INL DIGITAL EDITION March 15, 2020

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Issue 434 | MARCH 15, 2020 | Free 

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Tough travel conditions as risk of COVID-19 escalates 

Venkat Raman 

All travelling arriving in New 

Zealand ports must undergo 

self-isolation for 14 days as 

the global risk of the Novel 

Coronavirus (COVID-19) escalates to 

pandemic level. 

The restrictions will apply to New 

Zealand citizens and permanent 

residents but exclude people from 

Pacific countries (Cook Islands, the 

Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, 

Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, 

Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Republic 

of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon 

Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu 

& Wallis and Futuna). 

The new measures will come into 

effect at midnight tonight (Sunday, 

March 15, 2020) and will be reviewed 

after 16 days. 

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said 

that the existing travel ban for China 

and Iran will continue and that Cruise 

ships will be banned until at least June 

30, 2020. 

Andrew Coster is the new Police Commissioner 

Venkat Raman 

Acting Deputy Commissioner of 

Police Andrew (Andy) Coster 

has been appointed as the next 

Police Commissioner of New 

Zealand. 

He will take over the role on April 3, 

2020 from Mike Bush who has successfully 

completed two terms in the high office. 

The Commissioner of Police is appointed 

by the Governor General on the 

recommendation of the Prime Minister. 

The State Services Commission managed 

the recruitment process. 

Impressive career 

Announcing the appointment on 

March 9, 2020, Prime Minister Jacinda 

Ardern said that Mr Coster becomes the 

leader of the New Zealand Police at a 

time when the government was adding 

2000 new Police Officers to the frontline, 

reforming gun laws to stop firearms 

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at the press conference 

on March 14, 2020 (RNZ Picture by Jogai Bhatt) 

Following a meeting of the full cabinet 

today, she said that to date, New Zealand 

has had a small number of cases (only six) 

but termed it ‘unrealistic.’ 

“The Pacific are exempted from 

this measure, though anyone from 

these countries will be required to 

automatically self–isolate should they 

exhibit any COVID-19 symptoms upon 

arrival in New Zealand. Alongside Israel, 

and a small number of Pacific Islands 

who have effectively closed their border, 

this decision will mean New Zealand will 

New Police Commissioner Andrew Coster (Acting Deputy Commissioner 

then) receiving a Special Commemoration Award given to the 

New Zealand Police from Auckland Mayor Phil Goff at the Sixth Annual 

Indian Newslink Sports, Community, Arts & Culture Awards held on 

Monday, June 24, 2019 at Ellerslie Event Centre, Auckland. (Picture by 

Narendra Bedekar, Creative Eye Fotographics) 

from falling into the wrong hands and making our 

communities safer. 

have the widest ranging and toughest 

border restrictions of any country in the 

world,” she said. 

Advising people to avoid all non-essential 

travel, she asked New Zealanders 

currently overseas needing consular 

assistance to contact 

the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

No panic buying please 

Ms Ardern said that the restrictions 

would not apply to cargo ships and cargo 

planes, marine or air crew and that the 

government would be working to ensure 

we keep sea and air freight routes open 

for imports and exports. 

“No one needs to conduct a run 

on their supermarket. It is worth 

remembering that we have had travel 

restrictions on China for over a month, 

and those supply routes continue. We are 

mindful that some items that come into 

New Zealand travel via passenger flights. 

That is why support, where needed, will 

be provided to ensure that essential air 

freight like pharmaceuticals continue to 

be shipped into New Zealand,” she said. 

“I know that he will lead a 

team of 13,000 people across the 

country with positivity, inclusion 

and integrity. I first met Andy in his 

role in Central Auckland. I have had 

the opportunity to see him work on 

policy issues such as recent gun law 

reforms, but most of all I have observed 

his passion for a Police force 

that knows its strength lies in what 

it can achieve with the community 

it serves,” she said and thanked Mr 

Bush for his services, including the 

Christchurch massacre on March 

15, 2019. 

Police Minister Stuart Nash said 

that Mr Coster has dedicated nearly 

25 years to Police service and that he 

richly deserved to become the Police 

Commissioner. 

Preventing crime 

“The Commissioner of Police is 

focused on preventing crime and 

Spot checks in force 

The government has instructed 

officials to step up enforcement of self 

isolation through measures such as 

spot checks. To date, more than 10,500 

people are or have been successfully 

self-isolated in New Zealand. 

“People know that it is in the best 

interest of their community and they’re 

pulling together to look after one 

another. After all, the combination of 

restricting the virus coming here and 

isolating it when it does are two of the 

most important steps we can take to 

avoid community outbreak. Since 

self-isolation is very important, we 

want to make it as easy as possible,” Ms 

Ardern said. 

She promised to increase community 

support to those unable to support 

themselves in isolation. 

Next week, Finance Minister Grant 

Robertson and Health Minister Dr David 

Clark will announce respectively a 

business continuity package and a suite 

of additional health measures to scale 

up the responsiveness of New Zealand’s 

health system to the virus. 

A public information campaign will 

also be launched. 

making our communities safer. 

Andrew Coster has a strong history 

of accomplishments following his 

graduation from Police College in 

1997, including serving in frontline 

and investigative roles in Counties 

Manukau and Auckland. He rose to 

the position of Area Commander in 

Auckland City Central before becoming 

the District Commander for the 

Southern Police District in 2013. 

“On moving to Police National 

Headquarters in 2015, he was 

Assistant Commissioner, Strategy 

and Transformation. Before taking 

up his current role, he was Acting 

Deputy Commissioner, Resource 

Management,” Mr Nash said. 

Varied experience 

He said that Mr Coster was a 

Solicitor in the office of the Crown 

Solicitor in Auckland, and more 

recently was seconded as Deputy 

Chief Executive to the Ministry of 

Justice. 

Indian Newslink 

Indian Business Awards 2018 

Winner 

Supreme Business of the Year 

Business Excellence in 

Marketing 

Best Employer of Choice 2017 

Best Medium-Sized Business 2017 

Ashima Singh, Winner of the 

Best Businesswoman of the year 2016 

“Ultimately though, the best protection 

for the economy is containing the 

virus. A widespread outbreak will hurt 

our economy far more in the long run 

than short term measures to prevent 

a mass outbreak occurring. These 

measures, while disruptive, are needed 

to make the space we need as a nation 

to prepare and manage the spread of 

COVID-19,” Ms Ardern said. 

Major government-sponsored events 

such as the Pasifika Festival in Auckland 

and the memorial meetings of the 

first anniversary of the Christchurch 

massacre (in March 15) in Auckland and 

Christchurch have been cancelled. 

Holi, the Festival of Colours planned 

by private organisations over the 

weekend, have also been cancelled, as a 

measure of prevention. 

The government is expected to 

announce restrictions on large public 

gatherings. 

“We have two choices as a nation. 

One is to let COVID-19 roll on, and brace. 

The second is to go hard on measures 

to keep it out, and stamp it out - not 

because we can stop a global pandemic 

from reaching us, but because it is in our 

power to slow it down,” Ms Ardern said. 

Mr Bush said that he was 

privileged to the Police Commissioner 

and that Mr Coster shares his 

passion and commitment to the New 

Zealand Police. 

“I know that he will do an 

outstanding job as Commissioner 

and he has the support of the whole 

organisation with him. I am happy 

to be handing over the leadership 

to someone of Andrew’s calibre,” 

he said. 

Mr Coster said that it is a huge 

honour to be selected for the role of 

Police Commissioner. 

“I am proud to be an Officer in 

the New Zealand Police and I look 

forward to leading an organisation 

of 13,000 people who do incredible 

work to keep our communities safe. 

It is my intent to carry on a legacy 

of transformation focused on high 

performance that has been put 

in place under the leadership of 

Commissioner Bush,” he said. 

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MARCH 15, 2020 

Homelink 

Visa applications mount as INZ closes Beijing office 

However, there is no ‘deliberate attempt’ to slow down visas in India 

Venkat Raman 

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has allayed 

fears that visitor visa applications lodged 

in India are being ‘deliberately delayed’ 

because of the increase in the incidence of 

COVID-19 in many countries including India and 

New Zealand. 

The fears were fanned by cancellation of 

flights by several airlines in the past few days 

and delays in appointing officers to consider 

applications. 

“There is no attempt to delay any visa 

application in India,” an INZ official told Indian 

Newslink. 

“However, there could be genuine and natural 

delays caused by the closure of the Beijing office 

as well as increasing number of applications for 

temporary visas. Processing visa applications 

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of all types, especially those relating to temporary 

permits speedily continues to be a priority. We 

have 50 dedicated INZ staff to process student and 

temporary work permit visas,” the official said. 

Impact of Beijing office closure 

INZ Associate Deputy Chief Executive Catriona 

Robinson said that Beijing office, which was closed 

on January 24, 2020 following the threats posed by 

COVID-19, processes 10,000 visa applications every 

week and is responsible for processing around 50 

per cent of all temporary applications decided by 

INZ annually. 

“The closure of the Beijing office means that a 

reduction of 130 immigration officers to process 

visas. Applications that would normally be 

processed by Beijing continue to come in daily and 

INZ has already transferred around 12,000 to other 

offices,” she said. 

Ms Robinson said that there are about 13,400 

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applications on hand in Beijing, 

6200 of which relate to individuals 

in China who are unable 

to travel to New Zealand due to 

travel restrictions. 

INZ is focused on distributing 

the remaining applications 

to other processing offices as 

appropriate as soon as possible, 

she said. 

Student and Visitor Visas on 

track 

“We have considered many 

options for managing the impact 

of the Beijing office closure on 

visa processing. However, it is 

likely that processing times for 

visitor, student and work visa 

applications will increase in the 

coming weeks due to the drop in 

immigration officers available 

to process visas. The aim is to 

ensure that student and visitor 

visa applications continue 

to be decided within normal 

timeframes,” Ms Robinson said. 

Applications that are not 

properly completed or not 

accompanied by the required 

documentation, will attract 

further verification, lengthening 

the decision-making process. 

Essential Skills delayed 

“As a result of the reallocation 

of immigration officers, we 

expect that there will be longer 

wait times for decisions on 

Essential Skills applications 

(one of our temporary work 

visas), particularly as we enter 

the upcoming peak. Presently 

the wait times for allocation of 

Essential Skills visa applications 

to an immigration officer is ten 

days. Early modelling suggests 

this may increase by up to six 

weeks if no other factors change 

in the intervening time. However, 

we will continue to assess 

these applications as quickly as 

possible,” Ms Robinson said. 

Election 2020 should vote out racist politicians 

Kanwaljit 

Singh Bakshi 

A 

few months ago 

(Indian Newslink, 

December 1, 2019), 

I wrote an article 

describing the Maori world 

view using the famous Maori 

proverb, “He Aha Te Mea 

Nui O Te Ao (What is the 

most important thing in the 

world)?” 

He tangata, he tangata, he 

tangata (It is the people, it is 

the people, it is the people). 

As New Zealanders recall 

and mourn the unprecedented 

and tragic terrorist attack 

that occurred in Christchurch 

on March 15, 2019, it is 

deeply disappointing to hear 

racist comments made by 

New Zealand First Minister 

Shane Jones against the 

Indian community. 

Unacceptable comments 

The New Zealand National 

Party and our Leader Simon 

Bridges consider comments 

made by Mr Jones over the 

weekend that Indian students 

have ruined our academic 

institutions as completely 

unacceptable. 

Prime Minister Jacinda 

Ardern needs to reprimand 

her Minister for these 

comments which he has 

repeated several times. They 

are wrong and hurtful to 

Kiwi Indians. 

A paradox 

Bizarrely, the comments 

came at the same time as 

New Zealand First Leader 

and Foreign Affairs Minister 

Winston Peters were in India 

claiming it is ‘a priority relationship 

for New Zealand.’ 

Mr Jones, a Harvard 

University alumni, will do 

well to understand that any 

migrant earns their right to 

enter New Zealand and they 

continue to do so by being 

law abiding residents, paying 

their taxes and contributing 

to New Zealand. 

As we approach the first 

anniversary of the March 15 

terrorist attack, let us stand 

together against racism of 

any kind and deliver a clear 

message during the 2020 

general election that racism 

has no place in New Zealand. 

Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi 

is Member of Parliament 

on National List. He is the 

Party’s Spokesperson for 

Internal Affairs. 

Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi 

National List MPbased 

in 

Manukau East 

Contact 

A 

P 

F 

E 

1/131 Kolmar Road, Papatoetoe, Auckland 

09 278 9302 

09 278 2143 

bakshi.mp@parliament.govt.nz 

facebook.com/bakshiks 

@bakshiks 

bakshi.co.nz 

Funded by the Parliamentary Service. Authorised by Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi MP, 1/131 Kolmar Road, Papatoetoe.


Homelink 

Christchurch massacre anniversary strengthens solidarity 

Phil Goff 

This week we mark one 

year since the devastating 

mosque attacks 

in Christchurch that 

killed 51 people and shocked 

communities in New Zealand 

and around the world. 

The intention of the terrorist 

who committed that cowardly 

act was to divide our communities 

against each other, and to 

promote fear and mistrust. In 

this, he failed utterly. 

Out of the tragedy we 

suffered on that day came an 

outpouring of sympathy and 

support for the victims, their 

families and their communities. 

Aucklanders and New 

Zealanders came together in 

grief to support the Muslim 

community and to unite against 

the hateful ideologies that 

motivated the attack. 

Embracing diversity 

One year since that terrible 

event, I am determined to 

ensure that Auckland continues 

to be a city where diversity is 

embraced as a strength and not 

a weakness. 

We are a proudly multicultural 

and multifaith city, where 

all people are equal and all 

people are treated with dignity 

and respect, regardless of race, 

colour or creed. 

We have zero tolerance for 

racism, bigotry and prejudice 

Muslims praying during congregational Friday prayers at Al Noor mosque in 

Christchurch (AFP Picture) 

and as mayor I encourage 

everyone to call out those who 

would seek to demean or insult 

others on the basis of their race 

or faith. 

While we will never forget 

the terrible events of March 15, 

it is important that we work 

together to ensure a future 

where such atrocities are never 

allowed to happen again. 

On March 15, 2020, we will 

reaffirm our commitment to 

multiculturalism, diversity and 

mutual respect between all 

peoples, and say strongly that 

the ideology of the Christchurch 

terrorist will never have a place 

in our city or our nation. 

Coronavirus outbreak 

Dominating the news this 

week has also been the coronavirus 

outbreak. 

With over 110,000 people 

affected worldwide and a death 

toll of around 3600, it is a significant 

health concern. Its impact 

will also be felt economically 

as supply chains and travel 

are disrupted, creating share 

market instability and the risk 

of a global downturn. 

So far, we have been fortunate 

to contain the incidences 

of the virus here and health 

authorities are working hard to 

ensure an effective response to 

it. They have stressed the need 

not to panic and to take sensible 

health precautions. 

The Ministry of Health 

has stated that as of now, the 

possibility of a widespread 

community outbreak remains 

low. For now, it is important 

to follow best-practice health 

procedures: wash your hands 

thoroughly and regularly, cover 

coughs and sneezes and stay at 

home if you feel unwell. 

Should you need advice, 

please call the Ministry of 

Health’s information line on 

0800-3585453. 

Phil Goff is Mayor of 

Auckland. He writes a regular 

Column in Indian Newslink. 

What is COVID-19? 

“Recently, an outbreak of a 

new coronavirus disease, now 

called COVID-19 (sometimes 

called novel coronavirus or 

2019-nCoV) was identified. 

Coronaviruses are a large 

and diverse family of viruses 

which cause illnesses such 

as the common cold, severe 

acute respiratory syndrome 

(SARS) and Middle East respiratory 

syndrome (MERS),” 

a Health Ministry notification 

said. 

The Symptoms 

The symptoms of COVID-19 

are similar to a range of other 

illnesses such as influenza. 

They include fever, coughing 

and difficulty in breathing. 

However, having any of 

these symptoms does not 

necessarily mean that you 

have COVID-19. 

Difficulty in breathing is a 

sign of possible pneumonia 

and requires immediate 

medical attention. 

It is not yet known how 

long symptoms take to show 

after a person has been 

infected, but current WHO 

assessments suggest that it is 

two to ten days. 

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and have recently been to 

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Homelink 

Former doctor gets 19 years in prison for murder of Amber-Rose Rush 

Tim Brown 

Former doctor Venod Skantha 

has been sentenced to at 

least 19 years behind bars 

for the murder of 16-year-old 

Amber-Rose Rush. 

The 32-year-old stabbed the 

teenager to death in her bed shortly 

before midnight on February 2, 2018. 

She was found by her mother the 

following morning. 

Skantha will not be eligible for 

parole until 2037. 

Justice Gerald Nation sentenced 

Skantha to one year for each count 

of threatening to kill charges - terms 

which would be served concurrently. 

Justice Nation told Skantha he 

accepted the Crown’s submission 

that he killed the teenager to “silence 

her” and prevent her from coming 

forward with her career-ending 

claims. 

The murder was callous and 

carried out after illegally entering her 

home, Justice Nation said. 

“Amber-Rose was killed in bed in 

her home. She was in a place she 

should have been able to feel most 

safe,” he said. 

Accused claims innocence 

Skantha’s lawyer Jonathan Eaton 

QC has indicated that the 32-year-old 

maintains his innocence and will 

appeal his convictions. 

Skantha laid the blame on his 

teenage friend, the prosecution’s key 

witness. 

Amber-Rose’s brother Jayden Rush 

read a statement from his deceased 

mother Lisa Ann Rush. 

The murder had left her mother 

“completely broken, completely 

empty”, Rush said. 

“I constantly wish that I wasn’t here 

Former doctor Venod Skantha at his sentencing on March 6, 

2020 (RNZ picture by Tim Brown) 

Amber-Rose Rush (Facebook Photo) 

and that I was with Amber,” the statement said. 

Lisa Ann Rush died a few months after her 

daughter’s death in a suspected suicide. 

Skantha killed the 16-year-old to stop her 

coming forward with claims he was showing 

up to work drunk, plying minors with alcohol, 

molesting teenagers and young women and 

offering money for sex. 

Unanimous Jury 

At the end of a three-week High Court trial last 

November it took a High Court jury just three 

hours to unanimously find Skantha guilty of 

murder. 

He was also found guilty of four counts of 

threatening to kill the prosecution’s key witness 

- a teenager with name suppression - and his 

family relating to an attempt to cover up the 

circumstances surrounding Rush’s death. 

At the trial the court heard Skantha’s life was 

crumbling around him. 

His job as junior doctor at 

Dunedin Hospital was on thin 

ice after he showed up to work 

in July 2017, while off-duty and 

after drinking, and treated a 

patient - flushing the woman’s IV 

line in the company of friends. 

He only saved his employment 

on that occasion by lying about 

the death of his mother. 

Text Message exchanges 

On February 2, 2018, 

Skantha and Rush shared a terse 

exchange via a social media 

messaging app. 

At 743 pm she told him: 

“You’re lucky I don’t go into the 

hospital and tell them how you 

turn up to work drunk, supply 

minors with alcohol, touch them 

up without consent, grow up 

Vinny you’re 30 for f***’s sake. 

I’m going to make sure everyone 

knows what a sick c*** you are 

including your work and the 

police.” 

When he questioned whether 

she was serious, Rush replied: 

“Best believe I am. I’m doing the 

world a favour people like you 

don’t deserve to walk freely.” 

The heated back-and-forth was 

the result of an incident about 

a month earlier when Skantha 

sexually assaulted the young girl. 

Rush told friends she fell 

asleep on the couch at Skantha’s 

Duxford Crescent home and 

awoke to find his hand down 

her pants, and her bra and top 

removed. 

She was not the only one to 

report such encounters with 

Skantha. The court was told 

other young women had been 

indecently assaulted while asleep 

or unconscious. 

Friends of the 16-year-old told 

the trial Skantha’s interest in her 

was “creepy” and he had offered 

up to $20,000 to have sex with 

her. 

Amber-Rose Rush cut contact 

with Skantha following what 

happened in early January, 

marking the end of a friendship 

which had started in mid-2017 

and was punctuated by boozy 

nights. 

Events on the night 

The teenager’s last message 

to Skantha on 2 February 

2018 - sent about 1125 pm read: 

“you know what you were doing 

when you did it. For that you 

deserve everything you’re gonna 

get.” 

Soon after, he picked up a 

mutual teenage friend and asked 

the boy for directions to Rush’s 

bedroom. 

Dressed in dark clothing and 

wearing gloves, Skantha entered 

the teenager’s Clermiston Avenue 

home using a spare key kept 

under a Buddha statue outside 

the front door. 

Skantha severed Rush’s carotid 

artery and caused damage to her 

spine and windpipe with a single 

blow of a kitchen knife from his 

home. 

“The nature of that wound 

indicates that the person who did 

that knew what was required, 

knew what he’s doing,” Crown 

Prosecutor Robin Bates told the 

jury. 

“The killer knew that’s where 

you target somebody. That’s the 

sort of knowledge Dr Skantha 

has from his training as a 

doctor.” 

There was no evidence of a 

struggle, but Skantha stabbed 

and sliced the victim several 

more times. 

He took Rush’s cellphone 

fearing the incriminating conversations 

about his behaviour 

could still lead to his career being 

destroyed. 

Camera captures images 

But Skantha accidentally 

activated its camera function just 

after midnight as he attempted 

to break it while on the street 

outside her home. He disposed 

of it in a swamp at Blackhead 

Quarry in the hope of deleting 

the exchanges between the pair. 

It did not work. 

The phone was found, reconstructed 

and its data recovered, 

including the images taken 

accidentally by Skantha. 

Two days after Rush’s death, 

Skantha met with her grieving 

mother and after questioning 

whether the death was suicide, 

he offered up her mother’s 

partner as a suspect. 

Rush’s mother died in a suspected 

suicide just a few months 

after her daughter’s murder. 

When Skantha was questioned 

by police later on 4 February, 

he accused his teenage friend. 

However, the interviewing 

detective arrested Skantha about 

45 minutes into the interview. 

Tim Brown is Otago-Southland 

Reporter of Radio New 

Zealand. The above report and 

pictures have been published 

under a Special Arrangement 

with www.rnz.co.nz 

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Sir Michael Cullen diagnosed 

with terminal cancer 

Former Deputy Prime 

Minister Sir Michael 

Cullen might have as 

little as a few months 

to live, after being diagnosed 

with incurable lung cancer. 

Sir Michael, 75, was told 

he has stage four small cell 

lung cancer unexpectedly 

last week, while doctors were 

looking for what they thought 

might be a heart problem. 

He had no symptoms and 

no indication of the disease. 

“It came as a complete 

surprise,” he said from his 

home in Ōhope. 

Scans discovered it spread 

from his lungs to his liver. 

“It is inoperable, so the end 

is inevitable in the not-too-distant 

future. So now, we are on 

four rounds of chemotherapy, 

which should extend my life 

somewhat, but somewhat 

uncertain. It could be a matter 

of a few months; it could 

be over a year. Without the 

chemotherapy, they told me it 

would be six to 12 weeks,” Sir 

Michael said. 

Impressive political career 

During a 30-year political 

career with the Labour Party, 

Sir Michael rose to be Helen 

Clark’s right hand man in 

their three terms in government 

from 1999 to 2008, as 

Minister of Finance for nine 

years and Deputy Prime 

Minister for six. He was the 

architect of the now-lauded 

retirement savings plan 

KiwiSaver, which was 

Sir Michael Cullen (INL File Photo) 

launched in 2007. 

He has held a number 

of roles in the civil service 

since retiring from politics 

in 2009, including as Chair 

of the Tax Working Group 

and Earthquake Commission, 

and Deputy Chair of New 

Zealand Post. Until this week, 

he was Chair of the Bay of 

Plenty District Health Board 

and a member of the Lakes 

District Health Board, but has 

resigned since the diagnosis. 

Resigning from roles 

“It is clear to me I will not 

be in a fit state to carry on 

all that I have been doing in 

recent months. I have already 

stood down reluctantly from 

my long-held position as lead 

claims negotiator for Te Kotahitanga 

o Ngāti Tūwharetoa. 

The only major role I will 

maintain in the meantime is 

as Chair of the Earthquake 

Commission (EQC) to see it 

through the release and the 

response to Dame Sylvia Cartwright’s 

report into EQC and 

the Christchurch Earthquake 

sequence. I expect to make 

a decision shortly about the 

timing of my departure from 

that position.” 

Three final wishes 

Sir Michael started chemotherapy 

this week, and can be 

treated nearby at Whakatane 

Hospital. 

“I know what the end point 

is, so, it is a matter of trying 

to enjoy life ... Resting up, 

spending more time with 

family and friends. I have 

got certain goals in terms of 

that life span: one of them 

to be well enough in July to 

go with Anne [his wife] on 

a birthday holiday for her 

to North Queensland; the 

second is to survive to the 

general election, hopefully to 

see Jacinda [Ardern] elected; 

and the third is to survive 

until the American election in 

November, hopefully to see 

Donald Trump defeated.” 

He was knighted in 2012 for 

services to the state. 

Published under a Special 

Agreement with www.rnz.co.nz 

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05 

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06 


Australia’s news 

landscape, and 

the ability of 

citizens to access 

quality journalism, has 

been dealt a major blow 

by the announcement 

the Australian Associated 

Press is closing, with the 

loss of 180 journalism 

jobs. 

Although AAP reporters 

and editors are generally 

not household names, the 

wire service has provided 

the backbone of news 

content for the country 

since 1935, ensuring every 

paper (and therefore 

every citizen) has had 

access to solid reliable 

reports on matters of 

national significance. 

All news outlets have 

relied on AAP’s network 

of local and international 

journalists to provide 

stories from areas where 

their own correspondents 

couldn’t go, from the 

courts to Parliament and 

everywhere in between. 

Speed and accuracy 

Despite a shrinking 

number of journalists in 

recent years and a rapid 

decrease in funding subscriptions, 

AAP continued 

to stand by its mission to 

provide news without political 

partisanship or bias. 

Speed was essential for 

the agency, but accuracy 

was even more important. 

Educationlink 

AAP closure spells another death knell for quality journalism 

Alexandra Wake 

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AAP Bureau Chief Paul Osbourne holds his head 

after the closure announcement 

(AAP Picture) 

But AAP has struggled in 

recent years as newspapers 

and radio and television 

stations have sought to cut 

costs and started sourcing 

content for free from the 

internet, thanks to global 

publishing platforms, such 

as Google. 

When AAP shut down 

its New Zealand newswire 

in 2018, it said subscribers 

were under pressure and 

asking for lower fees. 

Media mergers, such as 

that of Nine and Fairfax, 

have also been bad for AAP, 

as companies consolidated 

their subscriptions. Sky 

News also gave up its 

AAP subscription to use 

News Limited in 2018. 

The mantra within AAP 

had long been, if a major 

shareholder sneezes, the 

wire agency catches a cold. 

Independence and 

integrity 

In the opening to the 

book, On the Wire: The 

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Story of Australian Associated 

Press, published in 2010 

to commemorate the 75th 

anniversary of AAP, John 

Coomber wrote about the value 

of the wire service, “AAP news 

has no political axe to grind, 

nor advertisers to please. News 

value is paramount, and successive 

boards, chief executives 

and editors have guarded its 

independence and reporting 

integrity above all else.” 

Because it supplies news and 

information to virtually every 

sector of the Australian media 

industry, AAP can’t afford to 

do otherwise. Unsupported 

by advertising or government 

handout, it has only its good 

name to trade on. 

Vast changes 

So much has changed in the 

news industry since AAP was 

formed by Keith Murdoch in 

1935. 

Back then, it took a staff of 

only 12 people, with bureaus in 

London and New York, to bring 

overseas news into Australia. 

But even in its earliest days, 

as an amalgamation of two 

agencies, the Australian Press 

Association and the Sun Herald 

Cable Service, it was set up to 

save money. 

With the cost of cables, which 

were charged by the word, the 

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Dan Peled’s photograph of Sharnie Moran holding 

her daughter near bushfires in Coffs Harbour last year 

(AAP Picture by Dan Peled) 

Julia Gillard loses her shoe as she and Tony Abbott are escorted 

by police and bodyguards after being trapped by protesters 

in a Canberra restaurant (AAP Picture by Lukas Coch) 

pooling of resources was significant 

at the time. The AAP 

journalists were therefore 

required to create concise 

Australian-focused reports for 

local papers. 

Although AAP reports were 

sometimes drawn together 

from other news sources, the 

agency’s reporters sometimes 

did their own original 

reporting. This led to wordage 

blowouts on major events, 

such as Adolf Hitler’s invasion 

of Austria in 1938, which set a 

record for the AAP’s wordage 

for the year. 

The second world war was 

an unlikely boost to AAP as 

senior journalists from Australian 

papers were seconded 

to war zones as AAP special 

representatives. 

Stories that brought glory 

The Sydney Morning Herald’s 

Ray Maley, later Prime 

Minister Robert Menzies’ 

Press Secretary, was sent to 

Singapore. His story of the 

first clash between Australian 

and Japanese troops was 

widely used in newspapers in 

Britain and the US, as well as 

Australia. 

Winston Turner, “our man 

in Batavia” (now Jakarta), was 

one of the last AAP journalists 

to get out of the region, escaping 

the invading Japanese by 

the narrowest of margins. 

Award-winning journalism 

AAP’s glory days weren’t 

just confined to the past. It 

has published numerous, 

award-winning stories 

in recent years, such as 

Lisa Martin’s report on Peter 

Dutton’s au pair scandal. 

Long-time readers of 

Fairfax newspapers might 

remember the federal budget 

in 2017 when AAP filled the 

pages of The Sydney Morning 

Herald and The Age because 

Fairfax reporters had gone 

on strike. The copy written 

by Fairfax’s skeleton staff was 

sloppy, while AAP’s stories 

shone with the agency’s 

emphasis on accuracy. 

AAP photographers, too, 

have captured moments 

of Australian history, such 

as Lukas Coch’s Walkley 

Award-winning picture of 

Linda Burney in blue high 

heels in the air celebrating 

the passage of the marriage 

equality law in 2017. 

Coch also took famous 

photo of then-Prime Minister 

Julia Gillard in the arms of an 

AFP officer when she lost a 

shoe while exiting a Canberra 

restaurant surrounded by 

protesters. 

Rich training ground lost 

One of the saddest parts of 

the closure of AAP is the loss 

of fantastic training opportunities 

for young reporters 

starting out in journalism. 

AAP has produced some big 

names in journalism, including 

Kerry O’Brien, the PNG 

correspondent in the 1960s, 

and SMH editor Lisa Davies 

and Joe Hildebrand, who both 

started as AAP cadets. 

AAP has solidly taken in 

four or five cadets each year 

for the past decade, and in 

recent years, a small group of 

editorial assistants. Over 12 

months, the AAP cadets have 

been taught to write fast and 

accurately while also learning 

shorthand, video skills, ethics 

and media law. 

During the global financial 

crisis in the 2000s, AAP took 

four cadets, while The Age 

took on none, and the Herald 

Sun only two. 

As news of the AAP’s 

closure spreads across the 

country, it will be seen as yet 

another blow to public interest 

journalism in Australia. 

Australia needs more sources 

of news, not fewer. The loss 

of AAP should be mourned 

not just by newsmen and 

women across the country, 

but by every single person 

who cares about democracy 

and the valuable work 

journalists do in keeping 

the public informed and the 

powerful to account. 

Alexandra Wake 

Programme Manager, Journalism 

at RMIT University, 

Melbourne, Australia. The 

above article and pictures 

have been published under 

Creative Commons Licence. 

Covid-19 exposes the risk of chasing 

the student dollar 

Dr Rowan Light 

The deepening Covid-19 

epidemic highlights 

the connectedness 

of our globalised 

world and its fragility. China 

is a critical junction in a vast 

system of supply and demand; 

New Zealand, a smaller 

node; but for both, this global 

interchange which has paid 

dividends for many years has 

become a source of anxiety 

and instability. 

A striking example of 

this delicate balance is our 

tertiary sector, particularly in 

the exposure of its financial 

models that rely on a constant 

flow of international students 

to sustain university coffers— 

bringing in $4.6 billion in 

2019, our fifth biggest export 

earner. 

No new jobs this year 

The University of Auckland 

announced last week that 

it was freezing new staff 

appointments to compensate 

for a projected shortfall of 

$30 million due to the lag 

in international students. 

Victoria University, facing 

similar pressures, has hinted 

at imminent doom for its 

own balance sheets if the 

Government doesn’t rescind 

the travel ban “in the next 

day or two.” 

If a New Zealand university 

cannot function without international 

students, we have 

a serious problem. 

Our tertiary sector has gone 

from operating as a public 

institution providing an 

academic voice in New Zealand 

society to a globalised 

educational product. 

As Auckland University’s 

freezing of new staff appointments 

suggests, this change 

may come to the detriment of 

the quality of education that 

domestic students receive. 

Fraudulent practices 

We have seen this impact 

in other ways. In 2018, TVNZ 

highlighted that the buying 

and selling of assignments 

was endemic among international 

students at Auckland 

University, threatening the 

integrity of students’ degrees 

and suggesting that universities 

have little authority 

to curb fraudulent practices 

without jeopardising international 

student revenue. 

Conversely, departments 

have been hollowed out 

due to a lack of funding: 

why teach New Zealand 

ecology, literature, or history, 

if it’s not going to appeal to 

international students who 

overwhelming want business 

degrees? 

Covid-19 has given us a 

chance to reflect on this 

hyper-emphasis on the 

international student dollar. 

It goes to the heart of what 

role we think our universities 

play in our public life. 

Is the purpose of a New 

Zealand institution to act as a 

kind of placeless degree farm 

serving global markets, or is 

it to interpret the world from 

this place of Aotearoa New 

Zealand based on local needs 

and priorities? 

Pursuing the international 

dollar 

Rather than being small, 

targeted, and beneficial for 

all involved, the pursuit of the 

international dollar has reshaped 

the very orientation of 

our universities, leaving—as 

Covid-19 shows—the whole 

system vulnerable. There is 

little to suggest that universities 

feel an obligation to New 

Zealand society. 

If this crisis is an example 

of an over-extension of global 

tertiary products, then we 

need to rethink the funding 

model and how it relates to 

the local. This will require 

a new public conversation 

about how we see our 

universities connecting with 

communities, rebalancing 

global status with local, 

regional, and iwi connections. 

This means being honest 

about what it would take 

to lessen our institutional 

reliance on international 

degree-farming. 

Dr Rowan Light is a 

Researcher at the Auckland-based 

Maxim Institute.


New think tank to promote credible, robust research 

It will also combat 

misinformation, declining 

public trust 

Supplied Content 

Countering the global rise of 

misinformation and declining 

public trust with robust 

research and evidence-based 

advice is the fundamental goal of a 

new think tank at the University of 

Auckland. 

The initiative, called, ‘Koi Tū: 

The Centre for Informed Futures 

is an independent and apolitical 

established by Distinguished 

Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, the 

first Chief Science Advisor to the 

Prime Minister of New Zealand. 

Governor General Dame Patsy 

Reddy launched the think tank at 

the Government House in Auckland 

today (March 4, 2020) the Centre is 

focused on addressing global and 

national issues arising from rapid 

and far-reaching social, economic, 

technological and environmental 

change. 

Sir Peter said that the Centre 

was born out of a realisation that 

it has never been more important 

for community and local, national 

and global policy decisions to be 

informed by evidence, and that 

society is searching for information 

it can trust. 

Unhealthy environment 

“Unfortunately, we live in 

a world where the contest of 

ideas is increasingly taking place 

in an unhealthy environment 

of misinformation and, in many 

places, declining public trust in 

democratic, scientific and societal 

institutions,” he said. 

Sir Peter said that social, 

economic, technological and 

environmental transformations 

are occurring at a scale and speed, 

Distinguished Professor Sir Peter 

Gluckman 

unique in human history. 

“As scientists, we have a 

crucial role to play in ensuring 

our Rangatahi’s future is in the 

hands of decision makers armed 

with robust evidence,” he said. 

Research themes 

The Centre’s research themes 

include societal and individual 

resilience in the face of rapid 

change; factors affecting social 

cohesion, choices and decisions 

about the impacts of rapidly 

emerging technologies; and 

understanding the trade-offs embedded 

within the sustainability 

agenda. 

Sir Peter said that as a small, 

advanced country, New Zealand 

can be the “canary in the mine” 

to identify issues that are 

emerging and “the headlights to 

identify the road ahead.” 

Deputy Director Dr 

Anne Bardsley said that the 

Centre will focus on how to help 

communities and governments 

understand better complex issues 

and acknowledge inevitable 

trade-offs and values, in ways 

that lead to robust, societally-accepted 

decisions. 

She said that the Centre 

will offer thought leaders and 

researchers a way to engage 

with the community and 

inform the policy discussion, 

while also offering a 

pathway to policymakers 

to find the right advice. 

Complex conversations 

The Centre is 

developing ‘complex 

conversations’ tools 

to assist traditionally 

disempowered groups, 

as well as other 

stakeholders including the 

business community, to 

better participate in policy 

development, aiming to 

become a recognised 

neutral space to initiate 

conversations that catalyse 

broader processes 

and decision-making. 

“We combine the scientific 

disciplines, natural 

and social, to provide 

collaborative advice that 

can help policy makers 

and civil society better 

understand the issues. We 

want to connect better 

the knowledge produced 

in academia with true 

engagement with society, 

integrate their perspectives 

and assist societal 

decisions and the policy 

community in a relevant 

way,” Dr Bardsley said. 

“Operating at the nexus 

of academia, civil society 

and public policy, and 

between national and 

international discourses, 

we are uniquely placed 

to explore these issues,” 

she said. 

The Centre staff include 

experts in the Physical 

Sciences, Humanities, 

Law, Engineering, 

Computer Science, 

Social Science, Economics, 

Health Sciences, Policy 

and Matauranga Maori. 

The Centre has 

extensive domestic and 

international partnerships 

with science and policy 

communities and is home 

to the Secretariat of the 

International Network 

for Government Science 

Advice, a growing global 

network with more than 

5000 members in 100 

countries. 

The name and its intent 

Koi Tū describes the 

intent of the Centre. 

Koi is to be bright; to be 

clever; it is the sharp point 

of the arrow. 

The Centre is koi by 

integrating the various 

knowledge disciplines and 

to inform people through 

true engagement and a 

holistic approach. 

The Centre places itself 

at the sharp end of longterm 

issues of complexity 

such as societal resilience 

and social cohesion, 

sustainability, human 

capital development and 

societal decision-making 

regarding emergent 

technologies. 

Tū means to stand, to 

set in place and infers 

resilience. 

The Centre is future 

focused, addressing areas 

of concern to Aotearoa 

New Zealand, small 

advanced countries and 

globally. It is committed 

to making a stand; to 

inform societal and policy 

decisions over the mid to 

long-term. 

Source: University of 

Auckland 

Educationlink 

Some fast facts about baby fat and some 

misconceptions 


The facts and fictions 

of baby fat have 

been revealed in the 

first-ever study of 

Aotearoa New Zealand newborns 

body composition, including 

a surprise that could 

refocus early healthcare. 

Researchers in the Liggins 

Institute-led study used a 

special air displacement 

machine combined with 

tape-measurements and 

sensitive scales to determine 

the fat mass and fat-free 

mass (everything else) of 

440 babies born in Auckland 

between May 2015 and April 

2018. 

Babies were classified 

as either Maori and Pacific, 

European or Asian. 

Maori, Pacific, Asian 

comparisons 

Researchers found that, 

on average (a) Maori and 

Pacific babies were bigger 

(longer, larger head circumference) 

than European and 

Asian babies at birth, and 

heavier than Asian babies 

– all well-established facts – 

but the revelation was that 

they were also leaner: the 

extra weight came from fatfree 

mass (bones, muscles, 

organs), not fat mass. 

Asian babies were the 

lightest, shortest and smallest, 

but had similar amounts 

of fat mass to babies of other 

ethnicities, and therefore 

the highest percentage of 

fat mass. 

Boy babies were heavier, 

longer and had larger heads 

than girl babies, but they 

were also leaner, with a low- 

Tanith Alexander 

(Picture Supplied) 

er percentage of fat mass – a 

pattern long-recognised in 

childhood and adulthood. 

Surprising elements 

Study Lead Tanith Alexander, 

is a PhD student at 

the University-based Liggins 

Institute and dietitian at Kidz 

First, Middlemore Hospital. 

She said, “We wanted 

to see if knowing body 

composition at birth could 

help identify risk factors 

for later metabolic disease, 

such as obesity and Type 2 

Diabetes, and interventions 

for long-term health. The 

finding that Maori and 

Pacific babies were heavier 

but leaner was somewhat 

surprising, because by the 

time they reach childhood, 

they experience the highest 

rates of overweight and 

obesity of all ethnicities. This 

suggests that environmental 

factors in our society are 

mostly driving this shift in 

body composition.” 

While fat mass percentages 

differed by ethnicity and 

sex, the absolute amount of 

fat mass was similar across 

all babies in the study. 

“This raises the possibility 

of a ‘target’ mass of fat for 

new-born babies to aid 

transition to life outside 

the womb. New-borns 

07 

need a certain amount of 

fat to maintain their body 

temperature and for energy 

stores until breastfeeding 

fully kicks in,” says Ms 

Alexander said. 

The ‘thin-fat’ types 

“Although our findings 

suggest that Asians are 

born with the ‘thin-fat’ body 

type, this underlines that 

small or thin babies do not 

need fattening up to make 

them the same size as other 

babies, as they all have the 

same fat stores. In fact, rapid 

weight-gain during the first 

few years of life has been 

linked to childhood obesity, 

which in turn raises your 

risk of developing health 

problems in adulthood such 

as obesity, type 2 diabetes 

and cardiovascular disease.” 

The researchers say that 

the findings once again 

highlight the importance 

of health promotion from 

the earliest years to set 

children up for life-long 

health. Actions could 

include supporting mothers 

to breastfeed, guidance 

around introduction of 

solids, community-based 

promotion of healthy eating 

and exercise for children 

and whānau, and regulatory 

or pricing changes to make 

healthy food cheaper and 

more accessible. 

The study was published 

in the journal Early Human 

Development in January 

2020 and funded by Counties 

Manukau Health and The 

Nurture Foundation for 

Reproductive Research. 

The other researchers are 

from Massey University and 

Boston University. 

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08 


Fijilink 

Fiji gets closer to New Zealand after Ardern’s visit 

Balaji Chandramohan 

New Zealand Prime Minister 

Jacinda Arden’s recent 

State visit to Fiji will reset 

the country’s complicated 

relationship with Fiji. 

She scored high as a compassionate 

leader, understanding the 

sentiments of Fijians and embracing 

the Pacific Island country with 

charisma. 

Editor’s Note: Please read related 

stories on our website and social 

media filed by the Editor of 

Indian Newslink who was a 

member of the media delegation 

that accompanied Ms Ardern to 

Fiji and Australia from February 

24 to February 28, 2020. 

Accord on Climate Change 

Ms Ardern and Fiji’s Prime Minister 

Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama 

were on the same page on issues 

related to Climate Change. 

It is now expected that New 

Zealand will stand with Fiji on 

many outstanding issues as Fijians 

observe the 50th Anniversary of 

their Independence. 

One of the highlights of the visit 

was the way in which New Zealand 

could differentiate its approach 

towards Fiji from the way in which 

Australia has dealt with Suva. 

Bainimarama and Ardern at the State Dinner in Suva on Feb 25 

(Facebook) 

Ms Ardern has made a point that 

New Zealand has much firmer roots 

in the Pacific Islands than Australia 

and New Zealand’s marked departure 

towards the Pacific Islands in 

general and Fiji in particular was 

reflected during last year’s Pacific 

Islands Summit held in Tuvalu. 

Inspiring leadership 

The Island countries were 

attracted to the leadership of Ms 

Ardern over that of Australian 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison. 

She continues to advocate and 

understand the importance of the 

South Pacific in New Zealand’s 

geopolitical thinking. 

To a larger extent, this stance 

also reflects the position held by 

her Labour Party towards Fiji from 

Brahmarishi Guruvanand 

creates a spell on devotees 

Venkat Raman 

Fijians seeking self-realisation 

and ‘true happiness’ 

received esteemed enlightenment 

in the presence of 

Brahmarishi (also Brahmrishi) 

Vishvasant Guruvanand, the 

Spiritual Leader, who simplified 

Vedanta and philosophy of life 

for easy assimilation. 

The Schedule 

The Master of Vedas addressed 

two public meetings, the first 

of which was held on Tuesday, 

March 3, 2020 at Girmit Centre in 

Lautoka (located at Kings Road). 

The second meeting was held 

on March 5, 2020 at the FMF 

Foods Limited (formerly Flour 

Mills of Fiji Limited) Gymnasium, 

located at Laucala Bay Road in 

Suva. 

A cross-section of Fiji’s population 

attended the discourses, 

during which the Brahmarishi 

explained how to lead a meaningful 

life and more important, sans 

depression. 

Guruvanand had earlier 

concluded a four-day visit to 

Auckland which saw more than 

1500 people listening to his 

speeches at Ram Mandir in West 

Auckland and Bhartiya Mandir in 

Central Auckland. 

Teachings par excellence 

To the world that is often 

misguided with increasing tensions 

and tendencies towards 

suicide and homicide, Gurudev’s 

teachings are palliatives. 

Here is a sample: “In the 

tapestry of life, weave a story that 

is so inspiring and so meaningful 

that posterity can say with pride 

that you were indeed the heir of 

the ‘Santana Dharma,’ the eternal 

Dharma of the great Masters 

of the past. Your thoughts and 

actions today are indelible links 

that connect the great shining 

past and the glorious future 

unfolding of the Divine Life, of 

which you are an integral part.” 

According to scores of disciples, 

reciting his name with the Man- 

Brahmarishi Vishvasant Guruvanand 

(Picture from Facebook) 

tra ‘Om Guruvanand Namah,’ 

provides ‘divine relaxation to the 

mind.’ 

“The name of this beautiful 

mantra itself gives the mission 

that Guruji wants to fulfil from 

his inspiring and influential 

presence, which is Awareness 

and Peace. I owe my major 

improvements, success, frame 

of mind, vision and level of 

thinking to Guruji,” an Auckland 

based devotee said. 

The Brahmarishi advises 

people to live a beautiful life- so 

beautiful that its fragrance eternally 

permeates and pervades 

the memory of fellow sojourners 

in the journey of life. 

“You have to shake to take out 

dirt from a cloth. Similarly, dance 

and rejoice in front of Mata Rani 

and take out all your karmas and 

be happy. Leave all your tensions 

there and go home fresh with 

happiness,” he said. 

About Brahmarishis 

Brahmarishis are revered as 

sons of God, selfless protectors, 

persons of the greatest ability, 

and propagators of the highest 

human values. 

They are Divine Flames 

dedicating their lives to the cause 

and welfare of humankind. 

They teach in a language understood 

by common people and 

consider service to humanity as 

the greatest religion. 

The teachings of Brahmarishi 

Jacinda Ardern with children at Rise Informal Settlement at Tamavua, Suva 

on February 26, 2020 (Facebook) 

the days of former Prime Ministers 

Peter Fraser, Walt Nash and Helen 

Clark. 

After Fiji was expelled from the 

Pacific Islands Forum following 

the coup by Mr Bainimarama on 

December 5, 2006, China encouraged 

it to be an active participant in 

the Melanesian Spearhead Group 

and even provided funds for the 

establishment of its Secretariat in 

Suva. 

Signalling a paradigm shift, New 

Zealand will approach Fiji with 

a focus on developing its fragile 

infrastructure, thereby developing 

the base for providing jobs for its 

young people who now seek jobs 

overseas. 

It must be said that such a shift 

Guruvanand are well founded 

on tenets of innate goodness 

of every person, transcending 

barriers of race, religion, 

language and other man-made 

barriers. 

He believes that everyone 

has something to contribute to 

the progress and prosperity of 

the human race as a whole. 

“Live in the now, do not seek 

faults in others and improve 

yourself. Your faith will make 

heaven come to you. Follow 

your religion or your God or 

your own Guru. Believe in 

him with full devotion. Live 

with happiness and not for 

happiness. Happiness is in 

small things. Love your family 

and always spread smile,” he 

says. 

Gurudev, the Pacifist 

If you were to listen to the 

speeches of Gurudev, you 

would instantly like him and 

his belief that religion is not 

based on rituals and rites but 

on love, peace, harmony and 

understanding among people. 

He radiates grace and kindness. 

At each private meetings, 

many have found answers to 

questions that have daunted 

them since long. 

The Brahmarishi holds several 

degrees including M Tech 

from IIT Kharagpur (equivalent 

to MIT and Harvard in USA); 

PhD in Astrology; and Masters 

in Sanskrit, Vedas, and Jyotish. 

He was Honorary Principal 

and Professor at various 

academic institutions including 

Banaras Hindu University. 

With a background in Science, 

it is natural that he looks for 

ways to bring the scientific 

mentality and the spiritualism 

in creative dialogue. 

With his life transformative 

spiritual message, he inspires, 

empowers, keeps people 

informed and engages them to 

move forward in their spiritual 

quest. 

was largely facilitated by New Zealand’s 

Deputy Prime Minister and 

Foreign Minister Winston Peters 

with his ‘Pacific Reset Programme,’ 

and visits to Fiji. 

New Zealand is likely to support 

Fiji’s entry to the Polynesian Spearhead 

Group, a regional multilateral 

Forum for Polynesians. 

Biketawa Declaration 

New Zealand will also push for 

the Biketawa Declaration 2.0. 

Pacific Island Forum Leaders 

agreed to the original Security 

Statement in 2000, after a coup in 

Fiji that year and ethnic tensions in 

the Solomon Islands. 

The Regional Assistance Mission 

to the Solomon Islands was enabled 

under the Biketawa Declaration, 

under which, the Forum countries 

could form such a mission and send 

it into a member country upon the 

request of the affected nation. 

New Zealand’s then Prime Minister 

Helen Clark had a major role to play 

in this initiative. 

Ms Ardern may follow suit and 

involve New Zealand to be a part of 

Biketawa Declaration 2.0, which will 

work in tandem with the regional 

security force Legion, comprising the 

Melanesian countries. 

Election prospects 

She will be aware that carrying 

Fiji along will go domestically well 

for the Labour Party, especially in 

the election year. Mount Albert, 

her constituency in Auckland, has 

significant Indo-Fijian and Native 

Fijian population. 

If re-elected, the new Labour 

government will work actively in the 

South-West Pacific, South Pacific and 

South-East Pacific. 

After years of neglect, New Zealand 

has understood Fiji’s position and 

has approached the relationship 

with compassion and pragmatism, 

punching above the weight in the 

complex South Pacific geo-politics. 

Balaji Chandramohan is Indian 

Newslink Correspondent based in 

New Delhi, India. 

Subscribe to Indian Newslink 

Please call (09) 5336377 

Email: info@indiannewslink.co.nz 

Joint action to manage Climate 

Change imperative 

Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama 

A 

few years back, we entered a 

new era of the Fiji-New Zealand 

friendship; an era defined by 

mutual respect and equality. 

Today, our partnership sits at unparalleled 

strength, as Prime Minister Ardern’s 

personal commitment to the Pacific has 

built new bridges of cooperation upon 

the foundation of trust and openness our 

governments know today. 

Through her inclusive and compassionate 

brand of leadership, she has earned 

a profile that extends far beyond New 

Zealand, winning the hearts and minds 

of people in Fiji and all around the world. 

I am glad to see it, because I believe our 

world badly needs more leaders like 

Jacinda. 

This is a 

leader who 

truly cares, who 

not only leads 

well but listens, 

and who shares 

the principles 

of togetherness 

and progress 

that I hold most 

dear. 

But what I 

have admired 

most is how, 

when tested by 

great adversity, 

she has summoned 

the spirit 

Fiji’s Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama with his wife Mary and New Zealand Prime Minister 

Jacinda Ardern and her Parter Clarke Gayford in Suva on February 25, 2020 (Facebook) 

of unity in a way that not only lifts up the 

people of New Zealand, but inspires the 

wider world. 

Trade prospects 

Prime Minister Ardern and I also see 

the potential of a unity across the Pacific. 

New Zealand is Fiji’s second largest 

regional trading partner. 

Every year, tens of thousands of Kiwis 

visit our shores, and Fijian and New 

Zealand businesses send flows of goods, 

services and investments across our borders 

that sustain and create jobs within 

our economies. 

What makes this partnership truly 

special is that Prime Minister Arden and I 

know the possibilities for our partnership 

extend far beyond our patch of ocean. 

From Tuvalu to the halls of the UN General 

Assembly, our elevated voice on the 

world stage has transformed the Pacific 

from a region left off maps to one which 

loudly and boldly defends humanity’s 

greatest interests. 

New pact on Climate Change 

Both recently joined Iceland, Norway 

and Costa Rica in a new Agreement on 

Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability, 

which we expect will generate global 

momentum to spur sustainable, climate-conscious 

flows of trade. 

It is one of many ways Fiji and New 

Zealand are leading the global race to 

net-zero. 

I want to congratulate New Zealand on 

passing its climate change response Zero 

Carbon Bill. 

Fiji is proud to join you on the right 

side of history by passing our own 

Climate Change Bill this year, which lays 

out our pathway to net-zero emissions. 

Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama is Prime 

Minister of Fiji. The above is an edited 

version of the Statement that he issued 

to the media following a bilateral 

meeting between Fiji and New Zealand 

in Suva on February 25, 2020. He 

praised Ms Ardern for her leadership 

on Climate Change, the aftermath of 

the terrorist attack in Christchurch on 

March 15, 2019 and said that he and his 

government looked forward a closer 

relationship. 

Ms Ardern and her delegation were 

on a four-day official visit to Fiji from 

February 24 to February 27, 2020.


Businesslink 

Action Plan ensures sustainable 

housing for the homeless 

Michael Wood 

Our government is stepping 

up to prevent and reduce 

homelessness in New Zealand. 

The Aotearoa New Zealand 

Homelessness Action Plan, which 

was released last week, establishes a 

framework and funding to help the 

homeless into sustainable housing. 

This follows a decade of denial 

and neglect under National, which 

sold off state houses as the numbers 

of homeless grew dramatically. 

For a start, we will move more 

vulnerable New Zealanders from 

emergency motel accommodation to 

transitional housing. 

New transitional homes 

A thousand new transitional 

housing places will be delivered by 

end of 2020 to reduce demand for 

emergency motel accommodation. 

This is in addition to about 1300 

places already created. 

We have campaigned on addressing 

housing and homelessness and 

we are delivering during the short 

time we have held office. 

We will introduce a 25% of income 

payment, after seven days for those 

in emergency motel accommodation 

to bring in line with other similar 

accommodation support payments. 

We have allocated over $70 million 

for programmes that will help 

people who are at the risk of losing 

their rentals and becoming homeless 

and also to support people out of 

RNZ Picture by Luke McPake 

Infographics from Action Plan website 

motels and into permanent 

accommodation. 

Long-term solutions 

Alongside these immediate 

actions, we are looking at longterm 

plans of action to reduce 

homelessness. 

We have initiated a public 

housing building programme 

that hasn’t been seen in New 

Zealand for 40 years. On 

assuming office, our immediate 

priority was to get people out 

of sleeping in cars and garages 

or on the streets into safe and 

warm accommodation. 

A major investment in 

‘Housing First’ which moves the 

homeless into housing and then 

works to deal with underlying 

issues such as mental health 

and addiction, is already seeing 

promising results in keeping 

people off the streets. 

Additional funding will also 

enable preventing homelessness 

among Maori and expand 

housing supply that is delivered 

by Maori. 

More funds will enable 

supporting of young people who 

are leaving Oranga Tamariki 

care into suitable accommodation 

with wrap around support 

services for them. 

Mental Health services 

Acute mental health services 

as well as addiction inpatients 

transiting into community with 

housing and other support 

services will also be funded. 

Ministry of Social 

Development will also launch 

a new housing broker service 

which will connect with local 

landlords and support MSD 

clients to secure private rental 

homes. The Social Development 

Minister Hon Carmel Sepuloni 

is very sure of making housing 

costs as consistent and fair as 

possible to all. 

Every New Zealander should 

have a decent, safe place to 

sleep at night. The legacy of 

homelessness we inherited was 

serious and it will take some 

time to completely resolve the 

issue. Under this government 

however, real progress is being 

made. 

Michael Wood is Member 

of Parliament elected from 

Mount Roskill in Auckland. 

He is the Chief Government 

Whip. 

09 

Commerce Commission warns HSBC over disclosures 


The Commerce Commission has 

issued a warning to The Hongkong 

and Shanghai Banking Corporation 

Limited (HSBC) over its failure to 

comply with the information disclosure 

requirements of the Credit Contracts and 

Consumer Finance Act 2003 (CCCFA). 

HSBC self-reported the matter to the 

Commission following a routine audit of its 

business in New Zealand. HSBC identified 

six occasions between 2014 and 2018 when 

it failed to disclose an interest rate increase 

to borrowers. 

Borrowers affected 

The failures affected 225 loans and 180 

borrowers. 

In the Commission’s view, HSBC likely 

breached the requirements of the CCCFA for 

lenders to disclose changes following the 

exercise of a contractual right or power. 

Commission Chair said that HSBC advised 

that these failures were due to inadequate 

internal manual processes and failure to 

identify errors in a timely way. 

“The disclosure requirements are there to 

protect consumers. They ensure that lenders 

provide essential information about a loan 

when it is first taken out or, as in this case, 

when the lender makes a change to the loan, 

as allowed in the contract. Lenders must 

fully and accurately inform borrowers about 

such changes and within the required time 

limit. HSBC failed to do so in relation to these 

cases,” she said. 

Borrowers contacted 

HSBC has written to borrowers providing 

full particulars of the change following the 

interest rate increase in 2018 and made 

changes to its processes including moving 

to automated disclosure processes where 

possible. 

It has also provided compensation to 

affected borrowers totalling about $7000. 

“In light of the actions already taken by 

HSBC and the relatively small number of 

affected borrowers, the Commission decided 

that a warning was appropriate in this 

case. We note HSBC’s pro-active conduct in 

self-reporting the matter and its subsequent 

co-operation with our investigation,” Ms 

Rawlings said. 

About CCCFA 

The CCCFA protects consumers when they 

borrow money or buy goods on credit. It 

sets out the rules that must be followed by 

lenders when they provide loans. 

Disclosure is important information about 

a loan that lenders must give borrower at 

different times during the loan, including 

when it is first set-up, on an ongoing basis, 

and if a loan is varied. 

It helps borrowers understand what the 

loan will cost them and what their and the 

lender’s obligations are under the loan. 

Where a lender exercises a right under 

the contract to increase the loan interest rate 

or loan payments, the lender must disclose 

full details of the change to the borrower 

within 5 working days of the change. 

Warning letters 

A warning explains the Commerce 

Commission’s opinion that the conduct at 

issue is likely to have breached the law. Only 

the Courts can decide whether a breach of 

the law has in fact occurred. 

The purpose of a warning letter is to 

inform the recipient of the Commission’s 

view that there has been a likely breach of 

the law, to suggest a change in the recipient’s 

behaviour, and to encourage future compliance 

with the law. 

Source: The Commerce Commission, 

Wellington 

Priyanca 

Radhakrishnan 

Labour List MP based in Maungakiekie 

Maungakiekie Office 

09 622 2660 

priyanca@parliament.govt.nz 

Level 1 Crighton House, 

100 Neilson St, Onehunga 

(entrance via Galway St) 

| | priyancanzlp 

Authorised by Priyanca Radhakrishnan 

Labour List MP, 100 Neilson St, Onehunga

10 


Businesslink 

Novel Coronavirus: Scare and Reality 

New Zealand puts pandemic plan into action 

Sourced Content 

As we prepared this issue 

for printers, New Zealand 

had five confirmed cases 

based on positive test results 

and two probable cases. Of the 

confirmed cases, one patient was in 

Auckland Hospital and continued to 

improve, with plans for discharge. 

Of the other confirmed cases, 

none required hospital level care. 

Director General of Health Dr 

Ashley Bloomfield said that protecting 

the health of New Zealanders is 

number one priority. 

“It is good the key public health 

measures of strict border controls, 

self-isolation for people who have 

come from overseas hot-spots or 

been in contact with local cases 

have had the desired impact so far. 

Now is the time to be even more 

vigilant. Everyone can help by 

ensuring good health etiquette – 

washing hands for twenty seconds, 

sneezing into your arm and not 

touching your face. Fundamental to 

Health Minister David Clark and Director General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield at a media brief 

this is not putting yourself or others 

at risk if you are unwell - not going 

to work or being out in public if you 

are sick,” he said. 

He said that all of us have a role 

to play in stopping further spread.” 

North Shore situation 

The woman being cared for as 

a probable case at North Shore 

Hospital who was on a cruise of 

the Grand Princess (February 11 to 

21) has now been discharged home 

and is under the care of her GP. 

North Shore Hospital and Auckland 

Regional Public Health Service 

are also in daily contact with the 

patient and the Northern Region 

Health Coordination Centre is 

Panic buying aggravates fears 

Andy Yap 

The UK has found itself 

in a panic buying frenzy 

in response to the novel 

coronavirus outbreak. 

A very flustered Health Secretary 

Matt Hancock urged restraint and 

attempted to calm fears of shortages 

on BBC television’s Question Time 

after being asked about a lack of 

paracetamol, dry pasta and toilet 

paper. 

Dangerous trend 

The UK is not alone. Social media 

has been flooded with images from 

across the world of shopping carts 

lined up at check outs, empty shelves 

and crazed shoppers carrying sixmonths’ 

worth of toilet paper. Just 

seeing this footage has fed the panic, 

escalating the problem far beyond 

anything that was noted during the 

SARS epidemic when digital connections 

were far less prevalent. 

These kind of posts are spreading 

hysteria and false news to the 

extent that coronavirus hoaxes 

have, arguably, right. If they want 

panic buying to stop, governments 

need to demonstrate that they are 

in control through decisive action 

and sustained and transparent 

communication. 

Regaining control 

In the research that I conducted 

with marketing Professors Charlene 

Chen and Leonard Lee, we found 

that consumers compensate for a 

perceived loss of control by buying 

products designed to fill a basic 

need, solve a problem or accomplish 

a task. 

This is what we are seeing as 

people rush to buy rice, cleaning 

products and paper goods in illogically 

large proportions. 

This has led to price gouging and 

shortages of vital health equipment 

where it is needed most. 

In times of crisis, people don’t 

want a huge debate, they want 

action. To assuage people’s anxiety 

and help them regain a feeling of 

control, it is up to governments to 

signal that they have a game plan in 

mind and are taking timely steps to 

address the problem. 

People queue outside a Watsons pharmacy in Hong Kong (Lewis Tse Pui Lung/Shutterstock) 

Empty shelves in Sainsbury’s United Kingdom 

The Singapore example 

Singapore – which has had no 

virus-related deaths, despite 112 

cases and a rate of infection that’s 

been outpaced by recoveries – has 

emerged as an example of how 

to contain both the infection and 

maintain citizen’s trust. 

A day after signs that people 

were panic buying rice and instant 

noodles, Prime Minister Lee Hsien 

Loong was on television calling for 

calm, and assured Singaporeans: 

“We have ample supplies, there’s no 

need to stock up.” 

Singapore was one of the 

first countries to impose entry 

restrictions on anyone with recent 

travel history to China and parts of 

South Korea. The country has also 

introduced temperature screening, 

systems to identify people who have 

been in contact with carriers, and 

strict hospital and home quarantine 

regimes for potentially infected 

patients. Firm action, in the form 

of fines and jail time, is being taken 

towards those who breach these 

new rules. 

The government has made 

regular public statements and been 

very frank with its people about the 

dangers posed by the coronavirus. A 

week after the panic buying frenzy, 

things have calmed down and shoppers 

have gone back to purchasing 

items in normal quantities. 

Getting it wrong 

This contrasts with what is 

happening in Japan and Iran, where 

governments are under fire for 

their lack of transparency. This 

distrust stems from concerns that 

governments may be deliberately 

concealing or may not have access 

to accurate information. 

This has led to people stockpiling 

goods, which in Japan has resulted 

in shortages of toilet paper. Longs 

lines and price surges have followed. 

Theft is now so common that 

some establishments have taken to 

chaining rolls to their dispensers. 

While the UK government has 

liaising with her family to check on 

any wellbeing needs. 

The first of the North Shore 

Hospital staff stood down and asked 

to self-isolate as a result of this 

patient’s earlier hospitalisation will 

be returning to work tomorrow. 

Other staff will progressively 

return. If they remain well, all staff 

will be back at work by Monday, 

March 16, 2020. There has been no 

impact on clinical care from these 

stand downs, and North Shore 

Hospital continues to provide all 

services as usual. 

The test result from the one 

remaining passenger being tested 

for possible COVID-19 exposure 

while also previously on the Grand 

Princess has come back negative. 

This passenger remains in 

self-isolation as a precaution. 

Cruise ship movements 

There are a number of other 

cruise ship movements which continue 

to involve New Zealanders. 

Four New Zealanders are currently 

on the Grand Princess. 

“We are not aware of any health 

published an official coronavirus 

action plan, setting out advice for 

how the public should respond 

during each stage of the outbreak 

and what to expect if it becomes a 

pandemic, there have been hiccups 

in communication that have stoked 

rather than tempered fears. 

The communication fumble 

The most recent problem was the 

decision to withhold daily updates 

about the geographical spread of 

the virus. The government has 

since made a U-turn on this, calling 

it a “a communication fumble” 

and acknowledging that such lack 

of transparency would only lead 

to feelings of government secrecy 

and aid the potential spread of fake 

news. 

concerns around these people. The 

New Zealand Embassy in Rome 

has made enquiries around MSC 

Opera and found that rumours of 

the quarantine of the vessel are 

unfounded. One New Zealander 

is reported on the quarantined 

Asara on a Nile River cruise. We are 

not aware of any health concerns 

around this individual,” Dr Bloomfield 

said. 

According to the Health Ministry, 

at press time, there were five 

confirmed cases, two probable 

cases, 281 negatives and 47 cases 

classified as under investigation 

Healthline and self-isolation 

Healthline continues to manage a 

large number of calls on COVID-19 

and has now registered a total 

of 8963 people or households for 

self-isolation since the process 

began. 

There are currently 2334 registrations 

(people or households) for 

self-isolation. 

An additional 5929 have completed 

isolation. 

What you should know 


New Zealand 

is one of 77 

countries and 

territories to 

report confirmed cases of 

COVID-19. 

Keeping individuals, 

families and our communities 

safe and healthy 

in the current global 

environment requires 

a team effort and that's 

what we're seeing across 

New Zealand. 

It is critically important 

that we both protect New 

Zealanders from the virus 

and play our part in the global 

effort to contain it. 

Healthline's dedicated COV- 

ID-19 number, 0800-3585453, 

is free and available 24 hours 

a day, seven days a week. 

Interpreters are available. 

The Ministry’s TAG Expert 

Advisory Group will meet 

again today for further advice 

on case definitions and testing. 

The Government confirmed 

this week that travel restrictions 

currently in place for 

China and Iran will continue 

for a further week, while people 

entering the country from 

South Korea and northern 

Italy will now be told to go into 

How action is communicated, 

including when and how often, is 

critical to diffusing panic. 

The situation of any pandemic 

is so volatile that government 

policies may need to evolve rapidly 

in response. As seen in Singapore, 

strong communication can be the 

difference between seeming to 

understand the dynamic nature of 

the situation and not knowing how 

to address it at all. 

Andy J. Yap is Assistant Professor 

of Organisational Behaviour, 

INSEAD (Institut Européen d’Administration 

des Affaires). The 

above article and pictures have 

been published under Creative 

Commons Licence. 

self-isolation. 

The Expert Advisory Group has 

also recently revised the advice 

to health professionals about 

identifying possible cases of COV- 

ID-19 by adding Hong Kong, Iran, 

Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, 

Singapore and Thailand to China 

as countries and territories of 

concern when assessing patients. 

Anyone arriving in New 

Zealand who has visited those 

countries in the previous 14 

days is advised if they develop 

symptoms of fever, cough or 

shortness of breath they should 

seek medical advice by first 

phoning Healthline’s dedicated 

COVID-19 number 0800-3585453 

or phone ahead to their GP 

before their visit.

JANUARY 15, 2019 

YEP, training our youth is an economic imperative 

Staff Reporter 

An Auckland based organisation is 

advocating training young people as an 

economic imperative with a major role 

for businesses. 

Youth Employability Programme (YEP) helps 

14-24 year-olds to gain the insight, confidence and 

skills to get work, keep work and create careers. 

An initiative of COMET Auckland- Te Hononga 

Akoranga, YEP is supported by Employers and 

Manufacturers Association (EMA). 

The Programme Auckland Regional Coordinator 

Alysha Bentley said that with the ageing population 

and the increase of advanced technologies 

implemented in all sectors, the role of employers 

in training youngsters cannot be over-emphasised. 

Persistent attitude gap 

There is a persistent ‘attitude gap’ between 

employers and young people. 

“Many employers feel that young people lack 

the attitude and work ethic they need to be successful 

on work placement, let alone as employees. 

So, businesses are not putting their hands up,” she 

said. 

The Programme bridges this ‘attitude gap’ by 

enabling employers to see the value young people 

bring to the workplace, including “fresh perspectives, 

new and innovative ideas, and digital skills, 

among other things. It also enables young people 

to gain experience in the ‘real world’ so that they 

understand their responsibilities as an employee 

and employer’s expectations. 

Ms Bentley said that trades, hospitality, retail, IT 

and logistics are among the main areas of interest 

for young people on the programme. 

“But getting employers from a wide range of 

careers to engage with our young people opens up 

more opportunities for them. They may not have 

thought of such opportunities,” she said. 

According to the latest EMA Employers Survey, 

many businesses expressed concerns with the level 

of work readiness skills among school leavers. 

Developing skills 

Often, the young person lacked communication, 

teamwork, positive attitude, thinking skills, 

resilience and self-management skills. 

Image from Comet Auckland website 

Youth Employability Programme Facilitators 

(Image from Comet Auckland website) 

YEP supports young people to develop these 

skills, so that they enter or return to the workforce 

with the ‘Licence to Work’ certificate. 

EMA Chief Executive Brett O’Riley said that 

young people need to be shown how to successfully 

navigate the journey from school to work. 

“The Youth Employability Programme gives 

employers the opportunity to help youth prepare 

for work by offering 80 hours of work experience,” 

he said. 

Ms Bentley said that each year they get a fresh 

group of young people on the Programme who are 

looking for further training or employment. 

“Now is the best time to let us know that you are 

interested in offering work experience,” she said. 

YEP is currently seeking businesses in the south 

and west Auckland area. To express your interest 

contact, alysha.bentley@cometauckland.org.nz; 

For more information, please visit Youth 

Employability. 

Businesslink 

Ethnic Youth Forum 

Saturday 21 March 

12 Noon to 2pm in Mt Roskill 

We are hosting a meet-up for progressive youth (and youth adjacent) 

from our diverse ethnic communities to hear about what matters to 

you. It could be specific policy matters or issues related to broader 

topics like multiculturalism and identity; authentic leadership 

within our diverse communities or anything else you think your 

government needs to be aware of. 

If you’re between 20 and 40 and identify with an ethnic minority 

community this may be of interest to you. Please contact 

ethnic_communities_labour@parliament.govt.nz for an invitation. 

Contact Labour’s 

Ethnic Communities Team: 

09 622 2557 

ethnic_communities_labour@parliament.govt.nz 

Level 1, Crighton House, 100 Neilson Street, 

Onehunga, Auckland 1061 

/multiculturallabour 

Authorised by Priyanca Radhakrishnan Labour List MP, 

100 Neilson St, Onehunga 

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12 


Viewlink 

The English Fortnightly (Since November 1999) 

ISSUE 434 | MARCH 15, 2020 

Engaging with an 

enigma called 

Shane Jones 

New Zealand First 

MP Shane Jones is a 

colourful politician. 

As he admits, his vocabulary 

is often muscular and 

bombastic and he is aware that 

his comments are inflammatory 

and hurtful. 

His outbursts against the 

Indian community caused 

furore, attracting condemnation 

from the Prime Minister, Leader 

of the Opposition and others. 

Mr Jones and his Leader 

Winston Peters defend their 

comments saying that ‘the 

Indian community tells them.’ 

But who are these people? Do 

they represent the Diaspora? 

Has there been any verification 

of their comments? Have 

these leaders considered the 

enormous contributions of 

Indian businesses and people 

towards the economic progress 

and social development of New 

Zealand for more than 110 

years? If there are problems, 

how we can we all get together 

and address them? 

If Mr Jones is an enigma, it is 

our duty to solve the puzzle. It is 

Let us foster our 

unique unity 

It is in the law of nature 

that every living being will 

come to collective defence 

in the face of adversity. 

It happens all the time in the 

animal kingdom. 

The human society is torn 

by hatred, jealously, greed and 

rage against colour, creed, 

religion- all of them ironically 

made by humans themselves. 

And in this atmosphere of 

intransigence and intolerance, 

the unimaginable happens- as it 

did on March 15, 2019. 

But we New Zealanders 

proved that we are different. 

The death of 51 innocent 

men, women and children in 

Christchurch Mosques and the 

49 other people injured have 

touched our hearts. 

As we marked the first 

anniversary of the tragedy, we 

proved that we are a caring 

nation, and that there is no evidence 

of any root of terrorism 

amongst us. 

The massacre was a reminder 

of how similar white-nationalist 

and jihadist killers really are. 

As the Economist wrote, 

important to hear him out fully, 

find out what really bothers 

him and how we can address 

his concerns. On his part, Mr 

Jones must stop castigating a 

community and work with us. 

Promoting dialogue 

After all, any problem can 

be solved through discussions. 

Communities and nations are 

pitted against each other only 

because of failure of communications 

and worse, refusal to 

talk. 

Indians are known for ability 

to undertake intelligent discourses, 

analyse situations and 

provide solutions that can build 

a cohesive society – a society 

that Mr Jones aspires. 

“A democratic society, in its 

thirst for liberty, may fall under 

the influence of bad leaders,” 

worried Plato, who also feared 

that “popular acclaim will 

attend on the man who tells the 

people what they want to hear 

rather than what truly benefits 

them.” 

These worries seem all the 

more pertinent today. 

“though the two groups detest 

each other, they share methods, 

morals and mindsets. They see 

their own group as under threat, 

and think this justifies extreme 

violence in “self-defence.” They 

are often radicalised on social 

media, where they tap into a 

multinational subculture of 

resentment.” 

The deadliest virus 

It is unthinkable that in this 

day and age, certain groups of 

people can consider themselves 

superior because of the colour 

of their skin or the religion to 

which they subscribe. It is time 

that people realised that their 

strength rests on unity than 

otherwise. 

There is a larger threat that 

looms large today across the 

world- the Coronavirus. It has 

already affected more than 145, 

000 people in 118 countries, 

killed about 5410 people and 

has become pandemic. This 

is an opportunity for all of us 

to unite and fight this deadly 

disease. 

Nothing else matters now. 

Indian Newslink is published by Indian Newslink Limited from its offices located at Level 1, 

Number 166, Harris Road, East Tamaki, Auckland 2013 and printed at Horton Media Limited, 

Auckland. All material appearing here and on our web editions and social media are the 

copyright of Indian Newslink and reproduction in full or part in any medium is prohibited. Indian 

Newslink and its management and staff do not accept any responsibility for the claims made in 

advertisements. 

Managing Director & Publisher: Jacob Mannothra; Editor & General Manager: Venkat Raman; 

Production Manager: Mahes Perera; Financial Controller: Uma Venkatram CA; Phone: (09) 

5336377 Email: info@indiannewslink.co.nz; Websites: www.indiannewslink.co.nz; www.inliba. 

com; www.inlisa.com 

Well, your grammar can or may be questioned 

Michelle Sheehan 

People get corrected on their 

language all the time. 

With written language, this 

is mostly about spelling and 

punctuation. 

In some cases, though, especially 

when speaking , we are pulled up 

on our grammar. 

Whatever you think about ‘Grammar 

Nazis,’ there are some times 

when they are just plain wrong. 

Here are five examples of grammar 

you may have been pulled up 

on which really make no sense at 

all, grammatically speaking. 

Can vs May 

How many accidents have been 

caused by overzealous teachers 

correcting their students’ language 

when they innocently ask: “Can I go 

to the toilet, please?” 

“You mean ‘May I go to the 

toilet?’” was the stock response 

whenever I asked, and it confused 

me because I, like everyone else, 

including the teacher, knew that 

“can” has two different meanings, 

depending on context. 

Yes, it can describe what you are 

able to do (the “dynamic meaning” 

in linguistic terminology), but it can 

also dictate what is permitted. In 

fact, those same teachers would also 

say, “You can take your pencil cases 

out now,” using the permissive (or 

deontic) meaning. 

The ability reading of “can” is 

older, but the oldest OED example 

of the permissive reading is from 

1489, so the idea that “can” is only 

descriptive makes no sense. 

“Can I go to the toilet” is simply 

ambiguous. 

It can either describe your ability 

to (well, you get the idea) or it can 

mean: “Do I have your permission 

to go to the toilet?” 

In fact, the word “may” is ambiguous 

in a similar way in statements 

(but not questions). Compare “You 

may come in now” with “It may 

rain later, judging by those clouds.” 

So, in short, when asking permission 

you may use “may”, but you 

can also use “can”. 

Well vs Good 

How many times have you been 

corrected for saying “I’m good, 

thanks” in answer to the question 

“How are you?” This is another kind 

of correction which makes no sense. 

The verb “be” (am, are, is, was, 

were) is what linguists call a “copular 

verb” (ascribing a property to a 

subject). 

This verb can be followed by an 

adjective. 

Think: “It is cold,” “I am tired.” “I 

am good” is no different. 

So, what are people objecting to 

Labour picks Michael Wood again for Mount Roskill 

The Labour Party has selected 

Michael Wood to contest Mt 

Roskill at the 2020 general 

election. 

Following is a Statement issued 

by Mr Wood: 

It is an honour to be selected 

again to contest my local community 

of Mount Roskill for Labour. 

I have worked hard to be a strong 

voice for Mt Roskill and I want to 

continue to make progress for local 

people as part of a government that 

is delivering for New Zealanders. 

Diverse Electorate 

I am proud to represent Mount 

Roskill, New Zealand's most diverse 

electorate. This is a place that 

people have come, seeking to build 

a good life for generations, and I 

look forward to campaigning to 

represent my community again 

as part of a re-elected Labour-led 

government. 

Under Jacinda Ardern’s 

leadership, New Zealand is making 

progress on the issues that matter 

Photo by jeshoots.com on Unsplash 

here? There is another adjective 

“well,” which can also be used 

to describe wellbeing and, until 

recently, was used rather than 

good for this purpose. 

This adjective developed from 

the adverb “well” in Old English. 

Often when people correct “I am 

good,” they claim that we need an 

adverb here. 

In fact, the opposite is true; 

“be” needs to be followed by an 

adjective and “well” only works 

because it can be either an adverb 

or an adjective. 

So, the moral of the story is that 

all’s fine with both well and good. 

“I’m well” is older, but “I’m good” 

is first recorded in 1921, so only 

people over the age of 99 can claim 

it to be a recent abomination. 

You and Me 

This is something that gets 

corrected again and again, and it 

makes little sense, because many 

people say “you and me” or “me 

and you” whenever they join these 

two little words together (in a 

coordination). 

Of course, there is some logic to 

saying that we should use “you and 

I” as a subject, as “I” is the subject 

form. You would not say “me like 

chocolate,” and so, according to 

some, you should not say (or write) 

“you and me like chocolate.” 

What makes no sense is when 

people are corrected for using “you 

and me” in object position or after 

a preposition such as “for.” 

People say “for you and I,” 

because they want to avoid saying 

“for you and me,” but we wouldn’t 

say “for I” would we? This 

“hypercorrection“ shows us that 

the distinction between subject/ 

non-subject is breaking down in 

this context. 

Things get even more complex 

when you joint two possessors 

together. Is it “mine and John’s 

book” or “my and John’s book,” 

“John’s and my book” or even “me 

and John’s book”? 

I have heard people use all of 

these. 

Whom or Who? 

“Whomever wants to help, can,” 

says Walter White in Breaking Bad. 

In fact, White says “whom” a lot. 

I guess this is because he is an 

Michael Wood (Picture Supplied) 

most. Our economy is growing 

strongly under our strong economic 

management. 

With wages rising and unemployment 

low, our families are 

better off. 

Our economy is performing 

better than Australia, the UK, 

and the US. Because we’ve run 

the economy well we can afford 

the biggest investment in new 

infrastructure like roads and rail 

(admittedly somewhat corrupted) 

high school Chemistry teacher and 

using “whom” marks him out as 

an educated person. But what is 

“whom?” 

Once upon a time, English was 

a language with rich grammatical 

case (like Latin, German, Russian 

or Polish), a means of encoding 

whether a noun phrase is being 

used as a subject, object, indirect 

object and so on. 

We still have it to some extent in 

our pronoun system (as discussed 

in the previous point), and we 

used to make a subject/non-subject 

distinction with who/whom too. 

Nowadays, most English speakers 

no longer make this distinction, and 

many people who use “whom” use 

it (because of hypercorrection) in 

contexts where it would not have 

been used historically, like Walter 

White does. 

Avoiding the passive 

The passive is to be avoided at all 

costs. 

To be honest, this was not really 

advice that I received at school but it 

is something I have been told (oops 

– that people have told me) at many 

training sessions about good writing 

in my adult life. 

This myth has already been 

debunked online, notably Language 

Log, but it is so commonly cited that 

it needs to be mentioned here. 

The passive is just a way of 

making the under-goer of an active 

sentence into a subject, and we use 

it, especially, when we don’t want to 

say who the instigator of something 

was. 

When I wrote “I have been told” 

above, I did so precisely because I 

didn’t want to specify exactly who 

had done the telling. 

The passive allows me to do 

this. Now, in some cases, we need 

to know who did something. The 

passive allows us to include this 

information too “I have been told by 

some people.” 

In fact, because this information 

is optional, a case could be made 

that including it actually creates 

emphasis. 

So, in short, there is nothing 

wrong with the passive. Just like 

there is nothing wrong with using 

“can” instead of “may” or saying 

“I’m good.” 

We are all entitled to our grammatical 

preferences, but grammar 

itself does not care about them one 

bit. 

Michelle Sheehan is Reader in 

Linguistics at Anglia Ruskin 

University, United Kingdom. The 

above article has been published 

under Creative Commons Licence. 

for more than 20 years. 

Long-term issues 

Importantly, we are also focused 

on the big long-term issues. 

We are addressing climate change 

by getting New Zealand on track for 

a net carbon zero economy, and we 

are taking mental health seriously 

with a record investment to build 

community level mental health 

support for people in need. 

In Mount Roskill, the progress is 

tangible and I am proud that after 

first being elected in 2016, I can 

point to the work that the government 

has underway on issues on 

which I campaigned. 

Local schools are receiving major 

upgrades after years of neglect, 

hundreds of new state and affordable 

homes are being built in Roskill 

South, and with our investments in 

more police and fog cannons, we 

have seen a big decline in attacks on 

our local small businesses. 

I am running to continue that progress 

and deliver for local people.


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Businesslink 

Shane Jones’ attack hurt Indians but aimed elsewhere 

Peter Dunne 

There should be little surprise 

at Shane Jones’ latest racist 

outburst against Indians 

living in New Zealand. The 

typically florid, bombastic, pompous 

comments were, by his own admission, 

aimed neither at the Indian 

community, nor the vast majority of 

the rest of the country, but rather at 

just the small percentage of it that 

identifies as supporters of the New 

Zealand First Party. 

After all, they have had a tough 

time in recent weeks defending the 

apparently indefensible way their 

Party funds itself, so might welcome 

the Party making the headlines for 

other reasons. 

Electoral cynicism 

What better way therefore to 

make the Party troops feel positive 

again than trotting out some good, 

old core message rhetoric as light 

relief. 

No matter the offence the 

comments understandably and 

justifiably caused the Indian 

community, because although they 

were the group attacked, they were 

not the group at whom the remarks 

were aimed. Playing minorities off 

against the rest of the population 

in this way is a classic New Zealand 

Shane Jones 

(Newsroom Photo by Lynn Grieveson) 

First tactic and is the height of 

electoral cynicism. 

But it is also much more than 

that. It is a blunt expression of New 

Zealand First’s beliefs. 

Moreover, what it really shows 

is that racially motivated criticisms 

by New Zealand First MPs are not 

just some casual occurrence to be 

brushed aside as “their personal 

views.” 

There have been too many 

instances of this type of behaviour 

over the years for them to be dismissed 

credibly as just coincidence. 

Rather, they are at the heart of 

New Zealand First’s monocultural, 

anti-immigrant message, which the 

Soft approach hardens criminals 

to reoffend 

Dr Parmjeet Parmar 

This week we have seen the 

government’s soft on crime 

attitude has hit an all new 

low. 

For a start, Corrections released 

a prisoner on bail after he staged a 

hunger strike for 25 days. 

Instead of dealing with the 

offender inside prison, Corrections 

took the easy option. 

As a result, we now have a 

recidivist offender with an extensive 

criminal record living in our 

community. 

Dangerous precedent 

Corrections has set a dangerous 

precedent and has essentially 

opened the floodgates, what will 

prisoners try next to force Corrections’ 

hand? 

What is even worse is that the 

prisoner himself did not even think 

that he should have been released. 

What does that say about the state 

of our justice system under this 

government? 

This is just one example of the 

Government’s soft on crime attitude 

filtering down, and this time, it is 

Corrections reacting to it. 

No voting power please 

If releasing a prisoner on bail 

because he went on hunger strike 

was not bad enough, then the 

government introduced a Bill that 

will allow prisoners to vote. 

Losing the right to vote is a 

consequence of serious offending, 

and National has been very clear 

that we will oppose any change to 

the law on this. 

It is difficult to be sentenced to 

prison, and you have to have committed 

serious crimes to get there. 

Prisoners who have received 

sentences of up to three years are 

not petty criminals. 

They are people who have committed 

serious assaults, robberies, 

family violence and sexual offences. 

Losing the right to vote is consistent 

with the loss of other freedoms 

when going to prison. 

Once offenders come out of 

prison and have re-joined society 

then they have this right returned 

to them. 

Going to prison is a punishment, 

it should be treated as such. 

Instead, this government is intent 

on making it seem like a holiday, 

even releasing prisoners early if 

they become too difficult to deal 

with. 

Bad example 

But with this sort of behaviour 

happening, it is no wonder other 

criminals are feeling emboldened 

under the current Government. 

We have seen a sharp increase 

in gang membership as well, since 

October 2017 almost 1600 more 

people have joined gangs, with this 

number continuing to grow. 

It is making excuses for drug use, 

we saw last year that drug dealers 

who could prove their addiction 

caused the crimes could receive 

a 30 per cent discount on their 

sentence. 

If you commit a crime you should 

not get off easily. 

This is not fair on victims. They 

have not asked to be put in this 

position and we should be putting 

them before criminals. 

National has always been very 

clear, we unapologetically stand on 

the side of victims, and a National 

Government would ensure victims 

feel as though they have received 

justice. 

It is becoming obvious at the 

election this year there is a stark difference 

between a Labour, Greens, 

NZ First soft on crime Government 

clearly on the side of offenders, 

and a National Government that is 

tough on crime and puts victims at 

the heart of our justice system. 

Dr Parmjeet Parmar is a Member 

of Parliament on National List 

and the Party’s Spokesperson for 

Research, Science and Innovation 

and Associate Spokesperson for 

Economic Development. 

Party is unashamed and unabashed 

in promoting. 

It is a deliberate pitch to that 

segment of the population that 

holds similar views. 

A habit for New Zealand First 

One only need recall Winston 

Peters’ quarter century of attacks 

on non-white migrants; former 

deputy leader Peter Brown’s 

outburst that there were too many 

Asian immigrants coming to New 

Zealand; former MP Richard 

Prosser’s references to people 

from “wogistan,” Ron Mark telling 

a Korean born MP to “go home,” 

or Clayton Mitchell’s anti-Semitic 

comments in Parliament. 

The list goes on and on. Shane 

Jones is no different – he is just 

playing the same old tune his Party 

has scratched out for years. 

But it is not just the frequent 

attacks on foreigners and their 

values that mark New Zealand First 

out as racist. It has also been the 

Party most consistently opposed 

to correcting Treaty of Waitangi 

imbalances, or enabling greater 

power-sharing with, or public 

participation by, iwi in the nation’s 

life. New Zealand First has always 

opposed moves in this direction 

as encouraging separatism, an anti-social 

justice and equality tactic 

frequently employed by white-supremacy 

groups elsewhere. 

Deliberate race card 

New Zealand First has consistently 

and deliberately played the 

race card in New Zealand politics 

like no other Party in the last quarter 

century. And given its electoral 

success in that time it has to be 

conceded, sadly, that the strategy 

has succeeded. 

Unfortunately, its overt racism 

has legitimised the latent prejudices 

of a small group of New Zealanders 

who have supported New Zealand 

First as the public expression of 

their own private bigotry. And, at 

three of the eight elections held 

under MMP, that support has been 

sufficient to put the Party in a key 

position which it came to government 

formation. 

Battle for survival 

However, this year, the Party is 

locked in a real battle for political 

survival. 

There are steady signs that New 

Zealanders may be tiring of the 

New Zealand First presence in 

Parliament. But, as previous elections 

have shown, the Party often 

performs best when its back is to 

the electoral wall. And it does so by 

playing to its traditional appeals. 

Therefore, during this year’s 

election campaign, all ethnic and 

cultural minorities are likely to 

be targets of some type or other 

of New Zealand First’s hostility, if 

it considers that fomenting such 

division is in its selfish political 

interests. 

After all, it has worked for them 

in the past, so why would it not do 

so again. 

Unfortunately, therefore, any 

hope that New Zealand First will 

moderate its racism in the slightest 

in the lead-up to this year’s election 

seems likely to be extremely 

forlorn. 

Ironic and incredible 

All the while, it is becoming 

increasingly ironic and incredible 

that the Labour Party, which 

professes itself to the world as 

progressive, compassionate and 

kind should be propped up in office 

by such a regressive, racist coalition 

partner. 

Sadly, while National has already 

reduced New Zealand First’s 

relevance for the future by ruling 

out working with it, Labour is too 

electorally reliant on New Zealand 

First’s potential numbers to do 

likewise. And with the Prime Minister’s 

do-nothing response to New 

Zealand First’s racist attacks likely 

to continue, the country seems set 

to endure yet more ignorant and 

intemperate outbursts from Shane 

Jones and his colleagues over the 

next few months until the election, 

when a majority of New Zealanders 

will have the opportunity to finally 

put an end to this racism in politics 

once and for all. 

Peter Dunne was a Minister of the 

Crown under the Labour and National-led 

governments from 1999 

to 2017. He lives in Wellington. 

Money transfer firm fined $2.55 million for 

money laundering 


Jiaxin Finance Limited, assisted 

by its owner Qiang Fu and his 

mother Fuqin Che, have been 

convicted of offences under 

the Anti-Money Laundering and 

Countering Financing of Terrorism 

(AML/CFT) Act. 

Between April 2015 and May 

2016, Jiaxin Finance and its brokers 

were responsible for remitting 

over $53 million into New Zealand 

for an international customer. 

The charges 

Jiaxin Finance failed to conduct 

customer due diligence and failed 

to report and keep records of 

suspicious transactions relating to 

this customer. 

Ms Che also separately 

structured transactions to try to 

avoid the application of AML/CFT 

requirements for this customer. 

She did this by making 14 

separate cash deposits totalling 

$710,772 into his New Zealand 

Image from 123RF 

bank account. These payments 

were spread over a period of 

four days and made at different 

branches of the bank. 

On March 3, 2020, in the Auckland 

High Court, Jiaxin Finance 

was sentenced to pay a fine of $2.55 

million. Mr Fu wad sentenced to 

pay a fine of $180,000 and Ms Che 

$202,000. 

First criminal action 

AML Group Director Mike Stone 

said this is the first time criminal 

action has been taken under 

Ex-council employee pleads 

guilty to graft 


A 

former Auckland Council 

employee has pleaded 

guilty to a corruption 

charge brought by the 

Serious Fraud Office (SFO). 

Sundeep Dilip Rasila (42) 

admitted accepting a $7500 bribe as 

council employee in the Auckland 

High Court on February 26, 2020. 

Mr Rasila was employed by 

Auckland Council as a Procurement 

Relationship Specialist at the time 

of the offending. 

His counterpart, Sunil Chand (56) 

also pleaded guilty at the hearing. 

The charges 

He gave Mr Rasila the kickback 

in return for his company being 

awarded an Auckland Council 

contract valued at $140,150. The 

contract was for the supply of 

22,000 USBs of various sizes. 

Mr Rasila and Mr Chand were 

remanded on bail to reappear for 

sentencing in the Auckland High 

Court on 12 May. 

Sunil Chand gave Mr Rasila 

a $7,500 bribe in return for Mr 

Chand’s company, On Time Print, 

being awarded an Auckland 

Council contract valued at $140,150 

(excluding GST). 

Crimes Act offences 

105 Corruption and bribery 

of official: (1) Every official is 

liable to imprisonment for a term 

not exceeding seven years who, 

whether within New Zealand or 

elsewhere, corruptly accepts or obtains, 

or agrees or offers to accept 

the Act by any of the AML/CFT 

supervisors. 

“We worked closely with Customs 

and Police to piece together 

the full picture of the extent of the 

offending. Money-laundering is a 

global issue, and unfortunately it 

does happen here. An estimated 

$1.35 billion from fraud and 

illegal drugs is laundered through 

legitimate New Zealand businesses 

every year. The true cost and social 

impact is much higher. 

“It is vital that businesses know 

what to look for and report suspicious 

activities or transactions. 

Most businesses we supervise 

want to do the right thing, but 

when a business intentionally 

fails to comply with its AML/CFT 

obligations, we will take strong 

regulatory action.” 

For more information visit our 

website www.dia.govt.nz/AML- 

CFT-Homepage 

Source: Department of Internal 

Affairs, Government of 

New Zealand 

or attempts to obtain, any bribe 

for himself or herself or any other 

person in respect of any act done or 

omitted, or to be done or omitted, 

by him or her in his or her official 

capacity (2) Every one is liable 

to imprisonment for a term not 

exceeding 7 years who corruptly 

gives or offers or agrees to give any 

bribe to any person with intent to 

influence any official in respect of 

any act or omission by him or her 

in his or her official capacity. 

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Impact of Development 

Contributions on House Prices 

Parash Sarma 

A 

key but often underestimated consideration 

for developers is the cost and impact of Development 

Contributions (DCs). 

These costs are confirmed by the City Council after 

lodgement of Resource Consent; however, getting a 

good idea of the likely cost of Development Contributions 

prior to lodgement of resource consent is vital 

to assessing the profitability of your project. 

For land bankers, understanding future DC 

policy may significantly change the strategy as far 

as the timing for lodgement of resource consent is 

concerned. 

Development Contributions 

DCs are levies imposed by local councils on a 

developer and are raised as contribution toward the 

cost required to upgrade and maintain council and 

public infrastructure within a designated area. 

The amount can vary according to the infrastructure 

requirements of the area, as well as the type and 

size of the proposed development being carried out 

(measured by the increased number of residential 

dwellings or Household Unit Equivalents — HUEs). 

In Auckland, developers looking to complete a 

subdivision typically incur DCs of between $27,000 

– $33,000 per lot, depending on location and the 

demand on infrastructure in the area. 

This is in addition to private infrastructure works 

within the subdivision which are funded by the developer 

and is a common condition in any resource 

consent. 

Levin, governed by the Horowhenua District Council, 

has no DC’s; all infrastructure costs are effectively 

subsidised by rate payers. This strategy was adopted 

to incentivise development in the area. 

The purpose 

The purpose of DCs is to recover from developers 

a fair, equitable, and proportionate part of the 

total cost of capital expenditure necessary to 

service growth over the long term. So, the standard 

approach whereby councils’ charge DC’s (as a 

percentage of total cost) is not altogether wrong. 

But the implementation of this policy can have a 

significant impact on the supply of new housing. 

Increasing DCs to a level that fully recovers costs 

could have serious consequences for home buyers, as 

developers can simply add it onto their section price, 

pushing house prices further out of reach. 

What economists say 

Councils generally bank on the developer being 

willing to wear the cost or pass it on to the landowner 

or the house buyer. But economists have argued 

that house prices are at maximum affordability 

levels; developers won’t be able to keep passing these 

costs on to buyers. Instead, they will be building 

the cost of DCs into their feasibility studies, causing 

them to pay less for developable land in order to 

maintain margin. This will result in lower profits for 

the existing landowners, rather than increased house 

prices for the final buyers. 

For developers buying bare land, increases to DC 

levies pose a significant risk. 

For example, between 2016-2017, and 2019-2020, 

DCs for Rotokauri catchment in Hamilton increased 

from approximately $30,000 for a standard residential 

lot, to $70,000 - a 130% increase. To put that into 

context, a small 20 Lot subdivision that would incur 

DCs of $600,000 in 2016/17, would cost $1,400,000 

today. It is easy to see that such a dramatic rise can 

make a number of developments uneconomic. 

Another important factor to consider is that DCs 

can rise during the course of a four- or five-year 

project. For land bankers, understanding current and 

future policy is key. 

For developers buying unconsented land, the 

message is apparent - build in appropriate allowance 

for DCs and allow for unforeseen increases in cost 

that may arise as a result of council changing the DC 

policy. 

Parash Sharma is Client Services Director, ASAP 

Finance Limited based in Auckland. He can be 

contacted on 021-864730. Email: parash@asapfinance.co.nz 

ASAP Finance Limited is a Sponsor of the Thirteenth 

Annual Indian Newslink Business Awards 

2020. 

Businesslink 

Homes run as boarding houses 

are heading for trouble 

Venkat Raman 

People running their homes as 

boarding houses are breaching 

tenancy agreements and may 

be liable for punitive measures. 

They may be violating the provisions 

of the Residential Tenancies Act 

(RTA). 

That was the gist of a Ministry of 

Business, Innovation and Employment 

notification. 

Indian Newslink has learnt that 

some property owners are renting 

spare bedrooms in their homes and 

that many people (mostly students 

and singles) are accommodated in a 

single room. 

Tenancy Service Information and 

Education Manager Jennifer Sykes 

said that such homes, with shared facilities 

such as a bathroom or kitchen 

for six or more people are boarding 

houses. 

Many landlords may not be aware 

that they are breaching the RTA, she 

said. 

Legal requirements 

She said that boarding house landlords 

have a number of requirements 

under the Act and that they should be 

aware of them. 

“Many may not be aware that they 

are operating a boarding house under 

the law and that they must meet the 

first compliance date, which is July 1, 

2021. The Healthy Homes Standards 

became law last year, and set 

minimum requirements for heating, 

insulation, ventilation, moisture 

ingress and drainage, and draught 

stopping,” she said. 

Ms Sykes said that the new standards 

are about ensuring that boarding 

houses are warmer and drier for 

tenants and will also help maintain 

the property for years to come. 

15 

Financial penalties 

“Boarding houses that are not 

compliant with the healthy homes 

standards by July 1, 2021 may be 

subject to a financial penalty. While 

boarding house tenancies and standard 

tenancies share a lot of the same 

requirements under the RTA, some 

things apply only to boarding houses 

and it’s important that boarding house 

landlords know the differences,” she 

said. 

Ms Sykes said that boarding houses 

must also comply with new requirements 

as a part of their tenancy 

agreements, including a statement 

of their level of compliance with the 

healthy homes standards in any new, 

varied or renewed tenancy agreement 

from July 1, 2020. 

Insurance Statement 

“In addition to this statement, it is 

also a requirement for all landlords 

to include an insurance statement 

with every new tenancy agreement. 

Landlords who are operating a 

rental property with six tenants 

or more with shared facilities who 

are uncertain if they are operating 

a boarding house under the law 

should visit tenancy.govt.nz for more 

information,” she said. 

The website provides information 

about the roles and responsibilities 

required when operating a boarding 

house, as well as templates for 

required statements and a boarding 

house agreement. “We also suggest 

they subscribe to Tenancy Services’ 

electronic updates via 

tenancy.govt.nz/subscribe to keep 

up to date with legislation changes 

that will affect them,” Ms Sykes said. 

Specific information about the 

healthy homes standards is at 

raisethestandard.nz 

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16 


Communitylink 

The forgotten women who helped build Islam in Britain 

Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor 

The two first British Mosques were 

established in 1889 in Liverpool 

and Woking, and women played 

a major contribution to the 

communities that helped to set up these 

Mosques. 

But you wouldn’t necessarily know 

it. Indeed, women’s contributions 

throughout history are consistently 

forgotten – often lost so the past becomes 

“his story.” 

I hope that my new research will play 

a part in changing this. 

I used archive material linked to the 

two earliest British Mosques to examine 

the everyday lives of women in these 

historical communities. 

This research presents a coherent and 

compelling narrative of women’s lives 

and roles as contributors and leaders of 

their communities. 

Suspicion and ridicule 

Women in these communities were 

usually middle-class converts, who encountered 

Islam through travel, Mosque 

publications or public lectures. 

They lived in an environment 

that viewed Islam and Muslims with 

suspicion and ridicule. 

British Muslims were perceived as 

“loyal enemies” and “infidels within” the 

society of that time. 

At both the Liverpool and Woking 

Mosques, women were included in Eid 

celebrations, debates and other events. 

The women at the Liverpool Mosque 

also ran a home for the city’s “destitute” 

children, which was established in 

January 1897. 

Women wrote for Mosque publications, 

which also celebrated women’s 

achievements. 

In January 1895, the Liverpool 

Mosque Newsletter noted that Mrs 

Zubeida Ali Akbar had the honour of 

being presented to the Queen. 

On March 20, 1895, it noted that Miss 

Teyba Bilgrami, “a young Mahommedan 

The Shah Jahan Mosque, Britain’s first Mosque (Woking), built in 1889 

(Picture from Mosque Website) 

Jessie Ameena Davidson wrote about her conversion 

in The Islamic Review in June 1926. 

lady of Hyderabad,” had passed the first 

exam in the arts at Madras University. 

Refreshments and entertainment 

Women were nearly always in charge 

of refreshments and “entertainment” 

at Mosque events, including an annual 

Christmas breakfast that the Liverpool 

Zainab Cobbold (born Lady Evelyn Murray) 

a Scottish diarist, traveller and noblewoman, 

converted to Islam in the Victorian era. 

Muslim Institute organised. 

Women were initially excluded from 

the literary and debating society – this 

being only for “young men.” Then, 

in March 1896, for the first time, a 

woman, Rosa Warren, gave a talk on 

the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. 

Articles in Mosque publications, usually 

written by men, show how Muslim 

patriarchy of the time converged with 

that of Victorian society to marginalise 

women. For example, poetry published 

in the Liverpool Mosque newsletter 

The best way to mark Women’s Day is to respect them 

Venkat Raman 

The World observed ‘International 

Women’s Day’ on 

Sunday, March 8, 2020. 

Designated by the United 

Nations, the day marked usual 

speeches, statements and feature 

articles in newspapers, magazines 

and social media. Governments 

announced new plans to lift the 

status of women in their societies, 

national and international 

organisations pledged to work 

towards the betterment of women 

and there even be public events to 

celebrate the day. 

Bur so long as employers in 

government, commercial, industrial 

and social services sectors 

continue to accord women a place 

of secondary importance and do 

not remove discrimination, mere 

celebration of International Women’s 

Day will have no meaning. 

Pay disparity, gender inequality 

Gender equality or inequality 

has been a topic of discussion since 

long, but the issue has been generating 

heat in the public domain in 

recent years. 

Two major reasons have been 

cited for its re-emergence – the 

global financial crisis that brought 

to the fore many ills of companies, 

and recent reports, which indicate 

that companies with women (at 

least one) on the board of directors 

and on management boards tend 

to perform better than others. It is 

indeed time to address this issue 

with greater thoroughness and 

sincerity. 

For many years, researchers and 

corporate consultants have been 

saying that New Zealand is among 

the countries with a poor record of 

gender equality and that in many 

cases, women are paid less than 

men for performing the same type 

2020 marked 25th Anniversary of the 

Beijing Platform for Action to promote 

equal opportunities for women. 

Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter 

of jobs, often within the same 

company. 

Indian community better 

It seems there are no valid 

reasons for this inequity and 

like many things in life, there is 

greater interest in preserving the 

status quo ante than in thinking 

afresh. 

We are happy that the situation 

in the Indian business community 

is far better, compared to their 

counterparts elsewhere in the 

country. 

We have women occupying 

positions of importance- as 

owners, directors, HR managers, 

chief financial officers and so on 

in companies that are owned, operated, 

managed and franchised 

by businesses of Indian origin. 

We have seen them participate 

in all management decisions, 

setting policies and strategies and 

steering their organisations towards 

higher levels of productivity and 

profitability. 

Minister’s Message 

Minister for Women Julie Anne 

Genter wants to ensure all women’s 

contributions are valued as she looks 

ahead to International Women’s Day. 

She issued the following Statement: 

This International Women’s Day 

I acknowledge everyone who is 

working every day to help women 

and girls achieve their potential in 

Aotearoa New Zealand. 

This Government is making a 

difference for New Zealand women. 

We have delivered to ensure 

women are paid fairer in record pay 

settlements for female dominated 

workforces, and have reduced the 

gender pay gap in the public service 

to the smallest gap since government 

started measuring it. 

Minimum wage lifted 

We have boosted the minimum 

wage by $1.95 since taking office. 

Women make up 60% of minimum 

wage workers, so these increases have 

really benefited the female workforce. 

New parents have benefited from 

increased paid parental leave to 26 

weeks (from July 1, 2020). 

We are particularly committed 

to doing better for wahine Maori 

with the Mana Wahine kaupapa 

inquiry claim progressing and the 

Government proactively addressing 

issues raised. 

This International Women’s Day, 

let us ensure that all women’s contributions 

are recognised and valued. 

There are many hours of unpaid work 

carried out by women in the home, in 

schools, and in the community across 

New Zealand. 

I wish to use this day to celebrate 

all of the women who are the centre 

of our communities and not always 

recognised. 

Group Photo at the Shah Jahan Mosque complex 

in Woking (Woking Mission Photos Index) 

Women (seated at the back) at a Muslim 

Prayer (Woking Mosque Archives) 

derides “the New Woman” who (a) had 

studied mathematics (b) knew all about 

mythology … her mind was drilled in 

science (c) knew all the dates of history 

(d) Could talk with great loquacity on 

questions of capacity, but couldn’t sew a 

button on her little brother’s pants. 

Trailblazing women 

Yet there were also women who 

challenged these patriarchies. 

As part of my research, I uncovered 

many interesting stories of women and 

their roles in the Mosques. There was 

Mrs Nafeesa T Keep, for example, a convert 

to Islam who arrived in Liverpool 

from the United States. She gave talks 

on Islam and women’s rights, challenging 

both patriarchal understandings of 

Islam and stereotypes of Islam. 

She was appointed Assistant Superintendent 

of the Medressah-i-iyyumal-Sebbah, 

an institution aimed at 

educating young Muslims on religion. 

There was also Madame Teresa 

Griffin Viele (1831-1906), who took the 

Muslim name Sadika Hanoum. She was 

a news correspondent for the Liverpool 

Mosque, writing the “Resume of 

Political Events” in its journal from September 

1894 to April 1895. And Lady 

An Islamic centre located at 

27 Ben Lomond Crescent, 

Pakuranga East Auckland, 

is closing for at least two 

weeks in an effort to prevent the 

novel coronavirus spreading in its 

community. 

With members who often 

travel to Iran, the Islamic Ahlulbayt 

Foundation in Pakuranga, Auckland, 

is shutting its doors for at least two 

weeks. 

It is one of the largest Shia Islamic 

centres in Auckland with about 100 

regulars. 

Sayed Mohammed Taghi Derhamy 

leads Friday prayer which was called 

off yesterday. 

“Right now we have had, I think, 

two travellers who have come back 

recently from Iran. That was what 

made us really quickly close the 

centre as a precaution,” he said. 

That person had not shown any 

symptoms, but it was too close for 

comfort and they would only reopen 

when they were happy there was no 

risk to their members. 

Other mosques were open for 

Friday prayer yesterday but were 

asking anyone who was sick, or had 

recently travelled to a hotspot, to 

stay home. 

Other gatherings and public 

events are going ahead, but with an 

increased focus on hygiene. 

Large events are now in the 

spotlight, after the Ministry of Health 

said one of the confirmed cases went 

to a concert for rock band Tool, at 

Auckland’s Spark Arena last Friday. 

Director-General of Health Ashley 

Bloomfield said that public events 

should still go ahead; people just 

have to be sensible. 

“If anyone is symptomatic with an 

influenza-like illness or a cold then 

Evelyn Zainab Cobbold, a high-profile 

convert from an aristocratic British 

family, who became one of the first 

European women to perform the Hajj 

or pilgrimage to Mecca. 

Extraordinarily for her time, she performed 

the pilgrimage on her own, in a 

motor car and then wrote a best-selling 

book in 1934 about her experiences. 

Other women in this community 

include Fatima Cates, who was a 

key member and indeed founding 

treasurer of the Liverpool Muslim 

Institute, the body that itself founded 

Britain’s first Mosque in the city. 

Meanwhile, another woman, Begum 

Shah Jahan of Bhopal, India, funded 

Britain’s first purpose-built Mosque in 

Woking. Women were therefore central 

to the foundation of the first Mosques 

in Britain. 

Rewriting history 

Indeed, as my research shows, 

history puts women at the centre of 

the establishment of Islam in Britain. 

And in their own different ways, these 

women took on roles of leadership 

and representation. They lived at a 

time that was socially and culturally 

extremely different from that of 

contemporary British Muslims. 

Yet the issues these women encountered 

in their practice of Islam, their 

negotiations with multiple patriarchies, 

and their daily lives are not unlike the 

issues around gender and Mosque 

leadership debated in contemporary 

Britain. 

By shining a light on the history of 

Muslim women in Britain, contemporary 

issues seem less insurmountable. 

These women shaped the Muslim 

communities of their time and it is 

imperative that their 

Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor is Assistant 

Professor in Faith and Peaceful 

Relations at the Centre for Trust, Peace 

and Social Relations, Coventry University. 

All pictures appearing in this 

article were provided by her. Published 

under Creative Commons Licence. 

Pakuranga Mosque closes for two 

weeks in East Auckland 

Hussainia Mosque of Islamic Ahlul Bayt Foundation in East 

Auckland (Website Picture) 

they should not attend those events, because that is the 

best way to protect others. The second is, for people 

attending those events, please do look at the advice on 

our website about attending mass gatherings, and do 

follow those basic hygiene precautions particularly 

hand washing,” he said. 

This weekend, the New Zealand Ironman in Taupo, 

and the country’s largest fun run, Round the Bays in 

Auckland, are going ahead as normal. 

Music and art festival Womad in Taranaki next weekend 

will too, but one of its artists cannot travel from 

South Korea due to the government’s travel restrictions. 

There is one event that would not be going ahead, 

mostly because other people need them - the GP’s 

conference next month. 

The Royal New Zealand College of GPs said it was 

important family doctors and other health professionals 

stay where they were needed most - at work. 

“We couldn’t responsibly have so many New Zealand 

GPs, practice nurses, and practice managers out of 

circulation in late April, even for a short time, in light of 

the evolving situation with Covid-19,” Chief Executive 

Lynne Hayman said. 

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that good hygiene 

was not just good practice for the individual, but for 

everyone, especially those with compromised immune 

systems. 

“While a vast majority of people who may have 

Covid-19 will only ever experience mild to moderate 

symptoms, there are those who are vulnerable or have 

underlying health concerns where the impacts will be 

greater. Wash your hands; stay home if you’re sick,” she 

said.


Debut vocalist transcends entertainment to spirituality 

Meenakshi Iyer 

The debut vocal performance 

of Arabi Jeyashankar held on 

Saturday, February 29, 2020 

at Dorothy Winstone Centre 

(Auckland Girls Grammar School) was 

a display of innate talents of this promising 

young Carnatic music singer. 

It would be an understatement to say 

that Arabi excelled in her performance. 

She mesmerised the enlightened audience 

of nearly 700 music enthusiasts on 

that memorable evening. 

Arabi’s dedication, determination 

and devotion to this classical form of 

music was exceptionally displayed at 

every stage. 

Enlightening audience 

Carnatic music is an art form and a 

science by itself with the nuances explained 

analytically and above all with 

precise mathematical calculations. It 

is just not for entertainment, but filled 

with spirituality and the sole purpose is 

to enlighten the audience. 

Born and brought up in New 

Zealand, Arabi was fortunate to be 

exposed and to explore the horizons 

of music at a young age. She had 

her initial training under Dr Padma 

Govardhan and later under the tutelage 

of Kalaimamani Rajeswari of Chennai. 

Arabi Jeyashankar in concert ‘Kavadi Sindhu’ was a highlight of Arab Jeyashankar’s concert (Pictures Supplied) 

The evening’s repertoire included 

rare gems of compositions and selection 

of Ragams and songs were excellent. Full 

justice was done to each piece by Arabi. 

We could feel the energy flowing on 

the stage. Everyone seemed calm, serene 

and blissful. 

Arabi rendered compositions like ‘Swaminatha 

Paripaalayaa’ by Muthusamy 

Dikshitar, ‘Nannu Kanna Thalli’ by 

Saint Tyagaraja, ‘Sarojadbala Nethri’ by 

Shyama Sastri. 

She was at her best when she rendered 

Yaman Kalyani Ragam in ‘Bhavayami 

Gopala Balam’ and reminded me of the 

late Bharata Ratna Dr M S Subbulakshmi. 

‘Ragam, Tanam, Pallavi’ in Shanmukhapriya 

was rendered proudly by 

the young artiste. 

The composer was her Guru Rajeswari. 

Programme highlights 

A few highlights of the evening’s program 

were ‘Kavadi Sindhu,’ ‘Sai Bhajan,’ 

‘Meera Bhajan’ in Darbari Kanada and 

‘Chinnanchiru Kiliye’ by the great Tamil 

poet Subramanya Bharatiyar. 

The audience was left spell bound by 

‘Thillaanna’ in Madhuvanthi Ragam. 

The accompanying artistes of great 

calibre, motivated and encouraged 

Arabi to come out with a splendid 

performance. 

Anantha Krishnan on the Violin 

was commendable. Dr K Murali was 

excellent on the Ghatam. He was indeed 

very supportive of Arabi. 

Avinash Jeyashankar was played 

brilliantly on the Mridangam. He is a 

student of Suresh Ramachandran and 

brother of Arabi. 

Tambura by Deeksha and Aarthi 

(Arabi’s sister) was delightful. 

Dr Mala Nataraj gave a detailed 

musical analysis of the event. 

Anusha Suresh, a talented young 

artist was at her best as the Master of 

Ceremonies. 

Her knowledge in classical art forms 

was evident in her commentary about 

the performance. 

Arabi has begun her musical journey 

and I am sure she will keep exploring 

the wider horizons of Indian classical 

music. 

Guru Kalaimamani Rajeswari 

presented a certificate to Arabi. 

The Concert went on smoothly and 

Communitylink 

17 

packed audience appreciated and 

applauded every song. 

The five-and-half hours need not 

have been interrupted by an interval. 

Arabi will go places and make her 

supportive family, Gurus and the 

community proud. 

About Kalaimamani Rajeswari 

Subramanian Rajeswari is the first 

recipient of the ‘Kalaimamani Award’ 

presented by the Tamil Nadu government 

in 1984. 

Trained by Carnatic Music masters 

such as Tanjore Balasubramaniam, 

Ramnad Krishnan, Madurai N 

Krishnan, S Rajam, and D K Jayaraman, 

she earned MPhil degree for her 

dissertation on the ‘Pada Varnams’ of 

Lalgudi G Jayaraman. 

A top-ranking artiste of All India 

Radio, Ms Rajeswari began her teaching 

career as a Lecturer and later became 

a Professor and Principal-in-Charge at 

the Chennai based Government Music 

College. 

She taught vocal music at the Indira 

Gandhi Centre for Indian Culture, 

Mauritius. 

Ms Rajeswari has also excelled in 

Nattuvangam and vocal music for 

Bharata Natyam and Kuchipudi. She 

has performed with renowned artists 

in notable dance festivals across the 

world. 

Meenakshi (Meena) Iyer Meenakshi 

Iyer (Meena Venki) is a teacher, with 

unquenchable interest in the performing 

of arts of India and reviews music, 

dance and other programmes of the 

Indian community. She lives with her 

husband in Auckland. 

All Blacks lead the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ 

Kieran Madden 

The futurists are hailing that 

the “the fourth industrial 

revolution” is upon us, a 

time where robots will take 

over predictable and routine tasks 

in our jobs. It’s important we have 

a game-plan in place to make the 

most of the transition rather than 

be left behind. 

It is true that many jobs face 

obsolescence, and our policies must 

soften this blow, especially for those 

in lower-skilled roles. 

But there are also opportunities, 

with technological advances 

creating new roles, if we are set-up 

to take them. While I wouldn’t 

usually leave labour market and 

skill development policy to Rugby 

players and coaches, we can gain 

inspiration from the trail-blazing 

way the All Blacks led their own 

revolution, and subsequently, the 

world. 

The All Blacks attributes 

The All Blacks have dominated 

world Rugby for decades precisely 

because they play nothing like 

robots. 

Where increased specialisation 

was the key to success in the last 

century of work, generalisation is 

the way of the future. 

Their sheer versatility, with each 

player fulfilling many roles and 

adapting to conditions on-the-fly, 

was key. Sports historian Tony 

Collins says that their success is 

because their “skill set has perfectly 

matched the modern game and 

given them an advantage over 

teams that don’t have that skill set 

(e.g. forwards who can handle and 

distribute well).” 

Their success helped define the 

modern game, resting on the ideas 

of Rugby coach Jim Greenwood’s 

book Total Rugby. 

Writing in a context where each 

position had traditional and specialised 

roles, Greenwood promoted 

a kind of “open, ebullient” Rugby 

where “every player is equipped 

to plan an active role as attacker, 

defender, and supporting player.” 

He also emphasised judgement, 

the ability to think on one’s feet, 

rather than relying on set-plays or 

sticking strictly to a well-drilled 

game-plan. Some specialisation 

is necessary—agile footwork for 

wingers or heft for forwards for 

example—but all should be able to 

pass, tackle, ruck, and develop their 

decision-making. 

Employers’ search 

Employers are already looking 

for people with a versatile skillset 

like this—for All Blacks of the 

workforce. We need to shift the way 

our development, education, and 

training systems work. 

For parents, it means giving 

children a range of experiences, 

rather than the traditional idea 

of 10,000 hours drilling the same 

sport or art for example, give them 

opportunities to play different ones. 

For educators, it means exploring 

“soft” skills development, looking 

broader than a STEM-focused 

education, and improving links 

with employers. 

For workers, seeking short bouts 

of training and re-training become 

critical to become or stay relevant 

to a changing world of work. 

Play-safe Rugby 

Greenwood calls the alternative 

to total Rugby “play-safe” Rugby, 

where rather than going for a 

win, the tactic is to minimise risks 

to avoid losing. It is not only dull 

to watch, but denies players “the 

preparation that would develop 

their talent, and the opportunity 

to use it.” Playing safe with our 

workforce means continuing on 

the same specialised path of skills 

development that we always have, 

but this will result in an inevitable 

loss. Instead, we should aim to 

again lead the world in skills 

development. 

Kieran Madden is a Researcher 

at the Auckland based Maxim 

Institute. 

Endeared social and community worker passes away 

Reginald Vinod Nand 

(24.04.1942 to 08.02.2020) 

Pratima Nand 

Reginald Vinod Nand, known to 

Rotarians, members of the Fiji 

Indian community and many 

other New Zealanders as a 

kind-hearted social welfare worker, 

passed away on February 8, 2020. 

He was 78 years old and left behind 

his wife Maureen, their son Sanjeev, 

daughter Seema Woollaston, four 

grandchildren, six sisters and three 

brothers. 

He was my elder brother and was 

my mentor and closest friend. 

Reginald was born on April 24, 1942 

in a humble and poor family in Fiji. 

He spent his childhood and adolescent 

years in Sigatoka. Being the eldest 

of the sons, he was a joy to his parents. 

Reginald Nand (INL Photo) 

He was a people’s person, kind, gentle 

and above all a genuine humanitarian, 

readily available to anyone seeking his 

advice and guidance. 

Source of inspiration 

He strongly believed in keeping 

families united. He was a source of 

inspiration to many and continued to 

help people until his last breath. He possessed 

a special skill to deal with people 

from a diverse range of commercial 

and professional disciplines. He was 

an effective leader, creative thinker, 

inspiring, respectful, friendly, loyal and 

professional at all times. 

He married Maureen Deoki in 1969. 

Reginald was well versed in the 

biblical scriptures and was dedicated 

to Christian doctrines and had a strong 

belief in the power of prayer. He 

respected all religions and cultures, 

saying, “People are people to me, 

regardless of their background.” 

He believed in one people, one world 

and one God. 

Whilst in Fiji, he was a dedicated 

member of the Methodist Church. He 

humbled himself as God’s servant, 

working and helping those in need 

without seeking recognition. His 

commitment, courage, diligence, determination 

and perseverance amazed 

people of all ages. 

Education and employment 

Completing his primary education 

at Sigatoka Methodist Mission School, 

and secondary education at Natabua 

Secondary School, Lautoka, his tertiary 

education and career advancement 

included the following:: Asian Trade 

Union College, Manila (1970), University 

of South Pacific (1973), Pacific Rim 

Bankers’ Programme, University of 

Washington, Seattle, USA (1983), Certificate 

in Language Teaching to Adults 

(1996), Graduate Diplomat in TESOL 

(1998), ESL International Language 

Centre, Kuala Lumpur, ESOL Teaching/ 

Research (1998). 

His career in education included 

the establishment of the Advance 

School of Language and managing 

it as ESOL Tutor, Principal, Manager 

and its Part-Owner and home tutoring 

programme to overseas students. 

He was employed with Westpac Bank 

for 35 years in Fiji, Vanuatu, Australia 

and New Zealand at various levels, 

retiring as a top manager. As well as 

promoting ‘localisation of jobs’ in Fiji, 

he was Founder-Member and President 

of Fiji Bank Officer’s Association. 

He won the Customer Service Award 

while managing Relationship Management 

portfolio in Brisbane, Australia. 

Community engagement 

His involvement in community 

service involved the Methodist Church, 

Jaycees International, Fiji Society for 

the Intellectually Handicapped (former 

President), Lions Club of Lautoka 

(former President), BA Soccer Association 

(Chairman of Board of Control), 

Rotary Club (Ba in Fiji, Mount Roskill, 

Auckland), AUT Language Education 

Advisory Committee (Member), Wesley 

Methodist Church, Christian World Service 

(Mount Roskill Coordinator), Moral 

Re-Armament, now called Initiative 

of Change (Member), Citizens Advice 

Bureau (Accredited Member). 

Reginald was a keen gardener, and 

spent much of his leisure hours in the 

garden, planting fruit trees, flowers and 

herbs. Cooking was his other passion. 

He was a very good host and loved 

socialising with friends and families. 

He will always be remembered for 

the sumptuous Barbecues and his 

hospitality at his residence. 

Among his favourites were the 

following lines from a poem by Lindsey 

Zacher 

Keep looking for the sunshine that 

always follows the rain 

Life is a mixture of laughter and 

pleasure; tear drop and pain 

All days cannot be the same, it is 

certainly true 

But there was never a cloud that the 

sun did not shine through. 

Pratima Nand is a community 

leader and social worker based in 

Auckland. A Justice of the Peace and 

Marriage Celebrant, she has been 

involved in promoting the welfare of 

communities in which she serves. Ms 

Nand occasionally writes for Indian 

Newslink. The above article, which 

was sent to us on February 24, 2020 

has been delayed at our end, for 

which we tender our apology.

18 


Entertainmentlink/Classifiedlink 

Arangetram exemplifies yesterday’s art with today’s debutant 

Venkat Raman 

Bharata Natyam teachers, enthusiasts and debut artistes 

choose at one item in a dance concert to extol the qualities 

of Lord Shiva, who is revered as ‘Lord Nataraja,’ or 

‘The King of Dances.’ 

He constitutes the continuity of this ancient Classical Dance 

of South India, which is now gaining increasing popularity 

around the world. 

Extolling Lord Shiva in Varnam 

The Attitudes and Attributes of Lord Shiva formed the basis 

of ‘Konjum Salangai,’ for presenting ‘Varnam,’ the longest and 

most challenging item at the Arangetram of Rishta Anushri 

Sharma, held on February 29, 2020 at Hawkins Theatre in the 

South Auckland suburb of Papakura. 

In many ways, it was an event to cherish and yet another 

achievement for Rishta’s Guru Kalaichchelvi (Selvi) Uthayakumaran, 

who adheres strictly to the tenets of the art, with 

mellifluous Carnatic Music and her impeccable Nattuvangam. 

Rishta executed ‘Konjum Salangai’ in Lathangi Ragam and 

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Do you want to work amongst the seniors of the 

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Do you want to respond to Elder Abuse cases? 

Do you want to make a difference to the lives of our seniors? 

Do you want to work only 20 hours a week? 

(Social Work Registration not mandatory) 

Contact Nilima Venkat on (09) 6221010 or email your cv to 

nilima.venkat@shantiniwas.org.nz 

Shanti Niwas is a registered Charitable Trust and has been 

assisting South Asian Seniors for more than 25 years in 

Auckland. Based on Onehunga, Shanti Niwas conducts weekly 

health, wellbeing and social support programmes and services 

at Onehunga, Balmoral, Manurewa and Glenfield. The Trust is a 

Level 2 MSD Accredited Organisation and runs an Elder Abuse 

Awareness and Response programme as well as 

a transitional home for Abused seniors. 

Adi Thalam, with poise and near perfection, 

exuding the piety towards Lord 

Shiva. The longest and masterpiece of 

an Arangetram, the Varnam was easily 

the most admired item at the Concert. 

Gender Equality 

The principle of gender equality and 

the fusion of the male and female to 

retain the balance of energy is often 

described as ‘Arthanareeswarar’ (or 

‘Ardhanaareeshwaram’) and Lord 

Shiva and his Consort Parvathi are 

known as ‘Arthanareeswarar’ and 

‘Arthanareeswari.’ 

Rishta’s presentation of this Keerthanam 

composed in Madhyamavati 

Ragam and Adi Thalam was a testimony 

to her understanding of the essence 

of the concept. The bhava in this 

number was well expressed, although 

there is scope for further improvement. 

The oneness of male and female led to 

the expression, ‘The Better Half’ in later 

centuries. 

Lord Krishna as the prankster was 

depicted in ‘Vishamakara Kannan,’ a 

number that is often heard as a folk 

song in many music concerts. 

Rishta presented eulogies to the 

Lord in a composition set to Senjuruthi 

Ragam and Adi Thalam. 

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Phone (09) 2689167 

High test of endurance in Varnam 

Ayigiri Nandini in praise of Goddess 

Durga (Mahishasura Mardhini) 

Woman Power 

The item that followed- ‘Ayigiri Nandini,’ 

composed by Adi Shankaracharya in praise 

of Goddess Durga, worshipped in this string 

of slokas as ‘Mahishasura Mardhini’ (the 

vanquisher of demon Mahisash)- was another 

energetic number that tested the artiste’s ability 

to bring out varied emotions and expressions- of 

rising temper, ruling rage, mellowing down, 

calmness and composure. In essence, it was a 

demonstration of the fury that raises to destroy 

the evil. 

The Thillana, which concludes a Bharata 

Natyam performance had its high moments as 

Rishta matched her master’s expectations of 

vivacity and exuberance. 

The Arangetram began with the traditional 

‘Pushpanjali,’ followed by ‘Ananda Nartha Ganapathi,’ 

setting the tone for the evening. Rishta 

danced to the song composed by Oothukkaadu 

Venkatasubbaiyar, set in Nattai Ragam and Adi 

Thalam. 

In ‘Jatheeswaram,’ the dancer brought alive 

the intricacies of the composition in which the 

swaras were set to various Jathis to fit in the 

framework of Thalam. This number was in 

Ragamalika and Misra Chapu Thalam. 

Shanmuga Kavuthuvam 

‘Kavuthuvam’ forms an integral part of 

Bharata Natyam Arangetrams in recent years, 

performed earlier within the hallowed precincts 

Shanmuga Kauthuvam, in praise of Lord 

Murugan 

of temples. 

‘Shanmuga Kavuthuvam,’ presented by 

Rishta, dancing to Gowlai Ragam and Eka 

Thalam had a fascinating scope for praising 

Lord Murugan, worshipped as ‘The God of the 

Tamils.’ 

‘Padam’ is probably the most lyrical aspect of 

a Bharata Natyam concert, in which the dancer 

‘speaks’ of some aspects of love for the Supreme 

Being, love of a mother towards her child, or 

that of her lover or husband. 

Excellent Support 

Selvi had chosen ‘Main Nahin Makhan 

Khayo,’ a Bhajan involving Lord Krishna as a 

child and His mother Yasodha. The Padam was 

well utilised to depict how a mother melts as her 

child pleads innocence. 

The team of support artistes was well constituted- 

Kalaichchelvi (Nattuvangam), Kishore 

Kumar Subramania Iyer (Vocal), Shankar Venkatraman 

(Violin), Ravichandra Mathiaparanam 

(Mridangam) and Venkatesh Sritharan (Flute). 

Apart from continuing her rigorous training 

in Bharata Natyam, Rishta is an avid environmentalist, 

evincing interest in the projects of the 

Auckland Council and Epsom Girls Grammar 

School, where is a Year 11 student. Her parents, 

teachers and peers are proud of her high academic 

achievements and her keen participation 

in sports. 

Shanmuga Kauthuvam, in praise of Lord Murugan 

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Entertainmentlink 

19 

Congratulating 

Years Of 

From Radio to Print to Online; 

Events to awards and more. 

Tarana works with Indian Newslink across all boards and 

mediums to bring the Indian diaspora accurate information and 

up to date, quality content. We both share the same vision to 

inform, educate and entertain you through media with hopes 

you can stay connected to your roots whilst in New Zealand. 

Tarana congratulates Indian Newslink on maintaining a 

brilliantly solid news foundation for everyone in media to look 

up to. We commend them on their authenticity, creativity, and 

pure passion for Journalism. We appreciate all the work they do 

in the community and would like to specially mention the 

annual Business Awards which have been a successful showcase 

year on year of the entrepreneurial work in our community and 

highlighting the great Indian businesses that run New Zealand 

at the forefront. In these past 20 years Indian Newslink have 

achieved what no other Indian print and online newspaper 

could. With too many accolades to mention, the newspaper - at 

it's heart - is a true representation of all things Indian and what 

matters most to Indians living in Aotearoa. 

CONTRIBUTING 

TO A STRONGER 

MORE DIVERSE 

UNDERSTANDING 

WELL-INFORMED 

UNITED 

PASSIONATEN 

Z 

CULTURED

20 


New Zealand First MP 

Shane Jones has reduced 

his tone against the Indian 

community but has called 

for a serious, nationwide discussion 

to put in place a robust Population 

Policy. 

He is also concerned with the 

exploitation of migrant workers 

and international students, including 

those of Indian origin. 

He conceded that he was singling 

out ‘people from India,’ whereas he 

meant the Diaspora. 

“I take your point that you want 

your community to be treated in 

a compassionate way because all 

communities have bad eggs it is 

not the entire community,” he said 

during an exclusive with Indian 

Newslink on March 12, 2020. 

Racist rants 

Mr Jones has been widely 

criticised by politicians on both 

sides of the divide and members of 

various communities for his recent 

outburst singling out the Indian 

community. 

His comments on ‘Indian students 

from New Delhi destroying 

our educational institutions’ were 

not only seen as outrageous but far 

from the truth. 

Mr Jones conceded that his 

vocabulary may sound muscular 

but maintained that New Zealand 

has for too long allowed ‘too much 

immigration.’ 

“I am willing to take it on the 

chin that some of my language is 

bombastic,” he said but insisted 

that unchecked flow of migrants 

was not helping anyone. 

Mr Jones wanted all New 

Zealanders to think of population 

growth and the attendant pressure 

on the infrastructure and public 

services. 

According to him, there are 

hundreds of thousands of Pakehas 

Current Affairslink 

Shane Jones backs down a bit but advocates Population Policy 

Venkat Raman 

Shane Jones (Picture supplied) 

and Maori are worried that in a 

remarkably short period of time, 

not necessarily only through 

immigration, our population has 

reached to five million. 

‘Population explosion’ 

“If we continue through 

excessive immigration, we will be 

8 to 9 million people by 2050. I am 

implacably opposed to that. I am 

a Maori and I will not dilute my 

constitutional rights of my own 

right. I don’t think that we can walk 

back from the fact from people 

who have for a lot longer than me; 

people like (former Immigration 

Minister) David Cunliffe and the 

caucuses in the Labour Party have 

been deeply concerned about how 

low-skilled, temporary migration 

has been used to such an extent 

that in my view they represent a 

major problem and it threatens 

social cohesion,” he said. 

When contacted, Mr Cunliffe 

distanced himself from Mr Jones’ 

remarks. 

Serious concerns 

Mr Jones said that Population 

Policy would be a major issue for 

NZ First in the coming election. 

“I want to put forward a 

Population Policy and the role of 

Immigration in that Policy and 

the ongoing problems that we see 

as unaddressed far too long both, 

for the treatment of the Indian 

language students and the ongoing 

awful conduct chartered out 

through the courses, where a lot of 

Indian Newslink 

these students are being treated of 

what I consider to be in medieval 

fashion,” he said. 

He said that short term migration 

should be frozen, until such time 

we have the social infrastructure 

and “we are confident that the 

ongoing activities that goes with 

exploitation, whether it is Pakehas 

doing to indian employees or people 

within the community.” 

“The gene is out of the Bootle,” 

he said. 

Worsening exploitation 

Mr Jones said that New Zealand 

received about 20,000 people and 

that the prospects of exploitation 

have worsened because of their 

vulnerable status. 

He said that New Zealand 

employers had addicted to ‘this 

type of labour flow,’ and that the 

emerging issues will undermine 

social cohesion. 

Mr Jones said that he is a product 

of biculturalism. 

“I do understand that I want to 

say do rankle and they offend the 

multicultural advocates and indeed 

some in the Indian community. My 

vocabulary has been dismissed as 

too muscular and overblown. But 

I say to you Sir, that in this election, 

we will take this issue forward. I 

am willing to take it on the chin that 

some of my language is bombastic 

but I want to say to you that I am 

a politician whose ancestry goes 

back a 1000 years in this country 

and I want people to focus on the 

lingering and continuing problems 

that wash up in our district court 

and in our high court and leaders of 

the Indian ethnic community and 

leaders like yourself cannot walk 

away from that,” Mr Jones said. 

Additional Reading: ‘Shane Jones 

welcome to the Indian community’ 

on Page 20 and our Leader, 

We do understand that there are 

problems; we need immigration 

should be smarter. 

BUSINESS 

India suspends tourist and OCI visas for a month 

Efforts to stop spread of COVID-19 after one man dies 

Venkat Raman 

The Indian government 

has announced that all 

types of visas including 

those issued to ‘Overseas 

Citizens of India’ (OCI) 

will be suspended with effect 

from 1 pm New Zealand time 

on Saturday, March 13, 2020, 

corresponding to Greenwich 

Mean Time (GMT) 12 am. 

However, those holding Indian 

passports, valid visas held 

for diplomats, government 

officials, representatives of 

the United Nations and its organisations 

and international 

bodies will be exempt from 

this suspension. 

People holding employment 

and project visas will also 

be exempt and can travel to 

India. 

However, everyone allowed 

into the country would be 

subject to a 14-day quarantine. 

The notification followed 

rising concerns over the 

spread of new Coronavirus. A 

decision on the suspension of 

visas was taken at a meeting of 

ministers chaired by Federal 

Heath Minister Harsh Vardhan 

in the Capital on March 12, 

2020. 

One death in Karnataka 

A Health Ministry official 

said in New Delhi that a 

76-year-old man died of 

the disease in the Southern 

State of Karnataka. This was 

the first casualty related to 

COVID-19. 

Karnataka State Health 

Minister B Sriramulu said that 

the man had returned from 

Saudi Arabia on February 29, 

2020 after a month-long visit. 

A group of students wearing protective masks at a railway station in 

Kochi, Kerala on March 10 (Reuters Picture by V Sivaram) 

“He was screened at 

the airport on arrival but 

showed no symptoms. He 

had breathing difficulties 

on March 5, 2020 and 

was taken to the hospital 

immediately. We are 

trying to trace and isolate 

those who travelled with 

him,” Mr Sriramulu said. 

Advice to foreigners 

The Federal government 

notification said 

that visas of all foreigners 

already in India will 

remain valid and that they 

should contact the nearest 

office of the Foreigners 

Regional Registration Officer 

(FRRO) or Foreigners 

Registration Officer (FRO) 

through e-FRRO module 

for extension or conversion 

of their visa or grant 

of any consular service if 

they choose to do so. 

“Visa free travel 

facility granted to OCI 

card holders shall be kept 

in abeyance till April 15, 

2020. This will come into 

effect from 1200 GMT 

on March 13, 2020 at the 

port of departure of any 

foreigner for onward 

journey to India. Any 

foreign national who 

intends to travel to India 

for compelling reasons 

may contact the nearest 

Indian Mission for a fresh 

visa,” the notification said. 

It is understood that 

all incoming travellers, 

including Indian nationals 

arriving from any 

destination and having 

visited China, Italy, Iran, 

Republic of Korea, France, 

Spain and Germany on or 

after February 15, 2020 

will be quarantined for 

a minimum period of 14 

days. 

This order will also 

come into effect from 1200 

GMT on March 13, 2020 

at the port of departure of 

such travellers. 

Indian nationals presently 

abroad are advised 

to avoid non-essential 

travel. They may be quarantined 

for a minimum 

period of 14 days on 

arrival in India. 

At the time of reporting, 

WHO said that there were 

125,288 confirmed cases 

of COVID-19 with 4614 

deaths spared across 118 

countries. 

At the time of reporting, 

WHO said that there were 

125,288 confirmed cases 

of COVID-19 with 4614 

deaths spared across 118 

countries. 

AWARDS 



Call for Entries 

Open to all businesses incorporated in New Zealand, owned, 

operated, managed and franchised by people of Indian, 

Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan and Nepalese origin. 

Nomination Process: Direct by Entrants; 

Nominations for Individual Categories (14 to 18) by companies and individuals. 

Nominations by corporates, banks and financial institutions and chartered accountants 

for companies and individuals with information prescribed in the entry forms available 

on the Awards website (www.inliba.com). 

AWARDS CATEGORIES 

1. Business Excellence in Retail Business 

2. Business Excellence in Innovation 

3. Business Excellence in Marketing 

4. Business Excellence in Customer Service 

5. Best Employer of Choice 

6. Business Excellence in Health & Safety 

7. Business Excellence with Ethics and Compliance 

8. Business Excellence with Social Responsibility 

9. Best Small Business 

10. Best Medium Business 

11. Best Large Business 

12. Business Excellence in International Trade with India 

(Open to all companies in New Zealand) 

13. Business Excellence in International Trade with Fiji NEW 

(Open to all companies in New Zealand) 

14. Best Accountant of the Year 

15. Best Young Entrepreneur of the Year 

16. Best Financial Advisor (Mortgage) 

17. Best Financial Advisor (Insurance) 

18. Best Businesswoman of the Year 

Supreme Business of the Year Award 

(All entries will be entered for this category) 

Winners will be presented with their Awards at a 

Gala Black Tie Dinner on Monday, November 30, 2020, 

details of which will be announced later. 

For more information on Awards, Terms and 

Conditions & Free Workshops, please visit 

www.inliba.com 

Conditions of Entry: Entries and Nominations must be in electronic format sent by 

email. Those sent by post, fax or other means will not be accepted. The decision of 

the judges would be final and no correspondence will be entertained in this 

connection. The management and staff of Indian Newslink and the supporting 

and sponsoring organisations are not eligible to enter the Awards.

INL DIGITAL EDITION March 15, 2020

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