The Ministers Who Couldn't Say 'No'
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NZTONIGHT FILM HEALTH CLIMATE Goodnight, The darkness Foot found in The idea that Mr Holmes of Kate baby’s brain could save Earth PAGE 2 PAGE 13 PAGE 16 PAGE 17 TGIFEDITION.TV Auckland Hamilton Wellington Christchurch Queenstown Dunedin Sat: 24°/16° Sun: 21°/14° Sat: 23°/13° Sun: 22°/10° Sat: 20°/12° Sun: 18°/10° Sat: 19°/9° Sun: 18°/9° Sat: 14°/3° Sun: 16°/6° Sat: 13°/7° Sun: 13°/9° THERE’S ONE EASY WAY TO GET THIS SUBSCRIBE TODAY, ONLY $3 PER MONTH DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX EVERY WEEK... www.tgifedition.com EDITION ISSN 1172-4153 | Volume 1 | Issue 20 | | 19 December 2008 The Ministers who couldn’t say ‘No’ on the By Ian Wishart that the man’s name was false and his New Zealand cessful applicants were donors to the Labour party, INSIDE identity was false. Yang Liu was a donor to the New because Internal Affairs has refused to release the Two ministers of Internal Affairs have approved Zealand Labour Party. identities of any of the applicants, but there is no nearly 400 citizenship applications against the Nearly a quarter of those granted kiwi citizen- obvious reason why the Ministers would approve 66 explicit advice of officials, over the past three years. ship, despite failing the good character test, were people who failed to meet the good character test Figures released under the Official Information Indian nationals (15), while a further nine were Chi- for New Zealand citizenship. Act to TGIF Edition this morning disclose Labour’s nese. A further quarter (16) of the successful bad In total, 2,395 people made direct application to George Hawkins, Rick Barker and Shane Jones character applicants were from Islamic countries, the Minister of Internal Affairs between 2005 and between them approved 378 applicants for New with the balance from Asia, Africa and Britain (3), November this year, of whom 378 were approved FISH PIRACY Zealand citizenship, despite being warned by Inter- with four from Fiji. against the advice of the Department, and nine were nal Affairs officials that the migrants did not meet There is no data on whether any of these suc- declined against the advice of the department. Airforce hunts trawler citizenship criteria and should not be approved. Page 3 In contrast, the ministers exercised the benefit of the doubt in the opposite direction – declining applicants despite official approval – in only nine cases. The interferences show one in six individual sub- Mahia’s dolphin summer underway missions to the Minister of Internal Affairs were By Jessica Wauchop decided in defiance of departmental advice. Staggeringly, 66 of those approved by the min- GisboRne, Dec 19 – When the sun beats down isters had been declined by the Internal Affairs on Mahia Beach and the sea is calm, Moko the Department because they failed to meet the good friendly bottlenose dolphin cuts a familiar shape OLDEST CAKE character test. That means the applicants may have against the horizon. Read more, page 2 Baked Christmas 1911 had serious criminal convictions or the department Page 10 had other evidence that their applications or pasts were dodgy. The figures show Hawkins and Barker were responsible for 377 of the applications, with Shane Jones brought in on one – that of Chinese fugitive Yang Liu, whose real name is Yongming Yan. Even more surprising, Labour’s George Hawkins managed to approve 30 of the bad character applicants in the few months of 2005 prior to the election that TIGER ‘N year, whilst Rick Barker took three years to rack up the next 35 approvals to applicants of bad character. STEVE The issue shot to prominence during this year’s A better 2009? election campaign when TGIF Edition revealed Page 12 Shane Jones had given New Zealand citizenship to a Chinese fugitive, despite his department warning Children charged with brutal Opotiki murder WELLINGTON, DEC 19 – Two girls aged 15 and 17 A third person, a 21-year-old Opotiki man, was investigation and that police believed people who had have been jointly charged with the murder of elderly also arrested today and charged with being an information about the case had been stonewalling. Opotiki man John Rowe. accessory after the fact to the murder of Mr Rowe, “I was frustrated and did comment that we believed Mr Rowe, 78, was beaten to death in his home and attempting to defeat the course of justice. there were close friends and family that were really overnight on November 24. He was due in Whakatane District Court tomorrow. protecting this group of people,” he said. The 17-year-old was arrested this afternoon in Mr Jones told Radio New Zealand the sex and Mr Jones said the case’s high-profile may have Auckland and Detective Inspector Rob Jones said age of those arrested was shocking. put pressure on those people and assisted the inves- she would face a murder charge in Auckland District “It must be incredibly distressing both for the tigation. Court tomorrow. community and for the family of Mr Rowe.” He said he was aware that Mr Jones’ family were Soon afterwards, police arrested the 15-year-old Mr Jones said he was not able to discuss when or relieved at the news of arrests, but were also“deeply from Opotiki, who faces the same charge in Tau- how police got the breakthrough they needed . saddened”. ranga Youth Court tomorrow. He said there was still a long way to go with the – NZPA Before and after... trust Olympus The new E-410 from Olympus For more information contact H.E. Perry Ltd.phone: 0800 10 33 88 | email: [email protected] | www.olympus.com NEW ZEALAND 2 19 December 2008 off “This was the Paul Holmes breakfast…” AUCKland, Dec 19 – Clattering plates and laugh- working with Holmes had been a ter filled the air at Auckland’s Sails Restaurant this rollercoaster ride. BEAT morning, as 120 guests gathered to listen to Paul “The main thing about it has Holmes broadcast his last breakfast show at radio been the fun we’ve had. We survived station NewstalkZB. the scrapes and just put our heads Friends, clients, and colleagues past and present down and had fun,” Francis said. enjoyed a leisurely breakfast looking over the spar- “Paul has ultimately been a kling waters of Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour. great team player and always Holmes’ mother Chrissy, his wife Deborah and son encourages up and coming tal- Ruben were also there to wish him the best, along ent.” with Prime Minister John Key, former Labour prime Holmes said he was deeply minister Helen Clark and Labour leader Phil Goff. humbled about being touted as It was a show packed with emotion and memories. the “greatest broadcaster of our FISHERMAN LANDS 300KG haMMERHEad ShaRK After 22 years in one of the most high pressure time”. DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Dec. 19 (UPI) – A fisherman jobs in the industry, Holmes reminisced about good And he had this message for seeking out marine life off the coast of Volusia County, times and bad. young broadcasters trying to Fla., said he caught a 300-kg hammerhead shark. He reflected back to March 1987 soon after make it in the industry. The commercial fisherman said the shark, which the new talk concept began and the ratings went “If you believe you’ll get there, measured more than 13 feet in length, was reeled in yesterday, WESH-TV, Orlando, Fla., reported today. through the floor to the times when the ratings you’ll get there. If the opportunity Experts said hammerhead sharks can grow to reach soared from mid 1989. comes, take it,” Holmes said. lengths of more than 20 feet (6.5 metres). Between news breaks, Holmes took a moment to “Work hard and opportunities munch down a Danish, while colleagues and friends will present themselves. Timing dashed up to give him a congratulatory kiss and is everything. Break some rules a hug. on air. Be daring and try new He was joined by his successor Mike Hosking and things.” regular guest Wendyl Nissen, who said she would He thanked rival broadcasters miss waking up to Holmes every morning. who had passed on their good She joked that Hosking won’t even talk to her wishes over the past few days. off air. As Holmes looked around the Holmes said he was leaving the programme with restaurant at the smiling faces no regrets, and was looking forward to continuing beaming back at him, he thanked Veteran broadcaster Paul Holmes during his last breakfast show on Newstalk ZB at POLICE: RECESSION HITTING BURGLARS on the Saturday morning show. everyone for coming and making Sails Restaurant, Auckland. / NZPA / Wayne Drought DORAL, Fla., Dec. 19 (UPI) – The police chief in Doral, He took telephone calls from various well-wishers, it such a special occasion. Florida, says thieves apparently dumped more than including former Olympic equestrian champion Mark He left his last breakfast show US$1.2 million in stolen goods after being unable to sell Todd, former world squash champion Dame Susan on NewstalkZB to a standing ovation, and with his you very much for listening and thank you very them in today’s economy. Devoy and America’s Cup yachtie Brad Butterworth. voice slightly quavering as he said: “This was the much for coming. Ricardo Gomez said an anonymous tip led police to Brooke Fraser flew in from Sydney to sing live Paul Holmes breakfast at NewstalkZB. Thank you “Four minutes to nine with NewstalkZB. This was stolen electronics items, including flat-screen televisions and computers, which apparently were simply left behind with acoustic guitar.