Controversial EQC blogger calls it quits

The blogger who released details of thousands of EQC claimants has announced he will stop posting on his site.

And he has also put a call out to anyone who wants to take over running the blog.

In a post on the blog titled 'Goodbye Everyone' the man says he has "virtually written everything that merits attention" and that maintaining the site took up a lot of his time.

"I do believe that my blog has created tremendous public awareness about the nepotism, incompetence, and the systemic problems at EQC", he writes.

He was not sure whether the hiatus would be temporary or permanent, but claims he still has more revelations about EQC.

The former EQC employee is most well known for releasing wrongly obtained details of claimants and posting them online, allowing the public to see their own claim details.

The information was first mistakenly sent to Christchurch man and claims advocate Bryan Staples in March.

The High Court issued an interim injunction against Mr Staples and the blogger preventing further distribution of the information in the email.

The man says the biggest accomplishment of the blog was allowing people to access their claim information.

Read more: Controversial EQC blogger calls it quits - Story - Technology - 3 News http://www.3news.co.nz/Controversial-EQC-blogger-calls-it-quits/tabid/423/articleID/295638/Default.aspx#ixzz2RqXeQvyJ 

By Simon Wong

Online Reporter Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:40a.m.

Dotcom 'defenseless' against extradition - Lawyer

By Simon Wong

Online Reporter

Kim Dotcom's lawyer says the denial of access to his client's seized data has left him defenseless to fight extradition.

Paul Davison QC says failure to provide relevant information taken during the seizure of items at Dotcom's Coatesville mansion is an abuse of process.

Mr Davison made submissions at the Auckland High Court today in response to Crown submissions on Tuesday about whether Dotcom should receive extra compensation and the return of seized items.

The hearing took place before Justice Winkelmann, who has reserved her decision.

Dotcom was not asking for disclosure from the authorities, but was instead asking for his own information back, Mr Davison says.

"The prosecutor seeks to take advantage of any means available to deprive Mr Dotcom [the means] to defend himself".

Mr Davison also asked for any irrelevant information to be handed back.

If the seizure of the items happened in a domestic context without the involvement of the United States government Dotcom would receive clones of the information as a matter of course, he says.

The data would have remained in New Zealand to be reviewed for relevant information and not sent overseas, he says.

Because the information was shipped to the US for review it the defendants were not able to seek redress. 

"[The defendants] are seeking to be in a place where a lawful warrant would have left them in," he says.

Dotcom and the other co-accused offered to provide the encryption codes for the data as part of a process of returning the information.

During submissions on Tuesday the Crown suggested no harm had been done during the raid because no one was misled about the purpose of the search.

Crown lawyer David Boldt said anyone reading the search warrant as well as the arrest warrant would know what the raid was about.

It was earlier found the search warrant used was too general and noted only a breach of copyright.

However Mr Davison says Detective Sergeant Steve Humphreys, the officer in charge of executing the search warrant, could not adequately explain to Dotcom what the charge of racketeering meant.

Neither the police nor the defendants were adequately informed "so the documents didn't help either", he says.

Warrants made sure both parties were clear what the scope of search was and what could be seized, but the search warrant executed on Dotcom was so broad it was "essentially meaningless", he says.

Items taken included keyboards and cables which were unlikely to have relevant information to the case, he says.

3 News

Read more: Dotcom 'defenseless' against extradition - Lawyer - Story - Technology - 3 News http://www.3news.co.nz/Dotcom-defenseless-against-extradition---Lawyer/tabid/423/articleID/294769/Default.aspx#ixzz2RYP6wth9

Lawyers to argue Dotcom raid legality

By Simon Wong

Online Reporter

Lawyers for Kim Dotcom and Crown lawyers have decided to separate claims for compensation from a judicial review into the legality of the raid on Dotcom's mansion, because of the increasing complexity of the case.

At the Auckland High Court this morning, one of Dotcom's lawyers Paul Davison QC asked Justice Winkelmann to allow cross-examination of two senior police officers over issues of credibility.

Detective Inspector Grant Wormald and Assistant Police Commissioner Malcolm Burgess gave evidence at a hearing in August last year.

However, Crown lawyer Kristy McDonald argued cross-examination of witnesses was not appropriate for the judicial review that was already underway.

Today's hearing was a continuation of a hearing last year, in which Dotcom is suing police for damages.

After the lunch break, Mr Davison said he and Ms McDonald had agreed to separate the damages claim and the judicial review process.

Outside court Mr Davison said originally both were to be heard together for expediency, but "more and more issues" had come up making the case more complex including the involvement of the GCSB.

The hearing will continue tomorrow and will focus solely on whether the raid on Dotcom's estate was lawful or not. His lawyers will also be seeking the return of items taken during the search, including hardware and hard drives.

If cross-examining of Mr Wormald and Mr Burgess was granted it would take place at a later hearing.  

Read more: Lawyers to argue Dotcom raid legality - Story - Technology - 3 News http://www.3news.co.nz/Lawyers-to-argue-Dotcom-raid-legality/tabid/423/articleID/294312/Default.aspx#ixzz2QiWoKA1s

Dotcom doesn't need extra compo - Crown

By Simon Wong

Online Reporter

Crown lawyers say internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom should not receive additional compensation because no one was misled about the purpose of the search of his Coatesville estate.

At the High Court in Auckland this morning, Crown lawyer David Boldt said if anyone was to read the search warrant as well as the arrest warrant they would know "it was not only talking about a general breach of copyright".

"If that was the only problem, no additional relief should be appropriate. No harm was actually done," he said. 

A hearing before Justice Winkelmann continued today regarding additional compensation and return of seized items.

It was earlier found the search warrant used was too general and noted only a breach of copyright.

Mr Boldt said even Dotcom, while giving evidence at a hearing in August last year and in an affidavit, said he understood the alleged copyright breach was about the activities of his website Megaupload.

3 News

He asked Justice Winkelmann to "imagine the perfect warrant" and "how, in practical terms, would it have been different to what actually happened".

Dotcom's lawyers are also asking for the return of items seized during the search, including clones of hard drives sent overseas.

Mr Boldt said it was difficult for investigators to sift through the large amount of data to determine what was relevant to the case.

"Just about anything which has digital storage capacity could contain relevant material, including entertainment systems. That needs to be looked at in terms of its relevance before a decision is made to return it," he said.

He asked Justice Winkelmann to consider only the "items at the margins" of what was seized in her decision about compensation.

Core items which would have been taken regardless of the validity of the search warrant should not be considered, he said.

Dotcom's lawyers will respond to the Crown submissions on Thursday.

Read more: Dotcom doesn't need extra compo - Crown - Story - Politics - 3 News http://www.3news.co.nz/Dotcom-doesnt-need-extra-compo---Crown/tabid/1607/articleID/294476/Default.aspx#ixzz2QiWSLlVE

Ministry apologises over Novopay privacy breach

Talent2, providers of Novopay have admitted the latest in a string of privacy breaches

By Simon Wong

Online Reporter

Human error is again being blamed for New Zealand schools receiving the wrong Novopay details.

Acting Secretary for Education Peter Hughes says Talent2, the providers of the beleaguered Novopay system, sent a number of schools the wrong emails about yet-to-be-processed actions regarding their payrolls.

Mr Hughes says a Talent2 staff member made the mistake when doing a mail merge and about 1600 schools are involved. The emails are being used to proactively advise schools of payroll changes that are being worked on.

The case was "human error" and Talent2 has since apologised to the Ministry of Education, he says. 

Mr Hughes says pay administrators at the affected schools have received the names and Ministry of Education numbers for staff at another school, instead of their own, along with the transaction number for the outstanding issue.

"I treat this very seriously and sincerely apologise to those schools and staff,” he says. 

Of the 5600 transactions covered in the email, 3400 identified an individual and about 40 of those had other limited personal information, such as the dollar amount of an advance or underpayment, information about a relationship with another agency or circumstances such as parental leave, Mr Hughes says.

“Privacy requirements are set out in our contract with Talent2, and in this case they have clearly failed to meet the terms of the contract and I have taken that up with their CEO," Mr Hughes says.

He has asked the company's chief executive for a full review and report to make sure everything is done to help prevent another mistake. 

Mr Hughes says the pay administrators who received the incorrect emails are authorised users of the Novopay payroll system and have been asked to delete the incorrect email.

“They’re a respected and professional group of people who deal with personal information daily and I expect they will do the right thing.”

The office of the Privacy Commissioner has been advised of the breach.

This breach is the latest in a string of others including at Immigration NZ, Work and Income, ACC and Inland Revenue

last month the human error was blamed for an Earthquake Commission employee sending out details of 83,000 Canterbury earthquake claims to Bryan Staples.

3 News Tue, 09 Apr 2013 4:33p.m.

Women becoming more money-savvy - study

Only 14 percent of women expected their debt levels to rise (file)

By Simon Wong

Online Reporter

Women are more confident than men when it comes to paying off their credit - a sign the fairer sex is becoming savvier with money, according to a new study.

Dun and Bradstreet’s latest Consumer Credit Expectations survey shows a reversal of historical findings, which normally showed men being more assured of meeting their repayments.

The survey revealed 63 percent of women did not anticipate difficulties meeting their credit obligations in the June quarter this year, compared to 57 percent of men.

Overall 60 percent of Kiwis believe they will find it easier to meet their debt repayments.

Dun and Bradstreet's New Zealand general manager Lance Crooks says the figures show women are being smarter with their money.

“A significant proportion of women are improving their ability to manage their debt and credit obligations, indicating they are becoming more responsible than men when it comes to taking charge of their financial position,” he says.

The figures show women surpassed men for the first time in almost two years when it came to finding it easy to pay off their credit cards, loans and mortgages.

The survey of 909 consumers measured expectations for savings, credit usage, spending and debt performance.

It shows a five percent quarter-on-quarter improvement in the credit repayments outlook for women.

Meanwhile among Kiwi men the number has dropped nine percent.

Only 14 percent of women expected their debt levels to rise compared to 17 percent of men.

Overall national data was also positive with nearly half of Kiwis not planning to use credit cards to pay for otherwise unaffordable purchases, and more than 40 percent indicating they are more likely to save money in the current economic conditions.

3 News

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 7:37a.m.

Key heads to China for trade talks

Prime Minister John Key

By Laura McQuillan

Prime Minister John Key heads to China this weekend leading a large delegation, marking milestones in trade and diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Mr Key will be one of the first world leaders to meet with China's new head of state, President Xi Jinping, and Premier Li Keqiang, who both took office last month.

The visit marks five years since the two countries signed a free-trade agreement - the first such that China signed with any country - which has seen trade triple.

In 2012, New Zealand's exports were worth $6.8 billion, while two-way trade was worth $14.6 billion. The two countries have a goal of $20 billion of two-way trade by 2015.

The potential for further growth is massive as China urbanises and its population becomes more wealthy - and the Government wants the Chinese to spend that money on Kiwi products.

Mr Key will be focusing on three key export areas during his trip: trade, tourism and education.

His delegation includes representatives from primary produce exporters, like Fonterra, Synlait, ANZACO and Alliance Group, four tertiary education providers and an international high school, along with Air New Zealand, Auckland and Christchurch airports and visitor attractions promoters.

Education is New Zealand's biggest market, with more than 24,000 Chinese studying in New Zealand, while tourism is growing rapidly, bringing in nearly 200,000 Chinese visitors in 2012.

Mr Key flies ahead of the delegation to the Boao Forum for leaders in government, business and academia. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, and presidents from Mexico, Peru, Zambia, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Finland, along with business leaders including Bill Gates and George Soros, university and media bosses, and Nobel laureates are among attendees.

It's at the forum that Mr Key will have talks with President Xi - a meeting that also marks 40 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Historically close ties were halted after 1949, when the People's Republic of China (PRC) was formed, until New Zealand formally recognised the PRC in 1972 - at the expense of diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

After the forum, Mr Key flies on to Guangzhou to meet the rest of the delegation, and then to Shanghai and Beijing for face-to-face meetings - the key to doing trade in Asia.

In all three cities, Mr Key will meet senior leaders and attend events to promote New Zealand and support Kiwi businesses operating in China.

He'll open the NZ-China Partnership Forum in Beijing, where he will also address students at Peking University.

He is expected to conclude a series of trade-related agreements with Premier Li at a meeting on Wednesday, where the two may also discuss issues like regional defence, following heightened tensions between North and South Korea, China's human rights, and New Zealand's food safety, after Fonterra kept a milk contamination scandal under wraps for months.

Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples, several iwi and a kapa haka group will also be a part of the delegation, and in Beijing, the group will formally receive a Maori feather cloak, which was given to Chairman Mao Zedong in 1957.

The cloak will be temporarily loaned to Te Papa for display later this year.

Mr Key and the delegation will return to New Zealand on April 13.

NZN