Abusers of the elderly should receive mandatory jail time...

Grey Power calls for mandatory jail time for assaults on old people, but NZ Law Society president Jonathan Temm says it won't stop the problem.  Grey Power wants those who bash the elderly to serve at least three years behind bars, but a prominent lawyer says this won't curb offending. Grey Power's comments come after 82-year-old retired policeman Jack Morrisey was bashed in his Wainuiomata home on Tuesday by two teenagers wielding a wooden baton. National president, Roy Reid, says anyone convicted of assaulting an elderly person should automatically face a mandatory minimum prison term of three years. "In the last 50 years attitudes toward elderly have gradually changed and today, lack of respect and lack of consideration is evident," he said. "Older people should feel safe in their homes particularly if they live alone." Mr Reid also says this mandatory sentence could be extended to those who assault on-duty police officers. However, Rotorua barrister and New Zealand Law Society president Jonathan Temm says although he sympathises with Grey Power, having a mandatory sentence will not curb offending as those who offend do not generally consider the consequences. Mr Temm says the age of a victim and location of an offence are already taken into account under the Sentencing Act 2002. He says all New Zealanders deserve to feel safe in their homes and one group shouldn't be given special recognition. He says the nation needs to look beyond prison sentences - which costs the state $90,000 a year per prisoner - to influence people to take the right path. "My own view as a lawyer of 20 years is that there are some dangerous people that need to be locked up... but the bulk of prisoners, more than 80 per cent, should be treated in some other way." "Locking people up doesn't produce the results that the Grey Power people think it does." Justice Minister Judith Collins told NZ Newswire the age of a victim could be taken into account as an aggravating factor when offenders were sentenced. "It's generally taken into account... I would need to look at that more fully before I make any other comment," she said.

Beyond the HuttRiver - New Zealand today..: Complaints upheld over ginger beer advert...

Beyond the HuttRiver - New Zealand today..: Complaints upheld over ginger beer advert...:   You can't poke fun at readheads... Complaints over an advertisement for ginger beer that poked fun at redheads and encouraged ...

Complaints upheld over ginger beer advert...

 

You can't poke fun at readheads...

Complaints over an advertisement for ginger beer that poked fun at redheads and encouraged people to swap them "for something you really want" have been upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
The street posters for Hakanoa ginger beer, which appeared around Auckland in late July, featured a woman leaving a red-headed child with a shop keeper in exchange for a six-pack of ginger beer.
The ad said that "no one really wants a ginger" and that if you've got one, "bring it in and we'll swap it for something you really want, a delicious six pack of Hakanoa ginger beer".
A number of complainants to the ASA said the ad was likely to cause ridicule for people with red hair by saying they weren't wanted.
The ASA upheld the complaints, saying the ad "encouraged discrimination against redheads and that they were a group to be ridiculed".
It also said the use of the "ginger" stereotype, combined with the ad's wording, was likely to cause serious and widespread offence.
In their response to the complaints, the makers of the ginger beer, small Auckland company Hakanoa Handmade Drinks, said the ad was supposed to be a joke.
Read more:
http://money.msn.co.nz/businessnews/national/8550932/complaints-upheld-over-ginger-beer-ad

http://huttriverofnz.blog.co.uk

Brooklands: The death of a Christchurch suburb...

 

Brooklands: The death of a Christchurch suburb...

http://pjpetterson.blog.co.nz/2012/09/11/brooklands-the-death-of-a-christchurch-suburb-a-victim-of-the-earthquakes/
http://pjpetterson.blog.co.nz Visit Petes Place

AB's great Sir Wilson Whineray has died aged 77 years...

 

 

Harris surprised by All Black gripeAll Blacks great Wilson Whineray diesCycling awaits UCI decision on ArmstrongWallabies draw 18-18 with All BlacksAll Blacks seeth over 'cheap shot'

 

• Alexandra
• Ashburton
• Auckland
• Blenheim
• Christchurch
• Dannevirke
• Dargaville
• Dunedin
• Gisborne
• Gore
• Greymouth
• Hamilton
• Hastings
• Hokitika
• Invercargill
• Kaikoura
• Kaitaia
• Levin
• Masterton
• Motueka
• Napier
• Nelson
• New Plymouth
• Oamaru
• Paihia
• Palmerston North
• Paraparaumu
• Queenstown
• Reefton
• Rotorua
• Taumarunui
• Taupo
• Tauranga
• Te Kuiti
• Thames
• Timaru
• Tokoroa
• Wanaka
• Wanganui
• Wellington
• Westport
• Whakatane
• Whangarei

 

 

 

 

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Sir Wilson Whinera

All Blacks great Sir Wilson Whineray has died at the age of 77.
The New Zealand Rugby Union says Whineray passed away early on Monday at Auckland Hospital, surrounded by his family. He had been in hospital for the past month.
"Today is a very sad day. We have lost one of New Zealand's great heroes and for the rugby community we have lost a much-loved patron and champion of rugby," NZRU chairman Mike Eagle said.
"Regarded as one of the great All Blacks legends, Sir Wilson also made significant contributions to the community through his work with sport, charities and business."
Whineray was 21 when he made his All Blacks Test debut in May 1957 against Australia in Sydney.
The following year at the age of 23 he became the All Blacks' youngest captain in a Test series against Australia.
He played 77 All Blacks matches including 32 Tests, and he captained the side 67 times.
Whineray, who mostly played prop but also as a loose forward, retired from rugby in 1966 and after studying for an MBA at Harvard University he pursed
a successful business career.
He was deputy managing director and later chairman of Carter Holt Harvey, one of New Zealand's biggest companies. He was also chairman of the National Bank.
Knighted in 1998 for his services to sport and business, he became the first New Zealander and the fourth player to be inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame in 2007.
Whineray is survived by his wife Lady Elisabeth, one son, two daughters and five grandchildren.

 

China makes bus travel free to encourage public transport - it could work in NZ too...

China makes bus travel free to encourage public transport  -  it could work in New Zealand too

In a bid to encourage people to choose public transportation, the southwest Chinese city of Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, waived bus fares and offered discounts on metro fares from today.
According to a spokesman with the Chengdu Municipal Public Transport Group Corp, the free bus fare policy will remain in effect until June 30 next year.
Today, 33 bus routes went fare-free, and the number will increase to 44 by the end of the month.
The mega-city on Monday introduced a regulation ordering some vehicles off the streets on certain days depending on the license plate numbers, a system that has also been carried out in Beijing and some other Chinese cities to help ease traffic congestion.
However, the vehicle restriction and bus fare exemption policy brought new troubles this morning, drawing larger-than-ever crowds to bus and metro stations, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Many netizens vented on Sina Weibo, China's popular microblogging service, complaining that they could not catch a bus in the morning.
"Today, I was lost in Chengdu's chaotic public transport system," wrote netizen 'Hejin firefly'.
The company will continue to improve public transport services by adding bus shuttles and opening more bus routes, among other measures, to cope with increasing demand for public transport, the spokesman for the public transport company said.
Despite the complaints, citizens in other Chinese cities such as Nanjing, Ningbo and Shenzhen called for other cities to usher in such incentives.
Like all big cities in China, Chengdu sees heavy traffic jams, especially during weekday rush hours, with drivers complaining about slow movement of vehicles during peak traffic times in the city's downtown.
The three cities, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou have restricted the purchase of new cars to ease traffic on the roads.

http://farefreenz.blogspot.co.nz/2012/10/chine-makes-bus-travel-free-to.html?spref=fb

Indian Express. 10 Oct 2012. Beijing

Marmite saga heads to court....

Food giant Sanitarium has begun legal proceedings against a small Canterbury importer over an alleged trademark infringement. While New Zealand Marmite has been off the shelves for months, 2000 jars of British Marmite are under lock and key, and the battle over the spread is set to go to the High Court. Rob Savage, owner of Savage Imports in Kaiapoi, attempted to import the British Marmite seven weeks ago but it was blocked by Customs and has sat at the Port of Lyttelton ever since. Mr Savage said the claim that the British Marmite infringed on the New Zealand Marmite trademark was ridiculous: "They look different, they're a different colour." British Marmite, owned by Unilever, is available in New Zealand under the label Our Mate. Savage Imports is a small business which imports products from the UK. Mr Savage, a British ex-pat, said he sold and stocked products for homesick Brits. The jars being fought over are labelled Ma'mite, for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, but Sanitarium says that is not different enough. After the holding period expired, Mr Savage contacted Customs to finally get hold of his Marmite, only to find that Sanitarium had decided to take the matter to the High Court. He said he would fight the case. If Sanitarium is successful in its action, Mr Savage will have to pay for the Marmite to be taken to a landfill and buried. Sanitarium general manager Pierre van Heerden said the company had owned the Marmite trademark for 80 years. "We have worked hard to build it, and we need to take steps to protect the trademark." - Trish Plunket of the NZ Herald Acknowledgements: APNZ