Do We Need a Stand Alone Holiday for Matariki?

As an employee, the fact that the idea of another public holiday being introduced is entirely satisfying! I don't know of anyone who wouldn't love to have another paid day off, putting their feet up, and just raking in the free money. Employees in New Zealand work hard, and deserve another public holiday, right?



No. It seems incredible that there are people who feel we don't already have enough time off. I can't really grasp how these people think, and I don't see this move (if it were made law) helping our economy at all, and the impact on business seems to be irrelevant to many! Without a doubt, there are many small to medium businesses who will be on their knees, begging God to not allow this to go through!



Sometimes people get an idea in their head, start running with it, and then realise they haven't actually thought through the consequences. However, once they realise it's not going to work, they feel they need to follow it through in order to try to save face. How unfortunate.



There have been suggestions that we replace one of our current public holidays with one to celebrate Matariki. Why? Is it really that necessary? Why not combine the celebrations of Matariki with those of another, already existent public holiday? This feels to me like someone in government trying to create something simply to be creating something.



I personally don't see the need, or particularly want another public holiday, nor do I want to see one that we already have replaced. I like it the way it is. Any more holidays will result in unnecessary pressure placed on the already stretched resources of New Zealand business, and my preference would be to not replace one of our existing holidays!

What do you think? Feel free to let me know by adding a comment!

How much welfare is too much?

Phil Goff, Leader of the New Zealand Labor Party, has suggested the New Zealand Government should do away with means testing on welfare benefits, during the current recession. This would allow people who have a partner who is working to still go ahead and draw a benefit. This, to some extent, would alleviate the financial struggle many families are experiencing. However, I expect this would only cause problems in other areas.

The ready availability of welfare support in New Zealand is not necessarily a bad thing. There are times when a person or family is genuinely in strife, and need a temporary hand up. These are people who would prefer to be working, but for one reason or another, cannot. This happens at times, and I am glad that this safety net is there!

There are other people, people who do not take such a view of the benefit. Every so often you get someone who is determined to live perpetually by grabbing the hard earned tax money of decent New Zealander's. Not only would the proposed policy provide ample opportunity for those who would to take undue advantage of the system, it would also place extreme stress on the financial well being of the entire country!

It is a relief to hear, therefore, that the government has decided not to even entertain the idea. It makes you think that their may be some people in the Beehive that actually exercise the muscle ensconced inside their skull!

A Sure Bet

There aren't too many things in this life that are sure. You've got death and taxes, and that's about it! So when I heard my colleagues at work emphatically stating that the All Blacks could not win in Saturday's test against the Wallabies, all I could do was smile and nod.

"The All Blacks can't win, not with their line up!" was the catch cry. "A sure bet" was another line. For several days there was talk on pretty well nothing else, just the All Blacks and their certain defeat. Not once did anyone suggest another outcome- no one seemed to believe it possible that the Wallabies would be beaten! The work social club even went so far as to withdraw their savings to enter a syndicate, betting their monies on this "sure bet."

Sadly for them, the "sure bet" did not turn out to be quite so "sure!" I do not gamble. I have found it to be a past time with no real future, a waste of time and money. Sure, some people make a few buck here and there, many fewer take a big win, but in the long run, the House always wins. I guarantee- if you keep your money in your pocket, you'll win every time!

Death and Taxes- the ONLY sure bet.

Pardon Me?

With the prison population in New Zealand at an all time high, it has been said that we need to find ways to reduce, not only the current population, but also the new and recidivist offenders.

I personally have no problem with any of these opinions. At least, not until you hear how it has been proposed we do this!

First of all, we have New Zealands Chief Justice Dame Sian Elias recommending our justice system let go early all those that do not need to be inside.

Secondly, Howard League for Penal Reform president Peter Williams, QC starts telling us that "there are a large amount of people in our prisons who don't need to be in prison,"

I can but ask, If they don't need to be in prison, why were they sent there? It seems ludicrous to me to start suggesting we let prisoners go because they don't need to be there! Surely, if they didn't need to be there, they wouldn't be there.

I have a simple solution to our prisons over-crowding problem. My promise is not that it will change things over-night, but simply in the long run, we will see many fewer people itching to get themselves cast into the merciful hands of our justice system!

The following is a short list of changes I propose will help our justice system solve the prison population explosion:

1. Remove all the room comforts our prisoners get. Eg: underfloor heating, airconditioning, television, etc. Many homes of law-abiding citizens don't have these luxuries, yet their tax money pays for the scum of our country to enjoy these very things.
   
2. Cause all prisoners to work long, hard, days, no matter the weather. Get them out cleaning up graffiti, picking up rubbish, tidying council gardens, breaking rocks on a chain gang, whatever, just make them work! Without pay.
   
3. Make every prisoner work for and earn a degree or trade, so that upon release, they are actually useful to the community. However, I do not agree with the current practice of giving them these qualifications for free! Make them take out a student loan- if the honest people in this country must pay to learn, so should they.
   
4. Reinstate Capital Punishment. I am a proponent of the Death Penalty in relation to certain crimes (murder, pedo-phillia, and some other seriously violent crimes). I must state, though, that I believe it should only be used in cases where it is proven the criminal is guilty- without any doubt what-so-ever.

This list of things to do will not fix the country's problem overnight, neither will it remove the problem altogether on its own, but it is a start that will make a gigantic impact on the prison population levels.

Neither releasing prisoners early, nor keeping them out of jail in the first place is going to help our country. All that will do is lead to far greater offending rates as people see how easy they can get away with their crime. Tougher penalties, tougher surroundings, and a tougher life is what is going to turn people from a life of crime!