WYSIWYG NEWS - 3 November, 2007

[news at wysiwygnews.com]

Subject: 3 November, 2007 
----- WYSIWYG NEWS ------------------------------ 
Copyright, Brian Harmer. 

"On the Road"*
-------------

Perversely, the day after the wedding (described last week), 
the good weather returned to Gisborne, and we enjoyed a bit of 
a look around. I have commented before on the vibrancy of 
Gisborne, as compared with similar sized cities on the West 
Coast. It must be the sunshine hours or something, but I 
experience in Gisborne, a positive mental attitude that I 
really enjoy. With one notable exception which I think was a 
genuine accident, the hospitality industry there was very 
good. In one café and bar where Mary and I paused for a 
lunchtime drink, we were treated more like friends than 
customers. Achieving that in a graceful way is no mean feat. 
The people in the Wharf Bar seem to actually enjoy their jobs, 
and they want you to enjoy the experience of being served by 
them. Add to that the splendidly peaceful view over the inner 
harbour and it was my idea of hospitality perfection. And then 
there is Muirs, the bookshop. This is how good bookshops used 
to be, and still ought to be. It is a serious shop the primary 
business of which is books. If you want stationery, greeting 
cards and Lotto tickets, by all means go to the local branch 
of one of the big chains. If you are a booklover, seeking a 
great selection of serious books in Gisborne, go to Muirs, and 
don't forget to try the coffee lounge upstairs and their 
excellent veranda on which you can sit under the shadecloth to 
sip your coffee and watch the world go by. We bought the 
makings of lunch and then followed Customhouse Street to the 
mouth of the river and sat near the statues of Captain Cook 
and young Nick watching a school class get lessons on 
surfboard riding in what seemed to me to be some fairly 
serious surf. The odd fishing trawler came and went through 
the breakwater and one of them had barely cleared the entrance 
when it dropped its trawl and began working across the bay. 
Unlike the murk of the  previous day, there was a clear view 
to the South West of Young Nick's head. That played tricks 
with my head for a while. The bay is oriented towards the 
South East, and at this time of year, the sun sets fairly far 
south. So, from Kaiti Hill, I spent some time puzzling as to 
how I could be on the East coast watching the sun set over the 
sea. Not until I looked at Google Earth did I realise that it 
is possible to look in a Westerly direction from Kaiti Hill 
over water towards Young Nick's Head.   

One of the nice things about leaving Gisborne for destinations 
to the South, is that you tend to do it with the sun at a low 
angle and the landscape at its sparkling early morning best. 
The expansive vine plantings and other crops on the lush 
plains to the immediate south tell us that Captain Cook got it 
wrong when he named this region Poverty Bay. A little past the 
hills behind young Nick's Head, the landscape becomes more 
vigorous, though still gentle in nature. It looks like 
prosperous country. In the morning light, poplar trees and 
sheep seem to acquire a halo, and the dew evaporating from the 
lush grass adds to the magnificence of the scenery. About 
thirty kilometres south of the city, it all becomes more 
rugged, and pastoral farming gives way to forestry, and the 
road climbs and dives, twists and turns quite frequently. A 
simple two lane affair with frequent road works in progress, 
this road offers relatively few opportunities to pass, so a 
most unwelcome sight is the tail of one of the literally 
hundreds of "big rig" truck and trailer combinations that 
pound up and down between Gisborne and Napier each day. Doubly 
disconcerting is a logging truck, because although the load is 
securely chained, the friction of the stacked logs and the 
bouncing of the seemingly un-sprung trailers dislodges chunks 
of bark which fly back towards following vehicles. They are 
usually harmless, but the sight of anything of that size 
coming towards you induces a cringe reaction. Happily, almost 
without exception, the professionals who drive these rigs 
behaved with the utmost courtesy to other road users, pulling 
to the left whenever it was safe to pass them. Eventually, the 
forestry gives way to rugged farmland, mostly sheep, and 
characterised by extensive erosion on its steep slopes. Rough 
marshy looking country just north of Nuhaka affords occasional 
glimpses of the Mahia Peninsula, and then we are running 
Westward along the Northern sweep of Hawke's Bay towards 
Wairoa. It was still just a little after 9 am when we got to 
Wairoa, but it seemed early enough to have a cup of coffee. If 
I have my facts right, James Osler founded his bakery in 1908, 
and though his family are no longer in the business, they must 
have been doing something right in the intervening century to 
be still winning prizes in national bakery competitions. Excellent 
pies, and nice coffee too. 

(This road journey will continue next week, but before you go 
to the news, please read the following personal explanation). 
 
* "On the road" - I was taken to task (in a gentle and 
constructive way) by a reader who would prefer to read about 
landscapes than the personal events in my life such as 
weddings. Let me restate my philosophy on this. 

I remind readers that WYSIWYG News has existed for almost 
fourteen years as an entirely voluntary "labour of love". My 
"purple prose" at the beginning of each issue is as much for 
me as for you. I write because I like writing. Story is 
amongst the oldest forms of creative endeavour. I use the 
platform provided by WYSIWYG to try to improve my skills, so 
constructive comment is always welcome, especially from anyone 
with creative writing expertise who can tell me how something 
might have been written better. In the last resort, however, 
when it comes to content selection, WYSIWYG is an acronym that 
says "What You See Is What You Get". 

Long term readers have shared a number of personal joys and 
woes with me, and many of you have interacted with me like 
members of an extended family in your responses to these 
personal sharing episodes. I have not gone back to the 
archives (http://wysiwygnews.com/archives/news/) to establish 
the actual ratio, but I imagine that some 85% of my purple 
prose relates to the landscapes and my reactions to it. The 
rest has been me expressing myself on issues that matter to 
me, and perhaps gaining some therapeutic value from so doing. 
This pattern is likely to continue, so I have decided to label 
each week's intro as being either "On the road" for travel 
descriptions, or "From the heart" for more personal 
reflections. If you would rather not read the more personal 
notes, simply skip over the ones labelled "From the heart"  
until you get to the news, and in all probability, your need 
for memories of the landscape will be met in the following 
issue. 

---- 
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. 
 
The very first acknowledgement in the new round of support is 
to my old friend and former colleague Yogesh Anand in Basel, 
Switzerland. Yogesh and I were working together for the Dairy 
Board in Santa Rosa, CA when the need for something like 
WYSIWYG first became apparent to me. Thanks for the support 
Yogesh. 
----  
On with the News. 

Monday, 29 October 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SOLICITOR GENERAL GETS EVIDENCE
-------------------------------

Police have now passed their evidence relating to the 
nationwide terror raids to the Solicitor General. At least 17 
people have been charged under the Arms Act in relation to so-
called military style training camps police believe were run 
in remote parts of the North Island. The Solicitor General 
will consider the evidence and decide whether consent can be 
given to police to lay charges under the Terrorism Suppression 
Act. Police say no comment will be made until that decision is 
made. Meanwhile, bail has been granted to a woman arrested in 
the raids in the eastern Bay of Plenty. Name suppression was 
also lifted for Marama Mayrick when she appeared in the 
Rotorua District Court this morning. She faces five firearms 
charges. However Tame Iti's lawyers and Crown prosecutors were 
not ready to argue his bail application today - along with a 
similar appeal for a second man who has name suppression. Iti 
is due to appear in the Auckland District Court on Thursday - 
but his lawyer is hoping to appeal the decision to move his 
trial to Auckland before then.

IRISH PRAISE NZ IMMIGRATION MODEL
---------------------------------

The visiting Irish President says her country will look to New 
Zealand as a model for how to attract immigrants. Mary 
McAleese made the comments during a speech to dignitaries at 
Parliament this afternoon. She says with immigration starting 
to return to Ireland, the country wants to follow New 
Zealand's example of how to introduce multiculturalism. Mrs 
McAleese says New Zealand has a fine record of tolerance, and 
is a country that others can learn from. She says as people 
from Ireland have emigrated all over the world for years, the 
Irish have an idea into the heart of a migrant. During her 
visit, a film cooperation agreement has been signed with the 
Irish government by Helen Clark and the Irish Minister of 
Education and Science, Mary Hanafin. Miss Clark says the 
agreement will enable joint film projects, and will enhance 
access for extra funding and incentives.

BEGGING BOWL OUT FOR NEW HOSPITAL
---------------------------------

A charitable trust is defending a postal campaign it is 
running to raise money to help fit out Wellington's new $346 
million regional hospital. The Wellington Hospitals and Health 
Foundation is sending letters to 130,000 households in the 
region, seeking money to pay for extras for the hospital, 
including furnishings for family areas. Trust spokesman Bill 
Day says ideally this sort of fundraising would not be 
necessary, but the fact of the matter is the Government cannot 
provide everything people would like hospitals to have. He 
says that is why there are so many groups like the Cancer 
Foundation and Life Education Trust raising money to make that 
little bit of difference.  
 
(I know that there are logical arguments to the contrary, but 
I hear an increasing number of people who say that if these 
sorts of measures are necessary for hospitals and education, 
then there should be NO tax money for frivolities such as Eden 
Park, the Rugby World Cup, or the next America's Cup - BH)

MAYOR CALLS GANG MEETING
------------------------

A meeting has been called by the mayor of Waitakere City to 
try to stamp out gang violence in west Auckland. It follows a 
youth gang brawl yesterday which has left an 18-year-old in 
hospital with critical head injuries. Six people have been 
charged with wounding with intent to injure. It is thought the 
fight involved the use of objects like fence posts and 
bottles. Mayor Bob Harvey is shocked by the incident, which is 
believed to have stemmed from local gang tensions. Bob Harvey 
says it is uncharacteristic, as the supposed gang houses are 
in an area where most people are well past retirement. He has 
called a meeting for Wednesday with the local community board, 
council members and police.

TUI OIL CONTRIBUTES TO RISING EXPORTS
-------------------------------------

The Tui oilfield is proving its worth, contributing to a $244 
million rise in New Zealand exports of crude. Overall 
merchandise exports were up 2.5 percent in value for the 
September 2007 quarter, to a total of $8.7 billion. Statistics 
New Zealand says crude oil was the commodity which showed the 
largest increase compared to the same month of the previous 
year. It puts this down to the start of production from the 
Tui field. All crude oil exports went to Australia in August 
but in September crude oil exports also went to Thailand and 
Singapore. The seasonally adjusted value of imports fell 1.8 
percent in the September 2007 quarter, following a fall of 1.5 
percent in the June 2007 quarter. However imports of 
consumption goods were back up, with large screen colour TVs 
leading the increase. The seasonally adjusted trade balance 
the for September 2007 quarter was a deficit of $1,324 
million. This compared with a deficit of $1,723 million for 
the June 2007 quarter and an average quarterly deficit of 
$1,556 million over the last year. The seasonally adjusted 
trade balance has been in deficit since the March 2002 
quarter.

FINANCE COMPANY REPAYS OVERCHARGES
----------------------------------

Troubled Geneva Finance has finished paying back just over 
half a million dollars to more than 900 customers. It follows 
an out of court settlement between the company and the 
Commerce Commission. Geneva Finance admits it breached the 
Fair Trading Act by telling customers it had the right to 
charge them extra interest and fees on their loans after items 
put up for security were repossessed and sold. Commission 
chairwoman Paula Rebstock says she expects others in the 
finance industry to ensure they are not overcharging customers 
who have defaulted on their loans. Geneva Finance last week 
announced it was closing its branches and laying off staff, 
but would continue to lend through mobile managers and a 
direct lending centre.

NATIONAL CLAIMS DOC ANTI-FARMING
--------------------------------

The Department of Conservation is being accused of being anti-
farming, after trying to prosecute a trust that owns a 3500 
hectare station in Hawke's Bay. The Bayly Trust wanted to 
develop more than the 25 hectares DOC originally allowed them 
to farm. National Party Agriculture spokesman David Carter 
says the case marks a further breakdown in the relationship 
between the Department and the farming sector. "What we're 
seeing now is farmers actually having a hate relationship with 
the Department of Conservation, simply because the department 
is trying to impinge on private property rights," he said. 
"All the farmer wants to do is carry on farming", Mr Carter 
said. Mr Carter adds that DOC needs to soften its hardline 
stance and allow scrub, which in this case was dead, to be 
cleared to make way for productive farmland.

CULTURE MORE IMPORTANT TO MAORI
-------------------------------

New research has found a sharp rise in the importance of 
traditional cultural values among Maori. The Nielsen Company 
survey shows only 11 percent of Maori dismiss their culture, 
compared with 20 percent in 2004. The research suggests 74 
percent of Maori believe cultural values are important to 
them, compared with just 47 percent in 2004. Researcher 
Anthony Wilson says 60 percent of Maori also feel their 
culture provides them with strong role models. He identifies 
five distinct and diverse groups within Maori, including 
cultural traditionalists, upbeat achievers and disaffected 
youth. He says the new information will help the Government 
communicate better with Maori. Mr Wilson says the number of 
Maori who recognise the importance of te reo Maori has 
increase from 59 percent in 2004, to 82 percent.

VETS RESPOND TO SHIPMENT
------------------------

Veterinarians are welcoming the government's decision to place 
restrictions on shipments of livestock for slaughter in other 
countries. After carrying out a review of New Zealand's policy 
on the issue, Cabinet has decided the trade needs tighter 
control. John Maclachlan from the Veterinary Association says 
the association believes animals should not be shipped 
overseas for slaughter unless their welfare can be assured. He 
says in the 1990s there were large losses of stock when 
shipments of live sheep were sent to the Middle East. He says 
although more is now known about transporting animals in a way 
that better addresses their welfare needs and there has been a 
big improvement in shipping conditions, the association 
remains concerned about what happens to the animals when they 
arrive at their destination. Dr Maclachlan says the most 
humane situation is for animals to be slaughtered as close to 
the farm of origin as possible. He says for the animals? sake 
the association would definitely prefer that the trade did not 
resume, but if it does it wants assurances the animals will be 
treated according to the welfare standards required in New 
Zealand. Proposals arising from the review, which was 
conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and the 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, will be discussed with 
industry groups affected.

HEALTH ON THE PULPIT FOR PACIFIC PARISHIONERS
---------------------------------------------

Divine intervention could be the latest tool being employed to 
battle serious health problems amongst Pacific Island people. 
A new programme offering health advice and support through 
churches is being rolled out by the Auckland District Health 
Board. Pacific Health General Manager Aseta Redican says there 
is no denying the extent of the problem. She says many of 
Pacific people are obese, have diabetes, heart disease or 
other conditions. Ms Redican says with 80 percent attending 
church, there is a captive audience. The DHB is currently 
collating information about parishioners so that workshops can 
be specifically tailored to meet the needs of each community.

Tuesday, 30 October 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MORE SUPPORT PUBLIC SPENDING THAN TAX CUTS
------------------------------------------

Research New Zealand is surprised at the results of its latest 
poll, which asked whether the Government should spend its cash 
surplus on tax cuts or public services. Director Emanuel 
Kalafatelis says 48 percent of respondents said they want the 
Government to spend the surplus on public works, while 37 
percent want it spent on tax cuts. He says people living in 
major urban areas are more likely to support increasing 
spending on public works than those in smaller towns. Mr 
Kalafatelis says twice as many people with tertiary 
qualifications supported the surplus being used for more 
public services than those with no qualifications. The poll 
was taken following the Government's announcement it has a 
multi-billion dollar cash surplus in early October.

WILDE NEW CHAIR OF GREATER WELLINGTON
-------------------------------------

Former Wellington mayor and Labour MP Fran Wilde has been 
elected unopposed as the new chairwoman of the Greater 
Wellington Regional Council. The new council has met this 
morning for the first time since the local body elections. 
Former chair Ian Buchanan had planned to put his name forward 
for the position, but decided not to go ahead with the move 
when it was revealed he would not get enough votes. Fran Wilde 
says she is committed to leading the council forward with a 
number of transport and climate change initiatives. She will 
be supported by new deputy chair Peter Glensor, who was also 
elected unopposed. 
 
(Fran Wilde has a strong following in the region and she will, 
I suspect, be an effective chairperson. - BH)

CHRISTCHURCH TAXI FARES RISE
----------------------------

Taxi charges are on the up in Christchurch after another rise 
in petrol prices. Petrol rose 5c yesterday to $1.69. Gold Band 
Taxis has raised its rates by 20c a kilometre and made a 20c 
increase to its flag-fall fee. General Manager John Kennedy 
says the company could not hold out any longer as the cost was 
having too much of an impact on each individual operator. 
Rival company Blue Star Taxis will make a decision on arising 
prices this afternoon.

TRIO TO HEAD AUCKLAND INQUIRY PRAISED
-------------------------------------

The Government is being congratulated for "choosing wisely" in 
picking the appointees to Auckland's Royal Commission of 
Inquiry. Three people will investigate whether there should be 
one super city, or a reshuffle of Auckland's seven councils. 
They are retired High Court Judge Peter Salmon, retired top 
civil servant Dame Margaret Bazley and former World Bank 
financial manager and chairman of the local government rates 
inquiry David Shand. Northern Employers and Manufacturers 
Association head Alasdair Thompson is applauding the trio's 
calibre. He believes the appointments bring no political bias 
to the task. Local Government Minister Mark Burton says the 
inquiry has a broad scope but cannot be open-ended, as it 
needs set parameters so it can focus in on what needs to be 
done. The Commission of Inquiry will cost $5.5 million and is 
due to be reported back on in December 2008

HALF OF PRESCHOOL INJURIES HAPPEN AT HOME
-----------------------------------------

An Otago University researcher has found home is the most 
dangerous place for under fives. Jean Simpson has told an 
injury prevention conference in Napier that half the injuries 
that cause deaths of preschoolers happen at home. She says 
half the hospital admissions of preschoolers also stem from 
injuries that happen at home. The vast majority of the 
injuries are unintentional. Dr Simpson says a number of 
important safety measures, such as the installation of 
swimming pool fences and use of fire retardant building 
materials. are being implemented across the country. However 
she says how caregivers perceive what is likely to cause 
injury to young children and the response to that risk is an 
essential factor for children's safety at home. Dr Simpson 
says it is important for caregivers to be confident and feel 
competent about being a parent. She says there are some very 
bright young minds out there, but they cannot be expected to 
keep themselves safe.

YOUNG PEOPLE ABUSING ANIMALS
----------------------------

The SPCA is concerned about the number of children and 
teenagers who are committing cruel and callous acts against 
animals. The animal protection organisation has released its 
fifth annual list of shame, detailing 50 of the worst cases of 
animal abuse in the past year. It includes a litter of puppies 
and a kitten found pickled in jars in a Dunedin flat, puppies 
that were beaten to death in Southland with a tyre brace and 
four small children in Lower Hutt who repeatedly threw kittens 
into a swimming pool while an adult did nothing to stop them. 
In Blenheim, youths poured petrol over pig and set fire to it. 
SPCA chief executive Robyn Kippenberger says there is an 
undeniable link between the abuse of animals and abusive 
behaviour towards people. Ms Kippenberger believes young 
people may be committing the cruelty because they are 
frustrated at being abused or neglected themselves. She says 
it reflects the generally inhumane attitude in society, but 
says young people are also the ones who can be turned around. 
Ms Kippenberger believes more needs to be done to educate 
young people about the importance of kindness and 
responsibility to animals and humans. The list has been 
released ahead of the SPCA's Paws Appeal Week which kicks off 
this Friday.

Wednesday, 31 October 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CARTER AND CUNLIFFE SHIFT TO FRONT BENCH
----------------------------------------

There are two new faces on Labour's front bench after a major 
Cabinet reshuffle. Chris Carter has become Education Minister, 
while David Cunliffe has been rewarded with the Health 
portfolio. Mark Burton has announced his resignation from 
Cabinet, relinquishing the Justice, Law Commission, Local 
Government and Treaty Negotiations portfolios. Mr Burton says 
he will continue to serve his constituents in Taupo and will 
stand for the seat again next year. Helen Clark says Mr Burton 
made the decision on his own volition because boundary changes 
will make retaining his seat tough. Annette King has picked up 
Mr Burton's Justice portfolio, while she retains Police and 
Transport. Michael Cullen takes over Treaty Negotiations. 
Trevor Mallard has lost the Sports portfolio following his 
punch up with National's Tau Henare. He is no longer on the 
front bench, but is Environment, Labour and Broadcasting 
Minister. Damien O'Connor is no longer Minister of Corrections 
after taking a suspended prison officer on the Parliamentary 
rugby tour. He becomes Tourism Minister, while Phil Goff picks 
up Corrections and is also Defence Minister and Trade 
Minister. Pete Hodgson and Parekura Horomia retain front bench 
seats. Ruth Dyson has made a climb to become Social 
Development and Employment Minister, while Lianne Dalziel 
retains her role as Commerce Minister and David Parker remains 
Minister of Energy. Nanaia Mahuta has made a small climb and 
is Customs and Youth Affairs Minister. Clayton Cosgrove is 
Immigration Minister, while Rick Barker retains the Internal 
Affairs portfolio. There are three new faces at the Cabinet 
table, Rotorua MP Steve Chadwick becomes Conservation Minister 
and Women's Affairs Minister. Former Labour Party president 
Maryan Street becomes Ministers of ACC and Housing. Shane 
Jones has been promoted to Building and Construction Minister. 
Helen Clark has disbanded the Auckland Issues portfolio.
New Ministerial list:  
CABINET
1 Helen Clark; Prime Minister, Arts, Culture and Heritage, NZ 
Security Intelligence Service, GCSB
2 Michael Cullen; Deputy Prime Minister, Finance, Attorney-
General, Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Leader of the House
3 Jim Anderton; Agriculture, Biosecurity, Fisheries, Forestry, 
Public Trust
4 Phil Goff; Defence, Corrections, Trade, Disarmament and Arms 
Control
5 Annette King; Justice, Police, Transport, Law Commission
6 Pete Hodgson; Economic Development; Tertiary Education, 
Research, Science and Technology
7 Parekura Horomia; Maori Affairs
8 Chris Carter; Education, Education Review Office, Ethnic 
Affairs
9 David Cunliffe; Health, Communications and Information 
Technology
10 Trevor Mallard; Environment, Labour, Broadcasting, State 
Owned Enterprises
11 Ruth Dyson; Social Development and Employment, Senior 
Citizens, Community and Voluntary Sector, Disability Issues
12 Lianne Dalziel; Commerce, Food Safety 
13 David Parker; State Services, Energy, Land Information, 
Climate Change Issues 
14 Nanaia Mahuta; Customs, Local Government, Youth Affairs 
15 Clayton Cosgrove; Immigration, Sport and Recreation, Small 
Business, Rugby World Cup
16 Rick Barker; Internal Affairs, Civil Defence, Courts, 
Veterans' Affairs 
17 Damien O'Connor; Tourism, Rural Affairs
18 Steve Chadwick; Conservation, Women's Affairs 
19 Maryan Street; ACC, Housing  
20 Shane Jones; Building and Construction

AUCKLAND AIRPORT REJECTS CANADIAN BID
-------------------------------------

Any deal between Auckland International Airport and the Canada 
Pension Plan Investment Board is off. Chairman John Maasland 
has announced a majority of airport directors do not believe 
pursuing the proposal is in the best interests of the 
shareholders or the company. The Canadian pension fund had 
expressed an intention to bid up to $3.90 per share for a 
minority holding. The deal involved the creation of a new 
airport company, of which the Canadian group would own between 
39 and 49 percent. Mr Maasland says the majority of directors 
decided the debt financing proposed by the Canadian outfit 
meant an unacceptable increase in risk and reduced financial 
flexibility. Just one director, Michael Smith, disagreed with 
that assessment. Shares in Auckland International Airport were 
taken off their trading halt following the announcement and 
fell 21 cents to $2.87.

FURTHER CRACKDOWN ON DANGEROUS DOGS
-----------------------------------

Tougher controls on dangerous dogs are on the way. Associate 
Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta has released the 
results of a review of legislation announced in April this 
year, following the death of Murupara woman Virginia Ohlson in 
a dog attack. New legislation is to be introduced, requiring 
dog breeds classed as menacing to be neutered. Ms Mahuta says 
more action is needed to get high risk breeds out of the 
population. She indicates local councils will be able classify 
individual dogs as menacing. Their neutering will not be 
mandatory but councils will have the power to require it.

RENEWED ANGER AT TERROR LABEL
-----------------------------

Lawyers representing 17 people arrested in the anti-terror 
raids are outraged that police have only forwarded 12 files to 
the Solicitor General. The Government's top lawyer has to 
rubber stamp any charges police want to lay under the 
Terrorism Suppression Act. Moana Tuwhare, who represents one 
of the men arrested, says she has received a letter saying her 
client's file has not been forwarded to the Solicitor General. 
She says the effect of being linked with even the word 
terrorist will likely have a huge effect on her client's life 
and his family. Ms Tuwhare says this is a situation where the 
police needed to exercise caution before using the word 
terror. 
 
(I have said before that I think much of the so called adverse 
public reaction is a media generated fiction. I saw a 
published survey that suggested something like 53% of the 
sample were supportive of the police action and a very large 
chunk of the remainder were in favour of withholding judgement 
until verdicts were produced by the courts. - BH)

HOARDING NOW A DISORDER
-----------------------

What can be harmless collecting for some people can develop 
into a fully-fledged disorder for others. Addiction counsellor 
Tom Claunch says around 25,000 New Zealanders may be living 
with the syndrome, which makes people compelled to collect and 
store things against their will. He says sufferers know their 
behaviour is not normal but are unable to stop. Mr Claunch 
says one client he worked with stacked his car wall-to wall 
with junk and was barely able to see out the windscreen. There 
are a number of treatment options available including a 12 
step group called Clutterers Anonymous. 
 
(I don't go to that extreme, but recent experience clearing my 
mother's house has brought to my attention the amount of 
useless clutter that I have kept around "in case I need it one 
day". - BH)

SHINE WEARING OFF HOUSING MARKET
--------------------------------

Optimism in the housing market appears to be sliding. The 
ASB's quarterly survey has found that 24 percent of 
respondents expect house prices to fall, up from 15 percent in 
the previous survey. Thirty-six percent of respondents expect 
prices to rise over the next year, down from 47 percent three 
months earlier. A net 18 percent of people believe it is a bad 
time to buy, compared with a net 14 percent in the last 
survey. Chief Economist Nick Tuffley says another sign the 
balance in the housing market is starting to shift, is the 
length of time it takes to sell a house. The figure is now 
around 34 days, compared with 29 days six months ago.

A LICENSE TO SELL CIGARETTES?
-----------------------------

An anti-smoking organisation want retailers licensed to sell 
cigarettes. Recent compliance checks carried out by the 
Tairawhiti and Hawke's Bay District Health Boards found that 
several outlets allowed 14 and 16-year-olds to buy cigarettes. 
Mark Peck, director of the Smokefree Coalition says retailers 
found guilty of selling to minors are only given a small fine 
and tougher penalties are needed. He wants shops selling 
cigarettes to be licensed and for licenses to be revoked if 
retailers sell to people under the age of 18. Mr Peck also 
wants compliance checks such as those carried out in Hawke's 
Bay replicated elsewhere.

TAXI COMPANIES REVIEWING FARES
------------------------------

Petrol price rises are starting to bite. The latest rise has 
taken a litre of 91 to almost $1.70. Barrie White general 
manager of Wellington Combined Taxis says the company will be 
reviewing its fares as every increase hits individual drivers 
in the pocket. He says there are a number of issues to be 
considered, as it affects the business if prices rise too 
much, even though customers do understand how much petrol 
costs. Mr White says a fare rise would probably be less than 
20 cents a kilometre.

Thursday, 1 November 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

COURT ACTION OVER ELECTORAL FINANCE BILL
----------------------------------------

A court challenge is being made against the Electoral Finance 
Bill. Papers have been filed at the High Court in Wellington 
today, against Attorney General Michael Cullen seeking a 
judicial review of the legislation. The action is being taken 
by Auckland man and ACT Party member John Boscawen. He is 
joined by Greypower, the Sensible Sentencing Trust and ACT 
Party leader Rodney Hide. Mr Boscawen says they believe the 
Attorney General was wrong in not indicating to Parliament 
that the legislation was inconsistent with the Bill of Rights 
Act. The Government has relied on a Crown Law opinion which 
says the legislation is consistent, but this has been 
challenged by the Human Rights Commission and Law Society.

CULLEN LAYS DOWN LAW ON TAX CUTS
--------------------------------

Finance Minister Michael Cullen has outlined the parameters he 
will be working to when he considers personal tax cuts next 
year. He has outlined his plans in a speech to a Business 
Budget Summit in Wellington today. Dr Cullen says the 
Government will not introduce a tax package that requires 
borrowing, or cuts to services. He is also adamant it will not 
increase inflation, or create societal inequalities. Dr Cullen 
says when he introduces tax cuts they will be in line with the 
Government's ongoing social and economic priorities.

FAST-GROWING COMPANY ON LIST AGAIN
----------------------------------

A company which makes organic herbicides has been identified 
as one of the country's fastest growing companies for the 
second year in a row. CER appears in 13th place the Deloitte 
Unlimited Fast 50 competition for its 600 percent increase in 
sales revenue for the 2004 to 2006 sales period. The group 
also won the regional award for Fastest Growing Technology 
Company. CER says just a handful of companies make a return 
appearance in the annual awards and its placing on the list 
recognises the sustainability of the company's growth. It also 
runs direct mail service NZ Nature.

DRUG FOUNDATION SPARKS CANNABIS DEBATE
--------------------------------------

The Drug Foundation is appealing for more public debate about 
cannabis use. Executive director Ross Bell says it is time New 
Zealand took the drug out of the "too-hard" basket and talked 
about it sensibly and honestly. Mr Bell says cannabis it is 
New Zealand's favourite illicit drug, but receives little 
attention from politicians, policy makers or the media. He 
says all political parties, including the Greens, know it is 
likely to lose them votes if they come out strongly against 
the drug. Mr Bell says half of New Zealanders have tried 
cannabis and one in eight use it regularly. He says a number 
of issues have come to light recently that are of significant 
importance, around cannabis and mental health and cannabis and 
driving.

NATIONAL PLEDGES TO ARM POLICE WITH TASERS
------------------------------------------

National is vowing to give police access to tasers. The 
assertion is part of policy announcements made by leader John 
Key at the Police Association National Conference this 
morning. Mr Key says the move would be subject to a positive 
evaluation of the recent taser trial. However he argues tasers 
have been shown to be an effective tool for deterring 
dangerous offenders. The National leader is also advocating 
greater use of DNA to catch criminals. Mr Key wants DNA 
samples to be taken from all people arrested for crimes which 
carry a prison sentence. Currently DNA can only be taken by 
consent or where the offence carries a jail term of seven 
years or more. John Key says samples and records would be 
destroyed in cases where charges are dropped or a person is 
found not guilty. National is also pledging to see through the 
current campaign to recruit an additional 1,000 sworn and 250 
non-sworn officers by mid-2009. The party would also give 
police the ability to issue time-bound, on-the-spot protection 
orders, as well as reinstating the position for determining 
bail prior to the 2007 amendment to the Bail Act. 
 
(It's not often I find myself liking National policy, but this 
one I do. - BH0

HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR NEW HEALTH MINISTER
-----------------------------------------

There are expectations the new Health Minister will achieve 
more than his predecessor. Pete Hodgson has been moved aside 
to make way for David Cunliffe. Medical Association chairman 
Peter Foley believes Mr Hodgson did not achieve what was 
expected of him. However Dr Foley says Mr Cunliffe will have a 
tough time in his new role, as he is being thrown in the deep 
end. He says one of the issues he will have to sort out is the 
current pay disputes between doctors and the District Health 
Boards. Dr Foley says it took previous Health Minister Pete 
Hodgson two years to settle into the role. 
 
(My impression of Mr Hodgson was that he was forced to spend 
an inordinate amount of time defending health policies or 
apologising for failures. These things were not necessarily of 
his making, but he somehow never got the opportunity to bring 
good news - BH)

NEW EVIDENCE SHOWS OBESITY A CANCER RISK
----------------------------------------

An international report has found obesity is even more 
significant in causing cancer than previous studies have 
shown. The World Cancer Research Fund report is the largest of 
its kind, based on 7,000 scientific studies. A key finding is 
that obesity and lack of exercise increase the risk of a whole 
range of cancers, which is in contrast to the first report 10 
years ago. Researcher Professor Jim Mann says obesity has 
always been identified as a risk factor but new evidence shows 
it is more of a risk than originally thought. He says a 
balanced diet, including fruit and vegetables plus plenty of 
exercise, is still the best way to protect against cancer. 
 
(All processed meets, ham, sausages, salami, smoked ham, 
prosciutto are on the list of risky intakes. Dang! - BH)

FARMERS WANT RMA CHANGES
------------------------

Federated Farmers is urging the new Environment Minister to 
make reform of the Resource Management Act a priority. The 
organisation is requesting a meeting with Trevor Mallard to 
talk through what it believes are problems with the RMA and 
highlight its concerns. Environment spokesman Bruce McNab says 
the Act is a compliance nightmare, is unfair, unpredictable 
and overly bureaucratic. He says all New Zealanders have a 
collective agreement to protect the country's natural 
resources, but when it comes to bearing the cost, the 
collective responsibility seems to dissolve and ends up being 
shouldered entirely by landowners. Mr McNab says under the 
RMA, farmers can have large chunks of their land locked out of 
reach without compensation or even consultation. He believes 
the Act is in urgent need of an overhaul.

SECOND STAGE OF MALL OPENS
--------------------------

Shopping mall operator Westfield opens the second stage of its 
$210 million shopping complex at Albany, on Auckland's North 
Shore today. Prime Minister Helen Clark will cut the ribbon 
and 77 new shops will begin trading. The initial 65 opened two 
months ago. The development created more than 3,000 
construction jobs and 1500 new retail jobs. It is the biggest 
project undertaken by Westfield in New Zealand, which now has 
12 malls around the country.

MORE PAIN AT THE PUMP AHEAD?
----------------------------

Oil prices have jumped more than $US3 a barrel, hitting 
another record high. US light crude for December delivery 
reached $US94 before dropping back. It followed a report 
showing a big drop in crude supplies. Traders are also waiting 
for an expected interest rate cut that could push prices even 
higher.

NEW OPTION FOR COMPANIES IN TROUBLE
-----------------------------------

What is being touted as the biggest change to insolvency law 
in 20 years comes into force today. Modelled on the Australian 
scheme, companies facing liquidation will be able to go into 
voluntary administration to see whether they can be saved. 
Commerce Minister Lianne Dalziel says the scheme gives the 
voluntary administrator time to assess whether the company is 
still financially viable. One feature is a moratorium period 
preventing creditors from seeking what is owed to them which 
Ms Dalziel says in Australia, has seen increased returns to 
creditors. She says voluntary administration results in a more 
orderly and measured distribution of assets. 
 
(I guess this is equivalent to the provisions of Chapter 11 of 
the United States Bankruptcy Code - BH)

Friday, 2 November 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

STAFF TURNOVER RISING AT HOUSING NZ
-----------------------------------

Housing New Zealand's annual report reveals the department's 
churn rate in the last financial year was more than 15 
percent, up 1.5 percent on 2005-06. Housing New Zealand says 
it is actively working to address the issue and is 
investigating ways to attract and retain staff. The 
organisation employs just under a thousand staff.

REFUGE BACKS TEMPORARY PROTECTION ORDERS
----------------------------------------

Women's Refuge is welcoming National's promise to give police 
the power to issue temporary, on-the-spot domestic violence 
protection orders. At the moment victims have to apply to the 
court for protection from abusive partners. In some Australian 
states police have the power to issue 24 and 72 hour 
protection orders. Catherine DeLore from Women's Refuge 
believes similar on-the-spot orders would be useful in New 
Zealand. She says they take the immediate heat out of a 
volatile situation and allow a person who may be drunk or high 
to sober up. Ms DeLore says they also mean the abuser is taken 
out of the situation, rather than the victim and children 
having to be uprooted.

TELECOM PROFITS HOLD STEADY
---------------------------

Telecom has recorded a flat first quarter profit. Earnings for 
the three months to the end of September were $225 million - 
the same as in the first quarter of last year. After adjusting 
for the one-off disposal of its cellular operation in Samoa, 
net earnings come out 9.8 percent ahead of the figure for last 
year. Operating revenue was almost unchanged in the period, at 
just over $1.4 billion, and expenses also remained flat. 
Telecom chief Paul Reynolds says this result comes against the 
backdrop of growing regulatory and competitive change. He says 
the company is well prepared to embrace the opportunities 
offered by the separation of its operations. A dividend of 7 
cents per share has been declared.

AIR NZ VANCOUVER-BOUND TONIGHT
------------------------------

Air New Zealand's inaugural non-stop flight to Vancouver takes 
off tonight. The airline will fly to the Canadian city three 
times a week. Ed Sims, Air New Zealand's Group General Manager 
International Airline, says around 20 cities were considered 
for the new route but Vancouver won because of the high number 
of Canadians who want to come to New Zealand. He says kiwis 
are also keen to ski in Vancouver or use the city for a base 
to explore more of British Columbia and the Mid-West. Mr Sims 
believes Vancouver in the summer will also be an attraction 
for New Zealanders as it gets remarkably warm, with 
temperatures in the 30s. He says that makes it a good city to 
get out on the water or to head to the Rocky Mountain 
railroad. Mr Sims says the diametrically opposed seasons work 
well for New Zealand exporters, who will use the flights to 
send fish, strawberries and fresh flowers to Canada. New 
Zealand salmon will be amongst the fresh produce. Mr Sims says 
the early signs regarding passenger numbers are positive. He 
says the first month of a new route is always the hardest and 
in Vancouver's case, the peak of the ski season has not quite 
arrived, but he says the flights are fuller than anticipated 
and the high season has an occupancy rate of more than 70 
percent. Mr Sims is confident that by the time the route gets 
fully underway, the flights will be fairly full. Air New 
Zealand is flying 777-20 aircraft on the route. Each 13 hour 
45 minute flight carries 313 people. 
 
(I suspect that this will be a preferred route for many New 
Zealanders en route to Europe who comment on the sheer 
unpleasantness of passing though United States immigration. 
The last time I went to the US was pre-9/11 so I have not 
experienced it myself. - BH)

RISING AIDS WORRIES MORALS GROUP
--------------------------------

A Christian morality group wants HIV to be classified as a 
notifiable disease, after a total of 177 people were diagnosed 
with the virus last year. The status would make it mandatory 
for doctors to notify health authorities of a patient's 
condition, which is then entered into a nationwide database. 
Society for Promotion of Community Standards spokesman David 
Lane says the spread of HIV is at a crisis point, and it needs 
to be given notifiable status to reduce the risk posed to the 
community. He says it is the only way to stop the spread of 
HIV. David Lane says the gay community is doing a lot to try 
and avert the crisis, but admits the safe sex message is not 
working. 70 of the new infections were identified among gay 
men, and the Aids Foundation is welcoming a debate on the 
idea. Chief Executive Rachael Le Mesurier says the Ministry of 
Health is drafting a Bill looking at making HIV a notifiable 
disease. She says while she is looking forward to discussing 
the issue, she is wary some moral watch groups will use it as 
a platform to criticise homosexuals. Mr Lane is also concerned 
about a new 'rapid' HIV test, which gives results back in 20 
minutes. Aids Foundation centres across the country are 
offering the test, which it describes as 'revolutionary', but 
David Lane says it is giving people a false sense of security. 
He says HIV has a dormancy period of eight weeks, and unless 
people do not refrain from sex in that time frame, before the 
test, the results are worthless. Mr Lane says the Aids 
Foundations needs to properly inform people about how the test 
works.

CIVIL RIGHTS CONCERNS OVER DNA
------------------------------

There are civil rights concerns over National's plans to 
extend the use of DNA to catch criminals. The party has 
proposed DNA samples could be taken from anyone arrested for 
any crime which carries a prison sentence. Leader John Key 
says the samples and records would be destroyed in cases where 
charges are dropped or a person is found not guilty. But the 
former director of Victoria University's Crime and Research 
Unit Gabrielle Maxwell is not convinced. She says there is no 
guarantee the promise would be fulfilled, because there is 
past evidence of records not being destroyed from police files 
when they should have been. Dr Maxwell says the current 
practice of not keeping records of people merely because of 
suspicion, is appropriate. She says if police want co-
operation and trust from the public, they must not treat 
everyone as criminals. Dr Maxwell says we want a society where 
collaboration between the police and citizens is the norm.

NORTH SHORE DROPS AIRPORT PLAN
------------------------------

North Shore City Council has pulled out of a move to convert 
the Whenuapai airbase into a commercial airport once the Air 
Force has completed its move to Ohakea. The newly elected 
council last night reversed a previous decision to support a 
proposal by the infrastructure company Infratil, which wants 
to establish a second airport in competition with Auckland 
International Airport. North Shore mayor Andrew Williams says 
many of the new councillors were voted in because they 
campaigned against the move. He says the flight path would be 
directly above North Shore City, and residents would be 
affected by the associated noise and aviation fuel pollution. 
Andrew Williams says people have every right to defend their 
position because they are the ones who will be most affected 
by it. He says he would prefer the other option of turning the 
air base into a racetrack for cars.

COUNCILS SLASH COMMITTEE NUMBERS
--------------------------------

At least two city councils in Auckland have been revamping 
their governance structures, by cutting down on the number of 
committees. The Auckland City Council last night voted to 
dramatically trim the number of major committees, from 11 down 
to five. Mayor John Banks says it is a cost cutting measure 
which will streamline the decision making process. Manukau 
City has also cut its standing committees back from eight to 
four. However, new mayor Len Brown says cost cutting is not 
the aim. He says the move will be cost neutral. Mr Brown says 
the committees will be replaced by more frequent meetings of 
the entire, which will now take place at least three times a 
month. He says this will ensure responsiveness and leadership.

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