Pipiwharauroa Kōrero
Mere Pōhatu
Heat or Eat? Brrrr. It’s cold. I’m reading about an American study on the effects of cold weather on family budgets. Ok, so the study is in America. But I am wondering if the same things happen here. It found that poor families reduce calorific intake by about 200 calories in winter because they spend their kai money to keep warm. They also found that existing social programmes failed to buffer against these shocking changes. Eating less kai just to keep warm. Okay, so up front starvation is probably not so rampant here in Tairāwhiti but, longer term, the kids with poor diets are going to grow up into quite ill adults. Super Grans work wonders. They like to take a whole of community approach to cooking kai and teaching good ideas on how to cook great kai. They tell me that lots of our young families don’t actually know how to prepare and cook kai. The Super Grans approaches are to teach whānau to learn to plan, grow, source and actually prepare whānau meals. I’m not a Super Gran but I do support their very practical approach to kai and how to make the most of it. A child who is often, sometimes, always cold and
Tairāwhiti Community Law Centre
hungry in Tūranga because of money is just not right.
Then I read about a study on growing up in New Zealand. By crikey the writers have identified 12 family and environmental prenatal factors that increase the chance of a child having a pre-determined poor developmental outcome. This is scary reading. Little kids with a low birth weight, whose Mum is a teenager, has no formal education qualifications, maybe depression, has not been well late in pregnancy, smoked, has no supportive partner, stressful money issues, lives in a decile 9 area in public rental housing, has more than two people in the bedroom with her and gets an income tested government benefit, kids born into our world like that have on-going issues. These factors for the child, while still in the womb, are most likely exasperated by increasing numbers of lower birth weights, lower rates of breastfeeding beyond one month and more incomplete immunisations for kids. So if Mum’s populating the check-list of risk factors while she’s hapū, the kids are going to be sick and needy. I think we do have cold, hungry and some scared young Mums and their babies in Tairāwhiti. This is a big challenge to us in Tūranga, Tairāwhiti. All the talk about the economy, Treaty Settlements, Navigation projects, Wagyu Steak and Fish recipes mean zilch when little kids are always in hospital, getting sick and are cold and hungry.
I have a little response. Just because a child is born into poorness, or prescribed vulnerability should not mean, well not here in Tairāwhiti anyway, they have
•
Drink and Drug Driving Offences Our office is inundated with clients pending charges for first offence, second offence and third time offences for drink driving from right across the social spectrum. I am so stoked the DB bottle shop has closed and the site is to become a positive place in our community. In this article we will explore the laws related to drink driving and driving under the influence of drugs and the consequences of driving under the influence. If you don’t know the message it’s:
DRIVE TO SURVIVE
Their breath alcohol level is more than 400 micrograms per litre of breath as determined by an evidential breath test, or Their blood alcohol level is more than 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood as determined by a blood test.
For a person aged under 20 the legal limit is zero alcohol and if they have any alcohol in their breath or blood, they can be fined and given demerit points. If the level of alcohol is over 150mcg of alcohol per litre of breath, or over 30 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood, they will have committed an offence and can be imprisoned for up to three months and fined up to $2,250. If they are convicted they will also be disqualified for at least three months. If a person holds an alcohol interlock licence or a zero alcohol licence, the legal limit for them is zero alcohol. Driving while affected by drugs ss.11A, 57A)
(Land Transport Act 1998,
A person must not drive or attempt to drive a vehicle while “Impaired, and that person's blood contains evidence of the use of a qualifying drug.” (Land Transport Act 1998, s.2)
Note: A qualifying drug includes Class A drugs, such as heroin, LSD, and methamphetamine (P); Class B drugs, such as amphetamines (speed), morphine, and opium; some Class C drugs, such as cannabis and BZP (the psychoactive ingredient in most illegal “party pills”); and prescription medicines. General driving offences involving alcohol or drugs (Land Transport Act 1998, ss.56-58, 60)
There should never be a first time, if there ever is then its time to give the bottle away. According to the Breath and Blood Alcohol Limits as described under the (Land Transport Act 1998, ss.11, 56, 57)
to stay sick and cold and hungry and not learning. And I reckon it’s no use waiting for the government or any government to do something or anything. We could turn ourselves into one of the greatest philanthropic communities in the world if we liked. Anyone who spends or gives money is in a positon of some control. The fewer people spending or giving money for charity purposes, the more the power for change stays with the people who give out the money. So we need more of us who can, to give more of our money and time to people and causes to help. Whānau, friends, good health and the satisfaction that comes from making a positive difference are what really matters and that is according to me and Sir Richard Branson! Talk about giving. A whole lot like 2,400 secondary school kids from all over New Zealand and as many adults will be in Tūranga for a week loving themselves and kapa haka. It’s ironic that half of our city population wouldn’t have a clue about this. So readers if you see the huge marquee out at the showgrounds and observe the no vacancy signs at most motels, that’s because there are a whole lot of people gathering in their own time, using their own resources to celebrate the best there is in terms of kapa haka in Aotearoa. Reducing poorness and creating a fairer society in Tūranga and Tairāwhiti is our responsibility collectively.
A person must not drive or attempt to drive a vehicle while: •
It is unlawful: • •
To drive or attempt to drive with an excess breath or blood alcohol level To drive or attempt to drive a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs (including
Page 3
• •
•
prescription drugs) to such an extent as to be incapable of having proper control of the vehicle To drive or attempt to drive if a blood test shows a Class A drug To drive or attempt to drive while impaired and with blood that contains evidence of the use of a qualifying drug (including prescription drugs) To fail or refuse to let a blood specimen be taken or to fail or refuse to do a compulsory impairment test when legally required to do so
If a person is convicted of any of these offences they are liable to up to three months' imprisonment or a fine of up to $4,500, and mandatory disqualification for at least six months. If the driver is convicted of a third or subsequent offence the driver is liable to up to two years imprisonment or a fine of up to $6,000, and mandatory disqualification for more than one year. If a person under 20 has a breath alcohol level no more than 150 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath or 30 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood then this is an infringement offence. If they have higher alcohol levels, the maximum penalty is up to three months' prison or a fine of up to $2,250, and they will be disqualified for at least three months. (Land Transport Act 1998, s.83) Note: A consequence of being disqualified for more than one year is that the person must sit the theory test and practical driving tests again if they want to re-qualify for their driver licence. Tairāwhiti Community law Centre is located at 11 Derby Street and you can make an appointment to see one of our staff. Phone: 06 868 3392 Freephone: 0800 452 956 Nā Nikorima Thatcher Legal Education Tairāwhiti Community Law Centre