Posts by Hilary Stace
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
Thank you for writing this June. I just hope that writing such as yours, and the bravery of all the other women who have told their stories, such as Louise Nicholas, helps people understand the injustice of it all a bit more. Judge-only trials might be an improvement. But a deeper societal shift needs to happen to eradicate the power and control issues behind this crime,
-
The irony about that media stake out yesterday was that there was tweeting going on between some of the MPs inside and the journalists outside.
If people were more collaborative and less competitive and combative, the journalists could have worked together to share the watch (after all no one is more than a text away). A friendly MP could have tweeted when their meeting was almost finished and the journalists could then gather in time for them to come out of the room. Cooperation builds better relationships so there would have been some polite Q&A and not that shouting, gotcha stuff.
-
Thank you for writing about this.
-
Found two disabled people who voted Nat. One is a beneficiary who just loves Paula Bennett. The other is retail worker, non unionised, who does long shifts standing, never gets two consecutive days off, and is still on the minimum wage after 10 years. Voted for Key and Nat electorate candidate because he liked Key ('he has done a good job'). Knew very little about any policy. Was a bit shocked when I told him about the Nats first up legislation to lose legislated tea breaks.
-
Giovanni's school Knack (its regular community craft fair) looked like it was doing good trade today as the polling booth is in classroom block nearby. But heavy rain and cold wind have made it a very unpleasant day for a stroll to the polling booth. The dedicated party doorknockers (well I only saw ones with red rosettes) were getting drenched.
A little confusion out there as most advance polling places are different to today's actual polling places.
-
The cost of such equipment is the main issue, also the availability of it and people who know how to fix it when it breaks down. Currently all beyond the Ministry of Ed.
-
As communications technology improves mainstreaming will be easier and more obvious for some students currently in units or special classes. We used to assume that non verbal students also had impaired ability - but no longer. At a recent conference a standout presentation was from a non verbal teenager with severe cerebral palsy which had him strapped into his high tech chair. Through eye recognition technology he had developed a multi media presentation which was way beyond the skills of many of the older adults in the audience. A generation ago he would have been deemed uneducable.
-
We voted on Wednesday at our local public library branch. It felt good to vote there because we have fought to save it from city council closure for about the last 20 years. There were no queues although the two staff said it is had been steady. I asked about the requirement to verbally confirm your name to the electoral officer - even with the easyvote card - and whether this was a problem for any non verbal or disabled people and the man assured me there is always a way to communicate.
We are newly in Ohariu which has one of the highest proportion of enrolled voters and is marginal as the Nat candidate is not really campaigning at all and the Green candidate only wants the party vote. Will be one to watch.
I have been impressed with People First's campaign actively educating and encouraging their members with learning disability to vote and it is disappointing that there are families who deny their family member's capacity to participate in democracy. The right to vote is enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and it is up to us to work out how to implement that for everyone. The Electoral Commission has generally done a good job on disability access, including phone voting for those who can't get to a polling booth. It is all on their website if anyone wants to know more.
-
ECO has gathered party political promises on environment and related areas http://www.eco.org.nz/what-we-do/vote-for-the-environment/environment-election-meetings.html
-
Access: Disability: Election Promises…, in reply to WaterDragon,
Good summary WaterDragon. I didn't want to be too mean about the National man but you would have expected someone a little more senior or knowledgeable - even a Minister - considering the impact of their polices on this population. He infuriated a parent who tried to ask him a question about early intervention as he rushed off rather than engaging.