11 Mar 2013
10 Mar 2013
Frank Bainimarama - Asshole of the Week
Yesterday, the NZ Herald reported:
Warning! The video is very graphic:
How someone could possibly try to justify that kind of depravity I will never know.
That's no excuse for systematically beating people until they're permanently disabled... Epeli Qaraniqio, one of the men in the video, lost one of his legs because of the beating, a beating that looks likely to have been undertaken by Fijian police officers.
The abuse is bad enough, but trying to justify it in the way Bainimarama has makes him equally responsible. It's his lack of proper oversight that will be allowing such disgusting crimes to occur, and he should also be held to account.
In the mean time Bainimarama wins this week's Asshole Award. Let's hope there's an independent and full inquiry into the matter and some international pressure to remove the dictator.
Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says he will support his men if they were involved in the repeated beating an escaped prisoner.
His comments come after a recent video showed two people getting badly beaten up by a group of men, believed to involve security staff.
Warning! The video is very graphic:
How someone could possibly try to justify that kind of depravity I will never know.
Bainimarama told Fijivillage.com security personnel worked hard to protect the citizens of Fiji from hardened criminals.
That's no excuse for systematically beating people until they're permanently disabled... Epeli Qaraniqio, one of the men in the video, lost one of his legs because of the beating, a beating that looks likely to have been undertaken by Fijian police officers.
He told the website the matter would be investigated but said he would support the men.
"At the end of the day, I will stick by my men, by the police officers or anyone else that might be named in this investigation.
"We cannot discard them just because they've done their duty in looking after the security of this nation and making sure we sleep peacefully at night," Fijivillage reported him saying.
The abuse is bad enough, but trying to justify it in the way Bainimarama has makes him equally responsible. It's his lack of proper oversight that will be allowing such disgusting crimes to occur, and he should also be held to account.
In the mean time Bainimarama wins this week's Asshole Award. Let's hope there's an independent and full inquiry into the matter and some international pressure to remove the dictator.
8 Mar 2013
Kick Don Elder off the payroll
Yesterday, the NZ Herald reported:
Receiving full pay as a consultant working from home? FFS! In these hard economic times where public services are being cut left right and centre, that's entirely unacceptable.
It appears that Elder is being paid to do sweet fuck all when he should be made to front up and answer for his part in the failure of Solid Energy.
Now hang on a minute... Elder is receiving an extensive amount of public money... The public therefore have a legal right to know exactly how much he's being paid and his contract cannot impede the law as it is written.
Clearly divulging such information wouldn't damage the economy, prejudice the security or defence of New Zealand or the international relations of the Government, meaning it's allowable under the law set out in the Official Information Act 1982 (PDF).
Obviously they won't want anymore light being shone on the issue, mainly because it was their incompetence just as much as the companies management that caused the publicly owned enterprise to go down the drain.
Nationals incompetence is so egregious that it looks like they might have failed on purpose in order to devalue the asset just before privatisation.
History has shown that such a tactic has been used to get public assets transferred into their greedy money grubbing hands and perhaps Elder is complicit in such a crime? That would explain why he's still on the payroll.
Labour's state owned enterprise spokesman Clayton Cosgrove believed Dr Elder was paid out $1.5m in addition to his annual salary of $1.3m.
Mr Ford confirmed Dr Elder was "working from home" in a consultancy capacity and was receiving full pay. He is due to finish with the company on April 1.
Receiving full pay as a consultant working from home? FFS! In these hard economic times where public services are being cut left right and centre, that's entirely unacceptable.
It appears that Elder is being paid to do sweet fuck all when he should be made to front up and answer for his part in the failure of Solid Energy.
When asked how much the entitlements were, he [current Solid Energy chairman Mark Ford] said: "If Dr Elder was happy for us to report his salary, I am more than happy to disclose what it is".
Mr Ford said a confidentiality agreement in Dr Elder's employment contract had prevented a disclosure of his entitlements.
Now hang on a minute... Elder is receiving an extensive amount of public money... The public therefore have a legal right to know exactly how much he's being paid and his contract cannot impede the law as it is written.
Clearly divulging such information wouldn't damage the economy, prejudice the security or defence of New Zealand or the international relations of the Government, meaning it's allowable under the law set out in the Official Information Act 1982 (PDF).
It was unclear if Opposition calls for a subpoena, forcing Dr Elder to appear, would have the support of government MPs, which it needs for it to be carried forward.
Obviously they won't want anymore light being shone on the issue, mainly because it was their incompetence just as much as the companies management that caused the publicly owned enterprise to go down the drain.Nationals incompetence is so egregious that it looks like they might have failed on purpose in order to devalue the asset just before privatisation.
History has shown that such a tactic has been used to get public assets transferred into their greedy money grubbing hands and perhaps Elder is complicit in such a crime? That would explain why he's still on the payroll.
Hörður Torfason on active democracy
A democracy advocate, currently lecturing on meta modern democracy in Europe, Hordur Torfason’s New Zealand visit is being financed in the most democratic way – through PledgeMe.co.nz
With a target of $20,000 for international and domestic flights, marketing, venue hire, accommodation etc, the public can pledge any amount above $5 to provide free entry to all of his talks.