More Police on the Botany Beat
Police crime statistics released yesterday revealed that family violence continues to be a major problem in New Zealand. Recorded violence rose by 7 percent during the year to 30 June 2009, driven almost entirely by recorded family violence which increased by 13.5 percent.
Too many families continue to live in terror of the threat of violence within their homes. Domestic violence is an evil that casts a shadow over the lives of too many New Zealanders - particularly children, the most vulnerable in our society.
The Government has introduced new legislation to tackle family violence, including the Child and Family Protection Bill, which will focus on keeping children safe, and the Domestic Violence (Enhancing Safety) Bill, which will allow police to issue on-the-spot safety orders to help protect victims of domestic violence.
The crime statistics also showed increases in drugs offences and dishonesty offences.
Just as well that Botany will soon be getting a boost in police numbers. As of 2 November, 120 new police officers will be deployed to the frontline in Counties Manukau.
These additional resources will improve the ability of police in Botany to prevent and respond to crime, and will increase the visibility of police on the streets.
This latest deployment of police officers is part of the National-led Government's commitment to increase community safety by boosting police numbers by 600. By the end of 2010, 300 additional officers will be assigned to the Counties Manukau police district.
Shining Botany Businesses
Botany businesses shined at the Westpac Manukau Business Excellence Awards. The awards began 16 years ago to recognise, encourage, and assist business growth and development. I attended the award ceremony and was impressed by the high standards set by the entries.
National Aluminium was the Supreme Winner of the 2009 Westpac Business of the Year Award. Boardertown, a business started by young people at the Botany Town Centre, won the New Zealand Herald Small Business of the Year and the Wiri Licensing Trust Excellence and Emerging Business Award. The founder of Holyake Industries, Noel Holyoake, was inducted into the Manukau Business Hall of Fame.
I was honoured to present the ACC Workplace Safety Award to OfficeMax, which relocated its head office to Highbrook a year ago. OfficeMax also won the Manukau water Excellence in Environmental Management Award.
Congratulations to all Botany Businesses for their outstanding achievements in what was seen as the most competitive round of awards so far.
You may recall from my previous newsletter that I met young Chuck at the Young Enterprise Scheme Greater Auckland Trade Fair. I was delighted to see him again at this award ceremony. I was hardly able to recognise him in black tie! He is certainly one to watch in the line up of future winners.
MP's Busy Life?
Whenever I meet with Botany people, they often assume that I'm extremely busy. Indeed I live up to that assumption, especially last Saturday.
In the morning, I gave a speech to the Association of Anglican Women's annual conference, marking over 40 years of service to their communities. This conference was attended by hundreds of women from all over New Zealand, including 33 guests from Samoa, Fiji, and Tonga.
Afterwards, I joined Trelise Cooper and the all-women building team at the Habitat for Humanity at the Viaduct Basin, where I learned how to do a "cut in" and paint job. Now I'm ready to paint my deck over Christmas!
Then I attended a prizegiving for the New Settlers Service Chinese language speech competition. One of the competitors was a five-year old girl with a Chinese mother and a Pakeha father, and although it was not her first language, she gave an inspiring and fluent speech in Mandarin. The next minute, I heard a booming voice behind me call, "Pansy Wong!" Expecting perhaps a member of the Opposition, I turned to see that five-year old girl, who then proceeded to introduce herself to me. I told the audience that she is destined for politics.
In the evening, I joined hundreds at the Auckland Chinese communities' combined China National Day Banquet to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the founding of the Peoples' Republic of China and mid-autumn festival.
Half-way through the banquet, I needed to leave to visit three Hindu temples across Auckland to celebrate Navarathri (the beginning of spring) with Auckland's Indian communities. Over the course of the evening I found myself dancing with hundreds of Indian New Zealanders ... without a drop of alcohol in sight!
