Ron Marks
Last evening we had the pleasure of hearing his story, in particular because, from the age of three, he had grown up in various foster homes, and made the best of it.
He was only able to discover his history when the law changed in 1996, giving people such as Ron access to their personal files.
His mother had abandoned him and his sister, so they were made wards of the state. He was then fostered by several families in Pahiatua and northern Wairarapa, until he was 16. His foster family experiences were mixed, but along the way he learned to ride, shoot, trap possums and catch eels. Ron’s schooling was patchy and he was often in trouble.
Nevertheless, he was accepted into the army to train as a mechanic, and this led to a career which suited him very well. He was eventually commissioned, and served the UN in Sinai and in the Sultan of Oman’s army.
He entered politics and was elected mayor of Carterton before entering parliament in 1996 for the NZ First party. He is currently Minister of Defence and Veterans’ Affairs. At the same time, he champions and mentors foster parents.
Ron’s approach to life is simple: it (life) throws up challenges and setbacks, but the essence of a person is in how they respond. Every day starts like a blank sheet of paper, and each of us has to decide how to fill it up.
Poll: Do you think NZ should ban social media for youth?
The Australian Prime Minister has expressed plans to ban social media use for children.
This would make it illegal for under 16-year-olds to have accounts on platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X.
Social media platforms would be tasked with ensuring children have no access (under-age children and their parents wouldn’t be penalised for breaching the age limit)
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Do you think NZ should follow suit? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts below.
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84.7% Yes
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13.7% No
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1.6% Other - I'll share below
OCTOBER'S WEATHER IN KĀPITI
This third spring month in Kāpiti was milder and sunnier than average, and for three weeks we also seemed to be heading for a record dry one, but rain here and over most of the country on the last week changed that.
We ended up with 110mm of rain (airport), but this was only 12mm above the historic average for this month that is frequently our wettest. Despite the rain, we had the equivalent of 15.5 sunny days, slightly above average.
Our daily average maximum temperature was 17.8, almost 0.4C above average and 0.7C above last year, and our overall mean temperature was 14.2C, 1.3C above last year, and the warmest in central New Zealand.
November could average around 20C, as it often does, so we can look forward to the possibility of enjoying our first summer month.
Today's Riddle: Guaranteed Brain Stretch!
What bird is the strongest of them all?
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