John Key | SilverScorpio.Com

New Zealand set to give All Whites “victory” parade

June 26, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – New Zealand Prime Minister John Key wants the All Whites to receive a champions’ parade for their battling performance at the World Cup, where they were knocked out in the group stage without losing a match.

Sports

New Zealand drew all three of their contests in South Africa in their second appearance at the finals after being thrashed in all their group games at the 1982 tournament in Spain.

“It would be nice to see their result celebrated,” Key told local media on Friday. “They’ll come back as champions.”

New Zealand, 78th in the FIFA world rankings, will return home after upsetting the odds by holding Slovakia, Paraguay and World Cup holders Italy in Group F.

“They are a team that are going to come back to New Zealand as heroes,” Key said. “It was always going to be a Herculean task to get through.

“In the end they didn’t quite make it on points but a result nevertheless that we can all be proud of.”

However, an official celebration for the New Zealand side could be at least a week and up to a month away with players and coaching staff arriving back at different times.

Wellington would be the likely venue for the parade after talks with New Zealand Football, according to the country’s NZPA news service.

(Reporting by Alastair Himmer in Tokyo; Editing by John O’Brien)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: different times, Fifa World Rankings, Group Games, Group Stage, herculean task, Heroes, Himmer, John Key, John O Brien, Local Media, news service, nzpa, Paraguay, Prime Minister John, reuters, South Africa, venue, Victory Parade, Wellington, World Cup Holders

Kiwi PM slammed for cannibalism comment

May 13, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Wellington, May 13 (ANI): Kiwi Prime Minister John Key has come under fire for joking that Tuhoe would “have him for dinner”.

“The good news is that I was having dinner with Ngati Porou as opposed to their neighbouring iwi which is Tuhoe, in which case I would have been dinner, which wouldn”t have been quite so attractive,” the New Zealand Herald quoted Key, as joking about enjoying a dinner at a Ngati Porou marae on the East Coast of the North Island this week.

Key”s comment, made during a tourism event held in Auckland, came three days after the announcement that Tuhoe would not be given Te Urewera National Park as part of a Treaty of Waitangi settlement.

This was despite iwi understanding a settlement was in the offing after 18 months of negotiations.

Chief Tuhoe negotiator Tamati Kruger said Key”s statement hadn”t offended him, but in light of where the Tuhoe people were with the prime minister “it gives me the sense that whatever we say or do he will never, ever take it seriously.”

Kruger added: “He is affirming a rigidness which is not really in the spirit of good faith negotiations. He is really going to force Tuhoe into a position that makes us look like the bad guys – like we are walking out of negotiations…” (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: auckland, bad guys, cannibalism, east coast, Faith Negotiations, good faith, hadn, Iwi, John Key, kiwi, kruger, marae, negotiator, New Zealand Herald, Prime Minister John, spirit, tourism event, Tuhoe, Wellington

New Zealand leader’s cannibal joke shocks Maoris

May 13, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Wellington, May 13 (DPA) New Zealand Prime Minister John Key shocked Maoris Thursday with a joke suggesting that a tribe he is in dispute with over a compensation settlement were cannibals.

In a speech to a tourism audience, Key said: ‘The good news is that I was having dinner with Ngati Porou as opposed to their neighbouring iwi (tribe), which is Tuhoe, in which case I would have been dinner, which wouldn’t have been quite so attractive.’

It is commonly accepted that before Europeans arrived in New Zealand, Maori tribes practiced cannibalism as a final humiliation on defeated rivals in battle.

Key has been at loggerheads with the North Island Tuhoe tribe this week after ruling out giving it ownership of the 212,672-hectare Urewera National Park as part of a compensation package for past wrongs committed by successive European governments.

Tuhoe chief negotiator Tamati Kruger claimed that Key withdrew an agreement in principle that was to go before the Cabinet Monday after the plan was criticised by backbenchers and grassroots members of his conservative National Party.

The Maori Party, which co-operates with the Nationals in government, accused Key of acting in bad faith.

Key told reporters later that he was sure Tuhoe would get the joke, but Maori Member of Parliament Te Ururoa Flavell said it would add to the tribe’s wounds.

Kruger said the prime minister’s joke was not funny and was in poor taste.

‘I’m just astounded that the prime minister can make light of what we regard as a very, very serious situation – regarding really our future relationships with the crown,’ Kruger told Radio New Zealand.

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: bad faith, cannibal, Cannibals, Chief Negotiator, compensation package, European Governments, Flavell, John Key, kruger, Loggerheads, Maori Party, Maori Tribes, member of parliament, New Zealand Maori, Poor Taste, Prime Minister John, Radio New Zealand, serious situation, Tuhoe, Zealand Leader

Cricket, not maths a priority in Kiwi PM”s home

March 16, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Wellington, Mar.16 (ANI): Cricket trumps maths homework in New Zealand Prime Minister John Key’s home.

Speaking at a parliamentary reception for the Australian cricket team in Wellington last night, Key told guests that he and his son indulged a shared passion last week – and it was not numerical.

“I was in the middle of giving my son some maths tutoring and we reached an agreement that we would stop to watch the last of the one-dayers,” stuff.co.nz quoted Key, as saying.

However, he left the tourists in no doubt regarding who they were cheering for, dismissing a weekend poll that suggested one quarter of Kiwis supported the idea of New Zealand becoming an Australian state.

Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting justified the parliamentary praise heaped on him by Labour leader Phil Goff.

Ponting had been a great sport in his reaction to a dodgy dismissal last week, Goff said.

Ponting, in reply, was only too happy to give fast-bowler team-mate Mitchell Johnson a ribbing.

“We can”t work out why every single person in New Zealand thinks that Mitchell is a banker. Being a fast bowler, he”s not that good with numbers,” Ponting said.

Earlier, Key supported the Black Caps over their decision to postpone their June tour to Zimbabwe.

“I think they are the responsible actions when you consider the safety and security of the New Zealand players,” Key said. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: australian cricket captain, australian cricket team, black caps, captain ricky, great sport, John Key, kiwi, Labour Leader, Mitchell Johnson, Night Key, no doubt, Parliamentary Reception, Phil Goff, Prime Minister John, Responsible Actions, ribbing, safety and security, team mate, trumps, Wellington

Kiwi inmates told to build their own jail cells

June 21, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Wellington, June 21 (ANI): In a bid to deal with a “dangerously high” prison population, inmates in New Zealand could be forced to build their own jail cells from shipping containers.

Prime Minister John Key’s government has asked Corrections, a state sector organisation of New Zealand, to produce options to cope with the burgeoning prison muster, which has increased by 700 so far this year, reports The Sunday Star Times.

Corrections’ core responsibility is the management of the New Zealand corrections system. Its Minister, Judith Collins, has said by the new year the issue of housing prisoners was expected to reach crisis point. Double-bunking the standard practice of putting two prisoners into a single cell was not sustainable and the economic downturn meant the government could not afford to build new prisons in the short term.

Using prisoners to build their own cells was “a great idea” and “a lot better than being locked up all day in a cell”, Collins said.

“We are getting dangerously high in our capacity. We will not have the capacity by the beginning of next year to house all the prisoners that we will have,” she said.

As far as the proposal for shipping-container cells is concerned, Corrections is yet to respond to Collins, which she said would “be spartan but humane and clean. We are looking at whether we could make good use out of prisoner work teams to help build these, and obviously things like landscaping.

“We’re quite keen to have prisoners learning useful construction skills and helping to build their own environment. Prisoners need to learn construction skills so they can earn their keep and, frankly, it’s a lot better than being locked up all day in a cell.” (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: construction skills, Core Responsibility, crisis point, economic downturn, inmates, jail cells, John Key, judith collins, June 21, kiwi, Prime Minister John, Prison Inmates, prison population, prisoner work, prisons, sector organisation, Shipping Container, Shipping Containers, state sector, Sunday Star Times, Two Prisoners

US subsidies could prolong recession, New Zealand leader says

May 25, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Wellington – The United States risks prolonging the current economic recession by its move to pay subsidies to American farmers to export dairy products, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said Monday.

Key told his weekly news conference that the Great Depression of the 1930s was prolonged because a number of countries took measures to protect their own industries.

He said the US move to subsidize 92,000 tons of dairy exports would not help the world come out of recession.

Key said that it risked retaliation by the European Union, which reintroduced export subsidies for its own dairy farmers in January and as a much bigger exporter was capable of providing much bigger subsidies.

It also encouraged other countries to take protectionist measures in defiance of communiqués opposing protectionism by international bodies like the G20 group of developed nations and the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) organization, he said.

New Zealand Trade Minister Tim Groser said earlier that the tit-for-tat subsidies risked a trade war between the US and EU.

He said an agreement to eliminate subsidies reached in the early stages of the World Trade Organization’s deadlocked Doha Round of liberalization talks had been effectively destroyed. (dpa)

Filed Under: Business News Tagged With: American Farmers, apec, Dairy Exports, dairy farmers, Developed Nations, economic recession, export subsidies, great depression, groser, international bodies, John Key, Monday Key, Prime Minister John, protectionism, protectionist measures, trade minister, Trade War, Weekly News Conference, world trade organization, Zealand Leader

Demonstrators bring New Zealand’s biggest city to standstill

May 25, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Wellington – New Zealand’s biggest city, Auckland, was brought to a halt at lunchtime Monday by up to 7,000 demonstrators marching to protest the government’s refusal to guarantee seats for indigenous Maoris on a new “super city” council.

The new council, to be elected in November next year, will govern about one-third of New Zealand’s total population of 4.3 million and as Auckland has the largest population of Polynesian people anywhere in the world, Maoris insist they should be guaranteed a say.

Prime Minister John Key, whose centre-right national government came to power in November, has made reform of the administration of Auckland, which is currently in the hands of eight separate councils, a priority.

The demonstrators, some holding Maori sovereignty flags, gathered at points around the city and marched into the central business district, stopping at times to perform a haka war dance.

They were joined by others, including mayors of suburban district councils who oppose the amalgamation which will see their roles abolished, with signs such as “It’s about rights, not race.”

A business leader, Cameron Brewer, said the march and resulting traffic gridlock would cost the 5,000 commercial business in the city centre millions of dollars in lost revenue and productivity. (dpa)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: amalgamation, auckland, Business Leader, Central Business District, Commercial Business, demonstrators, District Councils, Haka War Dance, John Key, largest population, lunchtime, Maoris, Mayors, national government, Prime Minister John, sovereignty, Suburban District, total population, Traffic Gridlock, wellington new zealand

New Zealand leader rules out republic referendum

May 3, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Wellington – New Zealand Prime Minister John Key rejected Monday a call by one of his government ministers for a referendum on ditching Queen Elizabeth as head of state and turning the country into a republic.

“My view is that New Zealand is likely one day to become a republic, but it’s unlikely to occur under my watch,” Key, whose conservative National Party was elected in November for a three-year term, told a news conference.

He said the country faced a number of challenges ahead “and becoming a republic is just not a high priority for me.”

Queen Elizabeth remains titular head of state of New Zealand, a former British colony which has been fully independent since 1947, but has no governing powers.

Peter Dunne, leader of the United Future party who is minister of revenue, was quoted by the New Zealand Herald as calling for a referendum on whether New Zealand should have its own head of state.

“I am tired of politicians who say it is probably inevitable that we will become a republic at some stage but who are unwilling to do anything to bring it about – that is extremely weak,” he said.

Two recent opinion polls found the country divided on the issue, with a narrow majority favouring keeping Queen Elizabeth as head of state. (dpa)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: challenges, DPA, government ministers, head of state, high priority, John Key, minister of revenue, narrow majority, New Zealand Herald, news conference, Opinion Polls, peter dunne, politicians, Prime Minister John, Queen Elizabeth, republic referendum, titular head, united, watch key, wellington new zealand, Zealand Leader

New Zealand reluctant to send more troops to Afghanistan

April 21, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Wellington – New Zealand is reluctant to send more troops to Afghanistan because it believes the situation there is becoming more unstable, Prime Minister John Key said Monday.

“The determining factor is whether we can see a plan, whether the plan in our opinion is likely to work and whether it fits in with our long-term exit strategy,” he said at his weekly news conference.

The United States has asked New Zealand to commit more troops to Afghanistan on top of the 130 army engineers it has working in Bamyan province as a provincial reconstruction team (PRT).

News reports have said that Washington would like a unit of New Zealand’s crack Special Air Services forces, who were last deployed in Afghanistan in 2006, to return as part of President Barack Obama’s plan to increase foreign troop levels in Afghanistan to better combat Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters.

But Key said, “The risk assessments that I’m getting from Afghanistan is that our troops in the PRT in Bamyan province are becoming more at risk – in other words, the situation in Afghanistan is becoming more unstable.

“It would be my long-term desire to exit our commitment in Afghanistan,” he said.

Key said the government was reviewing the military situation in Afghanistan before it made a final decision on sending more troops. (dpa)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Afghanistan, Afghanistan taliban, air, al, al-Qaeda, army, army engineers, Bamyan, barack, Barack Obama, combat, commitment, conference, crack, decision, desire, DPA, exit, exit strategy, factor, final decision, Government, John Key, Military Situation, Monday, New Crack, New Zealand, NEWS, news reports, Obama, opinion, part, plan, president, Prime Minister John, Prime Minister John Key, province, provincial reconstruction team, prt, qaeda, reconstruction, risk, risk assessments, situation, strategy, Taliban, team, top, troop, troop levels, unit, United States, Washington, Weekly News Conference, Wellington, wellington new zealand

New Zealand leader protests “unacceptable” Afghan law on marital sex

April 6, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Wellington – New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said Monday that he was sending a letter to Afghan President Hamid Karzai protesting a law Karzai signed that decrees a wife is obliged to fulfil the sexual desires of her husband.

But he said at his weekly news conference that the law he earlier described as “abhorrent” would not colour his government’s decision on whether to expand New Zealand’s military commitment to Afghanistan

because they were different issues.

“We are trying to address the issue of terrorism and making sure that New Zealand is playing its part to reduce the potential risk and threat from terrorism,” he said.

“If we were to stop involvement with that because of what we think is an unacceptable law they’re passing in relation to sex in marriage, then in our view, we would be putting the world in greater risk, and that’s not appropriate,” Key said.

The new Afghan law recently passed by parliament is meant to legalize Shiite family law, but critics said it effectively bars women from leaving their homes without the permission of their husbands and it legalizes rape within marriage.

New Zealand has about 130 army engineers working as a provincial reconstruction team (PRT) in Afghanistan, and Key dodged a question about whether New Zealand planned to expand this deployment to include crack Special Air Services forces as US President Barack Obama aims to step up the foreign military presence in Afghanistan.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully attended the recent international conference on Afghanistan in The Hague and was due to meet US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington this week.

“I’m not ruling it out, but neither are we ruling it in at this point,” Key said when asked about a possible Special Air Services deployment.

“I’ve made it clear that our commitment to Afghanistan is quite substantial in terms of the PRT,” he said.

“Now, that doesn’t mean that we couldn’t increase our commitment there – every other country is being asked to do that – but whether we would do so is something we have not decided, and that is something the foreign minister will be communicating to Secretary Clinton.”

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Afghan President Hamid, army engineers, Barack Obama, deployment, foreign affairs minister, hague, hamid karzai, Hillary Clinton, John Key, Marital Sex, military commitment, military presence, Minister Murray McCully, President Hamid Karzai, Prime Minister John, provincial reconstruction team, prt, secretary of state, sexual desires, Weekly News Conference, wellington new zealand, Zealand Leader

New Zealand Chinese groups want ban on Dalai Lama’s visit

April 1, 2009 By admin 1 Comment

Wellington – The United Chinese Association of New Zealand, an umbrella group representing 28 organizations, wants the government to refuse the Dalai Lama a visa for a proposed visit in December, a newspaper reported on Thursday.

Prime Minister John Key has already said he would meet the 73- year-old Tibetan spiritual leader when he visits Auckland, calling him a “significant visitor,” the New Zealand Herald reported.

But the association’s chairman Steven Wong told the paper, “The Dalai Lama is just a stirrer and everywhere he goes, he spreads lies and destroys relationships.”

He said the association was writing to Key and Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman asking them to follow the example of South Africa, which refused a visa after the Dalai Lama was invited to attend a peace conference of Nobel laureates.

The chairman of the Dalai Lama Visit Trust, Thuten Kesang, told the paper he was disgusted at the Chinese attempts to put pressure on New Zealand and said they could backfire.

“The Chinese must learn they cannot dictate who we can and cannot welcome into our country,” Kesang said. (dpa)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: chinese association, Chinese Attempts, Chinese Groups, dalai lama, Dalai Lama Visit, immigration minister, John Key, jonathan, Jonathan Coleman, Kesang, New Zealand Herald, Nobel Laureates, peace conference, Prime Minister John, South Africa, Steven Wong, Stirrer, tibetan spiritual leader, umbrella group, Wellington, World Politics

New Zealand twins celebrate 100th birthday

March 20, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Wellington – New Zealanders Beryl Baguley and Matilda “Tilly” Hanlon celebrated their 100th birthday Thursday, claiming to be the world’s oldest living identical twins.

The pair, who live separately in towns near Auckland on North Island, celebrated with about 60 family members and friends at a party in a club.

They received letters of congratulation from Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, who is also queen of New Zealand, and Prime Minister John Key.

“It’s a very exciting time. I got five letters from parliament and the letter from the queen is lovely,” Beryl Baguley told the Franklin County News.

The paper said the mathematical chance of identical twins reaching the age of 100 was one in 700 million. (dpa)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: 100th Birthday, auckland, beryl, County News, family members, Five Letters, Franklin County, Hanlon, identical twins, John Key, Letters Of Congratulation, Mathematical Chance, matilda, New Zealand, new zealanders, parliament, Prime Minister John, Queen Elizabeth, tilly, Wellington

New Zealand gets government subsidy to save jobs

March 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Wellington – The New Zealand government on Wednesday announced a scheme to pay workers to take one day off every two weeks to save them from the threat of losing their jobs in the current recession.

Under the scheme, workers and their bosses in New Zealand’s largest companies that are suffering in the economic downturn will negotiate voluntary agreements to cut their hours, Prime Minister John Key told a news conference.

He said that the government would compensate them by paying 12.50 New Zealand dollars (6.25 US dollars) an hour – the adult minimum wage – for each worker, for up to five hours every two weeks.

While workers are in the scheme, they cannot be made redundant.

“This is a practical measure that will give businesses some extra time to ride out the tough conditions and to retain jobs as they do,” Key said.

He stressed that it was a temporary measure.

“It’s not my ambition to turn New Zealand into France,” he said. “We are not going onto a 35-hour week on a permanent basis.”

Key said that initially the scheme would be available to 1,600 companies with workforces of more than 100. It will operate from March 27 to the end of 2010, but each company will be limited to six months.

A similar scheme for smaller businesses was being worked out, but was “hideously complex,” he said.

Key described it as “a last resort” measure designed to avoid massive job losses in New Zealand where the current unemployment rate of 4.6 per cent is tipped by some analysts to reach double figures next year as the economy, in recession since early last year, worsens.

“It’s not going to turn back the recession – it’s just one of a number of tools that the government is employing to try and keep New Zealanders employed,” he said.

The scheme was welcomed by the president of the Council of Trade Unions, Helen Kelly, who said, “This package and the amount available do provide a real basis for business and unions to work to save jobs.” (dpa)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: ambition, Current Unemployment Rate, economic downturn, extra time, Government Subsidy, Helen Kelly, John Key, last resort, Massive Job Losses, minimum wage, New Zealand dollars, New Zealand Government, new zealanders, news conference, Prime Minister John, recession, trade unions, Voluntary Agreements, Wellington, Workforces

Fiji gets “passport to poverty,” says New Zealand leader

March 9, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Wellington – Fiji military strongman Commodore Frank Bainimarama is delivering his country “a passport to poverty” with his refusal to hold democratic elections, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said Monday.

“He needs to recognize that if he wants Fiji to progress and to be taken seriously by both the (British) Commonwealth and the Pacific Forum leaders he needs to demonstrate that he has got a willingness for democracy to be restored,” Key told reporters at his weekly news conference.

Bainimarama, who seized power from the elected government in a bloodless coup in December 2006, has rejected appeals by the Commonwealth and fellow leaders in Pacific island countries to hold elections this year.

The European Union and United States have also told Bainimarama, who has declared himself prime minister, that they will not revive their badly needed economic aid to his South Pacific nation of 932,000 people until he restores democracy.

A group of ministers from the 53-member British Commonwealth who met in London on Wednesday said Fiji would be suspended in September if Bainimarama did not go to the polls this year.

Bainimarama immediately responded by saying, “If they want to suspend Fiji, they can do it now. Nobody is going to interfere with what we are trying to do. There’s going to be no election.”

Leaders of the 16-member Pacific Forum said last year that Fiji, a founding member of the paramount regional organisation, will be suspended if it does not announce an election date by May.

Key said New Zealand was willing to help Fiji with money or administrative assistance to hold elections “but at this stage there doesn’t appear to be a lot of desire by Mr Bainimarama to move.”

Bainimarama has consistently said that he wants to change the voting system which favours indigenous Fijians over the ethnic Indian minority before holding fresh elections.

He blames the system for four coups which have toppled elected governments in Fiji since 1987, damaging the economy and scaring off investment capital. (dpa)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Administrative Assistance, bloodless coup, British Commonwealth, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, Democratic Elections, economic aid, Fellow Leaders, Forum Leaders, founding member, Indigenous Fijians, John Key, Military Strongman, Pacific Forum, Pacific Island Countries, Prime Minister John, Regional Organisation, South Pacific Nation, Voting System, Weekly News Conference, Zealand Leader

New Zealand Cricket welcomes postponement of Zimbabwe tour

February 25, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Wellington (New Zealand), Feb 25 (ANI): New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan and New Zealand players boss Heath Mills have both welcomed the decision to postpone the Black Caps’ controversial tour of Zimbabwe, saying it will allow some “breathing space” to sort out the difficult situation in the African nation.

Amidst growing pressure from the New Zealand government, the New Zealand and Zimbabwe cricket associations confirmed this morning that the July tour would be postponed for a year until 2010.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key had voiced his concerns over the political unrest and deteriorating financial, health and social problems in Zimbabwe and even hinted that the Black Caps might be prevented from travelling there.

A spokesman for Key said this morning the Government welcomed the decision.

“It’s obviously a good outcome from our point of view. We didn’t have anything directly to do with it,” the spokesman said.

Sport and Recreation Minister Murray McCully said: “We welcome the decision and believe it is a sensible outcome”.

Today’s developments will clearly ease concerns among New Zealand players.

Mills, the executive manager for the New Zealand Cricket Players Association, said: “I think it’s a very sensible decision by both the New Zealand and Zimbabwe cricket associations.

“Clearly the situation on the ground in Zimbabwe isn’t great. From a players’ perspective we were very uncomfortable about the team being in Zimbabwe while there are issues about cholera, water shortages and there are some question marks about the standard of medical care etc. That was going to be a big issue for us.”

“Maybe there will be some progress made and our government will be more comfortable about the team travelling to Zimbabwe.

At the end of the day that is their decision, not ours.

The decision to postpone the tour came after discussions between Zimbabwe Cricket chief executive Ozias Bvute and Vaughan, during the International Cricket Council’s chief executives’ conference in Johannesburg.

It is understood by postponing the tour by mutual agreement with their Zimbabwe counterparts New Zealand Cricket will avoid substantial financial penalties.

Speaking to RadioSport from Johannesburg, Vaughan said he was pleased to get the agreement and that it made sense.

New Zealand Cricket’s general manager of cricket, Geoff Allott, also commented that the solution allowed time to review the situation in Zimbabwe from a political and a cricketing perspective. (ANI)

Filed Under: Sports News Tagged With: agreement, amidst, ANI, anything, association, black, boss, Bvute, caps, care, Chief, cholera, conference, Council, Cricket, day, decision, end, executive, Feb, Geoff Allott, Government, ground, Health, Heath Mills, international, issue, Johannesburg, John Key, July, Justin Vaughan, manager, mills, Minister Murray McCully, morning, nation, New Zealand, outcome, Ozias, perspective, point, postponement, pressure, prime, progress, question, RadioSport, Recreation, sense, situation, solution, space, spokesman, Sport, standard, team, time, today, tour, unrest, vaughan, view, water, Wellington, year, Zimbabwe

Kiwi PM prepared to stop Black Caps tour of Zimbabwe

February 23, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Wellington (New Zealand), Feb.23 (ANI): New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has said that he is ready to halt the Black Caps tour of Zimbabwe.

The New Zealand cricket team are scheduled to play three one one-day internationals in the strife-torn African nation in July under the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) future tours programme.

The only way New Zealand Cricket (NZC) can avoid ICC sanctions is if Key orders the team not to tour.

According to stuff.co.nz, Key has previously stated his reluctance for the team to go and repeated that today on TV One’s Breakfast programme saying there were genuine security risks and health risks for the players.

Asked if he was prepared to step in Key said: “Potentially, yes”.

“There are some options that I am working through at the moment,” he added. (ANI)

Filed Under: Sports News Tagged With: ANI, black, breakfast, caps, Council, Cricket, Feb, Health, icc, international, John Key, July, kiwi, minister, moment, nation, New Zealand, NZC, potentially, prime, programme, reluctance, security, stuff, team, today, tour, way, Wellington, Zimbabwe

Australia pitches in to help fight bush fires in Victoria; death toll climbs to 84

February 8, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Melbourne, Feb.8 (ANI): With the death toll from bush fires in Victoria reaching at least 84 by 9.30 p.m. Australian time, the other five states, the federal government and authorities in New Zealand have offered personnel and other assistance.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has pledged that the Australian army would join efforts to overcome the bushfires, on top of special welfare payments to those in need.

From the Australian Capital Territories, 90 firefighters and support personnel planned to set out on Sunday night for the northeast Victorian town of Beechworth to help battle deadly bushfires in the region, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

An ACT Emergency Services Agency spokesman said they would begin their first shifts on Monday morning, backed by 10 light and heavy tankers, while ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope offered his sympathies to the people of Victoria.

“Every Canberran that was touched by the 2003 ACT bushfires has some idea of what the many Victorian families and communities are going through during this difficult time, and our hearts go out to them,” he said in a statement.

“In particular, we offer our condolences and deepest sympathy to those who have lost loved ones in this terrible natural disaster.”

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) was to dispatch personnel, including 16 disaster victim identification (DVI) officers to help locate, recover and identify Victorian bushfire victims.

Tasmania Police also offered to deploy a Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team on Monday, while a team of specialist firefighters from the Tasmania Fire Service, Forestry Tasmania, and Parks and Wildlife Service were also expected in Melbourne on Monday.

Earlier on Sunday, South Australian Premier Mike Rann said special crews from the Department for Environment and Heritage, who specialise in fighting deep forest fires, would head to Victoria while also pledging the assistance of Department for Families and Communities staff who would “help with the rebuilding of lives”.

Following talks with Victorian Premier John Brumby early on Sunday, NSW Premier Nathan Rees committed personnel and resources to Victoria, including up to 250 firefighters, 50 tankers, search and rescue personnel, identification experts and paramedics, while also denying the allocation would leave NSW’s bushfires under-resourced.

Across the Tasman, the New Zealand government said it was considering sending help to Australian states ravaged by bushfires.

“We are concerned at the devastation taking place in Australia. If we can help our friends in Australia we will do, so I have asked for some advice on that,” New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said earlier on Sunday.

“Australians are always certain to help us out if we need it.” (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: act, advice, AFP, agency, allocation, ANI, army, assistance, Australia, Beechworth, bush, bushfire, Canberran, capital, Chief Minister Jon Stanhope, communities, death, department, deploy, devastation, disaster, DVI, emergency, environment, Feb, federal, fire, forest, Forestry, Government, help, herald, Heritage, idea, identification, John Key, Melbourne, Monday, morning, New Zealand, night, northeast Victorian, nsw, parks, place, police, Premier John Brumby, Premier Mike Rann, Premier Nathan Rees, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, rebuilding, region, rescue, search, service, South Australian, specialise, specialist, spokesman, staff, statement, sunday, support, sydney, sympathy, Tasman, tasmania, team, time, toll, top, town, victim, Victoria, welfare, wildlife