Dame Margaret Bazley has set the cat among the pigeons with her report saying unverified sources believed up to 80 per cent of lawyers practising in Manukau District Court could be gaming the system
Unverified sources huh?
No prizes for guessing who told her about:
"lawyers who demanded or accepted top up payments from clients who do not understand legal aid" or
"widespread abuse of the preferred lawyer policy by duty solicitors, including taking backhanders for recommending particular lawyers to applicants".
No names though. Wonder how many cases have resulted in disciplinary action, or any kind of investigation what so ever.
View the report - which makes 86 recommendations - at:
http://www.justice.govt.nz/publications/global-publications/t/transforming-the-legal-aid-system/transforming-the-legal-aid-system/?searchterm=Legal%20Aid%20Review%20report
Contains gems like:
#1 "Evolution of the legal aid .....from private to public management". That should set Cactus Kate off ! (not to mention # 50 "...in accordance with public sector best practice")
I'd question the logic of the justification "Because the legal aid system is essential to the operation of the justice system...." which leads on to more of the same in #5 .
But I'd totally agree with # 44 "The legal aid system needs to encourage lawyers to affiliate themselves with other lawyers, to ensure they get training, supervision, mentoring, support, and feedback on their performance in providing legal aid services."
...easy to put in one sentence!
# 45 "All lawyers should have premises from which they operate."
This is the electronic age. Why shouldn't lawyers work from a car boot or restaurant with a laptop and mobile?
#86 "As a matter of urgency, the government should clarify funding streams for Treaty of Waitangi Claims and modify them to ensure there is no possibility of double-dipping or triple-dipping by claimants or lawyers."
Ya think?
More to come.
Sunday, 29 November 2009
About Time !
Our biggest mortgage has finally rolled out of fixed at 8.7 to floating 5.75, with the next biggest due to roll over in Feb next year.
I wouldn't go quite as far as to say:
Two-salary family struggles to pay bills
but this is a very welcome relief. Tony Alexander's weekly comment says 'don't fix for the next 5 years'. If he's right yippee. Otherwise I won't be retiring for a few years yet.
More middle class bleating.
When we asked the bank last week "What can we borrow?"
"$800k"
Jesus! Aren't funds supposed to be harder to get?
No way could we make those repayments.
Looks like they are covering risk by lending only 70% on investment propery and 80% for owner occupied unlike the 100% and 95% deals of 2 years ago.
May have to keep the beach section a while longer though seeing as
Fire-sale sections trigger dramatic slump in seaside values.
Could be worse.
I wouldn't go quite as far as to say:
Two-salary family struggles to pay bills
but this is a very welcome relief. Tony Alexander's weekly comment says 'don't fix for the next 5 years'. If he's right yippee. Otherwise I won't be retiring for a few years yet.
More middle class bleating.
When we asked the bank last week "What can we borrow?"
"$800k"
Jesus! Aren't funds supposed to be harder to get?
No way could we make those repayments.
Looks like they are covering risk by lending only 70% on investment propery and 80% for owner occupied unlike the 100% and 95% deals of 2 years ago.
May have to keep the beach section a while longer though seeing as
Fire-sale sections trigger dramatic slump in seaside values.
Could be worse.
Mike Pero & the Erebus Charter
I can't see this being anything other than Mike seeing a demand and knowing it could be catered to.
A little naive of him not to see the ANZ reaction coming.
Was it over the top? No question.
A little naive of him not to see the ANZ reaction coming.
Was it over the top? No question.
Sunday, 15 November 2009
White Out !
The guy on the left had just finished gesturing and shaking his head repeatedly at the guy dressed like him further down with the Tui stubbie.
"He's not one of us!"
The first 3 minutes had me thinking this was going to be a hiding. 2 corners to Bahrain in 2 minutes with nothing going right for us. But by half time the better chances had certainly been ours, a flip flop from the away leg in Bahrain. Once again we didn't get replays of the contentious stuff and the tackle that led to the penalty looked OK to me but replays clearly show it was deserved with Lockhead beaten.
We were 5 seats along from the Bahrain supporters - who kept up a continual din of drums and bloody trumpet things doing snake-charmer/belly-dance music drowned out or silent only when we scored and the penalty missed.
The missed penalty really rocked them badly - serious faced, they stared at the Whited Out fans at the fence when this happened. Some of whom were giving vigorous fingers toward them.
I could have been back at Waikato Stadium!
Started filming this a few seconds before full-time - feel the change in atmosphere.
I've never seen so many beer throwing shirtless fans at full time.
Just fantastic for the kids to be there and see history made.
Nice to see Jim Bolger can still look after his own bag. Bahrain team Airbus A340 is in the rear of shot and flew out just before we took off back to the 'Tron.
"He's not one of us!"
The first 3 minutes had me thinking this was going to be a hiding. 2 corners to Bahrain in 2 minutes with nothing going right for us. But by half time the better chances had certainly been ours, a flip flop from the away leg in Bahrain. Once again we didn't get replays of the contentious stuff and the tackle that led to the penalty looked OK to me but replays clearly show it was deserved with Lockhead beaten.We were 5 seats along from the Bahrain supporters - who kept up a continual din of drums and bloody trumpet things doing snake-charmer/belly-dance music drowned out or silent only when we scored and the penalty missed.
The missed penalty really rocked them badly - serious faced, they stared at the Whited Out fans at the fence when this happened. Some of whom were giving vigorous fingers toward them.
I could have been back at Waikato Stadium!
Started filming this a few seconds before full-time - feel the change in atmosphere.
I've never seen so many beer throwing shirtless fans at full time.
Just fantastic for the kids to be there and see history made.
Nice to see Jim Bolger can still look after his own bag. Bahrain team Airbus A340 is in the rear of shot and flew out just before we took off back to the 'Tron.
Thursday, 5 November 2009
How do the Teleban cope with this stuff?
Suzanne Vega and Vanessa Paradis version of 'Blowing In The Wind'. Interesting.
And the very good original with Joan Baez helping the man.
Not that I give a toss how the Teleban will cope, it is the women and children who will suffer more when we leave. Maybe I don't get the song and it really means we should just walk away from our neighbours and leave them to it.
And the very good original with Joan Baez helping the man.
Not that I give a toss how the Teleban will cope, it is the women and children who will suffer more when we leave. Maybe I don't get the song and it really means we should just walk away from our neighbours and leave them to it.
Tuesday, 3 November 2009
Well done U17 footballers.
Amazing to think we are through to the top 16 when Brazil and the Netherlands are out.
No bets on the Nigeria game this Friday though. Give it everything guys!
Great timing for the build up to Wellington on Saturday 14 November when we'll find out if the All Whites are good enough to earn their place in history as well.
Got the tickets and flights organised, accommodation to go.
No bets on the Nigeria game this Friday though. Give it everything guys!
Great timing for the build up to Wellington on Saturday 14 November when we'll find out if the All Whites are good enough to earn their place in history as well.
Got the tickets and flights organised, accommodation to go.
Monday, 2 November 2009
Why I hadn't taken my kids shooting.
Almost entirely the result of watching this documentary The Killing Of America in 1982 (that and seeing what a .308 did to a carcass at the Burnham range).
27 years on the doco is still very sobering and disturbing. The IMD review says it's expoitive, and to a limited extent I agree - but people who get kicks watching this stuff already have major problems. Depends on whether you think the ugly side or reality of the truth should be hidden or is better exposed and known about. Most people will go "That is really f'n scary" and give some serious thought to violence and guns.
Has quotes like "More people have been murdered in the US since 1900 than have died in all the countries wars during this time". Just checking on Wikipedia a homicide rate of 5.5 per 100,ooo for a population of 293,655,404 = 16,151 per year in 2004! "..at its lowest level since 1965" !
Contrast this to the media coverage the 'war on terror', the Iraq and Afghanistan casuality figures get.
27 years on the doco is still very sobering and disturbing. The IMD review says it's expoitive, and to a limited extent I agree - but people who get kicks watching this stuff already have major problems. Depends on whether you think the ugly side or reality of the truth should be hidden or is better exposed and known about. Most people will go "That is really f'n scary" and give some serious thought to violence and guns.
Has quotes like "More people have been murdered in the US since 1900 than have died in all the countries wars during this time". Just checking on Wikipedia a homicide rate of 5.5 per 100,ooo for a population of 293,655,404 = 16,151 per year in 2004! "..at its lowest level since 1965" !
Contrast this to the media coverage the 'war on terror', the Iraq and Afghanistan casuality figures get.
Sympathy
H "What game are you going to play with that?"
N "Well, K and S run at me with the rope and I jump it"
H "Do you think that's a good idea? You know who ends up crying."
10 minutes later from outside
N "Waaaaaaa".
H "No. I don't want to know. Mr Sympathy, me".
L "You don't know how to be sympathetic to anyone"
After helping her Dad and now mine die of cancer, I disagree. (It was 'months' to live. Exactly 2 months and 6 days since he found out)
Not much chance getting pepper-sprayed with you as my Dad. Thanks.
N "Well, K and S run at me with the rope and I jump it"
H "Do you think that's a good idea? You know who ends up crying."
10 minutes later from outside
N "Waaaaaaa".
H "No. I don't want to know. Mr Sympathy, me".
L "You don't know how to be sympathetic to anyone"
After helping her Dad and now mine die of cancer, I disagree. (It was 'months' to live. Exactly 2 months and 6 days since he found out)
Not much chance getting pepper-sprayed with you as my Dad. Thanks.
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