National's police state

It is no surprise that Simon Power is gleefully pushing legislation allowing the Police to collect DNA samples from people it "intends to charge". At university, Simon had thoroughly conservative views that clearly showed his intended path to power. While refreshing against the vile vapid leftwing quasi-liberal nonsense of Victoria University, it was clear to most who knew him that he wanted to repeat the revolution of the 80s, but do it without the liberal Labour social agenda.

Everyone charged with an imprisonable offence will have their DNA taken, and held by the state, regardless of guilt. So a nice cozy database of citizens will be built up. Similar to the one the UK government has built up, and has been damned by the EU for it.

Idiot Savant at No Right Turn has got it right.

"It makes the mere fact of suspicion itself (rather than the grounds for suspicion) enough to take evidence and conduct searches which may have no connection to the original offence. And it does this for a particularly invasive form of search. Taking a DNA sample is not like taking a fingerprint (something which can be done to anyone arrested). It yields far more - and far more private - information, and uses far more invasive methods. It requires them to stick needles into you. That should require a very high threshold. Instead, the police want to do it to anyone who comes into their hands as a routine procedure."

Well it doesn't require needles, but beyond that he is correct. It should have a threshold of being charged, not merely arrested.

However, who said a National government would mean less nanny state?

and what does ACT think?

Justice system working

Bailey Kurariki's final chance? Oh please.

Look, you have a choice. Either pour time and money into serious rehabilitation - which means him NOT returning to the community of trash he hangs around with, being placed in a job that is physically demanding and banning him from associating with those who live on the level of scum that will lead him into offending again.

Or, throw him away and lock away the key.

Because this guy doesn't give a shit, he has no sense of right and wrong, and couldn't care less - he was an accessory to manslaughter, and has spent a few years learning how to be tough. The only chance he should be given is one that doesn't involve just being released to live the parasitical existence he did before - it is something different. If you believe he should have that chance (and arguably, convicted of manslaughter, not murder - and of the age he was, he should), then you need to pay for it. If not, then you either release him if he is expected to not be a danger to anybody else (which isn't optimistic) or lock him away and throw away the key.

You see the criminal justice system can either rehabilitate, punish or prevent crimes. Your first strike is the chance to be rehabilitated. The second is another attempt, but with punishment for stuffing up, the third should be it - you're no longer fit to remain in society so it is preventive detention.

Bailey is sadly going to get many chances.

Zimbabwe's new chapter?

After the cowardly strong arming of South Africa, Morgan Tsvangarai has been sworn in as Zimbabwe's new Prime Minister, leading a Cabinet the majority of which does not include the murderous gangster group - Zanu PF.

According to the BBC, Tsvangarai has said the first priority is to get the economy working again, with an end to political violence and all public sector workers to be paid in foreign currency - effectively declaring an end to the virtually worthless Zimbabwe Dollar.

Mugabe will hope this will shield him and his gangsters from scrutiny and attention, and that it protects their booty from being taken off them, and them all from arrest for the violence and kleptomania they are guilty of. Mugabe undoubtedly also hopes it can mean aid flows freely, and his fellow thugs can claim their share - and his lavish lifestyle can continue uninterrupted.

However, it is difficult to say what will happen. The government may not achieve much if policies don't change, if Mugabe's mob stop political intimidation and free speech cannot return to Zimbabwe. For without fundamental change, this is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Mr Tsvangarai will hope he can exercise authority to make some improvements, and that Mugabe is weakened - or better yet, that if it all stalls he can blame it on Mugabe and Zanu-PF, and he will have some power base to call for new elections and for them to be monitored and policed effectively.

I am not optimistic though. The best answer for Zimbabwe would have been mercenaries to stage a coup and overthrow Mugabe - because he and his thugs have rampaged through that once wealthy land and taken what they wished, and harmed those in their way. There should be no Western aid to Zimbabwe, except through private channels that have nothing to do with the state, whilst Mugabe is in power. Let's hope the change in Zimbabwe is the beginning of the end of this vileness. Africa must surely be tired of being ruled by thieving murdering thugs and their henchmen.

"Green" council policies saw death and destruction

A report in The Age in Melbourne claims that local authorities contributed to the seriousness of bushfires, by refusing permission for residents to cut down trees on their properties.

“Warwick Spooner — whose mother Marilyn and brother Damien perished along with their home in the Strathewen blaze — criticised the Nillumbik council for the limitations it placed on residents wanting the council's help or permission to clean up around their properties in preparation for the bushfire season. "We've lost two people in my family because you dickheads won't cut trees down," he said. “We wanted trees cut down on the side of the road … and you can't even cut the grass for God's sake."

Yes, so private property rights are ignored, so trees survive – to burn and destroy homes and kill people.

“Another resident said she had asked the council four times to tend to out-of-control growth on public land near her home, but her pleas had been ignored.”

After all, council’s know how to look after public land don’t they?

So the envirovangelists, after claiming it was the fault of CO2 emitters, actually exacerbated the situation by their tree worshipping. Don’t expect them to admit they were wrong though. Don't expect the so called friends of social justice to encourage the remaining residents to sue the council for negligence - except perhaps for not protecting the trees at all costs.

Keynesia's new plan

So what about that fiscal child abuse then?

Going through the Kiwiblog list:
- 5 new schools? While the private sector closes good schools as it struggles to attract parents forced to pay twice for education if they want to opt out of the state sector. Wonderful stuff - Labour lite indeed.
- School refurbishments and maintenance? So did Labour do this on the cheap or is this just about bringing forward some paint and roof repairs that would have been done anyway? This is the economic equivalent of saying you can stimulate the economy if more windows are broken and need repairing.
- More special schools facilities. Any notion of how many will use these, and whether it would be cheaper to just pay the kids families' directly for a tutor?
- A trades academy on Southern Cross Campus in Mangere. So you couldn't give people taxes back and let them pay for this?
- Help schools accelerate existing building projects that have stalled. What the hell is THAT about? School's mismanaging funds? Funds cut for political or administrative reasons? Or is it just an admission that the centralised socialist education system provides opportunities for such unaccountable mismanagement?

- 69 new state houses. You thought the property market had stagnated, so clap National for wanting to help that along. Isn't it good to get more people housed by the state? Good job Labour won the election.
- Upgrades and renovations to 10,000 state houses! Only worthwhile if they add net value to the houses, before they can be sold. I'm sure that is behind it all right??
- Small regional roading projects? Well given all road taxes are now spent on land transport, this is a subsidy for roads, but are the projects all of a high value? Hopefully we'll find out soon.
- Accelerating large state highway projects? Well here I can add a little value:
- Kopu Bridge replacement? Good, though a prime candidate for a modest toll, one sign this is worthwhile is that Jeanette Fitzsimons doesn't like it.
- Matahorua Gorge realignment. This is State Highway 2 between Napier and Gisborne. Not a bad project, but not particularly high value.
- Hawke's Bay Expressway southern extension. Oh please, this is far from necessary. Hardly any congestion or safety issues here (and you wonder why two projects in Hawke's Bay?)
- Muldoon's Corner easing. Removing a hairpin curve on the Rimutaka Hill Road. Sounds like a cheap alternative to Transmission Gully, improving the second route out of Wellington. Not a high value project.
- Christchurch Southern Motorway. By far the largest project, and one that does ease congestion. A major new route into Christchurch from the south will make living in Rolleston more attractive (seriously).

No extra money for Auckland state highways, which indicates how much Labour poured money into them.

So be grateful the package is rather small, its damage will be relatively small, but hey most of you want the government to "do things" right?