The article highlighting their plight has been pulled from the NZ Herald's website.

On Wednesday, Wellington NZ Herald reporter, Georgina Campbell, reported that migrant bus drivers have been brought to the Capital and are being put up without the bare essentials.

The migrant bus drivers lack basics like beds and mattresses, heaters, kitchen utensils, washing machines and fridges.

Campbell was responding to an appeal by a Wellington woman posted on a community Facebook page, saying she is helping 18 Filipino migrant bus drivers.

The woman says the drivers have been in the city for around three weeks and need help as they head into winter.

Daran Ponter, the Greater Wellington Regional Council chairman, confirmed he had received a screenshot of a Facebook post in a community group.

Ponter says he passed the Facebook screenshot on to the Regional Council's public transport arm, Metlink.

The post asked if anyone could lend household items.

"We are bus drivers here in Wellington. We are new here. Happy to pay if they are selling cheap. (sic.) Very much appreciated. Thank you," the post said.

Commenting on behalf of NZ Bus in Wellington, Russell Turnbull said all new drivers to the country employed by the company received settlement support during their first four to six weeks here.

This included accommodation provided by NZ Bus, Turnbull said.

However, the level of care is being questioned by neighbours of one of the migrant driver groups.

"They're new to the country and don't even know how to get rid of their rubbish," one man told CathNews.

The man who wished to remain anonymous said he shouted these migrants a roll of City Council rubbish bags and explained how the rubbish system worked.

"Their English was good and once they knew what to do they were fine."

Quick to retort, "But I'll shout them another bag again next week if I need to."

Before his neighbourly intervention, rubbish was left in black bags and not collected at the gate.

"It's really basic stuff and very unfair," he said.

CathNews contacted the man again on Thursday, asking if he noticed any change.

"Yes," he laughed.

"The City Council have visited and left a notice in all the residents' letterboxes saying that rubbish put out in black bags won't be collected."

Raising his eyebrow, he sighed, "Very helpful."

However, Wellington Regional Council Transport Committee chairman Thomas Nash told the NZ Herald that the well-being of drivers is important.

Nash said that the council is making every effort to ensure the migrant drivers are looked after and have a good experience.

He also acknowledged it wasn't easy coming to a new country.

"It's expensive, there are always set-up costs, and it's always helpful when employers, friends, family, community groups and neighbours help out.

"To everyone who is doing that for any new workers who are coming into Wellington, we are very grateful," he said.

The Wellington Regional Council is hiking rates by a massive 17.8% in part to attract bus drivers and further decarbonise its bus fleet.

The Capital is struggling to get on top of its shortage of some 125 drivers, which causes buses to be cancelled.

Bus cancellations also threaten the highly controversial multi-million dollar "Let's get Welly Moving" campaign.

Sources

• NZ Herald (Last accessed 19 April 2023)
• Reddit
• I Love Karori (Private Facebook group)

That's what I say, of the controversial, hate-mongering founder of the Westboro Baptist Church.

But something tells me Fred Phelps already thanked God plenty of times for Fred Phelps, given the two were on such apparently close terms.

After all, it was Phelps who so graciously enlightened the rest of us that "God Hates Fags," with the signature placards of his extremist Kansas church.

"Thank God for Aids" and "Thank God for Crippled Soldiers" are other examples of their reaction-baiting extremities, with which they've picketed strangers' funerals and public events for the past two decades.

God, according to Phelps, was so incensed by homosexuality he punished America with the 9/11 attacks.

Perhaps if God had done his homework, he might have enlightened Fred as to the irony of printing his hateful messages on rainbow-coloured card.

It's unlikely many of us lost much sleep at the thought of Fred Phelps slipping away.

At 84 years old, just a day before his followers picketed Lorde, the pastor died on Thursday night, no doubt stammering some carefully considered theology as his final hateful words. Continue reading.

Jack Tame is TVNZ's US Correspondent, host of Newstalk ZB Saturdays, and NZ Herald on Sunday columnist.

Source: NZ Herald

Image: TVNZ

Banks of lights pulsate in waves of colour, and cameras project images on to three monstrous screens. And there is plenty of noise from a seven-piece electric band, bolstered by a retinue of backing singers. A lead vocalist, blonde, lithe and liberal in the use of facial contortions, hammers out her stuff.

Not a rock concert, but a church service. It's 10am on a Sunday and it's show time at the City Impact Church on Auckland's North Shore. The only thing missing in this 2000-seat auditorium is the dry ice.

It's big and flash enough to film New Zealand's Got Talent here. That was on Wednesdays and Thursdays - when Rachel, Jason and Ali sat in the bit down front that is now the Sabbath-day mosh pit.

Where once the NZGT judges passed judgment on the array of talent before them, now the voice of authority is coming from onstage.

"Hello, Church!" shrieks the blonde. Cue the first in a series of oft-repeated performances from the floor: a sea of arms waved above heads in jubilant salute.

Young arms are held high. Hesitant arms clearly belong to newer recruits. Arthritic arms challenge themselves to reach beyond their shoulders.

After 30 minutes of rousing decibels and volcanic anthems, senior Pastor Peter Mortlock appears on stage with the Bible in one hand, a giant microphone in the other. He's smart in a green shirt and dark suit. If his followers had just one hand held high before, their efforts are doubled now.

"Not an hour goes in my day without thinking about Jesus!" he bellows. Mortlock and the blonde songstress work as a well-rehearsed pair: a soundbite from the pastor is followed by an affirmation from the singer.

"Who's looking forward to the second coming of Jesus?' he roars, to plenty of applause. This, after sharing with his devoted audience the story about how he gave his life to the Lord and how he's just come back from a trip to Fiji - see, there are the holiday photos on the big screens showing him and wife Bev with a glass of wine. Continue reading

Sources

• Geraldine Johns in The New Zealand Herald

• Image: Anglicans Ablaze