WYSIWYG NEWS - 29 November, 2007

[news at wysiwygnews.com]

Subject: 29 November, 2007 
----- WYSIWYG NEWS ------------------------------ 
Copyright, Brian Harmer. 

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

Melbourne is, to my eyes, a most attractive city. From a 
distance its high rise buildings shimmer silver against the 
grey white haze like the spires of some latter day Camelot. 
Overhead, a flawless blue sky, and on the streets and 
promenades, people stroll, pausing to inspect menus, before 
settling in one of the myriad al fresco dining places. I am 
convinced that a large proportion of the reported 40,000 Kiwis 
who left for Australia last year did so, not because of 
governments, taxes or other economic factors, but essentially 
because it's hard not to feel good when there is just so much 
good weather. Even when the morning starts out damp and grey, 
it seems to have cleared by 11 am and normal service is 
resumed. I am here gathering data for a research project, and 
since my daughter Catherine and her partner Mark live here, 
it's a very happy set up for me. Having arrived in an almost 
deserted Melbourne Airport on Friday evening, and moved 
through there quicker than any airport except Timaru, I was 
delighted to be taken to a most excellent matinee performance 
of "Phantom of the Opera" on Sunday. The seating in 
Melbourne's Princess theatre is diabolically close together, 
and in new Zealand I think it would be closed down as a 
dangerous venue, but even that minor annoyance was able to be 
overlooked as the very talented cast worked their magic. Later 
that evening, we wandered around Lygon Street looking for an 
Italian restaurant. Despite laws to the contrary, each eatery 
was fronted by a spruiker whose job it was to persuade passers 
by that this is the finest Italian eatery in town, and that 
the others would deliver a far inferior product. One likeable 
rogue was particularly good at his job, so I persuaded Mark 
and Cath to go there. The tragedy of Italian restaurants is 
that they have so many wonderful choices, and you can't do 
them all. A great antipasto dish followed by an excellent beef 
ravioli was just the way it ought to have been, and I went 
away well pleased. And then there was the gelati shop, with 
racks full of the most amazing flavours, some of which are 
scarcely authentic Italian -  who ever heard of a durian 
flavoured gelato, for example. They say that durian tastes 
great if you can just get it past your nose. The shop allowed 
us to taste. You won't taste anything else for the next 30 
minutes, they said. In the gelato, it was very bland, so I got 
a three flavour mix in a tub, and the three of us shared it. 
Mango, coconut and tiramisu, if I recall correctly, and I 
suppose none of those is strictly traditional either. 
Work the next day took out to the Lilydale campus of Swinburne 
University (described in the media as "the little university 
that can"). I hadn't realised just how far out in the country 
it is to Lilydale, but this became more apparent as the gap 
between successive railway stations became longer and longer. 
On my eventual arrival at the terminus, I transferred to a  
bus as suggested in their web site, but was surprised that the 
journey was less than one kilometre. Nevertheless, in the heat 
of a Victorian summer morning, I was glad of the ride. I was 
equally glad to get inside the coolness of the buildings 
despite the spacious grounds, as anyone from these parts will 
tell you, flies are a real pest. I conducted my research 
interviews then set out to retrace my steps. The journey 
seemed much shorter on the way back. More next edition. 
	
---- 
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. 
Thanks to Margaret Ritchie in Canada for this week's 
sponsorship.
----  
On with the News. 

Monday, 19 November 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NEW GEOTHERMAL PLANT PLANNED FOR TAUPO
--------------------------------------

Contact Energy has announced plans to build a 20 megawatt 
geothermal electricity plant in Taupo. The plant will capture 
steam from the Tauhara steam field, producing enough 
electricity to power nearly 20,000 homes. Contact chief 
executive David Baldwin says the company has the resource 
consents to push ahead with the project. It will cost about 
$75 million, and is expected to be operational by 2009.

(Interesting. It is my belief that geothermal steam is a 
finite and non-renewable resource. I wonder how that got 
through the vigilant gaze of the sustainability people. - BH)

ELECTORAL FINANCE BILL CHANGES ANNOUNCED
----------------------------------------

Changes to the Electoral Finance Bill have been unveiled. 
Curbs have been put on offshore donations from foreigners, 
spending limits for third parties have been increased from 
$60,000 to $120,000, and restrictions have been put on 
anonymous donations to political parties. However the National 
Party is upset a 12 month regulated election period remains, 
and objects to the regime for third parties. It also claims 
there are major procedural failings in the way the Justice and 
Electoral Select Committee considered the bill.

GOVT'S SHOWING IN POLLS MYSTIFIES
---------------------------------

An outspoken Electoral Finance Bill opponent cannot understand 
how the government has gone up in the polls. One poll has 
Labour up 1.5 points to 40.5 percent support, while National 
has dropped 0.5 points to 45 percent. Christine Rankin, who 
marched against the controversial bill in Auckland on 
Saturday, says the poll should act as a wake up call. She says 
the bill will cause serious damage to democracy, and is urging 
those against it to speak out, before it is passed. Ms Rankin 
says Helen Clark's comments saying the public will be pleased 
with the revised version of the Electoral Finance Bill is just 
game playing. The National Party is also brushing off 
suggestions by the Prime Minister that the bill, which is due 
to be reported back to Parliament sometime today, has been 
vastly improved. Bill English says any of the changes will be 
minor tinkering, and the bill will continue to treat people as 
idiots. He says the changes will still mean anyone who is not 
a politician will have their political opinions heavily 
regulated 
 
(I am not ready to accept Ms Rankin as an expert on anything 
much at all. - BH)

HOPE FOR BETTER AWARENESS OF DIABETES
-------------------------------------

Diabetes sufferers want people to understand there is no 
holiday from their illness. The focus of this year's Diabetes 
Awareness Week is the 3,500 children and young people affected 
by Type 1 diabetes in this country. Diabetes New Zealand 
president Mike Smith says children with Type 1 do have some 
special needs. He says they do not need to be pampered, but 
people must understand they have a condition which needs to be 
managed 24 hours a day. He says the number of children 
diagnosed with diabetes each year is growing by about 10 
percent. Mike Smith says it is difficult for a child to get 
used to having the disease. He says it is scary for both 
children and their parents, as the young patients can often 
become hypoglycaemic in the night and need help.

PROGRESS ON CANCER WAITING TIMES
--------------------------------

David Cunliffe is claiming progress is being made when it 
comes to waiting times for cancer patients. The Health 
Minister has released figures which show a 15 percent 
improvement in the number of patients receiving radiation 
treatment within four weeks. Mr Cunliffe says 97 percent of 
patients referred for care are now treated within eight weeks, 
and 80 percent within four weeks. However the figures date 
back to September, and also show more people received their 
radiation treatment in four weeks or less in September 2005 
than have done so this year.

UN REPORT MAKES CLIMATE ACTION URGENT
-------------------------------------

The government is citing a new United Nations report on 
climate change as further reason for urgent action on 
greenhouse gas emissions. The Intergovernmental Panel on 
Climate Change has issued a stark warning, declaring the 
impact of global warming could be abrupt or irreversible, and 
no country will be spared. The report says global warming is 
unequivocal, and predicts temperature rises of up to 6.4 
degrees by 2100. Climate Change Minister David Parker says the 
information makes a clear case for governments to act to avert 
dangerous climate change. He says it confirms the increasing 
pace of warming, and the serious impacts New Zealand could 
face if it does not get emissions under control. Mr Parker is 
hosting a seminar today, ahead of the introduction of the 
emissions trading scheme. It is being phased in over the next 
five years, and has drawn flak from businesses because of the 
costs they are likely to face.

AGED CARE WORKERS STOP WORK
---------------------------

Aged care workers will stop work for two hours this morning to 
highlight their need for better pay and treatment in the 
workplace. They also want better training opportunities. 
Around 600 nurses, caregivers and support staff will hold 
stopwork meetings from 9.30 in the first action of its kind. 
Service and Food Workers Union spokesman Alastair Duncan says 
working with the elderly gets harder every day. He says 
staffing levels and low pay need to be addressed to make sure 
senior citizens continue to be cared for. Mr Duncan says about 
a third of the country's aged care workers earn just above the 
minimum wage of $12.55. Meanwhile, one aged care employer says 
it is working on a training programme for its staff. Around 
600 nurses, caregivers and support staff employed by Eldercare 
are holding stopwork meetings this morning over low pay and 
lack of training opportunities. Chief executive Craig Percy 
says there is a programme in the works. He says a careers 
pathways programme is being introduced, with wage rates to 
match. Mr Percy says his company can only pay its employees 
the money passed on to it by district health boards. 
 
(As one whose mother is in care, I really resent the fact that 
the people who do this important and skilled work are paid the 
minimum wage. It is a sign that societal values are distorted. 
- BH)

Tuesday, 20 November 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LABOUR SLIDES IN ROY MORGAN POLL
--------------------------------

Labour's gains in recent polls have come to an end. The latest 
Roy Morgan poll gives National a 14 point lead over Labour. 
National is up 3 points to 48 percent, while Labour is down 
6.5 points to 34 percent. For the other parties; the Greens 
are up 1 to 7.5 percent and New Zealand First has broken the 
five percent threshold for the first time since April up 2 
points to 5.5 percent. The Maori Party scored 2.5 percent, 
with ACT and United Future scoring just 1 percent support 
each.

AUCKLAND AIRPORT RECORDS $92M PROFIT
------------------------------------

Auckland International Airport has posted a profit of $92 
million for the year. Revenue grew 5.3 percent to over $321 
million. The airport has declared a final dividend of $4.45c 
per share. Chairman John Maasland says they are expecting 
revenue to increase by seven percent next year. The Auckland 
Airport board was grilled by shareholders over the partial 
takeover bid by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Fund. One 
irate shareholder questioned why the Canadian organisation was 
being allowed to effectively take control of the airport, 
through the backdoor. The Canadian fund has issued a takeover 
notice to buy 40 percent of the company at $3.65 a share. It 
would amalgamate Auckland International Airport Limited into 
its wholly owned subsidiary NZ Airport HC limited. Chairman 
John Maasland told the meeting it is an issue the new board 
will have to consider, as three directors of the five member 
board have stepped down. Mr Maasland was put on the spot over 
his opposition to a second airport the city. He was asked why 
he cannot live with the idea of Whenuapai operating as a 
commercial airport, when Sydney and Melbourne were operating 
fine with two airports. Mr Maasland said he does not believe 
Auckland needs two airports because it is a city of a little 
over one million people.

MONEY ADVICE FOR PRIMARY STUDENTS
---------------------------------

A new programme has been launched this morning teaching 
primary school students how to handle money. The children will 
be given booklets entitled "Figure It Out". Education Minister 
Chris Carter says the booklets tell students how to earn, 
spend, save and borrow money, as well as how to give to 
charity. Other ideas include how children can be enterprising 
and innovative with money. The booklets will be distributed at 
primary and intermediate schools.

CALL FOR PATERNITY TESTS AT BIRTH
---------------------------------

A fathers' rights group believes paternity testing should be 
carried out at birth, to avoid any questions later. An 
Australian DNA testing firm has found a quarter of all men who 
submitted tests were found not to be the child's biological 
father. United Future MP Judy Turner says it draws attention 
to the fact courts do not have the power to order paternity 
testing. Hands on Equal Parenting Trust spokesman Jim Bailey 
say there is one effective way to solve the debate once and 
for all. He says testing should be done at birth in all cases, 
so it becomes normal and there is never any argument. Mr 
Bailey says tests would probably become more affordable too, 
but the issue of who pays remains unresolved. He says the 
Family Court has been fair in the past about who pays, and he 
would not support changes until the situation is clarified.

FARMERS RELAXED ON DOWNGRADE
----------------------------

Farmers are shrugging off a slight credit downgrade for the 
dairy giant Fonterra. Credit rating agency Standard and Poors 
has downgraded Fonterra's ability to borrow money for 
expansion, after the announcement it is preparing a detailed 
proposal for a partial listing on the stock market. Frank 
Brenmuhl of Federated Farmers says there is a range of opinion 
about the plan, which goes from strong support for it all the 
way to vehement opposition. He says there is still a long way 
to go before the plan becomes anywhere near final, and that 
should ease worried minds. A decision will not be made until 
next May, and then there is a two-year trial period 
culminating in another vote before the proposal becomes 
reality. But New Zealand First says it is pleased someone has 
woken up to the risks of the potential float. MP Doug 
Woolerton says a lot of people have been caught up in the hype 
surrounding the announcement. He says it is not all good news, 
and that listing a company makes Fonterra slightly more risky. 
Mr Woolerton says Fonterra already has a number of options for 
securing capital, and does not need to list on the stock 
market to finance overseas expansion. Doug Woolerton says New 
Zealanders could be shunted out of running the company if it 
becomes a listed entity.

PAYROLL CHARITY DEDUCTIONS COMING
---------------------------------

Changes are in the pipeline which could allow people to make 
charitable donations directly from their pay packets. A 
discussion paper is due to be released on payroll giving for 
charity, which would enable people to streamline their 
donations through their employer's payroll system. Prime 
Minister Helen Clark says it came up as an issue during the 
Asian Tsunami disaster where it was looked at as a private 
sector initiative. She says at the time the legislative 
framework was not in place to allow it.

CAR IMPORTERS SPLASH OUT $300,000
---------------------------------

A nationwide campaign is being launched this morning against 
the Government's new vehicle emissions proposals, amid fears 
they will severely restrict used vehicle imports. The $300,000 
'car crazy' blitz is being run by the Independent Motor 
Vehicle Dealers Association, which was set up by car dealers 
to provide legal, technical and advocacy services to the car 
sales industry. Chief Executive David Vinsen says the 
Government thinks restricting imports will help reduce air 
pollution, but he says the proposed rules will increase car 
prices and could in fact increase vehicle emissions. Mr Vinsen 
says the Association is urging the Government to develop a 
proper strategy to manage New Zealand's vehicles. This would 
include economic incentives to help people scrap older, more 
polluting cars, backed up by regulations banning them from our 
roads. David Vinsen says if the policy is introduced in its 
current form, dirtier vehicles will remain on the roads for 
longer. He says the Government has been advised the policy 
will not work but it is pressing ahead anyway. 
 
(Personality politics are rarely persuasive, in my mind. They 
leave a bad taste in the mouth, and detract from anything that 
the person has to say. - BH)

ADOPTION PUSH URGED FOR TEEN MOTHERS
------------------------------------

Changes to the benefit system are being advocated as a way to 
lower the rate of teenage pregnancies. Statistics released 
yesterday show teenage birth rates are on the rise again, with 
30.2 births for every 1,000 15 to 19 year-olds. Welfare 
commentator Lindsay Mitchell says births to young mothers have 
become the state's problem, and it is wrong for mothers to be 
able to sit on the benefit until their child is 18 years-old. 
She says the benefit should have a limit of five years, as it 
does in the US. She is also keen to see more young mothers 
encouraged to offer their baby up for adoption, as this is a 
better option for the child than raising it in a negative 
environment. She says if there is gang involvement, drug 
addiction or abuse it is not going to be healthy for a child. 
Ms Mitchell says CYFS should be promoting adoption as an 
option for young mothers-to-be.

Wednesday, 21 November 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NZ FIRST WANTS GANGS BANNED IN NZ
---------------------------------

There is more pressure from New Zealand First for the 
Government to make gangs illegal. The party is pointing to 
moves being made by the State Government of South Australia, 
which is passing laws to make bikie gangs illegal. New Zealand 
First MP Ron Mark is urging Justice Minister Annette King to 
follow their lead. He says if its good enough for her Labour 
colleagues across the Tasman to take such a move, the 
Government should support his party's drive to outlaw gangs. 
 
(Perhaps they could repeal the law of gravity while they are 
at it, and require all children to be polite at all times and 
do their homework on time. - BH)

ANOTHER FUEL PRICE RISE
-----------------------

Local fuel prices are on the rise again, as the international 
oil price hovers around US$99 a barrel. BP was the first to 
react this morning, raising petrol prices by five cents a 
litre. Shell says they and the other major companies this 
afternoon followed suit. Shell has also bumped diesel up by 
eight cents a litre - saying it's merely matching the price BP 
has been charging for the past few days. 
 
(I saw a media comment to the effect that BP is usually the 
first mover when it comes to price hikes. I am not persuaded 
that "merely matching" is a compelling argument from Shell. - 
BH)

NO TAX CUTS UNTIL AT LEAST THE NEXT BUDGET
------------------------------------------

Finance Minister Michael Cullen has confirmed personal tax 
cuts will not be announced until at least the next budget. 
There has been speculation the Government might try to push 
through tax cuts ahead of next year's election. Dr Cullen says 
that will not be the case, as the kind of dividend able to be 
paid out to people will not be made until the budget, in terms 
of size, shape and timing. He says anything in the tax area is 
costly, with a $20 a week tax cut for each worker costing $2 
billion a year. 

WHITCOULLS GIVEN APPROVAL TO BUY BORDERS
----------------------------------------

Whitcoulls says its bid to take over Borders is still in the 
early stages. The Commerce Commission has given approval for 
Whitcoulls to acquire 100 percent of Borders New Zealand, 
saying it is satisfied the buyout will not lessen competition. 
Whitcoulls is also bidding to buy out the Australian arm of 
Borders and is awaiting clearance from the Australian 
Securities and Investment Commission. Borders is a New York 
registered company. 
 
(I am sorry to see the Borders shop go. Being presently 
ensconced in city with a wealth of real bookshops, I am all 
too aware of how few serious bookshops there are in 
Wellington. - BH)

GOVT ACCUSES IMVDA OF SCAREMONGERING
------------------------------------

The Government is countering criticism of its plans to crack 
down on the country's used car fleet. The Independent Motor 
Vehicle Dealers Association is scathing of proposals to get 
older cars off the road, in a bid to cut down on emissions. 
The IMVDA claims it could actually make things worse, with 
people holding onto their older cars longer, with the price of 
cars likely to rise due to proposed new rules on imports. But 
Associate Transport Minister Judith Tizard says the used car 
dealer organisation is scaremongering. She says its arguments 
do not stand up to scrutiny. She says the rules will not apply 
to cars already in the country, nor will it increase car 
costs. Judith Tizard says it will ensure imported cars are 
cleaner and less polluting than present.

SECONDARY SCHOOLS STRUGGLE TO KEEP GOOD STAFF
---------------------------------------------

Secondary schools are struggling to attract and keep good 
staff and they say pay parity with primary schools is largely 
to blame. Robin Duff, president of the secondary teachers' 
union, the PPTA, says the school shortage includes heads of 
departments and relief teachers, and is affecting subjects 
across the board. He says a recent staffing survey of 106 
schools found 11 had vacancies they had not been able to fill 
for more than three terms. Fifteen had advertised positions 
for which there were no applicants. Mr Duff says the recent 12 
percent pay increase over the next three years has done little 
to alleviate the situation. He says as long as the government 
remains the only one in the world which insists on a rigid pay 
entrenchment policy, the problem will not go away. Pay rates 
won by secondary teachers are automatically passed on to 
primary schools, in spite of the different jobs and skill 
levels involved.

LANDOWNERS GET RUDE SHOCK FROM ONTRACK
--------------------------------------

Railway network manager OnTrack is getting tough with 
landowners who are using parts of the 19,000 hectares along 
its rail corridor. Spokesman Frazer Tweedie says many farmers 
are grazing stock on the land for a peppercorn rental and some 
residential gardens have crept a few metres into the corridor. 
Mr Tweedie says OnTrack is not making itself popular knocking 
on doors asking for a proper agreement at market rates. He 
says people who have been paying a dollar a year for their 
lease, are less than impressed. He says some say they are 
looking after the land and OnTrack should be paying them. Mr 
Tweedie says things have to change, and those who refuse to 
negotiate an agreement can expect to find their fences and 
structures moved. 
 
(If Ontrack is going to go all commercial on us, then perhaps 
it time they lost their exemptions in respect of noxious weeds 
and other nuisances they commit? - BH)

WARNING FOR SELLERS OF LEAKY HOMES
----------------------------------

National believes a clause in real estate contracts can cost 
unwitting house sellers hundreds of thousands of dollars. The 
party's Associate Building and Construction spokesman Bob 
Clarkson has had a case brought to his attention whereby a 
woman had a house built in 2002. He says after selling the 
house the new owner found it was leaking and sued the original 
owner for repairs. Mr Clarkson says because the builder had 
gone broke and closed his company, the sales contract made her 
liable as the last one standing. He says it is disgraceful 
that the owner of the house has to pay out when they had 
nothing to do with the building of it. Mr Clarkson is urging 
all sellers of real estate to have the clause removed.

NO MONEY FOR SENIORS TO LEARN THE NET
-------------------------------------

SeniorNet is facing a significant funding shortage. The 
volunteer network of learning centres gives older people an 
opportunity to become internet-savvy. Chief Executive Grant 
Sidaway says they have been hit with a double whammy. He says 
the Tertiary Education Commission has let them down by not 
delivering on their previously indicated level of funding. Mr 
Sidaway says long-standing sponsor Telecom has also pulled the 
pin, leaving them seriously short of funds. He says the bottom 
line is they need an additional 400-thousand dollars a year to 
continue their work.

PATIENT SAFETY COMPROMISED AT NZ HOSPITALS?
-------------------------------------------

A chronic shortage of junior doctors has been identified in a 
Health and Disability Commissioner's report. The report looked 
into the safety of patients at New Zealand hospitals. Medical 
Council deputy chairman Paul Ockelford says they have long 
advocated the fact urgent action is needed to tackle workforce 
problems. He says a shortage of junior doctors is being 
addressed but may lead to problems related to the delivery of 
health care further down the track. Dr Ockelford says district 
health boards and senior managers need to accept 
responsibility and take urgent action. The report has also 
revealed a lack of national coordination of DHB practices. Dr 
Ockelford says in a country of just four million people, 
having 21 Health Boards providing health care in 21 different 
ways leads to fragmentation of services. He says the Ministry 
of Health needs to step in and lead the change. He says it is 
not sufficient to have a national approach to quality, if it 
is not delivered in a nationally consistent way.

KIWIS SEEK A BETTER LIFE OVERSEAS
---------------------------------

A new international survey finds improved lifestyle, not 
better pay, is most likely to lure New Zealand workers 
overseas. The study by international recruitment firm Robert 
Half surveyed more than five thousand finance and accounting 
staff across 17 countries. Spokeswoman Megan Alexander says 
traditionally New Zealanders have moved overseas for higher 
financial rewards. She says now they are looking at overseas 
jobs in terms of the lifestyle options on offer. Ms Alexander 
says it is a real wake-up call to New Zealand employers. She 
says skilled workers will change jobs and move city or even 
country to get the quality of life they want. 
 
(As I said in the opening, I suspect that a significant 
portion of the exodus is made up of retirees, in much the same 
way that so many Americans retire to California or Florida. 
Sunshine is a powerful motivator. - BH)

Thursday, 22 November 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ONLY TECHNICAL CHANGES TO BILL
------------------------------

Justice Minister Annette King says the only changes that will 
be made to the Electoral Finance Bill will be technical. The 
bill is having its second reading in Parliament this 
afternoon, the first since changes were made by a 
Parliamentary select committee. The Law Society is concerned 
at the complexity of the bill, and wants it to go back to a 
select committee to allow further public submissions. But 
Annette King says that will not happen, and the changes that 
will be made from here on will only be minor. National says 
the public should be able to see the 11th hour amendments that 
Labour will bolt on to what it calls the undemocratic bill.

TAXI FED ASSURES PUBLIC
-----------------------

The Taxi Federation is reassuring the public that criminal 
checks are conducted on all potential drivers. It follows the 
sentencing of Wellington driver Abdirazac Mussa, who raped an 
18-year-old woman. The HIV positive Somalian man has been 
jailed for 11 years for on two counts of rape and one of 
abducting a woman with intent to sexually violate her. Taxi 
Federation executive director Tim Reddish says Mussa would 
have been checked by police before he started his job. He says 
as sad as it is, people can go through the checks and still 
offend. 

OPTIMISTS THRIVE, SAYS UNI
--------------------------

Massey University says it is important people know how 
mentally tough and resilient they are. Executive education 
manager Patricia Fulcher says people with an optimistic 
explanatory style thrive, while pessimists fail. She says some 
of the university's business students are having their mental 
toughness tested as part of their programme. Ms Fulcher says 
it teaches people to move forward from failure, rather than 
letting it get them down.

JOINT VENTURE TO BE CALLED INTERCITY HOLDINGS
---------------------------------------------

Bus operator InterCity is forming a joint venture with Tourism 
Holdings. Tourism Holdings will take a 49 percent stake in the 
new company InterCity Holdings in exchange for its Fullers 
Ferry operations in the Bay of Islands and Great Sights 
business unit. Spokesman Malcolm Johns says rising fuel prices 
are actually good for the company's business. He says the more 
expensive a litre of fuel becomes, the more people get out of 
their cars and use public transport. Mr Johns says the joint 
venture will create one of the largest tourism and transport 
companies in New Zealand.

PROPERTY, BUSINESS TAKE THE LEAD
--------------------------------

Manufacturing businesses are no longer the biggest employer in 
the country. Statistics New Zealand figures show property and 
business services have taken the lead for the first time. More 
than 238,000 people have full time jobs in the property and 
business service industry, compared with 237,000 in 
manufacturing . The latest figures show more than 1.7 million 
people had jobs in the September 2006 year. The construction 
industry was the key contributor to job growth. Finance and 
Insurance continue to be the highest paid industries.

GOVT ACCUSED OF BEING TOO SLOW TO REACT TO DROUGHT
--------------------------------------------------

Federated Farmers believes the Government should have acted 
earlier to alleviate the impact of this year's East Coast 
drought. A report out today shows the financial impact will be 
severe, with the region's GDP likely to fall by 326 million 
dollars. Federated Farmers East Coast spokesman Kevin Mitchell 
says they knew it would have a major impact. He says the 
impact of lower stock numbers and lower lambing and calving 
percentages has been tough. Mr Mitchell says everyone in the 
province is feeling the squeeze to some degree. 
 
(What do Federated Farmers expect? A taxpayer funded bailout 
from a fundamentally risky business venture? If so, are they 
prepared to extend a similar courtesy to every other kind of 
business operation that encounters hard times? - BH)

FLEXI-HOURS LAW OFFERS BETTER WORK/LIFE BALANCE
-----------------------------------------------

The Families Commission is thrilled the flexible working hours 
bill has now been passed into law. Sue Kedgley's bill passed 
its third reading in Parliament last night, giving workers 
with dependents the right to ask for a change to their hours 
or place of work. Families Commissioner Rajen Prasad says it 
is the start of a culture change that should improve work/life 
balance. He says more mums want to work but still spend time 
with the kids, and with our aging population, more people have 
responsibilities for caring for elderly family members. 
However, Mr Prasad says research now needs to be undertaken to 
make sure a number of family friendly policies are being used 
to their full advantage. He says hopefully that will lead to 
policy recommendations on how to make paid parental leave and 
flexible working hours more accessible.

HIGH PETROL PRICES A CONCERN FOR RETAILERS
------------------------------------------

There appears to be little chance that soaring petrol prices 
will ease any time soon. The international price of oil 
blasted to a new high overnight, at $US 99.29 a barrel. It has 
since dropped back slightly to just under $99.00 but analysts 
are still picking it will soon hit $100.00. Pump prices in 
this country have already soared as a result, with petrol up 
five cents a litre yesterday at most outlets, and diesel up 
eight cents. Petrol prices are still a few cents shy of the 
record 176.9 cents a litre it hit in August last year, but 
this time analysts are picking the price will stay up. The 
international oil price is being fuelled by cold weather and 
anxiety over winter supplies in the United States, which is 
the world's biggest fuel consumer. The weakening US dollar is 
also having an effect. The rising fuel prices spell bad news 
for retailers this Christmas. ANZ Bank Chief Economist Cameron 
Bagrie says it means retailers may feel the pinch, as the 
price hike will hit low and middle income families who will in 
turn curb their Christmas spending.

NZ FARES BADLY IN UN'S CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT
--------------------------------------------

A just released UN climate change report is a less than 
flattering read for New Zealand. The report reveals we were 
one of the worst performers on increasing Greenhouse Gas 
emissions between 1990 and 2005. They were up almost 23 
percent on baseline levels, while countries like the UK, 
Russia, and Poland recorded major drops. Green Party Co-Leader 
Russel Norman says it puts pressure on the Government to 
include the agricultural sector in its planned emissions 
trading scheme. Meanwhile National MP Nick Smith says the 
figures make a sick joke of the Government's carbon neutral 
rhetoric.

(The practice of reporting emissions on a "per capita" basis 
may make us look bad, but if New Zealand simply ceased to 
exist, we would make no significant improvement on the global 
output of harmful emissions. We are NOT the bad guys here. - 
BH)

Friday, 23 November 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUSSIES BEAT NZ'S ECONOMY
-------------------------

New research shows Australia is in a better economic position 
than New Zealand. A BNZ report says there are many 
similarities between the New Zealand and Australian economies, 
including low unemployment and rising inflation. It also 
reveals commodity price drives both economies. BNZ head of 
research Stephen Toplis says Australia's economy is being 
pushed by a rapidly growing housing market, while New 
Zealand's market is losing steam, from the impact of a long 
period of interest rate increases. Mr Toplis says New Zealand 
home owners should expect interest rates to continue to rise.  
 
(Funny isn't it, how housing is at once a source of 
prosperity, and at the same time, the leading cause of 
domestic inflation? - BH)

HEALTH GROUPS ANGRY AT EMISSIONS CAMPAIGN
-----------------------------------------

Japanese car importers have raised the hackles of health watch 
dogs with their campaign against Government moves to lower 
vehicle emissions. Cabinet is about to sign off on new 
standards that will prevent older, more polluting imports 
coming into the country. The Independent Motor Vehicle Dealers 
Institute has launched a campaign in opposition to it. It 
claims the it will bump up the price of cars, forcing families 
to keep driving older cars already in the country. The Public 
Health Association and Asthma Foundation say vehicle emissions 
are play a part in around 500 premature deaths a year, and 
suck $440 million from the health budget.

NATS ACCUSED OF SECRET TRUSTS
-----------------------------

New Zealand First has put the boot into National as the 
controversial Electoral Finance Bill moves to the next stage. 
It supported Labour and the Greens as the legislation passed 
its second reading by 11 votes in Parliament last night. New 
Zealand First MP Doug Woolerton used the debate to attack 
National's use of secret trusts to channel political 
donations. He says the public has voiced its concerns about 
such methods and the legislation addresses those worries. The 
Electoral Finance Bill will be debated early next month when 
Parliament resumes after next week's recess.

HEALTH RESEARCH NEEDS PUTTING INTO PRACTICE
-------------------------------------------

There is a warning much more needs to be done to translate 
good health research into medical practice. Professor Paul 
Glasziou from Oxford University says billions of dollars are 
being spent on healthcare which does not work as well as it 
should. He says patients are only getting about 10 per cent of 
the benefit from research findings He says that is wasting the 
millions of health dollars when findings are not applied and 
outcomes are not as good as they should be. Professor Glasziou 
says one solution is to use groups of people to filter the 
research result before it is passed on to doctors.

AIR TRAVEL COULD BECOME CHEAPER
-------------------------------

The cost of air travel could be set to fall after government 
moves to regulate what airports can charge for ancillary 
services. The government is changing the way it regulates 
airports under the Commerce Act, because the marketplace is 
not competitive enough. Air New Zealand chief financial 
officer Rob McDonald says passengers will be the ones to 
benefit. He says consumers bear the brunt of airport-imposed 
charges on taxi and car hire companies, and excessive landing 
charges for airlines. Rob McDonald says cheaper travel will 
hopefully mean more people travelling.

GREENPEACE WANTS TOUGHER TARGETS
--------------------------------

Greenpeace wants tougher emission targets introduced. It 
follows new figures highlighting New Zealand as one of the 
worst countries in the industrialised world for emission 
increases. Campaigner Jim Footner says the government needs to 
push for strong global targets when it goes to Bali in two 
weeks to negotiate the Kyoto Protocol's second round. He says 
as it stands, our climate change policies are little more than 
window-dressing. Mr Footner says even with the government's 
projections, by 2012 the country will be emitting 25 million 
tonnes more than it should be. He says New Zealand needs to 
start walking the walk, not just talking the talk.

NCEA ENGLISH EXAM CHALLENGING
-----------------------------

Forty-eight thousand teenagers can breathe a sigh of relief 
after sitting the country's biggest exam. Secondary school 
pupils were tested yesterday on their level one English 
knowledge as part of NCEA. The head of English at James 
Hargest College in Invercargill says the exam covered the 
year's curriculum. Laurel Swan says participants would have 
been challenged. She says students have to understand the 
meaning behind the language, as well as analyse how it is 
used. The Qualifications Authority is hoping pupils will 
receive their results by the end of January.

SUBSCRIBE OR UNSUBSCRIBE 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
 
Brian Harmer does NOT administer the mailing list. Please do 
not send subscription related messages to him. Instead, visit 
the website listed below, where you can make changes as 
required. If you want to send a personal message to Brian, 
change the country code to nz and send a message 
brian.harmer at vuw.ac.xx If you do choose to comment on 
something in these posts, please don't send the whole 
newsletter with your message. Just trim it back to the 
relevant bits. Thanks. Brian.