Copyright © 1995 Brian Harmer
*****
WOW! Kiwis love it when their team wins. Never more so than
the Americas Cup. The "welcome home" parades in Auckland,
Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin showed just how much.
Hundreds of thousands lined the parade routes in each city. As
a somewhat cynical observer, I was overcome by the joyous
atmosphere at the parades. Kids and pensioners with faces
painted red, balloons, streamers, bales of shredded paper,
smiling cops, many shops closed, pub patrons standing
nonchalantly outside the bar of their choice, glass in hand.
The atmosphere was to be experienced rather than described.
Somehow, there was a brief moment of happiness, a return to
innocence which allowed the country to be diverted from all
negative thoughts.
I hope the rest of you will forgive a brief greeting to my
Dairy Board colleagues in Singapore who sent messages to me
through a workmate returning home. I was somewhat astonished
that they needed this service because the Dairy Board has a
great service of its own - anyway, G'day to you all in
Singapore.
******
BLACK MAGIC EUPHORIA SWEEPS NATION
----------------------------------
Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin came to a stop
at various times this week as huge parades were held to allow
people to see their heroes. Large areas of the cities were
closed of to traffic and public transport was rerouted. Many
schools gave in to the inevitable, and closed to allow the
kids to attend. Business came to a near standstill in inner
city areas. Civic speeches were mercifully short, and the
visibly weary and emotional yachtsmen were heroically gracious
when all they wanted to do was go home to family and sleep.
Nevertheless they participated in huge parties at the local
yacht clubs, and impressed all with their stamina.
A few protesters in Wellington attempted to dampen the
euphoria by handing out pamphlets pointing out the injustices
and problems in the world which still needed solution, but
they got scant attention.
WELLINGTON'S OLD BNZ TO BE MADE OVER
------------------------------------
The landmark BNZ building on the corner of Lambton Quay and
Willis St (the old one, not the newer black monster) is at
last to be refurbished. The building will be strengthened to
meet current seismic regulations, and given a facelift to turn
it into a fashionable retail centre. It will be linked with
neighbouring buildings to house 40 or 50 shops. The project is
estimated to cost $18 million. This has dashed the hopes of
those who wanted the triangular site converted to a public
open space.
BANKS IN THE GUN AGAIN
----------------------
Maverick MP and cabinet minister John Banks was the subject of
a huge uproar when, on his already controversial talkback
show, he criticised the secret process by which district court
judges were selected. He compounded the offense by
characterising the district court judges as second rate
lawyers who couldn't make it in practice. The chief judge
lodged a written complaint with the attorney general, and most
sectors of the legal profession joined in the torrent of
condemnation. Banks apparently breached a long standing
convention under which cabinet ministers do not attack the
judiciary, and in return, the judges stay out of politics.
The position was complicated for the Prime Minister by the
single seat parliamentary majority. Cartoonist Tom Scott
captured the situation with John Banks standing at the end
other plank on a pirate ship. Winston Peters, Helen Clark, and
Jim Anderton are all screaming at Captain Jim to exercise
leadership and make him walk. There is a noose around Banks'
neck which is tied to .... a noose around Captain Jim's neck.
Mr Banks under considerable pressure, wrote a private letter
to the Chief Judge which contained a terse and minimalist
statement which conceded that his remarks were "inappropriate,
and therefore I apologise". His honour was satisfied. (take
that how you will - BH) The Chief Judge has said he will
complain again if further offense is given.
WESTERN HUTT MP CRITICIZES POOR PEOPLE WITH BIG FAMILIES
--------------------------------------------------------
Western Hutt MP commented a month or so ago that people should
consider their financial circumstances when deciding whether
to have children. She was invited to comment on the situation
of a Pacific Islands family which was using traditional
outdoor cooking methods (a relative of the hangi) to reduce
electricity costs. This came to public attention because the
Porirua City Council is in battle with people who, without
permits, erect shelters like carports to protect their cooking
fires. The family concerned live in a 14 member household. The
couple who head the family have five children already, with
another on the way.
Ms McLauchlan said she could not understand why they were
having another child when they were struggling to pay their
power bills.
A full scale war has erupted with the householder, Mr Livi
Manusina Finau suggesting that the MP should "get off her arse
and find out the facts before poking her big nose in". The
debate which follows has been seen by social workers as an
attack by the MP on the right of the poor to have children. MP
Max Bradford has weighed in on the side of his parliamentary
colleague by suggesting that family support payments should be
capped at three children.
HELICOW
-------
A farmer near Whatawhata in on the Waikato was told by a duck
shooter that one of his cows was stranded down a steep river
bank, with its back legs injured. A veterinarian estimated the
cow had limited prospects of full recovery. The farmer was
unwilling to abandon an old faithful, and hired a helicopter
at a cost of $350 to lift the $1,000 beast from swamp. (Well
I thought it was interesting - BH)
TAINUI REPARATIONS
------------------
After protracted negotiation which is emphatically not part of
the fiscal envelope process, the Government has reached a
settlement with the Tainui people over their grievances in on
respect of confiscated land. At a ceremony on Turangawaewae
Marae at Ngaruawahia, the Prime Minister and the Minister of
Justice returned 15,800 Hectares of land confiscated by the
crown during the land wars. The ceremony was timed to coincide
with the 27th anniversary of the coronation of Te Arikinui,
Dame Te Atairangikaahu, the Maori Queen.
The grievance arose at the time of the establishment of the
Maori King movement, which was seen as a threat to British
Sovereignty by the officials who represented the crown.
487,000 Hectares were confiscated in on 1863, and 1864, in on moves
which are now acknowledged to have been flagrant breaches of
the Treaty of Waitangi. The land being returned over the next
five years will be supplemented by $65 million and will be
accompanied by a formal apology from the crown for the
wrongful confiscation. To the disappointment of the Tainui,
the Government refuses to as the Queen herself to make the
apology, on the grounds that the confiscation was made by the
officials of the government of the day. As a concession, the
Queen will be asked to personally sign the Order in on Council by
which the resolution passes into law.
Among the land which will now return to Tainui ownership, is
that occupied by Waikato University. Tainui have already begun
distribution of the benefits and the establishment of
educational assistance to the various hapu (subtribes) in on its
area.
The ceremony was an occasion of great solemnity and emotion,
beginning at Taupiri Mountain with karakia (prayers) at the
burial place of the kings. The ceremony on the marae included
the presentation to the Tainui of a Taonga (treasure), a
carving, perhaps a thousand years old, returned from the
Dominion Museum. A small body of Tainui are angry at the
settlement, saying that full consultation was not carried out.
CULLEN-BAIN TRIAL
-----------------
Much public attention has been focussed on the trial of David
Cullen-Bain in on Dunedin. He is accused of having shot his
parents, brother, and two sisters. His memory of the events in on
which he claims to have discovered the dead bodies of his
family. The verdict appears to hinge on the credibility of
prosecution and defence witnesses as to whether or not the
death of the father was suicide. The murder weapon was a .22
rifle, and prosecution have attempted to show that suicide was
unlikely, if not impossible, by virtue of the entry point of
the head wound. They argue that there is only a 5% likelihood
of a suicide inflicting a wound at that angle. Defence have
attempted to demonstrate how such a wound could be self
inflicted if the rifle was placed on a chair.
PARAPARAUMU AIRFIELD SOLD
-------------------------
The airfield at Paraparaumu has been sold as a going concern,
for $1.65 million, to a consortium of businessmen who already
have business on the airfield.
NEW AIRLINE TO BE FORMED
------------------------
A Hamilton company which has been operating charter flights
from Hamilton to Queensland and the Northern Territory, has
begun the process of applying for an Air Service license to be
registered as an Airline. The company has been operating a
Boeing 737-300 leased from Air Nauru.
CHE ALLEGED TO BE DUMPING MENTAL PATIENTS
-----------------------------------------
Capital Coast Health, the Crown Health Enterprise (hospital)
which provides health care to Wellington and the Kapiti Coast
is attempting to return as many mental patients as possible to
community care, rather than sustaining them in on institutions.
In on at least one case, a woman whose husband is said to be
violent, has apparently been told that her husband will be
soon released in on her care. She says she has been given a list
of private institutions and told to phone around to find one
to take the man. There appear to be no private institutions
equipped with 24 hour psychiatric professionals who can
provide the 24 hour care required by seriously disturbed
patients. The row is continuing.
HOME ALONE CASES ESCALATE
-------------------------
Police are concerned at the rapid growth in on the number of
cases in on which children under 12 are left alone at home while
their parents "socialize" elsewhere. It is illegal in on New
Zealand for young children to be left alone without reasonable
access to care. The caregiver must be at least 14 years old.
GOVERNMENT'S MORALITY SLAMMED BY HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT
----------------------------------------------------
A report prepared by the Human Rights Commission has severely
criticised the morality of the Government's discriminatory
policies under which senior citizens are means tested before
receiving long term health care. The government explicitly
excluded itself, until 1999, from the discrimination laws
which would prevent such a policy. The report acknowledges
that the exemption makes the policy legal, if not moral.
Social Welfare minister Jenny Shipley was incensed at this
challenge to the "Sovereignty of Parliament", and suggested
that it was the job of Government to discriminate in on order to
ensure that welfare funding gets where it was most needed.
Her attempted defence was savaged as "belonging to Orwellian
fiction" by the health lobby group "the Coalition for Public
Health". Positive discrimination to right a wrong was one
thing, they said, but negative discrimination such as applied
to the elderly achieved nothing but disadvantage for the
targeted group. They cited a UN report which says that the NZ
Government has adopted restrictive economic and social
policies affecting the rights of the most vulnerable in on
society.
PRESSURE GETS TO PRIMARY PRINCIPALS
-----------------------------------
Primary schools are losing principals at an unprecedented
rate. A survey conducted by the Primary Principals'
Association shows that 400 principals resigned last year, and
over half of them did so because they wanted a change in on job
direction. The association says that the figures show that the
hours and stress are too great for too little reward.
TREVOR LOSES HIS COOL
---------------------
The proponent of the Technology and Crimes reform bill, Trevor
Rogers has called the defenders of the Internet as "mindless
turkeys" . He has criticised the Mps who oppose his bill as
"Hopeless cloth heads"
DOC PLATFORMS CLOSED
--------------------
A number of Department of Conservation facilities have been
closed in on the wake of the tragedy when the viewing platform
collapse at Cave Creek killed 14 people last month. Three
platforms or bridges in on the Wellington region have been
closed.
VUW ACADEMICS STRIKE NEXT WEEK
------------------------------
For the first time ever, the academics at Victoria University
are going on strike. This Wednesday, they will be away from
work protesting the fact that they have had no improvement in on
their pay for over 5 years. The university came up with a
proposal of half a percent, which the Association of
University staff called derisory.
(Position statement - I fully support the position of the AUS,
and hope they will remember this when they come to examine my
thesis :-) - BH)
PORN BULLETIN BOARD SEIZED
--------------------------
The Department of Internal Affairs and police raided a house
in on Petone, and seized equipment, software, and CD-ROMS which
were allegedly used to run a BBS which specialised in on
explicit pornography including paedophilia, bestiality, and
rape. Police are laying charges under the Films, Videos and
Publications Act, 1993. They have a list of subscribers to the
BBS, and are investigating further charges.
FERRY GOES HOME - TAIL BETWEEN LEGS
-----------------------------------
Well, to the great glee of those who said I wrote too much
about the fast ferries, the saga comes to an end. The monohull
Albayzin which was plagued with repeated gearbox failure has
been repaired and is going to Spain where it will operate in on
the Mediterranean.
ARNERICH CHILD CUSTODY CASE TAKES NEW TURN
------------------------------------------
The woman who abducted her child, in on defiance of a court
order, and fled to Peru has made the mistake of bringing her
daughter to Australia. Unlike Peru, Australia is a signatory
to the Hague convention on child custody, and their pair are
currently in on police custody pending extradition proceedings.
The Woman removed her daughter, Altenaii to Peru, having
bypassed computer alerts at Christchurch Airport by presenting
a Peruvian passport instead of the child's New Zealand one.
COURTS STRIKE BLOW TO UTILITIES
-------------------------------
A court ruling in on Auckland says that the Auckland City Council
is within its rights in on levying rates on utility companies in on
respect of telephone boxes, transmission lines, and gas pipes.
(I predict a windfall for lawyers in on this - BH)
NEW MONTHLY STOCK MARKET FEATURE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Several correspondents have asked for STOCK MARKET updates over
the 14 months or so of WYSIWYG. I have no personal interest in on
the subject, but since Roy Edwards is posting regularly on
soc.culture.new-Zealand, he has kindly made his work available
to WYSIWYG news. I suggest monthly. Reactions? --BH)
Look under USENET group misc.invest.stocks for the daily close
on the New Zealand Stock exchange. Information on investing on
the NZ market available by E-mail request to Royedw@wave.co.nz
NZSE CLOSING DATA AS AT 24 May 95
No Chang 92
Raise 53
Falls 51
STOCK BUY SELL LAST MOVE VOLUME
AUSTBREWING 0.19 0.22 0.21 1 3,000
ADVGROUP 1.59 1.62 1.62 0 10,700
AFFCOHOLD 0.53 0.54 0.00 0 25,000
AIRNZ 3.87 3.88 3.87 -2 12,454
AIRNZ 4.96 5.00 5.00 8 21,900
AMCOR 0.00 0.00 0.00 0 64,000
ASCOT 0.47 0.50 0.50 2 91,000
AMURICORP 0.36 0.37 0.37 0 69,720
ANZBANKGRP 5.55 5.70 5.65 10 4,200
APPLEFIELDS 0.89 0.95 0.00 -2 200
ABARNETT 1.25 1.35 0.00 -5 1,022
ABARNETT 1.25 1.50 0.00 -20 7,341
ASIANPROPS 0.65 0.70 0.00 0 17,250
BAYCORP 1.46 1.50 1.46 0 6,094
BHP 0.00 0.00 0.00 474 46,000
BANKINV 4.66 4.75 0.00 0 1,000
BNZFIN 1.45 1.47 1.45 -2 22,710
BOPELECTRIC 4.15 4.17 4.15 0 1,002
BRIERLEY 1.11 1.12 1.12 2 3,433,910
BRIERLEY 1.03 1.04 1.03 1 90,571
BROADWAY 1.10 1.15 0.00 5 6,500
CARTHOLT 3.87 3.88 3.87 1 820,721
CAVALIER 3.10 3.19 3.19 -3 22,200
CBSFORESTS 0.00 1.25 0.00 0 249,950
CDLINVEST 0.32 0.33 0.32 0 235,995
CDLHOTELS 0.73 0.74 0.74 0 175,157
CEDENCO 1.70 1.74 0.00 -2 2,000
CERAMCORP 2.59 2.60 2.59 1 17,488
CORPINVEST 0.27 0.28 0.28 1 53,427
CORPINVEST 0.94 0.95 0.95 -1 56,500
CULTUS 0.60 0.67 0.63 -4 2,000
COLMOTOR 1.95 1.99 1.99 -1 5,500
COMPUTER 3.85 0.00 0.00 40 1,500
CANFLOUR 0.90 0.95 0.00 -10 1,000
CSR 0.00 0.00 0.00 0 360,000
CUE 0.09 0.09 0.09 0 2,000
DBGROUP 0.95 0.97 0.96 2 482,554
DBGROUP 0.96 0.97 0.96 2 111,100
DIRECTCAP 0.44 0.45 0.44 0 20,600
DIRECTCAP 0.22 0.23 0.23 1 26,400
DEFIANCEFOOD 0.00 1.50 0.00 5 5,000
DAMBA 0.76 1.00 0.00 0 500
DONAGHY 3.50 3.55 3.55 0 2,859
DORCHESTER 0.09 0.11 0.00 0 68,000
DESIGNERTEX 1.33 1.40 1.40 -3 18,600
EBOS 3.20 3.30 3.30 -5 100
ENDIRECT 1.86 1.88 1.86 0 29,300
EASTERNEQ 1.13 1.15 0.00 -2 3,000
ENERCO 3.37 3.39 3.39 3 5,000
EADAMS 1.80 1.82 1.83 3 1,200
EVERFOREST 0.71 0.72 0.72 0 19,000
F&P 4.40 4.42 4.40 5 82,280
FCITRUST 3.35 3.41 0.00 1 4,120
FERNZCORP 5.60 5.70 5.60 5 445,473
FLCFORESTS 2.10 2.12 2.12 -3 320,109
FIRESTONE 0.00 4.50 0.00 0 25,000
FLCORDDIV 4.15 4.16 4.15 10 2,174,327
FLEMOVERSEA 7.10 7.19 0.00 -12 400
FAYRICH 0.00 0.00 0.00 0 1,028
FRUITFED 1.26 1.30 0.00 0 1,000
GOODFIELD 1.35 1.36 1.35 1 140,995
GUINNESSPEAT 0.68 0.69 0.69 0 327,671
GUINNESSPEAT 0.17 0.19 0.17 1 118,373
GROCORP 0.44 0.46 0.00 0 4,000
GOLD 0.06 0.06 0.00 0 100,000
GULFRES 0.25 0.27 0.26 0 36,788
HABITAT 0.05 0.05 0.00 0 4,000
HELLABY 0.31 0.32 0.32 1 36,000
HELICOPTER 5.01 5.05 5.05 0 83,300
HERITAGEMIN 0.22 0.33 0.00 -3 4,000
HERITAGEMIN 0.01 0.04 0.00 0 14,000
HALGLASS 2.90 2.93 2.93 1 17,100
HUTTONS 0.49 0.50 0.49 1 32,800
INFRATIL 0.79 0.80 0.80 1 80,000
INFRATIL 0.16 0.17 0.16 -1 323,750
INFRATIL 0.27 0.28 0.28 0 260,950
IDDISONGROUP 0.78 0.81 0.80 2 4,000
IDDISONGROUP 0.21 0.25 0.00 -1 3,000
INDEPNEWS 5.15 5.25 5.25 5 161,916
JARDINEFLEM 1.04 1.07 1.05 0 50,213
JARDINEFLEM 0.00 0.04 0.00 0 59,801
JARDCHINA 0.59 0.60 0.59 0 7,518
JARDCHINA 0.08 0.11 0.10 1 4,000
KIWIGOLD 0.04 0.05 0.00 1 3,500
KINGSGATE 0.26 0.27 0.27 -1 15,332
KIWITRUST 1.05 1.06 1.06 1 1,297,758
KIWIRES 0.18 0.20 0.18 -1 50,000
KIWIRES 0.00 0.00 0.00 0 100,000
LECTRICA 0.05 0.06 0.06 0 12,000
LENDLEASE 0.00 0.00 0.00 0 196,600
LIONNATHAN 3.19 3.20 3.19 0 441,362
LIONNATHAN 3.01 3.12 0.00 1 254
LIONNATHAN 3.07 3.09 3.07 -2 7,023
LWRIND 1.78 1.80 1.78 0 8,500
MAIR 0.62 0.63 0.00 0 105,000
MAX 0.02 0.02 0.02 0 68,000
MAX 0.00 0.01 0.00 0 10,000
MILBURN 14.35 14.50 14.50 0 745
MTCAVENDISH 0.39 0.43 0.40 0 3,000
MRCHIPS 0.50 0.60 0.00 0 2,000
MCCONNELL 1.25 1.30 0.00 0 3,000
METLIFECARE 0.43 0.44 0.44 -2 27,500
MICHAELHILL 1.28 1.33 1.33 -2 3,500
Manor 0.11 0.14 0.00 0 8,000
MIMHOLD 0.00 0.00 0.00 0 30,000
MACRAES 1.60 1.73 0.00 -5 1,750
MACRAES 1.90 0.00 0.00 0 500
MCCOLLAM 1.40 1.42 1.40 -2 10,000
MINRES 1.60 1.63 0.00 -2 22,200
MASTERTRADE 0.53 0.54 0.53 -1 37,332
MAINZGRP 0.26 0.27 0.27 0 43,767
NATAUSTBANK 0.00 0.00 0.00 0 40,000
NATGASHLDG 2.15 2.17 2.18 -2 4,000
NATGASHLDG 1.76 1.77 1.76 -2 280,000
NEWSCORP 0.00 0.00 0.00 0 98,000
NZDUTY 0.10 0.13 0.00 4 14,000
NZLL 0.95 1.00 0.00 -6 1,000
NOELLEEM 1.37 1.38 0.00 0 3,000
NMFMASIA 0.84 0.86 0.84 1 2,000
NMFMASIA 0.13 0.16 0.00 0 1,000
NEWMARKET 0.83 0.84 0.83 -1 127,000
NZOG 0.42 0.43 0.43 1 14,600
NZPET 0.15 0.00 0.15 0 36,000
NZRURALPROP 1.16 1.20 0.00 5 13,600
NUPLEX 4.20 4.30 4.20 5 21,492
NZSALMON 0.42 0.45 0.00 -3 1,000
NORTHPORT 2.10 2.15 2.15 5 200
NUHAKA 16.60 16.95 16.75 -25 425
NZREFIN 26.00 27.40 27.10 -40 400
NZINVESTTRT 5.52 5.65 5.55 -9 6,362
OPIOFF 1.53 1.55 1.55 0 8,900
OWENS 2.32 2.40 2.32 -3 1,240
POWERBEAT 4.15 4.50 0.00 20 1,550
PDLHOLDINGS 8.60 8.65 8.60 10 23,531
PACIFICDUN 0.00 0.00 0.00 0 120,000
PROPERTYINDY 0.89 0.90 0.90 0 5,000
PROPERTYINDY 0.12 0.13 0.13 0 10,000
PORTAUCK 2.85 2.91 2.90 -5 18,700
PORTTAURANGA 1.23 1.25 0.00 0 500
PROGRESSIVE 1.28 1.29 1.28 -1 35,800
PARAPINE 0.03 0.03 0.03 0 12,000
PURENZ 0.18 0.20 0.00 -1 20,000
POWERNZ 4.25 4.27 0.00 0 67,394
PAYNTER 0.80 0.85 0.00 -2 35,325
REIDFARM 0.70 0.72 0.00 2 5,000
ROLLERMILLS 0.92 1.00 0.00 0 3,000
RADIOTAG 3.12 3.30 0.00 -50 2,420
RADPACIFIC 2.90 2.95 2.90 0 4,600
REGALSALMON 0.23 0.25 0.25 0 5,000
RESTECH 0.46 0.00 0.00 0 1,000
SANFORD 3.32 3.35 3.32 2 4,395
SHORT 0.88 0.90 0.00 0 3,500
SHORT 0.85 0.88 0.00 0 1,666
SHOTJET 1.12 1.13 1.12 -1 8,900
SKELLERUP 1.89 1.90 1.90 4 1,488,771
SUMMIT 0.09 0.09 0.09 0 26,000
SUMMIT 0.00 0.01 0.00 0 32,000
STRATHMORE 0.25 0.26 0.25 0 110,000
SEABIL 0.79 0.82 0.79 -1 560,000
SEABIL 0.91 0.93 0.00 0 462,000
SOUTHPET 0.69 0.71 0.69 2 22,500
SPECTRUM 0.04 0.05 0.00 0 12,900
SOUTHPORT 1.10 1.11 1.12 0 1,500
STRADAENT 1.20 1.50 0.00 5 1,200
SALSMITHBIO 1.55 1.60 1.60 -6 5,824
STLUKES 1.16 1.18 1.16 0 8,337
STLUKES 1.01 1.02 1.01 1 23,600
STEEL & TUBE 7.20 7.30 7.30 0 6,500
TASMANAG 1.19 1.20 1.20 0 7,100
TAYLOR 0.91 0.93 0.93 0 65,000
TRUSTBANK 2.07 2.08 2.07 8 727,800
TELECOM 6.05 6.06 6.06 0 1,732,164
TEMPMARKET 2.92 2.95 2.95 3 7,900
TEMPMARKET 1.09 1.15 0.00 8 18,381
TIGERINVEST 0.43 0.00 0.00 0 1,000
TIGERINVEST 0.17 0.18 0.00 0 2,000
TRIUMPH 1.70 1.71 0.00 -1 4,525
TAGPAC 0.17 0.19 0.00 0 16,000
TASMANPROP 0.02 0.02 0.02 0 5,539,791
TASMANPROP 0.00 0.00 0.00 0 71,600,000
TRUSTPOWER 1.17 1.19 1.17 0 10,425
TRFAREAST 3.60 3.80 0.00 0 500
TRANSMARK 2.01 2.07 2.00 0 1,004
TRPACIFIC 2.65 2.70 0.00 -2 500
UBIXBUS 1.35 1.36 1.35 0 10,760
UNDERGROUND 0.91 0.98 0.00 -1 2,000
WASTEMANZ 7.75 7.90 7.80 -10 1,000
WAIRAELC 1.67 1.70 1.68 -2 23,630
WHITCOULLS 3.07 3.10 3.05 0 182,971
WILHORTN 9.65 9.70 9.70 -5 9,306
WAREHOUSE 4.15 4.25 4.20 0 14,800
WILKET 2.25 2.30 2.30 10 562
WILSON NEILL 0.00 0.00 0.00 0 252,543
WANG 1.35 1.36 1.36 0 7,000
WRIGHTSON 1.13 1.14 1.13 0 269,869
ZUELLIG 0.83 0.85 0.82 1 12,228
GOVERNMENT SUPPLIED NEWS
------------------------
(Hooray, my source has resumed. The usual disclaimer applies -
this is reproduced directly from Government sources, and there
may be other perspectives on the information given. I
apologise to domestic s.c.n-z readers who see the same
material in Tomas Kriha's OHMS political news, but for the
sake of our 840 e-mail subscibers, here it is again - BH)
* NZ's defence of the America's Cup in the year 2000 is
estimated to be worth more than $1 billion to the economy.
In San Diego the contest was estimated to have put between
$600 and $750 million into the economy.
* Employment grew 5% over the year to 1,608,100 people
* Unemployment fell dramatically in the first 3 months of
1995 to reach 6.6% - the lowest for 5 years. The HLFS
for March shows 114,000 people unemployed - down from
126,000 in December 1994.
* There were 154,983 people registered unemployed at the end
of April, down 3.2% over the month and 16.9% over the year.
* 12,133 people were in subsidised job schemes, down 3.8%
over the month and down 31.3% over the year.
* Job ads in the month of March were 33% higher than for the
same period last year according to the ANZ job
advertisising series.
* For the first time, cheques made up fewer than half of all
bank transactions, excluding cash, with plastic EFTPOS
cards making rapid gains on paper payments.
* Total real private investment has increased by 81% since
the June quarter 1991. Investment in the December
quarter 1994 was 19% higher than a year earlier.
* NZ's population increased more than 50,000 in the year to
March 31. 11.7% of the population are aged over 65,
while 23.2% are those under 15.
* In March 1995, 132,000 visitors came to NZ, 2% more than in
March 1994.
* Export volumes rose by 7.6% in the December quarter 1994,
compared with the same period in 1993.
* Real manufacturing production increased by around 6.5% in
the year to December 1994. Total manufacturing
sales increased by 8.4% in the same period.
* A record volume of 1st-class pipfruit - 16 million cartons
- was exported. The Apple & Pear Marketing Board
is exporting 800,000 cartons of 2nd-class fruit to 60
countries - a 40% increase on last year.
* The NZSE 40 Capital Index is as its highest level this
year. Sharebrokers attributed the 16.3 points gain to
2143.5 to a late surge by leading stocks.
* Employment increased by 38,700, bringing the total for the
year to March 1994 to 1,510,100. This is the second year
Employment has increased.
* The historic Tainui settlement - a $170 million deal
includes a formal apology and the return of about
15,790 hectares of land to resolve Tainui's claim.
This may encourage the big Taranaki and Bay of Plenty
claims to resolve claims.
* Fruit and nut exports increased 40.9%, 39.0% and 16.1% for
the April 1995 month, three month and 12 month
periods respectively. Apple exports were the main
contributor to these rises.
* The Government is to fund a new residential care programme
for young sex offenders to ensure that the adolescents do
not abscond and reoffend. The emphasis will be on
therapeutic treatment.
* A national survey of people with disabilities will be
undertaken after the 1996 population census. Statistics
New Zealand will include a special question on
disabilities and will follow up on the results to help
those planning.
* The Government has responded to roll growth in Auckland
schools this year with a multi-million dollar
capital development programme. There will be 90 additional
classrooms provided to schools in the Auckland region,
to help accommodate the growing numbers of students.
* Average forecasts for the March 1996 and 1997 years are
for:
- continued growth of real GDP (3.2% and 3.1%)
- further reductions of unemployment ( to 7.1% and 7.1%)
- low inflation (2.1% and 1.3%)
- improving balance of payments -$2,760m
- increased private sector wage rates (2.7% and 2.6%)
These main economic forecasts are from the New
Zealand Institute of Economic Research.
* The underlying trend in retailo sales indicate annual
growth of just over 7% according to the March 1995 quarter
results of the Retail Trade Survey.
* 23,645 non-residential buildings were approved in the year
to March 1995, representing a 22% increase from the
previous year
*********
Last week I wrote:
Aaaggghhh! Where does the morning go? Back to my research!
See you next week.
The same is true this week. I have to find a way to spread
this over the week, but time management is my worst failing!
Any suggestions?
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