Copyright © 1998 Brian Harmer
With my son Anthony, I made a hasty trip to Auckland this week. Passing Northward along the Desert Road, we saw the snow capped mountains bright and clear, with just the odd streamer of cloud near the summits. The temperature was in low single digits, and the sight of army personnel on training exercises out there brought some sympathy. We got to Auckland, completed our mission and turned right back round again and stopped in a Hamilton motel for the night. The next morning we left early, had a terrible breakfast in Cambridge, and a better cup of coffee at Taupo. The lake was a very deep blue, and was covered with white horses blown by the wind of those mountain peaks ... except that no peaks were visible. It was a cruelly biting Southerly which hurled periodic drops of rain at us, and reminded us that Winter is coming. As we went further south, the temperature dropped and the atmosphere became increasingly cloudy, with the occasional rattle of hail. We drove through the twisty bits at the Northern end of the Desert Road and were astonished when the driver of a car emblazoned with the corporate colours of a national betting organization demonstrated that he was prepared to live the spirit of his job, even to gambling with the lives of his family as he overtook us on a blind corner!!! The mountain remained hidden, but the road was clear and we were soon back in Wellington without further incident. I listened to the news that evening, in time to hear that the Desert Road was now closed due to heavy snow.
On with the news:
The New Zealand medical team in Macedonia has been ordered home by the government. Defence Minister Max Bradford says the team is no longer needed because agencies like the Red Cross are taking over in the area. The Medical team was treating up to 400 patients a day in refugee camps. From Macedonia, Flight Lieutenant Jeoff Barraclough says the news has been received very positively. But he says the refugees continue to flood through the border. The team and the Hercules are expected back by the middle of next week.
(This very short term deployment seems to have been curtailed so that without spending more money on another area of need, we can move the same quantum of resources to East Timor where our contribution will have more prominence. I would like to think I am wrong, but I doubt it. - BH)
A few hiccups for Hawkes Bays new-look newspaper this afternoon. The first run of 'Hawkes Bay Today' made a rather delayed exit off the printing press. Mobil Greenmeadows Manager in Taradale Keri Lane says after waiting for the paper all afternoon, the reaction from customers when it did finally arrive just after four thirty did not go down well. He says most of them thought the front page was 'dull'. Hawkes Bay Today replaces Hastings' Herald Tribune and Napier's Daily Telegraph.
Most New Zealanders want to end the national ban on retail liquor sales on Sundays. A survey commissioned by the retail industry shows around 60 percent of consumers back new legislation allowing supermarkets to sell beer, wine and spirits every day of the week. But the Hospitality Association says it is concerned that supermarkets will allow young people to sell the alcohol - even though they would be too young to buy it themselves. Spokesman Bruce Robertson says while his members are also allowed to employ younger salespeople - as a matter of choice, they do not.
(I think this is spurious. Supermarkets already sell wine, and the youngsters at the till just sweep the bottles over the scanner in the same way as any other commodity - BH)
A get-rich-quick-scheme has been the focus of a hearing the Napier District Court today. The Commerce Commission alleges Lisa Morton and her company took in nearly one and a half million dollars promoting the Joker 88 scheme. The commission claims the scheme was illegal, and over $850,000 is still missing. Commission Counsel, Peter Woolley describes Joker 88 as being similar to a chain letter. Investors had to sell three certificates for $150 and then wait for their name to get to the top of the list before being paid out. Lisa Morton discharged her lawyer and walked out of the court earlier today when the judge refused her request for a two week adjournment. The hearing continued without her, and the judge will deliver his verdict on Thursday.
(I don't understand how a person on trial is permitted to leave the court. - BH)
Telecom says it will vigorously defend itself against legal action from Telstra which claims Telecom acted illegally by opting out of an arrangement over carrier re-billing. Carrier re-billing involves Telstra providing a centralised bill to customers who receive services from carriers such as Telecom. But Telecom says because the bill comes through Telstra, many customers are not aware of Telecom's involvement. Telstra spokesman Peter Williamson says Telecom's move illegally interferes with customer contracts. He says customers have given clear instructions that they want the information given to Telstra and are prepared to pay extra for the service.
The country's former top public servant and a man behind Kaikoura whale watching are among three new directors on the Tourism Board. Dr Murray Horn used to be Secretary of the Treasury and is now the Managing Director of ANZ. Wally Stone is the CEO of Whale Watch Kaikoura who played a leading role in developing the venture. The third new director is Nelson-based accountant Bronwyn Monopoli. They replace Bryan Mogridge, Michael Wall and Gerry McSweeney who all resigned amid the row with former Tourism Minister Murray McCully.
(If that's a face lift it didn't work - BH)
A 19 year old who killed his brother and mother in a "frenzied" stabbing during July has been found not guilty on the grounds of insanity. Jason Kumar has been on trial for two counts of murder at the High Court in Auckland. It took an eight man three women jury less than half an hour to reach its decision. Earlier, the court heard evidence from two psychiatrists who agreed the teenager was insane at the time he killed his 17 year old brother and 43 year old mother. The court also heard that Kumar had become obsessed with the cartoon character, "The Joker" leading up to the killings in the Auckland suburb of Lynfield.
The chairman of New Zealand's legal services board is defending its role in the mushrooming cost of legal aid. Dunedin's Stephen O'Driscoll says the organisation has no say over who receives legal aid and figures showing the bill is set to stretch past the one hundred million dollar mark are no surprise. ACT says it is a disgrace the figure has rocketed from $22 million in 1988. However Mr O'Driscoll says the scheme has absorbed at least $10 million through the administration of new domestic violence policies. The Justice Minister says changes are in the wind and Mr O'Driscoll agrees the rules are overdue for a re-vamp.
Members of an expedition seeking to determine if Sir Edmund Hillary really was the first person to climb Mount Everest have found the body of English climber George Mallory. The find was made near the top summit of the world's highest mountain. Eight climbers have been looking for the bodies of the Englishman and his climbing partner Andrew Irvine, who disappeared in 1924. They are also looking for a camera which could contain pictures proving the pair reached the summit 29 years before Sir Edmund, and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay. There is still no sign of the camera.
(It seems to me that if by some chance, an ancient box camera with a refrigerated roll of Ilford film inside does show that Mallory got to the top, it takes nothing away from Hillary and Tenzing because they battled to the top in the belief that it had never been achieved. It was a trip into the unknown, and they will still be heroes. - BH)
A Mosgiel woman has become one of the first people to feel the weight of the new traffic laws which came into effect today. Police say the 30 year old has had her car impounded after she was caught driving to work this morning while disqualified from driving. Under the new laws police must impound a vehicle whose driver is disqualified without giving warning to the vehicle owner. Sergeant Brian Benn says he hopes it sends a stern warning to other disqualified drivers. The new laws also mean motorists must carry their licenses when driving - or risk an instant fine.
(Rental car companies are keeping a close watch on this, though if they move quickly they can get their car back within a day - BH)
Labour leader Helen Clark does not say any great need for a by- election in Waimakariri should Mike Moore get the WTO job. With less than six months until the dissolution of Parliament the seat could be left vacant if the Government comes to an agreement with other parties in the House. Ms Clark says she would have no worries if a by-election was held but wonders if the expense could be justified by any party so close to the election.
Public support for peacekeeping roles for our armed forces has reached a record high. An annual UMR Insight poll shows 85 percent of people support New Zealand's involvement in peacekeeping. 70 per cent of kiwis say we need a strong and effective defence force - with the biggest fans of our military being housewives - with 77 per cent support. Defence Minister Max Bradford says the results show our defence forces need to be trained and equipped for peacekeeping - to work with Australia - and to play a role in regional security.
Transit New Zealand has been given the go-ahead this morning to proceed with the Wellington Inner City Bypass. The Environment Court has ruled in Transit's favour after it was taken to the court by concerned inner-city residents and community groups. The planning decision on the proposed two to three lane highway through the suburb of Te Aro, allows Transit a five year window in which to begin construction. Campaign for a Better City spokesman Roland Sapsford says they are extremely disappointed by the judge's decision - but they are not giving up yet. He says the CBC will investigate all it's options, including an appeal to the High Court.
Doctors, pharmacists and the drug funding agency PHARMAC have banded together in an effort to battle the misuse of antibiotics. A new campaign - launched by Prime Minister Jenny Shipley today - aims to educate people about winter colds and flus. Campaign spokesman Andrew Orange says most of those illnesses are caused by viruses - which cannot be treated with antibiotics. He says usually the best treatment is rest, fluids and steam inhalation - not the prescription of antibiotics people have come to expect. Frequent use can cause 'antibiotic resistance' - which means they will have no effect when they are really needed.
The Government has this afternoon been accused of being mean spirited with its offer to people infected by bad blood products in the early 90s... New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has released legal documents, showing they were offered what he describes as a miserable twenty thousand dollars in compensation, and two thousand dollars towards legal costs... Mr Peters says the Government has spent more money trying to dodge paying compensation to people who have contracted Hepatitis C and AIDS. He says it is now obvious the Government is prepared to drag the issue out in the hope that claimants will die before they have to be paid.
The public's direct telephone line to the Plunket child-care organisation has been restored by the Government this afternoon. Health Minister Wyatt Creech says the line will now have a wider use, because people with general health concerns will be able to join new parents asking for advice. A storm broke when the Government axed the funding for the line earlier this year. The Government said, at $600,000, the line was too expensive for the amount of use it was getting.
Tranzrail has been convicted and fined $18,000 after it pleaded guilty to two charges of failing to ensure the safety of workers repairing a rail tunnel north of Dunedin. The Labour Department laid the charges after a Tranzrail worker and a contractor's employee suffered carbon monoxide poisoning while they were working in the Mihiwaka tunnel in March last year. Judge Gary MacAskill says Tranzrail failed to make available monitoring devices to the workers, but it has since taken major steps to prevent a repeat incident. He ordered that $1,000 of the fines be paid to the Tranzrail worker, with $500 to the contractor's employee.
Transit New Zealand has issued a special safety alert to farmers who are moving stock after two near-miss incidents involving motorists in the Waikato. Regional Highways Engineer Ian Cox says twice in one week, motorists have had to slam on their brakes and swerve because farmers have been moving stock in the twilight without providing any advance warning. Mr Cox says farmers who are not using the proper safety measures put themselves in a position where they could be prosecuted, and be liable for any damage. Ian Cox says Transit can arrange the appropriate traffic control measures for farmers.
(Power has gone to someone's head. Some officious public servant has come up with a formula which suggests that some farms may be permitted to have 5 vehicle entries and 5 vehicle exits per day. By the time the milk tanker has called twice, the kids have been driven to and from school, the vet has been, Maud from up the road has visited, then the teenager heads out to meet the mates, Mum and Dad break the law if they drive into town to the movies!!! - Get a life Transit, farmers know the value of a buck and don't do unnecessary or unreasonable travel. - BH)
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters wants answers following a revelation today by the IRD Commissioner who says he has informed the Finance Minister his department has acted illegally. Graham Holland has told the select committee inquiry into the IRD that his department did not seek the necessary Ministerial approval to allow debtors of over $50,000 to pay by instalment. Mr Holland says he is not comfortable with having broken the rules and had informed Finance and Revenue Minister Bill English. Mr Peters says smaller tax payers are given no such leniency and it smacks of favouritism for the rich.
Doctors accused of charging pregnant women for what should be free maternity care, say they are actually paying for the women's care from their own pockets. The row over maternity care funding has surfaced again with claims some doctors are charging pregnant women a fee for additional services. The maternity spokesman for the Royal College of GPs, Dr William Fergusson, says these are isolated instances, but they are symptomatic of the fact the government's subsidy for maternity care is far too low. He says, because of that, around ninety per cent of GPs have already stopped providing maternity care.
The Prime Minister has offered a hint at a financial windfall for education in this month's budget. Mrs Shipley has said while opening a new classroom in Wellington this morning, that Treasurer Bill Birch will announce what she describes as a "massive" new investment in education. She says the funding will not only address buildings, but also standards and accountability and access to schooling for children.
The Optometrists Association says the eye tests for the new drivers licence regime, will tighten up safety standards on the roads. There are concerns the tests are failing people with adequate vision. Association spokesman Bruce Little says until now, about seven percent of the population drove with substandard vision. He says it must be remembered that some of the people are failing the tests because the medical guidelines are now set to a higher standard.
(I sat the eye test in the hope of getting my new picture license before coming to the US where people look oddly at you when you produce a licence which expires sometime next century and with no picture. Sadly it takes 21 days to process. The peripheral eye test will cause most trouble, I suspect. The operator triggers random pinpoint flashes of light at the edges of the hood and you have to see them all. I did. Phew! - BH)
Far North farmers battling a pasture-eating worm should hear in around two weeks whether the Government will provide extra assistance. Food and Fibre Minister John Luxton has visited farms in the Aupouri Peninsula where the tropical web worm has been devouring pastures. He says he was surprised at the damage done to some patches of farmland and there needs to be more work done on assessing how wide the infestation is.
Three-year-old cancer patient Liam Williams-Holloway is free to come home. A family court judge has today lifted all orders regarding the youngster's guardianship and medical requirements. Judge "Oke" Blaikie made the order following an application from Healthcare Otago earlier this week. Healthcare Otago says that as some four months have passed since Liam received proper medical treatment it is now unlikely the treatment would benefit the youngster. Judge Blaikie says that as the parents have refused to bring the boy out of hiding until all the orders are lifted, it was appropriate that the guardianship order was also rescinded. He says he fervently hopes that Liam's life threatening cancer has not deteriorated and if it has, then that is a matter which must rest with the conscience of his parents and supporters.
The Auditor General could invoke a little-known power to try to recover the payments to two former Tourism Board members. David Macdonald has told a select committee that he has the ability to recover money from those responsible for a deficiency or loss. He stresses that would mean defining who was responsible for the payments and chasing them, rather than the former board members. Mr Macdonald says it is not something he has considered, but he admits it is a possibility.
(Ha! Did not I suggest just that a week or so back? Does this mean the Auditor General is a WYSIWYG reader? - BH)
A frightening experience for 18 passengers on board a plane heading from Gisborne to Wellington this morning. The Metroliner was hit by a lightning strike over Titahi Bay. Eagle Air spokesman John Hambleton says cockpit systems failed and an engine fire warning light came on. He says the captain was forced to land at Blenheim Airport. No-one was injured.
(Metroliner flights are punishment enough without the in-flight entertainment - BH)
Government MP Alec Neill says the Fire Service Commission's defence of its embattled chairman Roger Estall became "a gravy train for lawyers". A select committee was today told the commission spent at least $250,000 dollars on legal advice to defend Roger Estall against allegations he had a conflict of interest. Mr Neill described that as "a feast" for lawyers. The figures today also showed Mr Estall ran up $50,000 in expenses last year - on top of his $140,000 salary.
(Much as I disapprove of the man, it must be said that the so called PR spending was to a large extent about the need for smoke alarms. Nevertheless, I concur with Brian Edwards who said this morning, the man has no sense of embarrassment. Amazing. - BH)
Wellington's organised crime squad is today compiling a list of items recovered during inquiries into the theft of weapons parts from the Trentham Army base. Four people, including two soldiers and one employee of a defence force contractor, are to be charged in connection with the case. They have been given bail to appear in court next Friday. The four were arrested after search warrants were executed in the Hutt Valley area last night. Detective senior sergeant Paul Berry says he is unsure what charges they will be facing, but he confirms that some stolen items have been found.
The latest household Labour force survey shows unemployment has remained static in the past 12 months. According to figures just out the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the March quarter was at 7.2 per cent, falling from 7.7 per cent in the December quarter. The figure was unchanged from a year ago. Statistics New Zealand says there are about 135 thousand jobless, that is a slide of around eight thousand on the December figure.
(Should we be pleased with this? - BH)
(It turns out they were some other Australian apple moth - and they talk about fireblight! - BH)
ACT finance spokesman Rodney Hide has asked the Auditor-General to investigate the IRD. Mr Hide wants an audit office inquiry into the revelation by the Commissioner Graham Holland yesterday that his department had been acting illegally. Mr Hall admitted the IRD had worked out repayment plans by installments for debts over $50,000 without the necessary Ministerial approval. Mr Hide along with New Zealand First leader Winston Peters think this is blatant favouritism towards big business.
The Tourism Board has asked the Government for help in trying to recover the money paid to two former members. Chairman Peter Allport says he has told the Prime Minister the board does not think it has got the authority to conclude a settlement on the issue on its own. Jenny Shipley had given the board until today to let her know what it planned to do to recover $340,000 paid to Bryan Mogridge and Michael Wall. Mr Allport says he has asked the government to nominate an appropriate person to work alongside the board in recovering the money.
(Does no one listen to me or the auditor general? Send the bill to the then minister, I say. - BH)
The alternative therapist who treated Liam Williams Holloway says the three year old does not need any more treatment for his cancer. Liam and his family have come out of hiding after a judge discharged a custody order which made Liam a ward of the court. They had been on the run from Otago Healthcare, which wanted to continue a course of chemotherapy. The family opted instead to see Rotorua Quantum Vibrational Therapist Gerard Uys. Mr Uys says the machine got Liam's body in optimum health and the tumour has now vanished. He says the family have a machine to treat Liam if they think they need to .. but he doubts they will.
(You could have coloured me sceptical when the boy disappeared. My doubts about alternative medicine have been shaken. Liam had a fist sized lump on his jaw two months ago. Today there is no visible evidence of any problem. - BH)
The Australia New Zealand Food Authority is allowing twenty genetically modified food products to remain on the market for the next year, despite the fact it does not know how they have been modified. From next week genetically modified products which are not registered with the Food Authority will become illegal. Products which are registered will undergo an assessment to see whether they are safe - over the next twelve months. In the meantime the potatoes, corn, canola, sugar beet and soybeans which have been registered - will be allowed to be sold - without any labelling. The Authority's chief spokesman Peter Leihne says he does not know what the foods contain, or whether they contain animal genes.
Wellingtonians can rest assured knowing they do not have a python in their botanical gardens after all. A snake hunt began when the skin of a 4.5 metre Burmese Python was found, draped over a bush in gardens. Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry officials feared the original owner of the skin was lurking somewhere. But spokeswoman Debbie Gee says they have since established the skin was placed there as an April Fools' Day joke by an English tourist. She says the snake is living happily at its home in Cornwall, England.
(The fact that it was a prank might have been more obvious if the media had taken more notice of the date when the story first emerged, Instead they waited three days till April 4 - BH)
A city councillor says security, not aesthetics, is behind a plan to shift vagrants out of the Auckland Domain during this year's APEC summit. Up to one dozen homeless, who regularly bed down at the park are likely to be offered a bed elsewhere during the September summit. Auckland city councillor Richard Northey says there are fears gunmen could get close to world leaders by disguising themselves as tramps. A parliamentary select committee is to hear submissions on the proposal in Auckland on Tuesday.
(How about putting the vagrants up in the hotels and letting the politicians sleep in the park? - BH)
Date: 29 April 1999 Brian Dooley Wellington New Zealand CURRENCIES The currency codes given below conform to ISO 4217, which can be found at http://www.xe.net/currency/iso_4217.htm. The rates given are for telegraphic transfer and are as given in the Wellington Evening Post today. To Buy NZD 1.00 USD 0.5569 AUD 0.8486 GBP 0.3452 JPY 66.57 CAD 0.8220 EUR 0.5252 FRF 3.4418 DEM 1.0270 HKD 4.3270 SGD 0.9477 ZAR 3.3851 CHF 0.8438 INTEREST RATES (%) Call : 4.50 90 Day: 4.64SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
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