Royters

On Wednesday I had a Defence Day, visiting Whangaparoa Training Facility and HMNZS Ngapona. My visit to Tamaki Leadership Centre in Whangaparoa marked the end of a defence real estate tour I started early last year. The Royal New Zealand Navy uses this area predominantly for training naval recruits and officers and it is also well utilised by cadets, military reserve units, the other services and sometimes other security based agencies such as Police and Customs. I had the opportunity to meet some of the new recruits over lunch and hear about their training. They are currently in the midst of the weapons training and spirits were high after the whole unit had passed their annual weapons qualification that morning. I was even able to give them a few tips from my own training in the Territorial Force!

Having come to the end of one tour, I began another later in the day with a visit to the Ngapona Naval Reserves Unit. Throughout the year I will visit all of the RNZNVR Units – HMNZS Ngapona sub-unit in Tauranga, HMNZS Toroa in Dunedin, HMNZS Olphert in Wellington and HMNZS Pegasus in Christchurch. At HMNZS Ngapona I really enjoyed talking to the ratings (a junior rank in the Navy) and officers about their involvement in the Reserves and their training. There was a lot of excitement among the unit about the possibility of training with the new Project Protector fleet of ships.

Reservists come from all walks of life and generously give up their time to serve the country. From my own experience, I appreciate how challenging it can be to manage involvement in the Reserves, which requires regular training and parading, along with other commitments such as work and family. It was wonderful to be able to show my appreciation for the work they do and I am looking forward to meeting the other units in the near future.

For more photos from these visits click here.

Yet another courageous Kiwi. This (story below from Stuff and NZPA) is an amazing story of bravery. Rifleman James McKie is in the British Army but was previously enlisted in the New Zealand Army. Radio talkback this afternoon was speculating on what bravery award he might receive for his actions. Larry Williams thinks a Victoria Cross but my sources are putting their money on a Conspicuous Gallantry Cross or Military Cross.

The father of a New Zealander who saved two British Army colleagues from a Taleban grenade attack in Afghanistan says his son performed a "brilliant and courageous act".

Wellington-born rifleman James McKie, 29, scooped up a live grenade and hurled it away just seconds before it exploded during a firefight in Afghanistan's Helmand province six days ago.

His actions saved the lives of two British Army soldiers from the unit he has been stationed with in Afghanistan for the past five months.

Rifleman McKie previously served in the New Zealand Army, joining the force straight after he left Tawa College.

He served as a medic for seven years before he left in 2006 to pursue a career in the British Army.

Rifleman McKie and two other soldiers were under fire on a compound roof in the Sangin area of Helmand when a Taleban hand grenade struck his platoon commander and landed at his feet.

Rifleman McKie immediately picked up the grenade and hurled it as far as he could.

"I knew that I had to get it away from us," he told Sky News.

"I remember thinking that if I didn't pull this off, it was going to hurt."

The grenade exploded midair a split second later, sending fragments into Rifleman McKie's face and arm, and injuring his commander's leg. The third soldier escaped unharmed.

"There was no way you could throw yourself off and not get injured, so I made a decision to pick up the grenade and throw it off the roof," Rifleman McKie said.

"My platoon has taken a lot of casualties. I really didn't want to see anyone else get hurt."

Commanding officer Captain Graeme Kerr, who was recovering in hospital in Britain, said he owed his life to Rifleman McKie's brave actions.

"Bearing in mind you only have three seconds when it lands by your feet and half a second to make a decision and another three seconds to throw it, that's pretty heroic in my book," Capt Kerr said.

"He's one of those very brave people that has a complete disregard for his own life and a high regard for other people's."

His father, Andrew McKie, said he was incredibly proud of his son's "brilliant and courageous act".

"He was probably seconds away from dying," he told NZPA.

"I'm just glad he came out of it. My heart's with the people in his unit who have been killed over the last week who weren't so lucky."

Rifleman McKie had continued to fight on the front line after he was injured.

"I think he was very dedicated to his mates, and he wasn't that badly hurt, so he stayed with them."

Mr McKie said he was apprehensive about his son fighting in "an extremely dangerous place".

"You don't get immune to it and always worry. Every day there's a new death of a soldier in Afghanistan, it really comes home to you," he said.

"But that's his choice, that's what he wanted to do."

Rifleman McKie grew up around army camps, where his father had served as Warrant Officer Class 1 until he retired in 1991.

He was stationed in Waiouru and Palmerston North before "he'd done his dash in the New Zealand Army".

"He wanted a bit of adventure I think, and he'd read all about the British Army, what they were doing," Mr McKie said.

"It took him a year to get into the British Army, he sort of slept on a couch in London doing all the paperwork and everything."

Mr McKie said he was looking forward to seeing his son again.

"I'm obviously extremely proud, and hopefully when he gets back to New Zealand in May on holiday we'll have a good catch up.

"I just hope he keeps his head down for the next three weeks, because that's how long he's got to go in Afghanistan."

Rifleman McKie is in line for a British Army bravery award.

Truly amazing.

Last night I was really pleased to be invited to the re-opening ceremony of the Wellington City Cadet Corps. I always enjoy the NZCF events I attend and last night was no exception. The re-opening of a Cadet Force unit represents growth in what I believe is one of the best investments that the Government can make in our young people.

Last night’s event was especially significant as it marked not only the re-opening of this unit Wellington City Cadet Force but it sees the great facility on a prime spot of real estate on Wellington's Evans Bay shared with the Sea Cadets (TS Amokura), and the Air Cadets (No 1 Squadron ATC). It was great to be able to celebrate this with the parents, whanau, and cadets of the Wellington City Unit and representatives of both other cadet units.

I am proud to be the Minister responsible for the New Zealand Cadet Force (NZCF). The NZCF has a long and proud history of developing young men and women to be leaders by providing youth development and leadership training. The New Zealand Cadet Corps has a long history in Wellington, the original Wellington City Cadet Unit was formed when the longstanding Rongotai College Cadet Unit was renamed in 1994 and I have no doubt that the decision to place this unit in recess in 2004 was a tough one. It has now risen, like our local football team, from the ashes of the old unit and I’m sure it will be the stronger for it.

The fact that we now have the Sea Cadet Corps, New Zealand Cadet Corps and Air Training Corps all parading in the same great new facility is a significant achievement and I believe it is a model for how the New Zealand Cadet Force can develop around the country.

This is the personal view of Bernard Robertson. Bernard has lectured at Victoria University of Wellington and Massey University and is now Editor of The New Zealand Law Journal and President of the Law and Economics Association of New Zealand.

A Fairy Godmother appeared suddenly to a Labour Party activist and said that she would grant him any wish he wanted. There was a catch, however. Whatever he wished for, his neighbour would get double. The Labour activist pondered a while and then asked to lose the sight in one eye.

The Labour attitude to reductions in the upper band rates is that they “help the rich” more than the poor. They claim that whatever benefit poorer people get, richer people get a multiple of the benefit. This is simply a variant on the idea that it is “unfair” that some people earn two, five or ten times what others earn. It is a divisive and envy-driven argument.

But there is another point ignored by those who attack tax cuts in the upper bands. When Labour says that such tax cuts “help the rich” or “help National’s mates”, they imply that such tax cuts only help the rich and do not help poorer people. This is clearly wrong.

“Rich” people do not generally hoard their money and spend their weekends counting it and then stuff it under the mattress until the next counting session. They will apply the money either for consumption or investment. They will spend the money on houses, cars, furniture, televisions and computers, restaurant meals, art works, visits to artistic performances and so on. We are also constantly told that better off people invest a higher proportion of their income than the less well-off. This investment may be in bank accounts, in shares in companies or directly in businesses.

However the money is spent or invested, it will create jobs and opportunities for other people. Spending on consumption creates opportunities for people to start businesses or survive and expand. Saving provides funds for people to borrow to buy homes, or provides the capital for businesses to start or grow, creating further employment. Thus better off people use their income to boost both supply and demand.

In order to argue, therefore, that tax cuts in the upper tax bands do not help poorer people, one has to argue that the government will spend the money more wisely than its original owners. This would be the triumph of hope over experience. The evidence of the last ten years is that government money will be used to create unnecessary and highly paid jobs in Thorndon and Lambton Quay, not provide services for those who need them. Government creates welfare dependence, not jobs. Labour will still moan about the quality of many of these jobs, but they are the first step on the job ladder for many and a convenient part time income for others. They are certainly better than receiving welfare benefits for doing nothing.

Then Labour will moan that some of this income will be spent overseas, not in New Zealand. This is just a variant on protectionism, it is a failure to understand the nature and effects of trade. There is only one thing a foreigner can do with a New Zealand dollar, and that is buy goods and services from New Zealand, whether by coming here as a tourist or by purchasing exported goods and services.

Whichever way you look at it then, retention of income by better-off individuals will do exactly the sorts of things the government says it will do with tax money, create jobs, stimulate demand, stimulate investment and growth. The difference is that we do not have to employ a load of public servants to collect and then argue over the money, they can be productively employed instead. We also avoid the deadweight costs of taxation, which, however large they are, definitely exist. These deadweight costs can be in monetary terms, dragging down growth, or they can be wider and less easily measurable losses of happiness, people adopting second-best courses of action because of the tax implications of their first choice.

What is needed from the government, then is some leadership in explaining loudly and clearly what is wrong with the attitudes of Labour and the media rather than being frightened by the reaction to getting rid of tax rates which they know do no good.

I spent Wednesday this week in Palmerston North and visited two primary schools with outstanding special needs programmes. Whakarongo School and Central Normal School have created excellent environments for their special needs students who learn alongside their peers in regular classrooms with the support of their teachers and teachers’ aides.

At Whakarongo school I met Jack (a special needs student) who was busy at work alongside his classmates. Jack has made huge progress with his learning in the past year with the help of assistive technology and the support of his teachers and peers. He is certainly in for a big treat next week when he is presented with a prize from the Make a Wish Foundation. The Armed Defenders Squad is going to present Jack with his wish, a trip to the theme parks on the Gold Coast, and because he is a big fan of the police they are making him his very own miniature police costume. I would love to be there to see the look on his face!

In another classroom I met Tarryn who was concentrating very hard on her worksheet with the support of her teacher aide. Earlier in the week I had a sign language lesson and it was great to be able to say hello and introduce myself to Tarryn in her language. The implementation of sign language has become an important part of the school and several of the teachers have attended night classes in order to better support Tarryn. Her mother is hoping this will become even more widespread and is aiming to have the National Anthem sung in all three of New Zealand’s official languages (English, Te Reo and NZ Sign Language) at the Rugby World Cup next year.

We then moved on to Central Normal School. Like Whakarongo, it is not a special school nor does it have a special needs unit. Instead, teachers cater for all of their students in the classroom and when necessary, have support from a team of very well-trained teacher aides. I had the opportunity to meet Jess during my visit who, with her teacher aide, was busy flicking through magazines picking out all the green objects she could find. We were joined by a reporter from the Manawatu Standard – it’s great to have interest in this area and she was very keen to hear more about the Special Education Review.

These two schools show the progress made in the special education sector over the past two decades. Students with special needs are no longer hidden away nor are they expected to simply fit into the school environment. Today, we expect schools to adapt to fit the needs of all students and Whakarongo and Central Normal are excellent examples of schools that have embraced the challenge wholeheartedly with a ‘can do’ attitude.

My Palmerston North visit ended at Palmerston North Boy’s High School. I met with Headmaster Tim O’Connor, his senior management team, the Board and a selection of young men attending the school. I had a lively discussion with the students ranging from why they came to the school, what their future plans are, whether their teachers are good or not (they are!) and they asked me a few questions as well. PNBHS has an impressive Leadership Programme and the Barrowclough Programme is tailored to encourage students to take a leadership role in a number of areas. Both programmes are reaping rewards and other schools are keen to find out more about them. When the bell for the end of the school day rang I joined the Headmaster at his usual spot at the front gate of the school. This has become something of a tradition at PNBHS with boys tucking shirts in and socks up as they approached us. The contact is valuable and is all part of the respect teachers and students have for each other at this well regarded school.