The question of secrecy looms large over the newly announced Royal Commission into the country's security agencies. Nigel Hampton QC is a lawyer with extensive experience of top-level inquiries, including the Royal Commissions in the Pike River disaster and the Canterbury earthquakes. He talks to Guyon Espiner.
The Education Ministry has apologised after a critical report from the Chief Ombudsman said the ministry failed to fully inform Christchurch schools before revealing plans in 2012 to close and merge 38 of them following the Christchurch earthquake.
Angry reaction to Government energy strategy, Tizard questions Goff's ability to win election, Auckland agencies criticised for secrecy, Christchurch residents worried as winter approaches, Foreign language students scared off by earthquakes, Christchurch's tourism flickers to life but limited by quake, and Harawira aims for April 30th launch of new party.
Text across the top reads 'Wearing burqas and veils could limit job prospects...' The cartoon shows a crowd of people hidden under a huge burqa-like cloth. A man peers from both ends of the crowd and one of them says 'Well, we work behind a veil and STILL have jobs... And so do all our mates!' The man at the other end gives a cheerful thumbs up. There is a great deal of whispering about 'jobs for the...' and 'split contracts'. Above is a notice that reads 'Council job contract meeting'. Context - Complaints have been laid with the Auditor-General's Office about the Christchurch City Council's handling of consultants' contracts (to do with the rebuilding of the city after the earthquakes). City councillors have been questioning the council's awarding of more than $2.8 million of contracts to consultants. The burqa has been in the news lately with bus-drivers refusing to accept women in burqas on their buses. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).