Police launch moral crusade against old people
Police subjected a group of elderly people attending a meeting on assisted dying to random breath tests so that they could collect the identities of each person who attended.
Social issues
crime
The Chief Prison Inspector’s report on Serco and MECF
The Chief Prison Inspector’s report on Mount Eden Corrections Facility has now been released and has presented a damning judgment on Serco’s management of the prison.
Arrest Blair’s Mate
The downing of Malaysian Airlines MH17 was a Russian sponsored war crime. When will Vladimir Putin be arrested?
UPDATE: Animation and actual photos and video of the BUK launcher added.
NZ: Home of Rugby, Raping and Beer
The whitewash of the rugby players who assaulted a woman at a post season piss up has been released. A mightily relieved rugby boss Steve Tew can now go into the rest of the season knowing that the All Black squad will not be affected by the loss of any players to suspension. The only person to have lost their job over the incident is the victim. How cool is that?
Disturbing.
Given the topic of this post, it seems appropriate not to attach an image.
Nats cut police resources then demand the impossible
We have had years of systematic under funding of the police and front-line numbers are falling. None the less police are now expected to attend every burglary. For the sake of this exercise in public perception other areas of police wrok will suffer.
America bails on private prisons
America is bailing on private prisons because they don’t work. What’s the bet that National is ‘too proud and arrogant’ to follow suit.
Fewer police, more crime
The number of police (per head of population) is falling, and crime figures are rising. But no doubt National will play the “tough on crime” card again next year.
Pack Mentality
The Waikato Chiefs rugby franchise have admitted two incidents of abuse at a drunken post season celebration. Their response to claims of sexual abuse? Blame the victim.
EDIT: The CEO accepts he got it wrong and has made a modern ‘if offence was taken’ style apology on Radio Sport. No direct apology to the woman concerned, however.
Be Like Dad, Keep Mum (in fear).
Temuera Morrison has made a powerful video for the Women’s Refuge annual appeal. He’s making a difference. You can do something the Key Government won’t do. You can make a difference. You can stop keeping mum about domestic violence and you can help fund your local refuge.
Dallas
5 law enforcement officers shot dead in Dallas. The city’s worst day in 5 decades.
Judith Collins is losing a PR battle with a patched Gang Member*
*title borrowed from @shakingstick.
Orlando; Owen Jones On Homophobia.
Guardian journalist Owen Jones nails the failure of many to call the Orlando killings what they are; homophobic terrorism. It’s not an excuse for anti-muslim hysteria, as Trump, Seymour and Peters would have it, it’s the worst single attack on LGBT people since the holocaust.
Florida – 50 dead in attack on LGBT club
Police undermined by their own minister
Good piece by Jo Moir on Stuff this morning, about National’s train-wreck week. Follow it up with Andrew Geddis on the legality of the Collins blurt.
More Panama papers and other dirty money
Both One News and The Herald have pieces this morning highlighting different cases of dirty money being “filtered” through NZ. Panama papers, National donors, SkyCity and more…
The Mother Budget
There are budgets and there are budgets. And for all the presence or absence of bright ideas, there’s a budget that threatens to subsume all others…
Budget choices – ignoring domestic violence refuges
Green Party MP Jan Logie: “The Government has made it clear that more funding for refuges will not be in this week’s Budget.”
Random impertinent question: Why did Cameron get diversion?
Why did the police offer Cameron Slater the soft option of diversion when he doesn’t qualify?
In Defense of Tony Veitch.
I was asked by trp to respond to his post earlier today separately. I’ll start by re-quoting a comment from Anne: I can […]
Tony Veitch: I’m the Real Victim Here.
Domestic abuser Tony Veitch has written a self absorbed piece about how domestic abuser Tony Veitch is better now. Good on domestic abuser Tony Veitch!
UPDATE: Veitch’s victim’s father calls for a real apology.
Nicky Hager opens new case against police
It sounds like the Police have a lot of questions to answer.
Time for progress on drug law
Welcome signs of new realism on drugs. Sadly, it’s the sort of progress only a right-wing government can propose.
Nat MP runs over TPP protester’s foot
Nat MP Chester Borrows has injured a TPP protester with his car. Not the first time this sort of thing has happened.
A measure of justice for Nicky Hager
The Police’s return yesterday of Nicky Hager’s data, equipment and belongings is – too little and too late – a measure of justice for Hager. But the process doesn’t end there, and open questions remain.
The Gun Club
In the wake of the shooting of four police officers in Kawerau, it’s time NZ had a cold, hard look at our gun culture. We need an inquiry that addresses both legal and illegal gun ownership. But there’s a related matter that also needs looking at …
Nats think “pretty legal” is good enough…
… but the courts may beg to differ.
police and african youth
Research has been published showing police having treated African youth unfairly. How can this be so, when they have put in so much effort to engage ethnic communities.
Police illegally arrest and detain union officials
Its bad enough that workers’ rights and conditions are being crushed by National Ltd™ but now Police have joined in. Again.
The toxic masculinity of Return of Kings
John Palethorpe on the Return of Kings group and plans to oppose their misogynist view and celebrate by way of a peaceful counter protest.
National – trying to provoke TPP violence?
The police are “visiting” TPP activists – Key is cynically trying to blow the “law and order” dog whistle. But would he really go so far as to try and provoke open violence for political gain?
Another win for Nicky Hager
“Yesterday, the New Zealand Police informed Nicky Hager through their counsel that they are electing not to appeal the decision of the High Court given in December last year.”
A letter of thanks from Nicky Hager
“On 2 October last year the police raided our home and I had the hugely encouraging experience of watching hundreds of you coming to my aid on Givealittle: giving money and, just as important, sending kind messages and giving moral support. The financial support made it easy for us to decide to launch legal action…”
Police raid on Hager ruled illegal
“Wellington High Court judge Justice Clifford issued his judgement today on the legality of the police search of Nicky Hager’s home on 2 October 2014.
The judge found that the search was illegal.”…
National Ltd™’s Sam Lotu-Iiga tries to pull the wool over our eyes
It was suggested in Parliament that SERCO’s first place position on the Prison Performance Table had been the result of Lotu-Iiga and his department having had the wool pulled over their eyes.
Deportee
Standard Exclusive:
Te Reo Putake interviews one of the first batch of deportees from Australia under the Liberal Government’s hardline approach to Kiwis who serve jail time in the lucky country.