Posts by Craig Young
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Meanwhile, insofar as the Parents Inc story goes, this is what the PM stated in Parliament on June 6th, in response to a question from Social Development Minister Annette King:
Hon Annette King: What evidence and scientific advice did he seek before agreeing to allocate $2.4 million to Parents Inc. for a parenting programme that even the Minister for Social Development and Employment said she had neither sought nor received advice on, or was she carrying out his promise that he made before the election that he would make sure that Parents Inc. got money?
Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Members will accept that, as Prime Minister, I am not responsible for the allocation of that contract; that actually goes through the Ministry of Social Development. But I would say I have seen that Toolbox; I have seen the programme. In my opinion it is a very, very successful programme that is helping New Zealand parents, and we do need to help parents in New Zealand.
Hon Annette King: As the contract with Parents Inc. is yet to be signed, is he prepared to require a tender for the $2.4 million for a parenting programme now that other organisations have come forward to say they have a similar programme but they had no chance to bid for that money; if not, why not?
Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I think that was pretty wide of the primary question. Anyway, my advice is—I will not say that, actually. My advice to the member is to take the matter up, if she wants to, with the Minister for Social Development and Employment. I can say my understanding is that no one else provides a similar programme off the shelf like that that is so successful.
In other words, the answer is no, there has not been any prior consultation or analysis of the programme.
New Zealand Parliament: Questions: 07.06.2011: http://www.parliament.govt.nz/en-NZ/Business/QOA/9/e/0/49HansQ_20110607_00000002-2-Chief-Science-Advisor-Advice.htm
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“Destiny Church cries "discrimination” New Zealand Herald: 09.06.2011: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10731094
By the sounds of this, they appear to have a problem with potential takatapui clients. Why were they funded in the first place, if this is the case? Have they discriminated against takatapui clients as recipients of government funds, which would mean violation of the sexual orientation provisions of the Human Rights Act 1993? And what the *hell* does Tariana Turia mean Whanau Ora will 're-examine' this, given these concerns about vulnerable lesbian and gay Maori???!
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Thank you for this disturbing information about Destiny Church's Charities Commission approvals. I can promise you that Gaynz.Com will be on their case. And incidentally, given Pope Brian's crapulous remarks about takatapui and whakawahine in the past, it'll be a long cold night in hell before he gets any public dosh under our watch...
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Everyone be sure to duck to avoid the lowflying fundies on May 21!
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Camping
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_end_times_prediction
Craig Y -
This is why I think P/crystal meth (as opposed to common or garden 'speed') is a particular problem. Okay, the documentary is about five years old, but it does have the advantage of some evidential content:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/meth/
Craig Y
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Errr. I certainly think BZP should never have been criminalised and I have long supported decriminalisation of cannabis, albeit with age limits and bans on provision to people with schizophrenia (although in itself it isn't schizogenic, it can create such responses). However, I part company with portmanteau wholesale drug decriminalisation advocates over the issue of P/crystal meth. In that particular instance and that instance only, I'm afraid that measures like harm minimisation and risk reduction don't work.
As a category, "drugs' refers to a range of substances with a variety of biochemical and metabolic effects.
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And lest we all forget, here's a chilling little blast from the recent past on current US neoconservative positions on the utility and legitmacy of torture:
Charles Krauthammer: “The Truth about Torture” Weekly Standard: 5.12.2005: http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/006/400rhqav.asp
This is why Stephenson is concerned. He is right to be so.
Craig Y
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To say nothing of at least three thousand Shia Hazara Northern Afghans massacred by the Taliban, assisted by al Qaeda on grounds of ethnic cleansing and religious dissent from al Qaeda's highly sectarian Sunni brand of Islam. That's one of the problems that I have with the US reaction. If they'd cared about the original Afghan victims of the Taliban and al Qaeda when that happened in 1998, then the whole needless 9/11 ordeal and the ensuing Afghan War need never have happened.
Sorry, but let's put Hone Harawira's lamentable lack of knowledge into stark comparison here...
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And for those with short memories, here's a backgrounder that I did on the Pirate Party phenomenon last year- before Jonathon Young had his Skynet theophany...
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An excellent article on the whole Afghanistan strategic nightmare is...
Matthieu Adkins: “Disappearing Ink” Harpers: January 2011: 39-44.