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5:11PM Wednesday August 27, 2008
By Paula Oliver
The New Zealand Herald

New Zealand First has announced it will support Labour’s flagship emissions trading scheme, meaning the major climate change legislation will pass into law.

In a statement just released, the party said it faced the decision of whether to support a scheme over which it would have some influence, or to leave the country in a situation of uncertainty.

“We have secured a package that will ensure that all households wil receive a one-off payment to mitigate the impact of the ETS,” leader Winston Peters said.

People on low incomes - including New Zealand superannuation - will receive what Mr Peters described as a “front-loaded CPI adjustment” to ensure that they keep ahead of the projected cost of the emissions trading scheme to their households.  Read more »

2:36PM Wednesday August 27, 2008
The New Zealand Herald

Green Party MP Keith Locke’s response to Annette King’s announcement that Police were adopting Taser stun-guns.

Reply to Ministerial statement on tasers
Green Party MP Keith Locke
Parliament
August 27, 2008

This is a very sad day for policing in New Zealand.

Our country has prided itself on a much lower level of violence in policing than other jurisdictions like the United States.

Let’s be blunt about it. Some New Zealanders will die unnecessarily as a result of this decision - as have over 300 people in the United States the home of the taser. So far this month we’ve seen five Americans die after being tasered.  Read more »

1:41PM Wednesday August 27, 2008
The New Zealand Herald

The full transcript of Police Minister Annette King’s ministerial statement to Parliament on the adoption of Tasers by the NZ Police.

Police Commissioner Howard Broad has informed me that he has made an in-principle decision on the deployment of the Taser as an addition to the New Zealand Police graduated response model.

For some years now Police have been concerned that a gap has existed in our tactical options between the use of batons, dogs, OC spray and lethal firearms. while in most close quarter situations OC stray is highly effective in subduing a violent offender, its effective range is limited to 10 feet, and its effectiveness lessens when used to subdue a person under the influence of drugs, mentally disordered or in a “”frenzied”‘ psychological state.  Read more »

2:15PM Wednesday August 27, 2008
By Patrick Gower
The New Zealand Herald

Police Commissioner Howard Broad has made an “in-principle” decision to adopt the Taser stun-gun - but in an unusual move wanted to hear MPs views before formalising it.

The decision to adopt the Taser was Mr Broad’s alone.

But instead of being announced by Police, it was revealed in Parliament by Police Minister Annette King.

Ms King read the ministerial statement this afternoon, saying Mr Broad wants MPs to “express their views” and will make his decision “shortly after”.  Read more »

26 June 2008
Maxim Institute

I guess now if there’s even one reasonable person on a jury, there’s still a way to send people to jail - assuming of course you get a jury!

This from Maxim Institute….

Amending justice

Significant changes have been made to our judicial system with the passing of new legislation at the end of last week. The legislation was introduced four years ago and makes several important changes to our justice system, including discarding the requirement of unanimity for jury decisions and creating exemptions to the rule of double jeopardy. These amendments will alter the way our trials are conducted.  Read more »

27 June 2008
Maxim Institute

Interestingly, New Zealand has been referred to by proponents of law change in Canada as a good test case, highlighting how well similar legislation works. Yet early indicators suggest otherwise; we still have a problem with child abuse and parental behaviours have not changed substantially since the law was introduced.

One of the main aims of the law change in New Zealand was to do something about our shameful rates of child abuse. With horrific stories of children suffering continuing to surface in our newspapers, it is curious that Canadian advocates have claimed that the New Zealand model is a success, especially as the law change did little to target the causes of child abuse. Instead, the law’s only effect has been to criminalise parents who use reasonable physical discipline.  Read more »