One of those little models you can come upon which demonstrate younger creativity. 🙂

Since the completion of the Mahara Place renovations about 6 months ago, teenage skateboarders have been launching off the slatted wood stage — and in doing so have been causing a safety risk for passers-by enjoying the redeveloped area — and damage to the stage.

They are not allowed to be skateboarding there, and there is a purpose-built area for it in Waikanae Park.  We recommend that if readers see this happening, you remonstrate with the offenders.

WCB members are talking to the police and agitating for council CCTV cameras in Mahara Place, but that won’t be enough. (photo by Margaret Stevenson-Wright)

from the Kapiti News:

Wanita Hunter owns an audiology company called Kiwi Hearing, but she is expanding her reach a lot further than kiwis.

Working as an audiologist for Kiwi Hearing in Waikanae, Wanita has flown the nest all the way to Kiribati to provide hearing to children on an island where hearing support is barely existent.

With a population just over 110,000 Kiribati is made up of 32 atolls, ring-shaped coral reefs encircling a lagoon, and many islands.

More than half the population lives on Tarawa atoll and while it may look like a beautiful place with coral reefs and clear blue water, the lagoon is used for everything.

Read the rest

As far as we can tell, the main cost to the NZ taxpayer of being a monarchy is that of the Governor General, their premises and staff — and that would be incurred regardless if there was another state figurehead in a republic. —Eds

By Paul Mulvaney

The British Royal family is collectively worth ‘only’ $US 88 billion compared with the net worth of over $US 2 trillion of the Saudi Royal family (the House of Saud).

However, most the Crown’s assets are not personally owned: for example, Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, St James Palace, Windsor Castle, and the Tower of London belong to the Crown estate, and cannot be sold.

Nevertheless, Balmoral Castle, Sandringham House and Frogmore Cottage and others belong to the Queen personally, and could be sold if she wished. But the Crown Jewels, the Royal Art collection and the Royal Library are all Crown assets, which cannot be disposed of by the royals.

The actual worth of Queen Elizabeth II is estimated at about $US 520 million, which places her 144th most wealthy person in Great Britain. This means that she is not as wealthy as some New Zealand mega-rich like Graeme Hart, Michael Fay and David Richwhite, the Todd family, or the American billionaire Julian Robertson who lives in New Zealand.

The British Royal family generates an income of about $2.3 billion to the British economy from tourism and visits e.g. Trooping the Colour, Changing of the Guard, VE day and Remembrance day, Royal weddings, etc. So I think that they are more value for money than the Saudi Royal Family, who are despots anyway.

Changing times

Britain has had a constitutional monarchy since 1215 when King John signed the Magna Carta (Great Charter) and more so since 1265 when aristocrat Simon de Montfort won the right from King Henry III for the nation to have a parliament or assembly of the “Commons”. Before these times, there was an absolute monarchy when the King (or Queen) held complete power over their people, including the noblemen and the serfs. However, he/she did consult with chosen “Councillors”.

Diana Spencer was not of royal blood despite connections. I guess Megan might have sensed that and the vibes from the others might not have been all that positive. Therefore I was,  not surprised they have ‘pseudo-left’ the Royal Family.

I know that Royal visits cost quite a lot, but it’s less than $1 per British person per year, not bad value really. It is true that the British taxpayer funds the ‘civil list’ which for the Queen alone is $97 million per year, but they get value for money from her knowledge and diplomacy. It’s the royal hangers-on and other members of the extended family who are a bit of a drain.

Looking ahead

Depending upon the Queen’s circumstances, I think once Prince Charles gets his crown he will slim down the Monarchy, which has been economising recently, and also cut back on members of the royal family who receive a civil list allowance, e.g the Queen’s cousins, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and Prince Michael of Kent, and Princess Alexandra Ogilvie, etc.

Already, the children of Princess Margaret get nothing from the civil list, and they had ordinary jobs, and Princess Anne’s children have ordinary jobs and receive no civil list income, and don’t have royal titles.

More analysis here

Presently on the market, this has a floor area of 90 m², on a section of 596 m² and a separate 2 car garage.  The RV is $445,000.

Your editors wouldn’t be able to live in a house that size, but it still has 3 bedrooms.

Realtor’s listing

The extent of the info.

On Wednesday a video was posted on the BFD website of two men in blue showing up to the house of a right wing political commentator on social media as filmed by the target of the visitation.  You can watch it and read comments on its website here

The BFD reporter says;

I watched the video and the focus was on the person offending people. Apparently, he had written something along the lines of stating that certain members of parliament should be hung from a tree.

If he had incited violence in what he said he would have broken the law. In this video however, he was told that offending people “borders on the line between freedom of speech and an offence and he will be arrested” if he says anything in the future that they deem to be on that border. The policeman does not explain or made clear in any way what that border is.

Stating that certain members of parliament should be hung from a tree is not the sort of comment that will encourage civilised debate, but neither did the following comment made by TV3 (Newshub) AM host Duncan Garner on 7 November 2018 about opponents of 1080 poison:

‘Lock ‘em up. Lock ‘em up. They’re anarchists. Send in Willie Apiata in camo gear to sort them out one night and they’ll never breathe again.’

Those comments resulted in a complaint to the Broadcasting Standards Authority, but the Authority, chaired by District Court judge Bill Hastings, considered them perfectly acceptable and refused to uphold the complaint.

What difference was there between the two cases?

Was it simply the fact that TV3/Newshub strongly supports the Jacinda Government and its policies, while the target of the Thought Police in the video obviously doesn’t?

It seems to be yet another incident in the ongoing official harassment of Jacinda’s political opponents.