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As I write this column the search for Coral Burrows continues around Featherston and I'm sure the thoughts of the whole country are with her family and friends at this very difficult time. My personal thanks to all members of the wider community and emergency services, especially police, for their tireless efforts to find this wee girl. It is times such as this that the true spirit of the Wairarapa community shines through and we can all be proud of the way those in our district rally to help others in time of need. Our children, whether they are our own, or nieces and nephews, grandchildren or the children of close friends, are precious and as a community we need to give thanks every day for the hope and joy that they bring us.
This week's passing of The Gambling Act will go a long way towards balancing the potential harm of gambling with benefits to the community. The act achieves a good balance with its four main objectives of controlling the growth of gambling, reducing harm caused by gambling, ensuring gambling raises funds for the community and community involvement in decisions about access to gambling. Electronic monitoring of all pokie machines would be required within the next three and a half years. No more casinos are allowed and the act also contains measures to control the number of pokie machines.
Stronger protections are to be introduced for primary and intermediate-aged international students to ensure their wellbeing in New Zealand. These new measures are based first and foremost on the interests of the child, but they will also serve to further protect our billion-dollar export education industry.
Under the changes:
- The New Zealand Government will require that any international student aged 10 or under (or in Years 1-6) live with a parent or legal guardian; and
- Providers enrolling international students aged 11 - 13 (or in Years 7 and 8) living without a parent or legal guardian will be required to seek 'prior programme approval' from the Code Administrator (Ministry of Education).
To support the new policy, a new guardian visa is being introduced to allow the guardians of young international students to live with and care for their children while they study in New Zealand. This will apply to children aged 17 years and under, and who are enrolled for years 1 to 13 at a New Zealand school.
And now for something completely different - the right to vote. When New Zealand's new Governor Glasgow signed the Electoral Bill on 19 September, 1893, New Zealand became the first self-governing nation in the world where women had won the right to vote. The bill was the outcome of years of meetings in towns and cities across the country, with women travelling often considerable distances to hear lectures and speeches, pass resolutions and sign petitions. A number of petitions were presented to both Houses of Parliament from the early 1888s till the final one in 1893, which was signed by nearly 32,000 women, almost a quarter of the adult European female population of New Zealand. Only two of these historically important documents are known to have survived and both are preserved at Archives New Zealand. With this week marking 110 years since women were granted the right to vote, it is timely for us all to make sure we don't let these pioneers down and enroll. New electoral rolls are now available and I encourage all eligible voters to make sure they are able to have their say. About 7 percent of the eligible voting population are not enrolled and people need to realise that we are all required to be on the roll. Although it is not compulsory to vote in this country, unlike Australia, it is a legal requirement for every eligible person aged 18 and over to be enrolled. I'm always surprised by the number of people who contact my office who are not listed on either the Wairarapa roll or the Māori roll. Forms are available from Post Shops, by calling 0800 36 76 56 or from the www.elections.org.nz website.
Finally feedback on the Government's foreshore and seabed proposals must be received by Friday, October 3. Written submissions can be sent to Foreshore and Seabed Submissions, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, PO Box 55, Wellington, or made on line at http://www.beehive.govt.nz/foreshore. Any comments on any matters raised in this column or other issues you might feel strongly about can be sent to me through email gbeyer@wise.net.nz or post to PO Box 913, Masterton.
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