NGA KUPU AROHA

Last night we spent a fascinating few hours with an old asssociate - Denis O'Reilly

We go back over 20 years - when he headed the powerful and influential Group Employment Liaison scheme and we were plying our self developed model of multi faceted rehabilitation in Invercargill jail.

Denis O'Reilly is Black Power and he has a life that is well lived. Today instead of some opposing member of a rival gang, it the drug "P" that Denis has in his sights.

Denis is still a part of the scene, that much is evidenced by a recent driveby where he was the target of a shooting.

He, and my good friend Harry Tam have seen the wholesale damage this drug has done to a generation and they want to see it gone. They have embarked on a crusade to do their very practical bit to see the end of its ravages.

We don't necessarily agree on everything. But we agree that something must be done and it is good that the Maori Party is leading the charge.

I could tell some of Denis's story , but it is his to tell and he tells it well. There are shades of J K Baxter in his stony Irish rooted persona - not a strange thing really, as he and Harry are lovers of words such as these.

High Country Weather

Alone we are born

and die alone

Yet see the red-gold cirrus

over snow-mountain shine

upon the upland road

ride easy stranger

Surrender to the sky

your heart of anger.

So take a journey and set aside some good time to read what he is saying. It is a well written, well argued strategy. I urge all politicians and policy makers to digest it.

CACTUS WAXES LYRICAL ON KIDS

Bugger us, Cactus , she who has never heard the echo of pitter pattering tiny feet, has done a very good piece on why some kids of rich parents are such little shit bags. Interestingly BB son and heir was doing okay till he started getting round with kids who got Rav 4's for their fifteenth birthdays and got more pocket money each day that BB's son got in a month.

Its worth a read, its almost academic in its weight and tone.

REALLY CRAP JOURNALISM

We expect better. This story in the Herald should read -

Press Release from Corrections on Prison Drug Rates.

New figures released by the Department of Corrections show the number of prisoners using drugs has hit a record low.

Acting prison services assistant general manager Leanne Field said the number of prisoners returning positive results after being randomly tested had plummeted to 10.5 per cent, the lowest rate ever recorded across all prisons in New Zealand.

"This is a major achievement given that 34 per cent of prisoners tested positive when testing began in the late 1990," Mrs Field said.

She said the reduction had been achieved through ongoing investment and improvement in prison security, and enhanced visitor and prisoner searching.

"We also undertake regular searches with our 12 drug dog teams and have a highly skilled intelligence team who work to stop criminal activities within prison."

Mrs Field said getting further declines was a challenge as prisoners and their associates in the community were inventive in identifying ways to smuggle contraband into prison.

She said there was also a focus on reducing the demand for drugs in prison through treatment clinics.

- NZPA

Come on = both the Herald, and NZPA who put the story out could have done better.
- some of the questions that need to be asked are:

1. How many years has the Department been gathering statistics on random drug testing?
2. What percentage of the prison population is drug tested?
   
3. What prisons are tested?
   
4. What drugs are the tests used for?
5. Has the survey changed over time?
   
6. What ratio of males and females are tested?
   
7. What type of tests are used?
   
8. What are the punishments for positive drug tests?
9. What segment of the prison population are tested? Minimum, medium or maximum security ?
10. How is the "randomness" of testing decided?
    

Simple stuff really. Readers deserve more. Journalists need to do more probing.
We just find it interesting that "P" probably wasn't even registering in 1990 - It certainly wasn't when we were working for Corrections in a medium security prison.
So we smell a rat.. a big stinky PR spinning rat.

GOOD DECISION

We are delighted by this Rex Haig wont get compensation - we covered it as a journo and had a death threat from one of the major players. It was a very sordid business.

It appears that the legal eagles think that Haig was " probably involved in the murder of Mark Roderique. We think that probably thats a bloody good analysis.

MACDOCTOR FOR PRESIDENT

Macdoctor has some of the best posts . And his latest is no different . It is well reasoned , well written and well, just plain bloody right. It about Nia Glassie.

He calls it Souless Savagery - and talks about the eyes of the killers - and I know from experience that there are no depths to those eyes - they are just fathomless pools of nothingness.

Read his take on Nia Glassie, gangs and the need for authority.

NEVER LEAVING LAS VEGAS

Queen bee has a very interesting post on Las vegas - Helen Clark has tried to shut this down. It wont be. Read here

EX DRUG COP AND CROWN LAWYER TO MEET

The Herald on Sunday has reported that the cop who said his lies got about 150 people convicted has been contacted by Bruce Squires the QC appointed to investigate the claims
More here

Roarprawn is watching this one with interest Patrick has been keeping us informed on his personal journey

you can keep up with Patrick's story here

DAIL JONES IS NOT CORRUPT

But we all know Winston is - is this why Dail has been sent to oblivion on the party list?

Poor bugger.

Winston makes it quite clear in his blog that he thinks 13 NZ First candidates have a realistic chance of getting in. So by inference Jones at 14 wont make it and is not deemed worthy..


Time to spill the beans Dail - clear up the corruption in NZ First once and for all.



bustedblonde@gmail.com

UNDERCOVER DRUG COP CONFESSION GOES GLOBAL

Patrick O'Briens story is going global - Heres Salon's take on corruption in cop forces and social contracts-

Patrick as you may remember is a 60 year old former cop who said his lies in court years ago put about 150 people behind bars.

NZ SLACK ON MONEY LAUNDERING

Queen Bee at wellingtonhive is back on form this morning after it was obvious by her late night posts that she got sozzled last night.

She points us to an interesting story about Money Laundering by Denise McNab and why NZ needs some money laundering legislation.

We here at the Prawn couldn't agree more.

We wonder just how vigilant our airport customs people are about large amounts of cash coming back from say, Las Vegas?

Where does the boxing fraternity put all its cash it wins at those big fights?

QUEEN BEE ON THE PINOT?

WOW , the old girl must have been out on the tiles last night and it appears from the quality of the posts on the Hive Queen Bee had a couple of glasses of Wycroft Pinot Noir too many.

She wants us to boycott TV3 because they have broadcast another one of the " secret " tapes that was made at the National Party conference.

Now poor old QB isn't a journalist and doesn't realise that todays independent media like TV3 is only interested in entertainment. And we think it is very entertaining TV. Duncan Garner is the best eye candy of any of the TV political presenters.

And Keeping Stock has fallen for Queen Bees drunken musings as well


We don't have a problem that TV3 aired another of the tapes because we know that TV3 , to ensure fairness and balance, will publish the tapes that the VRWC has "obtained " over the last month or so.

However we are prepared to sell them to the highest bidder, with money going to the Breast Cancer Foundation because QB has made such a tit of herself.

Please email bustedblonde@gmail.com if you would like to buy them.

WINSTON WORRIED ABOUT NATS AND MAORI PARTY BEING NEW BEST FRIENDS

Winston craps on about National working with the Maori Party.

With Clark cosying up to the oldies and the Nats being best buddies with the Maori Party Winnie has only got the conspiracy theorists and the demented that will support him. Oh and a few race horse owners, and maybe some olive grove owners, a couple of drug taking boxers, and perhaps his missus.

Press Release: New Zealand First Party

2 October 2008

Nats Should Explain Maori Party Links

New Zealand First has called on National and the Maori Party to come clean about their plans for trying to sort out a coalition deal.

Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters says the National candidate for Mana, Hekia Parata, is openly touting for party votes for the Maori Party and he says she would not be doing this without the approval of the National leadership.

“National and the Maori Party have been cosying up to each other for months, and it is unlikely that Hekia Parata, a person of some standing, would be acting independently of her party.

“National and the Maori Party have every right to hold talks but they should come out in the open and tell the people of New Zealand what they are discussing.

“No matter what John Key says about abolishing Maori seats, always remember that National has extremely flexible principles when it is pursuing power,” said Mr Peters.

ENDS

We haven't left Las Vegas yet

good to see the Herald on Sunday playing terriers on this one.


Two questions remain - what is Winstons attraction to the boxing world ( should we ask Johnny Glozier, a personal friend of Winstons, and someone who has spent sometime in a dark and cold place where the only music is the clinking of keys ) ?

And WHEN did he pay the money back?????!!!!!


Rodney has asked MFAT a few interesting questions about the second question...

Go Rodney.

Hooton has Winston on the ropes

Matthew hooton has blooged on Las Vegas and his knowledge of trade trips is very very useful. Hootons investigative skills are as good as any qantas award winner...

And now we have the PM all over this as well

read Hootons column - here - to put this scandal in context.

I see Flying scampi - and maybe another inquiry

Queen Bee at Wellington Hive has the real low down on the Vegas scandal and she points to the need for another investigation..

Here are some pertinent issues the Queen Bee raises.


By now many of you will have read the interesting story in the Herald on Sunday by Stephen Cook. You will know that The Rt Hon Winston Peters, New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs travelled to Las Vegas from Berlin for private purposes.

Winston Peters says that the costs of travel to and accommodation in Las Vegas was paid by himself (note not "refunded") and that he "reimbursed" his acquaintance who had furnished the tickets the fight.

Good point QB - Winston never seems to pay for anything himself. People who want ( and get) something from Winston seem to do all the paying - BB


The cost of a Berlin - Las Vegas - Singapore add on to a trip is going to be expensive, particularly if you were not travelling economy. Likewise accommodation, food, and the costs of tickets to a title fight will be expensive also. We are talking many thousands of dollars here. And we are assuming normal conventions apply to this travel, that if private travel is undertaken as part of an official trip, that the whole trip be done on an economy class basis. Was this the case in this instance?Rodney Hide is right to be asking for evidence. Because if it is true that this boxing match was arranged and paid for by George Calvert, it would be further evidence of those with racing interests (in this case harness racing) having leverage over the Minister of Racing at a time when Government was considering a proposal to increase funding for that industry.

Yes Queen Bee is right again - Winston seems to be on the receiving end of the largesse of people he can and does win concessions for.

(Treasury was opposing this proposal forcefully).

This is well known in Wellington - remember both Labour and National opposed the concessions Winston gave the racing industry - what does that say???!!!

We know that Winston Peters' office has been fielding enquiries from the media on this matter for well over a week. This is ample time to produce receipts, from the travel agent or airline that arranged this travel, from the hotels and restaurants at which Winston ate and slept, and from Mr Calvert, for the reimbursement of the tickets. We are frankly surprised that Winston would not have provided this evidence, as this would have made the matter disappear. No one is ever going to take Winston's word on anything ever again given his track record of lies that has been exposed this year.

Yip again Winston could shut this down quickly but producing the evidence to back up his assertions but he doesnt.. Why ? because he cant!

Well done Rodney Hide for taking this issue up. Frankly, unless this issue is cleared up by tomorrow, we think it worthy of an investigation by the Auditor General.All overseas travel by Ministers has to be approved by the Prime Minister. She should release the submission on this trip also.

No doubt this will show that Winston was open about the huge diversion to Las Vegas at all times, and that the fact he had paid in advance for the extra costs involved will be clearly set out.

Haha - I will see scampi fly before that happens!!!!

This submission is recoverable under the OIA.Finally, it will be important for Winston Peters to demonstrate that he paid for all costs himself, and that no party or trust money was used for his private benefit.


More flying scampi .......

So all in all the Herald story has just prised the lid of another pandoras box for Winston

I can hear the Furies cackling from here .

This election is all about Trusts .. thanks Whaleoil

Winston far away from the busted blondes at the boxing

Boxing on as ever in the face of adversity - Winston Peters .... Wheres johnny??????