Jeremiah gathered this handful of hailstones during rather a fierce storm a few days ago
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Jeremiah gathered this handful of hailstones during rather a fierce storm a few days ago
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Look at all the hailstones filling (and blocking) our guttering - Looks just like snow!
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Look at all the hailstones filling (and blocking) our guttering - Looks just like snow!
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Almost as good as ICE CREAM
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Almost as good as ICE CREAM
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Thanks Charmagne for the photos http://www.photoblog.com/Charmagne/2008/07/02/
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Hail like this is as close to seeing snow as we get here in Palmy. The hailstorm was quickly followed by heavy rain, so the hailstones didn't hang around for long.
26 June 2008 - Family Integrity #414 — FAMILY FIRST - Please join our call
Dear Friends,
Let me encourage you to please join this call to get some MPs to force the referendum to go though at the same time as the election in November.
There are only 7 MPs to email. A sample letter of what to say and the email addresses are all reproduced below.
Thanks a million.
Regards,
Craig Smith National Director Family Integrity Ph: (06) 357-4399 Fax: (06) 357-4389 Family.Integrity@xtra.co.nz http://www.FamilyIntegrity.org.nz
Our Home….Our Castle
25 Jun 2008
Would you consider joining our call…
Call for Majority of Parliament
To Demand Election Day Referendum
Family First Media Release 25 June 2008 Family First NZ has written to the leaders of National, Act, NZ First, United Future and the two independent MP’s asking that they form a majority and require the anti-smacking Referendum to be held on Election Day.
Under section 22AA (5) of the Citizens Initiated Referenda Act 1993, a Referendum can be scheduled for polling day if the “House of Representatives passes a resolution requiring the indicative referendum to be held on the polling day for the general election.”
“That is an ordinary 50% majority vote,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. “ We are therefore calling on National, Act, NZ First, United Future and the two independent MP’s to acknowledge the voice of over 350,000 people and require that the Referendum be held at the most obvious and cost-efficient time of the upcoming election.”
“ Any party that votes against this proposal should have the $10 million that it will cost to do a postal ballot charged against their election expenses ,” says Mr McCoskrie.
“If Sir Robert Muldoon could call a 1984 snap election just four weeks before polling day, and the-then National Government in 1999 take only a week to determine Norm Withers’ petition for a referendum on violent crime would be held on election day, it proves that the Prime Minister’s claim that there is not enough time is a cynical and desparate attempt to sweep the issue under the carpet and undermine democracy.”
If the Prime Minister goes ahead and forces the Governor-General to declare that it be held by postal voting, then the majority of Parliament can still require the voting period to close on the day of the general election - s22AB(6)(b)
“This is second best as it is a completely unnecessary waste of taxpayer money,” says Mr McCoskrie.
We are asking that you form a majority in the House and require the anti-smacking Referendum to be held on Election Day.
Under section 22AA (5) of the Citizens Initiated Referenda Act 1993, a Referendum can be scheduled for polling day if the “House of Representatives passes a resolution requiring the indicative referendum to be held on the polling day for the general election.”
That is a simple 50% majority vote.
We are asking you and your party to acknowledge the voice of over 350,000 people who have signed the petitions and require that the Referendum be held at the most obvious and cost-efficient time of the upcoming election.
If the Prime Minister goes ahead and forces the Governor-General to declare that it be held by postal voting, then the majority of Parliament can still require the voting period to close on the day of the general election - s22AB(6)(b). This is second best as it is a completely unnecessary waste of taxpayer money.
If Sir Robert Muldoon could call a 1984 snap election just four weeks before polling day, and the Government in 1999 could take only a week to determine Norm Withers’ petition for a referendum on violent crime would be held on election day, it proves that the Prime Minister’s claim that there is not enough time is an attempt to sweep the issue under the carpet and undermine democracy.
The ability to get 390,000 signatures on a petition is a major feat in itself. Please help us uphold democracy in New Zealand.
Wellington, Lunchtime Q&A session with Christian Academics (12pm-1pm).
Wellington, Public Lecture, “Do we still need God in a self-sufficient age?” (7pm).
Wednesday 11- Saturday 14 June
Wellington, Victoria University, Conference: “Molinism: The Contemporary Debate“.
Saturday 14 June
Live Interview on Radio NZ National with Kim Hill (8.15am).
Sunday 15 June
Palmerston North, “A Perfectly Reasonable Faith”, Two Combined Morning Church Services (additional details here) (Central Baptist Church and Crossroads) (9am and 10:45am). Cost = FREE.
Palmerston North, Evening Church Service: “Does suffering disprove existence of a good and powerful God?“, Christian Community Church (map) (7pm-8:30pm). Cost = FREE.
Monday 16 June
Auckland, “A Critical Response to Richard Dawkins“, Lecture at LR1, Bible College on New Zealand, 80 Central Park Drive, Henderson (7pm).
Auckland, Philosophy Department Seminar (pending).
Wednesday 18 June
Tauranga, “Christian Apologetics: Who needs it?” Bethlehem Community Church Centre, 183 Moffat Road (1pm-3pm).
Tauranga, “Is God a Delusion?“, Bethlehem Community Church Centre, 183 Moffat Road (7pm).
Thursday 19 June
Palmerston North, “Is God a Delusion?” - a public debate between Bill Cooke, vice president of the NZ Assoc. of Rationalists and Humanists, and William Lane Craig. The Regent Theatre on Broadway, Outreach at Town Hall (7pm-8:45pm). Cost = FREE.
Friday 20 June
Palmerston North, “Creation or Coincidence: The biggest question?”, a public lecture at the Russell Room at Wharerata at Massey University, (12:10pm-1:30pm). Cost = FREE.
Friday 20 June (7:30pm-9pm)
Palmerston North, “Who was Jesus of Nazareth?”, An evening of conversation and public outreach service with William Lane Craig, St. Albans Church, 339 Albert Street, Palmerston North. Cost = FREE.
Here is a blog from someone who visited New Zealand recently for six months. He has summed up New Zealand pretty well. I have not read any other posts on his blog. We are not related to the Craig Smith he mentions in his blog. He has a lot of great photos on this page as well.
Family First Media Release 25 June 2008
Email
