Archive for the ‘Political’ Category
Save our National Radio New Zealand
Radio at home
The rural district some quite isolated have one broadcaster that is reliable, informative, for local content, international content and above all quality.
A cross section extraordinary programmes that reach into the heart of the city to the understanding the agriculture sector for example the riveting story of the apple named “Mrs. Grants Last Stand.”
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/highlights/spectrum3
Mrs Grant had tied herself to her favourite apple tree to stop her husband bulldozing it down.
A wonderful story of the true Kiwi spirit to save heritage colonial past.
True Story from Christchurch Electronic Factory Tait Electronics.
National Radio New Zealand
she sat at her workstation
knowing she was the lucky one
of the factory crew
sitting at the window
winding the electronic cables
she had a view.
Headset on her head
listening to radio new zealand
‘got her ears on’ so they said
they often looked at her nodding head
hands busy winding
sitting alone
at the window.
Sun streaming over the sill
parents would bring her the kid’s homework
no matter the subject
the answer carefully pencilled in.
she would converse on any matter
whenever one had time
politics, sport, books,
racing be it bikes or horses
on medicine to food
and tantalising courses.
She could talk about money
any country, cross great racial divides
philosophical opinions
americas cup
tourist weather
and jibes.
The workbench was empty one day 
sun streamed across the still
headset hanging on her chair
her winding machine still
word raced around “she not well indeed quite ill”
visited her in hospital
before she passed on
she was asked about her vast knowledge
told how she was valued
from adult to children
just before she went
with her last breath nearly spent
“Listen to my headset
national radio . That bought me love
excitement, joy with stories
that could bring tears
as I sat alone at the window all those years.
The sun warming me streaming over the sill
I learnt a diverse spectrum of the world beyond from a
wonderful selection of radio hosts
and saturday by kim hill
every day I traveled
as every day I was schooled (for i never was lucky to go to a real school)
so on my seat or on my stool
knowledge gained and I be well traveled and i never left my seat “
then her heart gave a final beat
quietly at peace
she went to sleep.
dreams of travel …………………. No advertisements just a sensory input allowing the dreams. A wake up call in the morning with the sound of a New Zealand native bird not the shrill of jingles advertising canned food. Can the idea in changing the format and keep the funding …….. it is our radio, the peoples radio.
The Man at the Coal Face: NZ Post Couriers
Postal Service NZ
Regardless of the stories of continual bad press of those empowered to serve the public, for example the behaviour of MP’s, Telecom’s continued break downs of communication service to the Nation, the recent one affecting the 111 emergency call number, City Councils that care little for those that reside in City Council flats, for those that always say they will call back and never do or do so a week later there are one or two wonderful good stories.
New Zealand Post Courier Services, for any Track and Trace parcel ease of use on their www. Site, to track, with instant updating. Things can go wrong and human error can occur, in this case as it did, a phone call, explanation, the urgency, the parcel concerned was put on a truck and delivered to the person in Christchurch City within the hour of the phone call.
It is people like the courier driver, the lady at the call centre, the men and woman at the coal face that make the difference.
New Zealand Courier Post Christchurch are to be congratulated for a service that is 1st class and the good souls who saved the day on this day the 26th February 2010.
Many could well learn from New Zealand Post Couriers example, especially those noted above.
Theft as a Servant
Politicians are the Civil Servants of the public. In the private sector for a new employee an employment contract is in general given to read,study and sign, for example a pump attendant for Shell or any other company. Some contracts ask, does the recipient understand the terms of employment fully and the terms set out by the company. Finally if the employee accepts such terms and agrees, signs the contract.
As with politicians, who are sworn in and pledge to serve the country, have terms and rule books for behaviour as a servant to the company: in this case the company is the country New Zealand.
The ministerial rule book for politicians given to all ministers arriving into New Zealand parliament outline codes of practice. For example ;
‘use of a credit card for personal expenditure ( regardless of the intent to reimburse) is not permitted ‘
Ministers of the New Zealand Government ( National MP’s) some of the highest paid civil servants who claim of mistakenly billing their ministerial credit card, one would have assumed these so called intelligent men leading the country would know which credit card they passed over for payment purchasing personal items for themselves, family, or for entertaining associated colleagues.
The billing costs for the three Ministers MP Phil Hartley, MP Gerry Brownlee, MP Tim Groserhave been publicly identified for billing three thousand dollars plus for personal use to the ministerial credit cards.
Ignorance of the law, or rules, or terms of contract of employment is no excuse, and an a excuse “it was a mistake” generally the excuse ‘it was a mistake ‘ is used only when caught. A lame excuse for an excuse.
There is no excuse, the deliberate misuse of a credit card is theft or fraud. In the private sector the employees employment would be terminated by instant dismissal, and criminal charges bought against them.
Politicians should be no different to any other member of the public and should face the consequences of the their behaviour.
Is it not a theft by a servant?