Copyright © 1998 Brian Harmer
Just a few weeks ago, new blossoms were everywhere. Cherry, apple, peach and plum trees provided a wonderful, but brief season of soft colour, mingled with the stronger colours of kowhai and magnolia, azalea and rhododendrons, and even, Lord help us, a few wildly premature pohutukawa. Now in the early days of what I expect to be a pleasant summer, the flowers of spring have gone. All around, there are vigorous fresh green leaves suffering from the delusion of youth everywhere that they will be forever young and beautiful. All too soon they will mature and harden to cope with summer sun, acquire a coating of dust which will mar their beauty and then, old age will be upon them and their time on earth will be done. All very deep and meaningful, I suppose. There are still flowers about, of course, such as wild cineraria, and the rich dark crimson and ruby of the manuka, and the spectacular display of those purple daisies from South Africa which have taken over the motorway edges.
The weather continues to be unsettled, and even as I write, there is a dramatic golden light from low in the West, picking out in sharpest detail the densely wooded folds of the Eastern hills, even though the hilltops are buried in the darkest and most oppressive clouds coming in from the South.
And speaking of dark clouds, did you share my astonishment two years ago when the British abandoned their customary emotional reserve and showed a sudden and unexpected burst of Latin temperament throughout the extraordinary period around the death of Diana Princess of Wales. Such Mediterranean displays of grief could never happen here, I thought. Until the semi-final between France and New Zealand at the Rugby World Cup, that is.
That totally shocking 43-31 final score carved lines of grief on faces everywhere. People who had not bothered to get up at 4 am to watch, certain that it was a foregone conclusion, were stricken with guilt. "If only I had been watching," they thought, "the mighty Blacks would never have lost." There was a stunned, horrified silence that awful morning. People were dazed, as in the aftermath of an earthquake. By evening, however, tumbrels were being readied to carry away the heads that must now surely roll. For our American friends, to understand our shock, think back to when the Blue Jays first took the world series. A loss to Australia in the final would have been galling enough ... but to be "gaulled" in the semi ... it was ... il etait affreux! Quel desastre!
To any French readers, I offer congratulations on the splendid courage and skills which saw your team, by their own merit, burst our most cherished illusions. Please ignore any sour comments you might hear, and be happy in the sporting victory.
Here at home, with the news that the once proud All Blacks surrendered to the Springboks with scarcely a struggle, if and when the sun does shine again, it will be a while before the red rimmed eyes of our people notice.
;-)
On with the news:
All news items (except where noted otherwise) are reproduced by kind permission of copyright owner, IRN Ltd whose current news listing can be found at http://www.xtramsn.co.nz/news/
All material in parentheses, and concluded with the initials "BH" is the personal opinion of Brian Harmer as editor of this newsletter, or occasionally "HH" will indicate an opinion from Helen.
The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists says as many as 30000 former waiting list patients have simply vanished. The Association is commenting in the wake of Heath Funding Authority figures, which show there has been a 44 per cent decline in the number of people waiting for hospital in-patient services since 1996. The HFA says the figure's down to 50,000, but that has been condemned by Medical Specialists as a con. Salaried Medical Specialists' spokesman Ian Powell says the statistics do not include the 49,000 people who have been re-classified. He says there has also another 30,000 patients who have either died, become too sick for treatment, disappeared, or paid for surgery themselves. Mr Powell describes the situation as a disgrace, and a shocking indictment on Health Service mismanagement.
A resounding "NO" from Napier residents to a council merger with their Hastings neighbours. In a public referendum 75 per cent of Napier voters rejected the proposal, whereas 67 per cent of Hastings voters were in favour. Both cities will maintain their separate councils... for the scheme to proceed it needed support from at least 50 per cent of voters in both districts. The referendum has attracted what is believed to be a record poll in the region with more than 53,000 people voting.
(Many of the earlier enforced mergers would never have proceeded under these rules. Eastbourne, Wainuiomata and Petone to name three, would have preferred their independence. - BH)
ACT has used its opening party political broadcast of the campaign to claim a role in getting rid of Winston Peters as Treasurer. The party was one of several to air its political broadcasts last night. ACT leader Richard Prebble said only ACT had the spine to steady Jenny Shipley's hand, as she signed the notice to sack the Treasurer. Other parties on the air last night included the Alliance, New Zealand First, United, The Greens, and Christian Heritage.
A man has fallen through a skylight at the old museum in Wellington, after allegedly trying to steal copper piping from the roof of the building. Police say the would-be-burglar is lucky to be alive and has been admitted to Wellington Hospital with moderate injuries. Inspector Brett MacGibbon says police were taken aback when a member of the public alerted them to the incident in Buckle Street, at about eight o'clock this morning. He says the attempted daylight burglary was exceedingly bold. Police say they will need to investigate the incident further before they consider laying charges.
(The old museum is now part of Massey University's Wellington campus. - BH)
The richest America's Cup challengers have led the way in the opening round of the Louis Vuitton Cup. The $US100 million Italian Prada campaign lived up to their favourites billing by emerging from the first round robin which concluded yesterday as the only unbeaten team with the maximum ten wins. Their nearest rivals are two United States teams, AmericaOne and Young America, who both finished with eight wins a piece. The match-up between the pair on the final day of racing failed to separate them, with AmericaOne suffering mast problems before the start of the race. Despite the best efforts of a crew member who spent the first leg up the mast in difficult conditions they were unable to hoist the main sail and eventually retired from the race altogether leaving Young America to sail the rest of the course unopposed to pick up the point. At the other end of the table, the cash-strapped Swiss Fast 2000 campaign will be anything but pleased with their yellow boat, Be Happy, which failed to win a race in the opening round. While, Young Australia with the oldest boat, the youngest crew, and the smallest budget managed a solitary win to lift them off the bottom of the table. The syndicates will now make hurried modifications to their boats before the second round robin starting on November 6 when the points for a win increase from 1 to 4 points.
Final Standings: Round Robin One Prada - 10 points Young America - 8 points AmericaOne - 8 points America True - 6 points Nippon Challenge - 5.5 points Spain - 5 points Stars & Stripes - 4.5 points Abracadabra - 4 points Le Defi - 2 points Young Australia - 1 point Fast 2000 - 0 points
Labour claims the All Blacks' shock loss to France in the Rugby World Cup semifinal this morning spells bad news for National. The 43-31 defeat has stunned New Zealand fans, who were confident of an easy berth into the final. Labour leader Helen Clark believes the result is a setback to National, with an election due in less than four weeks. She claims National was banking heavily on a feel-good factor if the All Blacks won. However Prime Minister Jenny Shipley is laughing at suggestions the loss will impact on National's chances in the election. Mrs Shipley says one lesson to be learned from today's match is that the favourites do not always win, a reference to the lead that Labour holds in the opinion polls.
(It seems to be affecting other things. Massey University was reported on Thursday night's news as having set up a grief counselling clinic for people who were about to sit exams and who were depressed by the outcome. What???? - BH)
Rachel Hunter and Sir Peter Blake are to star in a publicity
campaign to make New Zealanders aware of citizenship by descent.
The Department of Internal Affairs is trying to raise awareness of
the 1977 Citizenship Act. Under the legislation, New Zealanders
who had children born outside New Zealand anytime on or after 1
January 1978 must register their children's status, for those
children to remain New Zealand citizens. This must be done before
the child turns 22, and the first children affected by the act
begin to turn 22 next year. Internal Affairs Acting Citizenship
Manager, Diana Williams, says both Sir Peter Blake and Rachel
Hunter have registered the births of their respective children so
the children can remain New Zealand citizens by descent. "Like
many New Zealanders they are currently living and working overseas
but they want their children to retain their citizenship and their
right to live in New Zealand at a later date if they choose. That
is why having the support of Sir Peter Blake and Rachel Hunter is
so helpful in raising awareness of this issue." she said. Further
information is available at the Internal Affairs website.
(http://www.dia.govt.nz/index.shtml)
Geotechnical experts have discovered that Waihi at the southern end of Lake Taupo, will be rocked by a massive landslide in the future. But there is only a 13 per cent chance it will happen in the next decade. A risk assessment by Tonkin and Taylor shows there is a 65 per cent chance that a landslide will occur above Waihi village, an ancestral base for the Ngati Tuwharetoa iwi. Experts predict there is a 78 per cent chance debris will reach State Highway 41 near the Waihi hill, and a 67 per cent chance it will reach the lake edge.
A punter with an eye to long odds has made a remarkable cleanup on the TAB's sports betting. They have collected $60,000, from a $400 dollar gamble that France would beat the All Blacks in Monday's World Cup semi final by exactly 12 points. The lucky bet was placed at a TAB agency in Wellington. The TAB does not know the identity of the winning punter, because the $400 bet was made at an agency rather than using a betting account over the phone.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has come close to ruling out forming a coalition government with either National or Labour. He has told a public meeting in Christchurch that only a major policy shift would entice New Zealand First into being part of Government. He says his party only joined up with National after the last election because that gave them the best chance of keeping the election promises they had made. And Winston Peters has also accused the Alliance and ACT of making a mockery of the electoral system by forming coalitions before their supporters had voted.
(We shall revisit this in December... you just watch - BH)
The Hastings community is rallying to support the family of the security guard tragically killed while working at water park Splash Planet. It is understood 49 year old Hugh Mills was slain while investigating a burglary at the leisure complex. A fellow member of the Catholic church, Preston Epplett, says he has set up a trust fund for Hugh's wife and six children. Donations for the Mills Family Trust can be made through the WestpacTrust Bank. Meanwhile police are scouring the six and a half hectare water park as part of their investigation into Mr Mills death.
National MP Gerry Brownlee is defending his actions at his party's campaign launch at the weekend, which have seen an assault complaint laid against him. Auckland man Neil Abel has taken the matter to the police, claiming the National junior whip was heavy- handed. Mr Brownlee says he took the appropriate action by expelling protestors from the launch. He says Mr Abel's behaviour became so disruptive that he had to be removed from the meeting, and the fact he left kicking and screaming made that a difficult task. The matter is now under police investigation. Seven people were forcibly ejected, after heckling Prime Minister Jenny Shipley during her speech on Sunday. Native Forest Action has admitted responsibility for the disruptions. It is the second time an assault complaint has been laid against a National MP in recent weeks. Tertiary Education minister Max Bradford ran into trouble last month, when a student at the University of Canterbury accused him of assault during a protest against student loans.
(Despite having no time at all for the minister, and a great deal of sympathy for the students actual cause, nevertheless I believe that the conduct of the student in this case was so extremely provocative, and the physical brushing aside by the minister was so much an instinctive protective reaction, that it would be a travesty to describe it as an assault. - BH)
Auckland University students face a fee increase of almost 11 per cent next year, and the announcement has prompted an attack on National's policies. The University Students Association blames the 10.9 per cent increase on what it calls "shameful" government policies. The association's national co-president, Karen Skinner, says student debt is already out of control and they can not afford to pay more. The fee increase has prompted a personal attack on Auckland University Vice Chancellor Dr John Hood. The association claims Dr Hood has forgotten that he is running a university, and not a business.
(Victoria has also bumped up its fees, though they remain considerably lower than those of Auckland or Canterbury. Despite claims by government supporters that the spending on tertiary education has increased, on a per student basis it has considerably diminished in many cases, by as much as $4,000 in the case of a BSc Honours year for example. I hope these acts come back to haunt their architects. - BH)
One of the All Blacks' major sponsors says it will stick by the team, and will not be changing any of its advertising campaigns. As part of its sponsorship of the team, Air New Zealand painted the All Black front row on the 747 that carried the players to Britain for the World Cup. But despite the All Blacks' shock defeat to France in the World Cup semi-final, Air New Zealand spokesman Alastair Carthew says the team is still very marketable. He says the All Blacks are the strongest rugby brand in the world and that will not change because of one loss.
(Snuffle! - BH)
Air New Zealand may be staying loyal, but it is a different story in Otago. Dunedin rugby fans have mixed views on whether local hero Taine Randell should be retained as All Black captain after the team's loss. A street survey found continuing criticism of Randell's captaincy, with fans citing a lack of up-front leadership in the crucial game. But others said the All Blacks overall had a poor game, and Randell should not cop all the blame. One man called for Otago's Tony Gilbert to be considered as the new All Black coach.
(One of the sadder aspects of the New Zealand psyche is the fickleness of the public when it comes to sport. Until the last 40 minutes of the game against France we held these guys in the highest esteem. They were heroes. A welcome home ticker tape parade was planned. Hero to zero in 40 minutes. - BH)
Defence counsel for alleged sex offender Dr Morgan Fahey has today asked the Christchurch District Court to require seven of the complainants against him to give verbal evidence at a depositions hearings. The former Christchurch deputy mayor faces 13 allegations that he raped, sexually violated or indecently assault 11 of his patients between 1963 and 1997. Fahey's lawyer Chris McVeigh QC is seeking the opportunity to cross-examine seven of the complainants when their statements are submitted to a lower court hearing. His submissions have been suppressed by Judge John Strettell who will deliver his decision on how he intends to deal with the application later today.
Labour leader Helen Clark is trying to suggest there is a rift between the Prime Minister and the Treasurer, Bill English. Mr English is far more cautious than Jenny Shipley about the Government's ability to cut the top personal income and company tax rates if it wins another term in office. Ms Clark says the Treasurer's caution is sensible, while she believes the PM is badly misjudging public opinion by thinking most people would prefer tax cuts over social spending. Treasurer Bill English denies any conflict with the Prime Minister over the taxation issue, saying the party-backed policy is clear. He says National is promising that over the next term of office the government will reduce the top personal and company tax rates.
The Child Youth And Family Service says few teachers and doctors are reporting cases of suspected child abuse, and it wants to work with them to remedy the situation. This follows a study on who notifies the department, formerly called CYPFA, about at risk children. Chief social worker Mike Doolan says the analysis came about following the case of four-year-old James Whakaruru, who was beaten to death by his stepfather. Mr Doolan says of particular concern was the surprisingly low reporting rates among teachers and doctors. He says doctors accounted for only one per cent of notifications, and schools were the source of only 12 per cent.
National is promising a vigorous campaign to promote the importance of fatherhood. Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, who lost her father when she was 18, says children growing up without fathers are a major contributor to social problems such as crime. She says absentee fathers create a vacuum in the lives of their children. Jenny Shipley is campaigning throughout the North Island this week and is heading to Whangarei today.
The TAB has done a good trade from the Melbourne Cup. Kiwi punters placed $6.2 million on the big race, and $4.8 million of that was returned as winnings. It was the second biggest Melbourne Cup for the TAB after last year's total of $6.7 million. TAB spokesman Jim Leach thinks the fall-off in betting was partly due to the lack of hype on this side of the Tasman, and the lack of any big name contenders. He says there were not as many personality horses in the race than in recent times, which he believes helps stimulate public interest in the race.
Police have arrested a man in connection with the death of a security guard at Splash Planet in Hastings. A 36 year old Hastings man has been charged with murder and is to appear in the District Court in December. The accused was remanded in custody in an initial appearance Tuesday. It is understood 49 year old Hugh Mills was investigating a break-in at the water park when he was killed on Sunday night. A trust fund has been set up for Mr Mills' wife, Diane and their six children. Donations can be made through the WestpacTrust Bank.
Among the other news not accessible to WYSIWYG today for copyright reasons, is the announcement that Phillida Bunkle of the Alliance is standing aside as an electorate candidate for Wellington Central to give Labour's Marian Hobbs a better chance of unseating Richard Prebble. She is still likely to get into parliament as a list member as she did this time.
(Since I criticised National for doing just that in Ohariu Belmont, consistency demands that I deplore equally this same ploy from the other side of the spectrum. I understand that there is a great deal of sympathy in Labour too, for the idea of supporting the Green Party's Jeanette Fitzsimons in Coromandel ahead of their own candidate who is running a distant third. A plague on all their houses, I say. - BH)
It has been an emotional roller-coaster for rugby fans during the World Cup, which has also affected sleep patterns. A survey conducted by bedmaker Dunlop Sleepmaker, shows about 60 per cent of New Zealanders aged 18 and over watched at least one World Cup match live. Nearly a third of those who watched a game, did not sleep as well as normal. Many also conceded they were less productive and less able to concentrate at work. Most interviewed said that getting up in the early hours of the morning was no problem - until last Monday morning when the dream turned into a nightmare.
Police investigating the serious beating of a couple in South Auckland now believe the attack was a contract hit paid for by a third party. Police are still hunting for three men who badly beat the middle-aged occupants of a Manurewa home at Labour weekend, inflicting horrific injuries. The couple remain in hospital and continue to have reconstructive surgery for facial injuries. Detectives will not comment on a motive but now believe a third party, whose identity the officers say they know, hired the three men to carry out the attack. Police seeking public information on the case have set up a special hotline: 0800 HIT MEN.
The HIV positive Christchurch man who admitted having sex with hundreds of men without telling them he had the virus will be sentenced today. Thirty one-year-old Christopher Ian Truscott pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal nuisance last month. He's being held in an unknown isolated location under the powers of the Medical Officer of Health. However it has been reported that Truscott managed to escape on Monday night, before being located in Hagley Park that same day. But Medical Officer of Health Doctor Mel Brieseman says his lawyers have advised him not to comment on the incident until after sentencing today. Hagley Park is a well- known haunt of gay men seeking sex.
Date: 4 November 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 0.5171
AUD 0.8013
GBP 0.3142
JPY 54.37
CAD 0.7593
EURO 0.4939
FRF 3.2393
DEM 0.9659
HKD 5.0277
SGD 0.8659
ZAR 3.1833
CHF 0.7943
INTEREST RATES (%)
Call : 4.50
90 Day: 5.27
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To subscribe to, or unsubscribe from the WYSIWYG News E-mail list visit:
WYSIWYG Subscriptions
To find it on the WWW go to the WYSIWYG Archives
Text Copyright © 1998 Brian Harmer,
Formatting Copyright © 2003 OneSquared
OneSquared bears no responsibility for the contents of this page.