WYSIWYG NEWS - 25 April, 2007
news at wysiwygnews.com
news at wysiwygnews.com
Wed Apr 25 16:32:28 NZST 2007
Subject: 25 April, 2007
----- WYSIWYG NEWS ------------------------------
Copyright, Brian Harmer.
Today is ANZAC day. ANZAC was at first merely an acronym for
the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps. In New Zealand and
Australia, it has come to have a significance far beyond that,
somehow conferring statehood on each country. In both
countries, this is the pre-eminent day for remembering the
dead of the various wars in which our countries have
participated. For all practical purposes, these include the
Boer war, World Wars I & II, Korea, the Malaya/Borneo
conflict, and Viet Nam with acknowledgements to those who have
died recently in peace-keeping duties in Afghanistan and East
Timor as well. ANZAC Day is a statutory holiday in New
Zealand, and with few exceptions, all shops must be closed
until 1 pm. Typically, the day starts with dawn services which
are held in most towns of any size. An ever diminishing number
of veterans of such conflicts turn out to march proudly, if
less expertly than they once did, from some convenient
assembly point to the local cenotaph or other memorial of the
fallen. Invariably there will be a bugler, and wreaths,
perhaps a local contingent of the cadet forces, one or two
token representatives of the present armed services or police,
and of course local mayors and politicians. There will be a
minister, often selected in annual rotation from the local
minister's fraternal, and some dignitary who will pay tribute
to the fallen and express hope for a peaceful future.
Increasingly, these ceremonies are being attended by young
families, and little children may be seen wearing the medals
won by their great grandfather. From a conservative protocol
point of view, I harbour some reservations about the propriety
of this, but never mind. Perhaps if they bring home the
realities of war, some good is served. I could wish for a
better understanding of the realities. I heard one small mite
telling how her great grandfather died to stop the evil men
taking over the rest of the world. Perhaps he did, but far
more likely, the Turk who shot her Great Grandfather at Chunuk
Bair thought he was defending his homeland from foreign
invaders. Nothing is black and white, is it? Today was fairly
typical of such days, and large crowds are reported at dawn
services around the country, and at later civic or religious
services during the day. I chose the latter for myself. Later,
I watched the television coverage of rather moving ceremony at
the national war memorial in Buckle St., Wellington, at which
His Excellency, Anand Satyanand, Governor General of New
Zealand was in attendance. Among the dignitaries present was a
man with whom I have the pleasure of a modest acquaintance. He
retired from the RNZAF as an Air Vice Marshall (equivalent to
a major general). I knew that he had flown Hueys in Viet Nam
while on secondment to the RAAF. I know he was in the co-
pilot's seat of the Short Sunderland flying boat that
notoriously scraped its planning hull along the runway during
the opening display at Wellington's Rongotai Airport on 25
October 1959, and which subsequently flew back to Hobsonville
in Auckland where they managed to beach it before it sank
under the force of inrushing water. In person he is a quiet
and modest man of great erudition. What caught my eye today,
however, were the medals he wore. Around his neck, hung the
CBE on its blue sash, and on his chest beside a host of lesser
medals, the highly visible Distinguished Flying Cross and the
Air Force Cross. I am sure that he would pass them off with
some self-deprecating remark, but he is a metaphor for many
veterans around the world. True heroism is among us, usually
un-noticed, un-remarked. And each year these heroes turn up at
the services in their decreasing numbers to honour those who
didn't come home, and to recite Binyon's Ode to the Fallen:
"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them".
----
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 another long-time reader,
Amanda Peet in Canada. Thanks once more.
----
On with the News.
Monday, 16 April 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
APPREHENSION FOR EXPORTERS
--------------------------
Worrying times are being predicted for exporters as the dollar
continues its climb against the greenback. The kiwi traded at
more than 74 cents today, breaking records set over two years
ago. It closed at 73.89 US cents. BNZ chief economist Tony
Alexander says the rise means a mixed bag for those trading
with foreign markets. He says it is important exporters do not
believe the kiwi is straight-lining up to 80 cents. Mr
Alexander says over the next few weeks the currency will be
extremely volatile, but he is predicting no strong drop in
value for the next two years. Export New Zealand CEO Bob
Walters says the pressure is on for a number of exporters who
trade in US dollars. He says the only sector bearing up is
dairy, thanks to a strong commodity market. Mr Walters says
generally margins are being tightly squeezed all over.
DOLLAR'S CLIMB TO SET TO CONTINUE
---------------------------------
Economists are predicting the dollar is on a one-way trip to
achieving a record high. The kiwi traded at more than 74 cents
this morning for the first time in two years. New Zealand's
high interest rates are driving the rise, which have pushed
the dollar to two-year highs against the greenback. Markets
appear to be anticipating a further increase in interest rates
when the Reserve Bank reviews the official cash rate next
week. BNZ senior economist Tony Alexander says investors and
overseas buyers are currently seeing very little reason for
selling the New Zealand dollar. He says closer to home,
consumers can also expect to reap the benefits with lower
costs for overseas travel and imported goods. Tony Alexander
is predicting the dollar will continue to perform strongly for
the next couple of years.
GOVT LOOKS AT RE-SALE ROYALTIES FOR ARTISTS
-------------------------------------------
The Government is exploring ways to ensure visual artists
receive the financial benefit which follows the re-sale of
their works. It is looking for feedback on the idea of
introducing a royalty payment scheme for artworks sold on the
secondary market, also known as an artist's re-sale right. It
would see artists receive a royalty payment each time an
original art work is resold. Minister for Arts Culture and
Heritage Helen Clark says the arrangement is in place in about
50 countries. She says a re-sale royalty right helps address
the limited access to economic benefit which visual artists
derive from creating an original work. A discussion paper will
include the royalty rate and who would be liable for payment.
(This strikes me as a truly bizarre notion. Shall we apply it
to architects? Or builders? If you created and then sold
something, your only residual right should surely be the right
to be known as it's original creator. - BH)
HOSPITALS PREPARE FOR RADIOGRAPER STRIKES
-----------------------------------------
Hospitals affected by the latest strike to hit the health
sector are urging patients to go to their family doctor for
non-urgent care. Southland, Otago, Canterbury, Hutt Valley,
Bay of Plenty, Lakes and Tairawhiti DHBs are back in
contingency mode as radiographers walk off the job. Around 250
workers are striking for various lengths of time and are
staggering their walkouts over the next two weeks. Lakes
District Health Board communications officer Sue Wilkie says
family doctors should be the first port of call unless people
are acutely unwell or have had an accident. The radiographers
are involved in diagnostic services such as x-ray, CT and MRI
scans and ultra sound.
RINGING THE CHANGES TO ASTHMA INHALERS
--------------------------------------
Researchers are attempting to discover whether adding the
sound of bells to inhalers will improve the treatment of
asthma. The Auckland University study will ask children with
the disease to test-drive new types of inhalers, some of which
come with ring tones. The tones are designed to remind
children to take their medication. There will be 14 different
ring tones ranging from animal noises to excerpts from recent
hit songs. Associate Professor Peter Black says one of the
main problems associated with chronic disease is people
forgetting to take their medication. The study needs 60
asthmatic volunteers from Auckland, aged between 7 and 18.
Anyone who is interested can call 09 3737599 x 83773.
BILLBOARD SUBMISSIONS HEARD TODAY
---------------------------------
Auckland City's controversial plans to get rid of billboards
in the CBD take another step forward today. The council will
start hearing submissions on the proposal, which would also
restrict signs in other parts of the city. It is the first of
several planned for this month. Auckland City Council received
more than 1700 submissions on the plan, with more than 1,500
opposed to it.
(Frankly, I regard the advertising and marketing industries in
their entirety, no matter what the medium, the business
equivalent of didymo. Like the lilies of the field, "they toil
not, neither do they spin", yet unlike the lilies, they bring
us - consumers - nothing of value. Abolish the signs, I say. -
BH)
NZ CAN COPE WITH DISASTER SAYS MINISTRY
---------------------------------------
A survey of New Zealand hospitals suggests they would not be
able to cope with a September 11 style terror attack or major
disaster which resulted in a large number of casualties. The
study of 88 hospitals in New Zealand and Australia was carried
out by Dr Anthony Joseph, a director of trauma at Sydney's
Royal North Shore Hospital. Dr Joseph says the study reveals
hospitals could deal with small numbers of casualties but
anything beyond 20 would severely stretch all hospitals in
both New Zealand and Australia. He warns that as many as 80
percent of the injured would be denied immediate treatment and
would not have access to an operating theatre. He says New
Zealand rates more poorly than Australia with fewer than three
operating theatres for every 100,000 people. However, the
Ministry of Health refutes the claims. Emergency planning
coordinator Steve Brazier says all hospitals routinely do
exercises to see how they would cope with large scale
disasters. He says there are plans in place to deal with
disasters such as a major crash or even terrorist bombings. Mr
Brazier says the exercises indicate that New Zealand can cope
with any one of those disasters.
HOUSING MARKET STILL ON FIRE
----------------------------
The chances of a rise in interest rates have just gone up as
new figures from Quotable Value show house values rising at an
annual rate of nearly ten percent nationwide. There has been a
9.8 percent growth in prices on average nationally for the
three months to the end of March. The average sale price was
$363,188. The figures show property values strengthening in
the main centres, with strong growth in the provinces. Mark
Dow, QV spokesman, says the overall state of the economy,
which includes a low unemployment rate, appears to be
underpinning the market. Prices in the Auckland region rose
7.5 percent to an average sale price of $462,028. Gore's
average sale price was the lowest at $116,630. Hamilton's
prices grew 12.2 percent, Wellington City 12 percent,
Christchurch 10.7 percent and Dunedin 7.3 percent. This
morning's figures put more pressure on the Reserve Bank to
increase interest rates when it reviews the official cash rate
next week.
Tuesday, 17 April 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ETHICS OF PIG CELL TRIALS TO BE DEBATED
---------------------------------------
An application to resume pig cell transplant trials for
diabetes patients will now go before an ethics committee.
Trials by Living Cell Technologies were originally started in
the 90s but were canned in 1996 because of fears the procedure
could transfer a pig virus to humans. It involves replacing
dead insulin cells with similar pig cells so type-1 diabetes
patients do not have to inject themselves with insulin.
Scientific approval has now been given for the trials in eight
patients to resume. Medsafe spokesman Dr Stewart Jessamine
says the ethics of the proposal will now be scrutinised. He
says that debate is likely to take around two months.
NATIONAL SEEKS COMMON ANTI-SMACKING GROUND
------------------------------------------
National wants Labour and the Greens to work with it to find a
middle ground over the repeal of Section 59 of the Crimes Act.
The controversial "anti-smacking" legislation will be back
before Parliament early next month. National leader John Key
wants to deal with the differences over the bill and its
wording which are dividing Parliament and the country. He is
asking Helen Clark and Sue Bradford to "come to the table" so
all parties can come up with a legal definition all can agree
on. Mr Key says if they choose not to accept his offer then
the public can judge them by their actions, not their words.
WHANGAREI ROAD BILL COULD BE $4M
--------------------------------
Whangarei District Council says the bill to repair roads
ravaged in the recent storm, could be as high as $4 million,
and that repairs could take between six and 12 months. Current
priorities are re-instating roads that are either closed down,
or reduced to one lane. Responding to queries as to why the
Russell Rd slip on Helena Bay Hill will take so long to
repair, the council says the slip washed away a stretch of
road 25 metres long and ten metres deep. It says around 1,000
truckloads of quarry material will be used to refill the
washout.
SHOULD CRIMINAL AGE BE LOWERED TO 12?
-------------------------------------
The Government is looking at lowering the age of criminal
responsibility for young offenders to 12. A Social Development
Ministry discussion document on the review of the 1989
Children, Young Persons and their Families Act suggests
lowering the age of criminal prosecution from 14 to 12 in
cases of serious and persistent offending. It would see
offenders dealt with through the Youth Court instead of the
Family Court. The discussion document also calls for an
extension of supervision orders from three to six months and
tightened Youth Court bail conditions. The document and online
submission forms will be available on the Ministry of Social
Development website www.msd.govt.nz The deadline for providing
comments on the discussion document is 5.00pm, 1 June 2007.
(If they are old enough to commit adult crimes, they should be
able to pay adult consequences. A recent case involved a young
many fleeing in a stolen car who collided with another
vehicle, killing his two passengers and injuring the other
driver. Youth sentencing laws limited his penalty to three
months. - BH)
BLAME YOURSELVES FOR HIGHER RATES
---------------------------------
The Minister of Finance is again criticising New Zealanders
for having poor savings habits, and a predilection for
borrowing. It comes amidst expectations Reserve Bank Governor
Allan Bollard will again raise the Official Cash Rate next
week, in a bid to put the brakes on the housing market.
Michael Cullen says our savings record is getting worse
instead of better. He says latest figures show we owed $4.6
billion to credit cards in January - up half a billion dollars
from the figure two years ago. Dr Cullen says its an awful lot
of debt to have on short term high interest rates, and is
costly to service.
NEW DIABETES TREATMENT COMING
-----------------------------
New Zealand diabetes sufferers could soon benefit from pig
cell transplants. Living Cell Technologies began trials using
cells from killed newborn piglets to treat Type 1 diabetes in
the 1990s. However concerns over the potential spread of a pig
virus saw these put on ice. Medical director of Living Cell
Technologies, Bob Elliot, says scientific approval has now
been given for the trials to resume. He says the trial
involves replacing dead human insulin cells with coated pig
cells which do the same job. The aim is for the pig cells to
take over the body's insulin production. Professor Elliot says
once approval is given from an ethics committee, trials can
resume.
MPS SHOULD EXPECT SCRUTINY
--------------------------
Ross Robertson says MPs should be open to the same sort of
scrutiny the police force is about to be under. The Bazley
report into police conduct recommended a code of conduct be
introduced immediately. The Labour MP says he cannot see why
if police are being ordered to lift their game, politicians
should not be as well. He says MPs are predominantly in the
public eye and their actions influence society's perceptions
of what is acceptable and what is not.
TELSTRA SHELVES WIRELESS NETWORK
--------------------------------
Ross Robertson says MPs should be open to the same sort of
scrutiny the police force is about to be under. The Bazley
report into police conduct recommended a code of conduct be
introduced immediately. The Labour MP says he cannot see why
if police are being ordered to lift their game, politicians
should not be as well. He says MPs are predominantly in the
public eye and their actions influence society's perceptions
of what is acceptable and what is not.
SHOCK FOR WAITAKERE BUILDERS
----------------------------
Waitakere city is planning to raise building fees by up to 48
percent. The council - which admits its fees are already at
the high end for the Auckland region - will vote on the
planned changes on Wednesday. It is believed other local
bodies will follow suit, as new leaky building legislation has
increased their compliance costs. A council report says the
rise in fees and charges related to building and resource
consents work will help pay for more frequent inspections,
which are required under the new laws. The High Court this
year ordered Waitakere City to pay a woman more than $250,000
after its building inspectors approved the way her leaky
Hobsonville home was built.
ROYALTY PLAN OUT OF DATE
------------------------
One of New Zealand's foremost painters thinks the government
is out of step pushing a new arts royalty scheme. The scheme
will ensure artists receive financial benefit from reselling
their works. But Dick Frizzell says the plan is a bit old
fashioned. He says today's artists are very well rewarded. He
says the scheme comes from an era when artists were under-
appreciated.
TWO RATE RISES COMING - ECONOMIST
---------------------------------
Economist Gareth Morgan believes the Reserve Bank will not
just be putting interest rates up next week, he is expecting
an increase in the next quarter as well. The kiwi dollar is
trading at more than 74 US cents, breaking records set over
two years ago. Gareth Morgan says the Reserve Bank has no
choice but to raise rates, as the economy has run too hot for
too long, and the central bank now has to make up for lost
time. Gareth Morgan says if the government really wanted to
quieten the economy down, the last thing it should be doing
now is pouring money into roads, health services, and
infrastructure - generating full employment and excess demand.
He is convinced the probability of a housing market crash is
rising by the month, and says a government dereliction of duty
in policy setting is firmly to blame. As the currency scales
new highs, the volume of concern from the export sector grows.
Rob Davison of Meat and Wool New Zealand says it is going to
be severely damaging at the farm gate. He says clearly it is
just going to eat into export returns, and while some
companies may have forward cover to protect them in the short
term, businesses will feel the difference over the coming
weeks. Federated Farmers spokesman Keith Kelly says many are
already suffering, as the price of a lamb has dropped 15
dollars this season alone - when predictions were for them to
rise by seven to eight dollars. He says farmers are now only
getting cost price for their animals. He says the greatest
impact will be felt by young farmers starting out in the
industry, who have not yet got built up reserves to carry them
through hard times. He says banks are starting to ask farmers
where the next payment is coming from. Keith Kelly wants the
government to have a long hard look at its own spending,
saying the 47 per cent increase in crown expenses has to be
reined in. He says the Resource Management Act, ACC costs,
rates, and the Holidays Act are all hurting farmers,
especially when costs such as fuel are rising. But Keith Kelly
says the industry also needs to look at its own outgoings, and
find ways of cutting down the number of processes from farm
gate to supermarket shelf. National's finance spokesman Bill
English also attributes the blowout to what he calls
'relentless' government spending, which he claims is doing
enormous damage. Mr English says he cannot see that waning, as
Labour promises voters the Earth in a bid to nail the next
election. He says the spending is not focused on the
productive capacity of the export sector. He says our dollar
is a sure bet for speculators right now, and will remain so as
long as Labour's big spending programmes continue to underpin
consumer demand. One sector benefiting from the strong
currency is tourism. House of Travel says it is continuing to
see punters through the door wanting to take advantage of the
rates. Spokesman Brent Thomas believes the trend has some way
to run yet. He says while unemployment is low and while the
public is feeling confident, there is no reason to suspect it
will not continue. Brent Thomas says people planning travel at
the moment are getting a good deal.
TIME TO ACT ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS REPORT
----------------------------------------
Telecommunications lobby group TUANZ wants action on a
Commerce Commission report which the government has been
sitting on for a year. TUANZ chief executive Ernie Newman says
the report covers the area of mobile termination - that is,
the price phone companies pay to receive calls from each
others networks. It recommends the area be regulated, but
Ernie Newman says the minister, Trevor Mallard, has been
sitting on it. Ernie Newman says he is not at all surprised a
new Commerce Commission survey ranks Telecom and Vodafone near
the bottom of a list of services in 30 OECD countries. He says
New Zealand is one of the most expensive countries in the
world in which to have a residential, business, or mobile
phone, and nobody should be under any illusions over how poor
our service is here. Ernie Newman says despite all the
advertising and hype, mobile phones are a very comfortable
duopoly between Vodafone and Telecom - and New Zealanders are
paying the price. He believes high volume business users are
paying well over the odds by world standards.
Wednesday, 18 April 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THOUSANDS HIT BY BROADBAND OUTAGE
---------------------------------
A router in Auckland is suspected to be the cause of a major
outage for Telecom broadband users today. Several thousand
customers were hit by the overnight fault when Telecom was
upgrading its systems. The router has now been changed but
that did not stop a second outage after 11.15am. That lasted
20 minutes and was thought to be due to the system being
reset. The mishap affected Xtra and other wholesale ISPs. A
Telecom spokeswoman says there may not be an exact answer to
what caused the fault today.
MAN DIES AFTER AUCKLAND BUS HIT & RUN
-------------------------------------
A man has died in hospital after being hit by a bus on central
Auckland's Dominion Rd this morning. Police say the driver of
the Stagecoach bus pulled up at a bus stop further along the
road, got out of the bus and looked towards the injured man,
before climbing back on board and continuing on his journey.
Police have since located the driver, but have not yet
interviewed him. He is seeking legal advice. The dead man was
not carrying any identification and police are trying to
contact his next of kin. He is described as a middle-aged
Asian man. Police are also appealing to witnesses to come
forward.
DOLLAR HITS ALL TIME HIGH
-------------------------
The dollar has hit its highest level since it was floated in
1985. It has been spurred on by inflation figures showing
prices rose 0.5 percent in the first three months of the year.
At one point this morning the New Zealand dollar was worth
74.76 US cents, before coming back a little. Speculation the
Reserve Bank will increase interest rates next month is also
helping keep the currency up. The bank raised the official
cash rate to 7.5 percent last month, warning that a further
increase might be needed unless domestic demand slowed,
particularly in the housing market.
(Well, it is an all time high since the dollar was first
floated. I can remember in the pre-float days when NZD$1 was
worth USD$1.10 - BH)
EARLY SCHOOL LEAVER NUMBERS
---------------------------
National is alarmed at the number of students who have been
given exemptions to leave school before they turn 16.
Education spokeswoman Katherine Rich says the number has risen
42 percent to 3,900 since Labour came to office. She says it
is worrying that the rate is so high because leaving school
early is linked to poor outcomes later in life. Mrs Rich says
back in 1997 when there were 1,700 exemptions Labour was
outraged, claiming most of the students who were given
permission to leave early were truants. She says now the
numbers have more than doubled, Education Minister Steve
Maharey needs to explain.
UNITED FUTURE CLIMATE POLICY OUT
--------------------------------
United Future has unveiled its climate change policies,
focussing on forestry and farming. MP Gordon Copeland says the
key points include an immediate devolution of carbon credits
to forest owners who plant new plantations. However he is
giving no answers on the continuing debate on carbon credits
from already established forests, saying it is an issue
needing more study. Gordon Copeland says they also support the
permanent forest sinks approach, and want to encourage farmers
to return non-viable agricultural land to forestry. He says
the party is in favour of the creation of carbon credit
trading mechanisms, however it will oppose any move to put a
carbon tax on farmers for methane emissions.
ANTARCTIC ONCE WARM AND INVITING
--------------------------------
Scientists say new evidence shows there is a history of major
climate fluctuations at the South Pole. It is the first
release of findings from scientists who took samples from
Antarctica using the giant Christchurch-made drilling machine
Andrill this summer. A global fraternity spent the time
gathering core samples from the ice and below the Ross Sea -
they have taken them away to assess climate variations over
time. Results released by Northern Illinois University show
climate fluctuations over the past five million years have
been extreme. They say the Ross Ice Shelf, a floating slab of
ice the size of France, has changed in size dramatically, and
perhaps even disappeared completely for periods of time. The
researchers says long cores of sedimentary rocks they
recovered from below the bed of the Ross Sea allow them to
peer into the past and into a time when the Antarctic was a
warmer, more inviting place. The information is being used by
scientists to try to piece together a more accurate picture of
long term trends.
KIRO REJECTS LOWER PROSECUTION AGE
----------------------------------
The Children's Commissioner believes getting involved with
problem families early is the key to stopping criminal
behaviour, but disagrees with the idea of a lower age of
criminal prosecution. Dr Cindy Kiro says early intervention is
a better option so problems that lead to offending behaviour
can be dealt with. She says we have a good system in place but
it needs clarifying. Dr Kiro agrees the time is right to
simplify and clarify the language of the Children, Young
Persons and Their Families Act, but Garth McVicar of the
Sensible Sentencing Trust favours something more concrete. He
says a lower age of criminal prosecution is not about locking
up more young offenders, but will mean bringing more
accountability into the lives of our youth. He says young
people are maturing earlier in life, and the justice system
has not been able to keep up. Garth McVicar says a lower age
would also help stop young offenders going on to commit major
crimes.
(Dr Kiro's job is to advocate for children, nevertheless I
find myself often disagreeing with her as I do on this
occasion. - BH)
AIRLINE WORKERS REFUSE TO SWITCH UNIONS
---------------------------------------
Hundreds of Service and Food Workers Union members are vowing
not to bow to Air New Zealand's demand they switch unions. The
union has been involved in negotiations with Air New Zealand
over the future of 1700 jobs. But northern regional secretary
Jill Ovens says they have now been told they will be locked
out of forthcoming pay negotiations. She says staff are very
staunch and they are more determined than ever to defend their
pay and conditions during the negotiations. Jill Ovens says it
is an outrage that a company would behave like this, and
labels the behaviour "bully boy tactics". She says the company
has no business telling them which union they should belong
to.
BUSINESS AS USUAL FOR LAB FIRM
------------------------------
Diagnostic Medlab says it is business as usual, as its rival
for the lucrative work goes back to the courts. Labtests has
decided to appeal a High Court ruling which invalidated its
contract to take over Auckland's community laboratory testing.
The decision was announced at the same time as the resignation
of its chief executive Tony Bierre. DML chief Dr Arthur Morris
says his company will be concentrating on providing a good
service to its 10 thousand customers, whilst keeping a close
eye on what happens. He adds their legal team will be
following what happens in court very closely.
FIRE RESTRUCTURE PLAN REVEALED
------------------------------
It is now up to the public to have their say on the
Government's restructuring plans for the Fire Service.
Internal Affairs Minister Rick Barker has unveiled a proposal
which will rely on funding from an expanded base of insured
property and a larger pool of motor vehicles. The Professional
Firefighters Union believes the proposal needs to be fleshed
out in more detail before it gives its full approval. Union
Secretary Derek Best believes everyone will want to have some
idea on what they want. He says it has never been clear why
the Fire Service is not funded like any other public service
such as defence, hospitals or schools. Derek Best says the
funding structure has always been unfair to firefighters. He
says there are those who believe very passionately in the Fire
Service, and there will be some real interest in the proposed
restructure.
(Any restructuring that puts the entire cost of the fire
service on those who buy insurance is iniquitous. Those who do
not insure get a free ride. - BH)
WOMEN STRESSING OUT ABOUT MONEY
-------------------------------
Money woes are being held up as the biggest strain on the
lives of women in this country. A survey by Next magazine
finds 45 percent of its four thousand respondents identify
financial pressures as the number one stress in their lives.
Editor Susannah Walker says home owners in particular are
under pressure, with women increasingly becoming caught
between paying off student loans and high-interest mortgages.
The survey also finds women are giving up nicotine in huge
numbers. Only nine percent have smoked in the past month
compared with 47 per cent in the magazine's first survey two
years ago. A staggering 82 per cent of respondents want to
lose weight, but a quarter of the women who consider
themselves overweight fall into the normal range in terms of
their body mass index. Meanwhile a separate survey by a
recruitment firm has found two out of three employees prefer
financial rewards to both non-cash benefits and internal
recognition. Hays regional director Jason Walker says rewards
such as bonuses or an earlier salary review have become
increasingly important to workers over the last 12 months. He
says reasons for that include higher grocery, petrol and
mortgage costs.
(Heck, I stress about money, but then I have occasionally been
accused of being "an old woman". - BH)
NEW TELLY CHIEF HAS BIG IDEAS
-----------------------------
TVNZ's new head of news and current affairs is promising a
softly, softly approach when he takes up the position in four
weeks' time. Anthony Flannery is currently managing director
for "A Current Affair" on Australia's 9 network. Mr Flannery
says he understands he is arriving at the end of a
restructuring process, but describes himself as affable and
approachable and says he intends to bring stability to the
state broadcaster. He insists he is not planning to come in
and ride roughshod over anyone. The 45-year-old says there are
plenty of good people at TVNZ and he will be listening to them
first, before mixing the experience of current staff with his
own ideas to come up with a great portfolio of programmes, and
taking TVNZ forward. Anthony Flannery says despite a recent
round of job cuts, TVNZ still has more than twice the staff of
TV3, and there is no reason the state broadcaster cannot
maintain a competitive edge. He says it is not necessarily the
case that a cut in resources leads to a reduction in quality.
He says TVNZ is one of the great brand names in world
journalism, and he sees this as a fantastic opportunity.
(Certain spirals give you the sense of a bad ending. Someone
there should be hearing the ground proximity warning "Whoop!
Whoop! Pull up!" - BH)
LABOUR STICKS TO ITS GUNS ON SMACKING
-------------------------------------
Labour remains convinced Sue Bradford's bill aimed at
preventing violence against children is the best option on the
table. It, along with the Greens, has been challenged by
National Leader John Key to a round table discussion to find a
solution to the contention over the repeal of section 59 of
the Crimes Act. Cabinet Minister David Benson-Pope describes
National's suggestion as confusing and vague, but says it does
appear John Key's position now mirrors that of the Government.
He says it is time Mr Key got off the fence, showed
leadership, and sent some real messages to New Zealanders
about his party's attitude to violence. He says it is up to
John Key to provide a better idea than that reached by the
Select Committee which has worked on the Bradford bill. And he
has taken the unusual step of commenting on a live criminal
case to prove his point. A Timaru woman, previously acquitted
for using a horsewhip to discipline her son, is back before
the Courts again. Her case has been consistently cited by
supporters of the Bradford bill. This time she and her husband
are charged with assaulting her second eldest son. David
Benson-Pope says the case highlights the connection between
violence against young people and family violence. For his
part, the National leader is stopping short of saying his
party would repeal the law if it wins the 2008 election.
However he says they would pay close attention to a
referendum, if the Bill's opponents manage to muster the
numbers for one. But Mr Key says it is difficult to commit to
being completely bound by a referendum, as they do not know
what support partners might bring them into Government, and
what their views on the issue might be. United Future has
chimed in as well, describing the olive branch being offered
by National as commonsense. Leader Peter Dunne says the move
might just provide a way through what has become a bitter and
polarised debate. He says he would be keen to be involved in
the process but believes it should be restricted to political
parties only, with no involvement from lobby groups.
Thursday, 19 April 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HOUSING MARKET REMAINS DEFIANT
------------------------------
The average New Zealand house price has climbed yet again,
following a strong rally in the Auckland property market. The
Real Estate Institute says the national median house price was
a record $343,500 in March, which is 13.7 percent higher than
March 2006. The median house price in Auckland was $443,000
last month, up three percent from February and 26 percent for
the year. National sales rose 17.4 per cent from February to
10,989 houses sold, while days to sell fell to 27 days from 32
days. Real Estate Institute President Murray Cleland says the
figures are evidence the last month's increase in the Official
Cash Rate has not subdued buyers at all.
GREENS WANT TO CLEAN-UP ELECTION FUNDING
----------------------------------------
The Green Party has released its proposals for electoral law
reform. Co-leader Russell Norman says the party is seeking to
limit the influence of money on the democratic process to
ensure there is true democracy. The Greens want a ban on
donations above $1,000, unless the source of the money is
disclosed, plus a ban on overseas donations unless they are
from expatriate New Zealanders who are entitled to vote. The
party also wants to limit the amount a person or entity can
donate to a political party in any 12 month period, to no more
than $35,000. The Green Party also wants third party
advertisers to identify themselves if they are spending more
than $1,000, and to limit their campaign spending to $50,000.
TOXIC SHELLFISH ALERT IN BOP
----------------------------
A health warning has been issued for part of the Bay of Plenty
coastline, where high levels of toxic shellfish poisoning have
been found. The area affected by Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning
runs east from the Maketu Estuary to the Whakatane River
Mouth. Bay of Plenty medical officer of health Phil Shoemack
says the warning applies to all shellfish; including mussels,
pipi, tuatua, and scallops. Dr Shoemack says symptoms of the
poisoning include numbness and tingling around the mouth and
dizziness. The toxins can be fatal.
EXPORT LAMB SUPPLY EXPECTED TO BE LOWER
---------------------------------------
Lamb supply for the export market is expected to be 16 percent
lower for the year to September 2007. The decrease follows an
11 percent increase in production in the first half of the
year. Meat and Wool New Zealand says the early high production
was brought about by dry seasonal conditions in many regions
coupled with falling to weak export lamb prices that
encouraged an early slaughter. The decrease in supply for the
last six months of this season also coincides with lower
Australian lamb production. Looking ahead to the 2007-08
season, Meat and Wool says the export lamb supply is expected
to remain similar to the current year. New Zealand exports 92
percent of its lamb production consuming only eight percent on
the local market. Australia in contrast, consumes around 60
percent of its lamb production and exports 40 percent. New
Zealand lamb exports on a shipped weight basis totals 310,000
tonnes and Australian lamb exports total 157,000 tonnes.
TRIBES PLEASED WIND FARM OVERRULED
----------------------------------
An Environment Court decision to overrule approval for stage
two of a wind farm in Hawke's Bay may set a precedent for
other cases. Unison Networks was seeking approval from the
court for a 37 turbine farm on the Te Waka Range north of
Napier. Ngati Hineuru and Ngati Tu spokeswoman, Tania Hopmans
says they are not against wind energy, just the location of
the development. She says the Te Waka Range has huge cultural
significance to the tribes which are delighted by the decision
to overturn district council approval. Ms Hopmans says tribes
remain opposed to stage one of the proposal which will see a
wind farm built near State Highway 5 at the Titokura Saddle.
BILLBOARD PLAN ILLEGAL SAY PROPERTY OWNERS
------------------------------------------
Auckland City Council has been told its proposed sign and
billboard bylaw is illegal. The Property Council has obtained
a legal opinion saying because the council has for many years
granted advertisers the right to erect and maintain billboards
it cannot suddenly confiscate those rights. Chief Executive
Conal Townsend says that means that if the council changes the
bylaw, it would have to financially reimburse sign owners. He
warns that would be hugely expensive. Under the bylaw
proposal, 205 billboards, accounting for around three-quarters
of all signs in Auckland, will be outlawed. Some building
owners are paid tens of thousands of dollars a year for
advertising posted on their properties.
WOMEN OFFICERS RESPOND TO COMMISSIONER'S PLEA
---------------------------------------------
Female police officers are ready to help repair the damage
done by a few of their male colleagues. At a women police
officer's conference Police Commissioner Howard Broad appealed
to female officers to help restore the public's respect,
following Dame Margaret Bazley's damning report into police
conduct. Southern Director for the Police Association Sergeant
Tracey Maclennan says it is a great time to be a female in the
force and more women in the ranks help to ensure a wider range
of perspectives. However, she does not believe it is up to
female officers alone to mop up problems highlighted in Dame
Bazley's report and says there are many great male officers
who will help to make up for the mistakes of the past. Dame
Margaret's report called for more women and ethnic minorities
to be recruited into the police to reflect New Zealand's
changing society. The document prompted Mr Broad to apologise
to the women harmed by sex abuse from police officers.
MORE EMPHASIS WANTED ON INTERNET SAFETY
---------------------------------------
An internet group wants as much emphasis placed on internet
education as it is on water safety and road sense. Police have
laid charges after footage of a 16-year-old being assaulted in
Hastings was put on Youtube by the youths who allegedly
carried out the beating. A 14 and a 16-year-old boy will
appear in the Hastings Youth Court tomorrow charged with
assault. The 15-year-old boy accused of filming the incident
and posting the footage on the internet has not yet been dealt
with. Internet safety group NetSafe spokeswoman Rachel
Harrison says children need to be trained to be good cyber
citizens. She says the on-line environment must be treated in
the same way as other situations of risk and children given
the tools to act wisely. Ms Harrison says this is a new issue
that was not around 30 years ago and it is a new challenge for
educators.
Friday, 20 April 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MORE REFORMS FOR BUILDING SECTOR
--------------------------------
Further steps have been announced to reform the building
sector. The Government is beginning consultation on new rules
and regulations for local councils and their handling of
building consents. Local authorities have until the end of
November to gain accreditation if they wish to be involved in
building control work and are now being asked to give feedback
on the proposed registration standards which aim to ensure
high standards for consumer protection. Councils have a month
to have their say.
TAKEOVER BID BY PHARMACY COMPANY
--------------------------------
A subsidiary of listed company Life Pharmacy has lodged a
takeover notice for all the shares in Pharmacybrands. Life
Investments is offering Pharmacybrands' shareholders $9.20 per
share and will send them a formal offer in the coming weeks.
The offer is conditional on the acceptance of 75 percent of
Pharmacybrands' shareholders. Life Investments' offer will not
be made if Pharmacybrands shareholders approve the acquisition
of 676,285 shares in Pharmacybrands by Pharmacy Retailing
Limited. Liz Coutts, chairman of Life Pharmacy, says that
bringing the two businesses together will be highly beneficial
for stakeholders of each company. Life Pharmacy holds a 49
percent shareholding in 17 pharmacy companies throughout New
Zealand.
COMINGS AND GOINGS ACROSS THE TASMAN
------------------------------------
There was an increase in the number of New Zealanders quitting
the country for greener pastures across the Tasman last month.
Two-thousand-800 made the jump in March, an increase of 1700
on March last year. However for the year ending March, 12,000
more people entered the country to live than left, an increase
in immigration of 2,400 on the year ending March 2006.
BUSY TIME FOR TRAVEL AGENTS
---------------------------
Travel agents are having a busy time. 133,400 people took a
short overseas holiday last month, a seven percent increase
8,800 on March last year. They were heading to Australia,
China, New Caledonia, the Cook Islands, Fiji and Samoa. The
increase to Fiji is the first since last September when
compared with the same month the previous year. In the year
ended March 2007, 1.879 million people went overseas for a
short period of time, up on 1.868 million departures for the
previous March year. Five percent more visitors came to New
Zealand in March 2007 compared with arrivals in March 2006.
More came from Australia (up 43,300), the United Kingdom,
China and South Africa. Fewer people from Japan and the United
States visited.
MAORI ACCUSED OF RIPPING OFF FISHERIES
--------------------------------------
New Zealand First MP Pita Paraone claims Maori are exploiting
the sea for profit. Citing figures released today, Mr Paraone
says although Maori comprise of only 14.6 percent of the
population, they represent 28 percent of people apprehended
for poaching and black market fisheries offences. Mr Paraone
says the figures are particularly saddening as Maori have a
responsibility to act as protectors of the nation's kai moana,
which is a resource that has sustained them for generations.
"It is a great disappointment that Maori are vastly over-
represented amongst those exploiting and otherwise abusing
something so precious to both Maori and all New Zealanders.?
Mr Paraone says ripping off the fisheries is not acceptable,
no matter who is doing it. He says Maori must step up to
ensure fisheries resources are available to their children and
grandchildren.
(Kai= food Moana= the sea, thus kai moana is food from the sea
- BH)
SECURITY COMPANY UNDER FIRE
---------------------------
Private security firm Chubb is under fire after another inmate
was attacked while being transported in a van. A remand
prisoner has been left with a suspected broken jaw after he
was apparently beaten by four other inmates while they were
being transferred from the Auckland Central Remand Prison to
Waitakere District Court. The Corrections Association claims
the men were supposed to be segregated and spokesman Beven
Hanlon believes it is a repeat of the cost-cutting procedures
that led to the death of Auckland teenager Liam Ashley. He
claims the Department of Corrections has failed to learn from
that tragedy despite a promise of sweeping changes. New
Zealand First law and Order spokesman Ron Mark also believes
the Department has failed to heed the lessons from the Ashley
case. He says it appears systems that should have been put in
place have not been implemented quickly enough. "If they
clearly have rival gang members or inmates who clearly don't
like each other, it seems stupid to allow staff to be putting
those people together and that's something Barry Matthews
(Corrections CEO) is going to have to get on top of pretty
quickly before we have another tragedy." Mr Mark says Mr
Matthews has to either sort out his own staff or review Chubb
security's contract if it is proved the company was
responsible.
(I heard the minister of corrections Damien O'Connor
attempting to defend this. It was an appalling display in my
opinion. I see no valid reason for prisoners not to be
restrained while in transit so that they cannot perpetrate
this sort of mayhem on others - BH)
SCHOOL HANDS DISCIPLINE OVER TO PARENTS
---------------------------------------
Wainuiomata Christian School will be calling on parents to
discipline their own children if it becomes necessary, after
being forced to back down on its stance on corporal
punishment. School principal Martin Keast says for the past
ten years the school has refused to answer ERO questions about
whether it uses corporal punishment on its students. He says a
letter from the Ministry of Education threatening to close the
school down if it does not comply with the law has forced it
to decide not to use corporal punishment as part of its
discipline programme. However Mr Keast says a loophole in the
law allows the school to call in parents to discipline their
own children. "If we had the liberty, we would have corporal
punishment as part of our school's discipline policy."
NEWSPAPER QUALITY WILL DROP SAYS JOURNO HEAD
--------------------------------------------
The head of an Auckland journalism school believes the
reduction in sub-editing jobs at APN's newspapers will result
in a drop in quality. The company, which owns the New Zealand
Herald, Herald on Sunday, various regional newspapers and the
Listener, has decided to outsource around 70 sub-editor jobs
to an Australian company Pagemasters, which will run an office
of around 50 staff in Auckland. Dr Martin Hirst from the
Auckland University of Technology, says the personal
relationship between sub-editors and journalists will be lost
and newspapers will suffer. He says putting sub-editors into a
removed place where they are not involved in the newsroom and
where they are mass subbing takes the life out of the news
process. Dr Hirst says it is also not good for new graduates
who need others to show them the ropes and help prevent
mistakes. However, APN is playing down the outsourcing. CEO
Martin Simons says the move is about creating more efficiency
and says it does not mean all sub-editors will be out of work.
He says the workers who lose their jobs can apply for the ones
being created at Pagemasters. He says the outsourcing is about
efficiency but is refusing to reveal how much money will be
saved. Mr Simons expects other publishers to follow suit, as
he says it enables the content to be integrated across other
media packages. The Engineering Printing and Manufacturing
Union will be meeting with staff at the New Zealand Herald and
is considering taking legal action claiming the company failed
to properly inform members. Union secretary Andrew Little does
not think the company has looked at submissions made by the
union and says the outsourcing shows that APN is more
concerned about money than the quality of the news it
provides.
UPGRADING HOMEOWNERS PUSHING PRICES
-----------------------------------
A group which watches property developments to analyse the
best times to buy and sell assets believes investors are not
the ones behind the buoyant property market. The latest Real
Estate Institute figures show the national median house price
was $343,500 in March up from $335,000 in February, with the
median in Auckland up to $443,000 last month compared with
$430,000 in February. Analyst Kieran Trass of Suburb Watch has
carried out research on the impact of interest rates on house
price growth rates over the past 10 years. He believes
investors are only buying about 25-30 percent of the houses
and that the price increases are being driven by people
trading up. Mr Trass says research has shown that the only way
the market will slow, is if interest rates rise by more than
one per cent. He says even then, it will take about six months
for things to calm down as there is still a lot of demand.
GROWERS FEAR IMPACT OF INTEREST RATE HIKES
------------------------------------------
The group representing growers claims more people will be
walking off the land if the dollar continues to rise,
crippling their export earnings. Horticulture New Zealand
wants the Reserve Bank to hold off on what is widely expected
to be another interest rate rise next week as it would wipe
out millions of dollars from the rural economy. CEO Peter
Silcock says the Reserve Bank's attempts to dampen inflation
and control the housing market are not working, and are having
a damaging effect on export industries. He says some growers
already have production offshore, spreading their risk by
operating in Chile or Italy and he can see them leaving the
country if the currency continues to rise. Mr Silcock says
growers who do stay will have to borrow more money to enable
them to continue operating. The New Zealand dollar is
currently worth 74.41 US cents.
PLAN GETS TICK OF APPROVAL FROM SCRIPTWRITERS
---------------------------------------------
Scriptwriters are welcoming changes that will give independent
television producers a greater share of the proceeds of
programme sales. Rather than having to split the amount 50-50
with New Zealand on Air, the new system gives producers 75
percent. The New Zealand Writers Guild says the move is a step
in the right direction. Executive director Stephen Gannaway
says it recognises that New Zealand television production
should be valued as economic as well as cultural capital. He
says in the past, writers have been forced to accept low rates
or work for free because of the poor returns for producers but
the latest move means there is now no excuse for writers being
underpaid for quality work. Mr Gannaway believes it will give
producers greater incentive to invest more in producing
quality, marketable television.
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