, 58, appeared in Waitakere District Court this morning on the charge after TVNZ's Sunday programme flew him over a historic Coromandel murder scene, a possible breach of his parole conditions.

Tamihere, who was today ordered to reappear in court in May, could be sent back to jail if he is found guilty.

He is also likely to face a Parole Board recall hearing in April over the flight.

What a complete waste of time and money. There is absolutely no grounds for a recall here, because David Tamihere did not physically go onto the property his parole conditions stipulate are out of bounds.

The fact that the Corrections Department has completely overreacted makes me highly suspicious as to their motivation.

David Tamihere has continued to profess his innocence and has requested a retrial on the December 1990 conviction for the murders of Swedish tourists Sven Urban Höglin, 23, and his fiancée Heidi Birgitta Paakkonen, 21.

A recall to prison would make a retrial more difficult for Tamihere to achieve.

There is good evidence to suggest Tamihere did not commit the murders, and that at least some of the evidence was planted, perhaps even by the Police.

Tamihere said that the Detective Inspector in charge of the investigation John Hughes, who has since died, was nicknamed `The Gardener' by prisoners.

"He had a bad habit of planting things ... he was well known for fitting people up."

Tamihere is just reiterating a widely known and accepted fact.

Stop the evictions meeting on Saturday

Stop the forced evictions meeting tonight

Bradley Manning nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

Yesterday, CityBeat reported:

Some U.S. progressives are supporting a move by Icelandic politicians to nominate alleged WikiLeaks collaborator Bradley Manning for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Manning was nominated for the prestigious prize by The Movement of Icelandic Parliament, a group of politicians in Iceland dedicated to empowering grassroots activism.

In its letter nominating Manning, the group wrote, “The leaked documents pointed to a long history of corruption, war crimes, and imperialism by the United States government in international dealings. These revelations have fueled democratic uprising around the world, including a democratic revolution in Tunisia. According to journalists, his alleged actions helped motivate the democratic Arab Spring movements, shed light on secret corporate influence on our foreign policies, and most recently contributed to the Obama Administration agreeing to withdraw all U.S. troops from the occupation in Iraq.”

There are far too many people willing to blindly follow orders and allow atrocities to be committed without question... but thankfully there are also people like Bradley Manning.

Bradley Manning has changed the world by leaking documents that show the United States trying to cover up crimes against humanity. In highlighting these crimes, Bradley Manning has swayed public opinion against the so-called wars on terror that have claimed millions of innocent lives.

Instead of labelling Bradley Manning a criminal, he should be thought of as a hero that stood up against tyranny and injustice. The flow on effects of his justified actions have undoubtedly saved countless lives.

Ken Grenda - Hero of the Week

Yesterday, the Telegraph reported:

A MELBOURNE boss has stunned his staff by giving them a staggering $15 million gift -- the ultimate pay-off for their hard work and loyalty.

Workers at bus company Grenda couldn't believe their good fortune when surprise bonuses averaging $8500 were paid into their accounts - with some staff receiving as much as $30,000.

Family-owned Grenda Corporation recently sold off its transit operations after 66 years and decided to pour a chunk of the profits into the remarkable thank-you gesture.

That's NZ$19 million. A non-greedy boss is a very rare thing these days, with most large companies being run by unscrupulous and uncaring cretins who have no concern for their workers. That's why Ken Grenda wins a Hero award, because he's such a breath of fresh air. Here's what the philanthropist said:

"Bus drivers, as these guys will testify, aren't the highest paid people in town but they're totally dedicated, they've worked very hard, we've had people here for 40 and even 50 years working for us, that's all of their working life. We just felt that they deserved a decent reward at the end of it."

What a dude.

Assange TV on RT

Anonymous - Operation Blackout

Transcript:

Citizens of the United States, We are Anonymous.

This is an urgent emergency alert to all people of the United States. The day we've all been waiting for has unfortunately arrived. The United States is censoring the internet. Our blatant response is that we will not sit while our rights are taken away by the government we trusted them to preserve. This is not a call to arms, but a call to recognition and action!

The United States government has mastered this corrupt way of giving us a false sense of freedom. We think we are free and can do what we want, but in reality we are very limited and restricted as to what we can do, how we can think, and even how our education is obtained. We have been so distracted by this mirage of freedom, that we have just become what we were trying to escape from.

For too long, we have been idle as our brothers and sisters were arrested. During this time, the government has been scheming, plotting ways to increase censorship through means of I S P block aides, D N S blockings, search engine censorship, website censorship, and a variety of other methods that directly oppose the values and ideas of both Anonymous as well as the founding fathers of this country, who believed in free speech and press!

The United States has often been used as an example of the ideal free country. When the one nation that is known for its freedom and rights start to abuse its own people, this is when you must fight back, because others are soon to follow. Do not think that just because you are not a United States citizen, that this does not apply to you. You cannot wait for your country to decide to do the same. You must stop it before it grows, before it becomes acceptable. You must destroy its foundation before it becomes too powerful.

Has the U.S. government not learned from the past? Has it not seen the 2011 revolutions? Has it not seen that we oppose this wherever we find it and that we will continue to oppose it? Obviously the United States Government thinks they are exempt. This is not only an Anonymous collective call to action. What will a Distributed Denial of Service attack do? What's a website de face ment against the corrupted powers of the government? No. This is a call for a worldwide internet and physical protest against the powers that be. Spread this message everywhere. We will not stand for this! Tell your parents, your neighbors, your fellow workers, your school teachers, and anyone else you come in contact with. This affects anyone that desires the freedom to browse anonymously, speak freely without fear of retribution, or protest without fear of arrest.

Go to every I R C network, every social network, every online community, and tell them of the atrocity that is about to be committed. If protest is not enough, the United States government shall see that we are truly legion and we shall come together as one force opposing this attempt to censor the internet once again, and in the process discourage any other government from continuing or trying.

We are Anonymous.
We are Legion.
We do not forgive censorship.
We do not forget the denial of our free rights as human beings.
To the United States government, you should've expected us.

Occupy the White House

Internet goes on strike

On January 18th, 2012 the internet is going on strike to stop the web censorship bills in Congress! Now is our moment— we need you to do everything you can, whether you have a website or not

On Jan 24th, Congress will vote to pass internet censorship in the Senate, even though the vast majority of Americans are opposed.

We need to kill the bill - PIPA in the Senate and SOPA in the House - to protect our rights to free speech, privacy, and prosperity. We need internet companies to follow Reddit's lead and stand up for the web, as we internet users are doing every day.

Everyone: Prepare to Strike

If you have a Twitter account, tweet about the #SOPASTRIKE and ask your followers to get ready. You can follow us on twitter for news as the strike gets closer. Go to Blackout SOPA to add ‘STOP SOPA’ to your Twitter image.

Post this SOPA Strike page to your Facebook account by clicking here.

Get ready for January 18th! Email and tweet at your friends, tell them to tell everyone about the strike. When the day comes, call Congress, tweet like crazy (#SOPASTRIKE), and help the strike appear everywhere!

Websites: How to Strike

Black out your website for 12 hours with this page's HTML, or by putting this Javascript into your site's theme. Tucows is doing this and so is BoingBoing.
Other people have made tools to strike. Some other ways to strike:

• Zachary Johnson's blackout page
• ProtestSOPA.org
• CloudFlare's Stop Censorship app
• SOPA Strike Wordpress Plugin
• Did you make something? Tweet it to #StrikeTools

Jazmine Heka - Hero of the Week

Increased drowning, car accident deaths, new oil and debris washing up all along the East Coast, ships running aground all around the world, a devastating hot air ballooning accident, most of Europe being downgraded, a potential US Iran war developing, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and climate change making summer non-existent... with so much bad news these days, it's nice to read something positive for a change.

On Tuesday, The Whangarei Leader reported:

A 16-year-old is taking action against child poverty and hopes others will join her to create change.

While most people her age are relaxing at the beach, Jazmine Heka from Whangarei Girls' High School has created her own cause, Children Against Poverty.

She has started petitions calling for free healthy school lunches, free healthcare for all children including prescription costs and warrants of fitness on all rental houses.

Jazmine has also written a children's charter based on the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child.

She was inspired to take action after watching Inside Child Poverty, a documentary by Bryan Bruce.

The documentary has been highly controversial, not because it was inaccurate, but because it told the truth. Unfortunately some people would prefer that the truth about child poverty in New Zealand continued to be ignored, with certain right winger's even attacking the producer for shining a light on the problem.

New Zealand produces far more food than it requires and is blessed with an abundance of resources, making the resistance to positive change in respect to child poverty truly astounding. The main obstacle to reducing the highly damaging and costly social failing of child impoverishment is political, which is exactly where Jazmine plans to focus here attention:

She wants to see legislation changes and hopes to meet politicians after the summer holidays.

Ngaire Rae from Whangarei Child Poverty Action Group says it's inspiring to have someone as young as Jazmine taking action.

"It gives adults like us hope that this is an issue young people will pick up. It's inspirational for a lot of us who have been working on these issues for a long time."

It certainly is inspirational that some young people care about the estimated 220,000 children currently living in poverty. Really, it's an issue they all should be concerned with, being that the younger generations are the ones most affected from the older generations failure to fix things.

Jazmine shows a good understanding of the problem, and is going about trying to initiate change in the right way. Yesterday, The Northern Advocate reported:

Jazmine, who is eyeing up a career in law, planned to present her petition to Parliament at the end of the summer.

Her demands would include free health care for all children, free and healthy school lunches, Working for Families tax credits for beneficiary-reliant families, and establishment of a "warrant of fitness" law inspired by Scottish welfare standards to ensure all New Zealand homes were safe living environments.

She said she hoped to mobilise compassion for the plight of sick Kiwi children.

Rae said Jazmine's petition illustrated "minimum standards" that she felt would receive a positive reception. "I think it would be really difficult for the Government to ignore this."

Unfortunately the government has continued to ignore the issue for a long time now... even when legal action was undertaken against them, they fail to implement policy that would help the many thousands of New Zealand children living in poverty.

A young person working for positive change is something we should cherish. Well done Jazmine Heka, you're this weeks Hero award recipient.

Please like the Children Against Poverty facebook page and sign the petition (PDF). Email childrenagainstpoverty@hotmail.co.nz for more information.

Maritime New Zealand press release

How much do these workers get paid?

The company says workers are getting $90,000 per year for 26 hours work. This is simply wrong, and management has not provided any supporting data to back up this claim.

A stevedores guarantee for 40 hours per week is $1,090.40 = $56,700.80 per annum @ 260 shifts per year.  To earn the money being quoted by Mr Gibson, stevedores would have to complete an extra 1,377 hours.  Stevedores are required to work days or nights, weekends, public holidays – basically any shifts 24/7 often 16 hour shifts.

Much of the work is skilled, and many staff have multiple qualifications.  It is dangerous, cold and tiring work. Workers regularly work many hours of overtime.  As one worker pointed out in a letter to the Herald recently, in a “good” week he worked 64 hours. For this he took home $2000 gross. A week of 64 hours is more than 1.5 jobs.

The dangers inherent is such working hours are obvious and the union believes the Port needs more workers and that overtime should not be a regular requirement.  Moreover, when workers have refused to do overtime, turmoil has ensued and ships have been delayed. The union has long believed that the current overtime based model is unsustainable, and looks to management to recognise this problem and act to resolve it.

How does the rostering work in the current agreement?

The current collective agreement is very flexible and makes provisions for the Port to employ:

• Full time permanent employees (they are entitled to 40 hours per week of work over 7 days, and to stipulate at least one preferred week day off per week, but otherwise must work any day 24/7 on duties which can include those outside their normal role where this is all that is available).
• P24’s – these are permanent employees but who are only guaranteed 24 hours work per week (3×8 hour shifts any day 24/7, again to any role except crane driving which is highly specialised.  The agreement requires that when the P24 crew are found to be virtually working full time for prolonged periods – a number are ungraded to full time – this avoids the company misusing these roles by leaving them part time when they are really full time workers).  The number of P24 workers is agreed to be no more than 27.5% of the total workforce to protect full time work.
• Casuals – the agreement provides for up to 25% of workers to be employed as casuals.  These casual workers are employed shift by shift and the only requirement is that the shift be at least 8 hours minimum.  These positions give the Port huge flexibility as there is no guarantee of work at all. They are not however to be used to drive cranes and permanent workers get priorities for up to 2 or 3 extra shifts per week before the work is offered to casual workers.

The current agreement is therefore designed to provide a mix of good, stable, reliable work but also meet the needs of a Port where ships are unpredictable.

The rest of the current agreement is very simple with flat rates of pay being set out in recognition of the 24/7 nature of work, and these rates applying in most working situations.

Read the full Maritime New Zealand press release here.