Pita Sharples: Maori must step up and turn the table on violent crimes...

Pita Sharples: Maori Must Step Up And Turn The Tides On Violent Crimes ...




Dr. Pita Sharples, Co-Leader of the Maori Party is outraged by an attack on a whanau in Hastings on Saturday night, by a group of young people.



“It really gets under my skin what happened to this whanau in Hastings. A whole whanau was beaten – that is just not on, we must do something to prevent this sort of thing from happening.” Said Dr. Sharples



“These violent assaults and thuggery by youths cannot be tolerated.”



“The initial reports on this incident indicated that the youths could possibly be Maori, but we don’t know that for sure. If that’s the case then we must take the lead as Maori families and communities to turn our kids around from behaviour like this.” Said Dr. Pita Sharples



“The consequences of offences such as this will last for the rest of their lives - for offenders and victims. We need our kids to be role models, to be leaders in the next generation. We must focus on preventing this behaviour.”



“I have always advocated for rehabilitative programmes, community and marae youth courts etc, but the reality is that we must stop these offences from occurring through early prevention and intervention.”



“I am asking that as whanau, and as a community, we take a lead on steering our kids away from crime, particularly violent crimes. What we need to do is stand up and start taking responsibility for what’s happening within our wider whanau”



“We need to stop the silence on violence. Somebody must know what happened in this instance, and I am urging them to come forward.”

Acknowledgements: Voxy NZ

Leopard never changes its spots...

The Social Development Minister says plans to cancel benefits of people who refuse three job offers are on hold...

Paula Bennett says the recession has forced her to put some of The National Party's most radical benefit changes on hold.

The Social Development Minister says she is still keen to make savings in the system, which is currently spending more than $16 billion a year.

But Ms Bennett, speaking on TVNZ's Q&A programme, said plans to cancel the benefits of people who refuse three job offers, or will not accept training, are on the back burner.

Ms Bennett says right now the country expects her to be helping people who have lost their jobs because of the downturn. She says another 35,000 people have signed on for the dole since the slowdown began, and helping them should be the priority.

The Minister says circumstances have made it necessary to soften the policy, but she still wants to see it brought in before the end of the Government's first term in office.

NZ Government to consider road rule changes...

New Zealand has been giving way to the right for the past thirty years – it’s the basis of our road rules.

But overwhelmingly those in the business of traffic safety think it’s time we changed it for reasons of safety and common sense– every other country in the world gives way to the left.

The AA has renewed the call to change the rule and the government has said it will consider it.

The rule was adopted from Victoria thirty years ago who used it to deal with their tram system. However, the Australian state dumped the rule in 1993.

The rule is particularly dangerous at T-intersections when there is a car behind the left turning vehicle. The left-turning vehicle may stop, letting in the right-turning vehicle but the vehicle behind on the left may try to overtake, causing a collision.

The AA says further confusion arises when a car indicating left actually carries on straight. Police say this causes 50 crashes a year.

Just about every group involved in road traffic safety, the police, Ministry of Transport, Land Transport, the Cyclist Advocate Network and the Institute of Engineers have called for the rule to be changed.

Changing the rule will making driving in New Zealand easier for tourists but the focus is on safety.

Analysis by the Ministry of Transport suggests that it could result in a bout 160 fewer crashes per year.

Acknowledgements to Automobile Association NZ