The Star: September 15, 2016

16 Thursday September 15 2016
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The Star
Viewpoint
EDITORIAL
Rugby, racism
. . . and a stripper
IT’S BEEN a turbulent week for
rugby.
There was the fallout from
New Zealand Rugby Union
over the inquiry into the Chiefs
stripper saga, and revelations
she was manhandled during the
post Super season mad Monday
antics.
There was
criticism of
how independent
the NZRFU
inquiry was.
As the Chiefs
and New
Zealand rugby
have found,
players, too
much booze,
and a stripper
don’t mix well
in these days of social media
and much more transparency
demanded of our sporting stars.
It has been a public relations
disaster for the Chiefs and to a
lesser extent the NZRFU.
The All Blacks restored order
of sorts by grabbing the headlines
with another magnificent
display, demolishing Argentina
in Hamilton on Saturday.
But that was a just a refreshing
interlude for the code as another
cauldron continued to boil
away.
Late last week it was revealed
the stand-off between St Thomas
of Canterbury and Christ’s
College over racism allegations
could not be resolved amicably.
There was an allegation that
a Christ’s player called a St
Thomas’s player “a f.... black
African rat” during an under 14
match.
Yes, that’s correct – under 14s.
So we’re talking 13-year-olds
here.
It could have and should
have been resolved between
the schools. St Thomas’ wanted
the accused player to apologise
through a restorative process.
But Christ’s disputed whether
the incident actually took place,
and it was from here that the
situation turned to custard.
A formal
complaint was
then lodged
by St Thomas,
lawyers were
engaged, a
hearing held
and 13-year-old
rugby players
thrown into the
judicial cauldron
where they gave
evidence.
This week
the saga continued to dominate
headlines. The complaint was
upheld and now the CRFU will
follow a process of determining
the penalty, which will be potentially
followed by an appeal
process if Christ’s wish to go
down that track.
So more bad publicity coming
for rugby.
The best way of ending this
sorry saga would be to follow
the initial wish of St Thomas
principal Christine O’Neill.
All, she and the recipient of the
racial abuse wanted, was an
apology.
Christ’s had every right to dispute
if they truly believed their
player had been falsely accused.
But it appears the evidence at
the CRFU hearing hasn’t supported
that.
It’s now time to shake hands
and move on.
And a final word on the
Chiefs’ saga: The real judges
there will be the players’ wives
and girlfriends.
We said:
A Givealittle page aiming to
raise $1m for David Bain is
floundering. The donations
are currently sitting at
$11,730.
You said:
Lauren Bailey – I saw this
Givealittle page a few weeks ago
and it turned my stomach. As
many people have said, the page
is for people in need.
Mr Bain is hardly out of pocket.
There are children, heck even
adults on the Givealittle page,
with serious life-threatening illnesses
– cancer, tumours, liver/
brain/heart diseases – and there
are people giving money to this
guy (who in reality, we don’t 100
per cent know whether he did
or didn’t commit the heinous
murders) over these poor, and
deserving people.
Obviously the Givealittle organisers
have approved the page
but I feel it’s a complete abuse
and mockery of the good that
they do.
TC Castle – Sorry, but
Givealittle is for people in need.
How about opening a Givealittle
page for Christchurch people
who are still effected by the 2011
Comprehensive programme
THE Household Incomes Report
is showing growing incomes,
no increase in poverty, and
housing costs that justify
the Government’s focus on
addressing housing needs in New
Zealand.
Every year, the Ministry for
Social Development releases a report
on the incomes and spending
of New Zealand households.
Released last week, the 2014/2015
report is showing improvements
on a range of fronts and confirms
the issue of rising housing costs
that the Government is addressing
with our comprehensive
housing programme.
Incomes have increased
February earthquake? A lot of
those people still don’t have quality
of life.
David Bain has already been
paid out. Get your priorities
right.
Tanya Didham – There was
enough evidence, and he was
sent to prison for life. Without
the continued misguided efforts
of Joe Karam, his case would not
have been revisited.
He was acquitted in 2007
because police did such a poor
job of collecting and storing evidence
from the scene (thinking it
was open and shut), that reasonable
doubt could be successfully
argued. However, he was not
proved innocent, and he was not
paid compensation; but rather a
bizarre $925,000 bribe from the
Ministry of Justice to stop taking
strongly since 2011, with incomes
before housing costs rising just
under three per cent per year in
real terms.
These increases were also
shared reasonably evenly across
all income groups. In fact, since
the Global Financial Crisis,
the median household income
has increased by 12 per cent,
outperforming most developed
legal action – which presumably
he agreed to.
We said:
Eleven year-old Jesse
George thought he was
having a regular check up
when his care worker Paul
Graham came to his house
last week. But instead, he
was told he was going to
Disneyland, thanks to Koru
Care Christchurch and Air
New Zealand.
You said:
Gerry Brownlee
Kathryn Robinson – I had
tears rolling down my face when
I saw this in the paper this morning.
I’m so pleased for Jesse, he’s
an awesome young man and this
trip will be incredible.
countries, including the United
States and the United Kingdom.
Additionally, there is no evidence
for rising income inequality.
The income gains are not all
to the rich, as some people are
claiming.
Instead, the top one per cent
have seen their share of income
steady or falling since the mid-
1990s.
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