New Zealand reviewing its whistleblowers law and links to other news and views

Review into whistleblowers law begins - RNZ
State Services Commissioner Peter Hughes was highly critical of the law last year after it failed to protect staff who spoke out about the convicted Ministry of Transport fraudster Joanne Harrison.
Mr Hughes said the system was substandard, inadequate, and "was very out of date and no longer reflected international best practice".
The government is now exploring whether the Protected Disclosures Act needs to be strengthened.
Does aid do more harm than good? - The Spectator
The Oxfam abuse scandal has revealed a sinister side to international charities
SA's free solar not what it seems - Eureka Street
It sounded like the ultimate election sweetener. Six weeks out from polling day, South Australian Labor Premier Jay Weatherill announced a plan to install free solar and Tesla batteries on 50,000 homes. ... Ah, but here's the catch — Tesla and a yet-to-be-appointed electricity retailer would own the power and sell it back to the household at a discounted rate. As the ABC explained: 'In effect, the householder is simply leasing Tesla and another power company some spare roof space and garage space in return for a discount on their power bills.'

The UK's offshore wind boom is great for the climate. But what about the fish? - PRI
Fisherman Steve Barratt says the area just offshore of the English port of Ramsgate was a prime fishing ground until a wind farm was built there a few years ago. Now he says he has to steam for three hours to get a good catch. But scientists aren't so sure the wind farm is to blame.
Ethiopia's prime minister resigns after mass protests - France 24
Ethiopia's Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn suddenly resigned on Thursday in what he described as a bid to smooth reforms, following years of violent unrest that threatened the ruling party's hold on Africa's second most populous nation. The prime minister leads the nation under Ethiopia's political system and Hailemariam's decision to quit underscores the depth of division within the ruling coalition over how fast to pursue political openness.
Senate deal on cannabis bill timeline means no sales before August - CBC News
Leaders in the Senate have reached a deal on a timeline for the legalization of cannabis — a schedule that pushes the start of retail sales past July 1, the date that has been floated in the past as the government's target.
Opinion: South Africa's lost decade - Deutsch Welle
South Africa had entered a promising new era with Nelson Mandela at the helm in 1994, but Zuma represents a lost decade in the country's history.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Is Scott Morrison getting ahead of Malcolm Turnbull in the GST debate?

Image
Michelle Grattan , University of Canberra Scott Morrison has become a true believer in the cause of raising the GST, determined to drive a major switch in the tax mix. The big question is whether Malcolm Turnbull will end up in the same place as his treasurer. Turnbull is keeping his options open. “Changes to the GST are certainly part of the tax debate and certainly being actively considered by the government,” he said on Friday. If Turnbull agrees with Morrison, all will be well and good between them. On the other hand if Turnbull eventually opts for caution and doesn’t walk down the GST road, or in the shorter term feels Morrison is getting ahead of the game, that would be awkward for the gung-ho minister, who would the need to manage his retreat. Morrison wants a high profile and he seeks the limelight. But that carries risks. There is always that salutary tale from Labor days. Paul Keating was passionate about introducing a broad-based consumption tax. Bob Hawke let
Read more

Prime Minister Scott Morrison under pressure as the question about knowledge of a rape gets embarrassing

Image
Any    day   of   the   week Five words by Scott Morrison that fired up social media commentators today. #NotMyPM pic.twitter.com/YiGTGzLNU5 — M🕯️cr💧ft ...... 🍥 🐒🚶......🧠 (@KaurnaCopia) March 18, 2021 They saw an angry and embarrassed Prime Minister. A politician under considerable pressure. Looking for a way out and not being able to see it. Hansard tells the story of how it came about: Members of Parliament: Staff  Mr ALBANESE (Grayndler—Leader of the Opposition) (14:33): My question is to the Prime Minister. Thirty days ago, the Prime Minister told this House that he asked his former chief of staff, one of the few people he's ever shown empathy for, to verify what his office knew about the reported sexual assault of Brittany Higgins only metres from where he works. Mr Gaetjens reported his findings on the Prime Minister's sports rorts within two weeks. Why is this report, about the Prime Minister's staff, taking so long, and will the Prime Minister release this
Read more

Remembering that Labor only lost last time because of Bill Shorten

A quote for the day from The Australian  ' Former Queensland Liberal Party vice-president and online pollster Graham Young, who runs Brisbane-based conservative think tank the Australian Institute for Progress, says Morrison was always going to struggle to be returned, nixing any suggestion the government had a lock on the election when it was riding higher in Newspoll. “ The only reason they won last time was that Bill Shorten was overconfident, unpopular and they got over the line in a few seats in Queensland,” Young says. “Anyone who thinks it’s a lay-down misere because Albanese is hopeless or whatever is not thinking clearly.”'
Read more