During the late 1980s, the New Zealand Government sold a number of major trading enterprises, including its telecommunications company, railway network, a number of radio stations and two financial institutions in a series of asset sales. Although the New Zealand Government continues to own a number of significant businesses, collectively known as State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), they are operated through arms-length shareholding arrangements as stand alone businesses that are required to operate profitably, just like any privately owned enterprise. Various items of protective legislation establish business objectives yet prevent shareholding governments from having influence over day to day operations of the business.
New Zealand (like Fiji) decided against joining the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901, and instead changed from being a colony to a separate "dominion" in 1907, equal in status to Australia and Canada. New Zealand retained an avowed loyalty to the British Empire of which it formed a part, and contributed proportionally large numbers of troops to aid Britain in the Boer War (1899 - 1902), World War I and World War II (see New Zealand in World War II). New Zealand's complete independence was formalised by the 1926 Balfour Declaration and the 1931 Statute of Westminster, ratified on November 25, 1947. The monarch of the United Kingdom remains the monarch of New Zealand, which has been an independent constitutional monarchy. In 1951, the Legislative Council was abolished as ineffectual, thereby creating a unicameral legislature.
New Zealand does possess the usual cultural activities such as theatre, dance, fine arts, classical and popular music and creative writing. However, due to the small population base and a lack of arts funding sources, many artists have struggled to sustain themselves economically, even though they may achieve popular success. For this reason many of New Zealand's best artists go overseas, especially to Australia, but also to Europe or America, so they can further their careers.
From the 1790s the waters around New Zealand were visited by British, French, and American whaling ships, whose crews sometimes came into conflict with Maori inhabitants. The arrival of traders and missionaries in the 1800s and 1810s added to local disputes. The first full-blooded European infant in the territory, Thomas King, was born in 1815 in the Bay of Islands. The initiation of a programme of large-scale settlement and land purchases in 1839 by the New Zealand Company, coupled with increasing French interest in the islands, finally prompted the British government to take control of the situation.
Because many New Zealanders have to go elsewhere in the world to achieve fame and fortune, New Zealand society is keen to attribute famous people as being New Zealanders, however short their residency in New Zealand might have been. While being born in New Zealand is an absolute qualification for being identified as a New Zealander, attendance at a New Zealand school, or being a permanent resident in New Zealand when fame is initially achieved also qualifies, irrespective of national origin. This sometimes leads to famous people being identified as coming from both New Zealand and another country - often Australia, such as the pop group Crowded House, the actor Russell Crowe, and the Pavlova dessert, all of which are claimed by Aussies and Kiwis as 'theirs'. However, New Zealanders are generally proud to have disowned controversial figures such as Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen.
New Zealand functions as a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government. The basic system is closely patterned on that of the United Kingdom, although a number of significant modifications have been made. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, but actual government is conducted by a Prime Minister and Cabinet drawn from an elected Parliament.
New Zealand is a unitary state rather than a federation regions are created by the authority of the central government, rather than the central government being created by the authority of the regions. Local government in New Zealand has only the powers conferred upon it by Parliament. These powers have traditionally been distinctly fewer than in some other countries. For example, police and education are run by central government, while the provision of low-cost housing is optional for local councils. Many of them used to control ports and gas and electricity supply, but nearly all of that was privatised in the late 20th century.
New Zealand imports much of its cultural material from overseas, particularly from Britain or the United States. Most successful Hollywood films screen on New Zealand cinema screens and New Zealand Television shows a lot of British and American television programmes. It is somewhat ironic that some of these programmes are now made in New Zealand but receive their first screening elsewhere. The New Zealand cinematographic industry is becoming one of the country's major export enterprises, with several major motion pictures being filmed on New Zealand locations recently, including the highly acclaimed film adaptation of Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" directed by the Kiwi Peter Jackson.
Confronted like Australia with the strategic implications of Britain's 20th-century eclipse as a world power of the first rank, New Zealand joined with Australia and the United States in the ANZUS pact in 1951, but the US suspended its defence commitments to the country in 1986 after the then Labour government banned nuclear-powered or armed ships from New Zealand ports.
The remoteness of many parts of New Zealand and the distance of the country from much of the developed world meant that things that were easily obtainable in other parts of the world were often not readily available locally. New Zealand has only recently experienced economic development outside farming, so traditionally, Kiwis are jacks-of-all-trades to some extent, willing to roll up their sleeves and have a go. Most highly industrialised countries produce experts trained in narrow fields of specialisation, but New Zealand professionals are often generalists as well. This reputation often makes New Zealanders uniquely valued employees in overseas organisations.
1.
New Zealand Police - Nga Pirihimana O Aotearoa
New Zealand Police home page - information on the activities and projects of the New Zealand Police. ... New Zealand Police PO Box 3017 Wellington Ph 04 474-9499 Fax 04 498-7400. Text and images copyright 2006 New Zealand Police unless otherwise stated ...
http://www.police.govt.nz/
2.
New Zealand Police
... Read all about it Read Ten-One Community Edition - our monthly magazine for more stories about New Zealand Police in action. NEWCOPS How to join New Zealand Police Home About us Contact us Local ...
http://www.police.govt.nz/
3.
Statistics - New Zealand Police
... the ability to query the New Zealand Police Statistics - allowing you to gather detailed ... pre-formatted reports provided below. Official New Zealand Police Statistics for 2005 ...
http://www.police.govt.nz/service/statistics/
4.
www.govt.nz - Connecting you to New Zealand central ...
... nz - your front door to New Zealand government online Find out all that you need to know about everything that Government has to offer. From drivers' licences to dog licences, tax issues to health ...
http://www.govt.nz/
5.
New Zealand Police - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
... Your continued donations keep Wikipedia running! New Zealand Police. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ... of the New Zealand Police. The New Zealand Police (Ngā Pirihimana o ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_Police
6.
cbs2chicago.com - New Zealand OKs Topless Porn Star ...
... cbs2chicago.com - New Zealand OKs Topless Porn Star Parade ... Lifestyle Beauty & Style Family New Baby Collections Video Slideshows Podcasts ...
http://cbs2chicago.com/watercooler/watercooler_story...
7.
The New Zealand Police Association
Welcome to the. NEW ZEALAND POLICE ASSOCIATION. WHAT'S HOT FOR MEMBERS... PAYROUND UPDATE 4 August 2006 (You will need your membership number and password) Mobile Phone Offer ... For a copy of the external report and other items of interest. New Zealand Police Overseas Recruitment Campaign ...
http://www.policeassn.org.nz/
8.
The New Zealand Police Association
This page uses frames, but your browser doesn't support them.
http://www.nzpa.org.nz/
9.
New Zealand Police NEWCOPS
... This web site provides the most up to date information about joining New Zealand Police ... Phone 0800 NEW COPS (0800 639-2677) New Zealand Police PO Box 3017 Wellington ...
http://www.newcops.co.nz/
10.
cbs2.com - New Zealand OKs Topless Porn Star Parade
... cbs2.com - New Zealand OKs Topless Porn Star Parade ... Lifestyle Beauty & Style Family New Baby Collections Video Slideshows Blogs ...
http://cbs2.com/watercooler/watercooler_story_220234...
11.
MegaLaw - New Zealand
... Authority. Butterworths of New Zealand, Ltd. Legal Publishers ... New Zealand Immigration Service. New Zealand Law Society. New Zealand Police. New Zealand Police Communication Centres ...
http://www.megalaw.com/international/newzealand.php
12.
Australia & New Zealand Police and Emergency Ser...
... PRESS! Dragon Boat changes. Please visit 'What's new' for all the details Sport fee for swimming has ... ... IN THE GAMES. Adelaide will host the World Police and Fire Games in 2007, so the 2005 ANZPES ...
http://www.anzpolicegames.asn.au/home/home.cfm
13.
New Zealand
human rights report 2005 East Asia and the Pacific New Zealand ... New Zealand is a parliamentary democracy with a population of approximately 4.1 million ... ending June 30, 9 new cases of death involving a police officer were received and under ...
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61621.htm
14.
kyw.com - New Zealand OKs Topless Porn Star Parade
... kyw.com - New Zealand OKs Topless Porn Star Parade ... Lifestyle Beauty & Style Family New Baby Collections Video Slideshows In ...
http://cbs3.com/watercooler/watercooler_story_220234...
15.
NSW Police Online
Home Page
You are at: Home Page. Last Updated: 11 Aug 2006. It...
16.
New Zealand Government Police Force Criminal Law &...
... Business Tax Stockmarket Introduction Democracy Elections Income Tax New Zealand Law New Zealand Police Tax Residency New Zealand Information About Auckland About Wellington About Christchurch ...
http://www.residency.co.nz/government/nz-police.html
17.
New Zealand Emergency Vehicles
Pictures of Fire, Police and Ambulance vehicles used in New Zealand.
http://groups.msn.com/NewZealandEmergencyVehicles
18.
New Zealand Police - New Zealand E-government Progra...
... National Library of New Zealand New Zealand Customs Service New Zealand Defence Force New Zealand Police New Zealand Security Intelligence Service Office of the Clerk of the House of ...
http://www.e.govt.nz/resources/research/ready-access...
19.
New Zealand Police Information at Business.com
Agency responsible for enforcing criminal law in New Zealand.
http://www.business.com/directory/government_and_tra...
20.
Scoop - New Zealand News
... An RNZAF Boeing 757 will carry 30 New Zealand Police and travel via Christchurch, where it will uplift 25 infantry soldiers from Burnham Military Camp. An RNZAF Hercules C130 will travel via Fiji to ...
http://www.scoop.co.nz/
21.
Obtaining a Copy of your Criminal Record - Ministry ...
... wish to apply for residence in a foreign country. In New Zealand, there is no such document ... No. The New Zealand Police processes requests for information for organisations/agencies ...
http://www.justice.govt.nz/privacy
22.
New Zealand
New Zealand. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2003. Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. February 25, 2004 ... New Zealand is a parliamentary democracy, with executive authority vested in a 20-member ... The Minister of Police oversees the national police. The civilian authorities maintained ...
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2003/27783.htm
23.
New Zealand Teachers Council
... to Confirmation registration all require a New Zealand Police vet and may require applicants to obtain overseas ... Processing times for the New Zealand Police Vetting service vary ...
http://www.teacherscouncil.govt.nz/
24.
BBC NEWS
UK
UK police relocate to New Zealand
25.
New Zealand Police Museum, Wellington, New Zealand -...
New Zealand Police Museum, Wellington, New Zealand: Find photos, descriptions, maps, and expert advice on things to do in Wellington, New Zealand on Yahoo! Travel.
http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2889511-new_ze...
26.
www.NO BULLY.co.nz
Part of the Telecom/Police Stop Bullying Campaign.
http://www.nobully.org.nz/
27.
New Zealand Army - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
New Zealand Army. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. New Zealand Army. Ngati Tumatauenga. Components. History. Notable Units ... The New Zealand Army (or NZ Army) is the land armed force of the New Zealand military and comprises ... Corps of Royal New Zealand Military Police. New Zealand Intelligence Corps ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_Army
28.
PTSD in the New Zealand Police
... PTSD in the. New Zealand Police. The Australasian Journal of Disaster ... environmental variables in the model with 527 New Zealand police officers who responded to a questionnaire survey ...
http://www.massey.ac.nz/~trauma/issues/1997-1/cvs1.h...
29.
Dynamic DNS for your IP Address
Get a static domain name for your dynamic IP address - dynamic dns.
http://www.nzppb.dns2go.com/
30.
The NZ Police
... New Zealand is a remarkably safe and law-abiding society. The New Zealand Police do not carry firearms ... to learn more about how the New Zealand police can help you ...
http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/settlementpac...
31.
PHR2004 - New Zealand
... Article 21 of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 states "Everyone has the right to be ... In 2002/2003 the New Zealand Police sought and were granted 31 ...
http://www.privacyinternational.org/article.shtml?cm...
32.
LEGear Law Enforcement Police Security Military Equi...
LEGear Galls Australia supply Police equipment security products and military and outdoor equipment in Australia and New Zealand. Suppliers to New Zealand and Australia Police including maglite leatherman Damascus Truspec and products from ... IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FOR NEW ZEALAND CUSTOMERS. On July the 1st 2006 the LEGEAR New Zealand Website was combined with ...
http://store.legearstore.com/
33.
New Zealand - Intelligence Agencies
A profile of French intelligence agencies. ... New Zealand Police. Criminal Intelligence Bureau [CIB ... Communications Security Bureau [GCSB] New Zealand Police. New Zealand Trade Development Board Market Intelligence ...
http://fas.org/irp/world/new_zealand
34.
New Zealand Police Find Registration Useless
Posted on 01/24/2005 12:46:33 PM PST by caltrop. New Zealand Police Find Registration Useless By Joseph P. Tartaro Executive Editor
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1327490/pos...
35.
Governments on the WWW: New Zealand
Links to websites of governmental institutions and political parties in New Zealand.
http://www.gksoft.com/govt/en/nz.html
New Zealanders will tell you that there is so much more to see and do in New Zealand, than just what you see in the brochures.
Whether its a holiday, or on business, New Zealand is increasing in popularity amongst us Brits - and rightly so!
Thats why its important to get your travel plans sorted out properly, and in our opinion, flight, holiday and hotel specialists Opodo offer the best service online - but you can find that out for yourself here...
The UK's Best Online New Zealand Resource Site map New Zealand Resources