The role of the Governor General is one that is not to be taken lightly. The Governor General is the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state.
The current Governor-General, Sir Anand Satyanand ( sworned in on 23 August 2006), replacing Dame Silvia Cartwright is due to be succeeded by Lieutenant General Jeremiah Mateparae on 23 August 2011, having been appointed by the Queen of New Zealand on 7 March 2011, on the advice of the Prime Minister.
You see, Lieutenant General Mateparae is a descendant of the Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Ngāti Kahungunu tribes. While, Sir Anand Satyanand is New Zealand born but is of Indian descent. This would not have occurred in Malaysia. In Malaysia, the very top government posts are held by the Malays who make up the majority of the population. Now, I am not going to dwell into Malaysian politics, but I want to impress upon the readers the social and political climate in New Zealand which I believe is, if not the, one of the most admirable in the world.
Perhaps, this is the main reason why New Zealand is attracting many migrants from all over the world, to live with a very peaceful, tolerant, understanding, helpful, friendly, non-judgmental, non bias and non-racist society.
Showing posts with label Kiwi blogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kiwi blogs. Show all posts
Tuesday, 8 March 2011
Monday, 7 March 2011
Benji Marshall charged with assault.
Last Friday, Wests Tigers rugby league star Benji Marshall entered the rugby pitch with vigor and passion, played to win for his rugby league club, Wests Tigers. Little did he knew that that evening a new event was awaiting him. Eventually, the event took place and he is now charged with assault for throwing punch/s at the victim/s.
Can we plan for what is ahead? Definitely not. Can we plan not to get involved in any fight which may possibly come our way, yes we can. But can provocation be an excuse and should it ? What if the provocation was in the form of racial abuse ? My opinion is, if you can evade any sort of problems, do so even if you were racially abused . The exception, self defense or for the protection of another's life/bodily injury.
There has been too many problems in this world caused by racial issues. We need to see ourselves beyond our identity, we need to see ourselves just as a human being, not as a person of a certain race, tribe, religion, cast or whatever. It is not easy, I believe this has to be cultivated since childhood. Early childhood education is vital. It is the responsibility of parents and schools to educate children to see themselves beyond the veil of race and religion. If we could see our neighbour just as a person like us, we could overcome any racial slurs cast at us.
It is time that parents and schools educate children to ignore the racial difference that may seem apparent to the eye.
Can we plan for what is ahead? Definitely not. Can we plan not to get involved in any fight which may possibly come our way, yes we can. But can provocation be an excuse and should it ? What if the provocation was in the form of racial abuse ? My opinion is, if you can evade any sort of problems, do so even if you were racially abused . The exception, self defense or for the protection of another's life/bodily injury.
There has been too many problems in this world caused by racial issues. We need to see ourselves beyond our identity, we need to see ourselves just as a human being, not as a person of a certain race, tribe, religion, cast or whatever. It is not easy, I believe this has to be cultivated since childhood. Early childhood education is vital. It is the responsibility of parents and schools to educate children to see themselves beyond the veil of race and religion. If we could see our neighbour just as a person like us, we could overcome any racial slurs cast at us.
It is time that parents and schools educate children to ignore the racial difference that may seem apparent to the eye.
The Obidient Wife
I just received this joke from a friend via the email. You may have read this before, but nevertheless, I thought I would share it with you.
The Obedient Wife
There was a man, who had worked all his life, had saved all of his money, & was a real miser when it came to his money.
Just before he died, he said to his wife, “When I die, I want you to take all my money and put it in the casket with me. I want to take my money to the afterlife with me."
And so he got his wife to promise him, with all of her heart, that when he died, she would put all of the money into the casket with him.
Well, he died.
He was stretched out in the casket, his wife was sitting there - dressed in black, and her friend was sitting next to her.. When they finished the ceremony, and just before the undertakers got ready to close the casket, the wife said,
"Wait just a moment!"
She had a small metal box with her; she came over with the box and put it in the casket. Then the undertakers locked the casket down and they rolled it away.
So her friend said, "Girl, I know you were not foolish enough to put all that money in there with your
husband."
The loyal wife replied, "Listen, I'm a Christian;
I cannot go back on my word. I promised him that I was going to put that money into the casket with him."
"You mean to tell me you put that money in the casket with him!?!?!?"
"I sure did," said the wife.
"I got it all together, put it into my account, and wrote him a Cheque.... If he can cash it, then he can spend it."
The Obedient Wife
There was a man, who had worked all his life, had saved all of his money, & was a real miser when it came to his money.
Just before he died, he said to his wife, “When I die, I want you to take all my money and put it in the casket with me. I want to take my money to the afterlife with me."
And so he got his wife to promise him, with all of her heart, that when he died, she would put all of the money into the casket with him.
Well, he died.
He was stretched out in the casket, his wife was sitting there - dressed in black, and her friend was sitting next to her.. When they finished the ceremony, and just before the undertakers got ready to close the casket, the wife said,
"Wait just a moment!"
She had a small metal box with her; she came over with the box and put it in the casket. Then the undertakers locked the casket down and they rolled it away.
So her friend said, "Girl, I know you were not foolish enough to put all that money in there with your
husband."
The loyal wife replied, "Listen, I'm a Christian;
I cannot go back on my word. I promised him that I was going to put that money into the casket with him."
"You mean to tell me you put that money in the casket with him!?!?!?"
"I sure did," said the wife.
"I got it all together, put it into my account, and wrote him a Cheque.... If he can cash it, then he can spend it."
Sunday, 6 March 2011
My favorite website
I was randomly browsing the internet and stumbled upon this site - http://www.donatenz.com/.
This is an excellent site, meant for do-gooders and those in need. Do visit this site. It is a site where you could donate stuffs, offer your services for free, or if you are in need of something but cannot afford it, you can log in and search for what it is that you desperately need.
A typical Kiwi spirited site indeed !!!
This is an excellent site, meant for do-gooders and those in need. Do visit this site. It is a site where you could donate stuffs, offer your services for free, or if you are in need of something but cannot afford it, you can log in and search for what it is that you desperately need.
A typical Kiwi spirited site indeed !!!
The Hotchin saga - Are NZ courts not viewing white collar crimes seriously?
More than 16,000 investors lost over $500 million through the failed finance company, Hanover Finance which was co-founded by Mark Hotchins. The latest news is that a house on a 51ha of land, in Karaka which Mark Hotchins "manages" is on the market. According to the Sunday Herald, Mark Hotchins told that "the Karaka property was not frozen by the courts like much of his other assets, but he vowed he would not benefit from any sale as he did not own it" .
According to the NZ Herald report dated 16 February 2011, the High Court reserved its decision on whether Mark Hotchin's assets, which are worth millions, should remain frozen.
In a similar incident, John Hotchin, the younger brother of Mark Hotchin has avoided a jail sentence for breaching the Securities Act as director of Nathan Finance. According to the NZ Herald report dated 4 March 2011, John Hotchin pleaded guilty to three charges laid by the Securities Commission and was sentenced to 11 months home detention, 200 hours of community service and ordered to pay $200,000 in reparation.
Does this mean that if you steal thousands of peoples hard earned money and as a result cause breakdown in marriages, health problems which could or could not be fatal, repossession of homes and cars, and etc, is not somehow as serious as theft? According to S.223 the Crimes Act 1961, the punishment of theft is as follows
(a) in the case of any offence against section 220 (theft by person in special relationship), to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years; or
(b) if the value of the property stolen exceeds $1,000, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years; or
(c) if the value of the property stolen exceeds $500 but does not exceed $1,000, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 1 year; or
(d) if the value of the property stolen does not exceed $500, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months.
Now, I am only an ordinary Kiwi, not a legal expert, but looking at the above, and the gravity of the damage done to people's lives, in my humble opinion, the sentencing for white-collar crimes should be hardened.
Do you think it is time now that the NZ courts view white-collar crimes seriously?
According to the NZ Herald report dated 16 February 2011, the High Court reserved its decision on whether Mark Hotchin's assets, which are worth millions, should remain frozen.
In a similar incident, John Hotchin, the younger brother of Mark Hotchin has avoided a jail sentence for breaching the Securities Act as director of Nathan Finance. According to the NZ Herald report dated 4 March 2011, John Hotchin pleaded guilty to three charges laid by the Securities Commission and was sentenced to 11 months home detention, 200 hours of community service and ordered to pay $200,000 in reparation.
Does this mean that if you steal thousands of peoples hard earned money and as a result cause breakdown in marriages, health problems which could or could not be fatal, repossession of homes and cars, and etc, is not somehow as serious as theft? According to S.223 the Crimes Act 1961, the punishment of theft is as follows
(a) in the case of any offence against section 220 (theft by person in special relationship), to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years; or
(b) if the value of the property stolen exceeds $1,000, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years; or
(c) if the value of the property stolen exceeds $500 but does not exceed $1,000, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 1 year; or
(d) if the value of the property stolen does not exceed $500, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months.
Now, I am only an ordinary Kiwi, not a legal expert, but looking at the above, and the gravity of the damage done to people's lives, in my humble opinion, the sentencing for white-collar crimes should be hardened.
Do you think it is time now that the NZ courts view white-collar crimes seriously?
Kiwi ingenuity
I was browsing for Kiwi inventions and was amazed with boat maker Sealegs. It was developed to take all the hassle out of the boat launching and retrieval process.
The Sealegs system consists of motorised, retractable and steerable wheels which are fitted to specially designed boats to give users a fully integrated, turn-key package. The company has now expanded to Europe and have orders from all over the world. Check them out at http://www.sealegs.com/
If you know of any other Kiwi ingenuity do share.
The Sealegs system consists of motorised, retractable and steerable wheels which are fitted to specially designed boats to give users a fully integrated, turn-key package. The company has now expanded to Europe and have orders from all over the world. Check them out at http://www.sealegs.com/
If you know of any other Kiwi ingenuity do share.
Saturday, 5 March 2011
Dating, Love...
I was thinking.. is dating something common within a certain age group? Is it easy to date once you are say 38/40 and above ? I tend to think so. Because, once you are above a certain age, your chances of dating a nice young girl dips real low. You are then open to choices of dating divorcees with kids whose priorities are somewhat different to a single girl with no baggage. Then the relationship becomes somehow more of a compromise. A compromise based on each others marketability, whether you could bear waking up with the same person for the next 10 years or more or even worse..whether you could bear waking up with the same person for the next one year. Of course, this is based on a single male's perspective who has no baggage. I am pretty sure it is the same for a single woman of a similar age with no baggage? Or is it just shallowness ? Has luck or fate has got anything to do with this ?
The many avenues of searching for a partner then comes to play like the internet dating sites, singles clubs, social clubs and etc...and for some frequenting the church or other religious gathering places..lol !!
But I tend to think that the internet dating sites are interesting !! There are just so varied people looking for partners for so many different reasons and some of them in my view seem very bewildering !!!
But, out of the thousands of dating sites, which is the best? Is it NZ Dating, Adult Friend Finder, Friend finder, Adult Dating and the list goes on..
Is there a better way of going about this?
The many avenues of searching for a partner then comes to play like the internet dating sites, singles clubs, social clubs and etc...and for some frequenting the church or other religious gathering places..lol !!
But I tend to think that the internet dating sites are interesting !! There are just so varied people looking for partners for so many different reasons and some of them in my view seem very bewildering !!!
But, out of the thousands of dating sites, which is the best? Is it NZ Dating, Adult Friend Finder, Friend finder, Adult Dating and the list goes on..
Is there a better way of going about this?
Woohoo...Crusaders crushed the Waratahs at Nelson's Trafalgar Park last night !!
You know what..this is the spirit of the Kiwis, that's the way you go Cantabrians !!
Despite all the grief and heartache caused by the recent earthquake, the Crusaders crushed the NSW Waratahs last night with a 33-18 win. Crusaders deserve a standing ovation!
Can't wait for the Rugby World Cup 2011 !!!.
Despite all the grief and heartache caused by the recent earthquake, the Crusaders crushed the NSW Waratahs last night with a 33-18 win. Crusaders deserve a standing ovation!
Can't wait for the Rugby World Cup 2011 !!!.
Friday, 4 March 2011
Whats up Auckland ?
I was just thinking, wouldn't it be nice to have more excitement in Auckland CBD? The down slide in the economy is so evident as you walk down Queen Street. Cruise ships dock frequently at Princes Wharf and Queens Wharf, Central Auckland. You see tourists wandering down Queen Street looking for some excitement. In the inner city you’ll find cafes, bars and restaurants around Karangahape Road, Princes Wharf, Viaduct Basin (of America’s Cup fame), Lorne Street and High Street but there isn't much life and excitement.
Corruption in New Zealand politics ?
Pansy Wong and her husband using tax payer's money to fund their personal travels ! The Labour party calls for John Key to refer the case to the A-G but John Key refuses despite the fact that new information revealed that Hugh McPhail's investigation as ordered by the speaker was not thorough.
John Campbell Live revealed that Pansy Wong's husband, Sammy, conned his business partner in Supreme Hovercraft into transferring its manufacturing plant to China and subsequently depriving him of his shares of profits. Sammy concluded the business agreement with his business partner at Pansy Wong's Botany electoral office. Pansy Wong certainly miss-used her ministerial position to influence the business partner to conclude the agreement with Sammy.
Wong and Key visited Beijing University in 2009 and a newspaper article reports her promoting New Zealand universities while there. Pansy Wong and her husband Sammy were both directors in Sampan Enterprise Ltd, which acted as an agent, giving Chinese student referrals, for Massey, AUT and Lincoln universities.
What happened to ministerial responsibility ?
Are the party MPs covering up for each other, is this like "whatever happens within the party stays in the party"? Is John Key straight up as we think he is? Should we close an eye and allow money crazy individuals to run for parliamentary seats on the pretext of serving the public, and abuse their powers to make deals on the side?
Lastly, why is our judiciary very lenient in punishing/taking action against politicians who abuse powers for their own interest, and those who commit white-collar crimes and getaway with millions of dollars?
John Campbell Live revealed that Pansy Wong's husband, Sammy, conned his business partner in Supreme Hovercraft into transferring its manufacturing plant to China and subsequently depriving him of his shares of profits. Sammy concluded the business agreement with his business partner at Pansy Wong's Botany electoral office. Pansy Wong certainly miss-used her ministerial position to influence the business partner to conclude the agreement with Sammy.
Wong and Key visited Beijing University in 2009 and a newspaper article reports her promoting New Zealand universities while there. Pansy Wong and her husband Sammy were both directors in Sampan Enterprise Ltd, which acted as an agent, giving Chinese student referrals, for Massey, AUT and Lincoln universities.
What happened to ministerial responsibility ?
Are the party MPs covering up for each other, is this like "whatever happens within the party stays in the party"? Is John Key straight up as we think he is? Should we close an eye and allow money crazy individuals to run for parliamentary seats on the pretext of serving the public, and abuse their powers to make deals on the side?
Lastly, why is our judiciary very lenient in punishing/taking action against politicians who abuse powers for their own interest, and those who commit white-collar crimes and getaway with millions of dollars?
Thursday, 3 March 2011
Kudos to Bob Parker !
The Mayor of Christchurch, Bob Parker has gained the admiration of the Kiwis again. He has proved that he is the best man elected by the people for the people. It is amazing how tirelessly and earnestly he works to bring Christchurch back on its foot. I hope Cantabrians share the same view. If they do, Bob Parker definitely deserves some formal recognition.
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