WYSIWYG NEWS - 9 July, 2007

[news at wysiwygnews.com]

Subject: 09 July, 2007 
----- WYSIWYG NEWS ------------------------------ 
Copyright, Brian Harmer. 

Roger and I became good friends while we were both 
recuperating from illnesses in our final year of primary 
school, way back in 1958. I was recovering from the after 
effects of a ruptured appendix (in those days the ambulance to 
Auckland Hospital crossed on the vehicular ferry from 
Birkenhead, and it got there just too late). Roger was 
recovering from some childhood infection which I now can't 
recall. I suspect our subsequent  friendship was based on a 
mutual recognition that we were both socially maladroit, and 
that we compensated by immersing ourselves in a fascination 
with all things technical, especially those related to 
aviation. In 1958, there was no Internet, and there were no 
PCs, so I suppose we were the precursors to what later 
generations would call "geeks" or "nerds" (the distinction 
eludes me). Neither of us played sport, indeed we each 
actively avoided it to the greatest extent possible. Roger 
remained skinny, while I became more "streamlined". We were 
both obsessed with the making and flying of model aircraft. 
The following year we went to different secondary schools. 
Roger went to the local secondary school, Northcote College, 
while my parents decided that my academic future would be 
better served if I attended St Paul's College in Grey Lynn, 
where discipline was reputedly a strong feature. Nevertheless, 
on many days of the week, Roger and I would get together at 
the end of the day, and at the weekends, reading, drawing, 
planning and building and even flying models. We listed to the 
radio request sessions and "hit parades" as they were then 
known, and to far off shortwave stations. His parents were 
lovely gentle people who lived  on Mokoia Rd with their three 
sons in what, from my somewhat constrained perspective, was a 
completely relaxed and somewhat Bohemian lifestyle. I remember 
being allowed to ride around and around the outside of their 
house on their father's motor scooter. My parents by 
comparison, met and married in the British Army, so though it 
was a no less loving place, discipline and rules were a rather 
stronger feature of our home life. Roger and I continued as 
inseparable companions in crime, roaming free in the weekends 
around the local bush and around the coast line. We used to 
have mock battles in the bush, using a shanghai (slingshot) to 
fire small rocks at each other. The occasional hit would leave 
a bruise but little more. Amazingly no eyes were lost. With 
our bikes we roamed the North Shore, from Devonport to 
Beachhaven, and Stanley Point to Albany. At Beachhaven we 
stood at the wharf and looked across to the flying boats 
moored at RNZAF station Hobsonville. We went unsupervised into 
quite dense bush, or wandered around quite dangerous 
industrial sites. To this day I don't know why we didn't drown 
in the vast sludge dump that then existed at the back of the 
Chelsea Sugar Refinery. We would walk out on the crust of the 
steaming residue and occasionally break through into the 
sickly sweet bog of cane fibres underneath. In today's 
regulated litigious and sheltered world, our parents would 
probably be accused of criminal neglect. From our perspective, 
it was freedom, real freedom. Only Huck Finn enjoyed such 
freedom, it seemed to us. We had freedom to take risks. We 
climbed trees, and fell out of them, made death defying swings 
over gullies on lengths of old telephone wire, we swam in 
waterholes in deep bush. We made explosive devices which it 
would now be utterly irresponsible to describe in detail, and 
dropped them into the water off Chelsea wharf. There would be 
a satisfying "crump" and a spray of milky smoke-filled bubbles 
and occasionally a dead fish would float to the surface. In 
our secondary school years, we each became part of the Air 
Training Corps, in those days when every school had compulsory 
military cadet units (roughly equivalent, I guess to the ROTC 
schemes in the US). I must have done well at it, or perhaps 
just had a loud voice suitable for parade grounds, because I 
advanced to Squadron Warrant Officer at my school. We each had 
"perk" flights with our respective squadrons. I had several 
trips around Auckland peering through the nose glazing of a 
lumbering Bristol Freighter. Roger scored a flight in a 
Sunderland flying boat which made me green with envy. Back 
then they were still the front line maritime patrol bombers of 
the RNZAF. We twice attended NCO's training camp at RNZAF Base 
Auckland (Whenuapai)where we lived the lifestyle of RNZAF 
recruits, and got up to all the mischief that we could. And 
still we built models. Somehow between us we collected 
aviation magazines from all sorts of sources. We had an 
informal reference library of astonishing proportions, and I 
still have most of mine to this day. We were forever at each 
other's home and occasionally would put one over our 
respective mothers by having lunch at both places on the same 
day. Boy, did we get it when they finally talked to each other 
and discovered the scam. On several occasions, we cycled from 
Birkenhead out through Glenfield, up that seemingly endless 
hill and around the top of the harbour past Coatesville and 
Paremoremo, through Kumeu to Whenuapai, just to watch aircraft 
at what was then Auckland's international airport. Canadian 
Pacific ran Britannia aircraft, Qantas had Super 
Constellations, TEAL (the predecessor to Air New Zealand) ran 
DC-6Bs, and later the Lockheed L188 Electra. But the star of 
the all was BOAC's de Havilland Comet, the only jet airliner 
in service in the region at that time. In those pre upper 
harbour crossing days, that was a round trip of around 60 km.  
By now we had sufficient income to scrape together enough for 
model motors and serious flying model kits. A pair of twin 
five foot free flight models were tested on the lower field of 
Birkenhead War Memorial park. Way too much fuel, and no means 
of bringing it down ... and our income did not yet stretch to 
radio control. It meandered around for a while and then flew 
low across the upper field right through a football game in 
progress. The game came to a confused halt while players 
gawped at the model which suddenly found lift. It gained 
considerable height with the engine still running merrily and 
drifted in wide circles out to the east across what was then a 
bush lined gully, across Glenfield road and out of sight. It 
was recovered a week later from somewhere in the Wairau valley 
region and returned in a police car to my home (it had my name 
and address on it - the model that is, not the police car). My 
career path took me to the University of Auckland. Roger's 
took him to an apprenticeship as a fitter and turner. He 
smoked, grew his hair long and remained skinny. I did none of 
those. I dropped out of university and got my first job as a 
draughtsman in Tokoroa, and Roger's life went its own way and 
we drifted apart. Some twenty five years later, I got a phone 
call from Roger. He had found my address somehow, and was 
coming to Wellington. Could we provide accommodation for him 
and his partner Val? Of course we could. And then there he 
was, with shaggy hair and beard to match. My kids were still 
young at that stage and their eyes really popped at the sight 
of their somewhat conservative father getting a bear-hug from 
a hippie. Val was lovely and she was soon chatting to Mary and 
the children while Roger and I talked about - aviation and 
model making which both of us were still doing. Interestingly 
Roger was focused on the branch of our hobby called "vintage 
flying" ... all to do with the models which were fashionable and 
competitive when we were young. And the years melted away. 
After a great weekend, he and Val went back to Auckland, and 
we have had sporadic email contact over the years ever since. 
On Saturday, I had a call from his younger brother to tell me 
that Roger was dying of oesophageal cancer and that he had 
just days, and perhaps only hours to live. I got on the phone 
at once, and he was able to talk to me just enough to say 
goodbye. I think my voice was more choked up than his. He died 
last night. Goodbye my oldest friend.  
---- 
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. 
----  
On with the News.  
 
Monday, 2 July 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

KIWISAVER LEGISLATION TO BE TIDIED
----------------------------------

KiwiSaver legislation is to be tweaked due to a blunder that 
meant users would not get the tax credits they are entitled 
to. Revenue Minister Peter Dunne says as it is written, the 
law does not reflect the intention of passing on a $20 a week 
tax credit for KiwiSaver contributions to those signed up to 
the scheme. He says a law change to fix the problem will be 
introduced in the next few weeks.

ACT MAY SUPPORT MEDICINES BILL
------------------------------

ACT has decided to have another look at a controversial bill 
which aims to set up a trans-Tasman drug agency. Leader Rodney 
Hide says while he initially opposed bill, he is prepared to 
work cooperatively with Labour to find a resolution. He says 
ACT is now talking with Labour listing the party's concerns, 
to see if the bill can be fixed. Prime Minister Helen Clark 
says Mr Hide approached his office several weeks ago seeking a 
discussion. She says her response was "her door was always 
open." Miss Clark says Mr Hide has explained his party's 
repositioning and its desire not to be seen as a footstool to 
the National Party. 
 
(I heard a comment from Mr Hide in which he referred to 
National as "Labour Lite" as a justification as to why he 
could as easily collaborate with one party as the other. - BH)

NZ SOLDIER TO BE AWARDED VC
---------------------------

A New Zealand soldier being awarded the Victoria Cross carried 
a wounded SAS colleague 70 metres under heavy enemy fire. 
Corporal Willy Apiata is the first New Zealander to receive 
the nation's highest military decoration since World War II. 
The Government says Corporal Apiata showed little regard for 
his own life in Afghanistan in 2004, when he saved his 
colleague who would certainly have died from loss of blood 
otherwise. He braved heavy fire from the enemy and his own 
side during the incident. Three of the corporal's colleagues 
have also been awarded gallantry medals, but because of the 
secrecy surrounding the SAS, they are not being identified.
 
(This is, militarily speaking, a really big deal. Sharing the 
tradition, as well as the Crimean gunmetal with the British 
VC, this is the nation's supreme award for gallantry. I am 
unclear as to whether Cpl Apiata remains a member of the SAS. 
They are not usually named in public, as you can see in the 
treatment of the slightly lesser gallantry medals for his 
comrades. On TV at least, he seems a remarkably modest and 
unassuming young man. - BH)

MAORI MP ATTACKS YOUTH RATES BILL
---------------------------------

The Maori Party is labelling the Government's rewrite of the 
Youth Rates Bill, Labour's "Young Slave Bill". MP Hone 
Harawira says the bill has been watered down so much that it 
is hard to tell the difference between Labour's version and 
National MP Wayne Mapp's 90-Day Probation Bill. Mr Harawira 
says when Dr Mapp's bill was dumped last year, Labour said it 
did not believe that workers who go into a new job should have 
all their rights removed for the first 90 days. He says six 
months later, that is exactly what Labour is doing. Mr 
Harawira says Labour is proposing a "new entrants rate" of 80 
percent of the adult wage for the first 200 hours of 
employment. He says that is not about protecting workers' 
rights.

LANDING CHARGES TO RISE AT AUCKLAND AIRPORT
-------------------------------------------

Landing charges are to increase at Auckland International 
Airport. The airport says charges for airlines will increase 
by 2.5 percent each year for the next five years. Auckland 
Airport chief executive Don Huse says the "modest" increases 
are broadly in line with inflation. Mr Huse is not optimistic 
the announcement will go down well with airlines. He says he 
appreciates airlines will be concerned about their costs, just 
as the airport is concerned with its own. Last month, the 
association representing international airlines, IATA, 
labelled Auckland Airport greedy, claiming it was charging 
high landing fees, while making profits of 40 percent. The 
last increase in landing charges occurred in September 2001.

AUCKLAND SLOW TO PICK UP 20-FREE HOURS
--------------------------------------

Auckland has fallen behind the rest of the country in the 
uptake of the Government's 20-hours free early childhood 
education policy. The Ministry of Education has released 
figures revealing more than 65,000 children are signed up, 
which is 70 percent of those eligible. In regional figures, 
Auckland's uptake is around 50 percent. Ministry of Education 
Chief Executive Karen Sewell says the Ministry does not know 
all the reasons behind Auckland's figures. But she says it 
will be working with centres in the region to help get them 
signed up to the policy. The figures are not yet final with 
late enrolments still being processed.

KIWISAVER DISCRIMINATES AGAINST OLDER WORKERS
---------------------------------------------

The Government is being accused of breaching human rights and 
employment law with its Kiwisaver scheme. The savings plan 
began yesterday but people aged 65 and over are not eligible 
to join. Alasdair Thompson CEO of the Employers and 
Manufacturers Association says the rules are grossly unfair, 
incredibly short-sighted and discriminatory. He says older 
people are excluded from the $1,000 kick start, the $1040 
annual tax credit and tax free employer contributions. He says 
older workers are valued for their experience and ability to 
train younger staff but their exclusion from the Kiwisaver 
scheme gives them no encouragement to keep working.

KINDY TEACHERS VOTING ON CONTRACT
---------------------------------

The union for kindergarten teachers has reached a pay deal 
with their employers. The NZEI says the settlement provides 
security during a time of change in the sector, including the 
introduction of 20 hours free. Union negotiations team leader 
Judith, Nowotarski says the agreement balances the needs of 
kindergartens to offer more flexibility against teachers' 
requirements. The proposed settlement will now be considered 
by the union's 1750 kindergarten teachers.

NINE-WEEK HERCEPTIN STARTS TODAY
--------------------------------

Government funding for the nine-week course of early-stage 
breast cancer drug Herceptin begins today, with the 
Government's drug funding agency, Pharmac, confident it can 
see off a legal challenge. Eight women from Wellington, Upper 
Hutt, Horowhenua, Manawatu and Auckland are seeking a judicial 
review of Pharmac's decision not to adopt a more expensive 12-
month course of treatment. Spokeswoman Chris Walsh says most 
other OECD countries fund the drug for 12 months and it is 
only fair Pharmac does the same. She says at the moment it 
costs each woman $70 to $100,000 to fund a year-long course 
and those who cannot raise the money have a smaller chance of 
survival. The case comes before the courts later this month. 
Three hundred and 50 women are set to benefit from the nine-
week Herceptin course each year, at an expected cost to 
District Health Boards of $6 million.

DON'T PANIC OVER KIWISAVER
--------------------------

Today is the first working day of the Kiwisaver scheme and 
experts are advising people not to rush into things. Many are 
still scratching their heads about how the voluntary scheme 
works and the New Zealand Stock Exchange senses panic. NZX 
spokeswoman Rowan MacRae says people feel as if they have to 
make their decision about whether to opt in by today, but she 
says investors signing up today have until October to decide 
where they want their investments to go. Ms MacRae says people 
should take a good look at the fees and scheme costs involved. 
Financial experts point out that there is no deadline to opt 
into the scheme and it can be done at any time.

Tuesday, 3 July 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HASTING FOOD PROCESSING FACTORY CLOSES
--------------------------------------

It is hoped about 130 staff at Cedenco's frozen food 
processing plant in Hastings will understand a decision to 
shut up shop. The Omahu Rd site is already closed for the 
season and will not reopen at all, with the high New Zealand 
dollar cited as a major factor. It leaves the company's seven 
full time staff out of work, as well as around 120 seasonal 
workers, many of whom return year after year. Managing 
director Richard Lawrence says the company has advised its 
staff of the closure, and was met with surprise and sadness. 
Mr Lawrence hopes the workers will be understanding, saying 
the reasons for the closure are out of everyone's hands. Mr 
Lawrence says it was hoped efforts made over the last season 
would help in the face of the dollar's climb, but the company 
has had no such luck. He says a decline in the dollar's value 
is not likely in the foreseeable future. 
 
(Hastings has had a rough time in recent years with factory 
closures. It is sad that such a nice provincial city should be 
so afflicted. - BH)

NO STV HEADACHE THIS TIME, ASSURES MINISTER
-------------------------------------------

There are assurances this year's local body and District 
Health Board elections will not encounter the same problems 
they did three years ago. Vote counts for authorities using 
the STV voting system were delayed for weeks in 2005 due to a 
computer software problem. Local Government Minister Mark 
Burton has been told the problem that caused the systemic 
failure have been addressed and he is confident it will not 
reoccur. He indicates ballot forms have also been standardised 
so they can be processed at various locations.

CAMPAIGN CREDITED FOR TOURISM FIGURES
-------------------------------------

The Government claims a marketing campaign can be credited for 
an increase in the number of Australian tourists to New 
Zealand. Official figures for Autumn show numbers were up by 
just over six percent at what is normally regarded as a quiet 
time of the year. Tourism Minister Damien O'Connor puts the 
rise down to Tourism New Zealand's "What's On" campaign which 
he says has kept business flowing through the economy for much 
longer. In the year to April more than 910,000 Australians 
visited New Zealand

BRIDGECORP COLLAPSE A LESSON FOR INVESTORS
------------------------------------------

Prospective investors are being urged to do their homework 
before signing over their life savings to an investment 
company. Around 18,000 mum and dad investors are owed more 
than $500 million following the collapse of finance company 
Bridgecorp. Last week, the company failed to repay the 
principal to several debenture holders and capital note 
investors and last night, John Waller and Colin McCloy from 
PricewaterhouseCoopers were appointed as receivers. Investment 
specialist Brian Gaynor says any financial advisor would have 
been able to tell prospective investors the company was a high 
risk investment. He says the individuals behind Bridgecorp 
have been in a lot of trouble across the Tasman, with numerous 
failed businesses, and it has all been reported here. 
Bridgecorp has been in the headlines since a company it had 
exposure to, Australian property developer Westpoint, 
collapsed last year. Australia's securities regulator ASIC 
ordered Bridgecorp to repay money to investors in Australia 
and to stop raising funds there. Bridgecorp then used money 
from New Zealand investors to fund its Australian activities. 
Bridgecorp is also owed $49.1 million by Matapo, a Fijian-
registered company developing Momi Bay, south of Nadi. 
 
(The Sunday papers this week are somewhat scathing of the 
failed company's former MD who is still driving around in a 
high end Porsche and living in a very expensive dwelling while 
the investors who have put their life savings into Bridgecorp 
face financial ruin. For some reason, I am reminded of a 
period around 1987 when Sir Robert Jones suggested that a 
strong indicator of a shonky company was that its name ended 
in "corp" - BH)

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT STAFF RISE QUESTIONED
----------------------------------------

National wants the government to explain the ballooning number 
of new bureaucrats being employed to deal with a shrinking 
number of beneficiaries. Welfare spokeswoman Judith Collins 
says as the number of benefits has reduced, the number of 
staff employed by the Ministry of Social Development has 
spiked to record highs. Mrs Collins says the number of staff 
climbed from 5,000 in 2002 to 6,200 last year. She says salary 
levels have also increased, as in 2002 nobody earned over 
$200,000, but now there are 22 employees earning more than 
$200,000. 
 
(Without defending the numbers or salaries, I am aware that 
even now, the ministry still does not have sufficient 
resources to do all that it is supposed to do, so I am not 
sure whether it is appropriate for anyone to assume that the 
2002 numbers were in some way optimal for the ministry. - BH)

EXPORTERS TOLD TO GET SMART AS DOLLAR SURGES
--------------------------------------------

Exporters are being told they need to be smart in order to 
minimise the hit from the high dollar. The Kiwi jumped past 
the 78 US cents mark overnight, on the back of strong overseas 
interest. Export New Zealand chief executive Bob Walters says 
things are getting pretty tough. Mr Walters says on the other 
hand, many exporters are importers as well, so they can hedge 
their currency and to a certain extent offset the difficulty 
of the high dollar. He says high milk prices are an example 
that exporters can still make money with the high dollar.

EXPORTERS UNDER PRESSURE AGAIN
------------------------------

There is continuing misery for the export industry as the New 
Zealand dollar continues to climb. The kiwi is currently 
trading at 78.24 US cents after gaining around one percent in 
value overnight. The Reserve Bank (RBNZ) is believed to have 
intervened three times last month in an effort to dampen the 
currency's enthusiasm. However there has been no sign of the 
bank stepping in again this time. Business correspondent Roger 
Kerr says the interventions appear to be having no impact 
because foreign investors love the eight percent interest rate 
yield they can get from New Zealand investments. He suggests 
that instead of trying to trim the gains, which has so far 
been unsuccessful, the RBNZ can bring down the value of the 
New Zealand dollar and rebalance the economy by indicating no 
further interest rates rises are on the cards. However, Mr 
Kerr says that appears to be an unlikely strategy. "They 
(RBNZ) still want to see that there's some moderation in the 
residential property market. We have the next figures on that 
next week." Mr Kerr says the RBNZ has not disclosed how much 
it has spent buying US dollars during its foreign exchange 
interventions, but he believes the figure could be $500m. He 
says selling at around 76 USc, the bank faces an unrealised 
foreign exchange loss of $18m. Mr Kerr believes more exporters 
will go to the wall because of the currency pressures.

(Despite the climbing NZD, I am astounded that petrol still 
creeps upwards - $1.58 per litre at the end of the week  - BH)

CHILDREN IN HOSP AFTER CHLORINE LEAK
------------------------------------

Two children remain in Starship Hospital after a chlorine leak 
at an indoor public swimming pool north of Auckland. Five 
children were taken to North Shore Hospital after becoming 
felling sick and dizzy at the Rodney District Council's 
Leisure Centre in Stanmore Bay at around 6.30pm yesterday. Two 
of the patients were transferred to Starship Hospital in 
Auckland City for observation. A hospital spokesman says the 
children are expected to be released today. The Leisure Centre 
was evacuated last night as a precaution but is expected to be 
open this morning. The complex is not commenting on the 
incident.

SCHOOL HOLS SHOULD STEM FLU OUTBREAK
------------------------------------

The holidays have come at a good time for two Wellington 
schools fighting outbreaks of influenza. Annette Nesdale, 
Wellington's Medical Officer of Health, says reports of flu 
outbreaks started to come in about two weeks ago, with school 
children particularly hard hit. Around 100 of the 340 children 
at Adventure School in Whitby were absent at one stage. 
Wellington College had about 300 of its 1500 students away on 
one day last week. Ms Nesdale says the school holidays will 
give sick students the chance to stay out of circulation. 
Children with flu symptoms should avoid events such as school 
holiday programmes and going to the movies. 
 
(Well, I got something from my little grandson and whatever it 
is, it has now lasted over a week. - BH)

DISHWASHING POWDER SAFER
------------------------

The director of a group which promotes child safety says 
despite new regulations regarding dishwashing powder, parents 
should still make sure all chemicals and dangerous products 
are kept well out of the reach of children. Mother Laura Ward 
has been pushing for caustic dishwashing powder to be removed 
from shop shelves since her son Joshua, who is now aged four, 
swallowed dishwashing powder when he was 19-months-old. He 
almost died and underwent around 50 operations. Joshua still 
has a tracheotomy and requires 24 hour care. Starship Hospital 
in Auckland has also carried out research which shows that 
serious injuries to children can be prevented by reducing the 
pH level in dishwashing powder, as alkalinity levels are 
responsible for determining the severity of injuries. Now only 
dishwashing powder with a pH level below 12.5 will be stocked 
in shops. Director of Safekids New Zealand Ann Weaver says the 
old type of powder caused severe injuries to children's 
mouths, throats and airways. She says despite the safer 
products now allowed to be sold, parents still need ensure 
children cannot get hold such substances. Ms Weaver says it 
has been a long process to reduce the dangers of the powder 
but it is extremely rewarding to know that if a child does 
ingest dishwashing powder, they will not suffer the extreme 
injuries previously seen.

SETBACK FOR BUILDING CONSENT BILL
---------------------------------

The MP backing legislation aimed at speeding up building 
consent applications says he will keep up the pressure. A 
Parliamentary Select Committee has advised against the Private 
Member's Bill put forward by National MP Nick Smith that would 
have made consents free if they were not processed within 20 
working days. Dr Smith is accusing Labour and the Greens of 
being unsympathetic to the plight of families and builders 
caught up in lengthy delays. He says if councillors penalise 
ratepayers when they are late with their rates, there should 
also be a penalty for councils when the processing of consent 
applications takes too long. Dr Smith plans to continue trying 
to push his bill through.

Wednesday, 4 July 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TORNADOES SWEEP ACROSS NORTH ISLAND
-----------------------------------

Tornadoes have swept through the North Island, hitting first 
New Plymouth, before moving to Auckland then Tauranga. The 
third twister ripped through parts of Tauranga, leaving at 
least two homes damaged. The strong winds were part of an 
electrical storm that crossed the city around 5.30pm. Laurence 
St near Tauranga Hospital appears to be the worst hit. One 
house has lost part of a roof and residents say wood piles and 
outdoor furniture was sent flying. Another house in Cambridge 
Heights on the outskirts of the city lost roof tiles. 
Catherine Wright was at home in Tauranga when the tornado 
touched down. She says her house began to shake, rain was 
horizontal and bit of debris were flying around. Ms Wright 
says there is minor damage for the length of her street. She 
says the experience was terrifying. The tornado which hit 
southeast Auckland has damaged at least 30 homes. Gusts swept 
through just before 4pm and took tiles from houses in the 
Botany Downs, Golflands and Somerville areas. Fire Service 
shift supervisor Scott Osmond says the damage to roofs is 
relatively minor and tiles have either to be patched back on 
or replaced by tarpaulins. Two people were taken to Middlemore 
Hospital with injuries. The first tornado gusted through New 
Plymouth at around 1pm. It began at a Placemakers store and 
ended its course 3km away at a race course on New Plymouth's 
outskirts. The local fire service say a woman in Placemakers 
at the time of the twister was concussed from falling debris 
and was taken to hospital for observation. New Plymouth 
witnesses described the sound of the oncoming tornado as 
similar to that of an approaching train. It is thought to have 
made a 360 degree turn, tearing off roofs from industrial 
buildings and homes, with heavy debris smashing windows. 
Senior fire officer Trevor Moore says the trail of debris in 
New Plymouth stretches half a kilometre long and 200 metres 
wide through the CBD. He says half a dozen buildings have been 
damaged, with Placemakers worst hit. The building lost half 
its roof. Part of the debris was lying on top of another 
building across the road and another piece had fallen across 
several cars on an adjacent street.

FOREIGN DOCTOR LEVELS FACE SCRUTINY
-----------------------------------

New Zealand's reliance on foreign doctors is being blamed on a 
history of non-investment in medical training. Of the 
physicians currently practicing in New Zealand, 41 percent are 
overseas trained, giving the nation the highest proportion of 
foreign-trained doctors in the western world. The figure has 
come under the spotlight after a foreign doctor in Australia 
has been linked to failed terrorist attacks in the UK. The 
Resident Doctors Association is calling for District Health 
Boards to drop plans to recruit more doctors from the UK. 
President of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, 
Jeff Brown says foreign doctors' medical skills are 
scrutinised and they work under supervision when they arrive. 
He says political and religious affiliations are not checked. 
Dr Brown says the level of foreign doctors in New Zealand is a 
situation which has developed over a number of years. He says 
the Government needs to look at how to retain the graduates 
New Zealand does produce, or work out a way of producing more. 
Health Minister Pete Hodgson is refusing to comment on the 
debate.

HAS THE RESERVE BANK STEPPED IN AGAIN?
--------------------------------------

There is speculation the Reserve Bank has had another go at 
trying to rein in the dollar. Rumours are doing the rounds on 
the currency markets of another intervention by the bank 
overnight. The New Zealand dollar hit a record post-float high 
of 78.40 US cents in offshore trading, but has since come back 
to 78.07 USc. The Reserve Bank is thought to have intervened 
three times last month but the dollar has continued to soar to 
post-float highs.

FOOD ON MEETING'S MENU
----------------------

Food is the hot topic for public health officials gathering in 
Auckland today. The Public Health Association is holding its 
three day conference which plans to canvass the topics of 
food, obesity, minority groups and urban design. Director Gay 
Keating says thought has to be put to food quality and its 
availability and affordability. She says at this time of the 
year with power bills going up, food can be one of the things 
that suffers. She says city planning can help reduce problems 
such as obesity. Dr Keating says convenient public transport 
that requires a five or ten minute walk to work will allow 
people to fill their quota of 20 minutes exercise a day 
without realising it.

SECURITY PATROLS CONTINUE AT WGTN FLATS
---------------------------------------

Wellington City Council will continue employing security 
patrols at its flats in Newtown, while officials sort out a 
problem with some bad tenants. Residents say they are being 
terrorised by the group, who are believed to be gang 
affiliates. One resident, who does not want to be identified, 
says his flat has been broken into three times and it has 
reached the point where he is afraid to go to sleep at night. 
The council's city housing manager Vicky McLarin says with the 
council responsible for 4,000 tenants, there are bound to be 
problems from time to time but the council takes matters very 
seriously. She says a mediation process is currently being 
worked through. Ms McLarin says the council evicts fewer than 
10 tenants every year. Earlier this week, a state house tenant 
in Auckland won her case against Housing New Zealand's attempt 
to evict her because of alleged anti-social behaviour. Some 
neighbours had claimed Sharon Salt's oldest sons were gang 
members and had terrorised Range View Rd in Owairaka. Housing 
New Zealand is seeking advice on whether to appeal the Tenancy 
Tribunal's decision.

CONTRACTOR PINPOINTED IN PAY DEAL TALKS
---------------------------------------

A private contracting firm is proving a tough nut to crack as 
hospital workers try to negotiate a pay deal. Cleaners, 
kitchen staff and orderlies have agreed to hold another day of 
negotiations tomorrow after two days of talks ending yesterday 
edged closer to a settlement. Alastair Duncan, spokesman for 
the Service and Food Workers Union, which represents around 
3000 staff, says District Health Boards have come a long way 
in talks, but unless contractor Spotless Services agrees to 
the deal, there will not be one. He says tomorrow's 
discussions will centre on settling a deal with DHBs and 
making sure Spotless signs up. The workers are employed by 
contracting companies Spotless, OCS, Compass and ISS and 20 
DHBs.

ECONOMIST BELIEVES KIWI UNSUSTAINABLE
-------------------------------------

An economist believes the New Zealand dollar is now at 
unsustainable levels for exporters. The kiwi is currently 
trading at 78.09 US cents after reaching post-float highs 
earlier in the week. Many believe it will reach 80 US cents. 
The Reserve Bank is believed to have intervened three times 
last month, but the New Zealand dollar has continued to rise. 
Anthony Byett of FX Matters says both the US dollar and 
Japanese yen are weak at the moment, but he says the kiwi is 
unjustifiably high against the European and Australian 
currencies. Mr Byett says the Reserve Bank's interventions 
were useful at the time, but were never meant to turn the 
currency by itself. He says the Reserve Bank is likely to 
intervene in the foreign currency market again to try to bring 
down the high value of the New Zealand dollar.

Thursday, 5 July 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TORNADOS STRIKE IN TARANAKI AGAIN
---------------------------------

Tornadoes are causing chaos in Taranaki again . Several 
twisters have ripped through the province in the last hour. 
Senior Officer at New Plymouth Fire Station Ian Drewery says 
Bell Block, Egmont Village, Waitara and Oakura are all 
affected. He says the road between New Plymouth and Inglewood 
has been blocked by fallen trees and power lines. Mr Drewery 
says trees are on fire in Waitara because of fallen power 
lines. He says most of the damage is within a 15 kilometres 
radius of New Plymouth. All but one of New Plymouth's fire 
appliances are busy. The radio network's weather analyst says 
a large squall line containing some big thunderstorms is still 
moving across the area and police are advising people to stay 
indoors. 
 
(Apparently there are about 20 tornadoes each year in NZ, 
mostly on the West Coast, coming in off the Tasman. It is 
comparatively rare that they hit the headlines for anything 
other than their novelty value. On this occasion, the cluster 
seems to have done some real property damage. - BH)

FARMERS CONSIDER FIGHTING PYLON DECISION
----------------------------------------

Federated Farmers is considering seeking a judicial review of 
the decision to approve the Waikato to Auckland transmission 
line. The Electricity Commission has decided Transpower can 
erect 190 kilometres of power pylons and lines between 
Whakamaru and Pakuranga. The lines will initially carry 220 
kilovolts of power, with the ability to upgrade to 400 
kilovolts. John Sexton is a member of Federated Farmers who 
will be affected by the lines. He says the Electricity 
Commission has not properly considered other options, 
including whether the existing lines could be upgraded. Mr 
Sexton says Federated Farmers is also not convinced the 
commission has considered all the issues affecting landowners. 
"We agree that Auckland's power supply needs a major upgrade. 
We are not about threatening security of supply. What we have 
a problem with is the process." Mr Sexton says land owners 
feel they have been deliberately marginalised and the process 
has not been fair. He says the proposal severely affects how 
farmers can manage their land as restrictions come into play. 
Mr Sexton says Transpower must minimise its requirements on 
land owners or compensate fully for the long term effects of 
the conditions. Transpower chief executive Ralph Craven says 
the company will seek to ease the concerns of affected 
landowners along the route of the new line. He says the 
Resource Management Act process will help address community 
concerns and identify possible mitigations to them. Dr Craven 
says the Electricity Commission decision will help ensure 
security of supply to the upper North Island and New Zealand. 
 
(I think some things are utterly unavoidable. There needs to 
be a reliable connection between the Waikato hydro schemes and 
Auckland with sufficient capacity to meet the present and 
future needs of the city. I wouldn't want a pylon in my 
backyard either, but I can see no other way. Objectors suggest 
that electricity should be generated closer to Auckland. Using 
what? Fossil fuel? Wind farms? Objectors to whatever course of 
action. - BH)

VIRUS OUTBREAK IN BABY UNIT
---------------------------

Tauranga Hospital has clamped down on visitors to specialist 
neonatal unit following the discovery of a respiratory virus. 
Bay of Plenty District Health Board communications manager 
Carol Woollaston says the Special Care Baby Unit is now off 
limits to anyone with a cold, cough or flu. She says babies in 
the unit often already have respiratory problems, so such a 
virus can harm their recovery. The DHB is also asking people 
with bugs to stay away from Ward 10, where around ten patients 
and staff have been hit by gastroenteritis.

TVNZ WANTS FEEDBACK ON ITS CHARTER
----------------------------------

The state broadcaster wants to hear what New Zealanders want 
to see on television. The TVNZ charter is up for its five year 
review, and public submissions are being called for. Chief 
executive Rick Ellis says the suggested redraft anticipates 
changes ahead of TVNZ launching its digital channels early 
next year. Mr Ellis says the charter has fundamentally changed 
the way TVNZ does things, and he is expecting good feedback to 
further enhance that.

RESEARCHER WANTS VITAMIN D ADDED TO FOOD
----------------------------------------

The nation's chronic Vitamin D levels have an Auckland 
University researcher calling for the nutrient to be added to 
food products. Vitamin D Researcher Robert Scragg says optimum 
levels of the vitamin are around 80 nanomols per litre of 
blood, but European New Zealanders have an average of just 50 
nanomols per litre of blood. The figures are worse for Maori, 
42 nanomols, and Pacific Islanders, 37 nanomols. The south 
Asian population has even lower levels. Dr Scragg wants 
Vitamin D added to products such as milk, fruit juice or 
cereals. He says a lack of Vitamin D increases the risk of 
killer diseases. He is blaming successful skin cancer 
campaigns for exposing New Zealanders to other killer 
diseases, saying 90 percent of Vitamin D comes from sunlight. 
He says New Zealanders' zeal to be "sunsmart" means they are 
not getting enough of the nutrient. He says the nation needs 
to get out into the sun more, without getting burnt. 
 
(Compulsory additions to food seem to me as generally a bad 
idea. - BH)

WAIKATO TO AUCKLAND PYLONS APPROVED
-----------------------------------

Transpower has the nod to build a $683 million 190km 
electricity transmission line from Whakamaru to Pakuranga. The 
project will include more than 190km of above ground pylons 
and lines, and underground cables. While the line will 
initially be run at 220 kilovolts, it will have the potential 
to be upgraded in the future to 400 kilovolts. The Electricity 
Commission declined a more ambitious proposal last year. 
Commission deputy chairman Peter Harris says that was because 
the proposal did not provide consumers with enough protection 
from unnecessary costs. Mr Harris says the revised plan is 
substantially more cost effective and is in line with good 
electricity industry practice. He says the commission analysed 
objectors' concerns about electromagnetic fields and the 
environmental impact before making its decision. He says the 
further analysis did not raise any significant new issues that 
could overturn the notice of intent to approve. The decision 
to approve the line was made by a majority. Commissioner 
Graham Pinnell dissented, saying the proposal did not pass the 
Grid Investment Test and that the 220 kilovolt option would be 
more economic. He says the savings to consumers by rejecting 
the proposal would far outweigh the costs of reviewing a new 
proposal, and there was adequate time for such a review. 
Commissioner Harris says Commissioner Pinnell disagreed on the 
assumptions used in the Grid Investment Test, particularly 
regarding where new electricity generation sources for 
Auckland would be located and the level of electricity demand 
growth. Changes in these assumptions could result in a 
different conclusion. Commissioner Harris says the majority 
adopted a more conservative view than Commissioner Pinnell on 
demand uncertainties in reaching their decision.

MAORI PARTY THREATENS UN EMBARRASSMENT
--------------------------------------

The Maori Party is threatening to embarrass the Government at 
the United Nations. The party is irate at what it calls a 
complete failure by the Government to consult with Maori, 
ahead of a vote on a United Nations declaration on the rights 
of indigenous people. MP Hone Harawira says it is getting the 
point where either the Government comes clean, or the Maori 
Party will go to the UN to expose the Government for the 
"liars and the racists" that they really are. He says other 
countries, such as Canada and Mexico, have been open in their 
positions regarding the declaration, but the New Zealand 
Government has been out the back trying to cut everything to 
pieces.

MEGA-MEETING OF FED FARMERS
---------------------------

Federated Farmers is combining its conferences for the first 
time. Its industry group meetings of the National Council, 
Meat and Fibre Producers and Dairy Farmers of New Zealand will 
take place as one event. The multi-conference is being held at 
the Langham Hotel in Auckland from July 17th to 19th. Speakers 
include Federated Farmers' President Charlie Pederson, who 
will talk about climate change and the Resource Management 
Act; National Party leader John Key; Rob Roney from Fish and 
Game; John Caradus from Grasslanz technology and Ravensdown 
CEO Rodney Green. The meeting will also include a panel 
discussion on the environment.

AIR NELSON DISPUTE OVER
-----------------------

The six week pay dispute involving around 100 Air Nelson 
workers is now over. Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing 
Union members have voted to accept a new deal, which will 
avert further industrial action, but an Employment Court 
hearing is now on the cards over Air Nelson's use of what the 
union claims is illegal strikebreaking labour during the 
action. The EPMU won a court injunction ordering the Air New 
Zealand subsidiary to stop. Workers will receive a 9.5 percent 
pay rise over 30 months.

AUCKLAND POPULAR WITH TOURISTS
------------------------------

An increasing number of overseas visitors would rather spend 
their time in Auckland than elsewhere in New Zealand. Auckland 
was named tourists' favourite region in last night's Arrival 
Magazine Traveller's Choice Awards. Nearly 70 percent of 
visitors pass through the country's largest city and more stay 
there than is generally perceived. Tourism Auckland Chief 
Executive Graeme Osbourne says it is great the city is being 
recognised and celebrated. He says Auckland consistently rates 
highly when it comes to world-class lifestyle cities. 
Auckland's favourite attraction was deemed to be Sky City. The 
Zorb, the inflated ball tourists can climb into which then 
rolls down a hill in Rotorua, was named favourite attraction 
outside Auckland. Arrival Magazine's publisher Mike Taillie 
says the visitors spend $8.3 billion each year in New Zealand, 
so understanding their behaviour is critical to the economy. 
He says generally, it would have been expected that Rotorua or 
Queenstown would have been the most favoured areas for 
tourists. In another section of the awards, retail chain The 
Warehouse won the Favourite Retailer category. The company's 
spokeswoman Cynthia Church says she had an idea the shop was 
popular with tourists, because they can buy things they have 
forgotten to pack at home. 
 
(Weird. This is like visitors who go to Sydney thinking that 
they have seen Australia. I suppose it's akin to a cruise ship 
... a form of vacation that would fill me with horror ... cities 
are interesting, but they are not usually the essence of a 
country.  - BH)

Friday, 6 July 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MOVE TO SPUR DOCTORS TO RURAL AREAS
-----------------------------------

The Government has launched a new initiative to encourage 
young doctors to work in rural areas. The rural immersion 
programme will see six Otago University students spend their 
entire fifth year of study working in rural communities in 
Queenstown and the West Coast. Rural Affairs Minister Damien 
O'Connor says the Government is working hard to address issues 
around recruitment and retention in rural general practice. He 
says the programme is an important step in encouraging the 
next generation of doctors to spend time working in rural New 
Zealand. Mr O'Connor says the Government is supporting the 
programme run by Otago University's Dunedin School of 
Medicine, with $300,000 funding.

NATS DECIDE THEY CAN COPE WITH SATIRE
-------------------------------------

National has decided to back a more lenient approach to the 
rules around TV footage from Parliament. MPs, including all 
National MPs, voted last week to ban any footage which 
satirised or denigrated them. But today leader John Key has 
announced his party will back a re-visit of the rules. He says 
Parliament debates occur in the public eye and his party 
supports opening up broadcasting proceedings. Mr Key says 
National wants to have grater transparency, rather than less. 
He says National MPs are not so precious that they cannot 
accept from time to time, someone will "take the mickey" out 
of them. 
 
(The pity is that they did not come to this realisation until 
the public and media backlash made them realise how foolish 
their stance made them look. A pity that the other self-
important politicians will probably not have a similar 
outbreak of self awareness. - BH)

DHB SAYS PATIENT CARE PRIORITY DESPITE LOSS
-------------------------------------------

Capital and Coast District Health Board says patient care will 
not be compromised as it attempts to recover from a massive 
$30 million deficit. DHB chairwoman Judith Aitken admits the 
situation is very serious and will put more pressure on 
hospital waiting lists. She claims one of the reasons for the 
deficit is the cost of hiring casual staff to cover for 
shortages during industrial action. "It is much dearer to 
engage people through outsourcing, than it is to have them on 
your own staff." Dr Aitken says the DHB will continue to pay 
for cover, because otherwise patient care would be 
compromised, and that would not be acceptable. The Ministry of 
Health has upped the board's monitoring status from 
"performance watch" to "intensive monitoring", meaning it is 
keeping a very close eye on the board's performance. Dr Aitken 
says although it is uncomfortable, it is not unwelcome, as the 
board will rely on working together with the Health Ministry.

MIGRANT REDUCTION PUZZLES BUSINESS
----------------------------------

The business community is struggling to understand the 
Government's decision to cut the number of skilled migrants. 
Immigration Minister David Cunliffe has announced the migrant 
target for the coming year will be 45,000 to 50,000 people 
compared with 47,000 to 52,000 in the past year. Michael 
Barnett, CEO of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce says it is an 
odd move which comes as businesses face a skills shortage and 
must look offshore for staff. Mr Barnett says the lowered 
upper limit will add even more pressure on companies. Marcus 
Beveridge from the Association of Migration and Investment 
says if anything New Zealand should be allowing more people to 
settle.

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