Quotable Quote

“Men [and presumably women and those undecided] occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened.” - WINSTON CHURCHILL

Garrick Tremain cartoon - Policing today

 

True Lies

Northland police are investigating after a man broke into the Paihia police station. The man smashed his way through the front door and then smashed through an internal door before gaining access to the office area. The station was unattended at the time. The motive for the forced entry is not yet known. 

Police investigations are ongoing and want to hear from anyone who may have information leading to the recovery of a blue stapler and a pad of yellow Post-it notes. True or a lie? 

[It's true, well all of it except the part about the police wanting information about the stapler and Post-it notes!]

STV Voting and greenies on council

The disregard for public opinion by a majority of Whangarei’s councillors was well and truly exposed recently when the Council voted to change the way they are elected. By a slim majority, the Council has changed from the First Past the Post (FPP) voting system to Single Transferable Vote (STV). They did so without giving notice to the public that the change was contemplated, and without asking the public whether they agreed with the change.

Not all councillors are as arrogant as those in Whangarei. At last year’s local elections, the Hutt City Council held a referendum which asked the public whether they preferred STV or FPP.

NRC Plan Threatens Viability of Farming

Farmers are mobilising against a proposal by the Northland Regional Council (NRC) that would affect some 250,000ha of farming land in the North, or 40% of the area currently being farmed.  

According to Farmers Weekly, the proposal “will send farmers to the wall…hill country grazing will not be a permitted activity and that they will need costly resource consents in the future.” 

Lunar Meetings - Far North District Council

The Far North District Council is scheduling its meetings according to the Moon's cycle. Seriously, they are – it’s true! 

A report appearing in the Radio NZ daily newsletter states: 

“FNDC’s meeting schedule has been transformed so that meetings take place at times in the Moon’s cycle that are appropriate for their purpose. Council meetings used to be six-weekly, on a set day of the week. They’re now four-weekly, in sync with the Moon and within that on differing days of their scheduled week depending on what is most auspicious. Tepania [the Mayor] said diarising council meetings to fit the Moon’s cycles means better-flowing meetings. Tepania recently gained a Master of Education with first class honours. His thesis looked at the use of maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar, in education. Another new feature is the council’s tikanga-based te kuaka/  ea o Māori committee that started in October this year.”