4 March 2011

Thanks Student Volunteer Army

The Green Party thanked the Student Volunteer Army in Christchurch today, as the army wound down major operations.

Organised by Canterbury students, the student army recruited hundreds of volunteers to shovel liquifacted soil, leaflet, and door knock in areas badly affected by Christchurch’s devastating earthquake.

“The Canterbury student union deserves a medal for the efforts of the army,” said Green Party Tertiary Education spokesperson Gareth Hughes.

“They have shown exceptional leadership and community spirit.”

The army also enlisted squadrons, made up of three to five people who had their own transport and equipment, and then assigned them jobs.

Green Party MP Kennedy Graham and volunteers formed a squadron this week and went door knocking in Parklands and other suburbs. They were able to reach out to many vulnerable and isolated residents, some of whom said that the humanitarian visit was the first they had received.

“On behalf of the Green Party, I thank the student volunteer army for the tremendous job they have done, and the hope they have inspired,” said Mr Hughes.

To mark the end of their major operations, comedians and musicians will descend on UCSA carpark this afternoon.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On Failures Of Care For Those With Mental Disabilities

Hard to imagine a more disturbing insight into the treatment of the vulnerable than the Health Ministry report on Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau. The Ministry has found that the country’s only kaupapa Maori intellectual disability residential care provider has been “seriously dysfunctional.”

The ministry says the business has failed to recruit and retain quality staff – and says the kaimahi (caregivers) that have been employed are seriously unsuitable for the job, lacking basic knowledge. But Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau doesn’t get all the blame. The report says there’s a significant gap under disability laws to ensure there’s oversight by qualified clinical professionals. More>>