Category: Crime & Justice
Last week, in a report examining the quality of government spending in New Zealand, the ANZ Bank’s Chief Economist Cameron Bagrie explained that the Government has built a “Rolls-Royce” public sector, when a “Toyota” would do. The report estimated that back-office departmental spending had grown 40 percent faster than operational spending on front-line services.1
In democracies like New Zealand and Australia, much of our attention is focused on what’s happening in our political front gardens.
The Electoral Finance Bill, which seeks to impose complex restrictions on how people can engage in the democratic process during election year, was reported back from the Justice and Electoral Select Committee last week. (To read the Committee’s report click here )
It's not always a good idea to base an argument on personal experience but I will risk it. In 1989, just before the abolition of corporal punishment in schools, I was a member of the PPTA executive and invited to appear on a TV programme with Russell Marshall, the then Minister of Education. I commented that I was not convinced the majority of teachers were in favour of abolition.
“We love you son…be strong”. These were the words the family of a 15 year-old young man called out as he stood in the dock accused of murdering 77 year-old Doreen Reed in Auckland this week.
Allegations of corruption in New Zealand’s Parliament have now escalated to new heights. During a radio interview this week, Tariana Turia described how the Maori Party was offered $250,000 in return for supporting the Labour Party after the election. This “inducement” was intended to secure Labour the numbers to govern.
The article (Herald, Saturday September 2nd 2006) in which Detective Inspector Malcolm Johnston of Christchurch police advises that citizens who think they can take on a burglar should “have a go” is hopefully the first sign of a return to common sense by a police force increasingly struggling to contain serious crime. Recent claims from South Auckland community groups that police have lost the fight against crime in that part of our city gives this whole topic a degree of urgency.
Muriel Newman talks to America's toughest sheriff: Sheriff Joe Arpaio is known as “America's toughest Sheriff”. He is head of the country’s fourth largest Sheriff's Office in Maricopa County, Arizona.
Political correctness is rarely out of the news these days. Whether it’s stories about Josie Bullock being sacked by the Department of Corrections for refusing to give up her front row seat during a graduation ceremony, the on-going debate over whether fireworks should be banned, or the announcement by the National Party that they have finally recognised political correctness as an issue of public concern by appointing a ‘PC eradicator’, we are constantly being bombarded with PC headlines.
This week concerns over youth gangs and violence have hit the headlines. It's a problem that can be found to a greater or lesser degree in many towns and cities throughout the country.
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