July 2009
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Submitted by Heather Roy on Wed, 29/07/2009 - 1:38pm
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This week, New Zealanders up and down the country are being encouraged to speak te reo Maori (the Maori language) as much as they can in celebration of Te Wiki o te Reo Maori 2009 - Maori Language Week 2009.
Running from July 27-August 2, Maori Language Week coincides with the anniversary of te reo Maori becoming an official language of New Zealand 22 years ago.
While te reo Maori was the predominant language spoken in Aotearoa/New Zealand at the beginning of the 19th century, the arrival of English-speaking meant the Maori language became confined to Maori communities. By the mid-20th Century there were concerns that the language was dying out, and major initiatives were launched in the 1980s in an attempt to revive te reo.
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Submitted by Heather Roy on Tue, 28/07/2009 - 1:31pm
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Legislation this week - July 28-July 30 2009
Government Bills - debated Tuesday & Thursday:
Taxation (Consequential Rate Alignment and Remedial Matters) Bill - First Reading
ACT to Support
Cluster Munitions (Prohibition) Bill - First Reading
ACT to Support
Building Amendment Bill (No 2) - Third Reading
ACT to Support
Inquiries Bill - First Reading
ACT to Support
Limitation Bill - First Reading
ACT to Support
Port Nicholson Block (Taranaki Whanui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika) Claims Settlement Bill - Third Reading
ACT to Support
Road User Amendment Bill - Second Reading
ACT to Support
Search and Surveillance Bill - First Reading
ACT to Support
Members’ Bills - debated Wednesday:
Sustainable Biofuel Bill - First Reading
Jeanette Fitzsimons - Green Party
ACT to Support to Select Committee
Marine Animals Protection Law Reform Bill - First Reading
Metiria Turei - Green Party
ACT to Oppose
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Submitted by Heather Roy on Sun, 26/07/2009 - 3:20pm
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ACTs 'three strikes' justice policy has 75% support of the 500 people polled in a telephone survey. David Garrett, ACTs Law and Order Spokesman, released the results of the independent public survey today. It also showed 73 percent of New Zealanders advocate National adopting 'Three strikes' as official Government policy. These results clearly show that New Zealanders have had enough of serious violent crime and want real action on dealing with it.
Our three strikes policy has been criticised for being too harsh but it is obvious from the survey that this isn't what kiwis think. They want to feel safe in their homes, in their streets and communities. The policy has often been poorly portrayed in the media.
Here is what 'three strikes' would mean.
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Submitted by Heather Roy on Sat, 25/07/2009 - 6:12pm
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While in Auckland yesterday I visited four schools, one of which was Carlson School and met with principal Faye Philp. The school caters for 54 special needs students, the majority with Cerebral Palsy. They all have complex health needs and most are wheelchair dependent.
I had the opportunity to take a tour of the school and meet with some of the students. One student was having a lot of fun in a walking sling attached to one of the school’s new ceiling mounted hoists and I was able to have a few kicks of a swiss ball with him. The sling and hoist set-up has been a very popular addition to the school as it allows the students to feel the sensation of standing and walking.
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Submitted by Heather Roy on Sat, 25/07/2009 - 5:40pm
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Nick Venter writes an interesting 'human interest' piece on the Prime Minister's family which appeared in both the Dominion Post and the Press today - "At home with the Keys".
It's always hard for the families of high profile people. Politicians rely on being in the limelight but families, despite not standing for office, often come under the same scrutiny.
As an example Bronagh Key has come in for criticism for wearing the same purple jacket to her husband's swearing in as she did to a party function. It was described very unfairly in one Auckland newspaper as "the first lady faux pas".
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Submitted by Heather Roy on Thu, 23/07/2009 - 6:11pm
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While I was in Invercargill this week I popped in to visit 'enrich@ilt' - part of the Gifted Kids Programme.
'Enrich@ailt' belongs to the network of One Day Schools, and opened during the recent Gifted Awareness week in June this year.
There, I met Scott (10) – a gifted and very friendly young man who took time out of his busy schedule to show me a computer video he had made, and to explain some of the techniques he had used. Wednesday's Southland Times' featured a photo of the two of us together.
New Zealand has many gifted and talented children in our schools who have needs every bit as real as those other children who have unmet needs. Gifted children face many obstacles - one of the biggest is simply being recognised as such.
Many become isolated from other children, while other gifted children are over-looked at school because they may have learning problems - such as dyslexia - or problems with co-ordination.
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Submitted by Heather Roy on Wed, 22/07/2009 - 10:39pm
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Ask any fine dining connoisseur and they'll tell you: sometimes it is the lesser-known restaurants, tucked away from public places, which offer the best culinary experiences.
Invercargill's best-kept secret is the premier fine dining establishment: the Ruru School 'flat'. The flat is used by the schools senior students for life skills training. They decorate the flat, are responsible for cleaning it, and as I discovered on Tuesday this week, develop very credible hospitality skills there.
A sophisticated lunch for six was prepared and served by Ruru School's Jamie, Aaron, Zach and Stefan. These senior students - with help from tutor Maggie - treated Ruru School principal Erin Cairns, Board of Trustees Chair Robyn Palmer, my Chief of Staff and I to one of the best three-course meals I've had in ages.
The well thought-out menu was perfect for a cold Southland southerly blast.
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Submitted by Heather Roy on Wed, 22/07/2009 - 10:22pm
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I've spent the past two days in the South - Dunedin and Invercargill - visiting schools offering options for students with special education needs and defence buildings and estate.
In Dunedin on Monday I visited the Special Education options offered by Sara Cohen Special School, Forbury School (Primary) and Bayfield High school – the latter two are mainstreaming their special needs pupils.
While Invercargill was buffeted by some spectacular storms on Tuesday, the hospitality was as warms as it has always been. Visits to James Hargest High School's Student Support Centre, Waihopi School's Park Syndicate and Ruru Special School – as well as the schools in Dunedin – showed that these children with special needs are receiving excellent support from the teachers, teacher aides and other staff responsible for their education.
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Submitted by Heather Roy on Wed, 22/07/2009 - 9:03am
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Legislation this week - July 21-23 2009
Government Bills:
Tariff (AANZFTA) Amendment Bill & Customs and Excise (AANZFTA) Amendment Bill - Third Reading
ACT to Support
Port Nicholson Block (Taranaki Whanui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika) Claims Settlement Bill - Second Reading
ACT to Support
Disputes Tribunals Amendment Bill - Second Reading
ACT to Support
Securities Disclosure and Financial Advisors Amendment Bill - Committee Stages
ACT to Support
Insolvency Bill
ACT to Support
Building Amendment Bill (No2)
ACT to Support
Inquiries Bill
ACT to Support
A more detailed rundown of Parliament this week can be viewed by clicking on 'In The House' or at http://www.roy.org.nz/inthehouse.
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Submitted by Heather Roy on Sat, 18/07/2009 - 9:29pm
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Today I farewelled the 10th rotation of NZDF personnel to the Solomon Islands. The 44 person deployment consists of 31 reserve force personnel from 3 Auckland Northern Region, 6 Hauraki, 5 Wellington West Coast Taranaki(my unit) and 7 Wellington Hawkes Bay TF units and 13 regular force soldiers and sailors.
Their were a few tearful goodbyes, brief speeches by Commander Joint Forces NZ AVM Peter Stockwell, RSA President AVM (rtd)Robin Klitscher and myself, followed by a pretty moving Haka. I had a chance to talk to some of the deployment and their families, who also today embarked on a tour of duty of their own with gaps left in their lives by loved ones deploying.
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Submitted by Heather Roy on Fri, 17/07/2009 - 1:12pm
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The release of the Consumers Price Index (CPI) for the June 2009 quarter yesterday was something of a mixed bag for consumers, with some costs for families increasing while others dropped.
A measure of the price of goods and services purchased by New Zealand households, the CPI is often used as a measure for inflation and covers the costs of: food, alcohol and tobacco, clothing and footwear, housing and household utilities, household contents and services, health, transport, communication, recreation and culture, education, and miscellaneous goods and services.
Prices for these are collected weekly, monthly, quarterly or annually depending on the expected frequency of price changes for particular goods or services - for instance, surveys are conducted weekly for fresh fruit and vegetables, while monthly surveys gather information on things like electricity and newspapers.
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Submitted by Heather Roy on Thu, 16/07/2009 - 11:07pm
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Neil Armstrong set off to take his now famous "giant leap for mankind" 40 years ago today, when his Apollo 11 mission left Earth on July 16 1969.
Just days later, on July 20, he stepped on the surface of the moon and gave his now famous line: "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind".
In reality the pictures looked like it was actually quite a big step for the man himself aided by the lack of gravity!
Apollo 11 was the successful US mission to take first honours in the race to land on the moon. It was of course very dangerous as the subsequent Apollo 13 mission highlighted. President Nixon had prepared two speeches to cover all eventualities. Fortunately he was able to deliver the positive one and what followed was speculation that holidays to the moon, space travel, voyages to Mars would quickly become commonplace.
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Submitted by Heather Roy on Sun, 12/07/2009 - 8:47pm
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First there was that magazine cover with Demi Moore bodypainted (incidentally, the artist was a kiwi). Then there was Keith Locke who promised to run naked in Newmarket if Rodney Hide won the Epsom electorate seat in 2005. Rodney did win and Keith had himself bodypainted for the event.
Next came the new Air New Zealand advertisement with bodypainted crew and staff. Today's Sunday Star Times reported that the Advertising Standards Authority has received complaints. It's all been done pretty tastefully in my view but I guess there were always going to be some who were offended by the sight.
Now the Air NZ in-flight safety brief video also features flight crew in their bodypainted best. I fly quite a lot and I can say with certainty that the safety brief is watched by more passengers than ever before. No matter whether you love the body painting or hate it, if the message is getting across I think Air New Zealand can probably claim 'Mission Accomplished'!
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Submitted by Heather Roy on Fri, 10/07/2009 - 1:57pm
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On Wednesday, I visited Devonport's VT Fitzroy Ltd to observe, among other things, some of the work being undertaken on the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) frigate HMNZS Te Kaha in dry dock as part of her mid-life upgrade.
The first of the RNZN's ANZAC-class frigates, Te Kaha was constructed by Tenix Defence Systems in Australia and launched in Melbourne on July 22 1995.
Built to the German MEKO 200 Class design, Te Kaha is 118 metres long and can travel at 27-plus knots. She carries a five-inch (127 mm) gun, Sea Sparrow missile system, Phalanx Close In Weapon System, six torpedo tubes, and numerous small arms ranging from 9mm pistols to 50 calibre machine guns. Te Kaha also carries one Kaman SH-2G Super Seasprite helicopter. A combined diesel or gas turbine propulsion system gives her both long range endurance and high speed capability when needed.
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Submitted by Heather Roy on Thu, 09/07/2009 - 8:48pm
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Based at the Devonport Naval Base – and ceremonially homeported at Tauranga - Te Mana (F111) is one of 10 Anzac-class frigates, and one of two serving, in the Royal New Zealand Navy.
Constructed by Tenix Defence Systems in Australia and launched in 1997, she was commissioned into the RNZN in December 1999 and is expected to be in service beyond 2020.
With the RNZN she has been involved in: preparations to evacuate around 225 New Zealanders during ethnic conflict in the Solomon islands in 2000; aiding HMS Nottingham when it ran aground in 2002; deployment to the Gulf of Oman from January-August 2003, and again in 2004; a diplomatic mission to Russia in 2005; assisting with the discovery of a Kermadec Storm Petrel breeding ground in 2006; and deployment to the central and southern Persian Gulf in 2008.
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Submitted by Heather Roy on Tue, 07/07/2009 - 2:25pm
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With only little over a week since it was launched, the public consultation phase of Defence Review 2009 has been received well and has already drawn a positive response.
The Defence Review 2009 public consultation document - which Defence Minister Wayne Mapp and I launched at Te Papa on June 26 - has proved to be an effective tool in gathering the views of the public on the direction of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) into the future.
Copies of the document and the Review 09 brochure, both containing a submission form, have now been distributed to 491 schools throughout the country - as well as to all public libraries in New Zealand.
Copies are also available from local RSAs, Waiouru’s National Army Museum Te Mata Toa, and the Air Force Museum of New Zealand in Christchurch. Submissions can also be made at the Ministry of Defence website www.defence.govt.nz.
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Submitted by Heather Roy on Mon, 06/07/2009 - 11:27pm
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As well as New Zealanders up and down the country, our friends across the ditch are paying attention to our anti-smacking referendum – with Australia's ABC Breakfast radio phoning me for comment this morning.
The question New Zealanders are being asked to consider is: "Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?" The referendum is a postal ballot, with voting opening on July 31 and closing on August 21. ACT is in support of the referendum and will advocate that the controversial anti-smacking law be repealed if this is the view of most New Zealanders.
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Submitted by Heather Roy on Sat, 04/07/2009 - 10:30pm
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While my son and his friends were playing a network computer game at home which they described as an on-line United Nations I joined the UN Youth Association opening ceremony of their 10th Annual Conference at Rutherford House in Wellington, which closely resembled the real UN.
The United Nations Youth Association of New Zealand is an organisation for youth – run by youth – that brings together students from around the country as delegates representing the nation states. It is dedicated to upholding the spirit of the United Nations through raising the awareness, involvement, and empowerment of young people in local, national and international spheres.
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Submitted by Heather Roy on Sat, 04/07/2009 - 6:17pm
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While in Christchurch yesterday I visited Allenvale Special School where I was warmly welcomed with a waiata from the students and a presentation of artwork by two of the students. Allenvale is a co-educational Special School which caters for students aged 5-21. I was taken on a tour of the school by the Principal Graeme Daniel, Board Chairperson Peter Coker and members of the Board, all of whom were very proud of the school, its students and their achievements.
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Submitted by Heather Roy on Wed, 01/07/2009 - 11:24pm
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There has been much media interest in Green Party Co-Leader Metiria Turei's Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Amendment Bill, which was considered in Parliament today. Voting on the First Reading of the Bill was a conscience issue - in that MPs voted as they saw fit rather than along party lines. The bill was voted down and will not go to select committee for further scrutiny.
Although it was nowhere near perfect I supported the Bill as I thought it was time to debate the issue of whether or not cannabis should be made legal for use in some medical conditions - time for a proper examination of the science.
Under the provisions of the bill those eligible would have become registered users of cannabis and they or their agent would have been permitted to cultivate and possess a small amount of cannabis. Some saw this as a precursor to full legalisation or decriminalisation of cannabis.
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