Do we have the right to speak and seek the truth ?

Four years ago  I asked some questions about  the animal welfare institute of new Zealand.(AWINZ)

It plays a public role in law enforcement and   contracts to Central and Local Government. And has obtained significant  public funds through  a fundraising campaign using  council logos,  with which they have sued me  in an attempt  to silence me .

I proved categorically that this “organisation’ did not exist as a legal person in its own right and was nothing more than a trading name for one person.

In four years of questioning accountability with the crown   nothing has been done . Rodney Hide the Mp for local government and  my local MP  who    helped me before the last elections  now claims through his staff  that there is a conflict of   interest.

Does this mean that the crown condones the use of fictitious organisations?

Why can’t I get a reply  from the Ombudsmen   why is the office of the auditor general  dismissing me   when they should be asking questions  why  the  government and local government  contracted to a trading name .

Why does the government condone some one writing legislation for   their own business ventures?

Why do truth and honest play such small roles  and  why are persons  such as myself persecuted for speaking and seeking the truth.

Do we condone  the  use of  fictitious names ? If so why don’t we all start using trading names?

For your next contract   you could be  Peter Pan , Mary Poppins   it appears that it is acceptable to  Government  after all if it is OK  by the auditor general for Waitakere city  and MAF to  contract to a fiction  why can’t  we  each become one .. one  rule  for all  is what I say !

How can New Zealand  be the least corrupt  if we condone the use  of fictional names?

Animal Welfare Prosecutions – all $$$ no accountability

There are moves afoot to Privatise Dog and stock control which has been the role of  councils.

Auckland city already  contracts dog control  out to animal control services and many dog owners  have experienced the diligence  with which this private enterprise enforces the  legislation.. there Is no secret in this as to   why.. it is because it is lucrative.

Imagine then  if  this service is extended to  give the dog control officer  powers  such as  the SPCA inspectors have, the dog control officer is suddenly not limited

• To Dogs
• Public places
• Offences relating to   dog control

The extension of their powers would mean that

• There is enforcement of strict liability offences.. You own the cat they claim it is suffering.. Therefore you are guilty.
  • Yes   you can try to defend it  but the  $150  fine will need to be weighed up against the $350 per hour which you’re your lawyer will cost you .
• Any prosecution undertaken  will result in the  fines  returned to  the complaint  “approved organisation  “Section 171 Animal welfare act- this has to be easier than competing with other charities.

So who are the approved Organisations.

The RNZSPCA by virtue of section  189   is an approved organisation , under its umbrella  come the various branches of the RNZSPCA and the  various SPCA societies which are members.

When an  SPCA member society  or RNZSPCA Branch  recommends a person to the  RNZSPCA be appointed as an Inspector  and that person is appointed  then that  member society  or  branch also becomes an approved Organisation   section 190 .

There is one other approved organisation   this  is  the animal welfare institute of New Zealand  (AWINZ)  It resulted  from a Pilot programme  which a previous RNZSPCA director set up  in Waitakere city,  AWINZ   unlike the RNZSPCA  societies and trusts  is not a legal  person  and is nothing but a trading name to facilitate a concept  which    was documented in 1996  territorial animal welfare authority , effectively  it is a fiction to  which the central and local government have contracted without  checking to see if  it did exist.

At that time of writing the above document  Mr Wells   was located  at No 1 Rankin avenue, the same building as the RNZSPCA.

Mr Coutts   a recruitment manager was also in the same building , he was later to become a “trustee” of AWINZ    and when the RNZSPCA shifted  he also relocated   and  remains today in adjoining offices in Great north road

AWINZ “ contracted” to  Waitakere city  through the manager of animal welfare   Tom Didovich , who  collected  and witnessed the signatures on the trust deed  for AWINZ

Mr Didovich is now national education and branch support manager for the RNZSPCA .

Only one other  organisation  has  ever applied to become an “ approved “ organisation   this was the INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR THE PROTECTION OF HORSES (NEW ZEALAND) INCORPORATED . It applied  to become an approved organisation through MAF and failed     but  has over come the issue  by  changing its name to SPCA AUCKLAND HORSE WELFARE AUXILIARY INCORPORATED    , it is now  under the umbrella of the RNZSPCA    and has   an inspector making it an approved organisation by virtue of section 190  of the act.

And so it appears that  there will be  limitless  possibilities  for   non existent organisations  “ such as AWINZ”   and  for  any organisation   who will change its name and ( possibly for a fee or return on earnings ) to come under the umbrella  of the RNZSPCA   and start enforcing animal welfare.

I suspect that It will not be the serious  stuff which will be enforced , but they will  approach the broken windows  concept  with the pretence that   making people aware of the rights of animals .. its been done before.. speed cameras traffic wardens , swimming pool charges.

It is already happening over seas  http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/Pensioner-banned-from-keeping-pets.6187161.jp

It will  not about  helping animals  it will be about $$$$$$

But worst of all   there is no accountability for animal welfare Inspectors, there is no register , they are not accountable to a tribunal  and there is no  clear cut   complaints  procedure which holds them accountable.

So the scenario will be  that the more they  bring in by way of prosecution  the more the society they represent will earn, the higher their wages will be..

Mr Wells    promoted the AWINZ concept using a  flyer http://www.verisure.co.nz/profit%20in%20animals.pdf there is profit in animals… He wrote the animal welfare act  , to facilitate this concept  he was  independent legal adviser to the select committee  and  adviser to MAF  during the time the  legislation was being considered.

To privatise Dog and stock control  without reviewing the animal welfare act would be extremely dangerous.

Open letter Official information act request and privacy act request Minister of local Government.

Open letter      Official information act request  and privacy act request Minister of local Government.

This week I was told that I could not meet with you with regards to the issues relating Waitakere city council  ,I was told that this would be a conflict of interest with your port folio  and it was suggested to me that I should speak to some  other MP’s out west  even though you are also my   local MP.

The circumstances are that Waitakere city council is allowing their dog and stock control officers  to volunteer their   services  ( council  paid time ) to  an “organisation”  which I believe  does not have any legal standing.

Circumstances

In 1999 , Neil Wells, who is now the manager of the dog pound at WAITAKERE council   , made an application to the minister of agriculture for  a trust (which he claimed existed   , but in reality had no signed deed  )  , to become an approved organisation under the animal welfare act , an act which he himself  had  had significant in put in.  ( he wrote the bill ,  was independent  advisor to  the select committee and legal advisor to MAF )

The “ trust “ for want of a better word was   given approved status, but none of the trustees  had any  legal accountability  because  only one person ( WELLS)  without any verifiable evidence of his ability to act for and on behalf of  the others,  made the application in their names.

And so it was that  the animal welfare Institute, a trading name  purportedly for  Neil Wells, Nuala Grove, Sarah Giltrap and  Graeme Coutts  became an approved organisation  without    checking to see if the  latter three had any idea of the responsibility they were taking on or even consenting to it.

In 2006 I asked who or what AWINZ was, I was promptly sued   to  stop me from asking   revealing  questions.  But it did flush out a trust deed  in fact it  flushed out two  despite   Mr wells claiming in 2000  that here was only one copy and this had been sent to the  registrar for  the purpose of registering the trust  under the charitable trust act  1957  ( this  obviously never happened ) I  do wonder how the original trust deed came to be returned  when the registrar had no record of having received it( only certified copies are sent   usually )

When the   deed surfaced in 2006 Two Trustees allegedly resigned , again this was all hearsay and no  documentary evidence .

A new trustee came on board   again   no  documentation and no signed deed , this alleged trustee was   Wyn Hoadley.

Imagine trying to collect a debt from AWINZ  , who would pay you?  Who would be accountable?

I can assure you that if it was a debt you were collecting  you would  not have  been able to hold any one accountable  except perhaps Mr Wells  who  was the only real person identified in the transaction.

Incredibly then   Three people  who were not the same people as those who were give approved status then sued me ,  to do this  they used the charitable funds  which were raised  amongst other means   by using  council logos and sending solicitation letters  out with dog registration  papers.

Together  with  former manager of animal welfare Waitakere city ( who witnessed the original  trustees signatures)  joined those who were suing me   and  in December 2006 these people formed a trust  which they also named Animal welfare institute of New Zealand.

But these people  using the same trading name  were not the same   “ trust “ as the people  who had  obtained approved status.

Think of it these terms  , if these people had bought a  house ,  the name  which would have been on the  title  would  have been those of the trustees.  Each trustee would have had to have signed the real estate papers and  the transfer papers.

The  trustees who resigned  would have had to have had their names removed from the title  and  any new ones entered onto the title before they could  lay claim to being a trustee holding interesting that property.

I wish to make it clear that we are not talking about a family trust we are dealing with a  law enforcement agency  capable of  seizing peoples pets and prosecuting people   for what in extreme circumstances could  be their inability to afford vet fees.. a law enforcement  agency  which assured the minister that  it  would have accountability to the  public  by virtue  of  its registration  as a legal person by virtue of the charitable trust act.   ( this process takes  a mater of d ay  yet AWINZ claimed to be in the process  from August 1999  to March2000  and by 2006  was still not registered, Mr wells did manage to  register at leats  four other trusts in that same period )

What is more the legislation which was written   by  Mr Wells  was written   with intent to facilitate his  own business venture and   provides  for  “ approved “ organisations  to  receive the   fines  back into their own coffers ( section 171 Animal welfare act).

The inspectors  are not subject to the   vigorous regulations which e.g. private Investigators  who have no  law  enforcement powers at all  are subjected to and  given the fact that the “ organisation “ to which they are accountable  does not  in reality exist  there can  be no accountability at all.

The whole concept of   approved organisations comes from Mr wells a former RNZSCA director, I   have been told that the RNZSPCA paid for his law degree.  He and Mr. Didovich established the  scheme in Waitakere, Mr Didovich is not  well established in the hierarchy  of the RNZSPCA

Official information request  Minister of local Government.

1. Your office  has advised me that a  public discussion paper is going to be published in February next year. I have been told by SPCA officers that  Dog and stock control is to be privatised ,  Please advise  If this paper  is with regards to the privatisation of  dog and stock control currently undertaken by councils.

1. As it is obvious that something is contemplated and that  those in the animal  welfare sector are aware of  what  is in the pipe line   could you please advise  if there is a policy which   allows  certain people to become aware of impending  changes  before public consultation has even begun.( and is still so distant )

1. Please also advise if it is appropriate that some  sectors of the community are for warned about  such policy changes.

1. The Waikato animal welfare foundation , which  I believe has close connections with  the Waikato SPCA trust  which Mr  Wells  was a foundation  trustee of (  taking  charge of $400,000  of the RNZSPCA’s money)  has  announced  developments  at WINTEC.  Please advise if  you have been communicating with Wintec or any one involved with this foundation  with regards to the facilitation of training for the council  staff   and  others  to  be trained to replace the council  dog  and stock control officers.

1. I would  like to mention here that UNITEC  tendered for and won the contract  at the time that the animal welfare Act became law, it was no surprise that Mr Wells who had written the act was also lecturing at Unitec and had written the course to   go hand in hand with the act.  Many would say that this is using inside information and it  appears to me that history is about to repeat.

1. If you believe that it is a conflict of interest to   speak to me  with regards to lack of accountability of the animal welfare  institute of New Zealand   ,its involvement in Waitakere  city and use of the  public funds obtained through council connections, do you then  condone  such practice  or is  it simply that you do  not wish to   be formally aware of the situation  because that would throw a spanner in the works  for privatisation  which I am aware Act supports.

1. I  wish to draw your attention to  the fact that you were helping me with this mater before  you became  a minister, you disapproved of the  practice then,   has your status as minister made this practice acceptable? Why do you  seemingly condone this action now  when  previously  you were pro active about exposing   this conflict of interest?

1. Please provide  copies of all documents, correspondence , notes and  jottings  with regards  to and from  any  approved organisation, to and from  Maf , SPCA, RNZSPCA, AWINZ,  training   establishments such as Wintec, Unitec and the Waikato animal welfare foundation   with regards to
   1. Privatising  dog and or stock control
   2. Amalgamating council   dog and stock control with  animal welfare.
   3. Reviewing animal welfare  services
   4. Reviewing dog and stock control services.

1. What cost benefit analysis  have been undertaken  and what conflict of interest precautions do you  have in mind.

Further   as per the provisions of the Privacy act    I would  like you to supply all correspondence which  the  minister of local government  and  his department  holds which pertains to me personally  and to my company Verisure Investigations Limited.

And I was  also wondering if you could please provide me with some inside information too so that I can set up a business venture based on   information which is not yet in the public realm so that I can be ahead of others   in the tender process.. I do believe that this is an equal opportunity country  if it  good enough for some   to be in the know  then it must be good enough for all .

I will be posting this letter and   the reply on my Blog   at https://anticorruptionnz.wordpress.com/, I hope you can treat this reply with urgency so as not to keep the readers, which will include all SPCA’s and local bodies ,in suspense.

Regards

Grace Haden

Phone (09) 520 1815
mobile 027 286 8239
visit us at  www.verisure.co.nz

Breaking news Privatisation of dog and stock control

This week I  was told by Rodney Hides office that  he could not meet with me due to a conflict of interest  due  to a public discussion paper which is going to be released  next February… all I knew  was that it has not yet been written   .

I have been questioning  why a local  government  contracts  animal welfare services to a trading name for an undisclosed  trust  and there are no documents  which contract council to a  legal person . What complicates this is that the person representing the trust  ,   is also the council manager   and effectively contacts public services  to himself .

Rodney Hide  is the minister of local Government and he is my Local MP and it looks as though   he is planning his next move after  he has the super city  set up .The council manager who   in my opinion has made false statements to the crown   and  has worked with a pretend trust  then set another trust up to  give it some  substance  is also so the man who wrote the legislation which now appears to me to be being used to privatize dog and stock control, legislation which has  wide sweeping powers and little accountability for the  enforcers   and  will be a licence to print money.

We are not supposed to know   what is next on the  menu  but it appears that some already know and are actively planning     and this  is one year  before the  public discussion paper is going to come out .  so why are some already in the know    and How democratic is  al of this?

From information I have received from various sources  I am  of the belief that  Dog and stock control will be taken from councils and the SPCA will take over this role.   The SPCA  and the RNZSPCA  will take on extra inspectors , actually I believe that the RNZSPCA will be   wound up  and new SPCA’s  with new constitutions take over.

Royal New Zealand SPCA’s National Chief Executive, Robyn Kippenberger and Rodney Hide are well connected as Robyn was none other  than Robyn Mc Donald   who  was in parliament with  Rodney  when she was a NZ First list MP.

Despite millions of dollars stashed in  trusts, the RNZSPCA is pleading poverty ,this lack of funds  was brought about by tactical measures which moved  significant sums into  other trusts as with the Waikato branch of the RNZSPCA . A recent  example of   shifting of  funds can be seen at SPCA: benefactor’s cash safely invested | Stuff.co.nz

In the mean time  more branches are popping up  the  International league of  horses , which  tried to become an approved organisation and failed  has now   become a branch of the SPCA

Many RNZSPCA Inspectors volunteer their time and get little support while the Business  of the SPCA grows using the legislation written by a former director  and gives them much power and  little accountability or transparency.

Few see the significance of the  blurring of boundaries   with the SPCA and the RNZSPCA   much confusion is occurring here and  no one seems to  be asking questions.

What is significant is the   select committee is  currently looking at increasing the penalties  for animal welfare offences.  My  submission was rejected and I believe this to be   so that   the conflicts of interests  and the  fact that these penalties  are payable to  the  enforcement authorities can remain out of public view.

While this is going on preparations have already commenced for the training of the extra officers  and I am picking that this is going to be done through  the Waikato Animal Welfare Foundation, which  just like  AWINZ  is just a name and not a  legal person .

See  news items  http://www.infonews.co.nz/news.cfm?l=69&t=72&id=50174

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1003/S00362.htm

http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/3526478/New-home-will-be-animal-haven

Hands up who would  like to write the  legislation for their own business venture, then   with as little accountability as possible   enforce offences  which are strict liability  and  collect the   fines yourself  all set in motion  without  consultation to the  public.

Looks to me  like  an open door to corruption.  So why Won’t Rodney speak to me ?  does he support corruption? or does  he not grasp  that  councils  should not allow managers to contract to themselves and avail themselves  of public money by  using council staff for   their private purposes or fundraise  for services provided  by council staff  and  put money in a private bank account  held in a  trading name  for undisclosed persons.

Perhaps its time Rodney looked up the definition of corruption as provided by the  United Nations convention against corruption  and   if New Zealand is at all  serious about ratifying the convention then  turning a blind eye  takes us further from that objective.