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Pg 12 Pg 14
Vandal i sm or
Hool i gani sm?
Vandal i sm on
Campai gn
Hoar di ngs
Post-grad
student
enrol ment
saves
the day Pg 18
Vol 2 Issue 51
website: www. asia2nz.co.nz email: asia2nz@xtra.co.nz
Celebrating our 23rd year!
Asians
will make up 33%
of Aucklands
population
by 2021
FREE COPY Facebook: Asi an Mi grant News mobi l e: 027 495 8477 Reachi ng t he broader Asi an communi t y
Auckland - The count-
down has begun for
Election Day on 20th
September 2014. Who will
win is anybody's guess at
this stage as the ruling party
and the opposition struggle
to get to the finish line.
This election may spring
a few surprises on every-
one. For one thing, the
Asian vote could well be a
game changer. Based on
empirical evidence Asians,
in particular the new
migrants and the older gen-
eration, have tended to vote
en masse for either Labour
or National. But their loy-
alty to these parties, as we
have seen in the last two
elections, is fickle. Their
support can swing either
way, say Asian commenta-
tors, based on the perform-
ance of each party and the
migrant friendly policies
they roll out.
There is a perception
that Labour is more
amenable to building a
multicultural society (and
therefore tailors its socio-
economic policies accord-
ingly), whereas National is
more business/entrepreneur
friendly (irrespective of
one's race/ethnicity), says
Auckland lawyer Shawn
Tan, who was an Act can-
didate in the 2008 General
Elections.
My understanding of
how Asians vote is that
those who make
the effort to vote
tend to also take
the trouble to read
up on the various
parties' policies and
are thus less likely
to be swayed by
slogans and more
likely to be con-
vinced by good,
sound policy argu-
ments.
I don't believe
that we Asians vote for a
candidate solely on the
basis of their political affil-
iation, says Clem Del
Corro, a Filipina who runs
a holistic wellness program
in Hastings. We are more
interested in the candidate's
track record.
Bevan Chuang, a former
Auckland local board elec-
tion candidate, agrees that
Asians are no longer sup-
porting one particular party.
Politicians assume that the
Asian vote is going to
National because of the
groundwork done by Pansy
Wong.
However, I've been fol-
lowing the discussions on
Skykiwi, NZ's largest
Chinese website and the
views are mixed. Many are
tired of Winston Peter's
comments, but at the same
time a few Chinese people
will vote for NZ First.
Mainland Chinese in gener-
al may not vote for the
Greens because of their
pro-Tibet stance.
Asian voters have a
wider choice these days as
most political parties have
at least one Asian candidate
on board to appease them.
In mid-August the New
Zealand Herald conducted
a street poll of 40 Asian
voters in Avondale, Albany
and Botany that showed,
strong support for the
smaller parties among
Asian voters.
Nearly one in five said
that they would vote for
either Act (12.5 per cent) or
the Conservatives (7.5 per
cent), with just three in 10
backing National. The sup-
port for National was the
same as the combined total
for Labour (17.5 per cent)
and the Greens (12.5 per
cent).
The penny has finally
dropped for our political
parties. Reality check - the
demographic of the nation
has changed irrevocably.
The tidal wave of interna-
tional migration, mainly
from Asia, to offset the out-
flow of New Zealand citi-
zens to Australia has
changed our ethnic mix.
According to Massey
University pro vice-chan-
cellor Professor Paul
Spoonley, Maori will be
outnumbered by Asians as
the second biggest ethnic
group in New Zealand by
2023.
The need to field a larger
contingent of minority can-
didates to harvest the ethnic
vote became apparent as
Election Day closed in. The
smaller parties scrambled
to find ethnic candidates so
much that the revelation of
their candidates list was
down to the wire.
When election advertis-
ing commenced in subur-
ban and ethnic newspapers
it featured the party leader
and the electorate candidate
posing with highly placed
List Candidates represent-
ing one or more of the main
ethnic groups - Chinese,
Indian, Pacific Islander and
Maori.
In any case, it is gratify-
ing to know that in this
General Election a larger
contingent of migrant bat-
tlers have thrown their hats
into the ring to actively par-
ticipate in the arduous dem-
ocratic process. And to give
them a fighting chance
most of them have beenre-
cruited as List Candi-dates.
It's a brave party boss
who would want to field a
'migrant face' to contest one
of its electorates, even if it
is a safe seat. An exception
to this rule was, of course,
National's dynamic List
MP, Pansy Wong, who went
to battle in the Howick
electorate where a third of
the population is Asian. In
this election there are quite
a few ethnic faces bravely
doing battle in suburbs
where there is a relatively
high migrant population.
Fortunately for Asians
there's a safety net under
the MMP system which
allows political parties to
steer some of their ethnic
candidates into Parliament
via their party list. But even
then another obstacle
looms, a dearth of high cal-
ibre candidates with the
profile needed for a start in
politics.
Page 10 www. asi a2nz. co. nz
Continues on Pg 11
Thi s el ect i on
may spr i ng a
f ew sur pr i ses
on ever yone.
For one t hi ng,
t he Asi an vot e
coul d wel l be a
game changer .
Fotos - Clockwise from the
left:
Election seminar organised
by the Waitakere Ethnic
Board
Labour MP Phil Twyford
with a Korean family
in West Auckland
Below: Chao-Fu Wu,
Labour, Kenneth Wang, Act
and Paul Young,
Conservative Party
The Auckland Asian
Associations Election
seminar in West Auckland
The scramble for
Asian votes
By MEL FERNANDEZ
Asoka Basnayake, who
is a member of the
Auckland Councils
Ethnic Advisory Board,
feels that political parties
should be looking for more
versatile candidates.
Aspiring politicians
need to be able to work
with different ethnic
groups and not just be able
to represent their own eth-
nic group and parties
shouldn't select people
with a view of generating
votes from the larger eth-
nic communities as they
have been doing in the
past.
At the last election five
List MPs made it into
Parliament Raymond
Huo and Dr Rajen
Prasad (Labour) and
Melissa Lee, Kanwaljit
Singh Bakshi and Jian
Yang (National).
Dr Rajen Prasad is exit-
ing politics this year and in
his place Priyanca Ra-
dhakrishan has come in
to revitalise the Labour
line-up.
Quite a few candidates
are coming from various
ethnic groups this year;
that surely is very good for
politics in NZ, says Ken
Choe, a Malaysian busi-
nessman who owns Pre-
sentations Design & Print
in Mt Eden.
The ethnic population
is increasing all the time
and we must have a voice.
My concern is that the eth-
nic candidates who get
into Parliament do get to
have a say in ethnic poli-
cies and are not merely
there to make up the num-
bers.
This time round,
because of the large num-
ber of highly ranked ethnic
list candidates, we might
see some of the old guard
returning and with them
some fresh faces like
Chris Yang, who is No 2
on the Internet Manas
Party List and Kenneth
Wang, who is No 2 on
Acts Party List, to name
just a few.
What stands out to me
is the lack of Asian candi-
dates on the Green Party
List and the complete
absence of any Asian can-
didates in a winnable List
Position, observes
Shawn Tan.
In my opinion this is
rather disappointing, espe-
cially since the Green
Party is NZ's third largest
party and quite possibly a
major player in post-
Election negotiations.
Page 11 www. asi a2nz. co. nz
The scramble for Asian votes
Continued from Pg 10
Kenneth Wang
I t wi l l be
i nt er est i ng t o
see how t he
Asi an vot e wi l l
af f ect t he
out come of
t hi s el ect i on.
Clem Del Corro Bevan Chuang Priyanca
Radhakrishnan
Mahesh Bindra
Shawn Tan Asoka Basnayake
My concern is that
the ethnic candidates
who get into
Parliament do get to
have a say in ethnic
policies and are not
merely there to make
up the numbers.
- Ken Choe
For more Election updates check out our website:
www.asia2nz.co.nz. We welcome your feedback via
email: asia2nz@xtra.co.nz
AUCKLAND - Are five
Asian MPs in Parliament
enough, you may ask?
Surely not when the 2013
Census found that almost a
quarter of the New Zealand
population are migrants. If
we follow this train of
thought then 30 out of the
120 MPs in Parliament
ought to be migrant repre-
sentatives. But this would
lead us to beg the question
of whether it's just a num-
bers game - the more
migrant MPs the merrier.
I strongly believe in the
slogan: 'Nothing about us
without us.' And this should
apply to Parliament too,
says Asoka Basnayake, a
second term member of the
Auckland Council's Eth-
nic People's Advisory
Board. I personally would
like to see more migrants
who are actively contribut-
ing at the national level and
representing all parties. It
would be wonderful to have
a migrant as the Ethnic
Affairs Minister one day.
Or should we forget the
number of candidates
required and take a closer
look at the quality of the
incumbents and chal-
lengers? At an election
forum recently Dr Camille
Nakhid, Chair of the
Migrant Action Trust,
urged those from migrant
and refugee backgrounds to
consider carefully the party
and candidate to whom
they give their vote.
Ken Choe, a Malaysian
businessman, feels that:
we should not vote along
racial lines. For me that's
not the right way to do it.
Each individual should
look at every party's poli-
cies and see whether that
would suit their own indi-
vidual circumstances and
the whole economy.
Speaking to the New
Zealand Herald recently,
Steven Young, president of
the NZ Chinese Associ-
ation, said that many peo-
ple see the ethnic MPs as
"largely ornamental".
"If they speak out at all it
is to parrot the party line,
but otherwise they seem to
fear making a case for their
notional constituency," Mr
Young said.
Unfortunately, the pub-
lic perception of Ethnic
MPs being ineffective may
have formed due to a lack
of action of some of the
Ethnic MPs in the past and
this needs to change, says
Mahesh Bindra from
Mumbai, India. I, as a
New Zealand First candi-
date, am not afraid to con-
front parliament head on
with any issue that might
impact migrants.
As New Zealand is a
multi ethnic society he feels
that there is a need for eth-
nic MPs in Parliament. A
democracy is about a fair
representation of all sec-
tions of the society. Ethnic
candidates, being in touch
with the on the ground real-
ities of the issues faced by
the ethnic communities, are
better equipped to represent
them.
Sri Lankan born Asoka
Basnayake feels that politi-
cal parties should be look-
ing for more dynamic can-
didates. Aspiring politi-
cians need to be able to
work with different ethnic
groups and not just be able
to represent their own eth-
nic group and parties
shouldn't select people with
a view of generating votes
from the larger ethnic com-
munities as they have been
doing in the past.
It is definitely up to the
few migrant MPs in
Parliament to show that
they are espousing the
rights and causes of
migrants, says Asoka. It
is up to them to deliver, so
that migrants don't feel that
they are bench warmers.
Singaporean born lawyer,
Shawn Tan, can empathize
with the plight of our
migrant MPs. The impres-
sion that migrant MPs are
'bench-warmers' and are not
doing enough to represent
our migrant communities is
a widespread one; although
it is to an extent not entire-
ly fair on the MPs them-
selves. As it stands, a career
in politics is not considered
a very worthwhile, lucra-
tive or meaningful one for
migrants.
On the one hand, there is
a lack of understanding
about - and interest in -
New Zealand politics and
political processes. On the
other hand, there is a cer-
tain distrust of politicians
and perhaps even a fear of
playing the 'political game'.
For these reasons - and
more - many migrants shun
or shy away from political
participation. To an extent,
therefore, there is a need for
us to congratulate those
who actually put them-
selves out there in the pub-
lic eye and political arena.
It can be an overwhelming
and daunting task.
In 2008 I stood as a can-
didate for the ACT Party
in the 2008 General
Election. I was the candi-
date for the Mt. Roskill
electorate and was ranked
number 10 on the ACT
Party List. I have experi-
enced what it is like to
engage in politics at a can-
didacy level. It involved
plenty of personal sacrifice
in terms of time, energy and
commitment. It is certainly
not for the faint-hearted or
the thin-skinned.
Page 12 www. asi a2nz. co. nz
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By MEL FERNANDEZ
C
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I s i t the more the merri er
or i s i t ti me to take a cl oser
l ook at the qual i ty of the
i ncumbents and chal l engers?
AUCKLAND - We tend
to have a love-hate relation-
ship with our Members of
Parliament. In the case of
the migrant MPs the pendu-
lum seems to have swung
towards a 'hate' relation-
ship, if the opinion polls on
our websites are to be
believed: www.asia2nz.
co.nz and www.filipino
news.co.nz
In our online survey 184
people were asked: Are our
migrant MPs doing enough
to represent migrant issues
in Parliament? Over 80% of
respondents said 'No'.
When asked, How do
you rate our incumbent
migrant MPs? an Asian
community board member
in Auckland just snorted
and threw his hands up in
the air in exasperation. No
comment then?
When the Marriage
Amendment Bill was
passed in Parliament some
migrant communities were
dismayed that none of their
MPs spoke up against the
Bill. As usual, ethnic list
MPs had nothing to say,
noted a well known migrant
service provider. Back
bench warmers. :/?x! the
whole lot of them, she
added.
In my opinion the one
migrant MP who con-
tributed while she was on
the opposition was Pansy
Wong, says Sri Lankan
born Asoka Basnayake.
But I don't think she deliv-
ered much for the migrants
or even for her own
Chinese community after
her party was ruling the
country.
The political awakening
of the Asian population
may have a lot to do with
the incumbent MPs,
observes Ken Choe, a
Malaysian businessman.
Even in previous elections
Asians have had a high pro-
file, for example Melissa
Lee and Pansy Wong. And I
think they got a lot of peo-
ple in the Asian community
interested in voting.
This year I am not too
sure what the response to
voting will be. But I would
suggest that a lot of Asians
have awoken to the fact that
they need to exercise their
right to vote. As they say, if
you don't vote you have no
right to complain.
Historically there have
been a smaller number of
Asians participating in the
election, says Zahra Atai,
an Asian university student.
I believe that if you were
to engage the community
and get everybody to vote
then you would probably
have a significant differ-
ence in who gets voted in.
Lack of knowledge of
the political system could
be part of it, speculates
Zahra, who was born in
Afghanistan. Many Asians
are not familiar with the
political system here. They
don't really understand
what the MMP system
stands for. But I also think
that as immigrants their pri-
orities are different to the
rest of the community.
What they are focusing on
is their children, their fami-
lies, their work and their
employment, but the elec-
tion sort of comes last.
Policy analyst Priyanka
Radhakrishnan would like
to see greater diversity in
Parliament. This high-
ranking Labour List candi-
date says: We need a
diverse group of candi-
dates, so as to promote
diversity of thought, leader-
ship, experience and
knowledge in Parliament. I
do not believe in tokenism,
or having candidates from a
specific ethnicity simply
because we feel the need to
tick a box.
However, we need can-
didates who identify as eth-
nic minority candidates for
a number of reasons.
Firstly, I believe that our
identities shape our politics.
We all have different expe-
riences, values and skills
that are largely shaped
because of who we are.
This diversity of thought
and experience will enrich
Parliament and political
decision making in New
Zealand.
Secondly, the popula-
tion of ethnic minority peo-
ple in New Zealand is
growing rapidly and I do
believe that we deserve
proper representation.
There are issues that we
face that are specific to us
as ethnic minority commu-
nities and these issues must
be taken seriously at the
highest decision making
levels.
Thirdly, it is potentially
a little easier for me as a
migrant myself to relate to
the concerns of other
migrants. I am not saying
that I know exactly what
the migrant experience is,
for there are many. I am just
saying that is potentially
easier for me to relate to
those concerns, having
gone through a similar
experience myself. So we
need ethnic candidates who
can understand and advo-
cate on behalf of various
groups within our ethnic
minority communities.
Finally, we all need role
models. It is important to
have men and women from
ethnic minority communi-
ties in Parliament so that
other aspiring politicians
from our communities
know that it is possible.
By MEL FERNANDEZ
Page 13 www. asi a2nz. co. nz
H
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M
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?
?
We need a
di ver se gr oup of
candi dat es, so as
t o pr omot e
di ver si t y of
t hought ,
l eader shi p,
exper i ence and
knowl edge i n
Par l i ament . -
Pr i yanka Radhakr i shnan,
Pol i cy anal yst
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One of the ugliest parts of
the election season is see-
ing the inevitable vandal-
ism that hounds campaign
hoardings for the different
candidates.
From John Key being
painted with a Hitler mus-
tache to Colin Craig being
drawn as Count Dracula
and the irresistible urge to
add the letter 'T' to David
Cunliffe's last name - we
have all seen these pre-
dictable, immature jokes
put on campaign signs.
I would call it vandalism,
but others prefer to call it
democracy in action - peo-
ple are unsatisfied with
how things are and this is
their outcry for 'change',
whatever that means.
This round of elections'
vandals, however, have
taken democracy a bit too
far, I would argue. We have
heard news of hoardings
being burnt down, obsceni-
ties being drawn on them
and some vandals giving us
a glimpse of people's
racism.
In another part of the
world these features are
nothing new. Adolf Hitler
and his Nazi Party capital-
ized on Germany's dislike
for its Jewish community
and won on a platform of
depicting the Jews as
money hoarding, country
wrecking sewer rats.
(Literally, the Jews were
drawn with exaggerated
long noses in the fashion of
rats.)
But this is New Zealand -
the country that prides itself
on being among the most
progressive nations on
earth. The country where
the friendliest city in the
world can be found. If there
was a country in the world
today that is closest to
being egalitarian then it
would be New Zealand.
Which is why seeing this
entirely new level of mis-
chief was appalling.
This blog is not the first
to notice such a trend hap-
pening; other writers have
noticed it too. (Read this,
this and this.) It's hard not
to; one such case even bor-
dered on arson.
Just a few days ago fire-
fighters had to put out a
blaze in front of the house
of Conservative Party
candidate Steve Taylor.
Arsonists had set alight a
campaign hoarding attach-
ed to a trailer in front of his
house and if not for an
alarmed neighbor's frantic
call to emergency services
the blaze might have caught
on to Mr. Taylor's house,
which was only a few feet
away.
Down south in Palmers-
ton North party campaign-
ers are being frustrated by
the costs the vandals of
their hoardings are inflict-
ing on their campaign
funds. In the first few
weeks they put up over 100
National Party hoardings
and all were defaced or
destroyed. Palmerston
North National Party stal-
wart and former candidate
Malcolm Plimmer remark-
ed that, the hoarding dam-
age this year was greater
than I have seen in my 47
years of political cam-
paigns.
In Dunedin North another
National Party campaign
hoarding with John Key
and candidate Michael
Woodhouse's images on
them were contorted to
show Key having devilish
horns on his head and the
words 'casual fascists' were
tagged across the board.
And in another burning
incident, in Hamilton a
National Party hoarding
depicting the images of
John Key and candidate
Tim MacIndoe was set
alight by arsonists.
As it stands, harsh penal-
ties await those who are
caught vandalizing. Sadly,
there have been no reports
of the perpetrators being
caught or receiving so
much as a fine for the trou-
bles they have caused.
It is also bizarre that not a
lot of reactions have been
drawn from across
Parliament, as those who
protested belonged to the
party victimized by these
vandals. Keeping mum on
this issue is arguably as
good as a discreet approval
of the actions of these
hooligans.
To make matters worse,
an influential supporter of
the Green Party and True
Blood actor Stephen
Moyer publicly expressed
his satisfaction at seeing a
National Party hoarding
vandalized. Moyer posted
photos of the said vandals
on a social media account
and accompanied it with
the caption: One of the
great joys of driving down
to Wellington town every
day is seeing how the
National Party posters have
been defaced.
And the Green Party,
whose campaign slogan
reads: Love New Zea-
land, has not issued a crit-
icism of the actor's careless
and insensitive remarks.
Reading comments on
websites that feature pic-
tures of these vandals I get
the impression that people
are passive towards these
actions. They view it as an
act of democracy; a sign of
people's discontent with the
current government. But
let's remember, democracy
also guarantees our right to
stand for office and contest
elections.
These campaign hoard-
ings are vital parts of a can-
didate's right to have a fair
chance at winning an elec-
tion. Defacing these hoard-
ings essentially deprives
them of their democratic
rights and in turn it is these
arsonists and hooligans -
who fancy themselves to be
the democratic freedom
fighters - who are putting a
stain on New Zealand
democracy in the process.
So enough with all these
shenanigans. If you can't
stand a particular party then
the best smear job you
could legally inflict on
them is to go out and vote
for their rival parties.
Page 14 www. asi a2nz. co. nz
By LOUIE ENCABO
Democracy or
Hooliganism?
Vandalism on Campaign Hoardings
I t i s al so bi zarre t hat not a l ot of react i ons have been drawn
f rom across Parl i ament , as t hose who prot est ed bel onged t o t he
part y vi ct i mi zed by t hese vandal s. Keepi ng mum on t hi s i ssue i s
arguabl y as good as a di screet approval of t he act i ons of t hese
hool i gans.
Asian New Zealanders
have the power to block
Winston Peters from ever
being in government.
Indeed, Asian New
Zealanders have the votes
to determine the next gov-
ernment.
ACT has put up some
billboards in Chinese. We
are the first party to do so,
but I predict that next elec-
tion many parties will fol-
low our lead. This because
Asian New Zealanders
have the ability to decide
the election. It is how MMP
works.
Voting is a simple matter
of maths. There are now
around 160,000 Asian vot-
ers on the electoral roll. As
many Asian New Zealan-
ders will vote as Maori on
the seven Maori seats.
Asians, if they use their two
MMP votes in a smart way,
can also elect seven MPs.
Of course I would not
recommend it if I did not
think Dr Jamie Whyte is
one of the best qualified
candidates to ever stand for
parliament. You have to be
very smart to get a first
class degree in philosophy
from Cambridge. Interna-
tional consultancy firms
snap up philosophy gradu-
ates because they have been
trained to think. Someone
who can really think would
be an advantage in parlia-
ment.
Even on the worst polls
Jamie Whyte is very close
to being elected. On the
best poll ACT is on 1.2%,
which means your vote
might elect him.
Parties get Party list MPs
two ways; either by getting
the 5% threshold or by win-
ning an electorate seat. As
John Key says and he is an
Epsom voter so he should
know, ACT's David Sey-
mour is going to win
Epsom. This means that all
Party Votes for Act count.
On the worst polls Jamie
Whyte only needs another
5000 votes to be elected.
This is because ACT only
needs 1.3% to elect him.
ACT's next candidate,
Kenneth Wang, needs
another 16,000 votes and he
is re-elected.
Last election it took
63,000 votes to elect
National's last list MP,
Aaron Gilmour and in ret-
rospect National would
have much rather had an
ACT MP.
Why the difference? Do
not blame me; I did not vote
for MMP. Under MMP the
seats in parliament are pro-
portionate to the Party Vote
received. This means that
the electorates a party wins
are deducted from the num-
ber of list MPs awarded to a
party. National win a lot of
electorates and so lose a lot
of list MPs.
The smartest way to
game MMP would be to
have one party that stood
just for the electorates and
another party that stood
only for the Party vote.
Voting smart matters. If
John Banks had not won
Epsom last election then
Phil Goff would be Prime
Minister. If National's Paul
Goldsmith had won the
electorate then National
would have lost one list
MP, so no net gain.
The Asian vote can decide the election
By Hon Richard Prebble
ACT Campaign Director
ACT has put up some bi l l boards i n Chi nese. We are t he f i rst part y t o do so, but I predi ct
t hat next el ect i on many part i es wi l l f ol l ow our l ead. Thi s because Asi an New Zeal anders have
t he abi l i t y t o deci de t he el ect i on. I t i s how MMP works.
Continues to Pg 17
The brilliant comedian
Bill Maher described the
internet this way, all it
exists to do is point at the
latest person that said the
wrong thing so the rest of
us can feel morally superi-
or.
He then hits the punch-
line, saying that this is not:
what the internet is for;
that's what college is for!
A piece of comedic
genius, but at the same time
tragically true. Over the
years as internet use
becomes more widespread
there is this hope that we
are on the brink of a new
era of innovation - a second
Enlightenment if you may;
a time for revolutionary
ideas to emerge. A time
when the level of debate is
raised higher.
To some extent this has
come true. Technological
and medical breakthroughs
have been made thanks to a
faster way of sharing infor-
mation and a more compre-
hensive way of doing
research.
From another perspec-
tive, however, the internet
has also held back intellec-
tual discourse. Along with
all the convenience it offers
the internet is also a dimen-
sion where your every
thought is scrutinized to a
point that any insinuation
you make can somehow be
turned into an offensive
statement to any group of
people - and then you are
forced to retract that state-
ment and made to apolo-
gize.
It's kind of like the
Miranda rights: anything
you say or do can be used
against you.
You need to carefully edit
your thoughts and cherry-
pick the words you use to
express them; never mind
the content of your argu-
ment or the logic of it -
worry about the political,
historical, cultural, reli-
gious and sexual implica-
tions your words might
make. They need to pass a
certain standard of accept-
ability.
This culture of political
correctness has taken note-
worthy casualties recently.
The CEO of Mozilla was
forced to resign for making
statements against marriage
equality, the pundit Paul
Henry lost his job for
cracking a joke at an Indian
diplomat and the intellect
Ayaan Hirsi-Ali's college
graduation address was
scrapped because she criti-
cized Islam.
In the latest case of polit-
ical correctness New
Zealand First's leader
Winston Peters was heavi-
ly criticized for saying two
Wongs don't make a white
- a statement many felt was
racist towards the country's
Kiwi-Chinese population.
Yet Peters did not intend
to quarrel with the country's
Chinese or general Asian
population - he simply
cracked a satirical joke
addressing the sale of New
Zealand domains to foreign
corporations, most of which
were from China. Yet crit-
ics were still not impressed,
with the country's Race
Relations Commissioner
(yes, this job title exists)
calling it outdated rheto-
ric and that it belonged in
New Zealand's past.
In following the online
outrage over Winston
Peters' remarks I stumbled
across a finely written opin-
ion article on the New
Zealand Herald website by
a young writer named
Verity Johnson. The piece
was critical of Mr. Peters'
remark and defended the
practice of being politically
correct - likening it to
standing up for the
oppressed person.
I found this argument
rather ironic; there are two
factors in this equation: the
subject of the remarks and
the one making those
remarks. The latter is the
one being forced to retract
their statements and apolo-
gize and yet it's the former
who is being oppressed?
Ms. Johnson then went
on to argue for egalitarian-
ism; how this is an inherent
Kiwi trait and hence we
need to maintain this level
of political correctness to
make sure that Kiwis of all
ethnic backgrounds are not
being put down.
I strongly believe in egal-
itarianism as well; how can
anyone not agree that every
person should be treated as
an equal? As human beings
we are all endowed with
inalienable rights; among
them is the freedom of
speech. Which is why I
stand up to this culture of
political correctness
because I cling on to this
crazy idea that everyone
should be able to exercise
this freedom and be able to
say what they want without
being shamed for it.
On the issue of being
alienated I disagree as well.
Being an Asian-New
Zealander migrant myself it
can be a challenge some-
times to fit in, but I also
realize that Kiwi humour is
a unique brand we don't see
anywhere else - to be able
to embrace that and live
with it is part of the assimi-
lation.
I've also noticed that pro-
ponents of PC often equate
being anti-PC to being pro-
slander; there is obviously a
distinction between the
two. One is the purposeful
use of hostile words against
another which targets any
part of their identity with
the aim to harass. Political
correctness is when one's
remarks are being taken out
of context and rephrased in
a manner which would then
be offensive - even in the
slightest - to a person's
identity.
The problem with politi-
cal correctness is that it
restricts thought; it stifles
discussion and prevents
daring, revolutionary ideas
from emerging. It tells us to
accept the norm and not
challenge tradition or com-
ment on issues no one else
dares to comment on.
Could you imagine what
today would be like if Rosa
Parks did not make that
politically incorrect deci-
sion to sit in the front of a
public bus when the status
quo mandated that people
of color like her should take
the back seat? What if Max
Robespierre did not stand
up to the Roman Church
and dare to question reli-
gious authority, fearing that
it might offend religious
sentiments; would we have
democracy as we know it
today?
You can't always hold
back your thoughts over
fears that they may some-
how offend someone in the
world, because the truth is
that people get so worked
up over anything these days
that even the Teletubbies
was found to be controver-
sial. Always editing your
thoughts and keeping mum
on issues that may be offen-
sive are just anti-intellectu-
al and are no different from
a gag order.
As the late actor
Charlton Heston once
said, political correctness
is merely tyranny with
manners.
In saying all this, I do
sympathize with New
Zealanders of Asian
descent who may have
taken offense at Mr. Peters'
joke - it's true that it was
insensitive, but we also
have the ability to ignore
his statements.
If we find Mr. Peters to
be racist or ignorant for
making that statement then
so be it; we have the liberty
to form our own opinions of
him as well. But this does
not
m e a n
that he
should lose his seat in
Parliament or be forced to
apologize; as ignorant as
Mr. Peters is this is a man
who has done remarkably
well at representing the
interests of many New
Zealanders in government
for several decades.
Behind those insensitive
and careless remarks is
Peters' objection to the sale
of New Zealand land to for-
eign buyers; a sentiment he
shares with 67% of New
Zealanders according to
referendum results. To shun
Mr. Peters for speaking his
mind would be to shun the
great majority of Kiwi
opinion - and that can't be
democratic.
So to answer Verity
Johnson, no I am not PC
and proud. In fact, I resent
political correctness. It is a
tool which suppresses intel-
ligent discourse from tak-
ing place and something
that should not exist in a
pure democracy.
Page 16 www. asi a2nz. co. nz
Why I Resent
Political Correctness:
A Response to Verity Johnson
The probl em wi t h pol i t i cal correct ness i s t hat i t rest ri ct s t hought ; i t st i f l es
di scussi on and prevent s dari ng, revol ut i onary i deas f rom emergi ng. I t t el l s
us t o accept t he norm and not chal l enge t radi t i on or comment on i ssues no
one el se dar es t o comment on.
New Zealand First's leader
Winston Peters
Page 17 www. asi a2nz. co. nz
Strolling along the
Pakuranga Night Market
amidst the throngs of busy
shoppers and the panoply
of stalls I met an aspiring
politician who was cam-
paigning to win a seat in
Parliament.
Hello, my friend, he
started. My name is Tofik;
how are you doing
tonight?
Tofik Mamedov is the
Labour Party's candidate
to contest the Botany elec-
torate, hoping to prise away
the vital seat currently held
by National's Jamie-Lee
Ross.
Mamedov faces a daunt-
ing task, but he has always
faced incredible odds ever
since migrating to New
Zealand from his native
Baku, Azerbaijan at the age
of sixteen.
During our brief conver-
sation that Saturday night at
the Night Markets Tofik
told me of his humble
beginnings.
I arrived in New
Zealand almost twenty
years ago, in 1995. My par-
ents separated and my mom
migrated here during the
80s; for a while I lived with
my grandmother on my
dad's side.
When I was sixteen my
dad decided to send my sis-
ter and I to New Zealand to
live with my mom to have a
better shot at life. He adds.
And so goes the story of
how a boy halfway across
the world came to the land
of the long, white cloud and
became a successful entre-
preneur and a potential
Member of Parliament.
The road to success for
Tofik was not one without
impediments though; sacri-
fices were made and a rig-
orous work ethic had to be
adopted.
When I first arrived here
(in New Zealand) I did not
know English; I only knew
the word 'yes'. Explains
Tofik.
I attended night classes
to learn English as well as
practicing it in my work-
place; basically I applied
English wherever I could to
improve my knowledge of
it and to better my life
here.
Tofik first found employ-
ment with fast food chain
McDonald's, working
sixty-hour shifts every
week minimum. Despite
the long work hours and
being paid at the minimum
wage rate Tofik still dreamt
of opening up his own
restaurant someday and
being his own boss.
That day came five years
later. Thanks to his ability
to save money Tofik was
able to set up his own caf
in the Auckland Viaduct.
After five years I
became confident and had
the courage to apply the
skills and knowledge I took
from working at Mc-
Donald's into setting up my
own business. He says.
He sold the business after
one year, however, and for
all the right reasons.
I was optimistic when
New Zealand competed in
the America's Cup here in
Auckland and there was a
huge market, but when they
lost I knew that business in
the Viaduct would not do so
well, so I decided to sell
(my caf).
Tofik is either psychic or
simply a man with good
instincts, as his prediction
came true right after he sold
his business.
With the capital he had
Tofik entered into the prop-
erty management business,
setting up yet another busi-
ness. Just when the global
financial crisis was about to
happen in 2008 Tofik made
the decision to sell his busi-
ness again.
He then entered the bank-
ing and insurance industry,
where he still plies his trade
today.
Not bad for someone who
got his starting capital sav-
ing a minimum wage salary
working at McDonald's.
Determination and
willpower, it's those two
virtues which Tofik credits
for the success he has
achieved as a migrant.
But Tofik also recognizes
that government plays a
crucial role. I believe
everyone should have the
rights and the tools so they
can build a better future for
themselves. It is the gov-
ernment's job to provide
these tools to the people.
This is his reason for join-
ing politics. I want to be
part of that. I aim to be a
politician that does his part
to provide the tools to the
people that need them the
most.
And what exactly are
these tools he plans to offer
if elected into office?
Drawing from his experi-
ence managing a few small
businesses Tofik says that:
a Rock Star Economy
always starts from the bot-
tom up, not the other way
around. The more money
people make the more they
spend.
He plans to influence the
debate in Parliament for a
living wage.
At a local level, as MP for
Botany his key platform
will be to improve transport
and to set up community
centres to assist new
migrants and help them to
assimilate better into New
Zealand society.
Transport will be my
number one priority. I will
be getting involved on a
local government level as
well as bringing the discus-
sion in at central govern-
ment level and I also want
to see the private sectors
involved too. He explains.
Botany has been neg-
lected for many years. It is
time now to do something
about it; we cannot wait till
2025. We need to start
now! Tofik boldly adds.
On the platform of com-
munity centres Tofik draws
from his experience of
being a migrant himself
who was not fluent in
English. I am happy to say
that the Labour Party will
bring the Adult Education
Programme back. This
sets up community centres
for migrants to learn about
New Zealand and to gain
proficiency in the English
language and in the end live
a good life and have a good
shot at succeeding here in
New Zealand.
The composed nature he
had while discussing his
platform as well as the
charming and down-to-
earth manner he presented
himself with got me
hooked. Tofik Mamedov is
relevant to me as another
Kiwi-Asian and a migrant
myself.
This man understands the
issues and has a clear, cohe-
sive plant to address those
issues. Sadly, my residence
does not fall under the
Botany electorate, other-
wise I would be more than
inclined to throw my sup-
port behind Tofik Mame-
dov for Botany MP.
By LOUIE ENCABO
Kiwi-Asian sets his sights
on a seat in Parliament
Tof i k Mamedov i s t he Labour Part y' s candi dat e t o cont est t he Bot any
el ect orat e, hopi ng t o pri se away t he vi t al seat current l y hel d by Nat i onal ' s
J ami e- Lee Ross.
ACT winning Epsom was
an extra seat for the
centre/right and gave
National together with ACT
an absolute majority in par-
liament.
The ACT Party wants
bigger tax cuts, less regula-
tion, more personal respon-
sibility and an end to race
base laws. These are all
policies widely supported
by the Asian community.
ACT's tough stand on crime
is also widely supported.
But ACT's best claim to
your vote is the fact that
ACT party has been able,
with National, to provide
stable centre/right govern-
ment. No other minority
party can make this claim.
Tactical voting may
determine the election. This
election the left is tactically
voting. Hone Harawira
holding his seat will bring
in three Internet/Mana
MPs, Lialla Harre,
Annette Sykes and John
Minto. For once the left are
being electorally smarter
than the right.
Asian voters have a lot at
stake in this election.
Labour never complained
when Americans purchased
farms, only when Asians
wanted to buy a farm.
Australians have been buy-
ing houses in Auckland for
years. Only when Asian
parents started buying
apartments for their chil-
dren studying at Auckland
University did Labour and
the Greens object.
The most recent polls
indicate that Mr Peters may
hold the balance of power.
Mr Peters has made his
whole career out of attack-
ing Asian New Zealanders.
If politicians believe that
the way to be elected is to
attack Asians then we will
see more of these racist
attacks.
ACT has always opposed
Winston Peters. Only the
ACT Party has said that we
will not go into government
with New Zealand First. If
ACT gets a good vote and
Asian New Zealanders can
deliver this then it will send
a message that race attacks
do not work. Just one Asian
vote in five elects both
Jamie Whyte and Kenneth
Wang and re-elects John
Key as Prime Minister.
Epsom voters selected
the last government and the
voters in Epsom can do it
again. There are around
five thousand Asian voters
in Epsom and their vote is
vital. Epsom has always
been ACT's stronghold.
Before ACT took the seat
Epsom voters gave ACT so
many Party votes that the
electorate on its own elect-
ed an ACT list MP. It is the
drop in the Epsom voters
double ticking ACT that is
one of the reasons why
ACT's Party vote has
declined.
So tell everyone you
know in Epsom to save us
again from the left and dou-
ble tick ACT. In the rest of
the country, remember, a
Party vote for ACT is worth
four Party votes for
National. You deciding to
Party tick ACT may be the
vote Jamie Whyte needs to
be elected. Jamie Whyte
and Kenneth Wang will be
the votes in parliament
John Key needs to be free
of Winston Peters and give
us three more years of sta-
ble centre/right govern-
ment.
The Asian vote can decide the election
Continued from Pg 15
Tofik Mamedov
Asi an vot er s have a l ot at st ake i n t hi s
el ect i on. Labour never compl ai ned when
Amer i cans pur chased f ar ms, onl y when Asi ans
want ed t o buy a f ar m. Aust r al i ans have been
buyi ng houses i n Auckl and f or year s. Onl y
when Asi an par ent s st ar t ed buyi ng apar t ment s
f or t hei r chi l dr en st udyi ng at Auckl and
Uni ver si t y di d Labour and t he Gr eens obj ect .
HAMILTON - There is an
increase in the number of
international students enroll-
ed in higher level pro-
grammes and in particular,
postgraduate level qualifica-
tions, according to the
International Education
Snapshot 2013 full year
report.
While there was a net
decline of 1,811 internation-
al students - there was a net
increase of 1.3% (approxi-
mately $9.5 million) in
tuition fee income from full
fee paying students.
This was driven by an
increase in the number of
international students enrol-
led in higher level pro-
grammes and in particular,
postgraduate level qualifica-
tions.
The postgraduate increase
has been driven by growth in
PhD and Masters level
enrolments, growing 51%
and 41% respectively when
compared to 2009.
Masters level enrolments
are expected to grow in 2014
with the recent release of
Taught Masters 2014 pro-
grammes. These pro-
grammes have had high
enrolment numbers globally,
with New Zealand providers
also experiencing strong
interest.
Education New Zealand
has made a significant
investment and this invest-
ment is reflected in the
increasing awareness of
New Zealand education - our
brand awareness is trending
up in China and India and
preference for New Zealand
as a study destination is level
with Australia. We're start-
ing to get noticed, although
we're still well behind the
UK and USA, says ENZ
Chief Executive Grant
McPherson.
Connor Brady, Director,
New Life Global & licensed
Immigration Adviser, says
that there has been a consis-
tent trend of international
students focusing on quality
higher education in New
Zealand. A New Zealand
Government scheme for
international PhD students
enables the University to
offer new international PhD
students the same annual
tuition fee as New Zealand
PhD students. An interna-
tional PhD student has
unlimited work rights and
dependent children are clas-
sified as domestic students
and can attend New
Zealand's free public pri-
mary and secondary
schools, adds Connor.
Nikita Bhalla, a postgrad-
uate International student
says, New Zealand is a top
performing country in
terms of the quality of its
educational system. New
Zealand's universities offer
numerous opportunities for
research and internships
where students can build
practical skills needed in
their future careers and aca-
demic lives.
Overall, there were 97,283
international students
enrolled at New Zealand
education providers in 2013
- 1.8 per cent less than in
2012.
Page 18 www. asi a2nz. co. nz
By AMANDEEP KAUR
Whi l st forei gn student numbers take a di p,
post-grad enrol ment boosts tui ti on fee revenue
Post-grad student
enrol ment saves the day.
MUMBAI - Education
New Zealand (ENZ) part-
nered with Stephen
Fleming in India to raise
awareness of New Zealand
as a study destination.
Taking advantage of the
former Black Caps captain's
massive profile in India,
ENZ organised several
awareness raising events
fronted by Stephen to
encourage Indian students to
come to New Zealand.
Stephen has legendary
status in India, with the
country's love of cricket and
Stephen's own connections
through the Indian Premier
League where he is coach of
the Chennai Super Kings,
said Ziena Jalil, ENZ
Regional Director for South
and South East Asia.
He is a very well known
and highly regarded person-
ality and working with him
to convey New Zealand's
education story has enabled
us to reach a volume and
quality of audience that
might not have been as read-
ily accessible otherwise. As
a passionate advocate for
quality education with a
strong belief in the New
Zealand education system
Stephen does a great job at
exciting students, teachers
and parents about what we
have to offer.
Stephen was at all three
ENZ fairs in India in late
August to interact with stu-
dents and answer questions
about studying in New
Zealand. School and tertiary
education institution visits in
Mumbai, Chennai, Banga-
lore and New Delhi attracted
more than a thousand poten-
tial students.
According to Ziena, ENZ
also secured a huge volume
of quality media coverage as
a result of Stephen's promo-
tional activities - one media
briefing drew more than 50
journalists, including several
TV channels.
An online campaign chal-
lenged students who were
already thinking about study
abroad options to take the
next step and actively con-
sider New Zealand as a
study destination.
Visitors who registered
their interest in studying in
New Zealand on the ENZ
campaign website were con-
tacted by an education agent
who provided them with
more information about the
courses, the criteria and pro-
vided support with the appli-
cation process.
By expressing interest
prospective students were
automatically in to win an
exclusive dinner date with
Stephen Fleming. The lucky
winners enjoyed a once in a
lifetime experience with the
cricketer, who is regarded in
India as one of the best cap-
tains the Black Caps have
ever had.
While this campaign in
India is over New Zealand's
co-hosting the 2015 Cricket
World Cup also offers addi-
tional opportunities in India
from an education perspec-
tive.
Photo and story courtesy
of Education New Zealand.
Stephen Fleming flies the
NZ education flag in India
By AMANDEEP KAUR
Page 19 www. asi a2nz. co. nz
St ephen has l egendary st at us i n I ndi a, wi t h t he count ry' s l ove of cri cket and St ephen' s
own connect i ons t hrough t he I ndi an Premi er League where he i s coach of t he Chennai
Super Ki ngs, sai d Zi ena J al i l , ENZ Regi onal Di rect or f or Sout h and Sout h East Asi a.
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For more information please call or txt our Area Co-ordinator
Brenda Bushell: 021 338 285, 0800 265 222
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Two hundred minutes of
New Zealand are to feature
in China's most popular real-
ity show.
Two hundred minutes of
New Zealand's landscapes,
people and activities are
likely to reach millions of
Chinese viewers after the
country played host to
China's most popular reality
TV show.
The show 'Dad, where
are we going?' has spent the
past week filming in the cen-
tral North Island. New
Zealand is the only interna-
tional destination to feature
in the hugely popular show,
now in its second season.
Tourism New Zealand
and Air New Zealand
worked together to secure
the sought after opportunity,
competing against other
international destinations for
the show and the coveted
profile it will provide. New
Zealand will play a starring
role in the last two episodes
of season two, which means
featuring in the all important
season finale.
The show follows five
celebrity fathers and their
children (aged from 3 - 7) on
an adventure to mystery des-
tinations. In New Zealand
the celebrities will experi-
ence local culture and
accomplish a series of 'mis-
sions' with and against each
other.
Tourism New Zealand
Chief Executive Kevin
Bowler says that it was a
major coup for New Zealand
to secure the broadcast and
the magnitude of the oppor-
tunity is hard to put into
words.
Season one of the show
attracted one of the biggest
nationwide audiences in
China ever. It is estimated
that around a quarter of the
population have watched it.
The first 12 episodes of
season two have already
gone to air and have
received No. 1 ratings and
impressive audience num-
bers, along with a giant
social media influence -
more than 14 billion social
media comments have
included the show's hashtag.
There is no doubt that by
featuring in the show New
Zealand will become one of
the most talked about inter-
national visitor destinations
of the year. Our work in the
market targets both the inde-
pendent and quality group
travellers and the show
aligns well with this, show-
casing the diversity of expe-
riences in a New Zealand
holiday where no two days
are the same.
The celebrity fathers
include two of the most pop-
ular and famous actors in
China Huang Lei and Lu
Yi, a famous gymnast and
Olympic champion Yang
Wei, a singer-songwriter
based in Taiwan Gary Cao
and a famous Hong Kong
actor Francis Ng. Two other
celebrity guests will be join-
ing the fathers, Huang Bo
and Tong Dawei.
A post by one of the Dads
on Weibo, China's most
used social media channel,
announcing that he and his
daughter were going to New
Zealand has generated close
to 100,000 likes and over
26,000 comments.
Air New Zealand Head of
Global Brand Development
Jodi Williams says that the
reach of coverage via both
the show and social media
channels is truly money can't
buy.
We know that the
endorsement of others is one
of the most influential fac-
tors in helping people to
make travel decisions and
when this comes from
celebrities the impact is even
stronger.
With our brand new 787-
9 Dreamliner aircraft set to
operate between Shanghai
and Auckland from later this
year visitors from China can
enjoy a state of the art
inflight experience, includ-
ing our award-winning
Economy Skycouch product.
The number of Chinese
travelling internationally is
set to grow exponentially
and we in New Zealand have
a truly world class offering,
but it's important to continue
to work together to find cre-
ative ways to ensure that
New Zealand is at the front
of their minds for these trav-
ellers.
Each episode is 100 min-
utes long, with the first
going to air on 26 September
and the season finale airing 3
October. The New Zealand
regions visited during film-
ing will be revealed when
the episodes go to air.
It is not the first time
Tourism New Zealand and
Air New Zealand have
worked together to leverage
their association with an A-
list Chinese celebrity. In
2012, Yao Chen, one of
China's most high profile
celebrities and Tourism New
Zealand's then brand ambas-
sador in China, chose to wed
in Queenstown. Her posting
of holiday and wedding pho-
tos via social media channels
resulted in around 7,000
print and online media arti-
cles across China highlight-
ing New Zealand as a wed-
ding destination. Discussion
on Weibo topped forty mil-
lion items.
China is New Zealand's
second largest visitor market
with 243,472 arrivals for the
year ended July 2014.
Top Chinese reality show spotlights NZ
WELLINGTON -
Previously those lucky
enough to get a New
Zealand passport would
have been pleased that it had
a validity 10 years. In the
wake of September 11, 2001
terrorist attacks in the United
States the Government
decided to switch to a five
year regime for passports,
primarily as a security meas-
ure.
In 2005 when the new
passports changed to include
biometric facial recognition
technology there was a much
lower risk of passport fraud.
Unfortunately for frequent
flyers, besides decreasing
the validity of the passport
the Government also dou-
bled the application fee to
$140 for a first time passport
or $134.50 for a replace-
ment. This resulted in an
effective increase of 400
percent to the cost of pass-
ports for the New Zealand
travelling public, says Kyle
Lockwood, who submitted a
Petition to Parliament to
reintroduce 10 year pass-
ports.
Earlier this month
Internal Affairs Minister
Peter Dunne announced a
review of the passport valid-
ity period, including an inde-
pendent review of passport
security and a review of
passport costs with a view to
returning to 10 year pass-
ports.
This is great news for
New Zealand taxpayers,
who currently pay more for
the right to travel than any-
one else in the world, says
Jordan Williams, Execu-
tive Director of the Tax-
payers' Union.
The announcement from
the Minister reflects com-
mon sense. Earlier in the
year the Taxpayers' Union
helped lead a campaign call-
ing for an extension to the
validity period and for a sig-
nificant reduction in the
price of New Zealand pass-
ports. It now looks like we
are close to mission accom-
plished.
In a briefing paper Jordan
McCluskey of the New
Zealand Taxpayers' Union
suggests that Kiwis pay
more than other countries for
a passport and for a shorter
period.
"Even if we had ten year
passports, at current prices
New Zealanders would still
be paying more than citizens
in most countries with whom
we traditionally compare
ourselves," he says.
The per year cost of a
New Zealand passport is
more than any other country
examined. The Government
is sitting on a whopping sur-
plus of $20.8 million
because of excessive pass-
port charges.
The research suggests
that the current regime isn't
about security; it's about
raising money for the
Government, says Jordan
Williams.
Minister Dunne respond-
ed: I have also asked the
Department of Internal
Affairs to review passport
costs. Our world-class and
highly secure passport sys-
tem is funded purely on a
cost recovery basis, meaning
that only those who need
passports pay for the service.
Moving to a 10 year
passport could lead to higher
upfront passport fees as rev-
enue would decline from
processing passports on a
less frequent basis.
In fact, the New Zealand
passport can only be used for
four years and six months
outside of Australia and the
Pacific Islands, notes Rt
Hon Winston Peters,
leader of the NZ First
Party.
New Zealand First fully
supports 10 year passports.
There is no good reason to
delay the return to 10 year
passports.
We agree that adult pass-
ports could offer additional
pages for added cost and that
child pass-
ports should remain at
five years, with the subsidy
until they reach the age of 16
years.
Labour Leader David
Cunliffe agrees as well.
"Labour has listened to frus-
trated Kiwis who are forced
to renew their passports
every five years and will
introduce a 10 year system.
The US, Australia,
Canada and the European
Union now issue their citi-
zens with 10 year passports.
There is no reason for
New Zealanders, who are
amongst the world's most
frequent travellers, to be dif-
ferent.
Labour will continue to
limit passport life to five
years for people under 15,
because their features
change
a lot in
younger
years.
Th e r e
will be no
initial extra
cost to the
taxpayer or on
appl i cat i ons
resulting from
this change because fees are
ring-fenced and are not used
for general government rev-
enue purposes. However,
passport fees would need to
be reviewed in 2019.
This change will make
overseas travel cheaper and
easier for everyday hard
working Kiwis, David
Cunliffe says.
The Green Party is also in
favour of reinstating ten year
passports for New Zea-lan-
ders aged over 16 years,
says Holly Donald,
Advisor, Green Party of
Aotearoa New Zealand.
Internal
Affairs
Minister
Peter
Dunne
By MEL FERNANDEZ
The current f i ve year val i di t y regi me of t he NZ Passport i s
consi dered unreal i st i c and i t cost s t oo much. So t he 10 year
passpor t may be back, but at a pr i ce?
Dad, where are we going? - season two promotional poster
Page 21 www. asi a2nz. co. nz
Pricey passport?
www.filipinonews.co.nz FI LI PI NO NEWS 2014
AUCKLAND - Having
established working tie-ups
with Central City, Onehunga
and Ponsonby libraries in
Auckland New Zealand's
first 3D-oriented Hobby
Club is now fast progressing
towards its goal of develop-
ing working relationships
with all the country's univer-
sities, colleges, schools and
other educational and tech-
nological institutions.
This Auckland based
Hobby Club has come up
with a unique idea of throw-
ing its membership open to
all innovative minds to allow
them the access to 3D tech-
nologies and equipment,
including their high defini-
tion printer, to themselves
design their innovations and
models. The club also
imparts professional training
to its members to make them
skillful for optimum utiliza-
tion of 3D technologies and
equipment.
An IT graduate and
migrant from China - Tony
Zhou, with a highly profes-
sional and innovative bent of
mind, has started this Hobby
Club to revolutionize the use
of 3D technologies in NZ.
Tony operated a barcode
printing business in China
from 2004 to 2012 and is
very well versed in 3D print-
ing as well. In 2007, many
3D companies settled down
in my hometown, Wuxi,
with government support. I
was also inspired to have my
own 3D printing business
and the idea of opening such
a business is to bring 3D
technology into people's
daily lives," says Tony.
The 3D Hobby club team
is already on a mission to
extensively hold display and
training workshops of their
Hobby Club. The Club not
only imparts training class-
es, but also encourages its
trained members to hold
incentives such as training
classes to pursue the goal of
spreading the utilization of
3D technologies throughout
the length and breadth of the
country.
Each member of the
Hobby Club is allowed
access to high-end comput-
ers with a range of relevant
software, machines like 3D
printers and engraving
machines and professional
tools as well as ample space
to comfortably work on proj-
ects both individually and
collectively.
The club has also prepared
its website http://3dhobby.
co.nz/ for the perusal of stu-
dents, professionals, digital
designers and entrepreneurs.
The Hobby Club manage-
ment has pledged to spend at
least 8% of their annual sales
income on technology
upgrades and on improving
infrastructure and facilities
for the club members.
Emme Lee, Marketing
Manager, 3D Hobby Club
says, This is definitely a
fantastic idea to allow every-
one to get access to
advanced technology."
Page 22 www. asi a2nz. co. nz
By AMANDEEP KAUR
3D Hobby Club on a
mission to revolutionize
3D technologies in NZ
BOLLYWOOD -
Amidst the box-office suc-
cess of her recent film
Highway, Bollywood star
Alia Bhatt is showing her
many fans that we can all
be angels for animals sim-
ply by opening our hearts
and homes to a cat or dog in
need.
It didn't take much to turn
the Student of the Year star
and Lions Gold 2013
Favorite Female Debut
award winner into the purr-
fect angel: Alia earned her
wings by adopting - not
buying - her feline friend.
Her gorgeous new ad was
shot by Pavitr Saith
Photography, with hair
and make-up by Susan
Emmanuel and Raju
Jadhav. Tyson, the cat
being held by Alia, was res-
cued by the group Welfare
of Stray Dogs.
All animals deserve a
safe and loving home. But,
as Alia knows, breeders and
pet shops worsen the dog
and cat overpopulation cri-
sis; every new puppy or kit-
ten means one fewer home
for animals on the streets or
in shelters. Dogs and cats
living on the streets can fall
prey to cruel people and are
at risk of starving, being hit
by cars or suffering from
untreated diseases or
injuries. By adopting her
feline friend Alia made
room for other animals to
find their angels too.
A l i a
explains that
animals on
the streets are
not safe.
She says: I
am an animal
lover myself
and my mes-
sage to my
fans would
just be that if
you love me then please
love animals even more.
Indian stars pet project
Sol vi ng t he dog and cat over popul at i on cr i si s
The 3D Hobby cl ub
t eam i s al r eady on a
mi ssi on t o
ext ensi vel y hol d
di spl ay and t r ai ni ng
wor kshops of t hei r
Hobby Cl ub.
Tony Zhou (left)
with Emme Lee
GO
BIZ
Page 24 www. asi a2nz. co. nz
AUCKLAND - Although
it is important for communi-
ties and families to nurture
their own cultural identities,
it is not acceptable to use
culture as an excuse for vio-
lence within families, says
the 'Culture No Excuse for
Abuse' booklet produced by
Auckland's Shakti Commu-
nity Council.
The book was produced
with help from the Ministry
of Social Development for
the 'It's Not OK' family vio-
lence prevention campaign.
This fantastic new
resource is aimed at encour-
aging conversations within
ethnic families and commu-
nities on how to recognise
f a m i l y
violence
in its
m a n y
different
forms and what to do about
it, says Social
Development Minister,
Paula Bennett.
With more than 87,000
family violence investiga-
tions affecting 100,000 chil-
dren a year, New Zealanders
of all ethnicities need to take
action and commit to keep-
ing their loved ones safe and
free from violence.
The Social Development
Ministry's 'It's not OK' cam-
paign is a community driven
effort to reduce family vio-
lence in New Zealand,
launched on September
2007. Its goal is to
change attitudes
and behaviour that
tolerate any kind of
family violence.
In 2010 a new
message 'It is OK
to Help' was added
in response to con-
sistent feedback that people
want to help in family vio-
lence situations, but are not
sure what to do.
Since the campaign
launched more New
Zealanders are seeking help
and more people believe that
they can help others to
change.
- Shaktis 24 hour crisis
line is: 0800SHAKTI
'Culture
No Excuse
for Abuse'
booklet
By AMANDEEP KAUR
H E N D E R S O N ,
Auckland - The Waita-
kere Ethnic Board
(WEB) spoke out on yet
another domestic violence
incident in ethnic commu-
nities. In a strongly word-
ed statement President
Kudakwashe Tuwe said
that WEB condemns,
such evil acts and behav-
iour towards our mothers,
wives, daughters and sis-
ters.
He said that on 19th
May of this year WEB
was deeply saddened by
the tragic loss of Farhat
Rana Malik and Sidra
Malik, a Pakistani mother
and daughter. The pair
died in their family home
in Ranui. Rana's ex-hus-
band is in police custody
charged with their murder.
Rana was a member of
WEB since its inception in
2000, Tuwe added.
Former WEB President
Rev. Amail Habib said
that Rana was actively
involved in a number of
volunteer organisations
and was very popular
within the communities
she was involved with.
She was a very talented
individual, who was an
ideal example of a woman
who strived to excel in
both her family life as well
as her career life. She was
a devout Muslim lady with
a positive attitude towards
life which gave her the
strength to face her per-
sonal challenges on a daily
basis, Rev. Habib said.
A family friend and
another former President
of WEB, Anne Pala, who
knew the family for over a
decade, was saddened and
said that individuals need
to speak out and seek help,
especially regarding cul-
turally sanctioned abuse
and violence in ethnic
communities.
The onus lies on us that
we as a community could
not prevent this tragedy
from taking place. This
tragedy will resonate with
us for a long time said
anti- violence campaigner
Pala.
Waitakere Ethnic Board
condemns family violence
Waitakere Ethnic Board
(WEB) President
Kudakwashe Tuwe
Social Development Minister
Paula Bennett
AUCKLAND - In the
wake of the Oscar Pistorius
trial it is vital for the public
to understand some facts
about domestic abuse, says
Shine, an organisation that's
working to make New
Zealand homes violence
free.
Domestic abuse cuts
across demographics and
cultures. It happens to and is
perpetrated by the rich and
poor and in every country
and ethnic group.
Controlling and jealous
behaviour is a classic sign of
abuse. There were reports of
Pistorius showing posses-
sive and jealous behaviour
towards Reeva Steenkamp.
The fact that he was also
charming and loving to her
does not negate the probabil-
ity of abuse in the relation-
ship as in most abusive rela-
tionships the perpetrator has
'Jekyll and Hyde' behaviour.
Perpetrators will often keep
the violence private so that
the public and even close
friends and family will often
believe that he is nothing but
charming.
While violence is a very
effective way to control
someone's behaviour within
a relationshi, victims often
report that in the long term
psychological abuse is more
damaging and harder to
recover from.
While any level of
domestic abuse is unaccept-
able, when abuse is suspect-
ed, friends, family and oth-
ers around the couple should
be on the lookout for signs
that the victim is in great
danger of being killed. Two
of these signs that are rele-
vant to Pistorius are:
a) Use of firearms, espe-
cially when the perpetrator
has training and experience
in using them.
b) History of violence,
especially public violence,
as this may mean the perpe-
trator is not deterred by the
risk of arrest and also
domestic violence, as past
behaviour is the best predic-
tor of future behaviour. A
South African Police
spokesperson said that there
had previous domestic vio-
lence reports at Oscar's
home. He was arrested in
2009 for physically assault-
ing a 19 year old girl at his
house.
The fact that Reeva cam-
paigned publicly against
domestic violence does not
mean that she was not also a
victim of abuse. Many
strong women, sometimes in
powerful positions and
sometimes famous have dis-
closed being victims of
abuse. Sometimes it is hard-
er for women in these situa-
tions to come forward
,because of shame and
embarrassment and the risk
of losing their status.
Help is available. Shine's
Helpline 0508-744-633
operates seven days a week
from 9am to 11pm.
Shine makes New Zealand
homes violence free. We are
a leading national agency
providing a range of special-
ist services and program-
mes; all aimed at assisting
victims of domestic abuse to
become safer and preferably
to remain in their own
homes.
Our national toll free
Helpline number is 0508
744 633.
Oscar Pistorius trial highlights
issue of domestic abuse
One NZ chi l d i s ki l l ed by a f ami l y member every f i ve weeks.
1 i n 3 NZ women wi l l be physi cal l y or sexual l y abused i n t hei r l i f et i me.
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