Source: New Zealand Police (National News)
Police in Pātea, Taranaki are working to resolve an incident that took place in Hadfield Street earlier today.
Officers were called to the property around 3:50am to a report of someone being unlawfully at an address.
It’s not believed anyone is injured, however, members of the Armed Offenders Squad are assisting local staff in the area working to safely resolve the incident.
ENDS
Issued by the Police Media Centre
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Aumua Amata (Western Samoa)
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is highlighting notice of a new grant of $500,000 in federal funding for local mental health and substance abuse services, specifically opioid efforts.
This award is from the local application efforts of Fiso Talalupelele and the American Samoa Department of Health, led by Director Motusa Nua. The grant is from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as directed by Congress in authorizing and appropriating health funds, through the HHS Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.
“Thank you especially to Fiso Talalupelele for the effort to secure a new grant, so these much-needed funds can be put to good work,” said Congresswoman Amata. “Thank you to HHS leadership for this support, and congratulations to Director Motusa Nua.”
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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Aumua Amata (Western Samoa)
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is highlighting two more grants from the U.S. Department of Justice for American Samoa. The grants, from different programs, include a grant for the American Samoa Alliance Against Domestic and Sexual Violence of $367,379 for the next year of the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) Territory Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Program.
“Thank you to the American Samoa Alliance Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, and Fuatino Jennifer Tofaeono for her dedication,” said Aumua Amata. “Next month, October, is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and we all can help support these efforts for prevention, safety, and our awareness to recognize those vulnerable to mistreatment.”
The other grant, from the DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs, is for the American Samoa Criminal Justice Planning Agency in the amount of $20,074 toward retention in the prosecutor and public defender offices.
“Congratulations once again to the American Samoa Criminal Justice Planning Agency and Director Mariana Timu-Faiai, as they’ve had a series of grant announcements in recent weeks,” continued Congresswoman Amata. “These grants, through the Department’s efforts, support various programs in the Territory. I appreciate these recognitions of American Samoa’s needs from the DOJ.”
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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Aumua Amata (Western Samoa)
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amataspoke on the House floor on Monday, emphasizing the importance of U.S. efforts to protect religious freedoms worldwide, while serving as Floor Manager for House passage of the reauthorization of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), S. 3764, a bipartisan effort which passed by a vote of 365-20.
Congresswoman Amata speaking in the House on protecting religious freedoms worldwide
Video of her floor speech is available HERE.
“Religious persecution is a tragic reality in many parts of the world – whether it be against Uyghur Muslims in China, Christian minorities in parts of Africa and the Middle East, the Baha’i in Iran, or religious communities attempting to worship without official control by repressive regimes in Burma, China, or North Korea; and anti-Semitism is on the rise,” said Congresswoman Amata. “This bipartisan bill, which unanimously passed the Senate, will continue the good work of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, or USCIRF. Congress created USCIRF as an independent federal entity in 1998; although the fundamental freedom of religion was under siege around the world, it did not receive enough attention in U.S. foreign policy.”
She continued, “USCIRF is a body of experts who speak out on behalf of persecuted believers of any faith, and push for accountability beyond what the State Department or the White House may view as diplomatically comfortable. The Commission’s independent voice remains critical today, as the State Department too often pushes religious freedom to the side. Although the law requires the Department to designate ‘Countries of Particular Concern’ for religious freedom violations, their list of CPC countries never includes all the countries that meet the statutory criteria.”
“Thankfully USCIRF continues its truth-telling to identify the other persecutors that should be designated. Those countries include Vietnam, where communist authorities severely repress Christians, Buddhists, and other believers who attempt to worship outside of state control. They also include Nigeria, where Islamist militias murder Christians with impunity. They include Afghanistan, where the brutal Taliban have re-taken power and moved that country back to an intolerant darkness. If any countries are ‘Countries of Particular Concern’ for serious violations of religious freedom, those should be among them,” Amata stated.
“S. 3764 is a simple extension of USCIRF’s statutory authority so that the Commission can continue its bipartisan, non-sectarian work on behalf our nation’s ‘first freedom’ – religious liberty,” said Aumua Amata. “I am very pleased that this is a clean reauthorization and does not include any of the previous attempts by some in the other body to make USCIRF more partisan, or to dilute its mandate with extraneous issues. Through robust oversight, we also must work to ensure that USCIRF remains focused on its true, bipartisan statutory mandate. Namely, ‘the annual and ongoing review of the facts and circumstances of violations of religious freedom.’”
“I want to thank Senator (Marco) Rubio and his bipartisan colleagues who introduced this bill in the Senate, where it received unanimous support. I also want to recognize the important work of the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs human rights subcommittee, the gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. (Christopher) Smith, the author of the House-side reauthorization. He has been a leader on religious freedom issues throughout his 43-year career in this House,” she concluded. “We need to pass this bill immediately, to help ensure that freedom of religion – under threat from extremists and authoritarian governments around the world – remains front and center.”
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Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council
Within the revised plan is a proposal for a new policy that would allow people to travel with domestic pets. In other cities in Aotearoa New Zealand trials of pets on public transport have been successful, with no issues and few complaints.
“We’re keen to understand what controls are needed for our customers in Greater Christchurch and Timaru to be comfortable with pets on public transport,” Councillor Joe Davies said.
Conditions being proposed would allow adult passengers to bring a single pet on board, as long it is in an approved carrier at off-peak times (weekdays 9am-3pm, all-day weekends).
“We want to gauge how people feel about this proposal and also how they would feel about potentially lessening those restrictions in future to allow for leashed and muzzled dogs or increasing the limit to two pets per passenger,” he added.
Environment Canterbury © 2024
Retrieved: 9:25am, Wed 25 Sep 2024
ecan.govt.nz/get-involved/news-and-events/2024/consulting-on-a-ten-year-plan-for-public-transport-in-canterbury/
Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council
“The forecast was for around 300mm of rain in 24hrs, and what we ended up getting was 500mm of rain over 48hrs, spread everywhere from Waimakariri to Mackenzie.”
The extreme rainfall caused widespread flooding and prompted a region-wide state of emergency. The floods caused extensive damage to homes and businesses, as well as critical infrastructure including stopbanks, riverbanks, and flood protection vegetation.
“Initially we focused on damage reconnaissance, identifying damaged infrastructure across the region so we could prioritise and design repairs for each site,” Shaun said.
“While our scope was to restore the resilience that existed before, on some sites we were able to mitigate the increasing challenges posed by climate change. This includes the room for rivers concept, which reduces pressure on flood protection assets and provides for a healthier waterway.”
The project focused on more than 400 individual repair jobs across the region, including repairs to more than 5kms of stopbanks and planting more than 60,000 native and exotic trees.
“In many cases, we were using existing vegetation that was still standing or that had washed out in the flood. We were able to drag it back in while it was still alive and replant it, turning a liability into an asset.
“The other big part of work was erosion and scour protection. In some of the more constrained areas, such as through Geraldine township, we used rock protection to protect riverbanks from erosion.”
While the project is complete, some sites remain vulnerable and continue to be monitored closely particularly while new vegetation becomes established. Recent flood events have tested these areas, providing valuable information for ongoing improvements.
Councillor Ian Mackenzie, lead for Community Preparedness and Response to Hazards, said completion of the project marks a significant milestone in building future resilience for the safety of our communities.
“This achievement not only protects our residents but also ensures the long-term sustainability of our infrastructure. We’re proud of the collaborative effort that has gone into this project and remain committed to serving our communities by continually improving our preparedness for environmental challenges.”
Mark Faichnie, area supervisor – central, worked on the project from emergency response flood patrol to the reinstating of damaged sites across Ashburton. “It was an amazing sense of achievement, to have delivered all that work. I hope it provides landowners and farmers some security and reassurance.”
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) co-funded approximately $8.3 million of the total cost of $22.6 million, through a one-off emergency fund.
Source: ProCare
Leading healthcare provider, ProCare, has announced changes to its Health (PHO) Limited Board – effective 3 September.
Donovan Clarke has been appointed as a Director on the Health Board following the resignation of Ann Davis, who has acted as a Nurse Representative since March 2022.
Tevita Funaki, Chair of ProCare’s Health Board, acknowledges Ann’s contribution to the Board: “Ann has been a fantastic addition to our Board as the first Nurse Representative. We thank her for her service to ensure the provision of essential primary healthcare services to the people of Tāmaki Makaurau.
“Her dedication and knowledge are second to none, and we wish her all the best for her future endeavours,” points out Funaki.
Commenting on Donovan’s appointment Funaki says: “Donovan has been a Director on the ProCare Network Board for several years, so knows ProCare and the primary care landscape well. Donovan has led significant change across governance structures and is passionate about making an impact on health outcomes in a community.
“He is a transformational leader having championed key projects across primary care, mental health and addictions, and the disability sector. We are thrilled to have him join our Health Board and help shape the way we operate,” concludes Funaki.
Commenting on his appointment, Clarke says: “I am pleased to be welcomed onto ProCare’s Health Board to work alongside our other fantastic Board members. It is a challenging time in health right now, especially in General Practice, so I am committed to doing what I can to advocate on behalf of our practices and community. I look forward to navigating the changes that primary care faces and ensuring that we continue to best serve our practices, patients, whānau and communities.”
About ProCare
Source: Fonterra
Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd has today announced a 50 cent lift in its 2024/25 forecast Farmgate Milk Price midpoint to $9.00 per kgMS and FY25 earnings guidance of 40-60 cents per share.
CEO Miles Hurrell says the lift in this season’s forecast Farmgate Milk Price follows further recent strengthening in Global Dairy Trade prices and constrained milk supply in key producing regions.
“I’m pleased to be announcing an increase in this season’s forecast Farmgate Milk Price, which I’m sure will be welcome news for farmers, particularly when combined with the 55 cent total dividend for FY24 also announced by the Co-op today,” says Mr Hurrell.
Fonterra’s new forecast Farmgate Milk Price range for the 2024/25 season is $8.25-$9.75 per kgMS, with the Co-op continuing to maintain the wide range due to the relatively early stage of the season.
“We’ve also announced today our forecast earnings for FY25 of 40-60 cents per share,” says Mr Hurrell.
“The forecast earnings range reflects an expectation we will maintain strong margins in all three of our sales channels, while also investing in the Co-op’s IT & digital transformation and incurring higher tax expenses,” says Mr Hurrell.
Fonterra advises that, after several years of strong earnings performance, the Co-op exhausted its tax losses in FY24 and will now be paying tax.
Chief Financial Officer Andrew Murray says that “as a result of this change, when we declare a dividend from FY25 and beyond, imputation credits will now be available to be attached to our dividend.
“To enable all shareholders to receive the imputation credits, we are changing how we treat supply backed shares for tax purposes which means that more tax will be paid by Fonterra.
“While this does not impact the operating performance of Fonterra, it will reduce our reported earnings per share in future years, as Fonterra will have paid the tax on the cash to be distributed,” says Mr Murray.
About Fonterra
Fonterra is a co-operative owned and supplied by thousands of farming families across Aotearoa New Zealand. Through the spirit of co-operation and a can-do attitude, Fonterra’s farmers and employees share the goodness of our milk through innovative consumer, foodservice and ingredients brands. Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, and we’re committed to leaving things in a better way than we found them. We are passionate about supporting our communities by Doing Good Together.
Non-GAAP financial information
Fonterra uses several non-GAAP measures when discussing financial performance. Non-GAAP measures are not defined or specified by NZ IFRS.
Management believes that these measures provide useful information as they provide valuable insight on the underlying performance of the business. They may be used internally to evaluate the underlying performance of business units and to analyse trends. These measures are not uniformly defined or utilised by all companies. Accordingly, these measures may not be comparable with similarly titled measures used by other companies. Non-GAAP financial measures should not be viewed in isolation nor considered as a substitute for measures reported in accordance with NZ IFRS.
Non-GAAP measures are not subject to audit unless they are included in Fonterra’s audited annual financial statements.
Source: Fonterra
Profit after tax: NZ $1,168 million
Continuing operations EBIT*: NZ $1,560 million
Continuing operations earnings* per share: 70 cents per share
Return on capital: 11.3%
Total dividend: 55 cents per share, comprising:
Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd has today reported strong FY24 full year financial results, including a final 2023/24 season Farmgate Milk Price of $7.83 per kgMS and a total dividend of 55 cents per share.
CEO Miles Hurrell says the payout reflects both Fonterra’s continued strong earnings performance and the long-term resilience of the Co-op.
“We’ve maintained the positive momentum seen in FY23 and delivered earnings at the top end of our forecast range.
“Our total dividend of 55 cents per share is the second largest since Fonterra was formed. It includes a 15 cent interim dividend and a 25 cent final dividend driven by strong FY24 earnings.
“In addition, our capital management efficiency and ongoing balance sheet strength have enabled us to return an extra 15 cents per share to farmer shareholders and unit holders through a special dividend.
“The final Farmgate Milk Price for the 2023/24 season finished at $7.83 per kgMS. This, combined with the 55 cents per share dividend, provides a total cash payout to a fully shared up farmer of $8.38 per kgMS.
“Our Co-op is in good shape, and I’m pleased to have delivered another year of solid returns to farmer shareholders and unit holders.
“Looking ahead, we’re well placed to consider the next phase of our strategy to grow long-term value for the Co-op,” says Mr Hurrell.
Business performance
The Co-op reported a return on capital for FY24 of 11.3%, above the target range for FY24.
Earnings (EBIT) from continuing operations were $1,560 million and continue to be well above previous years, albeit down on FY23 which benefited from elevated price relativities.
Fonterra’s profit after tax from continuing operations was $1,168 million, equivalent to 70 cents per share.
“Our FY24 earnings were driven by higher margins and increased sales volumes in our Foodservice and Consumer channels. Our Ingredients channel also continued to deliver strong returns, although down when compared to the record result seen in FY23,” says Mr Hurrell.
Sales volumes from continuing operations were down 1% to 3,470 kMT and gross margins were maintained at 17%.
“We remain focused on making progress against our two efficiency metrics while also investing in the areas that will improve long-term performance and the resilience of the Co-op.
“Our core operations manufacturing costs per kgMS reduced year-on-year by 2% to $2.58 per kgMS, reflecting both operational improvements and improved input costs.
“Across the year we also achieved savings in our operating expenses which largely offset the impacts of inflation. However, our cash operating expenses per kgMS are up mainly due to our investment in IT and digital transformation projects.
“Our balance sheet position remains strong, providing optionality and flexibility for the future and resilience against volatility.
“We have net debt of $2.6 billion, $600 million lower than last year, due to strong underlying operating performance.
Our gearing ratio of 24% reflects our lower net debt position and higher equity from strong earnings,” says Mr Hurrell.
Co-op strategy
This year, Fonterra completed a strategic review that reinforced the role of its Foodservice and Ingredients channels and confirmed its strengths in partnering with customers to produce world-class, innovative dairy.
As a result of this work, in May the Co-op announced that it is exploring divestment options for its global Consumer business, as well as Fonterra Oceania and Sri Lanka.
“Over the last few months, we have appointed advisors to assist with assessing divestment options for our Consumer businesses and this work is ongoing,” says Mr Hurrell.
“As we can see from today’s result, the businesses in scope for potential divestment are performing well. We remain committed to a pathway that would maximise value of these businesses for our farmer shareholders and unit holders.
“Alongside this, we have revised our strategy to have a sharper focus on the Co-op’s strengths and where we can best create value.
“We will be sharing this revised strategy, as well as the outcomes shareholders and unit holders can expect from the Co-op, next week,” says Mr Hurrell.
*Excludes earnings from discontinued operations. In FY24 discontinued operations were DPA Brazil and in FY23 discontinued operations were DPA Brazil, Soprole and China Farms.
Fonterra is a co-operative owned and supplied by thousands of farming families across Aotearoa New Zealand. Through the spirit of co-operation and a can-do attitude, Fonterra’s farmers and employees share the goodness of our milk through innovative consumer, foodservice and ingredients brands. Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, and we’re committed to leaving things in a better way than we found them. We are passionate about supporting our communities by Doing Good Together.
If you no longer wish to receive media releases from Fonterra, please click here to opt out.
Non-GAAP financial information
Fonterra uses several non-GAAP measures when discussing financial performance. Non-GAAP measures are not defined or specified by NZ IFRS.
Management believes that these measures provide useful information as they provide valuable insight on the underlying performance of the business. They may be used internally to evaluate the underlying performance of business units and to analyse trends. These measures are not uniformly defined or utilised by all companies. Accordingly, these measures may not be comparable with similarly titled measures used by other companies. Non-GAAP financial measures should not be viewed in isolation nor considered as a substitute for measures reported in accordance with NZ IFRS.
Non-GAAP measures are not subject to audit unless they are included in Fonterra’s audited annual financial statements.
Source: US House Committee on Foreign Affairs
Media Contact 202-226-8467
Washington, D.C. — Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman issued the following statement in response to President Biden’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meeting today.
“With the world on fire, President Biden visited UNGA today to tout his administration’s foreign policy ‘success.’ The truth is that President Biden will leave office with the world far more dangerous than when he entered. Under his watch, Putin launched a war in Ukraine; the CCP has increasingly threatened the Philippines and Taiwan; and Iran and its proxies have dramatically escalated their attacks, including Hamas’ massacre of more than 1,200 innocent people in Israel in the largest mass-killing of Jews since the Holocaust.
“This global chaos all points back to President Biden’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, which he has the audacity to call ‘the right decision.’ His withdrawal left a thousand Americans stranded under Taliban rule, emboldened America’s adversaries, and led to the deaths of 13 valiant servicemembers. Today, thanks to the Biden-Harris administration, Afghan women and girls live under one of the world’s most oppressive regimes. Let’s be clear: The Biden-Harris administration’s weakness enabled this catastrophe and left us with two hot wars and a hot zone. The United States must return to projecting strength to ensure peace prevails.”
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Source: New Zealand Police (National News)
A gang associate is facing serious charges after firearms were recovered following a fleeing driver incident overnight.
Night shift staff working in east Auckland sighted a vehicle linked to a wanted person travelling along Ellerslie-Panmure Highway just after 1am.
Inspector Jim Wilson, Area Commander for Auckland City East Police, says the vehicle was signalled to stop near Karangahape Road.
“It immediately accelerated away from the unit and the Air Support Unit took over monitoring the vehicle’s direction of travel,” he says.
“The vehicle was driven erratically further west towards Point Chevalier.”
Eagle observed the vehicle stop at a property on Moa Road.
“The driver allegedly handed a bag to a passenger who got out of the vehicle, before he accelerated away from the address,” Inspector Wilson says.
Police did not pursue the vehicle but continued to track its movements.
“On several occasions the driver has been observed driving extremely dangerously through parts of central Auckland and Balmoral, before heading east again.”
Spikes were successfully deployed near Greenlane.
Inspector Wilson says the vehicle carried on until losing control in Saint Johns.
“The incident came to an end at the intersection of Saint Johns and College Roads, with the driver taken into custody shortly afterward.”
Police also caught up with the woman who exited the vehicle in Point Chevalier, who was carrying a bag with two firearms and ammunition inside.
“As a result, we have recovered a pump action shot gun and a cut down .22 calibre rifle along with ammunition for both firearms,” Inspector Wilson says.
Police have laid a host of charges against the 30-year-old man driving the vehicle, who is an associate of the Comancheros.
He will appear in the Auckland District Court today facing multiple firearms offences, along with reckless driving and failing to stop.
The 29-year-old passenger had a number of unrelated warrants to arrest, and she will be appearing in court today.
Inspector Wilson says: “The driver’s reckless behaviour this morning is totally unacceptable, and it is pleasing he will now have his day in court.
“This is a great outcome for the community, with more firearms taken out of circulation and highlights great teamwork by Police working on night shift.”
ENDS.
Jarred Williamson/NZ Police
25 September 2024 – Tax Justice Aotearoa welcomes ANZ chief executive Antonia Watson’s call for a capital gains tax, as reported by RNZ today.
“We agree with Antonia Watson that it’s unfair that gains from capital are not taxed the same as gains from income,” says Tax Justice Aotearoa chair Glenn Barclay.
“This just advantages those with capital over those who rely on wages for their income.
“We are also an outlier internationally in not having a capital gains tax and the research from Max Rashbrooke that we released last week demonstrated this (ref. https://www.tjanz.org/news-tax-research-2024?utm_campaign=tja_reacts_anz_ceo&utm_medium=email&utm_source=tja )
“The Government clearly needs more revenue to address the many challenges we face as a country around such things as climate change, quality public services and poverty and inequality and a capital gains tax could help close that gap.”
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), co-chair of the Senate Arctic Caucus, today cast his vote for Michael Sfraga — currently serving as U.S. Arctic Research Commission Chair — to become the country’s first Ambassador at Large for Arctic Affairs, in a Senate vote of 55-36. Until Sfraga’s confirmation, the U.S. has been the only Arctic Nation that did not have a high-level official to represent the county in Arctic negotiations. With America now having formal diplomatic representation, it sends a clear signal to Arctic partners and foes that the country is fully invested in the High North as a strategic hotspot. The region is especially critical with regard to national security and deterrence efforts against known adversaries like China and Russia.
“The Arctic is emerging as a region of enormous potential, and for far too long America has been on the sidelines — not demonstrating the level of commitment and attention shown by the other Arctic nations. That ends today,” said Senator King. “Not only is the High North drawing additional attention and investment by nations like Norway, Canada, and Russia, but China and India are also making moves in the region — investing millions in icebreakers and critical mineral research, laughably passing themselves off as ‘near Arctic nations.’ While the Arctic has long been considered a ‘zone of peace,’ America has not been represented by a Senate confirmed official bearing the title of ‘Ambassador.’ From now on, when there are conversations had about Arctic affairs, America finally will participate among equals. I thank my Arctic Caucus Co-Chair Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) for her tireless work on this nomination, and now it’s time to truly get to work to advance and defend our Arctic interests.”
Sfraga brings over 30 years of experience in Arctic issues, and was the founding director of the Polar Institute and served as the Director of the Global Risk and Resilience program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. As an Alaskan and trained geographer, his work has focused the changing geography of Arctic and Antarctic landscapes, as well as the rapidly changing economic, social, environmental and security implications of the region.
As a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and as Co-Chair of the U.S. Senate Arctic Caucus, Senator King is an advocate for Maine and America’s interests in the North Atlantic and Arctic region. Along with Caucus co-chair Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), King introduced the Arctic Commitment Act earlier last year to improve America’s posture and opportunities in the Arctic. He’s been calling for the appointment of an Arctic Ambassador since 2015, and has continued to press the Administration on the effort this year. King also recently laid out the challenges and opportunities of a warming arctic in an article in the Wilson Quarterly, and in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act, he successfully secured the inclusion of provisions to increase America’s activity and opportunities in the Far North.
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
This Funding Will Be Used By Law Enforcement Agencies To Hire More Officers, Purchase Essential Equipment, And Invest In Officer Mental Health
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) announced nearly one million dollars in federal funding for law enforcement agencies across Nevada to help them hire more officers, purchase essential equipment, and invest in officer mental health. The funding for these awards is made through the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program, Tribal Resources Grant Program, and Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act (LEMHWA), all of which offer various grant programs to support state, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies. Earlier this year, bipartisan legislation to expand the COPS Hiring Program was signed into law.
“From hiring more police officers and purchasing new equipment to funding mental health programs, I’ll always fight to support our law enforcement,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “The COPS Office has a long history of helping keep our communities safe, and I’m proud of my work to bring as many of these resources as possible into the Silver State.”
“Nevada law enforcement works around the clock to fight crime, respond to emergencies, and keep our communities safe. That’s why I’ve been working across the aisle in the Senate to support them with the federal resources they need to do their jobs effectively and maintain their well-being,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m proud to announce this federal funding is coming to law enforcement agencies across our state to help hire more officers, purchase equipment, and improve officer mental health and wellness.”
“I would like to thank Senator Rosen and our entire congressional delegation for their continued support in protecting the citizens and businesses of Sparks,” said Sparks Police Chief Chris Crawford. “This will allow the Sparks Police Department to build a team of officers to improve upon our crime reduction strategies.”
“This grant will enhance the City’s ongoing commitment to providing vital mental health and wellness services to the men and women of the Henderson Police Department. We are grateful to Senator Rosen and the other members of Nevada’s congressional delegation for their support of our grant application and for this funding which will be used to assist officers and their families as they approach retirement and prepare to successfully transition from their law enforcement careers,” said Henderson Mayor Michelle Romero. “Studies have shown that police officers may be at a greater risk of experiencing challenges related to their mental well-being as they get ready to retire and this grant will help ensure we are offering those who serve and protect our community the full assistance they and their families need.”
“The Lovelock Paiute Tribal Police Department is excited to announce that we have been selected and awarded the US DOJ COPS grant,” said Lovelock Colony Chief of Police Jeff G. Perry. “With the collaborative effort of our Tribal Police Department, Lovelock Paiute Tribal Council, Tribal Administrator, the grant award will be utilized to sufficiently staff 24-hour service to the Lovelock Indian Colony. This will increase safety efforts along with our proposed Lovelock Indian Colony Camera Program (LICCP). Our camera program will significantly reduce criminal activity and trespassing on the colony along with better staffing support towards future community policing services. These interactions will be positive and proactive in ways that build trust and cooperation among the residents and all who visit the Lovelock Indian Colony. Our proposal is to re-establish all components of the neighborhood watch program. Officers will again utilize teams, zones, area captains and area officers. In addition, this program will help to reduce the non-tribal criminal activity on the colony. Without this funding, we could not have achieved to operate at this capacity and continue our community-oriented policing efforts to greatly reduce criminal activity.”
The awards are being distributed as follows:
Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen have been advocating to ensure Nevada’s law enforcement community has the resources it needs. Last year, they announced more than $1 million in COPS funding for Nevada law enforcement and public safety. Last month, they also highlighted nearly $1 million in federal community project funding they secured to provide mental health training and support to thousands of firefighters, law enforcement officers, and first responders. Senator Cortez Masto’s bipartisan bills to combat the crisis of law enforcement suicide and provide mental health resources to police officers have been signed into law by presidents of both parties. Earlier this month, bipartisan legislation that Senator Rosen co-sponsored to fund family support and mental health services for law enforcement officers passed the Senate.
Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti
2 mins ago
An EIT fitness competition has seen students from across Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti put through their paces in Mahia recently.
Students from across Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti were put through their paces recently in an EIT competition that tested their skills, fitness and resilience.
The competition, organised by EIT’s School of Trades and Technology, took place in Mahia last week and saw teams from East Coast and Wairoa College Services Academies and the Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti Trades Academy participate.
The teams completed a 20km circuit throughout the night carrying logs, steel bars and military packs, and throughout the circuit they stopped and completed tasks such as putting up a 11 x 11 Army tent, a stretcher carry up Mokotahi hill and rope climb out of the river onto a bridge.
Tairāwhiti Trades Academy was the first team home in 5hrs 14 mins, with all teams back to camp by 2am.
EIT Trades and Technology Head of School, Todd Rogers, who completed the challenge himself, said that feedback had been positive and EIT would like to make it an annual event.
“Absolutely awesome effort from all teams involved, a challenging yet rewarding introduction to life in the New Zealand Defence Force.”
“I’d like to make special mention to the team from Wairoa College Services Academy who were mostly year 10 students with one year 12 and performed to a high standard coming in third place. It would be great to see as many students as possible transition into EIT’s Services Pathway programme or straight into the NZDF.”
Todd thanked Defence Careers and East Coast Company of 5/7 Infantry regiment for their support.
The Trades Academy, at EIT’s Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay campuses, works with secondary schools to provide year-long trades programmes to help students achieve NCEA Level 2 or 3 and prepare for higher-level study. The Trades Academy offers programmes that include automotive, trade skills, hair and beauty, hospitality, agriculture, and health and fitness. Students attend Trades Academy each week, gaining vocational skills and getting hands on experience.
Source: Ministers for Social Services
The Albanese Labor Government is continuing to support inclusion and a sense of belonging in communities for Autistic Australians, with the commitment of $359,000 to Autism QLD.
The funding will support the establishment of a new Connections4Women project for Autistic women in the South Brisbane, Central Queensland and Toowoomba regions.
The project will see up to 200 Autistic women form meaningful social connections and build links in their community through a series of support groups delivered both face to face and online.
Support groups will be facilitated by an Autistic woman and a qualified therapist, with sessions to commence from next month. The co-facilitation nature of the groups will enable different perspectives and supports for participants.
Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth will visit Autism QLD headquarters in Sunnybank Hills today to meet with the team developing the Connections4Women project.
Funding for the project is being delivered over two years (2024-25 to 2025-26) under the third Strong and Resilient Communities – Inclusive Communities grants round.
Minister Rishworth said the project would provide crucial support for Autistic Queenslanders.
“I am delighted that my Government is supporting Autism QLD and the amazing community-driven work they do to foster true, positive connections for Autistic Australians with those around them,” Minister Rishworth said.
“We know Autism has not always been fully understood in how it presents in women and I’m so pleased this funding will directly go to a project specifically for Autistic women, at a time where increased awareness is now occurring.
“Our Strong and Resilient Communities program aims to deliver projects that can have a real, lasting impact on Australia.”
Thirty-four organisations from across the country – including Autism QLD – will share in more than $10.4 million awarded in the latest grant round for projects that deliver community-led solutions to support vulnerable and disadvantaged people towards self-reliance and empowerment.
Since 2022 the Government has invested close to $45 million into SARC – Inclusive Communities grants.
The Government is also developing a National Autism Strategy, to be delivered later this year, that will guide a more coordinated national approach to supports for Autistic Australians at each stage of life, including in access to services, healthcare, education and employment.
More information about the National Autism Strategy and SARC grants is available on the Department of Social Services website.
Source: New Zealand Parliament – Hansard
TUESDAY, 24 SEPTEMBER 2024
(continued on Wednesday, 25 September 2024)
EDUCATION AND TRAINING AMENDMENT BILL
Third Reading
DEPUTY SPEAKER: The House is resumed. Good morning, members. Yesterday when we finished, the Education and Training Amendment Bill had been set down for third reading. I call the Hon David Seymour.
Hon DAVID SEYMOUR (Associate Minister of Education): I present a legislative statement on the Education and Training Amendment Bill.
DEPUTY SPEAKER: That legislative statement is published under the authority of the House and can be found on the Parliamentary website.
Hon DAVID SEYMOUR: I move, That the Education and Training Amendment Bill be now read a third time.
I want to thank all of the people who have contributed to this legislation. I want to thank my colleague, the Hon Erica Stanford, Minister of Education—and I see Katie Nimon, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, along with other members of that committee, who shepherded the bill through the committee stage faster than usual but with no less care and attention, and made valuable improvements to this legislation. It has been a very good example of what Parliament can do when people are committed to a cause.
I don’t believe that there’s any greater cause for this country’s long-term future than the simple equation of how much knowledge is transferred from one generation to the next. Because a knowledgeable and educated population can overcome whatever challenges we may face with the economy or foreign affairs or climate change or public health. An educated population will be able to solve those problems, but an uneducated population that hasn’t learnt the best knowledge from generations before them will be able to squander even great prosperity that this country currently has. That’s why it matters so much and that’s why I think we saw so much commitment from those people involved in this legislation, and perhaps more than any for the enormous detail that has been meticulously put together. I thank the employees at the Ministry of Education, the policy team, particularly Andy and Jen and all those who support them; they have done an absolutely outstanding job.
What is the cause in this bill? Well, this bill has three parts; two of them, relatively simple, and one of them, more complex and, I would argue, ultimately more important. The first is that we are removing the network management requirement for early childhood education centres. This comes from many complaints from early childhood educators that it is absolutely insane that in order to open up a business that people in your community want, you have to go and ask the Government if the people in your community want it as much as you know they want it because you’re risking your money to do it. And yet somehow the people at the Government are supposed to have a better idea than you do.
Members on the other side, we’re going to have a bit of a history lesson later in this speech, so don’t worry, that’s coming. But actually there’s a country called Russia where they tried this approach to economic management for about 70 years; it didn’t work. Even they’ve abandoned it. It’s only the Labour Party and the Greens that persist with trying to centrally plan economies with these kinds of decisions.
So now you don’t have to do network management. If you want to expand or open a new early childhood education (ECE) centre, then you can just do it. But the real judge is the parents. And do you know what the parents say to me? When I go and visit ECE centres and I ask the parents, they say I want my child to be happy, I want them to be safe—
Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan: Will they be?
Hon DAVID SEYMOUR: I want them to be growing. I think parents of New Zealand are better—the Opposition is asking: is that what the parents say? Yes. And if the member would like to visit some of these centres or, you know, venture out of academia or out of this House, he might find that is what the parents say. And actually, I think the parents are better to judge it than the Government.
The second thing we’re doing is we’re updating the attendance records. It’s interesting, Madam Speaker. The attendance records actually are set under 1951 regulation, which was made under 1914 legislation. So you could almost argue—not quite, but almost—that our attendance regulations predate World War I, and this is a Government of the future. So we are going to update the way that attendance regulations are made. Every day from next year, every school student management system will be pushing rich data about student attendance into the Ministry of Education’s data warehouse so we can understand who’s not attending and we can start to dig into why, and we can start to work out if the things the Government and schools are doing to improve attendance—and parents, for that matter—are working so that we can do more of the things that work and less of the things that don’t. It sounds simple. To most New Zealanders, to most people in business or running a farm or their household, it is simple; it’s how you do business every day. And it’s actually how this Government is going to start getting stuck into the business of getting children back to school.
But coming to charter schools, we’re introducing the simple idea that not every insight into how to engage children in learning and pass that knowledge from one generation to the next can be found in the Ministry of Education or Wellington, or even amongst the wise members of Parliament in this House. Sometimes the best knowledge exists out in the community.
Mariameno Kapa-Kingi: Most times.
Hon DAVID SEYMOUR: Sometimes those—”most times”, the Māori party say, and I actually for once think Te Pāti Māori are right. You’ll notice when I talked about communist adherence, I talked about Labour and the Greens, not the free-market Te Pāti Māori for whom I have great hope. If they could just get over themselves, I think they could contribute a lot to this House and life in New Zealand.
It’s not surprising, because the iwi leaders forum have written to me in strong support of charter schools, because they know that communities know more about how to engage their children than the people in Wellington most of the time. So we’re going to invite people in communities to start up schools and they’re going to get the money the State would have spent on the same child at a State school. It’s going to go to the school they choose to go to if—and this is important—high standards are met. If high standards of attendance are contracted in, if high standards of achievement are contracted in, if they show that they’re using their money wisely with financial probity, then they will continue to get their money and they will be able to use that money for the best effect, to get those children at school engaged, achieving, and learning, so that they can actually learn skills that turn into qualifications, that turn into jobs, that turn into careers, that turn into a sense of achievement and feeling good about yourself. That’s why we’re doing it.
I heard last night from the Labour Party that they would like to shut these schools down. Now, their bark’s worse than their bite. They didn’t do it last time. All the schools carried on, but with one change; that they don’t want them to operate without union contracts. You see, that’s the thing about these charter schools; teachers get paid, like most New Zealanders, on individual employment agreements, and if they’re good they can get paid more, and if they’re not good they can get fired.
Here’s why that matters. We run education for the children. You see, the thing is—I was looking at some statistics the other day—we spent $20 billion a year on education; 60,000 kids are born in this country every year. If you do the maths—it can be challenging on the other side, but that is $330,000 per citizen, lifetime education spending. And yet what do we get for that? I look at the UE, the university entrance achievement, and for the most prosperous, wealthy and advantaged students, 82 percent get UE, but for the most disadvantaged students 30 percent get UE.
Now, I said there was a lecture coming. There’s an old book called The God That Failed, and the God that fails is the stories of former adherents of the Communist Party who realised it didn’t work and left. They wrote this book and it’s a wonderful set of essays. Now, I would put it to the Labour Party that when you spend $330,000 per citizen and the most disadvantaged students are nearly three times less likely to get university entrance than the most advantaged students, your God has failed. Sorry Labour, your God has failed, because you spent all the money but the wealthy kids from the good backgrounds are still doing pretty good and the poor kids you were supposed to help are still failing.
That’s why I’m proud to be here in this Government, standing as an ACT MP, setting up schools that allow people to choose their own destiny. Tino rangatiratanga, we might call it—the ability of people to use the knowledge in their society, in their community, to take the funding that the Government would have funded and use it—you’d have provided for those children—for better effect: to make sure that children have that opportunity to feel good about themselves, to learn, to engage, to have it done their way, not to feel unsafe or bullied, but to actually go along and build their own future, not only for themselves, each in their own way, but for the future of this great country of ours. That is what this policy of charter schools really means for the future of our country.
I challenge the Opposition. Where are your ideas other than more money for our union mates? Not for teachers but for the unions, because that’s what it comes down to at the end of the day. Charter schools don’t have to use the unions’ contracts. That is what we are here to end, to give freedom and choice to New Zealanders to make their own future. I’m sorry, Labour, your God’s failed.
DEPUTY SPEAKER: The question is that the motion be agreed to.
Source: New Zealand Police (District News)
Police are investigating after an incident in Taupō last night involving a vehicle and a person.
Emergency services were called about 11pm to Rawhiti Street, Taupō, after a report of a person being injured.
They sadly died at the scene.
Police are now working to establish the full circumstances of what has occurred, and our enquiries are ongoing.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
Source: New Zealand Parliament – Hansard
TUESDAY, 24 SEPTEMBER 2024
(continued on Wednesday, 25 September 2024)
EDUCATION AND TRAINING AMENDMENT BILL
Third Reading
DEPUTY SPEAKER: The House is resumed. Good morning, members. Yesterday when we finished, the Education and Training Amendment Bill had been set down for third reading. I call the Hon David Seymour.
Hon DAVID SEYMOUR (Associate Minister of Education): I present a legislative statement on the Education and Training Amendment Bill.
DEPUTY SPEAKER: That legislative statement is published under the authority of the House and can be found on the Parliamentary website.
Hon DAVID SEYMOUR: I move, That the Education and Training Amendment Bill be now read a third time.
I want to thank all of the people who have contributed to this legislation. I want to thank my colleague, the Hon Erica Stanford, Minister of Education—and I see Katie Nimon, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, along with other members of that committee, who shepherded the bill through the committee stage faster than usual but with no less care and attention, and made valuable improvements to this legislation. It has been a very good example of what Parliament can do when people are committed to a cause.
I don’t believe that there’s any greater cause for this country’s long-term future than the simple equation of how much knowledge is transferred from one generation to the next. Because a knowledgeable and educated population can overcome whatever challenges we may face with the economy or foreign affairs or climate change or public health. An educated population will be able to solve those problems, but an uneducated population that hasn’t learnt the best knowledge from generations before them will be able to squander even great prosperity that this country currently has. That’s why it matters so much and that’s why I think we saw so much commitment from those people involved in this legislation, and perhaps more than any for the enormous detail that has been meticulously put together. I thank the employees at the Ministry of Education, the policy team, particularly Andy and Jen and all those who support them; they have done an absolutely outstanding job.
What is the cause in this bill? Well, this bill has three parts; two of them, relatively simple, and one of them, more complex and, I would argue, ultimately more important. The first is that we are removing the network management requirement for early childhood education centres. This comes from many complaints from early childhood educators that it is absolutely insane that in order to open up a business that people in your community want, you have to go and ask the Government if the people in your community want it as much as you know they want it because you’re risking your money to do it. And yet somehow the people at the Government are supposed to have a better idea than you do.
Members on the other side, we’re going to have a bit of a history lesson later in this speech, so don’t worry, that’s coming. But actually there’s a country called Russia where they tried this approach to economic management for about 70 years; it didn’t work. Even they’ve abandoned it. It’s only the Labour Party and the Greens that persist with trying to centrally plan economies with these kinds of decisions.
So now you don’t have to do network management. If you want to expand or open a new early childhood education (ECE) centre, then you can just do it. But the real judge is the parents. And do you know what the parents say to me? When I go and visit ECE centres and I ask the parents, they say I want my child to be happy, I want them to be safe—
Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan: Will they be?
Hon DAVID SEYMOUR: I want them to be growing. I think parents of New Zealand are better—the Opposition is asking: is that what the parents say? Yes. And if the member would like to visit some of these centres or, you know, venture out of academia or out of this House, he might find that is what the parents say. And actually, I think the parents are better to judge it than the Government.
The second thing we’re doing is we’re updating the attendance records. It’s interesting, Madam Speaker. The attendance records actually are set under 1951 regulation, which was made under 1914 legislation. So you could almost argue—not quite, but almost—that our attendance regulations predate World War I, and this is a Government of the future. So we are going to update the way that attendance regulations are made. Every day from next year, every school student management system will be pushing rich data about student attendance into the Ministry of Education’s data warehouse so we can understand who’s not attending and we can start to dig into why, and we can start to work out if the things the Government and schools are doing to improve attendance—and parents, for that matter—are working so that we can do more of the things that work and less of the things that don’t. It sounds simple. To most New Zealanders, to most people in business or running a farm or their household, it is simple; it’s how you do business every day. And it’s actually how this Government is going to start getting stuck into the business of getting children back to school.
But coming to charter schools, we’re introducing the simple idea that not every insight into how to engage children in learning and pass that knowledge from one generation to the next can be found in the Ministry of Education or Wellington, or even amongst the wise members of Parliament in this House. Sometimes the best knowledge exists out in the community.
Mariameno Kapa-Kingi: Most times.
Hon DAVID SEYMOUR: Sometimes those—”most times”, the Māori party say, and I actually for once think Te Pāti Māori are right. You’ll notice when I talked about communist adherence, I talked about Labour and the Greens, not the free-market Te Pāti Māori for whom I have great hope. If they could just get over themselves, I think they could contribute a lot to this House and life in New Zealand.
It’s not surprising, because the iwi leaders forum have written to me in strong support of charter schools, because they know that communities know more about how to engage their children than the people in Wellington most of the time. So we’re going to invite people in communities to start up schools and they’re going to get the money the State would have spent on the same child at a State school. It’s going to go to the school they choose to go to if—and this is important—high standards are met. If high standards of attendance are contracted in, if high standards of achievement are contracted in, if they show that they’re using their money wisely with financial probity, then they will continue to get their money and they will be able to use that money for the best effect, to get those children at school engaged, achieving, and learning, so that they can actually learn skills that turn into qualifications, that turn into jobs, that turn into careers, that turn into a sense of achievement and feeling good about yourself. That’s why we’re doing it.
I heard last night from the Labour Party that they would like to shut these schools down. Now, their bark’s worse than their bite. They didn’t do it last time. All the schools carried on, but with one change; that they don’t want them to operate without union contracts. You see, that’s the thing about these charter schools; teachers get paid, like most New Zealanders, on individual employment agreements, and if they’re good they can get paid more, and if they’re not good they can get fired.
Here’s why that matters. We run education for the children. You see, the thing is—I was looking at some statistics the other day—we spent $20 billion a year on education; 60,000 kids are born in this country every year. If you do the maths—it can be challenging on the other side, but that is $330,000 per citizen, lifetime education spending. And yet what do we get for that? I look at the UE, the university entrance achievement, and for the most prosperous, wealthy and advantaged students, 82 percent get UE, but for the most disadvantaged students 30 percent get UE.
Now, I said there was a lecture coming. There’s an old book called The God That Failed, and the God that fails is the stories of former adherents of the Communist Party who realised it didn’t work and left. They wrote this book and it’s a wonderful set of essays. Now, I would put it to the Labour Party that when you spend $330,000 per citizen and the most disadvantaged students are nearly three times less likely to get university entrance than the most advantaged students, your God has failed. Sorry Labour, your God has failed, because you spent all the money but the wealthy kids from the good backgrounds are still doing pretty good and the poor kids you were supposed to help are still failing.
That’s why I’m proud to be here in this Government, standing as an ACT MP, setting up schools that allow people to choose their own destiny. Tino rangatiratanga, we might call it—the ability of people to use the knowledge in their society, in their community, to take the funding that the Government would have funded and use it—you’d have provided for those children—for better effect: to make sure that children have that opportunity to feel good about themselves, to learn, to engage, to have it done their way, not to feel unsafe or bullied, but to actually go along and build their own future, not only for themselves, each in their own way, but for the future of this great country of ours. That is what this policy of charter schools really means for the future of our country.
I challenge the Opposition. Where are your ideas other than more money for our union mates? Not for teachers but for the unions, because that’s what it comes down to at the end of the day. Charter schools don’t have to use the unions’ contracts. That is what we are here to end, to give freedom and choice to New Zealanders to make their own future. I’m sorry, Labour, your God’s failed.
DEPUTY SPEAKER: The question is that the motion be agreed to.
Source: New Zealand Government
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the passing of the Education and Training Amendment Bill shows the Government is making significant progress to lift education outcomes.
“Establishing charter schools, lifting attendance, and streamlining early learning regulations are all essential to raising achievement. This legislation will set in motion the system changes that need to happen to make the education system more flexible and responsive to the needs of students and their families,” says Mr Seymour.
The passing of this bill amends the Education and Training Act 2020 and will:
“Now that the legal framework for charter schools is in place the next step is to announce the members of the Authorisation Board. I will announce this shortly. The Board will be responsible for approving new charter schools, overseeing their performance, and intervening where they are not meeting their contracted performance outcomes.” says Mr Seymour.
“Once the Board approves sponsors, the Charter School Agency will proceed with finalising their contracts. The Agency is also working hard to enable the first charter schools to open in term one, 2025.
“We’re also promoting more choice in the ECE sector, making it easier for more services to open up and respond to demand. Bureaucracy has dictated when and where early childhood centres can open by making licensing dependent on ECE network approval since 1 February 2023.
“Providers and parents are best placed to decide where early learning services should be established. Where there is demand, providers will follow. New services shouldn’t be hindered by bureaucracy.
“This bill also gives the legislative green light for new rules to be created about attendance records. The introduction of this rule-making power supports the requirement for schools to provide attendance data daily that is being introduced through new attendance regulations planned to come into force for Term 1 2025.
“Changes are being made so that schools will be ready to submit daily attendance data in term one 2025. Select kaupapa Māori education providers will begin their daily reporting in mid-2025.
“Daily attendance data will help us gauge whether our attendance initiatives are working as intended and keep track of trends. It can also help parents and schools to identify early signs of irregular attendance among students and respond appropriately before it becomes an issue.
“The future of New Zealand will be bleak if we are unable to transfer knowledge from one generation to the next. Education is intrinsically linked to economic growth – both personal and gross domestic product. These changes are to give every New Zealand child every opportunity to succeed.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Al Green (TX-9)
(Houston, TX) — On Monday, September 23, 2024, Congressman Al Green will host a press conference to denounce the recent inexcusable, mean-spirited prevarications made by Former President Donald Trump regarding the Haitian community in Springfield, Ohio. Congressman Green and other leaders will also demand respect for all Haitians, discuss the importance of defending the Haitian community, and the impact of his dehumanizing remarks. The press conference will feature Bishop James Dixon, President of the Houston NAACP, along with representatives from Houston Haitians United (HHU), Houston Caribbean Professionals Association (HCPA), and the Texas Caribbean Chamber of Commerce.
“Houston Haitians United strongly stands in solidarity against the baseless and harmful allegations being promoted by certain campaigners in the current election cycle. These false claims unjustly target the Haitian people, and we denounce these tactics aimed at misleading the public and undermining our community’s integrity. We urge all candidates to refrain from divisive rhetoric and focus on promoting unity and truth in their campaigns,” stated James Pierre, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Houston Haitians United.
“With no truthful basis and no substantive evidence, Haitians have been described as those who eat dogs, cats and pets. This dehumanization of the Haitian community should be an alarm to every American. It’s a continuing scheme to make citizens fearful of all people of color. The Houston NAACP is fully in support of demanding respect for Haitians and all victims of dehumanizing propaganda,” stated Bishop James Dixon, President of the Houston NAACP.
Congressman Al Green stated, “People of goodwill have a moral imperative to unite against Former President Trump’s disrespect of Haitians for political gain causing pain. We must recognize the enduring resilience of Haitians in the face of centuries of economic hardship in tandem with invidious discrimination. People of goodwill cannot remain silent as harmful political rhetoric threatens the well-being of innocent people. It is our duty to defend the Haitian community, just as we defend the Muslim, Jewish, LGBTQ+, Women, African American, Asian, Latino, Native American, and other subsets of society when attacked. Disrespectful injustice against Haitians is a threat to respect and justice for all, as evidenced by the chaos created against the people of Springfield, Ohio. If we as a nation truly stand for liberty and justice for all as proclaimed in the Pledge of Allegiance, we must stand against Former President Trump’s wittingly or unwittingly dehumanizing Haitians for political gain.”
Click here to watch the Facebook Live Stream of the press conference on YouTube
Source: Australian Ministers for Infrastructure and Transport
Australia has continued to boost its presence in the Pacific with the Australian Government today announcing the expansion of the PacificAus TV initiative to two new nations.
Residents of Cook Islands and Niue will be able to access more than 2,000 hours of Australian TV content each year as part of the initiative.
PacificAus TV, which is managed by Free TV Australia, currently receives $5.68 million per year under the Indo-Pacific Broadcasting Strategy to bolster the viability of Pacific regional media and expand access to Australian television programs.
Sports programming is an important element of the PacificAus TV initiative, with Australian news, current affairs, children’s programs, drama, lifestyle and entertainment programs also available.
Cook Islands Television, Vaka TV, and the Broadcasting Corporation of Niue have joined the initiative, with each able to individually broadcast a wide range of Australian television content according to their programming strategies, interests and audience preferences.
They join 14 free-to-air broadcasters across Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu already accessing Australian content through the initiative.
The Indo-Pacific Broadcasting Strategy seeks to increase access to trusted and reliable news, deliver quality content and foster engagement across the region, including through measures like this.
The Strategy provides a framework to help foster a vibrant and independent media sector, counter misinformation, present modern multicultural Australia, and support deeper people-to-people engagement.
For more information on the PacificAus TV initiative visit: www.infrastructure.gov.au/media-communications-arts/media-industry-programs/amplifying-australias-voice-pacific.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Communications, the Hon Michelle Rowland MP:
“With the expansion of the PacificAus TV initiative to the Cook Islands and Niue, now even more of our regional neighbours can access quality Australian content – fostering stronger cultural ties across the Indo-Pacific region.
“The Indo-Pacific Broadcasting Strategy continues Australia’s longstanding commitment to supporting a robust media sector in the Indo-Pacific, and has identified this opportunity for expansion.”
Quotes attributable to Senator The Hon Pat Conroy MP
“Australia has a proud history of support for Pacific media and broadcasters, and we know how critical a vibrant media sector is for sharing important stories and forging connections across our region.
“Under the Indo-Pacific Broadcasting Strategy and the Australia-Pacific Media and Broadcasting Partnership, we are committed to expanding our engagement with the Pacific media sector.
“PacificAus TV’s growth is delivering on our commitment to share content that resonates with Pacific audiences and complements investments to bolster media development and viability.”
Source: Australian Executive Government Ministers
The Albanese Government is expanding the Connected Beginnings program, helping more First Nations children thrive in the crucial early years.
Minister for Early Childhood Education Dr Anne Aly today announced more than $2 million for Gippsland and East Gippsland Aboriginal Co-operative to deliver the Connected Beginnings program in Bairnsdale.
The program connects First Nations children aged zero to five with a range of early childhood education, health and family support services – helping children meet the learning and development milestones necessary to achieve a positive transition to school.
The new site will support around 100 local First Nations Children. The Bairnsdale site joins 46 other locations across the country supporting more than 23,000 First Nations children.
The community-led program is a key contributor to the early childhood Closing the Gap targets, driving an increase in preschool enrolments and improvements to developmental outcomes.
The Government partners with SNAICC National Voice for our Children and the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation to deliver the program.
The new Bairnsdale site is part of an $81.8 million Government investment to expand to 50 sites across Australia. Once all 50 sites are established, the program has the potential to support up to 20 per cent of all First Nations children aged zero to five.
Other Connected Beginnings sites in Victoria include Ballarat, Mildura, Shepparton and Whittlesea.
Once all Victorian sites are up and running the program will support around 1,700 First Nations children across the state.
Learn more about the Connected Beginnings program at: education.gov.au/early-childhood/community-child-care-fund/connected-beginnings.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Early Childhood Education Dr Anne Aly:
“All children, no matter their background or where they live, should be able to access the transformational benefits of quality early childhood education and care.
“Connected Beginnings is delivering significant positive results for First Nations children right across the country, helping to Close the Gap by improving developmental outcomes.
“The Connected Beginnings program is empowering communities to design and deliver the program in a way which supports their individual needs and aspirations.”
Quotes attributable to Assistant Minister Ged Kearney:
“Labor is committed to closing the health gap that leads to a significantly lower life expectancy for First Nations people.
“Connected Beginnings is all about centring the voices of First Nations Australian and a community-led approach.
“From child care, to pre-school, to primary school, Connected Beginnings is setting First Nations kids up for best start in life.”
Quotes attributable to Federal Labor Senator for Victoria Raff Ciccone:
“The Connected Beginnings program is making a big difference for families across Australia and its expansion in Bairnsdale is a terrific outcome.
“The first five years of a child’s life are the most important and this program will provide foundational support to First Nations children in the Gippsland community.
“Kids thrive when they have the best support available, and Federal Labor’s more than $2 million commitment will help children develop the skills needed to make a successful transition to school.”
Quotes attributable to SNAICC Chief Executive Catherine Liddle:
“Through Connected Beginnings, more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Bairnsdale will benefit from culturally integrated services, including maternal and child health, early childhood education, and family support.
“With Connected Beginnings, communities are empowered to customise and implement the program to meet their specific needs and aspirations, driving authentic progress.
“This initiative means around 100 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the region will receive access to comprehensive, culturally appropriate services, laying a solid foundation for their learning journey.”
Quotes attributable from GEGAC CEO Kenton Winsley:
“We have long known that the strength of GEGAC’s Early Years services is that the families are immediately connected to the wide range of other services that GEGAC provides. Everything from maternal and child health services to medical and dental, counselling services, and cultural education events; here on site are the full range of supports our families need to raise healthy, deadly kids.
“Connected Beginnings is going to enable us to take that holistic, connected approach to the next level, by engaging with new partners, and further involving the community, so we are all working together in the best interests of these children.
“Our community is where we draw our strength from. We know that when we involve community members and empower them to be advisors and advocates, we get better outcomes for our people.”
Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister
Progressive leadership is driven by a shared belief that we cannot falter – on rights, on equality, and on an economy that works for everyone. We must keep moving forward.
That’s the message the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, delivered as he concluded his participation in the 79th Session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly (UNGA) and the Summit of the Future, in New York City, United States of America. During UNGA, the Prime Minister reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to advancing progress, prosperity, and fairness for every generation.
Prime Minister Trudeau joined global leaders at the Summit of the Future, which concluded with the adoption of the Pact for the Future – an ambitious pact that will see countries work together to tackle shared challenges. At the Summit, the Prime Minister delivered a statement affirming Canada’s support for the Summit of the Future, its call for nations to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and its commitment to investing in our workers, our communities, and our future.
Building on the progress made at the Summit of the Future, Prime Minister Trudeau joined world leaders and prominent advocates at UNGA to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He emphasized Canada’s commitment to unlocking increased financing to achieve the SDGs globally, particularly through his role as Co-Chair of the SDG Stimulus Leaders group. He also underscored the central role of gender equality as a pathway to achieving sustainable development, and made clear that women and girls must be able to make choices about their bodies, their lives, and their own futures. Canada announced over $112 million to help protect the comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls worldwide. We will also invest $58 million in projects that empower women and promote gender equality, particularly in Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. With this funding, Canada will fulfill its $100 million commitment to address issues in unpaid and paid care work in low- and middle-income countries.
For tens of millions of people across the globe, including in Canada, climate change is not an abstraction. It is real, it is costly, and it does not stop at our borders. To successfully tackle climate change, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of global, collective climate action. He highlighted industrial decarbonization as one such approach to fight climate change, including through innovative tools such as carbon pricing. He also welcomed six new members to Canada’s Global Carbon Pricing Challenge, which calls on countries to put a price on carbon to cover 60 per cent of global emissions by 2030. The Prime Minister also announced $3.9 million to be delivered through Canada’s Global Forest Leadership Program so we can more effectively respond to wildfires and advance international leadership on sustainable forest management.
Prime Minister Trudeau, alongside the Prime Minister of Haiti, Garry Conille, convened a High-Level Meeting of the UN Economic and Social Council Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti to strengthen efforts to restore democracy, security, and stability in Haiti. The Prime Minister highlighted ongoing work to respond to the humanitarian needs of the Haitian people and Canada’s continued support of the Multinational Security Support mission in the country. He emphasized the criticality of Haitian-led solutions to the conflict. He announced over $16 million to support the transitional government’s election preparedness, increase humanitarian aid, reduce gang violence, and expand access to justice for women and youth detainees while supporting their reintegration into society. These measures will make a meaningful difference in helping Haiti address its immediate needs and create a better, more prosperous future for its people.
At UNGA, the Prime Minister also announced $3.6 million in new wide-ranging investments to strengthen global peace and security, including on land mine clearance, and protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples, particularly women affected by conflict. He emphasized the role of UN agencies in accomplishing this important work, announcing a $9 million investment to support the UN’s efforts to strengthen development, humanitarian, and peacebuilding assistance in countries across the globe.
The Prime Minister participated in a leaders’ roundtable titled In Defense of Democracy: Fighting Against Extremism, where he engaged with world leaders on challenges facing democracies, such as inequality, polarization, disinformation, and violent extremism, including online. He reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to strengthening the rules-based international order and multilateral institutions, like the UN.
Throughout his visit, Prime Minister Trudeau met with international counterparts to discuss pressing geopolitical challenges, including Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine and its global impacts, as well as the evolving situation in the Middle East. He emphasized the importance of protecting democratic institutions from emerging threats, including misinformation and election interference, and safeguarding peace and security around the world.
At UNGA, the Prime Minister held bilateral meetings with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz, and the Prime Minister of Japan, Kishida Fumio, among others.
In the face of global economic and social insecurity, Canada chooses to invest in our country. Whether it’s national $10-a-day child care, an ambitious housing plan, a national dental care program, or an industrial strategy that creates good-paying jobs while fighting climate change – these are choices that will make a positive difference in the lives of Canadians and help solve global challenges.
“Canada chooses to invest in our people, in our future, and in progress. That was my message at UNGA and at the Summit of the Future. Our government is taking action to fight climate change, break down barriers, solve the world’s most pressing challenges, and deliver fairness for every generation.”
— The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
Source: Ministry for Primary Industries
Biosecurity New Zealand is gearing up for the September school holidays, with international passenger arrivals expected to be higher than last year.
Passenger arrivals at Auckland Airport are predicted to be 2% higher than in 2023, which saw 217,195 air passengers pass through biosecurity checks, says Biosecurity New Zealand commissioner Mike Inglis.
“We’re continuing to recruit more frontline border officers and so far this year, 70 new trainees have been recruited, including 51 in Auckland.
“Nationwide, our officers screened 474,272 passengers in August, up from 459,122 in the same month last year. Officers also seized 7,536 risk items in August and issued 610 infringement notices to passengers who failed to declare items.
“Our role is to ensure biosecurity threats such as the exotic fruit fly and brown marmorated stink bug do not cross our borders,” says Mr Inglis.
“These and other pests and diseases could have a devastating impact on New Zealand’s $54 billion primary sector.”
The top 3 seizures in August were fresh produce, meat products and used equipment, while unusual finds included dried cow dung patties and a large haul of giant clams.
Mr Inglis says there has been a steady increase in passenger numbers since COVID-19 travel restrictions eased and Biosecurity New Zealand continues to improve passenger flows at international airports while maintaining strict biosecurity controls.
Last year, a new risk assessment process was introduced for passengers arriving at Auckland Airport with nothing to declare. The process uses declaration information to assess risk before passengers collect their baggage. Low-risk passengers are directed to an express exit lane, where they are screened by detector dogs.
“This initiative has reduced the average biosecurity processing time at Auckland Airport to around 5 minutes, down from a peak of 13.16 minutes in February 2023.”
Biosecurity New Zealand is looking to risk assess more passengers before they collect their baggage rather than after.
Mr Inglis says trials at international airports across the country shows this reduces screening times.
He says the quickest way to pass through biosecurity screening is to avoid bringing food or other items that could pose a biosecurity risk.
For more information, contact New Zealand Food Safety’s media team on NZFoodSafety_media@mpi.govt.nz.
For general enquiries, call MPI on 0800 00 83 33 or email info@mpi.govt.nz
For media enquiries, contact the media team on 029 894 0328
Source: Australian Treasurer
JIM CHALMERS:
Thanks for coming here to Toowoomba. I want to say a few things about the interest rate decision today but I’m conscious that the Reserve Bank Governor is up very shortly in Sydney so I’ll be relatively brief.
The Reserve Bank board today agreed to leave interest rates on hold. There are no surprises in this decision and no surprises in the statement released by the board. This was the expected outcome.
When the board next meets it will be a year since interest rates went up.
Interest rates haven’t gone up for the best part of a year, and this reflects the progress that we’ve made when it comes to getting inflation down. When we came to office inflation was 6.1 per cent. It’s now half of its peak a couple of years ago. Our policies are helping in the fight against inflation.
When we came to office inflation was high and rising and interest rates were rising. Inflation has been coming down quite substantially over the course of the last couple of years and we haven’t had an interest rate rise for the best part of a year now.
The Governor and the Reserve Bank board have noted today the very substantial progress that Australia has made when it comes to getting on top of this inflation challenge. When it comes to the Reserve Bank and the government, we have the same objective of getting on top of inflation without ignoring the risks to growth in our economy.
We’ve seen growth in our economy has been quite weak. We’ve seen consumption has been weak. Discretionary spending has been going backwards. All of this indicates that rate rises already in the system are combining with international uncertainty and persistent inflation to slow our economy quite substantially, and we saw that in the most recent National Accounts. The government remains primarily focused on the fight against inflation, but is not ignoring those risks to growth at the same time.
We have the same objective as the Reserve Bank when it comes to the fight against inflation. We’ve made welcome and encouraging progress, and we’ll learn more about that tomorrow when the monthly inflation data is released. Whether that monthly inflation data is in the low 3s or the high 2s, it will show that inflation has halved since we came to office. That’s a good thing. We are making welcome and encouraging progress in the fight against inflation, and the fact that rates haven’t gone up for the best part of a year now is an indicator of that.
Happy to take a couple of questions.
JOURNALIST:
Treasurer, the RBA’s statement today talks about temporary migration propping up consumer spending, in particular, students. Are you worried that the government’s cap on students might stymie growth further?
CHALMERS:
Our changes to foreign students are all about recognising the huge contribution that education makes to our economy but making sure that we are managing that growth. What we’ve seen in the most recent net overseas migration numbers is that net overseas migration has come off since it peaked in 2023. It has been coming down since then. Some of the pressure that’s still there when it comes to net overseas migration is not about extra arrivals, it’s about fewer departures.
We’ve got a sensible, methodical, considered way to manage net overseas migration down. It has started coming down. Our changes kicked in from the middle of this year and the data doesn’t yet capture that.
When it comes to spending in the economy, the last National Accounts showed that consumption is very weak in our economy and discretionary spending has gone backwards quite substantially. That is an indication that the combination of global uncertainty, persistent inflation and higher interest rates are slowing our economy quite considerably.
The fact that interest rates haven’t gone up for the best part of a year is an indication that we have been making welcome and encouraging progress in the fight against inflation. It’s still higher than we’d like, but it is definitely trending downwards, and we’ll learn more about that tomorrow.
JOURNALIST:
You’ve said they’re smashing the economy. So are you disappointed that they’re not coming down?
CHALMERS:
I don’t pre‑empt and I don’t second guess decisions taken by the independent Reserve Bank. I’ve made that very clear repeatedly.
I’ve made a factual statement that the interest rate rises which are already in the system, combined with some of these other factors, are slowing our economy quite dramatically. We saw that in the most recent National Accounts. But these decisions are taken independently by the Reserve Bank.
My efforts have been about trying to make the Bank more independent, not less independent. I respect and cherish its independence. They’ve taken this decision today, and the Governor will have an opportunity, a welcome opportunity, to talk about that very shortly this afternoon.
JOURNALIST:
Not everyone agrees that the Bank should be as independent as it is. Do you have a response?
CHALMERS:
On the Reserve Bank reforms, the Coalition and the Greens are indistinguishable when it comes to economic irresponsibility. We’ve seen that once again when it comes to their whacky behaviour in the Senate. The Coalition and the Greens are as one when it comes to doing the wrong thing about the independent Reserve Bank.
Both the Coalition and the Greens, the way that they’ve teamed up in the Senate means that our efforts for the time being to reform the Reserve Bank, there is a barrier to that. We’ve been upfront about that. It’s been clear from the beginning that there is a risk that the parties to the left and to the right of us will play politics with the Reserve Bank. We don’t intend to do that. They have both dramatically changed their position to avoid doing the right thing when it comes to these Reserve Bank reforms.
Whether it’s the Coalition or the Greens, they both made their views known. Where we could accommodate those views we did. They both dramatically changed their position to avoid doing the right thing when it comes to these Reserve Bank reforms.
JOURNALIST:
Treasurer, how close do you think you are to getting inflation down?
CHALMERS:
Inflation’s been coming down really quite considerably since its peak a couple of years ago. We shouldn’t forget that when we came to office inflation was 6.1 per cent and rising. It now in quarterly terms has a 3 in front of it and we’ll learn the new monthly figure tomorrow when we get the monthly data. The expectation there, whether it’s the high 2s or the low 3s, shows that inflation has halved since we came to office. That’s good progress, but we know that there’s still pressure on inflation and we know that people are still doing it tough.
This is why our cost‑of‑living relief is so important. Our policies are helping, not hurting the fight against inflation. We’ve turned 2 big Liberal deficits into 2 big Labor surpluses. The Reserve Bank Governor has said that our surpluses are helping in the fight against inflation, and we’ve designed our cost‑of‑living relief to help take some of the edge off these price pressures in our economy rather than make them worse.
There’s nothing artificial about helping people with their electricity bills or making early childhood education cheaper or medicines cheaper or a tax cut for every taxpayer or energy bill relief for every household, getting wages moving again.
We’re doing all of this in the most responsible way we can. Our primary focus is on the fight against inflation, but we can’t ignore those risks to growth.
I’ll take one more question, then we’re good.
JOURNALIST:
I just have a question about Woolies and Coles. Should they both sack their CEOs over this pricing saga?
CHALMERS:
I need to be careful not to pre‑empt the legal and other processes that have been put in train by the ACCC. But I will say this: Woolies and Coles shouldn’t be taking their customers for mugs.
This is precisely why we’ve empowered the ACCC, why we want to make the grocery code mandatory, compulsory, not voluntary. It’s why we’re making sure that farmers and families get a fair go from the supermarkets.
We don’t want to see ordinary Australians, families and pensioners, being taken for a ride by the big supermarkets. This is precisely why we’ve empowered the ACCC and why we’re taking other steps as well to make sure that farmers and families get a fair go when it comes to the supermarkets in this country.
Thanks very much.