INL DIGITAL EDITION 1st August 2020

The English Fortnightly (Since November 1999)
Issue 443 | August 1, 2020 | Free
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Through the hard work
of our team of five
million and with the
leadership of Jacinda
Ardern, New Zealand has
done so well in recent months.
We are the only country
to have eliminated Covid-19
from the community and
we have amongst the lowest
rate of serious illness and
death. Because of this, we are
able to move forward with
our economic recovery and
rebuild.
As the global pandemic continues
to rage it is important to
not put this progress at risk.
We need a government that
is focussing on things that
matter to New Zealanders.
Response and Recovery
We have a plan to guide
New Zealand’s recovery and
rebuild, the work is underway
and it is important we keep
moving.
The emphasis of this
year’s Budget was the $50
billion Covid-19 Response and
Recovery Fund.
Investments from this fund
are already protecting jobs,
creating new ones, helping
workers to upskill or retrain,
and supporting the sectors
affected most.
Treasury forecasts that
these investments could
bring unemployment back to
pre-Covid levels within two
Multi-Ethnic staff from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Japan,
Tonga, Iraq, Samoa and China
Specialists in Sale and Purchase of Property & Business, Leases,
Employment Law, Criminal Law, Family Law, Wills & Trusts, Immigration
Law- all types of visas and appeals (Initial Consultation Free)
years and have the economy
growing again as early as next
year.
But they are possible only
because of the discipline the
government showed early on
in meeting the Budget Responsibility
Rules and getting debt
below 20% of GDP.
Edge to invest
That low debt that we
had pre-Covid has given us
considerable edge to invest
and stimulate the economy.
But we know that we have to
pay back this debt.
That is why we continue to
make the investments carefully
with an eye to the future.
Last week, the Finance
Minister made it clear that our
responsible approach to managing
the government’s books
pre-Covid has not changed.
We are making sure that
we are balancing the need
to support businesses and
households through the worst
of this economic shock, while
managing debt tightly, and
keeping funds in reserve for
any future rainy days.
The government has decided
not to spend the remaining
$14 billion from the Covid-19
Response and Recovery Fund
before the election. It will be
set aside to use if we need it,
especially if we have to deal
with a second wave of the
virus.
Our Finance Minister was
firm that if this money was
not needed, we do not have to
spend it.
He was very clear that there
are strict criteria for accessing
the Covid-19 Response and
Recovery Fund. We will not be
using it for political projects a
decade away at the expense
of making sure that we can
invest immediately to protect
New Zealanders from a
second wave.
Strong border controls
Our strong controls at the
border continue to stop the
virus spreading through New
Zealand, and there remains no
evidence of any cases in our
communities.
But with Covid-19 now
exploding beyond our borders,
and likely to be around
for some time, we must be
prepared for the worst.
I think this reflects the
government’s priorities more
broadly.
When asked recently about
the upcoming election, the
Prime Minister responded,
“My focus, my time, my
energy, is going into our
Covid-response and that is
what it should be. I think that
right now politicking does not
matter much to New Zealanders.
They want to know that
we are focused on Covid and I
can assure them that we are.”
I am proud to be a part of
a team that is focused on the
things that matter: keeping
New Zealanders safe, while
minimising the ongoing
impact of the virus.
Let us keep moving.
Michael Wood is Member of Parliament
elected from Mt Roskill and
Senior Government Whip.
Raj Pardeep Singh
Principal
LLB/BA (Hons.)
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Government ready to tackle
second wave of Covid-19
Michael Wood
World’s Most Eloquent Leader at Our Lecture
Jacinda Ardern on ‘My
Vision for New Zealand’
on August 6, 2020 in
Auckland
Venkat Raman
Prime Minister Jacinda
Ardern will be the
Guest Speaker at
this year’s Indian
Newslink Lecture, scheduled
to be held on Thursday,
August 6, 2020 at 630 pm at
Mahatma Gandhi Centre,
145, New North Road, Eden
Terrace, Auckland.
‘My Vision for New
Zealand,’ is the theme of her
Lecture, which is expected to
set the pace for future course
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (Getty Images)
of direction for various
sectors of the economy. passionate, without shying
On Thursday, July 30, 2020, away from tough issues,”
the Developing Academy of the Academy said in a Press
Acuity Training of United Release.
Kingdom named Ms Ardern It said that world leaders
‘The Most Eloquent Leader in have the ability to inspire us,
the World,’ ahead of German motivate us, shock us and
Chancellor Angela Markel even scare us.
and India’s Prime Minister “There is tremendous
Narendra Modi.
power in great public
Empathetic leadership style speaking. But despite the
The Academy reviewed requirement to make several
more than 100 hours of footage
from press conferences, speeches in their roles, there
public appearances and
speeches and other public are some world leaders
addresses of world leaders who are not always on the
throughout 2020 and selected right track when it comes to
Ms Ardern as the topper. addressing their nation,” the
“Jacinda Ardern employs Academy said.
an empathetic leadership National Party MP and
style. She challenges the Finance Spokesperson Paul
common perception that Goldsmith will provide his
emotional communication ‘Reflections’ on the Lecture.
shows weakness, instead Attorney General and Minister
for Trade and Export
choosing to approach the
public with softer touch. Growth David Parker will be
She has a measured and the Master of Ceremonies,
authoritative sincerity about Auckland Mayor Phil Goff
her – she is kind and com- will deliver the Welcome
Address, Barrister & Solicitor
Gurbrinder Aulakh will
provide ‘A Point of View’
and former Labour MP Dr
Rajen Prasad will give the
Concluding Remarks.
About INL Lecture Series
The Indian Newslink Sir
Anand Satyanand Lecture
was instituted in 2011, subscribing
to the broad theme
of Good Governance, with
Honesty, Integrity, Accountability
and Transparency
as its core principles. The
Series has been rebranded
this year but would continue
to feature topics of interest
to those in governance
roles, those on the growth
path of their career and to
chief executives and other
decision-makers.
This formal, Black Tie
Event includes dinner and
networking.
For tickets and other details,
please call 021-836528. Email:
venkat@indiannewslink.co.nz

02
AUGUST 1, 2020
Homelink
Collins puts forth ambitious $31 billion infrastructure plan
Jo Moir
An eye-watering $31 billion is
the price tag that the National
Party has put on the infrastructure
upgrade required
to fix the country’s transport network
and Auckland and upper North
Island’s congestion crisis.
In her first big policy announcement
on July 17, 2020, National Leader Judith
Collins delivered the opposition’s
infrastructure plan - a policy that
former leader Todd Muller was meant
to make before quitting on Tuesday,
July 14, 2020.
Collins has also announced that a
National government would repeal
the Resource Management Act (RMA)
completely, and replace it with two
new pieces of law.
Massive investment Upper North
More than half of the money announced
by Collins today ($17 billion)
would be invested in the Upper North,
which Collins says is home to half of all
New Zealanders.
To fix the congestion issues, Collins
has announced “National would go
ahead with everything Labour has
said it will do in transport” - with the
exception of Transport Minister Phil
Twyford’s “light-rail Ghost Trains, and
the probable exception of the $360
million Skypath 2.”
She said that National would also
go much further, with some work
beginning immediately and the
larger projects rolled out over the next
decade.
One of the most ambitious projects
announced is four-lane expressways,
including tunnels under the Brynderwyn
and Kaimai mountain ranges,
National Party Leader Judith Collins (RNZ Picture by Simon Rogers)
to connect Whangarei, Auckland,
Hamilton and Tauranga.
Definition of City
“National’s vision is to transform
the four cities to be one economic
powerhouse, unlocking their potential
so the upper North Island becomes
Australasia’s most dynamic region,’’
Collins said.
Also a part of the announcement
is Auckland’s rapid transit network,
including rail to the airport and new
busways.
“One rough definition of a city is
that it is a place you can get from one
side to the other in an hour, or a place
that the average time to get to work
is 30 minutes. National will measure
our progress against the goals of 30
minutes to get to work and one hour
to get across the city,’’ Collins said.
An additional harbour crossing has
also been announced - Collins said
planning work would begin immediately
with spades in the ground by
2028.
“National’s Plan is that the crossing
should be a tunnel or tunnels, and be
for both road and rail, and new public
transport technologies that come
online,’’ she said.
Other plans included expanding the
ferry network in Auckland and new
walking and cycling links as well as
expanded park-and-ride facilities.
Digger-Ready Projects
In addition to the larger long-term
projects, $300 million worth of
“digger-ready” projects across the
country in 2021 would fix potholes,
roundabouts and crash corners.
Collins said the $17 billion for
Auckland and the upper North Island,
and the $14 billion for “soon-to-beannounced
projects in the southern
half of the country” would be paid for
out of the current government’s Covid
fund.
At this year’s Budget, Finance
Minister Grant Robertson set aside
$20 billion of untagged funding for
Covid-related recovery projects.
“New Zealand Transport Agency
(NZTA) will also be allowed to better
leverage its balance sheet by borrowing
up to $1 billion a year, and there
will be tolls on the new Brynderwyn,
Waitemata and Kaimai tunnels,’’
Collins said.
Transport spokesperson Chris
Bishop said Aucklanders would also
benefit from National’s repealing of the
Auckland Regional Fuel Tax within its
first 100 days in office.
That would put $150 million in
savings per year into Aucklanders’
back pockets.
“We will not increase fuel tax or road
user charges in our first term,’’ he said.
RMA repeal
Collins said that previous
governments have tinkered with the
RMA with amendments, and that is a
“mistake.’’
She plans not to reform it, but repeal
it altogether.
“We will replace it with two new
pieces of law: an Environment Standards
Act, setting our environmental
bottom lines; and an Urban Planning
and Development Act, giving clarity
and consistency. We will begin this
work in our first 100 days.
“We will introduce new legislation
by the end of next year,’’ she said.
That process will however be too
slow for the projects that she has
announced in her infrastructure policy
today.
The RMA fast-track legislation passed
in response to Covid-19 provides a
useful interim framework, but is too
limited, she said.
“National will make far more
extensive use of the fast-track Act. New
Zealand is facing an extraordinary jobs
and economic crisis; and it demands
a proportional response. We simply
cannot let the RMA stand in the way
of urgently needed infrastructure
development,’’ she said.
The following is from another report
by Jo Moir:
Former Leader Simon Bridges did
not vote for Collins.
“I will make no secret of the fact
that I voted for Mark Mitchell. He is
someone I have got a high regard for
who was there close to me when I was
Leader of the National Party. But now,
we have got Judith and I think that
she is going to do a really good job,” he
said.
Collins told Morning Report that she
is not fussed at the admission, saying
that she also publicly said that she
voted for Muller as Leader.
She said that it is a free vote with no
ramifications, as evidenced by Bridges
high ranking in the party reshuffle
announced on July 16, 2020.
“I think that he is very happy with
me as Leader,” she said.
Jo Moir is a Political Reporter at Radio New
Zealand. The above Report and Picture have
been published under a Special Arrangement
with www.rnz.co.nz
Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi
National List MPbased
in
Manukau East
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AUGUST 1, 2020
Homelink
Action Plan to rescue Auckland from Covid-19 impact
Phil Goff
The impact of Covid-19
on our City has been
dramatic, with the full
economic effects still to
be felt.
The good news is that, by
working together, we stopped
the community spread of the
virus, saving potentially thousands
of lives and preventing
our hospitals from being
overwhelmed.
However, the economic
cost of the virus, causing the
lockdown and worldwide
recession, is high, not least the
effect on Auckland Council’s
finances.
Emergency Budget
Council income has been
slashed by nearly $500 million,
meaning that we need to dramatically
cut our expenditure.
That is why the Council has
had to pass an Emergency
Budget.
Since the budget went out
for public consultation; on top
of that we have also had to
find a further $224 million to
pay for new infrastructure to
increase water supply.
After this year’s worst-ever
drought, the Met Service
forecast is for a drier spring
and summer, with the risk
of severe water restrictions.
Few in Auckland would
question the need to make this
If Auckland succeeds, rest of New Zealand will prosper (Auckland Council Picture)
investment, so the money has
to be found.
The Emergency Budget is
the most challenging budget
Auckland Council has ever
faced.
We have had to balance
the need to cut spending with
the need to protect the vital
services we provide for Aucklanders
and keep as much
as we can the investment we
need to make in infrastructure
to match future population
growth.
We cannot just borrow to
pay for all of this. If we do
not manage our finances
prudently, we risk losing our
credit rating, adding hundreds
of millions of dollars in higher
interest rates and putting
the debt unfairly on future
generations.
Curtailing expenditure
The first thing we did was to
cut our spending.
Staffing has already been
cut, with over 600 temporary
and contract workers going.
Another 500 permanent jobs
will also be lost. Any non-essential
services have had to be
cut back.
The Council must become a
smaller and leaner organisation
that does more with less.
Council spending has been cut
by more than $200 million.
Secondly, we will sell
surplus property to the value
of around $220 million and
use that capital to avoid
cutting infrastructure projects.
There is no better time than a
recession to spend money on
building for the future, while
stimulating economic recovery
and creating new jobs in the
construction industry.
Infrastructure investment
By careful management of
our budget, we will invest this
year over $2.2 billion in new
infrastructure, more than
the average of $1.6 billion
spent annually over the past
five years.
And while some services
have had to be trimmed
back, we will continue to
provide critical and valuable
council services like public
transport, libraries and
community facilities, parks
and playgrounds, and waste
and recycling services.
The loss of nearly $500
million in income is the
equivalent of a rates cut of
around 28%.
As a result, we will need
to leave in place an average
general rates rise of 3.5%, as
originally announced. While
we would have liked to cut
that, the cost in terms of lost
services and infrastructure
was too great.
Rates increase
The difference between
a 2.5% and a 3.5% rates
increase for the owner of a
$1 million property paying
the average general rate
is around 47 cents a week
more for the higher rate.
The lower rate would,
however, have slashed
spending by another
$17 million and cut our
investment in infrastructure
by $60 million.
Instead of a general
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rates cut, we have targeted
support to those facing real
hardship because of Covid-19,
putting aside $50 million
to allow postponement
of rates without penalty.
It was a tough budget to
put together, but in the end
all 21 local boards and the
overwhelming majority of
Councillors came together
to agree on a budget that
best serves the people of
Auckland, now and for the
future.
Phil Goff is Mayor of Auckland.
He writes a regular column in
Indian Newslink
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04
AUGUST 1, 2020
Homelink
Andy Coster sets three key priorities for New Zealand Police
Venkat Raman
Enhancing human capital, high
quality service delivery and prevention
of crime through partnerships
are three key priorities
that the new Police Commissioner Andy
Coster has set for the New Zealand
Police during his five-year term.
Speaking at a special Powhiri held
in his honour on his appointment as
Police Commissioner at the Pipitea
Marae in Wellington on Friday, July 31,
2020, he said that inclusion, constant
consultation with all communities and
closer working relationship with other
public services will also form a part of
his regime.
About 500 men and women,
representing the Police, government
departments, the judiciary, officials of
public and private sector organisations
and community leaders.
Among them were Deputy Commissioners,
Assistant Commissioners,
Deputy Chief Executives, District
Commanders, Inspectors and other
sworn and non-sworn officers of the
New Zealand Police, members of the
Police Commissioner’s Maori, Pacific
and Ethnic Focus Forum, Director
General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield,
Commissioner Coster’s parents Dr
Gregor and Heather Coster, his wife Jo
and their sons Daniel, Joshua and Sam.
Service Delivery
Mr Coster mentioned ‘Be First, then
do,’ as his primary objective as Police
Commissioner.
“This is to ensure that New Zealand
Police is delivering from a position of
internal strength; that we embody the
kind of organisation that we need to be
to achieve our outcomes in communities.
We need to be an organisation that
brings humanity to all our interactions,
Police Commissioner Andy Coster speaking at
the Powhiri
if we are to achieve the most positive
impact we can in people’s lives,” he
said.
Emphasising the human aspect of
policing, he said it was imperative
to understand what happens at the
human level in order to select the most
appropriate response to a situation.
“Given the increasing complexity
of what we need to navigate, we also
need our people to be able to bring
the best of themselves to their work.
This will happen when we create an
environment in which diverse thought
is welcome, and leaders see it as their
role to enable our people to be their
best,” Mr Coster said.
He said that a proper understanding
of public expectations is essential to
deliver the quality and level of service
required.
“There are some core expectations
that the public have of us as an
organisation, and we must make sure
we meet them. We have a range of
different demands to balance and we
need to be well attuned to changing
expectations, as well as looking after
the core responsibilities that are always
with us,” Mr Coster said.
Police Commissioner Andy Coster with his wife Jo and parents Gregor and Heather
Prevention through Partnerships
Describing the Police as a ‘genuine
blue line,’ he said that New Zealand can
become the safest country in the world
only through community partnerships.
“I am greatly heartened by the level
of collaboration that I am seeing in
communities and across the public
service. We need to keep building on
this, seeking genuine partnership to
strengthen communities. There are a
range of practical things that fall out of
these priorities and we have already
started,” Mr Coster said and reiterated
his commitment to make ‘New Zealand
Police an organisation for its people
and for New Zealanders it serves.’
He spoke of the challenges that
confront the New Zealand Police and
cited family harm and organised crime
as examples. He said that as an organisation,
New Zealand Police has shown
the ability to rise to the challenges.
Mr Coster said that he was keen to
promote the policing as calm, compassionate
and confident service –qualities
that were underscored by the service
during Covid-19 lockdown.
“Our model is underpinned by
idea of maintaining the community’s
consent for what we do. Walking this
line is no mean feat – the community
does not always speak with one voice.
However, I believe we have demonstrated
what can be achieved when we
go about it the right way,” he said.
About Andy Coster
Graduating from the Royal New
Zealand Police Academy in April 1997,
Andy Coster worked for the next six
years in various frontline and investigative
roles at Counties Manukau Police
and Auckland Metro Crime.
He was admitted to the High Court of
New Zealand as a Barrister and Solicitor
and worked as Solicitor at Meredith
Connell in the Auckland Office of the
Crown Solicitor in 2004. The following
two years were spent as Response Manager
and Section Supervisor at Counties
Manukau West and in 2006 became the
District Deployment Manager of the
District.
Mr Coster took charge as the Area
Commander of Auckland City Central
in 2009 and over the next five years
countered the challenges posed by the
Central Business District of the busiest
city in the country. During this period,
he also served as the Armed Offenders
Master of Ceremonies Deputy Commissioner
Wallace Haumaha
Squad Commander for Auckland.
He was appointed District Commander,
Southern Police District in 2015 and
a year later, became the Deputy Chief
Executive at the Ministry of Justice and
moved to the Police Headquarters in
Wellington in March 2018 as Acting
Deputy Commissioner, Strategy and
Partnership. Shortly thereafter, he took
charge of Strategy and Partnerships
in the same capacity, until his appointment
by the Prime Minister as the
Police Commissioner.
Mr Coster is a Member of the
Institute of Directors New Zealand and
former Trustee of the Mangere Genesis
Youth Trust.
Other Speakers
Among the speakers at the Powhiri
were Justice Sector Reform Advocate
Sir Kim Workman, Chief Executive
Te Arawhiti Office of Maori Crown
Relations Lil Anderson, Children’s
Commissioner Judge Andrew Becroft,
Professor Gregor Coster and Police
Commissioner’s Focus Forum Member
Tino Pereira. Deputy Commissioner
(Maori, Pacific and Maori Services)
Wallace Haumaha was the Master of
Ceremonies.
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AUGUST 1, 2020
Past lessons should
challenge future actions
Rowan Light
The notion that
“history is written by
the winner” might
seem clichéd but,
as the Chinese Communist
Party’s (CCP) crack-down
on history education in
Hong Kong shows, it is one
that should give us cause to
reflect on how precious (and
precarious) the teaching of
history can be.
In one of the more sinister
aspects of the attack on civil
liberties in Hong Kong, one
pro-Beijing spokesperson
threatened that teachers
should remember this lesson
of history: “The winner is
king, the loser an outlaw,”
adding that “When you lose
and fail, you will be beheaded.
And there is no achieving
justice by violating the law.”
Squashing dissent
Having won the fight, the
CCP is determined to squash
all signs of dissent, even from
the past.
Passages from the philosopher
Su Xun, known for
11th-century essays on wars
and military reforms, have
already been redacted from
school textbooks, because Su’s
teaching could “incite violence
in students or make them
think revolution is good.”
Such flagrant repression
reveals something important:
the CCP is well aware
(and fearful) of the power of
history. If you control history,
you can shape how people
see their world – including
omitting the parts that are
discomforting or threatening
for those in positions of
power.
As New Zealanders, we
are fortunate to be able to
learn about our past free
from government edict. Such
precious freedoms, however,
need to be cultivated, and
not taken for granted.
One way we might do this
is by paying attention to our
own history education.
New National History
In the next month or so,
the group of historians who
have been developing the
new national history curriculum
in schools will release
their proposed resource for
public consultation.
Unlike the people of Hong
Kong, the New Zealand
public will be able to have
their say on how and what
history should be taught in
our schools.
As the CCP knows, rigorous
history teaching can provide
crucial skills and knowledge
for critical thinking. Without
these tools, we can be more
easily caught up in dogmatic
political narratives.
For this reason, we should
be suspicious of history that
only puts our society in a
flattering light. Rather, it
is the parts of history that
make us uncomfortable that
we should pay attention
to. What is unfamiliar and
unsettling can open up new
ways of thinking about the
world.
Space for dialogue
We should hope for a
national curriculum that
creates space for controversy,
debate, and critique;
one in which we encounter
a past that challenges us
and provokes arguments
across the dinner table and
watercooler.
History education is key
to a healthy political culture.
This also means that thinking
about the wider “ecosystem”
of how we share stories of
the past: the networks of
civil society, such as families,
communities, and museums,
as well as the classroom and
textbooks.
The history curriculum
isn’t just something for government
panels and teachers
to consider: it is something
all New Zealanders should
want to engage with and take
ownership.
It is only then that we can
ensure that history is not just
“written by the winners” but
shared by everyone.
Rowan Light is a Researcher
at Maxim Institute based in
Auckland.
Homelink
05

06
AUGUST 1, 2020
Electionlink
Labour gains strength among voters but challenges rise
Employment and
Economy are major,
influencing concerns
Venkat Raman
The following article, in pdf
format was released on
Monday, July 20, 2020 as
Tourism Minister and Deputy
Leader of Labour Party Kelvin Davis
at the Electionlink (a special section
in Indian Newslink launched once
in three years before the general
election) at Mahatma Gandhi Centre
in Auckland City. Among those
present were the then Immigration
Minister Iain Lees-Galloway, Ethnic
Communities Minister Jenny Salesa,
Labour Party President Claire
Szabo, Labour MPs, new candidates
contesting in the ensuing general
election (on September 18, 2020),
supporters and Indian Newslink
sponsors.
On the face of it, the general election,
due to be held on September 19, 2020,
could be a foregone conclusion, with
Jacinda Ardern recording the highest
ever public approval as Prime Minister
and her Labour Party endorsed high in
opinion polls.
Predications are that Labour will
be able to govern on it own; if it
does, the Party would create history;
being the first since the Mixed
Member Proportion (MMP) system
was introduced in 1996. That could
set the trend to debate the efficacy
of the system and perhaps lead to
the establishment of a bicameral
legislature.
Rise of Jacinda Ardern
A politician who was seen as a
young woman with a lot of hope at the
Indian Newslink Electionlink launch
held on February 28, 2017, has today
risen to be one of the most admired
leaders of the world, and certainly the
most determined Prime Minister of
this Century.
The empathy and love that she
showed on the aftermath of the
Christchurch massacre on March 15,
2020 made Ms Ardern the champion of
the common people. According to her
critics, she also handled equally well
the Whakaari/While Island eruption
on December 9, 2019 and the concerns
it raised around the world.
Covid-19 afflictions
Covid-19 has afflicted most countries
the Continents since December 2019
and continues to pose serious threats
to human lives and economies.
New Zealand is among a handful of
countries that handled the pandemic
situation well. The country is now fully
open to all businesses with freedom of
movement, although the borders are
closed for international traffic.
The government has the unenviable
task of managing New Zealanders
returning from overseas in isolation
and quarantine facilities. This has
become a messy task with breaches
by some people and leaks by a
couple of National MPs. The constant
condemnation of former National
Party leaders Simon Bridges and Todd
Muller were seen as scaremongering
tactics.
Ms Ardern has a team of capable
ministers who have risen to the
occasion to position their ministries
and officials for quick and efficient
response to Covid-19 with cash and
other relief packages to employed
and self-employed people, businesses,
and others. There have however been
criticisms that the government has
ignored small businesses.
Tourism Minister and Labour Party Deputy Leader Kelvin Davis
speaking at the Electionlink (of Indian Newslink) launch in Auckland
on July 20, 2020 (INL Picture by Narendra Bedekar)
The Judith Collins factor
Notwithstanding the high level of
public endorsement that Ms Ardern
and Labour enjoy eight weeks into the
general election, the rising importance
of Judith Collins as the Leader of the
National Party since her election on
July 14, 2020 can neither be ignored
nor underplayed. She is an aggressive
politician and carries her campaigns
on war-footing.
That attitude could be selfdestructive.
Since the onset of
Covid-19, the National Party and
its Spokespersons have continued
to attack the government on every
issue, while they should have
been supportive in fighting off the
pandemic.
Nonetheless, the fact that the
National Party is in the process of
rejuvenation cannot be discounted. Ms
Collins has stimulated national debate
with her eye-watering $31 billion
infrastructure upgrade plan required
to fix the transport network in many
cities, with the largest share going to
Auckland, followed by upper North
Island.
Employment and Economy
Labour’s election campaign rests
on five major issues: (1) Investment
in human capital (2) Creating jobs (3)
Preparing for the future (4) Supporting
small businesses and (5) Positioning
New Zealand globally to promote
trade, tourism, education, investment,
and other sectors
“It is about investing in our people, it
is about jobs, preparing for our future,
supporting our small businesses,
entrepreneurs and job creators and
positioning ourselves globally. I have
seen economic downturns before and
what they can do to those left behind.
We must be mindful of the debt that
future generations may carry because
of what we need to do now. But we
Kelvin Davis launches Electionlink with (from left) Ross Robertson, Jacob Mannothra, Iain Lees-Galloway, Jenny Salesa and
others (Pictures for Indian Newslink by Narendra Bedekar)
would be wrong to characterise debt
as solely being financial. If we choose
not to invest now, during the rainy
day we have been preparing for, we
burden the future with debt of another
kind,” Ms Ardern said, speaking to the
Labour Party Congress on July 5, 2020.
The size of a country and its ability
to punch above its weight is often a
determinant on the global scene in
gaining attention and response. On
such a score, Ms Ardern has been
able to establish synergy with diverse
leadership across the world.
New Zealand continues to score
high on the world map as a reliable,
well-meaning and honest friend, and
its impressive status of being the least
corrupt country on the Corruption
Perception Index of Transparency
International (although perception
can be divorced from facts) is a source
of endearment for international
businesses and investors.
Transparent governance
But none of these would cut ice
with New Zealanders who are largely
unimpressed by grandeur. What
matters to them is good and firm
leadership, sound fiscal management,
policies and programmes that promote
a higher standard of living and most
important of all, clean and transparent
governance.
As the election campaign gets under
way, Labour’s slings at the possible cost
of other National Party’s policies would
be watched with abiding interest.
Democracy under trial
Democracy is going through a
difficult time. Where autocrats
have been driven out of office, their
opponents have mostly failed to
create viable democratic regimes.
Even in established democracies,
flaws in the system have become
worryingly visible and disillusion with
politics is rife. Yet just a few years ago
democracy looked as though it would
dominate the world.
As the Economist wrote,
democracies are on average richer
than non-democracies, are less likely to
go to war and have a better record of
fighting corruption.
“More fundamentally, democracy
lets people speak their minds and
shape their own and their children’s
futures. That so many people in so
many different parts of the world are
prepared to risk so much for this idea
is testimony to its enduring appeal.”
Major investments keep the economy moving
Investing in our people, backing
businesses, and upgrading
infrastructure and housing
throughout the country are
among Labour’s plan to recover
and rebuild.
Kiwis deserve high-quality care
they can rely on; so, we are making
sure that DHBs have the infrastructure
that they need to deliver vital
services for New Zealanders.
That is why we are replacing
Auckland Hospital’s 50-year-old
infrastructure, future-proofing the
facilities for generations to come.
While often behind the scenes,
away from patients and whānau,
it is the critical infrastructure that
keeps hospitals running. This work
will get underway while the DHB’s
existing infrastructure projects
are progressing. Construction on
the hospital will also create jobs,
employing as many as 350 workers
Labour Party Leader Jacinda Ardern with her
supporters
(Picture from Labour Party Website)
on-site.
Upgrading hospitals
After a long period of under-funding,
we are tackling the
long-term challenge of bringing
our hospitals back up to the standard
New Zealanders expect.
Auckland Hospital is just one of
the health infrastructure upgrades
being funded by our record $3.5
billion investment to improve our
hospitals.
We also announced more than
$30 million in funding to support
strategic tourism businesses.
This investment will help drive
domestic tourism through developing
regional events and increasing
businesses’ digital capabilities.
Boosting tourism
The funding will go to 126 tourism
businesses in total, and could
help protect the jobs of around 3000
people directly employed in the industry.
This announcement means
that the $400 million Tourism
Recovery Package we announced at
Budget 2020, is now fully allocated.
We are expanding the Kāinga Ora
- Homes and Communities Retrofit
Programme, making around 1500
older state homes warmer, drier,
and healthier. The upgrades will
take place in 30 towns and cities
across New Zealand over the next
two and a half years.
Source: Labour Voices August 1, 2020

AUGUST 1, 2020
Electionlink
Renewed confidence puts National back on the track
But the mood of voters
does not allow for
guesses
Venkat Raman
National Party Leader
Judith Collins is upbeat
about the general election
scheduled to be held
on Saturday, September 19, 2020
saying that National will form the
next government, but she is beset
with a series of challenges that can
prove to be formidable.
Ms Collins is a stern, no-nonsense
leader, who has proved her mettle
as a Minister of the Crown holding
a wide range of portfolios- 14 of
them- during the John Key and Bill
English governments between 2008
and 2017.
Soon after being elected Leader of
the Party on July 14, 2020, she dealt
with decisiveness the indiscretions
of two members of her Caucussacking
one and demoting the
other. She still has faces a number
of issues, not the least of which is to
ensure discipline within the ranks
of her parliamentary colleagues at
least over the next seven weeks.
With the past two opinion polls
showing National under poor light,
Ms Collins has the task of getting
her Party back on track with sound
policies and programmes. Mere
rhetoric would not go any good.
The glasshouse effects
The exit of Todd Muller as the
Leader of the National Party had a
rippling effect among politicians,
National Party caucus and the
media, but the hoo-ha died down
as quickly as it rose; in fact, it was
so short-lived that it went almost
unnoticed. Ms Collins was perhaps
a candidate of convenience and an
antidote to the smote that National
had suffered. She was in effect the
instrument of painless change,
orchestrating a move which could
have otherwise caused ruptures.
Clearly, the Nats cannot afford
another division.
For all the smear campaigns that
he suffered during the last days
in office, Mr Muller may not have
been directly responsible for the
implosion, but some of his own
Bakshi launches his campaign in Panmure-Otahuhu
Venkat Raman
National Party MP
Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi
launched his campaign
for the ensuing general
elections at the Panmure-Otahuhu
Constituency in the midst of a
number of fellow lawmakers and
new candidates contesting across
Auckland.
The event was held on July 25,
2020.
The first India-born candidate
to enter Parliament as a List MP
in 2008, Mr Bakshi is currently the
Ethnic Communities Spokesperson
for his Party.
Among those at the launch were
National Party Directors Alastair
Bell, Andrew Hunt and Stefan Sundae,
current MPs Simon O’Connor,
Alfred Ngaro, Agnes Loheni, Paulo
Garcia and new candidates Christopher
Luxon and Nuwi Samarakone.
Following is an extract from a
RNZ report:
On July 14, 2020, the Party elected
Judith Collins as its new leader to
National Party’s Simon Bridges with (from left) David Carter, Mark Mitchell, Rima Nakhle and
other MPs and supporters at the Electionlink Launch held on Monday, July 27, 2020
New National Party candidates from various constituencies in Auckland Nuwi Samarakone, Jake
Bezzant, Lisa Whyte, Simon Watts, Bala Beeram, Rima Nakhle and Christopher Luxon.
colleagues in the National Caucus
did things that were unforgivable.
Leaking names of Covid-19 patients
to the media and scaremongering
the public with unsubstantiated
accusations were distasteful.
Even as people were worried
about their own health and the risk
of Covid-19 spreading, the National
Party leadership and some MPs
National MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi speaking
at this Campaign Launch
replace Todd Muller, with Gerry
Brownlee as her Deputy. Collins,
61, was first elected as an MP for
Clevedon in 2002 and has been part
of six Parliaments.
“I think it is really important that
we all have a common goal ... to get
rid of the current government and
put in place a better government,”
she said after emerging from the
Caucus meeting.
“One of the things that unifies
any party is if they see that we are
getting the results that we want ...
I think you are going to find that
have been taking cudgels against
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
and the government for their
translucency, without realising the
glasshouse effect.
Holding the government to
account
They were too willing to have a
go at all their political opponents,
interrogating their honesty and
National MPs Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, Alfred Ngaro, Simon O’Connor and candidates Christopher
Luxon, Nuwi Samarakone and others
we are very focused on winning.
There is no chance at all that I am
going to allow ... Ardern to get
away with any nonsense to do
with our economy. I am going to
hold her to account. I would say
experience, toughness, the ability
to make decisions ... that would be
myself. Jacinda Ardern is someone
we should not ever underestimate.
We are actually better. If you look
at our team, our experience ... it is
better than Jacinda Ardern and her
team,” she said.
She said the Party’s policies would
integrity, without realising that
they may one day be ensnared in
their own words.
But arguably, it is the opposition’s
call to keep the government under
check and pressure, giving the
ministers a run for their policies
and even the money that they earn.
The Nats have done their job well
on that score; but in terms of enunciating
policies and programmes
and readiness to take over the
mantle of governance should there
be a need, they have thus far failed
to impress.
Although thrillingly effective
in the gladiatorial arena of the
debating chamber in Parliament
and, from Collins’ point of view,
a welcome endorsement of her
leadership credentials, Mr Muller’s
imagery seemed less well-judged
during his short tenure.
Two tough Leaders
Ms Ardern has earned the love
and admiration of a majority of
New Zealanders for her empathy
and quick actions following the
Christchurch massacre on March
15, 2019, the Whakaari-White Island
eruption on December 9, 2019 and
Covid-19 thus far this year. She has
also shown her toughness in the
handling of a number of erring Ministers
of her Cabinet, more recently
in the exit of Dr David Clark (Health)
and Iain Lees-Galloway (Workplace
not see any major changes.
About Judith Collins
Ms Collins, Member of Parliament
elected from Papakura, has been
the Shadow Attorney General since
May and holds the National Party’s
spokesperson roles for several
areas, including Economic Development,
Regional Development and
Pike River Re-Entry.
She has previously been the Minister
for ACC, Corrections, Energy
and Resources, Ethnic Communities,
Justice, Police, Revenue and Veterans’
Affairs.
07
Relations & Safety).
Ms Collins is also an Iron Lady
and her non-nonsense approach
was seen even during her early
years as Minister of Corrections
(2009), Police and later in other
ministries.
If people are tired of the
incumbent government and need
a change, they must be given
adequate reasons for exercising
their franchise in favour of the
National Party.
Inclusive Politics
More, the Party would have to
come out of its restrictive approach
and embrace minority communities
as well.
There are wider issues to discuss,
which this newspaper would do in
course of time.
The launch of Electionlink
signals the beginning of the battle
for the ballot.
But Ms Collins would like to call
it a War over Labour and its allies.
Just how the situation would pan
out remains to be seen.
But we know one thing for sure;
Election 2020 would continue to be
wordy, nasty, and even personal,
just as it has been over the past few
elections.
We would ask the parties
involved to exercise restraint and
concentrate on issues of concern to
New Zealanders.
According to her National
Party profile, she holds a Bachelor
of Laws, Master of Laws with
Honours and a Master of Taxation
Studies from the University of
Auckland and was a lawyer and
company director before being
elected to Parliament.
Mr Brownlee said he was there
to support Collins “and the rest of
the team and that is what I will be
doing.” He ruled out ever wanting
the leadership.
No further distractions
Ms Collins replaced Todd Muller,
who resigned on July 14, 2020,
saying that it had become clear he
was not the best person for the job.
Mr Brownlee offered his
sympathies.
“I was devastated for Todd
Muller and his family, I found Todd
a wonderful person to work with
... I am sure that he will continue
to be just that,” he said.
Ms Collins said that the Party
would continue to support Mr
Muller in what was a difficult time.
She said it was important that
National MPs had no further
distractions before the Election.

08
AUGUST 1, 2020
Electionlink
Expect more scandals and fall outs as Gotcha Politics grips
Peter Dunne
The 52nd Parliament is hurtling
towards an inglorious end.
It will finish in just over two
weeks and will be dissolved
shortly thereafter on August 12, 2020 in
preparation for the September 19, 2020
general election.
It has been a dramatic term –
dominated by huge tragedies, from the
Christchurch Mosques massacres, to the
Whakaari White Island eruption, and
now Covid-19.
But in recent weeks, the focus has
been more on what many would
describe as farce.
The revelations concerning the
personal conduct lapses of a number
of MPs that led them to stand down
have raised many questions about
the culture of Parliament, the stresses
placed upon MPs, and the responsibility
of political parties.
But while inappropriate and unprofessional
conduct by MPs should never
be condoned, no matter their status, the
current situation needs to be kept in
perspective.
Turnover of MPs
The present number of 20 MPs (at
last count) standing down at this elec-
Hamish Walker Andrew Falloon Iain Lees-Galloway
tion is not out of line with the numbers
retiring at previous elections.
Historically, New Zealand has had a
relatively frequent turnover of MPs, the
average length of service is just over six
years. Of the MPs elected at the 2014
election, 53 have now either retired
or been defeated. Only 26 of the MPs
elected at the 2011 election are seeking
re-election this year.
So, the turnover of MPs is not the
problem; indeed, many would argue
that a frequent turnover and refreshing
of the House is no bad thing. Others argue
for term limits to stop MPs serving
for too long, although just as many are
surprised to learn that very few MPs
serve for more than ten to fifteen years,
let alone longer.
Also, the average age of MPs has been
dropping over the years, meaning that,
consistent with patterns in the wider
workforce, MPs are more likely to move
on to do other things, as part of a range
of career experiences.
If anything, the turnover rate for
MPs is therefore likely to increase in the
years ahead.
Personal conduct lapses
But the unusual thing about this
year’s crop of Parliamentary departures
is the number where the decision to
stand aside has been brought about
by circumstances relating to personal
conduct. During this term, National has
been rocked by the scandals involving
Jami-Lee Ross (now running as an
independent and unlikely to succeed);
Hamish Walker and Andrew Falloon.
But the problem is not solely related to
National. Labour has lost two Ministers
for personal conduct lapses: Meka
Whaitiri following an altercation with
a staff member (although she is seeking
re-election as an MP) and now Iain
Lees-Galloway, as well as others for
incompetence.
The Lees-Galloway saga
Most of the cases have been clear-cut,
but there are some aspects of the
Lees-Galloway case that are curious. He
had been a controversial Immigration
Minister, and there had previously
been calls for his resignation, especially
in the wake of his decision to grant
residency to the convicted Czech drug
smuggler Karel Sroubek, who had a
lengthy criminal record in both the
Czech Republic and New Zealand. Had
the Prime Minister dismissed him at the
time of that incident, there would have
been little argument, given the lapse of
judgement involved and his admission
that he had not read the full file before
making his decision.
Yet she did not, and instead backed
him strongly. All of which makes the
decision to get rid of him now because
of a consensual affair with a staff
Tuariki Delamare to contest in Auckland Central
The former
Immigration Minister
returns to politics
after 20 years for TOP
Supplied Content
Former Immigration Minister
Tuariki Delamere has jointed
The Opportunities Party
(TOP) as Auckland Central
candidate and Spokesperson for
Immigration.
Mr Delamere is a former New
Zealand First MP and a Cabinet
Minister under the first MMP
Coalition Government. He held
ministerial portfolios including
Immigration and Overseas
Investment Office.
Since 1999, he has owned
and managed his Immigration
Consultancy Tuariki Delamere &
Associates and the famous Finale
Restaurant & Cabaret on Karangahape
Road in Auckland CBD.
He was also Political Advisor to
Māori Monarch King Tuheitia.
Impressive policies
Mr Delamare said that he chose
to join TOP after a break of 20
years because of its impressive policies
and the passion of candidates
to the Party.
“I was impressed by the enthusiasm,
passion, and commitment
of the candidates in 2017. This
year, I realised that if I was serious
about maximising TOP’s chances
then I should get off the side-lines
and offer myself as a candidate,”
he said.
His record and reputation in
Parliament was that of fighting
for what is right, not what is
politically convenient at the time.
As Associate Treasurer in 1996,
he faced down the National Party
over funding for Te Matatini, after
discovering that the single biggest
cultural event in New Zealand
received zero funding from the
Government.
Mr Delamere told the then
Prime Minister Jim Bolger that he
would vote against the Budget,
which resulted in Te Matatini receiving
$1 million of state funding.
As Immigration Spokesperson
for TOP, Mr Delamere brings a
wealth of experience to the role as
former Immigration Minister and
Tuariki Delamare (Picture by Dileepa
Fonseka for Stuff)
current immigration lawyer.
He said that Delamere New
Zealand will always need migrants.
Wrong immigration mix
“Recent governments have
continued to get the immigration
mix wrong and allowed high
numbers of people to migrate
to New Zealand who provide no
discernible benefit to New Zealand.
TOP welcomes immigration
policies that will benefit New
Zealand but will vigorously oppose
immigration policies with no
perceivable benefit to the country,”
Mr Delamere said.
He has taken aim at the government’s
handling of thousands of
skilled migrant residence visas sitting
in backlog under Immigration
New Zealand (INZ).
Many of these applicants have
waited a year or longer for a
decision, he said.
“The current fiasco of 15,000
skilled migrant residence visa
applications just sitting, not being
processed is a gross indictment
on the Government. This fiasco
continues to grow exponentially
with every passing day of the
Covid-19 pandemic. It is clear that
many will be declined and told to
return to their home country. The
Government needs to be open,
transparent, and honest with these
15,000 applicants,” Mr Delamare
said.
Quota system squashed
One of his first actions as Immigration
Minister was to cancel a
quota limit singling out students
from China which he considered
“racist and discriminatory.”
“China had an imposed quota
of 400 students. However, we
had many thousands of students
from Malaysia, South Korea,
Japan, Vietnam, Thailand. Why
was that? There was no quota for
any other country, just China. I
immediately cancelled China’s
quota because it was racist and
discriminatory, and made it
open like any other country,”
he said.
TOP Leader Geoff Simmons
welcomed Delamere as an
experienced candidate for
the hotly contested Auckland
Central electorate, especially
following current MP Nikki
Kaye’s retirement from politics.
“There is no one like Tuariki
Delamere in New Zealand politics,
and we are looking forward
to the September Election with
him beside us. He has acted as
an Advisor to our Executive
Team for some time now, and
we are proud to have him on
the team in a public facing role
as a candidate,” Mr Simmons
said.
Mr Delamare said that he
is focused on the survival and
prosperity of Auckland Central.
“TOP’s policies offer solutions
to tackle today’s problems,
many of which are present in
my electorate. I am looking
forward to once more working
for a better, brighter, kinder
New Zealand,” he said.
About The Opportunities
Party
The vision of The
Opportunities Party is to
create the greenest economy
in the world through science,
technology, and innovation. The
Party believes in the younger
generation regaining access to
the housing market, preserving
and regenerating New Zealand’s
extraordinary environment.
“So, we are once again known
internationally as the place talent
wants to live. TOP believes
that it is time to enshrine our
democratic freedoms with a
constitution, and to safeguard
our independence from foreign
influence,” Mr Simmons said.
“The days of an economy
based on selling houses to each
other, with the profits exported
directly to the Australian banks,
or where we continue to exploit
the environment and watch
carbon emissions rise along
with the world’s sea levels, have
to end,” Mr Delamare said.
As New Zealand gets set for general election,
the two main players- Labour Party under
Jacinda Ardern and National Party under
Judith Collins will hope to bank on their
individual charisma to steer their respective Parties
to victory.
However, the outcome of the elections will be
determined not by the individual charisma but the
substance of the policy which will be articulated
by both Parties, how the cadres will be able to steer
their chances to the electorate and of course the
complex arithmetic of the coalition politics.
Labour Party
From Labour Party’s point, as an incumbent
Party, it has built a of a government that would
bring transformative policies on the strength of
which employment and incomes.
This approach, Labour supporters say, would ride
better through global ups and downs than under
the present National Party.
Labour will present its case to the electorate that
it will be tested in some corers.
Unlike Helen Clark’s time when it had the luxury
of having talented leaders such as Phil Goff, David
Cunliffe and Martin Gallagher, the Labour Party
today does not seem to have strong people to handle
key portfolios.
New talents such as Priyanca Radhakrishnan
will prove their mettle in the government if given
an opportunity to handle key portfolios such as
Defence.
All in all, one can agree that Ms Ardern has
member that ended some time ago
and was apparently widely known a
little puzzling. It leaves unanswered
questions about whether, for example,
he used his Ministerial position to the
advantage of the staff member. The
Prime Minister’s call – after the sacking
– for Ministerial Services to investigate
whether any official resources had been
misused during the affair is also bizarre.
Normally, the evidence is gathered first
in a serious matter like this, not called
for after the event.
Potential embarrassment
Overall, it raises the suspicion that
Lees-Galloway’s dismissal was based
more on getting shy of a potential embarrassment
ahead of the election than
a judgment on his personal conduct. The
Prime Minister may also have felt she
had no alternative, given both the way
in which the Leader of the Opposition
had raised the matter, and had the
previous day dismissed Andrew Falloon.
Whatever the reason, it will have
further eroded confidence in a political
system reeling after recent events.
Nominations to stand for Parliament
at this year’s election close on August 21.
With dark rumours still swirling from
both sides of politics, and the mentality
of “gotcha politics” that has become an
unwelcome aspect of New Zealand politics
in recent years, the daunting reality
now is that more scandals coming to
light before then cannot, unfortunately,
be ruled out.
Peter Dunne was a Minister of the Crown in
the Labour and National-led governments
from November 1999 to September 2017. He
lives in Wellington.
Election 2020 will transcend personalities to policies
Balaji Chandramohan
This year, Transparency International New Zealand
(TINZ) asked each political party to answer
seven questions that are important to addressing
corruption through building stronger integrity
systems with greater accountability and transparency.
These questions are about fighting corruption,
integrity, accountability and transparency.
Parties’ responses will be provided in the August
edition of Transparency Times.
Meantime, below is a list of suggested open-ended
questions for voters to ask candidates.
Voters’ concerns
TINZ knows that many voters have the same concerns
as TINZ has. These questions are for readers to ask their
candidates. Readers are also encouraged to pass on this
newsletter to other voters, referring them to this list of
questions: (1) Integrity and trust- What does political
integrity mean to you? What will you do to build trust in
your leadership and your party?
2) Post pandemic recovery (2) As the country deals
with Covid-19 response and recovery, what will you
do to (pick any) Prevent the misuse of public funds for
personal gain? Deliver relief fairly and transparently?
Protect democracy and fundamental human rights?
Respect Treaty partners? (3) Political Party and campaign
funding-What actions are you personally taking to disclose
your campaign funding from all sources? How will
Jacinda Arden
Judith Collins
travelled a long way from the back benches to the
post of Prime Minister, proving herself as an adept
lawmaker especially when her Party was in crisis.
Another aspect of which the Labour Party will be
tested is the issue on National Security as it comes
close to the elections.
In the past decade, after Ms Clark’s departure
from the New Zealand political scene, Labour has
focused more on the immediate issues concerning
the welfare of the New Zealanders than on the
abstract and complicated issues related to national
security.
National Party
On the other hand, National, under Judith
Collins, will hope to replicate its chance of winning
and hope to see the days when some of the calibre
of John Key was able to get back the voters to
turn their head on him through his charismatic
leadership.
As mentioned, Election 2020 will witness the
clash of personalities – Jacinda Ardern and Judith
Collins but the outcome will be determined by the
substance of the policy which they could articulate
and the complex political manoeuvring involved
before and after the elections.
Balaji Chandramohan is Indian Newslink Correspondent
based in New Delhi, India.
Questions of integrity for political candidates
you make sure that money donated to your campaign
is not given with the expectation of specific policy or
action on your part? (4) Whistle-blowers-Describe your
attitude about whistle-blowers who expose wrongdoing,
(or alternative question): Are there too many, or too few,
whistle-blowers in New Zealand, and why?
Note: A whistle-blower is a person who exposes
secretive information or activity within a private or
public organization that is deemed illegal, unethical, or
not correct (Wikipedia).
These questions for voters to ask candidates, are
downloadable (.pdf format).
Questionnaires for political parties
In this election cycle, TINZ is asking each political party
to complete a similar but more detailed questionnaire.
Responses will be published in the August Transparency
Times, on our website, and through social media in
advance of the election.
Our members contributed to the development of these
questions which align with our mission – fighting corruption,
integrity, accountability and transparency. Our
aim is to examine each political party’s understanding of
anti-corruption issues and their ideas about addressing
them.
The above article appeared in the July 2020 issue of Transpar
ency Times of Transparency International

AUGUST 1, 2020
Unemployment, free training lift student numbers at institutions
John Gerritsen
Victoria University and Manukau
Institute of Technology have
reported hundreds more midyear
enrolments than normal as
job opportunities dry up because of the
pandemic’s impact on the economy.
Both institutions say that the average
age of the new students is higher than
normal and the enrolments are skewed
toward postgraduate qualifications,
trades, and nursing.
Victoria University
Victoria University Vice-Chancellor
Grant Guilford said it received hundreds
more mid-year applications than usual.
“That has flowed through close to
700 more enrolments than we had last
year, or close to double what we had
last year. Of these, 550 students received
fees scholarships that the University
is offering to people affected by the
pandemic,” he said.
Historically, enrolments increased
whenever unemployment increased, he
said.
Sourced Content
Education New Zealand (ENZ)
has awarded funding to New
Zealand academics under the
long-standing New Zealand-China
Tripartite Fund and for the first time,
an arrangement with leading Brazilian
research foundation agency FAPESP.
Online work encouraged
ENZ has pledged $105,000 to the
FAPESP under the inaugural funding
collaboration. This will fund nine
research projects, each led in tandem
with academics from New Zealand and
Brazil.
And for the 15th year, ENZ has
supported the joint work of New
“When the economy starts to drop
off, jobs start to become more difficult
to hold on to, people tend to particularly
turn to the humanities and social
sciences and the commerce faculties in
that situation. So, that is where we are
expecting to see the biggest lift and it
seems to be playing out this year as well.
There are already signs that next year’s
enrolments would be higher,” he said.
Manukau Institute of Technology
Manukau Institute of Technology
Chief Executive Gus Gilmore said it had
about 650 more mid-year enrolments
than at the same time last year.
“Our Semester Two enrolments are
tracking currently 60% up on last year
and a lot of that growth is in the trades
area. Engineering, Digital Technologies
and Nursing are all showing strong
growth.
We are seeing an older age profile
coming through the applications where
the 26 to 35-year-olds and 36 to 45 are
showing really strong increases,” he
said.
Internationalisation remains a key focus for ENZ
Zealand and Chinese researchers
through the Tripartite Fund. This year’s
funding round provided NZ $20,000 to
five projects (rather than the traditional
NZ $30,000 to three) due to the ongoing
COVID-19 travel restrictions.
As the government is currently
advising New Zealanders not to travel
internationally, this funding was pledged
on the proviso that the researchers either
work together online or delay any international
travel to a later date.
Internationalisation is a crucial part of
the New Zealand International Education
Strategy (NZIES) under all three pillars.
ENZ Chief Executive Grant McPherson
said that supporting and investing in
international academic mobility is a unique
way of achieving the goal.
“We see short-term benefits, like person-to-person
links and the strengthening
of diplomatic relationships, as well as
long-term benefits like increased trade
flow,” he said.
Global links forged
Building international links between
Many of the students had lost their
jobs and needed to retrain, and many
were benefiting from the government’s
decision to make some trades training
fees-free from July, he said.
Canterbury Institute of Technology
Canterbury Institute of Technology
(Ara) Tony Gray said its enrolments were
about 5% or 6% higher than normal,
but he was expecting more enrolments
throughout the year.
“There are a whole range of other
things that are coming into play. I do
institutions can also directly impact
their rankings.
Times Higher Education recently
released their Latin America University
Rankings 2020, which featured seven
Brazilian universities in the top 10.
The Times Higher Education’s
methodology includes five factors
– learning environment, research,
citations, international outlooks and
industry income – all of which can be
positively impacted by initiatives like
the NZ-FAPESP funding and Tripartite
Fund.
“Internationalisation is all about
building and maintaining relationships.
I am very proud that ENZ has not
only managed to sustain this crucial
link with China, but built new connections
with Brazil,” Mr McPherson said.
Educationlink
09
not think that we have seen yet the full
context of the targeted training and
apprenticeship funds that have been
released, and I do not think that we
have seen the full impact of what is
happening from an economic point of
view either,” Mr Gray said.
AUT
AUT Vice-Chancellor Derek McCormack
said that domestic enrolments
were about 150 students lower than at
the same time last year, but the gap had
been closing steadily this week.
It was not yet experiencing a pandemic-influenced
jump in enrolments,
McCormack said.
“It might be a bit of a lag phase
as people think through what they
are doing as some jobs now start to
become non-viable, some companies
down-sizing after they’ve gone through
a period of wage subsidy. I think that we
might see that happening perhaps in the
first semester next year rather than right
now,” Mr McCormack said.
John Gerritsen is Education Correspondent
for Radio New Zealand. The above Report has
been published under a Special Arrangement
with www.rnz.co.nz
“Over the history of the Tripartite
Fund, we have seen positive outcomes
across a variety of research areas
including environmental protection
and climate change, health and
medicine, animal science, educational
development, media literacy, renewable
energy and the conservation
and heritage of national parks. The
partnership with FAPESP also started
with relevant areas for New Zealand,
like education, engineering, biological
sciences and health. It is a mark of the
high-quality and reputation of New
Zealand’s universities’ that they all are
able to enter in the Tripartite Fund
and arrangements like the one with
FAPESP,” he added.
Source: Education New Zealand

10
AUGUST 1, 2020
Fijilink
Fiji goes for high deficit US$ 1.7 billion Budget
Christine Rovoi
Fiji’s government has projected a
$US 1.7 billion National Budget for
the 2020-2021 financial year.
In delivering the historic Budget
on July 17, 2020, Minister for Economy
and Finance Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum
also announced a $US 930 million
stimulus package to fund the country’s
recovery from the impact of the Covid-19
pandemic.
He said that the deficit will be steep - at
20.2%, pushing the debt to GDP ratio to
83.4%.
But the costs of doing nothing were far
steeper, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.
Restructuring loans
“The government has worked with
financial sector to restructure over $US
1.6 billion in loans, freeing businesses
and families from mandatory monthly
loan repayments,” he said.
He said that 86,000 Fijians had
accessed relief payments from their pension
fund (Fiji National Provident Fund)
in phase one of unemployment benefits
and another 26,000 were accessing relief
payments in phase two.
“Over F$ 62 million has been paid
out to the affected Fijians, with the
government stepping in with around
F$12 million to top-up accounts to ensure
that full payments were delivered to all
who qualified.
The third phase of unemployment
relief would be funded by the government
with another $US 9.3 million,” Mr
Sayed-Khaiyum said.
Tax reductions and rebate package
He said that tax reductions, valued at
about $US 232 million, “an unprecedented
sacrifice.”
“Apart from the reduction in taxes,
the government will be working through
Fiji Airways to provide the first 150,000
visitors with a once-in-a-lifetime travel
Fiji’s National Economy and Finance Minister
Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum
stipend of around $US 185 per passenger
to go towards tourism packages
including flights, hotels and meals and
beverages,” he said and announced a
recovery rebate package worth $US 28
million to revitalise the tourism sector.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said that the move
was aimed at filling hotels by creating
attractive packages for visitors to escape
the pandemic in “paradise.”
“This has the potential to rekindle the
immense, far-reaching economic impact
the industry has on Fijian families,” he
said.
Remittances
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said that Fiji’s
remittances are projected to fall 15% as
other economies decline and that foreign
direct investment is set to plunge 40%.
The once-thriving garment-makers
have seen orders halted and supply
chains disrupted.
“Driven by this global fallout, we
are now projecting the single largest
economic contraction in Fijian history,
some 21.7%. Already, 115,000 Fijians -
one-third of our workforce - have had
their hours reduced or lost their jobs
entirely,” he said.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said that the government
had allocated $US 9.2 million
for unemployment relief.
Those whose working days or hours
have been reduced are to receive $US
20.40 per fortnight for everyday out
of work. Workers who are now only
employed three days a week can get up
to $US 40.70 every two weeks. Those
working only one day a week can receive
$US 81.50 and unemployed people are to
receive $US 101.90 per fortnight.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said that before
the pandemic, Fiji expected its tourism
numbers to climb.
“We were expecting to welcome a
number of tourists that matched the
number of Fijians. But with international
passenger flights grounded, tourism
revenues have evaporated. That is 40%
of our GDP lost in a matter of days, or
even hours, and the ripple effects have
dropped Fiji’s economic activity to its
lowest level ever,” he said.
Tourism tax removal
To assist the tourism industry,
operators get back on their feet, the
government has removed the 6% Service
Turnover Tax (STT).
He said that other measures include
reducing the Environment and Climate
Adaptation Levy from 10% to 5% across
the board, removing F$ 100 off the
departure tax.
“For the reduced ECAL, the turnover
threshold is now F$ 3 million annually,
more than double the previous amount
of F$ 1.25 million. So, for mid-sized
tourism operators and other businesses
like restaurants, rental car companies
and cafes, ECAL is dropping to zero,” Mr
Sayed-Khaiyum said.
Business licence ends
He said that from August 1, 2020, the
business license regime will end.
Anyone keen on starting a business
in Fiji in the next financial year can
complete an “easy, online business
incorporation and tax registration and
you’re in business.”
Mr Khaiyum said that there is no
longer necessary to fork out the money
or the time it takes to obtain a business
licence in Fiji.
But he said there were some guidance
around this.
“Once they have registered with the
Companies Office, low-risk businesses
(for example, a shoe store) can open
their doors and start selling to customers
immediately.
“Other higher risk businesses,
which involve people’s health, such
as restaurants, will need to tick a few
more regulatory boxes before starting
operations,” he said.
Salary, spending cuts
The government will cut salaries for
all Permanent Secretaries, CEOs and
Heads of Commissions and independent
bodies by 10%, effective from next
month.
This does not apply to the legislature
and judiciary as they are independent
arms of the State, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum
said.
He said that in the Covid-19 Response
Budget released in March 2020,
government ministers had taken the first
salary cut of 20%, which would remain
through the next year.
“For the rest of the Civil Service, we
are not cutting salaries. Pay cuts start
with the leadership and that is where the
biggest cuts have stopped, because that
what leaders do,” he said.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said that the government
aims to reduce spending: meal
allowances from $20 to $10. Instead of
paying overtime, the government would
give ‘time enough in lieu of overtime.’
“We will be suspending the rural housing
allowance and bundled insurance
will now only apply to social welfare
recipients,” he said.
Other budgetary announcements
The guaranteed price for cane in the
final third season will be reduced from
$US 39 top $US 32 a tonne.
The data levy, introduced last year
and the telecommunications service
licensing fee, have been replaced with a
2% revenue-based telecommunications
licence fee.
For subsidised customers of Energy
Fiji Limited, the first 100 units of power
will continue to be discounted through
March 31, 2021.
The Fiji Roads Authority (FRA) has
been allocated $US 162 million, up from
$US 128 million in the Covid-19 Response
Budget, with $US 32.4 million for road
rehabilitation.
Free education will continue with
free textbooks provided. Subsidised
transportation to school will be paid by
the government.
Free medicine would be paid as a part
of the free healthcare access.
Funding to NGOs will continue.
Vulnerable citizens will continue to
receive special efforts to ensure they
keep pace with others
The government will cut $US 3.7
million across its foreign missions by
centralising country accreditation.
Missions in Washington DC, Seoul, Port
Moresby, Brussels and Kuala Lumpur
will be closed permanently.
Instead, diplomatic missions in
Geneva, New York, Tokyo, London,
Abu Dhabi, Wellington, Beijing, Jakarta,
New Delhi and Canberra will expand
country accreditation and engage more
locally-based staff. For example, the New
York Mission will represent Fiji in Washington,
which is only one hour away by
plane, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.
The Fijian Parliament will resume on
July 22, 2020 and the Budget debate will
begin on July 30.
Christine Rovoi is Pacific Journalist at Radio
New Zealand. The above Report and Picture
have been published under a Special Arrangement
with www.rnz.co.nz
Priyanca
Radhakrishnan
Labour List MP based in Maungakiekie
Maungakiekie Office
09 622 2660
priyanca@parliament.govt.nz
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AUGUST 1, 2020
Team of Six Million’ dubs Covid quarantine fees unfair
Laura Walters
Overseas Kiwis affected by the
new managed isolation fees say
that the Policy does not stand up
to the usual tests of efficiency or
fairness.
When Minister in charge of Managed
Isolation and Quarantine Dr Megan
Woods announced a new, user-pays managed
isolation system, expat Facebook
groups quickly became crammed with
impassioned comments.
Coordinated opposition
Over the past few weeks, these groups
have been dedicated to mounting a coordinated,
sustained and well-reasoned
opposition to a fee for Kiwis coming into
the country.
There have been surveys, petitions and
legal advice, as well as the exploration
of potential human rights breaches and
breaches of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, should a
charge be introduced.
The pages have been filled with
tear-inducing stories about those who
would be cut off from spouses, children
and parents.
At first glance, the Government has
done exactly what many overseas Kiwis
feared: there will soon be a $3100 fee
for the first person’s two-week stay in
managed isolation, with a $950 charge
for each additional adult, and $475 for
each additional child.
The Policy in practice
But a second look shows that is not
really how the policy would work in
practice.
Anyone moving home permanently
would be exempt. Those unable to pay
will be exempt. People with sick or dying
Quarantine fees will apply just to 10% of arriving
people (Photo for Newsroom by John Sefton)
relatives: exempt. Other extenuating
circumstances: probably exempt.
It is those occupying the “squeezed
middle” who look most likely to be
affected. A small number who are not
in financial hardship, but generally
live pay-check to pay-check, and would
struggle to travel with this added cost.
Given that there is such a long list of
exemptions: why bother at all?
The fees are expected to apply to just
10% of those using managed isolation
and the amount that the government
expects to recover in costs is between $2
million and $9 million.
It will cost $600,000 to administer.
It is about fairness
When asked if the law was supposed
to be a deterrent, rather than a revenue
gatherer, Dr Woods said, “No, it is about
fairness.”
Sense Partners Economist Shamubeel
Eaqub said that every policy needs to
meet an efficiency and fairness test.
“I suspect that efficiency is limited in
this case, given regulatory burden and
very low revenue likely to be generated,”
he said.
But not all the costs and benefits are
financial, and the trade-off between
fairness and efficiency are not equal.
Some of it is about signalling that the
government is using the country’s collective
resources wisely and thwarting
free-loaders.
Mr Eaqub said that from a purely
economic perspective, this Policy will
Transparency comes to the fore as polling date nears
Suzanne Snively
On September 19, 2020,
New Zealanders will
elect the government
that will lead the
economy towards recovery
from the downturn caused by
the unprecedented Covid-19
pandemic crisis.
Political parties are in election
mode already. Candidate
selections are being completed.
The Parties’ list candidates are
being confirmed. Parliament
is sitting late into the evening
to progress as much legislation
as possible prior to the
official beginning of the election
campaign.
Elections and the Economy
In past election years, once
the central Government campaigning
starts, the economy
has tended to march in place.
It is only when the election
outcome is clear, that activity
begins to gear up again.
The extent of the normal preand
post-election slowdown
may be allayed with the current
coalition Government’s extension
of the $5.2 billion business
cash-flow loan scheme for
Covid-19 impacted businesses
until the end of the year.
The challenge is to find
timely economic data that is
as transparent as the daily
reporting of Covid cases. Such
transparency to inform
business decision-making will
be the difference between the
government stimulus package
aligning with business.
It is also a way to ensure that
the business sector invests in
future prosperity instead of
resources being channelled into
corrupt purposes.
Politicians fill the vacuum
generated by limited economic
data with their own analysis of
the likely outcome of economic
policies. This is where transparency
about the basis for
their analysis and the integrity
about their reasoning leading
to outcomes, is important for
voters.
Addressing corruption
As has become customary,
Transparency International
New Zealand (TINZ) has
prepared a questionnaire for
all major political parties about
their approach to addressing
corruption through strengthening
integrity systems.
There are two innovations in
this year’s questionnaire. One is
feedback from TINZ’s members
to shape the questions. Secondly,
the questions are designed to
gain an understanding of how
the different political parties
are preparing to ensure that
spending during the pandemic
recovery is applied to support
business recovery, rather than
for corrupt purpose.
Political parties have been
asked to provide answers
about their approach to
preventing corruption through
their principles, values, and
practices in 7 broad areas: (1)
Post pandemic recovery (2)
Political party and campaign
funding (3) Code of ethics (4)
Protection for whistle-blowers
(5) Sustainable development (6)
Open government (7) Beneficial
ownership
The responses will be published
in our August edition.
Questions for voters,
candidates
Another TINZ initiative for
this important pandemic-recovery
election has been to develop
a set of questions that members
of the public can ask political
candidates.
These open-ended questions
not be worth the bother.
“But from a political economy perspective,
it is,” he said.
Dr Woods said that all Kiwis would
agree a fee is fair “in the right balance.”
Election strategy
But with September 19 (general election)
looming, this decision seems to be
more about being seen to be fair, rather
than actually enacting a fair scheme.
Infometrics senior economist Brad
Olsen agrees this needs to be seen in the
context of the upcoming election.
The government needs to have regard
for financial prudence in the face of
higher debt stemming from the pandemic,
and it does not want to be seen as
providing everything for free.
There are no good options here, Mr
Olsen said.
But while the small amount of
revenue generated hardly seems worth
the while, it is important to remember
the country does not have a money tree
funding various Covid-related costs.
Everyone benefits from isolation, he
said.
“If everyone benefits, it seems
appropriate that everyone (taxpayers
and those returning) both shoulder the
cost,” Mr Olsen said.
Debate and disagreement
But those who have been excluded
from the ‘Team of Five Million’ say that
this Policy does not seem fair.
While the debate began under the
guise of cost burdens and the prudent
use of taxpayer funds, it is become about
values and a disagreement over what
constitutes fairness.
It is sad to hear those who are usually
cheerleading for New Zealand (often ad
nauseum) saying they have lost their
pride in their country over the way the
debate has played out.
are broadly aligned with the
topics above.
The antidote for corruption is
integrity.
Parliamentarians have a
major role to play in national
leadership and in their electorates
to contain the virus. The
government has an important
stewardship role.
Transparently monitoring
and reporting negative as well
as positive economic trends
enables everyone to see for
themselves what is working
and what is not working.
Unknown factors
There are many unknowns
about the health consequences
of the novel Covid Coronavirus.
What is known from experience
to date is that integrity of
analysis about the number of
cases and open communication
with the wider public can
reduce the spread of the virus
and save lives.
It can also build assurance
and confidence about the
future.
As New Zealand moves
through response to and
recovery from the Covid-19
pandemic, the government’s
integrity when addressing
corruption becomes more
important than ever.
New Zealand has demonstrated
that our team of five
million can work together
to contain Covid-19. Now, by
strengthening integrity systems,
there can be a more robust economic
recovery. Transparency
leads the way to prosperity.
Suzanne Snively is the Chair of the
Wellington based Transparency
International New Zealand Inc.
The above article appeared in the
July 2020 Edition of Transparency
Times.’ Suzanne Snively (Photo
Credit: David Dunsheath)
There has been a string of comments
from Kiwis saying people who abandoned
their country not only did not
deserve government-funded managed
isolation, or call themselves citizens, but
did not deserve to live.
One expat said that they have never
been more disappointed in New Zealand,
another said they were embarrassed to
be a Kiwi.
“It’s a shame that the team of five
million apparently do not care about
anyone but themselves. I was so proud
of you all before. Proud to be a Kiwi
watching you come together to protect
our country and our people. Now all you
have done is show that Kiwis are not so
kind after all,” one said.
Throughout the pandemic, New
Zealand spoke about working as a team;
about coming together (apart).
Looming separation
Now, overseas Kiwis have detailed
how this fee will keep them from
their spouses, their children, and their
parents, at a time when they felt they
needed to be together.
For someone like Yvette Webster, it is
hard to sell this fee policy compromise
as fair.
Webster lives in Scotland with her
husband, and has lost 80% of her income
due to Covid.
Earlier this year, her father was
diagnosed with Stage 3 Cancer. He was
too sick to attend Webster’s wedding in
Scotland, and will undergo surgery later
this year, after four rounds of intense
chemotherapy.
She was planning to travel home in
December after being away for four
years.
Her husband has never met his
father-in-law.
“Paying for quarantine will cripple us
financially and we would have to borrow
09 620 6707
parmjeet.parmar@
parliament.govt.nz
Funded by the Parliamentary Service.
Authorised by Parmjeet Parmar MP,
Parliament Buildings, Wellington.
Businesslink
New Windsor now
part of Mt Roskill
Electorate this
election
I am delighted the Mt Roskill electorate
will include New Windsor and the main
western boundary will be Whitney St. Go
to www.vote.nz for detailed information.
Dr Parmjeet Parmar
National List MP
based in Mt Roskill
11
money to be able to pay for it,” she said.
The real costs
Flights, managed isolation charges,
and the time off work would put the trip
at a cost of $14,000. She has no idea if she
would be exempt from the fee.
Ms Webster said that it is unfair that
expats - and New Zealand-based Kiwis
needing to travel overseas to visit family
- should be lumped with costs when
quarantine benefits everyone.
“A majority of Kiwis are returning
home for genuine reasons. I do not think
that many Kiwis are just planning a
holiday - we have a variety of reasons
for coming home and the majority of
us just want to see our loved ones. The
law change is creating a second class of
citizens who are deemed as ‘tourists’ in
their own country,” she said.
Like others, Ms Webster is eagerly
awaiting further details on how the
system will work.
Team of Six Million
Max Harris, one of the coordinators of
advocacy group The Team of Six Million
- Kiwis United Against Quarantine Fees
said that the decision not to charge those
returning permanently was good news
for thousands of New Zealanders.
For those affected by the scheme, the
announcement was a “major disappointment,
which could cause “significant
hardship.”
“We should not be disconnecting
people from support during this global
pandemic.”
Mr Harris said that his advocacy
group, which has about 3500 members,
is calling on the government to leave the
introduction of regulations until after the
election, when it has a mandate for the
changes.
Laura Walters is Senior Political Reporter at
Newsroom in Wellington, covering Justice,
Education and the upcoming campaign. The
above Report has been published under a
Special Arrangement with Newsroom.

12
AUGUST 1, 2020
Viewlink
Stringent defamation laws toughens editorial calls
The English Fortnightly (Since November 1999)
ISSUE 443 | AUGUST 1, 2020
Police-Community
Partnership gets stronger
Police Commissioner
Andy Coster has set a
laudable target for New
Zealand Police, namely,
strengthening Partnership
with communities.
His objective gains added
dignity since it encompasses
inclusiveness, intensifying
the importance of ethnic
communities.
Describing the Police as a
‘genuine blue line,’ he said that
New Zealand can become the
safest country in the world
only through community
partnerships.
“I am greatly heartened by
the level of collaboration that I
am seeing in communities and
across the public service. We
need to keep building on this,
seeking genuine partnership
to strengthen communities.
There are a range of practical
things that fall out of these
priorities and we have already
started,” he said, speaking at
the Powhiri held in his honour
in Wellington on July 31, 2020.
An exemplary example
The need for Police-Public
Partnership has never
been stronger and the
Police-Community relationship
has never been stronger as it
is now in New Zealand. The
Christchurch massacre on
March 15, 2020, which took 51
Electionlink launch
opens battle gates
The launch of ‘Electionlink’
of this newspaper
by Kelvin Davis on
behalf of Labour Party
on July 20, 2020 and by Simon
Bridges on behalf of National
Party on July 27, 2020 marked
the beginning of what promises
to be an honest carrier
of news and views in a major
battle for the ballot.
We have started carrying
views, opinions and features
written by journalists, analysts,
politicians, supporters of political
parties and most important
of all, our people every day.
As in the past, this would be a
no-holds-barred, free-for-all
coverage. Those with strong
political views would be able
to use this veritable platform
openly and frankly, keeping
of course to the confines of
decency and legitimate limits
of propriety.
Elections are fought in the
free world with ferocity, with
politicians and their supporters
accusing their opponents
of almost anything that they
believe, without the obligation
of having to provide any proof.
lives, injuring another 51 or
more persons reiterated the
existence of that relationship.
Looking at a few other countries,
America in particular, it
is evident that New Zealand
can become a prime example
of exemplary Police-Public
Partnership. USA is engulfed in
its most widespread, sustained
unrest in almost 70 years.
In the days since May 25,
2020, Americans have seen
their police forces look and act
less like public servants sworn
to protect their fellow citizens
than like an invading army. A
policeman in Brooklyn yanked
off a protester’s mask to
pepper-spray him in the face.
A key part of the approach is
for the Police and community
leaders to identify the young
people (generally males) most
likely to commit crimes, and
then to work together to stop
them doing so. The ‘Mentor,
Monitor, Minister’ strategy
involves counselling, training
and jobs.
Nowadays, Police in some
States actively seek out firms
to offer work for young people
they have been mentoring. All
this goes much farther than
New Zealand’s policy of Neighbourhood
Policing, ramped up
in recent years.
Until recently, general
elections in New Zealand were
marked by humour, goodwill
for each other, with hardly any
personal references. But over
the past few years, the gloves
have come off and politicians
have not only begun to punch
but also resort to a war of
words, which, according to
many, is ‘Dirty Politics.’
We are balanced
Ministers, Parliamentarians
of all groupings often tell us
the New Zealand Media is
biased but many of them are
tilted. MPs and selected candidates
of opposition parties
say that their statements and
speeches are always taken out
of context by some in the print
media and on the radio and
hence the people do not get the
benefit of balanced views.
Indian Newslink has
always been a newspaper
that has been neutral in its
approach towards politics. Our
platform is open with leaders
of political parties and others
to promote their policies and
programmes.
Indian Newslink is published by Indian Newslink Limited from its offices located at 299A Riddel Road,
Glendowie, Auckland 1071. All material appearing here and on our web editions 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; Accountant: Uma Venkatram CA;
Phone: (09) 5336377 Email: info@indiannewslink.co.nz
Websites: www.indiannewslink.co.nz; www.inliba.com; www.inlisa.com
Hayden Donnell
One of the things that destroyed
Todd Muller’s National Party
leadership was an apparent lie
to reporters during the leaked
Covid-19 patient data scandal.
Why were so many media outlets
reluctant to use the ‘L’ word to describe
his dishonesty?
On Thursday last week, Mr Muller
said something which was not true, and
on close examination, looked a lot like
a lie.
TVNZ reporter Thomas Mead was
asking the National Leader if Michelle
Boag was a source for his health
spokesman Michael Woodhouse.
Wrong denial
“Have you spoken to him?” Mead
asked.
Mr Muller was unequivocal. “No.”
The following day, he admitted that
he had spoken to Mr Woodhouse before
that denial.
His Health Spokesman had given
him a “heads-up” that he had received
information from Ms Boag, a former
National Party President, on Tuesday.
They had had another conversation
on Wednesday.
Mr Muller also deliberately omitted
details during the press conference,
repeating Ms Boag’s claim to have only
interacted with Clutha-Southland MP
Hamish Walker when he knew that was
not true.
Despite those inconsistencies, the
word “lie” did not appear in the TVNZ 1
News coverage on Friday.
Sharp contradictions
Political Reporter Maiki Sherman
put Muller’s statements throughout
the week in order and showed their
contradictions, but stopped short of
calling them deliberately dishonest.
Instead the National Leader was
labelled “evasive at best” and accused
him of saying something he “knew
wasn’t true.”
Other media also wrestled with the
question of whether to directly accuse
Mr Muller of lying to them. Newstalk
ZB’s Heather du Plessis-Allan got close
to using the word but stopped just short,
saying that Mr Muller suffered a “lack
of honesty“.
On TVNZ’s Q+A host Jack Tame put
the claim in the form of a question to
National’s deputy leader Nikki Kaye:
“Did your leader lie?”
The New Zealand Herald’s Amelia
Wade led on Muller’s own answer to
that same question.
Monday’s issue of The Bulletin by The
Spinoff also zeroed in on the question
of whether Mr Muller lied. It concluded
he had not, but acknowledged that he
had chosen not to reveal pertinent facts
when given the opportunity.
Outright accusation
Business Desk’s Pattrick Smellie was
the only columnist to accuse Mr Muller
of dishonesty outright, saying that the
National Leader had been “trapped
in a lie” due to Mead’s persistent
questioning.
Former National Party Leader Todd Muller (RNZ Picture by Dom Thomas
Smellie told Mediawatch that he had
used the phrase because it was the best
description of what took place.
“It was very clear what he was being
asked and it was very clear he didn’t
want to answer it.”
Blatant mistruths
After Mr Muller’s resignation on
Tuesday, New Zealand Herald Political
Editor Audrey Young also accused him
of “blatant mistruths” in Monday’s press
conference.
The question of when and whether
to use the word ‘lie’ has been a matter
of heated debate in journalists’ circles
since the rise of Donald Trump.
Dean Bacquet, Editor of The New
York Times, has ordered his reporters
to use the word judiciously when
describing the US President’s hurricane
of misinformation and false claims.
Repeatedly accusing Trump of lying
opens the Times up to claims that it is
partisan, he cautioned.
The obvious counter-argument, made
by commentators including the NYU
Journalism Lecturer Jay Rosen, is that
reporters should describe things accurately
whether or not it is convenient
for them to do so.
CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale, who
has reported extensively on Trump’s
falsehoods, defends using the term ‘lie.’
“It is not a departure from objective
journalism to use these words,” he told
The Washington Post. ”Why should
the rules of objective journalism mean
we have to dance around the obvious,
objective truth? If we are going to
get readers to trust us, we have to be
straight with them.”
Muller’s statements were not as clearcut
as some of Trump’s more outlandish
deceits.
But there may be an element of that
Bacquet-style reticence, or even just
human sympathy, in some journalists’
decisions not to name his comments as
a lie.
Proven intent
Another potential issue is proving intent.
Lying implies setting out to deceive
and Business Desk’s Patrick Smellie
accepted that Mr Muller may have
overstepped while trying to obfuscate.
“I used [trapped in a lie] because it
seemed to me that expressed what had
occurred rather than that he set out to
be mendacious,” he said.
“He just did not want to give that
answer and he tried various ways of not
giving it, and in the end he got trapped
into answering in a way that made it
appear he was saying he had not been
briefed, and then the very next day we
The Iain Lees-Galloway saga ripples
Venkat Raman
Iain Lees-Galloway, a young Minister
with plenty of promise has gone from
the Cabinet.
The 41-year-old Minister for Immigration,
Workplace Relations & Safety
and ACC was dismissed by Prime Minister
Jacinda Ardern on July 22, 2020 after he
admitted to an ‘inappropriate relationship’
with a member of staff employed in an
agency related to his portfolio in the
recent past.
Ms Ardern told a press conference
that she took the decision to sack Mr
Lees-Galloway during a meeting with him
the previous evening.
Untenable position
“I sat down with the Minister and asked
him questions and his answers made it
Iain Lees Galloway
clear that his position has become untenable.
He told me that the relationship that
he had with a staffer in one of the agencies
connected with his ministerial duties
ended several months ago. I have taken
into account all factors and decided that
he was not fit to continue as a Minister. He
was the Workplace Relations and Safety
Minister,” she said.
“It became clear that his position as a
find out he has.”
Defamation Laws
New Zealand’s strict defamation laws
are also a factor influencing editorial
calls on whether to use the word lie.
The Bulletin’s writer Alex Braae said
that the potential defamation threat
influenced his decision not to apply the
word to Mr Muller’s comments.
“In my view, Mr Muller’s statements
did not meet the threshold of calling
him a liar in print, which - because of
New Zealand’s defamation laws - is a
real high bar. People can make their
own minds up about whether he was
totally honest,” he said.
These concerns also restricted the
show Mediawatch, which has not
directly accused Mr Muller of lying in
this story.
Other news organisations were less
forthcoming with their reasons for not
using the word. 1 News said it would
rather keep its editorial conversations
private.
However, the potential for defamation
action is an ever-present factor in
media decision-making.
It influences the stories newsrooms
choose to cover and the way their
reports are presented.
Threat to freedom
Wellington lawyer Graeme Edgeler
told Mediawatch in April that defamation
laws are among the greatest threats
to freedom of speech in New Zealand.
He said that they do not give enough
protection to “simple opinion” and put
too much emphasis on maintaining
powerful people’s reputations - at the
expense of free speech.
It is unlikely it would have made a
difference if more media outlets had
accused Muller of lying.
The National Leader tendered his
resignation on Tuesday.
But the reasoning behind their
reporting may still be significant.
If news organisations did not want to
make a call because they did not want
to appear partisan, or out of genuine
doubt, that is at least an arguable
position.
But if the threat of defamation
loomed large in their decision-making,
it may be worth questioning whether
that law is serving as intended.
Instead of protecting the right to free
speech, could our laws be making liars
of our media?
Hayden Donnell is Mediawatch Producer at
Radio New Zealand. The above article and
pictures have been published under a Special
Agreement with www.rnz.co.nz
Minister was untenable as it opened up
allegations of improperly using his office.
I have lost confidence in him,” Ms Ardern
added.
Ms Ardern said that she had to inform
the Governor General of the decision and
withdraw his ministerial warrant and
hence it took several hours to make her
decision effective.
Mr Lees-Galloway returned to his home
in Palmerston North and announced that
he would not contest in the general election
on September 19, 2020.
He said that he accepted the decision of
the Prime Minister.
“I have acted completely inappropriately
in my position and cannot continue as a
Minister. I have apologised to my family for
letting them down. Please appreciate their
privacy. I also apologise to anyone who has
been hurt by my actions,” he said in the
Statement.

AUGUST 1, 2020
Businesslink
13

14
AUGUST 1, 2020
Businesslink
Matariki could replace Queen’s Birthday as National Holiday
Peter Dunne
The period of Matariki, the
celebration of the Māori
New Year, which began
earlier this week, is being
celebrated increasingly as an
important national event.
While many other countries
have their own form of New Year
celebrations, Matariki is uniquely
New Zealand. As such, it deserves
special recognition.
We already celebrate great annual
events from other cultures, such
as Diwali and Chinese New Year,
which is good, but now is the time
to give Matariki the prominence it
deserves.
Largely local
Yet most of the celebrations
around Matariki are locally organised.
Usually local communities
and councils play their part in
putting together local festivities
such as fireworks displays or other
celebratory events. Unlike Waitangi
Day, or even ANZAC Day, the two
New Fund offers $500,000 to
Auckland charities
Supplied Content
Large numbers of community
groups are struggling to
meet basic operating costs
including; power bills, PPE
and water rates according to new
figures.
New funding application data
show that the average amount of
funding sought by Auckland charities
to cover their current overheads
is almost $8000.
The figures also reveal that operating
expenses were higher among
community and wellbeing groups
as well as environmental and arts
charities.
The new initiative
Over 100 charities who have seen
a significant increase in demand for
their services, and are struggling to
meet their operating costs as a result
of Covid-19, will now receive a share
of more than $500,000, thanks to a
new emergency fund.
The diverse range of community
organisations which operate in
The Trusts CEO Allan Pollard
(Picture Supplied
the Auckland region have applied
for a grant from The Trusts Your
West Support Fund to cover a wide
range of expenses.
Trusts CEO Allan Pollard said
other uniquely New Zealand special
days which we commemorate each
year, there is no national occasion
organised to celebrate Matariki.
The time has come to change
that. Matariki deserves its own
special day of celebration and is
worthy of a public holiday in its
honour. Even though there is a general
wariness in New Zealand about
creating more public holidays, as
the debate a few years ago about
‘Mondayising’ Waitangi and ANZAC
Days showed, we are still on the
light side of the number of public
holidays most countries celebrate.
Adding another holiday to celebrate
a significant national event is
unlikely to bring the economy to its
knees as some critics might argue.
Replace Queen’s Birthday
In any case, the establishment
of a national public holiday to
mark Matariki need not entail the
creation of an additional public
holiday. It could be done by simply
replacing an existing public holiday
that has become obsolete. An obvious
candidate in this regard is the
current Queen’s Birthday holiday at
the start of June.
As New Zealand culturally diversifies,
the celebration of the British
Monarch’s birthday, with full military
honours and all the trappings
besides becomes more and more
incongruous. At a time when New
Zealand is trying to shake off the
final vestiges of its colonial past
and assert its identity as a modern
Pacific nation nothing can continue
to appear more absurd than the
annual official celebration of the
birthday of a hereditary ruler on
the other side of the world.
Queen’s Birthday Holiday is an
occasion whose time has well and
truly past, and it should be replaced
with an event far more relevant
to the lives and world views of
contemporary New Zealanders.
Perfect substitute
Matariki Day would be the perfect
substitute for the anachronistic
Queen’s Birthday.
Occurring at about the same time
of year as Queen’s Birthday, Matariki
would also have the practical
advantage of ensuring that New
Zealanders still get a public holiday
during the long winter months.
The Queen’s Birthday Honours
List could easily become the Matariki
Honours List, which would be a
that the high volume of funding
requests received in the past two
weeks suggests many local charities
are struggling to stay afloat.
Covid impact on income
“We know that the pandemic has
had a significant impact on the normal
income streams of community groups.
These are organisations providing
blankets, food and support services to
the most vulnerable members of our
community,” he said.
Mr Pollard said that what was
particularly concerning to see was
that many of these organisations
have asked for help to cover their
fundamental operating needs such as
power, internet and rent.
“For many of these groups, this
funding will be an essential lifeline to
help them continue to support their
community in a post-Covid environment,”
he said.
Mr Pollard said that the requests
for support exceeded more than $1.1
million and cover a wide range of
organisations including food charities,
whanau-based support, elderly and
youth support services, hospice as well
as environmental and sporting groups.
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nice counterpoint to the New Year’s
Honours List released in January.
And the dwindling pageantry now
associated with Queen’s Birthday
could be incorporated into the
wider celebrations of Matariki, if it
be so wished. In short, Matariki has
a far more New Zealand ring about
it than Queen’s Birthday ever did.
Timid assertion
Bicultural New Zealand has
been engaged in an often too timid
assertion of its national identity for
some generations now.
Yet while our population has
become more diverse, and our
absorption of aspects of other
cultures more extensive, especially
since the 1990s, we have been too
slow to move to ensure that our
national structures reflect both that
emerging diversity and our own
bicultural environment.
Despite successive Prime
Ministers piously acknowledging
the inevitability that New Zealand
will become a republic, none has
done anything to advance that. And
notwithstanding Britain’s abrupt
casting aside of New Zealand when
it wanted to join the European Community
in the 1970s, New Zealand
has rushed to be near the top of the
queue in negotiating a free trade
agreement with Britain now that it
has decided it no longer wants to be
part of Europe after all.
Progressive identity
The time has come for this country
to start matching its lofty and
bold talk about our progressive and
independent identity with some
action that shows we take that talk
seriously.
Continuing the way we are, with
no substantive action to follow,
will, over time, led to more and
more alienation and potential social
division.
Moving now to replace Queen’s
Birthday with the far more relevant
Matariki Day would be a simple,
but important step forward and a
signal that as a country we were
genuine in our desire to establish
and promote our identity and pride
in all facets of what it means to be a
New Zealander today.
Peter Dunne was a Minister of the Crown
under Labour and National-led governments
from November 1999 to September
2017. He lives in Wellington.
Restricting freedom of
speech is harmful to society
Danielle van Dalen
I
do not particularly love
confronting people.
But I know that when it is
done well, disagreement can
be incredibly powerful.
An open letter On Justice and
Open Debate published last week,
suggests the 150 signatories think
similarly. The letter claims that an
increasingly hostile environment
and growing restriction to freedom
of speech and expression is
harmful to society.
Open Letter
It says: “The free exchange
of information and ideas, the
lifeblood of a liberal society, is daily
becoming more constricted. While
we have come to expect this on
the radical right, censoriousness is
also spreading more widely in our
culture: an intolerance of opposing
views, a vogue for public shaming
and ostracism, and the tendency
to dissolve complex policy issues
in a blinding moral certainty. We
uphold the value of robust and
even caustic counter-speech from
all quarters. But it is now all too
common to hear calls for swift and
severe retribution in response to
perceived transgressions of speech
and thought.”
After the letter was published,
however, some of its signatories
denounced it – one even saying “I
am so sorry” – due to some of the
views of other signatories. (Notably
JK Rowling, who has recently
received significant criticism for
her comments on transgenderism,
was a signatory).
Ironic response
This response seems somewhat
ironic.
It is an example of the failure to
listen to opposing ideas that the
letter tried to address.
In fact, some of the signatories
have since said as much.
Author Malcolm Gladwell, for
example, tweeted: “I signed the
Harpers letter because there were
lots of people who also signed
the Harpers letter whose views I
disagreed with. I thought that was
the point of the Harpers letter.”
Or Thomas Chatterton Williams,
who spearheaded the letter, tweeted:
“this letter is not a statement
about everyone agreeing with
every position every signatory has.
The diversity of its signatories is its
strength – not a weakness.”
Agree to disagree
We need to be brave enough
to agree with the ideas of people
we regularly disagree with on
other issues. We could even learn
to have conversations about
the issues we disagree on. The
conversation will likely end with
both people holding their original
position and that is okay. What is
important is that everyone leaves
with a deeper understanding of the
person they disagree with and why
they disagreed in the first place.
While that is easier said than
done, it is incredibly important for
the functioning of society.
In fact, without healthy disagreements,
strong societal divisions are
much more likely to arise.
The Coddling of the American
Mind, by Jonathan Haidt (another
signatory) and Greg Lukianoff,
confronts this very issue.
They suggest that having
conversations with people you
disagree with are essential for
building resilience and learning to
adapt and grow.
Of course, this does not mean
that anything goes. Bullying is
never okay.
But there is a difference between
bullying and thorough intellectual
debate.
So, as someone who does not
particularly enjoy confrontation or
disagreement, it is important that
I learn to do it well – even when it
is difficult.
The stakes are too high to say no.
Danielle van Dalen is a Researcher at
the Auckland-based Maxim Institute.

AUGUST 1, 2020
Businesslink
15
A vital link between people, solutions and expertise.
The skills you require and people who can do it.
www.link2services.com

16
AUGUST 1, 2020
Communitylink
Papatoetoe Rotary plans more community projects
Venkat Raman
Rotary Club of Papatoetoe
Central is planning to
increase its community
welfare projects to bring
relief to the poorer and vulnerable
sections of the society, Public
Relations Director Raj Pardeep Singh
has said.
He said that as one of the
youngest Rotary Clubs (established
in November 2015) in the District,
Papatoetoe Central is keen to pursue
the objectives of Rotary International
with vigour.
Annual fundraiser
“We are working on our Annual
Fundraising Dinner which, apart
from mobilising financial resources
for worthy causes, will provide fun
and entertainment to the entire
family. Our Club is a real potpourri
of cultures and people, with current
members from different walks of
life like doctors, teachers, financiers,
businessmen, consultants, publishers
and health professionals. I am
looking forward to making it a place
where people who want to make
difference by providing volunteer
services can meet and share their
views and thoughts,” he said.
Mr Singh said that his aim is to
lead, motivate and inspire club
members while ensuring that
the Club’s focus and values are
maintained.
Raj Pardeep Singh (File Photo)
Some members of the 2020-2021 team
“The Club is bridging the gap between
the communities by offering
volunteer services and getting involved
in community projects. We
welcome new members who have a
passion for serving the community
while making new friends along the
Rotary Papatoetoe President Kulbir Singh with
Immediate Past District Governor Gary Langford
way,” he said.
Members meet at 7 pm every
Monday at Haveli Indian Restaurant
located at 736 Great South
Road, Manukau.
About Rotary Papatoetoe
Established in October 2015, the
Rotary Papatoetoe comprises people from diverse communities
Rotary Club of Papatoetoe Central
works with local professionals to
raise funding for good causes.
Although a majority of its members
are professionals from the Indian
community in South Auckland,
the Club is open to all ethnic groups
and cultures. It is also represented
by women with excellent leadership
qualities.
Mr Singh said that during the past
five years, the Club completed many
community projects and served the
wider South Auckland community.
Professionals and community
workers
“On July 18, 2020, the Rotary Club
of Papatoetoe Central had their
changeover function at Mehman
India Restaurant in Howick,
Auckland. Kulbir Singh, the first turban-wearing
Sikh became President
of a Rotary Club in New Zealand. His
team includes philanthropist professionals
who are lawyers, teachers,
financial advisors and businessmen,”
Mr Singh said.
He is among the professionals in
the team. Among them are Manu
Singh, Yashveen Singh, Sunil
Aggarwal, PJ Dhatt, Deepak Sharma,
Gurjinder Singh, Raj Chand, Akhilesh
Chaudhary, Praveen Chand, Nek
Mohammed, Gurjinder Ghuman,
Karnail Singh, Daman Kaur, Nikita
Chand, Naleen Chand, Jaspinder
Kaur, Gurpreet Kaur, Aloka Peacock
and Mustaq Sheikh.
“Rotary values diversity and celebrates
the contributions of people of
all backgrounds, regardless of their
age, ethnicity, race, colour, abilities,
religion, socioeconomic status,
culture, sex, sexual orientation, and
gender identity. The Club belongs to
New Zealand, District 9920,” he said.
Death of young Akash Anthony throws community into grief
Venkat Raman
There are times when a
journalist is too emotionally
charged to report on an
incident.
There are times when the subject
of a report is someone close to the
journalist’s heart and that of his
family.
Akash Anthony was a son as
much to my family as he was to
that of the late Wenceslaus Anthony
and his wife Susan and a darling
brother to Sneha and her husband
Mario Saverimuttu.
Unbelievable and painful
That Akash died on Saturday, July
18, 2020 in Sydney while on a visit
was too difficult to fathom.
That the ever-smiling, well-mannered
young man- he was only
27- is gone, is excruciating.
That this child of God went beyond
the clouds to which he soared
as a pilot is unbelievable.
And that he died within the
same week of his father’s third
anniversary (Wenceslaus Anthony
passed away in Chennai on July 23,
2020 following a sudden illness) is
even more tragic.
Relationships are sacred and
when people are united in a bond,
the pain is insufferable when
one of them leaves- the reason is
immaterial.
Good habits, manners
Akash, as I knew him, was a bubbling
young man- he had simple
habits and achievable objectives.
He was a great son, even a greater
brother and an ambitious pilot
who wanted to be on air all the
time- flying an aircraft and carrying
people in it.
We spent more than 20 hours
Akash Anthony: Unbelievable, harsh reality
A great Cricketer but the innings were
very short: Akash Anthony with his Coach
Nazeem Smith in 2010
together travelling to Chennai to
attend first anniversary prayer
at his tomb and attend other
meetings and services in Chennai
in July 2018. Those hours gave me
an insight to the mind and heart
Akash with his mother Susan, Sister Sneha and father (the late) Wenceslaus Anthony
of the fine young man that Akash
had become.
“I want to see my sister married
and settled and look after my
mother,” he had said, apart from
detailing his attitude towards life
and people.
Little did I (for that matter even
Akash) knew that the situation
would change so much for the
worse.
Message from Sister
His sister Sneha wrote the following
upon his death:
“I really don’t know how we are
going to even put one foot in front of
the other without you. Each minute
feels like the biggest challenging
nightmare. Still grieving the loss
of dad and then this happens. One
of the happiest most generous
kind-hearted non-judgemental
funniest people and the best little
brother ever. I have no words and
no idea what to do.
“Let us all be kind to each other
and know that hard times don’t
last forever and we need to push
through and look after our mental
health. He was always the happiest
and most cheerful person we were
so close as a family who talked
always, he called my mum multiple
times a day and told her everything
and no one ever thought his mind
would take him so quickly down a
dark spiral from which he could not
return. Please pray for him and the
family we just don’t know what to
do.”
About Akash Anthony
Akash was just a boy of six
when he migrated to New Zealand
with his parents and sister and I
remember him as an energetic boy
interested in Cricket, music and of
course flying.
Indian Newslink carried a story
in its September 15, 2010 issue, with
the title, ‘Exciting future awaits
young Cricketer.’
He was described as a Cricketer
with a promise and a growing list
of admirers.
Avondale College First XI Cricket
Coach and former Provincial and
International Representative Player
Nazeem Smith said that Akash had
unique qualities and attributes
that could see him as a star and
that he followed the style of Indian
batsman Rahul Dravid.
“I think that he has all the
potential and makings of an
international Cricketer if he keeps
working hard at it. He is a dream
player of any coach and always has
more to offer than offers.”
Like his father Wenceslaus,
Akash inspired, motivated and
brought out the best in others.
He built an extremely good
rapport and popularity amongst his
peers, members of the family and
everyone he knew.
I am grateful to friends- more
than 100 of them- who called,
texted and emailed mourning the
death of Akash. More than 600
people prayed at a Mass held on
Sunday July 26, 2020 at Catholic
Church of Christ the King in Mt
Roskill, Auckland.
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AUGUST 1, 2020
Communitylink
17
We should prepare for the next emergency
Danielle van Dalen
The Covid-19 pandemic
saw New Zealand enter its
second nationwide state of
emergency.
This gave the government access
to levels of power not seen in New
Zealand since the 1950s, perhaps
ever.
As a nation, we got lucky this
time; the pandemic exposed constitutional
weaknesses that might
have been exploited if we had
leaders with a more totalitarian
bent.
When an extraordinary event
like this occurs, it is important that
we take the time to learn from our
experience. There will always be
another emergency and we need to
be prepared for next time.
Christchurch Earthquakes
New Zealand’s first nationwide
state of emergency was declared
in response to the Christchurch
earthquakes of February 2011.
After the emergency, a
Royal Commission of Inquiry was
established to ensure that the
City would be better prepared for
another earthquake. Following
this example, our recently released
paper Civic Defence: Defining roles
and preparing our democracy for
the next emergency joins lawyers,
academics, and politicians in their
call to establish a Royal Commission
of Inquiry and investigate the
response to the Covid-19 pandemic
and state of emergency.
In the face of the scary unknown
of an emergency, it is easy to accept
the actions of those in charge as
essential to protecting us, and as
a result New Zealanders put a
lot of trust in the government’s
response, readily accepting extreme
restrictions on our freedoms. And
so, in the wake of this historic
moment, it is worth investigating
what happened, and why.
Recognising government actions
I am certainly not suggesting that
our government is authoritarian.
In fact, we would do well to
recognise the success of the government’s
response and celebrate
that New Zealanders currently live
in relative freedom compared to
much of the world.
However, that may be down to
the luck of who was in charge and
that those people were respectful
of the power they held rather than
sufficient constitutional protections.
While this is not an argument in
favour of a written constitution,
no defence against the misuse of
power should depend upon the
goodness of our politicians’ intent.
Both history and international
experience have shown that
without strong democratic practices
and protections there is significant
risk that government control can
extend beyond what is appropriate.
Ensuring that any restrictions to
our freedom are justifiable and
short-term is necessary for sustaining
the democratic values we enjoy
on a daily basis.
Checks and balances
That is why we need the (perhaps
tedious) checks and balances to
protect against any misuse of
power or unnecessary restrictions
BNZ receives Living Wage accreditation
Supplied Content
Bank of New Zealand Ltd
(BNZ) has achieved Living
Wage accreditation.
The achievement
indicates that the bank pays all its
people a Living Wage of no less
than $22.15 per hour and that all
people who regularly undertake
work on its premises and on behalf
Angela Mentis (Photo Courtesy: Stuff)
of the company, including suppliers,
pay their people a Living Wage.
The announcement comes as
banking becomes New Zealand’s
first fully living wage accredited
industry.
Chief Executive Angela Mentis
said that BNZ believes that everybody
should be paid a fair wage
that can support them and their
families to meet the cost of living.
“Paying the Living Wage is the
right thing to do, it supports gender
pay equity and helps people lead
better lives. Suppliers and partners
are also part of our wider family.
They help us support our customers
and if you’re undertaking work on
our behalf of BNZ then we want to
ensure you’re getting looked after
and have what you need to live and
pay for necessities,” she said.
of freedom.
It is time to learn from what
has happened and prepare for the
future.
Establishing a Royal Commission
of Inquiry will provide an
important avenue for beginning
this work. We need to identify the
gaps in our constitutional response
and strengthening the checks and
balances to sufficiently protect
against abuse of power, whoever
holds that power.
Another emergency will come,
the task now is to reflect, and
alongside our work to ensure the
long-term survival of our economy,
public health and safety, work to
ensure the long-term survival of
our democracy.
Danielle van Dalen is a Researcher at the
Auckland based Maxim Institute.
Ms Mentis said that BNZ is
pleased to join other good New
Zealand businesses supporting this
positive change.
At $22.15 per hour, the Living
Wage allows people to pay for
the necessities of life by ensuring
they can cover expenses such as
food, transportation, housing and
childcare.

18
AUGUST 1, 2020
Communitylin/Entertainmentlink
Top In Town Restaurant opens in Christchurch
Shirish Paranjape
The wait is finally over.
When Housing Minister
Dr Megan Woods cut the
ribbon on Friday, July 10,
2020, she was doing much more
than declaring open the Top in
Town Restaurant in Christchurch.
Her action marked the end of a
long wait for entrepreneur Tanveer
Jahangir Mohammed, his family,
colleagues and friends.
Out of the Ordinary
The opening marked the
beginning of business of a new
type of restaurant in the heart of
Christchurch, serving Hyderabadi
Mughlai style cuisine including a
buffet with a large variety of dishes
all days of the week.
Top in Town in Christchurch is
open from 12 pm to 10 pm every
day and Tanveer plans to extend
those hours in due course.
Tanveer is a New Zealand citizen.
He established ‘Top in Town’
takeaway restaurant and ‘Food City’
Attention
Eros
Now/Eros
Entertainment
Victims
Venkat Raman
Eros Now/Eros Entertainment
offers a number of films
other features in several
languages.
They lure customers offering a
trial subscription with the promise
that 'You can cancel the subscription
anytime.'
Are you a victim of Eros Now/Eros
Entertainment having taken a trial
subscription but continue to receive
monthly debits on your credit card
despite cancellation and continuous
emails to them?
Have you tried to stop your credit
card payment with your bank but
unable to do so because of the regulations
around this procedure?
Are you at the end of your nerves,
because of the irresponsible behaviour
of this company?
If yes, please respond to this
post and we will continue our fight
against this company as a team.
I look forward to hearing from
you.
venkat@indiannewslink.co.nz
Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods speaking at the opening of Top in
Town in Christchurch
An extensive range of dishes every day of the week
Poor mental health is one
of New Zealand’s biggest
societal issues but not a
political management tool.
National Party’s approach is not that
of a government-in-waiting.
Another day, another National MP
gone.
In just two short weeks, the Opposition
has lost a leader and five MPs.
Add to that a senior MP stripped
of the crucial health portfolio, and
poll numbers that do little to inspire
confidence.
This is not a government-in-waiting,
this is a Party in disarray.
Deplorable behaviour
The latest personal transgression
by a National Party MP was deplorable,
and the way it was dealt with
adds to valid criticism of the party’s
recent political management.
National’s attempt to use
mental health as a shield was not
only disingenuous (at best), it also
undermined the progress New
Zealand is making in talking about,
and understanding, mental health
and wellbeing.
On Monday afternoon (July 20),
Rangitata MP Andrew Falloon issued
a statement saying that he would not
contest the upcoming election.
The press release focused on Mr
Falloon’s mental health challenges.
He spoke about friends who had
died by suicide, the impact that had
on him, and his unresolved grief.
One short line hinted there was
more going on: “I have made a
number of mistakes and I apologise
to those who have been affected.”
Minutes later, a short press release
from new National Leader Judith
Collins also spoke about Mr Falloon’s
“significant mental health issues.”
She asked that his privacy be
respected.
The toll politics takes
Ms Collins’ statement also alluded
to another reason for Mr Falloon’s
resignation: “The National Party
was advised of an issue relating to
Andrew late on Friday afternoon
Restaurant Owner Tanveer Jahangir Mohammed explains the concept of
Top in Town
on Sandringham Road and later opened a Restaurant
in Papatoetoe in South Auckland. He left for Australia
about ten years ago.
After running successful restaurants on either side
of the Tasman, Tanveer decided to return to New
Zealand this year and settle down in Christchurch to
support his brother Ahmed Iqbal Mohammed, who is a
victim of the terrorist attach Mosques in Christchurch
on March 15, 2019.
However, various stages of lock-down meant that
the inauguration could not happen till now.
The Christchurch massacre
Following the terrorist attack, Tanveer arrived from
Australia and stood in the hospital for 12 days while
his brother was recovering.
“Everyone concerned, including
the government, the New Zealand
Police, the Muslim and other
communities did a great job. I
invited a large number of people
who helped during the post-attack
days to my restaurant for a free
lunch on the opening day,” Tanveer
later told Indian Newslink.
Concerned Police Officers were
also invited to the opening night.
Noble gesture
Dr Woods congratulated and
thanked Tanveer for his gesture of
providing free food to members of
essential services.
She said it was only fitting that
such a fusion restaurant had now
opened for business in the suburb
of Riccarton, which is home to
multicultural communities,
Gamal Fouda, Imam of Al-Noor
Mosque and Community Board
Member, blessed the Restaurant
with recitation of Islamic verses.
The opening ceremony was
covered live on Facebook by Radio
Sadeaala with compering by Yitesh
Sharma, and Habib Mirvat from
the Office of Ethnic Communities.
Shirish Paranjape is our Correspondent
in Christchurch. He is a
member of the Community Board.
Mental Health is not a political management tool
Laura Walters
National Party Leader Judith Collins with Party President Peter Goodfellow and her Caucus
colleagues soon after her election to the post (Picture by Sam Sachdeva for Newsroom)
and we have dealt with it this
morning,” she said.
Neither were upfront about what
the first-term MP had done, or the
severity of his actions.
Instead, the weight was placed
on his mental health issues.
In the following hours, Mr Falloon
received messages of support
- a sign the country is coming to
better understand the toll politics
can take on MPs’ mental health and
wellbeing.
This is something New Zealand
witnessed last week when Todd
Muller resigned as leader after just
53 days in the job, citing the pressures
of the role, and the impact on
his mental and physical health.
To New Zealand’s credit, Mr Muller
was commended by many for
putting his health, and his family’s
health, before his job.
It appears that Ms Collins saw
the way the country supported
Muller, and was tempted to try that
approach for a second time. But Mr
Falloon’s situation was different.
The full story
By Monday evening, the full
story had emerged: Mr Falloon
(he reportedly claims someone
else, using his phone) had sent an
unsolicited sexual picture - not of
himself - to a teenager. The girl’s
parents told the Prime Minister’s
office, which referred it to the
National Party.
Police investigated, but said
it did not reach the prosecution
threshold.
These revelations showed that
the Party had not been upfront
with the whole story. No-one had
signalled the nature of what Mr
Falloon - a 37-year-old MP - had
done, or the severity of his actions.
Unfortunately, lying by omission
is par for the course in politics.
But using mental health as a
shield - a way to keep scrutiny at
bay – is not.
This is not a question of whether
Mr Falloon is experiencing mental
health issues, or whether he should
get the privacy, treatment and
support he deserves - that goes
without saying.
Eroding public trust
But using one of the country’s
biggest social and health issues as
a tool for political management
further erodes public trust in the
Party - something that is already
taken a dive.
Mental health issues are a very
real problem in politics, but not
something to be used as an excuse
for bad behaviour.
It does a disservice to all New
Zealanders who live with mental
health issues, but continue to make
the right decisions, and stand
accountable for their mistakes like
everyone else.
This serious mis-judgment is the
latest in an increasingly chaotic
month for the National Party.
Just two weeks ago, first-term
Clutha-Southland MP Hamish
Walker announced his resignation
from politics after leaking private
health information of Covid-19
patients to the media.
Loss to National
Since then, National has been
bleeding MPs.
Two days after the Walker scandal,
list MP Jian Yang announced he
would retire at the election.
Then Mr Muller announced his
decision to step down as leader.
This sparked an emergency
Caucus meeting, where Ms Collins
was elected as leader, and it was
clear the party would change, with
beltway watchers expecting a surge
to the right and the adoption of a
Crusher Collins ’win at any cost’
mentality.
Her leadership resulted in the loss
of two more MPs - Amy Adams and
Nikki Kaye.
The departure of the two senior,
and more socially liberal, MPs was
not a surprise to many, but it would
be a loss to National. Both have
experience as ministers, and are
trusted and effective MPs.
The mass exodus of those before
Mr Falloon likely speaks to an
unsettled and divided caucus.
If it is an attempt by Collins to
clean house, she has got the timing
wrong.
Cleaning house usually comes
after an election loss - not before.
Right now, Ms Collins needs to
be doing all she can to mount a
strong contest come September 19.
Covering for an MP’s bad behaviour
does not achieve that.
Where to get help
1737, Need to talk? Free call or
text 1737 any time for support from
a trained counsellor
Lifeline – 0800 543 354 or (09)
5222 999 within Auckland
Samaritans – 0800 726 666
Suicide Crisis Helpline – 0508 828
865 (0508 TAUTOKO)
thelowdown.co.nz – or email
team@thelowdown.co.nz or free
text 5626
Anxiety New Zealand - 0800
ANXIETY (0800 269 4389)
Supporting Families in Mental
Illness - 0800 732 825
Laura Walters is Senior Political Reporter at
Newsroom in Wellington, covering Justice,
Education and the upcoming campaign. The
above Report has been published under a
Special Arrangement with Newsroom.

AUGUST 1, 2020
Entertainmentlink
19

20
AUGUST 1, 2020
Sportslink
Badminton Club brings up sporting talent in Christchurch
Rajeswar Peddisetti
The Telugu Badminton Club
of Canterbury Inc held its
S V Ranga Rao Memorial
Badminton Tournament on
July 19, 2020 in Christchurch.
This annual event this year had
48 players from diverse ethnic
backgrounds, including India, Sri
Lanka, Thailand and Japan.
It was divided into rounds with
four groups made up of 24 pairs.
The top eight pairs with the
highest points were placed in Grade
A grade, the next eight in Grade B
and the remaining eight in Grade C.
The Winners: Grade A: Ajesh Jose
and Martin Thomas; Runners-Up:
Shane Andrew Dominic and
Renchu George. Grade B: Anand
Sathish Kumar and Ashil Joy; Runners-Up:
Dinesh Kumar and Raam
Kumar. Grade C: Abhilash Suja and
Anand Gopakumar. Runners-Up:
Sandesh Chandra and Vignesh
Makkada.
Tournament Highlight
The highlight of the prize
distribution ceremony was that all
the players who participated in the
Tournament had a chance to win a
Yonex Badminton racquet.
The lucky winner was player
Jewel Jolly.
Prizes were presented by Shirish
Paranjape (Community Board
Member and Indian Newslink
Christchurch Correspondent), Uma
Varma (Director of Revathi Performing
Arts) and Venkat Pulakanam
(MBA Programme Director at
University of Canterbury).
Encouraging talent
Distributing prizes to Grade A
Shirish Paranjape with Grade A Winners
Uma Varma with Grade B Winners
winners, Shirish shared his memories
of attending the Tournament
as the Chief Guest from 2017. He
said that it was inspiring to see an
increase in players participating
this year, with the number of teams
doubled.
Uma thanked the Tournament
organisers, saying that it was
Venkat Pulakanam with Grade C Winners
providing the community an opportunity
to watch and encourage
sporting talent.
Venkat said that when he started
to play Badminton in Christchurch,
there no Club like the Telugu
Badminton Club to conduct regular
games and organise tournaments.
He offered several useful tips to
players on how they can improve
their game from being a mid-range
player to being a performance level
player.
It was great to see the competition
grow not only as a sporting
event, but also as a community
gathering.
I hope that the Club will conduct
more Tournaments in the future.
I thank volunteers, sponsors and
people of Christchurch for their
patronage.
Rajeswar Peddisetti is Director of The
Telugu Badminton Club of Canterbury
Inc and organiser of the Tournament,
based in Christchurch.
Teenager wins ABA
Boxing Tournament
Haransh declared winner against Qurban
Sharif from Nabby’s Boxing Gym
Haransh with his brother Ridhwan Deep Singh,
mother Sachi Kaur and father Jasjit Singh
Staff Reporter
A
teenager from East
Auckland became the
first Sikh amateur to win
in the Auckland Boxing
Association (ABA) Tournament held
at the ABA Stadium, Eden Terrace
on July 11, 2020.
Haransh Singh (16), a Year 12
student at Pakuranga College, is also
the first Sikh Boxer to be signed by
Revills Gym and ABA. He participated
in the 65 Kgs category.
Haransh with his Coach Lance Revill after
the win
“I am grateful to my Coaches at
Revills Boxing Gym, particularly
Lance Revill. My win is due to their
excellent efforts, guidance and
support,” Haransh said.
ABA is the principal Boxing organisation
in Auckland for amateur
boxing.
About Haransh
Haransh moved to New Zealand
two years ago with his family comprising
his parents and younger
brother Ridhwan Deep Singh. He
has shown interest in athletics since
his formative years in in India, and
has participated in 400 meters at
school events.
Haransh has been training for
past one year in Auckland under
the guidance of Lance Revill, a
Commonwealth Medal Winner and
former President, New Zealand
Professional Boxing Association.
His idol is Mohammad Ali and his
goal is to participate and win in the
Nationals next year and qualify for
Commonwealth Games.
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