Uganda: " From the dole queue to the regiment a profession in a flash "

The Guardian reports

Five things they tell you about refugees that aren't true

New research from Oxford University contradicts popular assumptions about refugees' dependency and economic status

Congolese Refugees

Existing approaches to refugee assistance simply aren't working. That's the top line from our report, Refugee Economies: Rethinking Popular Assumptions, published for World Refugee Day today.

Hard to disagree with that. The problem I have is that assistance is not done on an equitable basis by the international community, by that I mean for example New Zealand my country and one of the richest nations on earth manage to re home some 750 refugees a year. The UN thinks that is a reasonable contribution and inline with the per capita efforts of other first world nations.

" More than 30,000 people have fled their homes in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and crossed into neighbouring Uganda after a rebel group that had been hiding out in eastern Congo attacked a town.

Reuters  gives an update: 

The Uganda Red Cross Society said 66,000 Congolese refugees have so far crossed into the east African country since the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) started attacking the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo town of Kamangu on Thursday."

I think that any rational person would say that New Zealand is in a far better economic position than Uganda  when it comes to supporting refugees. New Zealand could take 7500 annually and with a population of four million plus we wouldn't really notice them. I suspect we could if we got organised and thought about ways and means we could actually manage 75,000 per year. Or put another way 750 refugees a year is a bloody pathetic effort. 

Around the world, crises in Syria, Central African Republic and South Sudan continue to increase the number of displaced people inside and outside international borders. More than two-thirds of refugees are in protracted exile for at least five years, often in closed camps and without the right to work or move freely.

Most are in exile awaiting a return home or resettlement for about 18 years.

" The average length of stay in these states of virtual limbo is now approaching 20 years, up from an average of nine years in the early 1990s. Thus not only is a greater percentage of the world’s refugees in protracted exile than before but these situations are lasting longer."

Current approaches often fail to recognise that refugees have skills, talents and aspirations. Despite the constraints placed on people, vibrant economic systems often thrive below the radar, whether in the formal or informal economy.

That is so true. In my experience it is usually the informal economy, barter is an effective means of exchanging products and services and avoids the tax system. New Zealand is rather good in my opinion at integration, mind you we are hardly challenging ourselves with a refugee quota of 750 people.

In Uganda, where we've done our initial research, refugee policies are by no means perfect. But, unlike many other host states, it has a self-reliance strategy and allows refugees the right to work. We surveyed 1,600 refugees in Kampala and two rural refugee settlements to understand refugees' economic lives, including their engagement with the private sector and the ways in which they use technology. Our results challenge five myths about refugees.

Uganda is bloody amazing. I am not as readers will be aware a great fan of  Ugandan President Museveni but I take my hat off to Uganda and the efforts made by Uganda to deal with the flood of refugees that have engulfed Uganda. 

"These are refugees who... have lost touch with their countries of origin. Naturalization of these cases is one possible solution and discussions are underway in this direction," he said. "The naturalization of these refugees will mean their stay in Uganda will not be illegal. They will be Ugandans who are entitled to live and work in Uganda and have a productive life." 

Uganda has hundreds of thousands of refugees, we can give Uganda human rights shit for many reasons and we should.... but and it is not a small but, Uganda has taken the record for batting well above its weight on the refugee issue and puts the West to shame. Batting above our weight is something New Zealand takes pride in. Maybe Wellington should be talking to Kampala because this issue is far more important than a security council seat or for that matter rugby. Being the greatest rugby nation in the world is cool, it is a great aspiration, I support it. It is also utterly unimportant if New Zealand wants to remain relevant, lets bat above our weight on really important issues. Life is such an issue. 

1) Refugees are economically isolated

Refugee economies are part of complex systems that go beyond their communities and the boundaries of particular settlements. Refugees trade across nationality groups and across international borders. Maize grown in settlements is exported across borders to neighbouring countries. Congolese jewellery and textiles are imported from as far as India and China. Somali shops import tuna from Thailand, via the Middle East and Kenya.

Mustaqbal is an African funds transfer service. If you are sending money internationally well these guys kill all the others for honesty and competitiveness. Yup refugee communities got very sick of the thieving bastards such as Western Union and the 60% plus commission rates they charge.

2) Refugees are a burden on host states

Refugees make active contributions to the host economy. Many Ugandan business people acknowledge relying upon the presence of refugees. One fruit farmer told us: "It is hard to imagine Kyangwali's economy without the refugees' presence." Refugees buy and sell goods and services from and to Ugandan nationals. Many also create job opportunities for others, including by employing Ugandan nationals. In Kampala, 21% of the refugees surveyed employ others, and of those, 40% employ Ugandans.

Refugees are motivated. My kids have all been refugees in Kampala at different times, but of my four daughters two are at school ( and demanding I help them get after school and holiday work ) the other two are in tertiary education and have part time jobs. Or to put it another way the NZ Government is already getting a tax payment from two of my girls and by the end of this year I rather think all will pay some tax. Think about it... 160 years of collective productivity.

3) Refugees are economically homogenous

Although there are a range of traditional income-generating activities such as farming in rural areas and running shops and restaurants, we found huge diversity. In the settlements, we found Congolese cinemas, a Somali computer games parlour using recycled consoles and televisions and innovative businesses in areas such as transportation and maize milling that have scaled and often employ others. Even among farmers, income levels vary massively, with huge deviation around the mean of $29 per month.

To be honest I don't know what the point of the above paragraph is. Yes I understand that people find different places in the economic life of a nation but I fail to see that any nation would pigeon hole all refugees into the same economic positions. 

4) Refugees are technology illiterate

Many refugees use technology, including mobile phones and the internet, for income-generating activities, often at higher levels than the national population. In Kampala, 96% use mobile phones and 30% use them for money transfers as part of their primary livelihood strategy. Many refugees also adapt their own appropriate technologies, engaging in forms of "bottom-up innovation", often recycling whatever is available to create an entrepreneurial opportunity.

I am reasonably capable. My 16 year old daughter who I have had for three years longer than her three sisters just looks at me with great pity in her eyes and takes whatever technology I have and explains how it works.

5) Refugees are dependent on humanitarian assistance

Refugees are far from uniformly dependent on international assistance. Nearly all – 99% – of rural refugee households said they had at least some form of independent income-generating activity. When they were asked what kind of assistance they wanted, financial assistance did not come out top. Instead, opportunities for autonomy – including education, business training and resettlement – were valued highly.

They want what we have. I can see nothing wrong with that.

Hat Tip Rosebell"s Blog

New Zealand: " Degraded and alone, raped and still forlorn Betrayed on a lizard's bed We chameleon, ..."

Rodney Hide in the New Zealand Herald opines,

At the risk of pissing some people off I have to say that I admire Rodney Hide. We are politically poles apart..... well at least at different ends of the centre spectrum. If I was a National Party person and I am not, I would be tempted to enroll him, it couldn't possibly work out as badly as ACT recycling Banks, Brash etc. In fact it would probably work out very well. 

It was once suggested to me by a prickly persona based in Hong Kong that I should dump Labour and suport ACT. I haven't laughed that much since someone explained the TINA Theory to me many years ago. The suggestion was made when Hilary Calvert was an ACT MP.  

Rodney Hide: Hilarious Dotcom drama is riveting

Harawira trumpets Mana and His People but that's not stopping him using his electorate to coat-tail Dotcom's party into Parliament. Photo / Brett Phibbs

I used to think politics was all about achieving good government. That proved invariably disappointing. These days, politics is no longer my responsibility. I'm happy if it just proves interesting.

That's why I am for the Internet-Mana Party. They're the best entertainment in years. If they were a parody they would be too improbable to be believed.

My thoughts exactly.

Maori nationalist Hone Harawira calls Pakeha the rudest of names and the wrong colour to date his daughter. But he's jumped into bed with whiter-than-white Kim Dotcom.

Just for the record  " white mother fuckers " is the term Rodney is looking for.

Harawira trumpets Mana and His People but that's not stopping him using his electorate to coat-tail Dotcom's party into Parliament. His price? $3 million.

It's easy to accuse Harawira of hypocrisy but he has a ready reply: it's a lot of money. At $3m his double standard is good and high.

" Why Richard, it profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world. But for Wales" Robert Bolt.

Laila Harre wasn't elected leader of the Internet Party. She was hired. She's been selected and paid for by Dotcom. The former coffee picker for the Sandinistas is New Zealand's first corporate-hire political leader.

A mate rang after Harre's appointment splitting his sides, "All they need now is Pam Corkery". Corkery was appointed press secretary that day.

That is funny. Pam Corkery is about as out of touch with anything verging on reality as it is possible to get. 

" Ms Corkery, a former MP and broadcaster, is planning to start a brothel for women. It would start as a TV reality series, but continue to operate after filming was completed. "

Pam as far as I recall isn't blonde but hell she should be, as cunning plans go that is right up with anything Baldrick ever came up with.

Willie Jackson considered standing but wanted $250,000. That's his price for standing up for his principles.

Fair enough. Hell offer me $250,000 and I will invent new principles.

The recycled 1990s Alliance Party is promising a digital future. But they're technophobes and Luddites. Harre declares herself well-qualified because her children are the internet generation and her husband uses a computer at work.

Yup. Corkery is even worse. I am in my forties and trust me Corkery is out of touch with generation X, it really is time for the " baby boomers "  to just piss off.

She also believes Dotcom is funding her to help the poor and downtrodden with 1970s socialism. It's nothing to do with his extradition to face criminal charges. The left don't talk about truth. Rather, it's the narrative. Harre is the only person buying her narrative.

Wrong. Lots of people, at least as many as I have fingers buy it. They are part of a club. For them clubbing has political overtones though... they don't support the clubbing of seals ... neither do I, but I wonder what the Mana position on that is ? That is not an idle question.

Next up, Annette Sykes. Her driving force? The Treaty and economic equality. Nothing about Dotcom's over-the-top lifestyle and opulence suggests Treaty concerns or a share-the-wealth mentality.

Actually I disagree, it is about getting those " WMF " that drives Annette or rather getting their wallets contribution after they have paid tax. 

Someone isn't being upfront about their political aims and aspirations. The gulf between Dotcom and his politicians is altogether too yawning.

Yawning ? I thought Mr Hide was laughing.

Then we have veteran campaigner John Minto. His promise? That Mana is coming after the rich. Capital gains taxes, financial transaction taxes, inheritance taxes and a more progressive tax system are all part of his campaign.

He's targeting the "parasites" and their "unearned income". In the meantime, he's more than happy taking the fat cat's money. That's the money the FBI are accusing Dotcom of not earning.

I remember Minto.    

" To my astonishment, and dismay, John Minto, who was there, hectored the great man for not kicking private enterprise and transnational companies out of South Africa after apartheid ended. A bewildered Mandela asked Minto how he expected people to find work if their employers were banished. It was at that moment I realised Minto was not driven by opposition to racism but by opposition to the entire capitalist system."

Dotcom set out to destroy Banks for not rushing to rescue him from Mt Eden Prison. He expected a minister to jump for a $50,000 political donation. That's his character. Imagine what he expects for $3m.

And imagine how he will perform when he doesn't get it. Pure entertainment.

Probably not an issue that is troubling Harawira , Sykes, Harre, Corkery or Minto, lets face it Dotcom isn't going to be any trouble at all if he wins his extradition battle and if he fails to win he sure as hell won't be able to do much in a federal cell in the USA.

America: " I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear. " Martin Luther King, Jr.

Slate reports

Oklahoma Tea Party Candidate Supports Stoning Gay People to
Death

                                                          Would Scott Esk stone with a smile on his face?

Given how savagely anti-gay the mainstream Oklahoma Republican party is, it’s no surprise that the state’s Tea Partiers are so rabidly hateful that they come across more as dark satire than as serious bigots. To wit: This week, an Oklahoma magazine discovered that last summer, Tea Party state House candidate Scott Esk endorsed stoning gay people to death: “I think we would be totally in the right to do it,” he said in a Facebook post. Esk went on to add nuance to his position:

That [stoning gay people to death] goes against some parts of libertarianism, I realize, and I’m largely libertarian, but ignoring as a nation things that are worthy of death is very remiss.

If anyone can explain away the stupidity inherent in the position that Esk has carved out please feel free to do so. This guy has just support extra judicial murder. Wow America be proud.

When a Facebook user messaged Esk to clarify further, he responded:

I never said I would author legislation to put homosexuals to death, but I didn’t have a problem with it.

I believe him. I have no doubt he would extend that largely " libertarian " position he holds to include not only gay's but other minorities. Could I suggest to Native American / Black American, the unemployed and other minority groups in the USA you vilify him for the disgusting blight he is on humanity.

Understandably unnerved, the magazine called up Esk for clarification. Although Esk claimed he didn’t remember the comments, he fleshed out his views:

Yup memory loss. The problem is I think he is lying and America wants us to be friends with them again. No Obama we do not want you well not you  but the country you represent.

That was done in the Old Testament under a law that came directly from God and in that time there it was totally just. It came directly from God. I have no plans to reinstitute that in Oklahoma law. I do have some very huge moral misgivings about those kinds of sins.

Esk,  you are evil, you are also stupid.

Pressed one final time about his positreion on stoning gay human beings to death, Esk dug in his heels:

I know what was done in the Old Testament and what was done back then was what’s just. … And I do stand for Biblical morality.

You are an evil bastard. You have the Hitler look.

Hat tip Ross Blanch

DR Congo / Rwanda: More bullshit from Louise Mushikiwabo

Chimp Reports ( Uganda ) reports

BREAKING: DRC Army Intensifies Bombardment of Rwandan Territory

                                                               The eastern DR Congo

The DRC army, known by its French acronym, FARDC has Thursday amassed heavily-armed troops and heavy artillery near the border with Rwanda before shelling inside the Rwandan territory, in what appears as a carefully planned military onslaught

It seems unlikely. The Congo DRC News Facebook ( this is a M23 site and should be treated with some skepticism ) page reports in French ( Google Translation ) 

" Some sources accuse the FARDC have crossed the border in an attempt to steal a cow in Rwanda. Other sources speak of a provocation on the part of the Rwandan army. "

If the Congolese Army think they have the ability to defeat the RDF in Rwanda they are deluding themselves. The cow story is plausible enough, normally I wouldn't be the least bit surprised by the provocation allegation on the part of the RDF .  

The development has puzzled observers with many wondering why FARDC, which is known to be less powerful than the battle-hardened and more experienced Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF), would risk Rwanda’s wrath.

It was earlier thought that the Wednesday morning clashes between FARDC and RDF were accidental.

However, Chimpreports understands that today morning; FARDC again pounded Busasamana in Rwanda, sending hundreds scampering for safety.

I noticed this story yesterday and was at a loss to explain why FARDC would piss off the RDF for no real reason today however we have a further development reported again by Uganda's Chimp Report  

" Following clashes between the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, a team of military investigators on Thursday visited the border areas to probe circumstances into the eyebrow-raising incidents.

The Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism (EJVM) toured Busasamana Sector in Rwanda which was Wednesday attacked by elements of the Congolese army known by its French acronym FARDC."

The Mechanism is a technical body, comprising military experts from both DRC and Rwanda, and supported by the African Union and the UN, to address DRC-Rwanda border security issues, amongst other tasks.

From Rwanda villages, the team, which also comprised journalists and military attaches, also crossed to DRC side where 5 bodies of Congolese soldiers were found."

Or in other words the facts as reported by Chimp Report yesterday don't really tie in with the situation on the ground. Five dead Congolese soldiers killed by the RDF in Rwanda would have given some legitimacy to the Rwandan outrage, it was a situation I felt might be plausible when the reported " cow napping " was considered. However there seems to be no argument that the FARDC soldiers were killed by the RDF in the DR Congo. That alone puts a very different spin on these reports. 

Sources at the border said DRC troops were bringing tanks closer to the Rwandan border and that some FDLR elements were embedded within FARDC apparently as part of a wider plan to launch a full-scale war on Rwanda.

Really ? Five dead Congolese soldiers killed by the Rwandan military on the sovereign territory of the DR Congo and the interpretation of this is that the Congolese army having moved soldiers and equipment to the border are planning to invade Rwanda.

“There are hundreds of DRC soldiers at Ruhunda who poured in under the cover of darkness. By morning, almost a battalion had reached there. The soldiers appear to be in a war mood,” said a Corp at the border of the two countries.

FARDC claims killing some Rwandan soldiers, but Kigali on Wednesday announced that only 5 of DRC soldiers had been killed in the fighting.

That is interesting. and the EJVM finds those soldiers bodies in the Congo whilst this report, which no one could doubt emanates from Rwanda suggests this was FARDC aggression. So we can conclude once again this is yet more Rwandan lies. 

The Rwandan government on Wednesday sternly warned it “stands ready to act to protect its citizens,” following attacks by elements of the DRC army.

In a strong-worded statement, Rwanda Foreign Affairs Minister, Louise Mushikiwabo said “a series of actions by the DRC continue to undermine regional efforts towards peace,” adding, "The DRC government should take care not to cultivate unnecessary provocation and stop its soldiers from repeatedly crossing into the Rwandan villages.”

The Rwandan Government is composed of lairs and Louise Mushikiwabo is one of the most accomplished experienced lairs ( note; I did not say plausible ) they have.

Rwanda revealed that on Wednesday morning in Rusura cell in the sector of Busasamana, a section of the DRC army crossed the border to Rwanda where they opened fired on a Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) patrol.

“The RDF retaliated and the resulting exchange of fire killed one FARDC soldier identified as Hategekimana Boysiro. The RDF immediately requested the Extended Joint Verification Mechanism for an independent assessment but their access to the site was denied by DRC authorities.”

Rwandan revelations that are now proven to be bullshit. The soldiers were killed in the DR Congo where their remains were found. The EJVM was not denied access. Hilarious on one level that Rwanda demanded then got the EJVM inspection that disproved the Rwandan version of events. Not at all funny though if you consider that five Congolese soldiers were killed by the RDF in this attempt to continue the Rwandan destabilisation of the Eastern DR Congo.  

Government also pointed out that the “morning attacks were followed by a second attempt by two FARDC platoons to deploy into Rwanda that resulted in further exchange of fire leaving four FARDC soldiers dead.”

Yes... the Rwandan version just doesn't add up when today's revelations are factored in.

DRC army spokesperson, Olivier Hamuli denied accusations that FARDC attacked Rwanda.

“RDF soldiers attacked our positions in Kanyesheja around 5:00am which compelled FARDC to react accordingly,” said Hamuli.

That has a ring of truth to it, it is certainly consistent with the facts as reported now.

This website understands Rwanda has also tightened security along its border amid the escalating tensions.

Which may explain the whole incident. Rwanda want's to invade the DR Congo and knows it needs to have away of convincing the International Community it is justified because the International Community is sick to the death of Rwanda. Predictably Rwanda fucked it up.

These attacks come less than a year after a series of bombs were launched on Rwandan territory by FARDC during the war against the M23 movement in Eastern Congo.

Except they weren't launched by the FARDC at Rwanda but  from Rwanda's proxy M23 into into Rwanda or in other words yet another attempt to alter international opinion with idiotic lies that are exposed as such within a few hours much as is the case here. 

On a side note the Chimp Reports needs to employ a few journalists or give up the reporting game. This is just awful work.  

" The accusations by the DRC government minister support claims from the United Nations Mission in Congo (MONUSCO) officials that the Rwandan backed M23 Congolese rebels have fired rockets into Rwanda on Thursday August 22, 2013 (see our article: Rwandan Military Accuses FARDC of Bombing Rwanda As M23 Rebels Resume Combats. On Friday, August 23, 2013, the UN officials in New York confirmed that M23 rebels bombed Rwandan territory and also destroyed telecommunications infrastructure used by MONUSCO in the city of Goma, Eastern DRC, including a phone tower."

This includes an attack in August 2013 where a bomb launched from DRC territory landed in a marketplace in Bugangari, killing Vestine Mukagasana and seriously injuring her two months old son.

Terrible to think that the Rwandan Government came up with a plan to change the opinion of the world that involved killing its own citizens, was caught out and yet we now see essentially the same objective and an equally stupid plan. This regime is toxic. 

Mushikiwabo warned the DRC leadership against any further hostilities:

While the eyes of the world are watching, the stupid bitch Mushikiwabo thinks Rwanda can indulge in idiotic  murderous foolishness, release disinformation and some how think we will be sucked in ... it beggars belief.  

“These actions by the DRC are jeopardising the region’s extensive efforts to ensure peace, stability and development for all our citizens. We urge the leadership of the DRC to embrace the logic of peace and end all attacks on the Rwandan territory. Rwanda stands ready to act to protect its citizens.”

Yes as Mushikiwabo is not very bright, I might suggest next time Rwanda wants to indulge in such stupidity take the killed soldiers bodies back across the border to Rwanda, it won't help much but it will buy you a further 24 to 48 hours of time before the world can prove you are lying.

Rwanda said in the past three months, the DRC has unilaterally closed its border with Rwanda, imposed visa fees despite regional and bilateral agreements and failed to honour their commitment to neutralise the FDLR militia operating in the DRC for the last twenty years.

In other words the DR Congo has asserted sovereignty over its territory against a hostile neighbour, namely Rwanda. The FDLR issue is one Rwanda have a legitimate interest in but they are an excuse. Rwanda will be consulted in the fullness of time but the FDLR remain a problem for MONUSCO and the Congolese government at this point. Rwanda is attempting to trigger yet another crisis in the eastern DR Congo using the FDLR as an excuse. This is not about the 1994 genocide, this is about Bulcanisation. 

New Zealand: A man is dead - Rest in peace Arun Kumar.

The New Zealand Herald reports

Fatal stabbing: Boys charged

                                                                                    My friend Arun.

A 13-year-old boy has been charged with murder over today's death of Auckland dairy owner Arun Kumar.

I have known Arun for about two years I met him in the course of business, in some ways he was quite a traditionalist. He wanted to meet you if you wanted to get his business. I laughed when he told me that over the phone and responded that we had met quite a few times. That was the only time I can ever remember Arun being on the back foot,it last about two seconds while he digested the fact that I bought my cigarettes from him if I need some and was in the area. He told me I should drop by soon and buy some more from him. I did on my way to " she who must be obeyed's" ( SWMBO )place that night. It was the start of a valued friendship.

Mr Kumar, 57, was allegedly stabbed in the neck during what police described as an aggravated robbery at Railside Dairy in Henderson.

Two boys, aged 12 and 13, were being spoken to by police this afternoon.

Police tonight said the 13-year-old had been charged with aggravated robbery and murder. The 12-year-old had been charged with aggravated robbery.

Both boys had been placed into the custody of a secure Child Youth and Family facility overnight, ahead of their court appearance in the Waitakere Youth Court tomorrow, police said.

I am finding it very difficult to keep in mind that these thugs are kids.

Police arrived at the dairy on Great North Rd around 7:30am, Detective Inspector Bruce Scott told a media briefing at Waitakere Police Station this afternoon.

Ambulance staff gave assistance but Mr Kumar had suffered a wound in his neck and died at the scene. Mr Kumar's wife was with him at the time of the attack and was unharmed, police said.

How awful. 

Mr Scott said police had gathered CCTV footage from the dairy and nearby shops and were speaking to witnesses.

"There's quite a few people out and about at 7:30," he said.

He urged anyone else who was in the area at the time to contact police.

People at Mr Kumar's home in Henderson this afternoon said the family were too upset to speak to media.

Nearby shop owners described Mr Kumar as a "really nice guy"who was well known to other shop owners in that section of the street.

Arun's business is located very close to an African hairdressing business who are friends of SWMBO so we are frequently in that area. Arun if he didn't have customers to serve was often outside on the pavement, he liked people and enjoyed " chewing the fat " from my perspective this was fantastic, rather than hanging about listening to to the women speaking Swahili I could walk down the road a few meters and set the world to right with Arun and his ever changing audience who shared English as a common language. Interestingly a lot of African guys seemed to find it a convivial place to wait and many of them spoke Swahili.


Lawyer Bernie Allen, from a nearby law firm, said he always bought his supplies from the dairy, and staff were shocked by news of the stabbing.

"They were the most beautiful couple you could ever meet," he said of the Kumars.

"We're feeling deeply for his wife. It's too early to understand it all but we feel like our precinct, our people, have been violated."

He described the incident as inexplicable.

"I'm deeply saddened by it."

Many many people will be. SWMBO was very upset at the senseless killing of in her words " a very kind man ".


The area had some youth problems, Mr Allen said, but "not like this; this is not normal".

He described Mr Kumar as "the quiet one", and his wife as a bubbly, outgoing lady. They were well known in the area, a busy section of shops and businesses, he said.

"They served us wonderfully and it will not be the same with him gone."

I wouldn't have described Arun as quite in fact I would have described his wife as quite. One of the funniest moments I can recall with Arun was when I walked into his shop with three new product lines, he calculated the margins ( in his head I needed a calculator to confirm them ) and told me they would work if our recommended retail price could be achieved and then tried to give me a pie and a can of coke. Given that they were new untried product lines and he was placing a small order the pie and coke would have cost him about 15% of his profit margin it wasn't a lot of money but.... His wife just looked at us and rolled her eyes.

John Tuapiki, who lives close by, went to the bakery next door to the dairy about 6am, before the shop opened, but didn't see anything unusual.

He was shocked to learn of Mr Kumar's death.

"He was a good man, a really good man. He would help the street kids, he would give drinks out, and bits and pieces, and when you get money you just go back and pay him, that's how good he was. He'd look after everyone."

Arun was pussy cat. He pretended to be a tiger with suppliers at least, he would negotiate deals with me that gave him a few extra cents on the margin and then when the deal was agreed throw away the advantage with his generosity. I will miss Arun.

He described Mr Kumar as "very well known" in the area.

Mr Tuapiki said he wasn't surprised to hear the incident was a stabbing, because a youth had been threatening people on the street with a large knife yesterday afternoon, asking for cigarettes.

I am in the area often and it is a long time since I have seen police walking the beat in the area.I walked through the area two weeks ago and was part of Arun's audience for ten minutes, the last time we had a chat. Sometimes it is impossible not to walk the area without being hassled for money by beggars. At the Henderson Mall entrance a couple of hundred meters away from Aron's shop last week I gave a beggar my " don't even try look " he didn't. He walked up to my eldest daughter who was walking beside me and tried to con her.

I can't help but think this would not have happened if our police force would actually do the job we think we pay them to do. Would the NZ Police stop fucking about and wasting our taxpayers money working for the FBI ( an American police organisation ) attempting to secure a few more million for the Hollywood hoodlums by bringing criminal proceedings in New Zealand against Kim Dotcom when those pricks should be paying to bring civil proceedings against him and pay for it themselves. The New Zealand police are fast becoming a joke.


It's understood the Kumars owned the dairy for about five years.

Te Atatu MP, Phil Twyford expressed his deep concern over the stabbing.

"This is an awful tragedy for the family. People involved in small retail businesses are vulnerable to this kind of attack.

"We need to do more about this challenge, but at the moment our thoughts and focus are with the family."

A good man is dead.

New Zealand: LPRENT at The Standard is a fool. Farrar out thought you even before you failed to engage your brain.

The Standard blogs

I should make a couple of points. This is a centre left blog And David Farrar runs arguably the best blog in New Zealand certainly the second most read blog. David and I are friends although no one in their right mind would describe Kiwiblog as being anything but a centre right blog. Farrar is well aware of my politics and has always been available to advise me when I ring him despite the fact we play for different teams. This blog is in my opinion one of the worst in New Zealand and that is because they are liars. 

David Farrar badly needs night school

In Kiwiblog this morning, David Farrar appeared to be running a 9th floor pre-pump for John Banks to resign. But I was rather incredulous when I read the following paragraph…

I don’t think the Judge has actually helped the Government by delaying the decision on entering a conviction. Now that it is the Judge’s role to care about the impact on the Government. I’m just saying I think it would have been cleaner to make the decision as the same time as the guilty verdict.

My bold and italics as my jaw dropped to the floor at the sight of a self-professed political commentator being that blindingly ignorant about the relationship between the courts and the executive. Or being so ignorant of the usual legal processes in NZ that they don’t know what a pre-sentencing report is and what it implies.

Lets have a look at that highlighted sentence. " Now that it is the Judge’s role to care about the impact on the Government. " It is to be blunt fucking appalling English. It is in fact nonsensical. You don't become New  Zealand's top blogger with out some understanding of constructing a sentence. So lets look at the Kiwiblog post.

" Nowt that it is the Judge’s role to care about the impact on the Government."

It was a typo. Farrar has corrected it but owned the mistake via a typethrough. I have no idea who LPRENT the author of this drivel is but he/she knew it was a typo, well that is assuming LPRENT has any ability in the usage of English. 

What does he think? That the courts even consider what the government wants has any relevance to a judges decision? What a dumb fool.

At this point without even checking Farrar's post I knew who was a fool, LPRENT you are actually worse than a fool. It took me one glance at highlighted in italics quote to figure out it was a typo and to correct it so it made sense. What I can't figure out is what your purpose was ? Are you a National Party plant, a 5th columnist maybe writing drivel. Is this a right wing subversion of The Standard ? Could the " dumb fool " Farrar  have engineered this ? Or should we all just accept the facts and rename The Standard The Stupid. I am opting for the latter.

But since I don’t know of any civics courses in the 23 remaining night classes that his government has deigned to leave running in this country, we’ll just provide the basics that a decent civics program would provide.

LPRENT I remove all links from external sources. I am pleased however your mum was able to study English as second language trust me there are many courses available still for people wanting to learn English email me I will help get you enrolled in a free one. Given your English comprehension need it badly.

There is no provision for the courts to notice anything from parliament apart from the actual legislation, regulations validly promulgated from that, and the intent of the MPs at the time that the legislation was passed. Even then, generally judges take far more notice of the precedences in local and overseas courts on the same or similar cases to fill out the vast holes that most legislation is.

What Justice Wyllie did was ask for a pre-sentencing report before passing sentence. These typically take between 6 and 8 weeks to prepare and be read. So the judgement was rendered on June 5, and the sentencing date is (surprise, surprise) 8 weeks later.

But to round out the night class for David Farrar, political and legal dunce, and much of the rather badly educated media the pre-sentence report consists of..

This is funny. LPRENT expects us to accept he is an erudite and knowledgeable commentator, even though he can't spot a typo.   

" ...only has to leave Parliament if he gets convicted of the offence he is guilty of (conviction and guilt are not the same thing)." He quotes Andrew Geddis below. The legal dunce " Farrar" makes the same point in his post. We all know what a pre sentence report is why is included in this blog ?

Pre-sentence Reports

Judges routinely order a pre-sentence report where an offender pleads guilty to, or is convicted of an offence punishable by imprisonment. Pre-sentence reports are prepared by probation officers, who also supervise offenders living in the community after receiving community-based sentences or after their release from prison.

Pre-sentence reports contain information about:

• The offender’s personal background and family (whanau) circumstances;
• The lifestyle and other factors which are considered to have contributed to them committing the offence;
• Recommendations relating to courses of training or treatment which might assist the rehabilitation of the offender;
• An assessment of the risk of further offending;
• A recommendation as to the appropriate penalty, including proposed terms and conditions for the offender’s supervision, training and treatment within the community whether immediately or upon release from prison.

A range of programmes designed to assist offenders is available. Straight Thinking is a programme aimed at promoting life skills needed to avoid further offending and STOP is a programme designed to address the causes of violence.

Judges may also ask for psychiatric and psychological reports, which are commonly obtained for offenders who have mental health and/or drug or alcohol addiction problems.

It doesn’t appear likely that the court will be that likely to look at a discharge without conviction. See Andrew Geddis and Occassionally erudite for the why.

Andrew Geddis: Banks redux

Fourth, it is true that Banks only has to leave Parliament if he gets convicted of the offence he is guilty of (conviction and guilt are not the same thing). But I really, really hope he doesn’t get discharged without conviction – New Zealand has a terrible record of pursuing and punishing electoral offences (the police still haven’t actioned a bunch of complaints from the last election campaign!), and so to (effectively) let off an MP for breaching electoral law would reinforce the message that these sorts of rules really don’t matter.

Occasionally erudite: John Banks – A criminal, but not yet convicted

Will Mr Banks be successful in his application for a discharge without conviction? Probably not, but what would I know? I was fairly certain he wouldn’t be found guilty in the first place! At least I’m in good company there though, with Professor Geddis…

Mr Banks would have to show that the consequences of a conviction would outweigh the gravity of the offending. I don’t know what consequences Mr Banks intends to put before the Court on 1 August, but to my mind they’d have to be pretty damned serious to outweigh the gravity of attempting to undermine the transparency of our local government democracy. Given that a Pre-sentence Report has been directed that includes a Home Detention appendix, the Court is signalling that it’s relatively serious offending.

Fortunately the rest of David Farrar’s advice from on high (9th floor of the beehive?) is of a better standard.

However politically I think the honourable thing to do would be to accept that a guilty verdict has been rendered, and to resign from the House of Representatives before sentencing and the decision on a discharge. Not doing so would be a significant distraction for the Government, which should be talking about the economy, better schools, more operations, welfare reform etc, rather than having to be defensive on an MP remaining in Parliament after he has been found guilty of an offence which would result in a loss of his seat once if a conviction is entered.

Indeed. This is a pretty accurate statement about why  for the country it would be preferable for John Banks to stay in parliament. Especially considering the actions of John Key in avoiding looking at the evidence of a MP deliberately breaking electoral laws. Or that of the police not making a charge when they clearly had enough for a conviction.

John Banks is an ACT MP, John Key is the Prime Minister and a National MP. Or you accept Farrar's analysis that it would be better for the government for Banks to go as Farrar suggests but blame John Key for not well what ? Banks is not accountable to Key. He is accountable to the courts and to the voters in Epsom. LPRENT is a fucking idiot.