Executive quits amid Telecom XT fiasco | Stuff.co.nz

Executive quits amid Telecom XT fiasco Stuff.co.nz
Stuff news report out re Telecom exec resignation.

The Pope versus climate change deniers

A Sojourners Report highlights the recent alacrity with which climate change deniers greeted the snowstorms that struck North America in recent weeks. 

Councils to be given an incentive to meet deadlines

Colin Espiner reports that councils which are slow in processing consent applications will be given an incentive to respond to customers in a more timely manner. Late processing will soon incur a fine if Nick Smith has his way.  This is a fine idea and should help make councils more responsive to applicants who know only too well that when it comes to renovations and construction projects time is money.

Council proposes restrictions on suburban pokie machines

The Wellington City Council is responding to concerns about gambling addiction by proposing to reduce the number of pokie machines able to be located in Wellington suburbs. Currently there are no restrictions in the central city.  Gambling addiction is a blight on many low income families. This is yet another positive move by Wellington City Council.

Liquor Ban Proposed in Wellington

The Wellington City Council has responded to concerns of residents in the suburb of Newtown.  Local residents were fed up with people leaving broken bottles, urinating on their properties and drinking during the daytime on footpaths.  The Council was advised by Police that it would be impractical to ban liquor from the streets in just one suburb.  Consequently the Council is now proposing to ban open alcohol containers in public places such as streets and parks throughout the city.  This is a positive move by the Council.  there are plentyof places for people to drink - restaurants, bars and their own homes - to name just three. Well done Wellington City Council - bring on the liquor ban asap.

Vouchers - nice in theory but what about the reality?

The Dom Post today reported that National, ACT and Maori Parties had launched a new proposal for what amounts to school vouchers for the top 5% and the bottom 20% of school students.  The scheme is apparently designed to enable parents of these students to utilise other schools or "providers" where it will help their offspring achieve better learning outcomes.

I don't think anyone is opposed to improving learning outcomes.  Also there are some of us who, as parents,  are sometimes deeply perplexed at the poor performance of some teachers and the powerlessness parents have in the face of the education bureaucracy. However, this new scheme raises some real questions that need to be addressed.  For example what is the likelihood that parents of the bottom 20% of underperforming children will actually be able or willing to undertake the transport arrangements, and change arrangements to enable their children to move to another school for part of the day?  Do they have the money or workplace flexibility to enable that for instance?  If not - then doesn't it raise questions as to whether the real beneficiaruies of the scheme will be the top 5% who are likely to be able to afford to put alternative arrangements in place anyway?

Another question I have about vouchers in principle is that the nature of them tend to shift education towards a system based on market power - rather than educational needs. In that context won't it simply empower those who can afford to top up their vouchers with cash payments or school donations? A high quality public education system has long been part of the kiwi dream. While it may not be perfect are vouchers really the solution to the long tail of educational underperformance? I'm not convinced.

Foreshore debate all about big bucks - Best of Political Analysis - NZ Herald News

Fran O'Sullivan: Foreshore debate all about big bucks - Best of Political Analysis - NZ Herald News Some interesting background to the foreshore and seabed issue in Fran O'Sullivan's report. Defintely worth a read.

Zimbabwe govt continues human rights breaches

Amnesty International reports that human rights continue to be breached in Zimbabwe. 

GST increase not a deal breaker

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/3323434/GST-rise-not-deal-breaker-for-Maori-Party

Stuff news reports that the Maori Party has now decided that the Government's proposal to increase GST is not a deal-breaker afterall.   That is a sensible decision.  The Maori Party has a key position of influence at the moment.  If it can decide on a few priority areas this term then "sell" them to its supporters at the 2011 election it has every prospect of retaining those Maori electorates it already holds. One thing is certain creative policy solutions are going to be required in health, education and welfare to empower iwi organisations and to boost the Maori renaissance in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Tax reform is a critical part of growing the NZ economy so that all groups can share a bigger cake.  GST, changes to property tax arrangements and income tax reductions are all part of the reform programme necessary to raise New Zealand's economic performance, to create jobs and raise living standards for low income families.

Parents have a right to know how there children are doing

Consider the state of numeracy and literacy, as measured in school leaver statistics published by the Ministry of Education earlier this month for the 2008 year: nearly a fifth failed to achieve even NCEA Level One or above. Is that good enough?  If one major purpose of the national standards is to identify pupils who are falling behind and provide help to schools to ensure they improve, what sense is there in resisting it?

If the main issue is trials and phasing in periods then perhaps a delayed introduction is worth considering.  However if the basis for the objection by teachers unions is that parents should not be able to get access to information on how students are going then centrists will rightly support national standards.

Labour struggling to get candidates this early

Brian Rudman in the NZ herald has published a report highlighting some of the challenges Labour faces in attracting new candidates to its banner. 

Life inside the Taliban - BBC Report

BBC Reports that in Pakistan an account of life with the Taliban has emerged from a 13-year-old girl called Meena, who says her own family tried to turn her into a suicide bomber.
There is no independent confirmation of her account but police say they believe she is telling the truth, and her information could be valuable.