Peter Dunne Two important events took place last week to cleanse some of the painful memories of aspects of New Zealand’s recent and not so recent history. First was the British High Commissioner’s expression of regret on behalf of her country to local Gisborne iwi that nine of their ancestors had been killed during their encounters with Captain Cook in…
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Tougher border rules to improve efficiency and safety Tess Brunton Visitors will be unable to travel to New Zealand without a new Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) as tougher border rules went live on October 1, 2019. Up to 1.7 million travellers from 60 countries who previously did not need a visa will now be required to declare their passport details…
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Alastair McClymont The government has opened a new front in the war on Indian migrants in the same week that they have announced that the Parent Category is reserved only for the wealthy. For a year, Partnership applications have been sitting unprocessed with Immigration New Zealand (INZ) in Mumbai. INZ have trotted out a litany of excuses for these delays…
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John Gerritsen Significant and persistent quality problems centred on foreign students could see an entire class of qualification abolished. The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) is considering the future of Level 7 diplomas, one-year qualifications that sit at the same Level of the Qualifications Framework as a Bachelor’s degree. Concern over quality Consultation papers highlighted problems associated with the rapid…
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Phil Goff It was a pleasure to attend the First Annual Festivals of South India in Glendowie on September 21, 2019. Thank you to everyone who was involved for an entertaining and enjoyable evening of traditional music, culture, dance and cuisine. I am looking forward the Multicultural Diwali Festival at Charles Street in Papatoetoe, from 12 pm on Saturday, October…
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Auckland Council could save $1 billion in ten years Phil Goff When I campaigned for Mayor in 2016, I promised to achieve more for less by reducing spending by 3% to 6% over the previous Mayoral term. Since then, the Council has delivered savings in everything from ICT to power and utility bills to procurement, reducing duplication and stopping wastage.…
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With twelve days to go, here is a list of questions Transparency International New Zealand (TINZ) has designed six sets of questions that can be used when talking with a Candidate standing for Local Body Elections, for which voting closes on October 12, 2019. They are applicable to all positions. TINZ is also sending these to a large number of…
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Kharag Singh pledges better services in Botany Venkat Raman Better transport management to tackle the growing traffic congestion, improved management of parks, reserves and other places of public utility, care of the elderly and raising the quality of life are among the issues that have brought Kharag Singh Sidhu to contest in the forthcoming Local Government Elections. He is a…
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Venkat Raman When Aadil Basha thought of contesting in the Local Government Elections 2019 for membership at the Whau Local Board, he decided to be an Independent Candidate, rather than being supported by a Party, which, he thought may erode his independent thinking. “There are several issues of concern to the Whau Board area, which comprises the suburbs of New…
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The need to revitalise the Counties Manukau District Health Board and the importance of providing more financial and human capital to enable increased accessibility and deliver quality service have prompted many members of our communities to contest in the ongoing District Health Board Elections. Among them is Sally Wong, who is known for her selfless service and for promoting the…
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