WYSIWYG NEWS - 1 April, 2007
news at wysiwygnews.com
news at wysiwygnews.com
Sun Apr 1 21:35:55 NZST 2007
Subject: 01 April, 2007
----- WYSIWYG NEWS ------------------------------
Copyright, Brian Harmer.
Families are fantastic. This weekend, we were absolutely
delighted to have Catherine come home from Melbourne with her
fiancé Mark, and David from Brisbane. It is rare that all five
of our young people can be home at once, but three in town at
one time is a treat. Our children are diverse in their
personalities, occupations and interests, but they are all a
great joy to us. When they get together, there is always a lot
of laughter and memories. Sometimes the laughter gets a little
out of hand. As our daughter in law Rowena observed, her
normally sane and sensible husband in combination with his two
brothers transform to become Huey, Dewey and Louie. Sanity
departs, and Pythonesque comedy takes over. Now of course we
have the added dimension of the grandchildren, each of whom is
a character in his or her own right, and I sincerely hope that
each will inherit the sheer joie de vivre of their parents and
uncles and aunts. I admit a slight bias in my enthusiasm for
my family. The two Australian residents were able to visit
their youngest brother and his family in their new house with
its stunning outlook across the lower valley, Matiu Somes and
out through the heads to the Southern Ocean. Today, David and
Anthony will visit middle son Andrew in Nelson and in David's
case, meet his year old niece Billie for the first time. Later
in the week, after they get back to Wellington, granddaughter
Grace and her mother Rowena will join us for the Easter break,
and we look forward to even more excitement as we celebrate
several birthdays and our 37th wedding anniversary. How
rapidly today becomes yesterday, and yesterday becomes last
year, and last year becomes "way back when". And how pitiless
the passing of time is in respect of the functioning of the
human body. I misplaced my glasses last weekend, and for one
who spends a minimum of seven or eight hours a day in front of
a screen, or reading, this was a major calamity. The only old
pair of glasses in my possession were of inadequate
prescription, and were scratched and falling to pieces. I
spent my time in front of the computer with my head cocked at
an awkward angle trying to see around the obscured part of the
old lens. What a relief to get my replacement glasses on
Thursday and Friday (a spare set was ordered), and how comical
to have the frames of the old damaged ones collapse literally
on the premises of my optometrist. In the words of Johnny
Nash "I can see clearly now, the rain is gone ..."
----
Any text above this point, and all subsequent material in
parentheses, and concluded with the initials "BH" is the
personal opinion of Brian Harmer as editor of this newsletter,
or occasionally "GS" will indicate an opinion from our
editorial assistant. In all cases they are honest expressions
of personal opinion, and are not presented as fact.
All news items (except where noted otherwise) are reproduced
by kind permission of copyright owner, Newstalk ZB News. All
copyright in the news items reproduced remains the property of
The Radio Network Limited.
Formatting this week is sponsored by Chip Chenoweth, president
of Prater's Foods Inc, Texas. Many thanks Chip.
----
On with the News.
Monday, 26 March 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THREE-QUARTERS POLLED AGAINST ANTI-SMACKING
-------------------------------------------
Another poll on Sue Bradford's anti-smacking bill has shown
almost three quarters of New Zealanders are opposed to the
legislation. The poll of 497 people conducted by Research New
Zealand shows 73 percent of New Zealanders are opposed to the
bill, which is due to be debated again on Wednesday. Along
with the strong opposition to the legislation, the poll also
shows 72 percent of people believe if the law is passed it
will be unenforceable. The poll also found those aged 15-29
were more inclined to support the legislation, with a quarter
strongly supporting the bill. It has a margin of error of plus
or minus 4.4 percent. Fourteen other polls conducted by
various organisations show on average about 80 percent of
people oppose the legislation.
(A different poll by Colmar Brunton showed 83% opposed to the
new legislation. Nevertheless all the indications are that the
government intends to push it through, - BH)
YELLOW PAGES $ SHOULD GO TO INFRASTRUCTURE
------------------------------------------
A telecommunications analyst believes Telecom should invest
the money its made from the sale of its Yellow Pages group in
infrastructure. The $2.24 billion sale is to a private
consortium made up of the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan and
CCMP Capital Asia. Analyst Paul Budde says Telecom desperately
needs to spend some money on infrastructure. He says the local
loop in particular needs to be upgraded and that investment
would make much more sense than buying back shares. Mr Budde
says there needs to be faster broadband services for all parts
of the country. Plus he says it will be important for the
future when high speeds may be used for healthcare and
education services over broadband networks. Telecom will
announce what it will do with the money in May.
(Given that Telecom is a private company owned by its
shareholders, I wonder why Mr Budde or anyone else presumes to
tell them what to do with the proceeds from the sale of their
own property. - BH)
GREENS UNVEIL CARBON POLICY
---------------------------
The Green Party believes its climate change policy is what is
needed to help the country kick the carbon habit. It has today
released details of the policy it intends carrying into the
2008 election. Co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says the forestry
industry should receive some benefits for the carbon it
stores. However Ms Fitzsimons says carbon credits should not
be a property right. Instead she says the Greens would use
forest credits to reward foresters for stored carbon and as a
incentive for replanting.
TRADE DEFICIT DROPS IN FEBRUARY
-------------------------------
Increased exports of dairy products have led to a drop in the
trade deficit. Statistics New Zealand figures for February
show the value of merchandise exports rose almost 10 percent
to reach $2.8 billion. As a result the trade deficit dropped
to $127 million. That is about a third of the February 2006
deficit, which was the largest on record for the month.
Government statistician Dallas Welch says the rise in exports
was mainly due to the $142 million increase in milk powder,
butter and cheese. She says in comparison the total value of
merchandise imports was flat, up only $4 million for the
month.
VICTORIA PARK SOIL CLEAN-UP TO COST $1.6M
-----------------------------------------
It will cost more than $1.6 million to remove contaminated
soil from Victoria Park in Auckland. The Auckland City Council
has approved the spending under urgency. Deputy Mayor Bruce
Hucker says the potentially lethal chemical in the soil is due
to fill from old gas works and it poses a threat to public
health. He says Benzoapyrene is a known carcinogen that can
contribute to cancer, so the council has taken remedial
action. Dr Hucker says removal of the soil is a delicate
operation as there are a lot of heritage trees in the park and
a new method is being used to ensure the root systems are not
damaged. He says the contaminated soil has to be removed, and
the ground sealed with plastic before fresh soil can be put
down.
(I remember the old gasworks on Beaumont Street at the Western
end of the park. Great piles of coke ... the residue after
distillation of coal, not the beverage ... a huge expanding
gasometer and the pervasive smell of coal gas. - BH)
STAFF PRESSURES A BIG PROBLEM FOR JUNIOR DOCTORS
------------------------------------------------
A four-day conference in Auckland considering ways to improve
the work life of junior doctors has concluded that staffing
remains the most pressing issue. Fifty resident medical
officers attended the Resident Doctors Association annual
conference. General Secretary Deborah Powell says there are
huge numbers of vacancies with some hospital staff levels down
16 percent. She believes that puts immense pressure on those
remaining. Dr Powell says a recent study showing a number of
junior doctors falling asleep at the wheel while driving home
after their shift highlights the problem. She says while
taxiing home is an option, roster changes could prevent the
exhaustion in the first place.
STUDENTS WORRIED ABOUT LAB ROW
------------------------------
Students fear the high profile fallout over Auckland's
community laboratory will impact on their futures. Diagnostic
MedLab and Labtests Auckland are in negotiations over the
interim provision of the region's community lab services from
July after the High Court declared Labtests' contract invalid.
Chris Kendrick from Massey University's Medical Laboratory
Science programme says when tendering time comes around again,
both parties are likely to trim their budgets. He says his
students are worried the next provider will stop training
medical laboratory scientists.
Tuesday, 27 March 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RIBENA-MAKERS FINED $227,500
----------------------------
The maker of Ribena has been fined a total of $227,500 for
misleading customers about the vitamin C content of Ribena.
GlaxoSmithKline admitted 15 breaches of the Fair Trading Act
after two Auckland high school students discovered the drink
does not have four times the vitamin C of oranges as it had
claimed. The Auckland District Court also ordered the company
to print two half page newspaper advertisements in Saturday
papers correcting the vitamin content of some of their Ribena
products.
(Well done to the two bright young women who discovered this.
A big laugh for the dim initiative that tried to fob them off
with falsehoods. I wonder how many other packaged fruit drinks
retain any detectable traces of vitamin C since it apparently
disappears with time in storage and various other handling
errors - BH)
FALLOUT OVER JOURNALIST'S EJECTION GROWS
----------------------------------------
Colleagues of the press gallery journalist ejected from the
Beehive at the request of visiting Chinese dignitaries are
throwing their support behind him. Press gallery chairwoman
Marie McNicholas says police bowed to pressure from Chinese
security to remove journalist Nick Wang, after claims by the
Chinese that he was a Falun Gong member and a security threat.
She says fellow reporters are outraged an accredited member of
the gallery with security clearance was challenged. She says
they will be seeking an apology for Mr Wang, and an assurance
from the Speaker of the House that accredited status gallery
journalists will be respected by all security personnel.
Commonwealth Press Union Media Freedom Committee chairman Tim
Pankhurst says the diplomatic protection squad exceeded its
authority by escorting the reporter from the event. He backs
attempts to get assurances that there will not be a repeat of
the incident. Mr Pankhurst suggests it is not the first time
the New Zealand Government has catered to demands from the
Chinese Government. He says it should not be about not
embarrassing the Chinese, it should be about upholding a
democratic rights. MPs across the House are also outraged over
Nick Wang's treatment. United Future leader Peter Dunne has
asked the Speaker for answers. Green MP Keith Locke says
footage of the incident shows Parliament police telling Mr
Wang Chinese officials had threatened to cancel their meeting
if he stayed to take photos. Mr Locke says that is disgraceful
and is clearly political pressure from a foreign power on
Parliament. He says that cannot be accepted. National leader
John Key says he was not at last night's incident so it is
hard for him to make a judgement. He says as a general rule
the party is respectful of the accreditation process and by
and large would prefer journalists could attend conferences
when they take place. Speaker Margaret Wilson is looking into
the matter.
(The pompous defence by the police spokesperson was that Mr
Wang was getting agitated and waving his arms about, was
flatly contradicted by the video evidence shown on TV. If you
are going to mount a defence, you had better be sure the
cameras are not telling a different story. This did not look
good. - BH)
TRADE ME TO WADE INTO TOURISM MARKET
------------------------------------
Trade Me has announced it is preparing to move into tourism.
The online marketplace operator says the local tourism sector
is not making good use of the internet, so it is launching a
website that will. It plans to go live with the service by
mid-year, and will initially focus on accommodation.
CARD TRANSACTIONS INCREASING
----------------------------
New figures show more of New Zealanders are shopping with
plastic than ever before. Statistics New Zealand says last
month there were 73 million credit, Eftpos and charge card
transactions, totalling $4.3 billion. It says that is a 1.5
percent increase on January, and the strongest monthly change
since May 2006. A spokeswoman says the average value of
transactions in February was $59, up $1 from the month before.
In Feb there were 73 million credit, Eftpos and charge card
transactions, totalling $4.3 billion
ANOTHER ORDER FOR MOTOR-MAKER
-----------------------------
Small motor-maker Wellington Drive Technologies has confirmed
a major international appliance company has placed an order
for its products. The Auckland-based company says its new
customer will use more than five million units annually for
its household appliance. Although it will not name the client,
Wellington Drive says it is a respected household name in most
countries and amongst the industry leaders for innovation in
appliance design. Wellington Drive Technologies has also
reported an interim net loss of $2.9 million today, compared
with $2.6 million for the corresponding period. It says
financial results were affected by delays in the closure of
new orders, partly due to diversion of senior staff and
management time in connection with the unsuccessful
transaction with Source Vortex. But Wellington Drive says it
is progressing satisfactorily along its growth path.
PRISON STAFF WANT CHANGES AFTER CLEAN-OUT
-----------------------------------------
The prison officers union believes both management and guards
will rightly share the blame for problems at Rimutaka Prison,
now the Regional Manager of Wellington Prisons is being
investigated. The Corrections Department says the manager is
on special leave while an employment investigation is carried
out. It follows the suspension of ten Rimutaka Prison guards
for various reasons, including suspicion of corruption and
breaching the code of conduct. Corrections Association
spokesman Beven Hanlon hopes something positive will come out
of the investigations. He hopes it will mean more support and
training for prison officers, so that if they are approached
by prisoners they know there is a supportive and safe
environment for them to disclose information. Mr Hanlon says
he also wants management to confidently deal with problems as
they arise.
WELFARE SHAKE UP MOOTED
-----------------------
A right-wing think tank has come up with plans for a radical
shake-up of the welfare state. The Centre for Independent
Studies is floating the idea of allowing people to get tax
reductions, in return for opting out of the government-run
health and superannuation schemes. Social research director
Peter Saunders says people should also be tax-free up to a
certain level of income. "The principle is that you should be
able to earn your own subsistence before the government starts
taking money off you. Basically, the subsistence income is
what the welfare system would pay somebody who is not in
work." Professor Saunders says the tax-free status would be
around $11,000-$12,000 a year for a single person, or $19,000
for a couple.
(Among the most obvious reforms is to allow pooling of income
taxation purposes for married couples. - BH)
GAMBLING PROBLEMS REMAIN
------------------------
There has been a drop in the number of people looking for help
to deal with a gambling problem, but the Gambling Helpline
does not believe it means the issue is getting any less
serious. In 2006, 2651 called the helpline - 221 fewer people
than the previous year. A higher proportion of Maori and
Pacific Islanders are seeking help. There has also been an
increase in the number of people seeking help online. Gambling
Helpline chief executive Krista Ferguson says the falling
figures belie the fact there is still a serious problem facing
the community as only 12 percent of problem gamblers actually
seek help.
BUSINESSES IN DOLDRUMS ABOUT STAFF SHORTAGES
--------------------------------------------
Auckland businesses are worried about their ability to find
good staff. The Auckland Chamber of Commerce says around 368
businesses out of more than 800 it surveyed are struggling to
get the right staff on board. That is up eight percent in the
past three months. Chamber chief executive Michael Barnett
says it is reaching a critical point as staff shortages
prevent businesses from growing and affect the whole economy.
He says businesses are going to have to start looking offshore
and working with the Immigration Service to find the right
people to grow New Zealand's economy. Mr Barnett says there is
still optimism within the sector, but the skills shortage is
something which needs addressing now.
GLOOMY OUTLOOK FOR RENTERS
--------------------------
The cost of renting is going up and it is causing misery in
the market. According to the latest allrealestate.co.nz survey
for March, the average rent is now $280 a week. Renter
confidence is at an all time low with two thirds of people
expecting their rent to go up during the coming six months.
More than 50 percent of those questioned say it takes around
two months to find a decent property to rent. One in three
people expect to stay in the market because they do not have
enough cash to buy.
OLDER WORKERS MORE LOYAL
------------------------
New Zealand is leading the way in employing more older people
in the workforce. A Department of Labour report shows that the
number of people aged 50 plus in the workforce more than
doubled between 1991 and 2005. A greater proportion of 55-59-
year-olds work than 20-24-year-olds and New Zealand now has
one of the highest participation rates in the OECD for the age
group. Robert Half Finance says employers have to adapt to the
changing demographics of the workforce if they want their
companies to prosper. It says young people are now spending
longer at university with accounting graduates wanting to
become chartered accountants needing a four year degree rather
than the traditional three year degree. It says it is also now
much less common for young people to work and study part time
while they qualify. Kim Smith, Robert Half division director,
says when you add into the equation a skills shortage and the
fact that more young finance professionals are taking extended
OEs, rather than just the traditional one to two years, it
explains one side of the ageing of the workforce and
enlightened employers are responding by hiring more older,
more experienced workers. She says people aged 50-plus are
less likely to want to climb the corporate ladder and want to
add value in a job they enjoy and which helps them achieve
their personal goals. As a result, they are likely to remain
with the same employer for longer. However, Ms Smith says some
employers, particularly among larger companies, are still
reluctant to hire older workers. ?Some employers have a
specific profile in mind of the person they want to hire and
they'll just wait for that person to turn up, rather than
being a little bit more open-minded.? Employers who would
rather wait weeks, or even months, rather than hire an older
person faced very real costs as a result, including work that
is not being done putting pressure on other staff.
Wednesday, 28 March 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WORK BEGINS ON UNBUNDLING LOCAL LOOP
------------------------------------
Preliminary work has begun on opening up Telecom's telephone
exchanges. The Commerce Commission says it has begun the
process of determining terms for access to the exchanges by
other operators. It expects to hold a scoping workshop next
month on the co-location of the necessary equipment. The
equipment will help the other operators provide services such
as broadband to their customers, over Telecom's local loop.
The Commission says all interested parties will be invited,
after which Telecom will be required to submit a standard
terms proposal for the supply of the service.
STUDENTS POSTPONE PROTEST
-------------------------
A student rally planned for Wellington today has been
postponed because of another march protesting the anti-
smacking bill. Students had planned to gather on Lambton Quay
to show their opposition to the $9 billion of student debt
accrued through living costs, but Student Association
president Geoff Hayward says the anti-smacking bill march will
take away impact of the student protest rally which will now
take place on a day free of other events. The march protesting
the anti-smacking bill begins at Parliament at midday.
LABORATORY SCIENTISTS STRIKING AGAIN
------------------------------------
More than 1200 medical laboratory scientists will walk off the
job next month. The workers will strike for two days from
April 11 after talks with employers broke down yesterday.
Medical laboratory staff from DHBs, the Blood Service,
Southern Community Laboratories and Medlab South are involved.
Stewart Smith, president of the Medical Laboratory Workers
Union says members have not had a pay rise since January 2005.
They went on strike for seven days last year, causing surgery
to be deferred.
PUBLIC SECTOR CEOS GETTING FATTER PAY PACKETS
---------------------------------------------
Chief executives of public sector organisations are being paid
more than their counterparts in the private sector. Sheffield
Reward Consulting's survey of CEO's remuneration packages has
found median total salary package of a public sector chief
executive is $255,000, about $7,000 more than those in the
private sector. Spokesman Jarrod Moyle says the findings are
significant as they reflect the need for salaries to increase
in order to attract top talent to public sector organisations.
He says it is usually the case that CEOs in the public sector
receive less, due to lower performance payments and benefits,
but the survey shows the public sector is edging ahead. Mr
Moyle says the rise in salary reflects the need to attract top
talent to public sector organisations.
HOME OWNERSHIP HARDER THAN EVER
-------------------------------
A new report has highlighted just how unaffordable home
ownership has become. A survey by a financial website
interest.co.nz has found that at the end of February 2007, it
now takes 73.5 percent of the average wage to make a standard
mortgage repayment on an average house. Five years ago it took
just 40.3 percent of take-home pay to meet the mortgage bill.
The main drivers of last month's increase were a 2.4 percent
rise in median house prices. Since February 2006, house prices
have risen 13.6 percent. Interest rates also had an impact,
rising from 8.199 percent in January 2007 and 7.932 percent in
February 2006 to 8.305 in February 2007. Take-home weekly pay
estimates rose from $663.53 in January 2007 and $637.33 in
February 2006 to $666.23 in February 2007. The least-
affordable regions are Central Otago Lakes (104.4% of take-
home pay), Auckland (92 percent) and Northland (78.3 percent).
Southland is the most affordable, requiring only 38 percent of
the average wage, Manawatu/Wanganui 52.2 percent, Otago 54.5
percent.
NEW CRUISE PLAN FOR PLANES
--------------------------
Pilots could soon be warning passengers they are about to turn
off a plane's engines. A trial starts next month which will
see a new approach procedure at Auckland International
Airport. Flights will be allowed to glide in from 30 minutes
before they are due to land in the hope of reducing fuel burn
and emissions. Lew Jenkins from Airways New Zealand, which
manages air traffic control systems, is keen to find out
whether the trial makes a difference. He says data from other
trials overseas shows there are savings to be made. Mr Jenkins
says it is a perfectly safe procedure and passengers should
not worry.
(The key point missing from this coverage of the story is
minimal intervention from the air traffic controllers. - BH)
INTERNATIONAL SCAM MAY STRIKE NZ
--------------------------------
The Securities Commission is warning New Zealanders they may
be targeted by international fraudsters peddling an investment
scam. A group calling itself Metro Financials has been cold-
calling Australians offering commodity and futures options
traded on an options exchange. The commission's Director of
Market Supervision, John Mulry, says people are directed to
what looks like a sophisticated website, but which is really
made up of plagiarised material from legitimate websites. The
commission wants New Zealanders to be aware in case they get
phoned by the group and says the best thing to do is to hang
up on any suspicious calls. Authorities in America, Australia
and Singapore are investigating the group which is believed to
have defrauded people around the world out of millions of
dollars. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission
says America's Commodity Futures Trading Commission has
charged nine entities alleging the creation of fictitious US
futures exchanges, brokers and a US futures regulator. The
ASIC says if an offer appears too good to be true, it probably
is.
STORE MEDICINES SAFELY SAYS DOCTOR
----------------------------------
Parents are being reminded to store medicine safely after two
Palmerston North toddlers who had helped themselves to
paracetamol ended up in hospital. The children required
intravenous treatment after swallowing enough of the drug to
risk permanent liver damage. Dr Giles Bates, a paediatrician
at Palmerston North Hospital, says on average 366 children
under 15 are hospitalised every year due to unintentional
medicine poisoning. He says naturally curious children are
amazingly good at getting hold of medicines that can hurt them
so all drugs and harmful substances, even washing liquids and
powders, should be locked up.
Thursday, 29 March 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WELLINGTON PRISONS MANAGER SUSPENDED
------------------------------------
The Corrections Department has suspended its Wellington
Prisons' Regional Manager. Dave East was placed on special
leave earlier in the week after a run of problems at Rimutaka
Prison, which led to the suspension of 11 prison guards. The
Department says an employment investigation is now underway.
(The Sunday Star Times today alleges serious bullying of staff
by the prison manager. - BH)
INDUSTRY BLAMES DODGY REAL ESTATE AGENTS
----------------------------------------
The Real Estate Institute claims a very small number of dodgy
agents have brought the profession into disrepute. The
Government has announced an overhaul of real estate law which
will include a more robust disciplinary procedure. Associate
Justice Minister Clayton Cosgrove says the current law
allowing for self regulation is perceived as industry
protectionism rather than as looking after the interest of
consumers. Real Estate Institute President Murray Cleland does
not agree. He says a small percentage of members occasionally
let the industry down. Mr Cleland says this has been brought
to a head by a couple of high profile cases pushed by the
media.
(The public perception will need to rise a fair way to match
that of Mr Cleland. There are just too many horror stories. -
BH)
DHBS MAKE DEAL WITH DIAGNOSTIC MEDLAB
-------------------------------------
An 18-month agreement has been struck between Auckland's
district health boards and Diagnostic Medlab for the provision
of laboratory testing services. It comes after a High Court
ruling reversing the transfer of the contract to Labtests
Auckland. The DHBs say the transition to the new interim
contract, effective July 1, will be seamless. They say it will
result in savings of more than $10 million through the
contract terms for the same level of service previously
provided. In the meantime, the DHBs will work to develop
longer term preferred configuration options for collection
services. The Government is welcoming news that an agreement
has been made. Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen has told
Parliament this will allow time for a proper re-tendering
process. He says Health Minister Pete Hodgson will turn his
attention to the performance of the board chairs and his
confidence in them when he gets back from a quick visit to
Australia at midnight tomorrow.
(The debacle surrounding laboratory testing in Auckland is
such that heads should roll, and I for one believe that Wayne
Brown's time as CEO of the Auckland board has passed. - BH)
NZ SLIPS IN SUPER GROWTH COMPANY RANKINGS
-----------------------------------------
New Zealand has slipped down the international league table in
terms of its proportion of "super growth companies" compared
to other nations. In the latest results from the Grant
Thornton International Business Report, New Zealand heads off
only Brazil, Thailand, Spain and Botswana among 32 countries
surveyed. It is the worst performance by New Zealand in the
four years it has been part of the Grant Thornton survey. A
super growth company is one which has grown considerably more
than the average measured against key indicators including
turnover and employment.
IDLE TV CAUSES FIRE
-------------------
Tauranga firefighters are concerned about the fire risk posed
by an ordinary television after a TV left on standby caused a
blaze in a flat in Waihi Rd. Senior Station officer Mark
Keller says the householders were lucky the fire happened in
the early evening as they had no smoke alarm in the bedroom
and might have been injured. He says when a TV is turned off
using a remote, it is still live with components operating. He
says TVs should always be turned off at the set.
(How many actually do this, I wonder - BH)
REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY TO GET SHAKE-UP
------------------------------------
The Government has announced a complete overhaul of real
estate law in a bid to crack down on unscrupulous agents.
Associate Justice Minister Clayton Cosgrove says a more
transparent and independent complaints system is long-overdue.
Mr Cosgrove says currently most complaints are handled by the
industry itself and are seldom brought before the Real Estate
Agents' Licensing Board, which can impose more serious
penalties. He says that in 2004 the Real Estate Institute
received 132 complaints but none were referred to the
Licensing Board, and in 2005 only seven of the 163 complaints
it received were referred. He says there were long delays in
processing complaints and allegations of poor quality
investigations. Full details of the proposed reforms will be
released for public comment in May, with a bill to clean up
the industry introduced later this year.
PLUNKETLINE RELAUNCHED
----------------------
A new PlunketLine service is on offer to parents from today.
The new telephone service is being run in-house, which Plunket
says will ensure families have access to expert help on child
health and development. Last year the Government decided to
phase out Plunket's contract to run the service, instead
handing it to McKesson which also runs HealthLine. But a
petition signed by more than 53,000 New Zealanders encouraged
Plunket to retain its service. The current service is now
based in Plunket offices using integrated contact centre
technology. Plunket chief executive Paul Baigent says
PlunketLine is also future-proofed and can be enhanced to
handle requests via text messages and email in time. He says
if recent call rates continue PlunketLine expects to answer
60,000 calls a year.
HARDWARE CHAIN OUTLAWING PLASTIC BAGS
-------------------------------------
Another company is fighting against plastic. Hardware chain
Bunnings Warehouse has announced it will be totally plastic
bag free by the end of the year. From May, customers requiring
them will be charged ten cents and the proceeds will be
donated to the Keep New Zealand Beautiful campaign.
Friday, 30 March 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
QUESTIONS OVER BOGAN STUDY
--------------------------
National is questioning why the Government has dished out
$96,000 to fund a study into the everyday lives of bogans. The
party's research and technology spokesman Paul Hutchison says
part of the research looks at moshing and headbanging. He says
it is all very interesting, but wonders how this type of
research is going to improve New Zealand's economic
performance. Dr Hutchison claims it is another example of the
Government's muddled thinking on the vital link between
research and economic success.
(The process of getting a doctoral study approved by the
school in which it is to take place is non trivial. Getting
the same school to endorse the study for a prestigious
scholarship is even harder. Getting TEC to pick your study as
one that ought to be awarded a scholarship is yet another
problem. It seems that the hurdle of public opinion is the
toughest barrier of all, and someone ought to have seen this
coming. - BH)
RESERVE BANK WARNS ABOUT GOVT SPENDING
--------------------------------------
There is a fresh warning from the Reserve Bank about
Government spending and its potential impact on inflation. It
has published a report on how fiscal policy can affect the
business cycle. The Reserve Bank believes Government fiscal
policy will be expansionary through to 2009 and this could be
a significant source of economic stimulus. It says this could
put upward pressure on both the interest and exchange rates.
But the bank says whether this will be a boon or a hindrance
for monetary policy will depend on how other factors in the
business cycle, such as trade, evolve.
TOURIST SPENDING INCREASES FOUR PERCENT
---------------------------------------
International visitors spent more than $6 billion while in the
country last year. The International Visitor Survey for the
year ended December 2006 showed a four percent increase in
spending by foreigners compared to the previous 12 months. The
figures are made up of tourists, people visiting family and
friends and business travellers. Australians were the biggest
spenders, handing over $1.5 billion for the New Zealand
experience. Britons spent $950 million and Americans $700
million. Chinese and South Koreans increased their spending,
but not at the same levels when international students made up
the bulk of their numbers. The Ministry of Tourism says the
figures affirm the New Zealand tourism industry is operating
at a high level.
WEAKER THAN EXPECTED GDP GROWTH
-------------------------------
The economy grew just 0.8 percent in the December 2006
quarter. Statistics New Zealand figures show Gross Domestic
Product was weaker than expected, falling below the one
percent increase forecast by economists. Of the 0.8 percent
growth, finance, insurance and business service groups and the
communications industry all contributed strongly. Domestic
spending was the main driver, partly offset by weakened export
volumes.
ROAD TAXES TO RISE
------------------
Petrol excise duty and road-user charges are to rise. Acting
Transport Minister Harry Duynhoven says petrol excise duty
will increase by 0.69 cents a litre and road user charges for
vehicles over six tonnes will increase by an average of 11
percent from Sunday. Mr Duynhoven says the government needs to
ensure all vehicles are contributing their fair share of road
costs. He says vehicles over six tonnes cause a
disproportionate amount of wear and tear to roads and user
charges for those vehicles have not increased since 1989. In
contrast, road user charges for vehicles under six tonnes have
almost doubled over the same time.
(There is no excuse whatsoever for any increase on petrol
excise, given that the natural price rises on the product lead
to an ever growing unearned revenue stream for the government
- BH)
GOVT PLEDGES HELP FOR FLOOD-HIT NORTHLAND
-----------------------------------------
The Government is prepared to lend a hand to flood-stricken
Northland should it be needed. The region is now in clean up
mode after a one-in-50-year flood caused extensive flooding
yesterday. Some areas received 370mm of rain in just a day and
a half. Prime Minister Helen Clark called Far North District
Council Mayor Yvonne Sharp this morning to gauge the situation
and ask if any help from the Government is needed. The Far
North District Council is currently estimating the storm's
damage. The Government has a contingency fund for adverse
weather events. It was called on last winter after a severe
snow storm hit the South Island. Civil Defence Minister Rick
Barker's office says the minister is now in discussions over
whether he will travel north to observe the flood's impact and
meet with local government officials. The Government helpline
has been activated for those affected by the Northland
flooding. The free phone number can be called by anyone
needing assistance from government services in the wake of the
bad weather. The number is 0800 77 99 97. The floods have
destroyed Lilipond Farm Park near Haruru Falls in the Bay of
Islands, killing a number of animals. Park owner Gloria Darter
says she tried to save as many as possible but in the end she
had to get out herself. She says emus, ostriches, pigs, sheep,
goats, turtles and chickens were lost. The park desperately
needs help to clean up as it is an absolute write-off with
boats and cars under silt. Transit New Zealand says nearly all
the state highways north of Whangarei have reopened following
the floods. The sole exception is State Highway 11 between
Kawakawa and Paihia, which has been hit by a major washout.
Transit Northern Operations manager Joseph Flanagan says other
routes are down to one lane in some areas while road crews
repair potholes and clear slips. He is asking motorists to be
patient when they encounter temporary speed restrictions and
queuing. Mr Flanagan is also advising people to avoid
travelling north of Whangarei this weekend unless absolutely
necessary. Power is still out for around 400 homes in the Bay
of Islands after trees fell on lines during yesterday's rain.
Contractors for lines company Top Energy cannot get to damaged
lines in Opua and Russell because roads are still closed. Top
Energy has teams in helicopters assessing the damage. About
2,600 Kerikeri residents are back in contact with the rest of
the world after Telecom repaired a fibre-optic cable which was
damaged at the Stone Store Bridge during floods overnight.
Telecom says staff had to wait for flood waters to recede and
worked in difficult conditions on the flooded bridge to repair
the cable early this morning. Telecom says full service is
also restored to other customers in the Far North who had
difficulty making national and international calls. The rough
weather over night has knocked out hot water on some areas of
the North Shore, Hibiscus Coast and west Auckland. Lines
company Vector is advising customers to get in touch with
their electricity retailers to register complaints. The Bay of
Plenty has also been hit by power cuts. Streets in the
Tauranga areas of Brookfield, Otumoetai and Bureta lost power
early this morning for several hours. Officials have confirmed
the big power cut that hit central Tauranga yesterday was not
caused by the atrocious weather. The outage occurred shortly
before midday and lasted around half an hour, with 7,000
consumers affected. Powerco spokesman Phil Marsh says it was
caused by a cable fault in a 33 kV line. Te Puke has also lost
supplies today. Tauranga police say the Kaimais highway
between Tauranga and the Waikato remains their biggest
concern. Acting Senior Traffic Sergeant Lester Polglase says
conditions have been pretty foul and marked patrol cars will
stay on the road all day reminding motorists to slow down.
NEW POWER TURBINE FUELLING AUCKLAND
-----------------------------------
Fifty thousand homes in Auckland could be better off, with the
unveiling of a new 45 megawatt gas fired turbine. Energy
Minister David Parker has officially commissioned the latest
Mighty River Power venture. The new generator has the capacity
to provide greater security of supply to Auckland homes and
businesses. It will also add further flexibility to the
Southdown Station and will work when demand is high, hydro
inflows are low, or there is no wind.
BETTER DEAL FOR LEAKY HOME VICTIMS
----------------------------------
The Government claims the owners of leaky homes will get a
better deal when a range of new reforms come into force next
week. Legislation was passed last year to establish a new
independent Weathertight Homes Tribunal and an enhanced
dispute resolution service. Housing Minister Chris Carter says
the measures include a streamlined claims process, time
limited mediation and a fast-track option for claims under
$20,000. A further enhancement is beefed up assessment
reports, where home owners can claim for potential as well as
actual non-weather tight damage. Mr Carter says the
Government's two-year financial assistance pilot will provide
access to bridging finance for claimants who meet the
criteria.
FOOD GUIDELINES DEPEND ON PARENTS
---------------------------------
Parents are likely to play a big part in making sure new food
and nutrition guidelines are picked up in schools and early
childhood education centres. A framework for the voluntary
guidelines has been launched by the Education Ministry, giving
advice on what kinds of food children should be eating on a
daily basis and what should be only eaten as treats. It labels
chocolate, pies, sausage rolls and chips as foods which should
only be eaten occasionally. Irene Cooper, president of the
primary teachers union, the NZEI, says it is vital everyone
works together. She says schools and early childhood centres
are intrinsically linked to the their community, so building
the initiative with parents is crucial. She hopes forthcoming
advertising campaigns will help the message get home.
TURNAROUND FOR PRODUCTION LINE MAKER
------------------------------------
Scott Technology has reported a $3 million turnaround in its
interim result. The production line maker says despite the
high new Zealand dollar, it has recorded a half year net
profit of $1.2 million, compared with a loss of $933,000 a
year ago. Its pre-tax operating surplus improved from a $1.4
million loss last year to being $1.87 million in the black
this year An interim dividend payment of three cents per share
will be paid on May 3.
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