Reeferendum madness
The Government parties have all decided to support draft drug reform legislation should the referendum to be held at the next election succeed. But National is refusing to say what it will do.
Social issues
crime
Assange Must Be Extradited
There is no doubt that Julian Assange should be extradited when his UK jail sentence ends. Justice demands it.
MSSA Bill reported back
The Finance and Expenditure Select Committee has reported back the Arms Amendment Bill which will ban the general availability of military style semi automatic weapons with only modest changes.
Dumb as a plank
Pro gun lobby groups are making some outlandish claims about the Government’s proposed gun law changes.
Walking the Human Rights Tightrope in NZ Prisons
The question of prisoners’ rights has hit the news today. That’s rare because we don’t normally care.
A new Guest Post from Maggie puts the case that we walk a tightrope when we seek to simplify the complex issues at play in prison.
Lets ban assault weapons – now
The Government needs to urgently change the law to ban the sale of military style semi automatic weapons.
Christchurch Mosque Shooting
There has been a shooting at a mosque in Central Christchurch. Injured people have been seen in the doorway and armed Police are out in force.
UPDATE: The Star is reporting that one person is dead, and there are reports of a second mosque in Linwood being attacked.
UPDATE: A shooter has posted a series of manifestos. It appears to be typical race hate. It also appears that the shooting was live streamed.
UPDATE: The WestPac rescue helicopter is flying over Papanui High School, with what appears to be armed Police leaning out the doors. Papanui is approx 5 kms from the Dean’s Ave mosque. There are also reports that an arrest has been made.
UPDATE: Police confirm an arrest has been made. However the city remains in lockdown until it is clear that there is no further danger. Police also confirm multiple fatalities.
Last UPDATE for the night: 49 dead, 48 injured, 4 fascists in custody. Today has been horrible and tomorrow is going to be a very hard day. Kia kaha, aroha and lets stick together. A people united will never be defeated.
James Shaw Assaulted
Green co-leader James Shaw has been assaulted near Parliament. The MP is in hospital and a man has been arrested.
The Gun Club 2
Christchurch police have been ordered to carry guns until a wanted man is arrested. Is this a dry run for the permanent arming of our cops?
The handling of Pike River evidence was diabolical
The Pike River families have released an internal police document describing the handling of evidence from the crime scene as diabolical.
Liam Neeson Under the Cosh
Actor Liam Neeson has made a sensational confession to stalking black men with the intent to kill. No, that’s not the plot to his latest movie, it’s apparently a true story. But what is the wider truth?
UPDATE: Added video of a new Liam Neeson interview regarding the incident.
Roastbusters redux
One of the Roastbusters this week has talked publicly about what happened in an apparent attempt to start a music career. And John Tamihere has started his Mayoral campaign having to answer questions about his attitude to what happened.
Cops ♥ Chases
The common factor in Police chases is adrenaline fueled driving. And not just by the kid in the stolen car. The Police strategy of chasing stolen cars is a bigger problem than the thefts themselves and it needs to stop. Now.
Julian Assange and the Streisand Effect.
Wikileaks has tried to silence media organisations on behalf of Julian Assange. Why is a ‘transparency’ organisation opposed to free speech and have they made things worse for the Aussie hacker?
UPDATE: The list has been leaked. Link in post.
Praying for Grace
There will be vigils for murdered tourist Grace Millane over the next few days. The grief we have shown over her death reflects the best of NZ. However, the routine violence inflicted on so many other women and children here in Aotearoa is our real shame. What are Kiwi men going to do about it?
Modern Technology Is Eroding Our Society
People are losing their people skills rapidly and it is having an effect on society.
Help identify a spy – who is Laurie Moore?
Yesterday, a piece by Stuff Circuit questioned whether an activist by the name of Laurie Moore was in fact a spy for the New Zealand Police or Thompson & Clark back in 2003. New Zealand is a really small place, and we figure that someone must be able to identify this man. Please share these photos far and wide and appeal to all your networks to identify this man.
Simon Bridges says the weirdest things – Criminal Justice
Simon Bridges has justified his claim that the three strikes law is working by releasing an Italian study that has not been peer reviewed on the effects on white collar criminals of a pardon system.
The Pope’s Letter to All Believers
The pope missed a great recent chance to state that accused abusers should be walked to the nearest Police station, make written statements, face trial, hopefully jailed, then defrocked, and excommunicated.
National is jamming cannabis law reform
So National be getting pretty liberal with the Marijuana stuff.
The UN is shocked by NZ’s child poverty rates
Earlier this year the United Nations expressed shock and concern at New Zealand’s rates of child poverty, homelessness, incarceration and violence. What is this Government doing to address these issues?
Where have our rights gone?
Great to see that the State Services Commissioner has widened the investigation into the use of private investigators hired by the state against its citizens. But. They should go further.
Dud advice
The methamphetamine debacle continues with questions raised about if the Auckland District Health Board provided confidential information to Housing New Zealand about its tenants. And Simon Bridges directly contradicts Bill English by claiming that the last Government had no idea the guidelines were not fit for purpose.
Simon Bridges, the three strikes law and the Bill of Rights
National obviously desperately want to divert attention away from the Housing Corp methamphetamine fiasco. After five days of continuous bad news who can blame them.
Labour does not want to let them all out
Andrew Little has proposed the repeal of the irrational three strikes law. But signs are that National will not engage in a reasoned debate about what the law should be.
Autonomy.
So women in ‘half’ of an island have bodily autonomy.
The law and order debate and the grade one tosser
The Government has announced it will not proceed with the Waikeria mega prison as part of its policy to decrease the prison muster by 30%. And the called for public debate starts off with one of the major players using a study the author of which subsequently retracted because the data he relied on was wrong.
Kites.
Flying kites is…
David Tamihere was framed
The identity of the secret witness who assisted in the conviction of David Tamihere for the murder of two Sweedish tourists has been revealed. And the incident shows the danger of using secret witnesses.
Catriona MacLennan takes on the Law Society
Catriona MacLennan is being sent to a disciplinary committee for criticising a judge, in a case where he made an appalling judgement. Where are the freedom-of-speech advocates?
Simon Bridges’ not very good first week
In this very important first week Simon Bridges has committed two major blunders. He has claimed he was environmentally friendly when any view of his Ministerial history would confirm that this is not the case. And he forgot his Government oversaw the stripping of democratic rights from all prisoners, and adjusted his position when his error was pointed out.
Why does Criminal Justice have to be so politicised?
Judith Collins has indicated that the chances of a mature debate about Criminal Justice are slim.
Little proposes radical shake up of the Criminal Justice system
Andrew Little has called for a complete change the way criminal justice works. But National’s initial response suggests that the prospects of a mature discussion on the issue are slim.
Rimutaka Prison.
Who are the bigger criminals?
Updated.
The Humanity.
Thoughtless thugs. Killers.
Up in Smoke.
US reverses Federal marijuana stance.