WYSIWYG NEWS - 2 October, 2007

[news at wysiwygnews.com]

Subject: 2 October, 2007 
----- WYSIWYG NEWS ------------------------------ 
Copyright, Brian Harmer. 

Exactly as forecast, last week's spring weather suddenly 
deserted us and we reverted to a week of winter. Blustery 
winds, and driving rain, and low miserable daytime 
temperatures (around 8 or 9 deg C) take the gloss off things a 
little. In a brief sunny patch on Saturday, I saw that, amid 
clear skies, the Tararuas have had their top coat of snow 
refreshed. Sullen clouds and spiteful showers of rain have 
since returned to obscure even that small sign of hope. 
However, we are now in the first week of our newly revised 
period of Daylight Saving which runs from the last Sunday in 
September to the first Sunday in April, so we are now on GMT 
+13. It is not uncommon for the first few days of daylight 
saving to beat us over the knuckles so we don't get 
prematurely excited. Just as well because yesterday, Monday, 
we had low cloud and a strong Nor' Westerly gale, the kind 
that rattles windows and makes people at pedestrian crossings 
hang onto lamp posts to steady themselves while waiting for 
the lights. According to the TV news, gusts reached 160 km/h. 
Meanwhile the academic year has just two weeks left to run 
before study week, followed by two weeks of examinations. 
Somehow, the number of students on campus seems to have 
diminished. It is hard to find a rational explanation for 
this. 

A few further donations have now arrived for the ongoing 
support of WYSIWYG. For your interest, of the 1,400 or so 
subscribers, 36 of you sponsored 87 weeks of news gathering 
and formatting at the current rate of payment to our 
assistant. This should last us until the middle of 2009. Many 
thanks to all who have provided support. 

---- 
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, 24 September 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PM SAYS NO TO SELLING OFF STATE ASSETS
--------------------------------------

Helen Clark has ruled out any sale of State Owned Enterprises. 
National is pushing the idea, saying it would allow members of 
the public to buy stakes in SOEs, while the Government would 
still retain control of the companies. Prime Minister Helen 
Clark says at the moment there are successful state-owned 
companies returning a dividend to every New Zealander. She 
claims National wants a system where some people would benefit 
more than others. "I'm glad that we have finally been able to 
hear a bit of policy that reminds us of what really turned the 
public off the National in a big way in the 1990s." Miss Clark 
says privatisation of SOEs will not happen under the current 
Labour-led Government.

MUMS MAY GET BETTER ACCESS TO ILL BABIES
----------------------------------------

A bid to give mothers better access to their babies in 
hospital has won the backing of Parliament's Health Select 
Committee. Hamilton woman Jessica Haussmann petitioned 
Parliament on behalf of mothers whose premature or sick babies 
are in neo-natal intensive care units. She wants rooming-in 
provisions so the mothers can stay in hospital with their 
children. The Health Select Committee is advising the 
Government to acknowledge the benefits of the approach. It is 
also recommending consideration be given to the provision of 
day-stay facilities, outreach nurses, support groups and 
parent education groups, when rooming in is not available.

COUNCIL CONFIRMS $50M FOR EDEN PARK
-----------------------------------

Auckland City Council has agreed to pay $30 million toward the 
$190 million needed to upgrade Eden Park for the 2011 Rugby 
World Cup. The council is also promising to provide another 
$20 million for transport and design improvements in the area. 
The chairman of the Eden Park Redevelopment Board, John 
Waller, has welcomed the announcement, saying it is great news 
for both Eden Park and the Rugby World Cup. 
 
(Former mayor, John Banks, who is for some reason the leading 
contender for the Auckland mayoralty in the imminent election 
disapproves vigorously and believes it should be funded from 
central government. I suggest that Auckland should get from 
the taxpayer as much as was offered for the Westpac Stadium in 
Wellington, or the proposed replacement for Carisbrook in 
Dunedin - that is, precisely nothing. It is a regional 
facility. I am stunned that Aucklanders' memory is so short 
that they would consider Mr Banks again. On the other hand, in 
my own local body of Lower Hutt, my main dilemma is the 
uniformly unappealing nature of the candidates on offer for 
most of the offices, so perhaps that is driving the Auckland 
voters as well - BH)

GROUPS OBJECT TO GE FIELD TRIAL
-------------------------------

Four groups have banded together to appeal a decision to allow 
a field trial of genetically engineered crops in Lincoln. In 
May the Environmental Risk Management Authority granted 
permission for Crop and Food to carry out field tests on 
broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and a forage brassica over a 
10-year period. Environmental group GE Free New Zealand, 
Organic Aotearoa New Zealand, BioGro New Zealand and the 
Biodynamic Association have filed in support of an appeal. GE 
Free president Claire Bleakley says the field test conditions 
have not been met and no testing has been required on the long 
term effects on ecosystems, animals or human health. The 
appeal hearing has been set down for March 31, 2008.

MP3 GENERATION DEAFENED
-----------------------

There are fears for the future hearing of the MP3 generation. 
The National Foundation for the Deaf says seven out of 10 
people under the age of 30 are experiencing symptoms of 
permanent hearing loss after listening to loud music. Symptoms 
include dullness of hearing and ringing in the ears. 
Foundation executive director Marianne Schumacher fears it 
will lead to a hearing loss epidemic in the years to come. 
"Hearing loss through over-exposure to noise develops so 
slowly and insidiously that we often don't know it's happening 
until it's too late. The most frustrating thing for us is that 
it is preventable and the precautions people can take are 
simple and easy to adopt." The foundation is urging music 
lovers to invest in a pair of reusable earplugs and wear them 
with pride at clubs and concerts to reduce the volume but not 
the quality of music. It says people should also stand away 
from loud speakers in clubs and try to spend time in quieter 
zones to give ears a break. The volume on MP3 players should 
be turned down by a notch and MP3 users should avoid using the 
volume to drown out background noise. Special headphones can 
reduce background noise and enhance the quality of music at a 
safe volume. The advice comes as the foundation marks Deaf 
Awareness Week with the message "Don't Lose the Music." New 
Zealand musicians including Dave Dobbyn, Mike Chunn, Hollie 
Smith and members of Salmonella Dub and Goldenhorse are 
endorsing the campaign. 
 
(There's a van that drives around Lower Hutt with its sound 
systems bouncing so loud I swear the sides of the vehicle 
resonate. Large stickers front and rear proclaim "if it's too 
loud, you're too old!" My own view is that volume is not the 
only problem. It's also his execrable taste in music. - BH)

TAXPAYERS PAY TWICE FOR NAT PLAN SAYS GOVT
------------------------------------------

The government wants National to explain what it means when it 
says it will 'partially' privatise well-performing state 
assets if elected. Finance spokesman Bill English made the 
claims on TV One's Agenda programme yesterday morning. Acting 
Finance minister Clayton Cosgrove says National's offer to let 
New Zealanders personally invest in the companies does not 
make sense because every New Zealander already owns the 
companies and invests in them through tax dollars. He claims 
National's plan is essentially asking people to pay twice for 
the same thing. 
 
(While I am not in favour of selling state assets, the double 
dipping argument is illogical. If the asset is being bought 
then the taxpayer no longer owns it. They get the money 
instead. Indirectly of course. - BH)

TEACHERS' UNION WANTS AIR QUALITY TEST
--------------------------------------

The primary teachers' union wants immediate testing of the air 
quality at dozens of Auckland schools and childcare centres. 
The Auckland Medical Officer of Health has decided not to 
allow the opening of an early childcare centre in Manukau, 
South Auckland, which is close to a busy intersection and the 
Southern Motorway because of poor air quality. Frances Nelson, 
vice president of the NZEI and principal of Fairburn School in 
Otahuhu, wants mandatory air quality testing at all schools 
which could be at risk. She says a major factor will be 
determining if pollution is especially bad at certain times of 
the day and tailoring the school day to keep children inside 
at times of high pollution could be one solution. She is 
urging the Ministry of Education to carry out air quality 
research

Tuesday, 25 September 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FISHING COMPANIES REEL AT NEW QUOTAS
------------------------------------

Small commercial fishermen are shocked by the Government's 
decision to slash quotas for deep water, inshore and 
freshwater fish. Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton has cut 
limits for many species including Hoki and Orange Roughy to 
protect sustainability. CEO of the New Zealand Federation of 
Commercial Fisherman Pete Dawson says the Fisheries Ministry 
and the industry should have worked more closely to establish 
a workable management plan. He says it seems the advice of the 
industry has been ignored, as fishermen work extremely hard to 
give New Zealanders their supply of fish. Mr Dawson says the 
Ministry of Fisheries has used a sledgehammer to crack open an 
acorn. 
 
(Big fishing companies seem to be taking the opposite view, 
saying that the 10% reduction is about half of what they think 
is necessary to make the fishery sustainable. They suggest 
Hoki catch should be about 80% of the previous limits - BH)

SWEEPING CHANGES TO ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES
----------------------------------------

Politicians are poring over the latest changes to electoral 
boundaries. Confirmed changes have been released for the next 
two elections and there will now be 70 general electorate 
seats, including a new electorate in south Auckland called 
Botany. The Botany seat will comprise the Botany Community 
Board areas, including Flat Bush. It takes over some of 
Clevedon and Manukau East and includes Cockle Bay from the 
Pakuranga electorate. Clevedon, Port Waikato, Piako, Ohariu-
Belmont, Banks Peninsula, Rakaia, Otago, Aoraki and Tainui are 
being replaced with new electorates and new names. Just seven 
electorate have no changes; Whangarei, North Shore, Northcote, 
Tauranga, Kaikoura and the Maori electorates of Te Tai Tokerau 
and Waiariki.

MODIFIED FISH GIVE OFFICIALS THE SLIP
-------------------------------------

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is trying to trace a 
number of genetically modified aquarium fish, which have been 
mistakenly imported and sold in pet shops throughout the 
country. Initially 210 of the modified Zebra Danios were 
brought into the country. They have since bred and MAF has so 
far found 333 of the fish, which have been genetically 
modified with a red fluorescent protein, making them an 
unusually bright red-pink. MAF's incursion manager David Yard 
says the GM fish pose an extremely low biosecurity risk as 
they are unlikely to enter the food chain or have any 
environmental impact. He says they are tropical and are 
unlikely to survive outside a temperature controlled tank.

BIG CONTRACT FOR MOTOR-MAKER
----------------------------

Auckland-based listed company Wellington Drive Technologies 
has reached an agreement with Panasonic to provide motors for 
home appliances such as refrigerators. The Monsoon motors are 
currently used in compression systems in supermarket and 
vending refrigeration and for fan-filter motors. The company 
says the motor can reduce annual electricity bills for 
domestic refrigerators by approximately 40 percent. The first 
commercial production of the units for Panasonic using the 
motor is expected in late 2008, subject to testing, field 
trials and regulatory approvals. WDT says the commercial 
returns to the company from a breakthrough of this scale are 
expected to be substantial. Its board and management say the 
contract is the most significant in terms of overall 
commercial potential the company has obtained to date. WDT 
says Panasonic is the world's second largest manufacturer by 
volume of refrigeration compresses in the world, producing 
approximately 18 million a year in four plants in Japan, 
Singapore, Malaysia and China. WDT shares have risen six cents 
to 45c.

FISHING CATCH LIMITS SLASHED
----------------------------

The fishing industry has been thrown into turmoil with massive 
cuts in catch limits. Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton has 
announced new limits which will cover the entire the country. 
He admits job losses are inevitable. Orange Roughy catch 
limits are being cut by up to 38 percent, while red cod, 
flatfish and eel catches are all slashed by between 13 and 78 
percent. But it is the ten percent reduction in Hoki catches 
that is likely to cause the most economic damage. Mr Anderton 
says the decision will not be welcomed by the industry, 
however it is a move that needs to happen to ensure the 
rebuild of fish stocks. "I know some of my decisions will have 
social and economic implications - particularly where I have 
reduced catch limits. And Hoki, particularly, has been 
difficult for me, as I know Hoki cuts may mean job losses in 
some South Island regions. "However, I am committed, as we all 
must be, to the ongoing sustainability of all New Zealand's 
fisheries."

BRAINS DRAINING TO AUSSIE
-------------------------

More evidence of the brain drain to Australia. New Zealanders 
have replaced Britain as the biggest source of immigrants 
across the Tasman. The number of settlers from New Zealand 
jumped in the past financial year from 19,000 to nearly 
24,000. The next highest source of migrants to Australia was 
Britain, with around 23,000.

NO DOUBLE DIPPING ON EMISSIONS SCHEME
-------------------------------------

The Government claims there will not be any double dipping on 
its emissions trading scheme. Under the proposals outlined 
last week, coal producers could be held liable for the 
emissions produced from the coal they sell. In the case of 
Solid Energy, significant amounts of its product are used for 
thermal generation at Huntly, and under the trading scheme 
Huntly's operator, Genesis Energy, would also be liable for 
the emissions caused by its power generation. Climate Change 
Minister David Parker says responsibility for emissions will 
fall on one or other of the parties, not both. He says such 
complexities will be worked through as the scheme is further 
developed.

HOME-BASED CHILDHOOD CARE "UNDER-RATED"
---------------------------------------

Childcare organisation Barnados says home-based early 
childhood care and education is under-rated and under-valued. 
The organisation's specialist advisor, Robyn Reid, has told a 
thousand delegates at an early childhood convention that the 
value of home-based learning is not always recognized. She 
says children benefit from being part of a small group where 
they can develop warm relationships with other children and 
their caregiver. Ms Reid says more research needs to be done 
into the benefits of home-based learning.

DRIVING AGE PUSH GETS A BOOST
-----------------------------

Prime Minister Helen Clark is giving initial support to the 
push by United Future's Peter Dunne to raise the driving age 
to 16. Miss Clark says there are a number of issues to explore 
but she is happy for it to go to a Parliamentary select 
committee. She says items on the agenda may include how to 
deal with situations such as youths who need to drive on a 
public road when going between farms.

SUPERGOLD CARD COSTING $8M
--------------------------

The total costs of the SuperGold Card scheme have been 
revealed. The cards are part of the confidence and supply 
agreement between New Zealand First and Labour and offer 
senior citizens discounts on goods and services. Associate 
Senior Citizens Minister Winston Peters has released 
information which shows the cost of producing and advertising 
the cards will be more than $8 million over the next four 
years. He has also confirmed no tender was issued for 
recruiting businesses to support the card, as it was done 
internally by the Ministry of Social Development. 
 
(This scheme eludes me completely. It is competing head on 
with existing commercial providers of similar services for no 
unique benefit. - BH)

DPB CHANGES UNDER NATIONAL
--------------------------

National is signalling its intention to get solo parents off 
the Domestic Purposes Benefit, if it wins the next election. 
The party points to research from the Ministry of Social 
Development which indicates large numbers of domestic purpose, 
sickness and invalid beneficiaries will still be receiving 
payments 10 years from now. Welfare spokeswoman Judith Collins 
says the "Estimations of Future Liability for Recipients of 
Working Age Benefits" makes disturbing reading. She says the 
ministry expects 74 percent of DPB recipients aged 19 and 
under will still be on a benefit after a decade. The figure 
for 20 to 29-year-olds is 67 percent and for 30-39 year-olds 
62 percent. "The forecast is also disturbing for sickness and 
invalid beneficiaries. Even though the sickness benefit is 
meant to be for short-term illness, the ministry expects that 
more than 60% of current sickness beneficiaries will still be 
on a benefit in 10 years. "More than 80% of current invalid 
beneficiaries are expected to be still on a benefit in 10 
years." Ms Collins says in the case of those on the DPB, there 
would be an expectation under a National government that 
parents be in part time work or training once their children 
are old enough to be at school. 
 
(If a person really meets the criteria for an invalid's 
benefit, what on earth do they plan to do with them? Many of 
the illnesses such as MND, or MS may often last a long time. 
Do we dump them in the gutters or what? - BH)

Wednesday, 26 September 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NATS WANT CONTROLS ON GP VISIT FEES GONE
----------------------------------------

Controls on GP fees would be axed under a National government. 
The National Party has released a discussion paper on health 
which it will use to formulate its policy before the election. 
It has announced it would abolish recently introduced 
government measures to control doctors' charges. Health 
spokesman Tony Ryall says there is a significant level of 
disenchantment among GPs about the controls, which he claims 
is driving many out of the system. He believes competitive 
pressure will be enough to keep GP fees at reasonable levels. 
National has ruled out major restructuring in the health 
system, committing to retaining the country's existing 21 
District Health Boards should it win the next election. Party 
leader John Key says the health sector has been jaundiced by 
significant change in recent decades. "We believe if we go 
down the process of just major structural reform, then doctors 
and nurses will be engaged in that process, and not in 
producing greater productivity." Mr Key says National wants 
more emphasis on primary health care, as well as the use of 
the private sector for elective surgery. The party is also 
considering a "more services closer to home" policy, proposing 
relocating some hospital services to Integrated Family Health 
Centres, which would have doctors, nurses, specialists and 
allied health professionals, such as physiotherapists, 
podiatrists, and dieticians all in one location. Another 
proposal its discussion paper raises is investigating bonding 
and student-loan write-offs to boost the health workforce. 
 
(If we had a perfect market this might make sense. In fact, 
like most countries, we have a perennial shortage of GPs and 
simple economic theory then says that puts all the power in 
the hands of the vendor. If their fees are too high, to whom 
do you go next? I remember Max Bradford told us the market 
would give us cheaper electricity on a similar basis. - BH)

AIRLINE CANCELS 60 PROVINCIAL FLIGHTS
-------------------------------------

Air New Zealand subsidiary Eagle Air has cancelled 60 flights 
after discovering what it calls an issue with an undercarriage 
component on a Beech 1900D aircraft. The fault was discovered 
during routine maintenance last night and the company decided 
to inspect its entire fleet of 17 Beech 1900D airliners, 
saying safety is paramount. Nine of the aircraft have since 
been certified and are back in service. Five require 
replacement parts, and are expected to be back in service 
within 48 hours. The remainder will be inspected by the end of 
the day. The airline says the flight cancellations affect 
around 1,000 customers. It apologises for the inconvenience. 
It says CAA and the aircraft manufacturer have been notified 
and are being kept informed. Eagle Air is a provincial carrier 
specialising in operating low capacity aircraft on low 
traffic, low density routes. 
 
(I really dislike the Beech 1900D aircraft. I find they have a 
most peculiar motion in the air that does not seem to be cured 
by all the auxiliary fins on the tailplane and under the 
fuselage. Nevertheless, they are an embedded part of the short 
haul feeder routes, so their sudden absence is severely 
disruptive. - BH)

HEAVY DRINKING UPS EMOTIONAL MEMORIES
-------------------------------------

Drowning your sorrows may not be that effective, according to 
the results of a new study. University of Auckland researchers 
have found drinking small amounts of alcohol improves memory. 
However they say consuming large quantities can heighten 
emotional memories, despite impairing brain cell development. 
The results have been published in the Journal of 
Neuroscience. Co-Author Professor Matthew During says the 
research team set out to prove alcohol is not always bad. He 
says people drink frequently to forget the adverse events in 
their lives, but they are actually strengthening the memory 
for emotionally charged negative events. Yet Mr During says he 
is happy he can now sit back and have a couple of wines and 
know he is not doing a great deal of harm to himself.

ONLINE OPTION FOR POLICE LAW FEEDBACK
-------------------------------------

The public is being offered a novel way of contributing to the 
review process of new police legislation. The Police Act wiki 
is an online forum similar to popular website Wikipedia. 
Superintendent Hamish McCardle says people can access the site 
and participate in the way the new guidelines are scripted. He 
says the final outcome may well go towards informing a select 
committee process for the official policing bill next year. Mr 
McCardle says the website will be monitored in case people 
attempt to sabotage it. The public can have its say over the 
next three months by clicking on the wiki link at 
policeact.govt.nz. 
 
(I had a look here, and am not altogether surprised to find 
the few serious attempts at contribution are swamped by the 
banjo-pluckers who reduce things to lowest common denominator 
level. The Wiki seems to provide all the worst characteristics 
of Usenet discussion groups. - BH)

TELECOM SPLIT BEGINS
--------------------

The Government has begun moves to split Telecom into three 
different business units. Communications Minister David 
Cunliffe has announced that the operational separation of 
Telecom will result in a wholesale unit, a retailing unit 
serving individual customers and a business management arm. 
All three will be presided over by an arms length independent 
oversight group made up of three members. Minister David 
Cunliffe has stressed media reports of a sale of one of those 
units are inaccurate. The minister says he has worked closely 
with the incoming Telecom CEO to ensure this split takes the 
best of the model from British Telecom and updates it.

FISHING QUOTA CUT NOT ENOUGH
----------------------------

Fishing company Sanford believes the government did not go far 
enough in cutting the commercial fishing quota for Hoki. 
Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton has reduced Hoki catch by 
10,000 tonnes. Sanford wants the quota slashed by 20,000 
tonnes. Managing Director Eric Barratt says his company is 
willing to bite the bullet to ensure the western Hoki stock 
recovers sufficiently, but he fears the reduction is not 
enough to result in an early recovery of the western stock. 
"The fishery is in need of a rebuild. The minister has 
acknowledged that by reducing the quota in the western stock, 
but in our view, he hasn't gone far enough."

SUPER FUND PERFORMING WELL
--------------------------

The Government Superannuation Fund has made an after tax 
surplus of $355 million for the year ending June, representing 
a 9.5 percent return. The fund's net assets have now reached 
$4 billion. Fund Authority chairman Basil Logan says it is on 
target. "Investment returns measured on an annualised basis, 
are now ahead of the measure for the period from October 2001, 
when the (Superannuation Fund) Authority took over 
responsibility for the management of the fund, to 30 June 
2007. This represents added value of $600 million above the 
returns that would have been made had the fund continued to 
invest only in Government Stock." Mr Logan says the result 
compares favourably with that of other super schemes. He says 
the Mercer Investment Performance Survey which covers 65 
standalone New Zealand superannuation schemes had a median 
average after-tax return of 6.4 percent for the same period, 
compared with the government's Superannuation Fund's 9.5 
percent. Mr Logan says the best performing asset classes in 
the Government's fund were international equities, which 
returned 22.36 percent pre-tax, New Zealand equities at 20.45 
percent and property at 22.06 percent. Returns on New Zealand 
fixed interest dropped to 2.46 percent on the back of 
increasing interest rates. International fixed interest at 
6.54 percent was in line with the long-term average.

SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE IN NZ'S HISTORY
-------------------------------------

A significant but little-recognized part of New Zealand 
history reaches a significant milestone today. It is the 100th 
anniversary of Dominion Day. On this day in 1907 Prime 
Minister Joseph Ward read a proclamation on the steps of the 
Parliamentary library, announcing that New Zealand was no 
longer a colony of the British Empire. This year is also the 
60th anniversary of the ratification of the Statute of 
Westminster which removed Britain's right to make laws for New 
Zealand.

Thursday, 27 September 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

COMPUTER MODEL SPEEDS UP CANCER DETECTION
-----------------------------------------

A new computer model is being developed to help control 
colorectal cancer. New Zealand has one of the highest rates of 
the cancer in the world. It kills more than 1100 people 
annually. Professor Ann Richardson from the University of 
Otago says the $1.4 million model will speed up the detection 
and treatment process. She says it will be used to design 
future services for treatment and for monitor those at a high 
risk. Prof Richardson says it will have a huge impact on 
people with the cancer and their families, making detection 
faster and services more efficient.

NAT'S HEALTH POLICY HARMS POOR - PM
-----------------------------------

Prime Minister Helen Clark is rejecting National's arguments 
that market forces would control doctors' fees. National has 
inadvertently revealed it wants to remove the restriction on 
the amount doctors can charge for consultations, while 
maintaining current subsidies put in place by the Government 
as part of the deal that resulted in doctors' fees being 
capped. Miss Clark argues National's policy would hurt those 
who can least afford it. She says it would be harshest for 
people on lower incomes, particularly those with young 
families and the elderly. She believes it would result in 
fewer people going to the doctor. The Green Party is also 
concerned about the policy. Health spokeswoman Sue Kedgley 
says if doctors get a subsidy from taxpayers for patient 
visits, it is not fair that they go on to charge what they 
like on top of it. She says removing caps on fees would see 
prices rise and hurt public access to primary health care. She 
says it is crucial people have access to doctors and under 
National's proposal, many would not be able to afford it.

WIND FARM OPPONENTS ABSENT FROM CELEBRATIONS
--------------------------------------------

Residents in the Wellington coastal settlement of Makara are 
vowing to continue their fight to stop a controversial wind 
farm being built in the area, despite a ceremony being held 
today marking the beginning of its construction. Meridian 
Energy is conducting a first sod-turning ceremony at the site 
where 62 wind turbines will be built at a cost of $400 
million. The Makara Guardians have filed an appeal in the High 
Court and are applying for a rehearing in the Environment 
Court to try to overturn a decision by the Environment Court 
earlier in the year allowing the project to go ahead. 
Spokeswoman Jenny Jorgensen says the Makara community 
certainly will not be celebrating today.

Friday, 28 September 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AIR NZ PLANS BIOFUEL FLIGHT
---------------------------

Air New Zealand plans to be at the forefront of more 
environmentally-friendly aviation fuel. The airline is signing 
a memorandum of understanding with Boeing and Rolls Royce to 
work together on environmentally sustainable projects. First 
up will be the first ever trial of a bio-fuelled and Rolls 
Royce powered Boeing plane. The flight will take off from 
Auckland toward the end of next year or early 2009. For safety 
reasons, it will not be carrying any passengers and only one 
engine will run on a blended bio-fuel kerosene mix. The 
remaining three will run on regular aviation fuel.

WHITCOULLS APPLIES TO BUY BORDERS
---------------------------------

Whitcoulls' parent company ARW is applying to the Commerce 
Commission for clearance to buy rival book seller Borders. ARW 
is an Australian company owned by Pacific Equity Partners and 
is involved in the retail of books, magazines, stationery, 
cards and DVDs through Whitcoulls. Borders is a wholly-owned 
subsidiary of Borders Group, which is listed on the New York 
stock exchange. The Commission is considering whether the 
proposal would result in substantially less competition in the 
market. 
 
(There are just four Borders branches in New Zealand. It is 
hard to see how competition would be "substantially" altered 
by their absorption. - BH)

TEACHERS EXPECT SETTLEMENT SOON
-------------------------------

The union for secondary teachers is working through the final 
details with the Ministry of Education in a bid for higher pay 
and smaller class sizes. Robin Duff, president of the PPTA, 
says teachers want a four percent pay increase every year for 
the next four years in order to retain good quality staff. The 
union is expecting to reach a settlement by the start of term 
four on October 8.

RITALIN SUBSIDY REINSTATED FOR SOME
-----------------------------------

Safety concerns have prompted the government's drug funding 
agency to reinstate subsidies for Ritalin, after several 
children suffered adverse reactions to a cheaper version of 
the drug which treats attention deficit disorder. There have 
been more than 80 cases reported since the switch to Rubifen 
SR. Pharmac says it will restore Ritalin subsidies for ADHD 
children who react to the cheaper version. 
 
(Pharmac is at least consistent in its abject failure at 
winning the hearts and minds of New Zealanders. - BH)

FARMERS GLOWING WITH CONFIDENCE
-------------------------------

The construction sector is wary, but agricultural businesses 
believe things are looking up. The National Bank's latest 
business confidence survey shows a net 27 percent of firms 
expect business conditions to deteriorate compared to 34 
percent in July. Chief Economist Cameron Bagrie says the 
farming industry in particular is optimistic with a net 40 
percent expecting better times ahead. He says the sector is 
very confident because its profit expectations have surged. He 
says farmers are hiring staff and are prepared to make 
investment plans. Mr Bagrie says it is a reflection of the 
very strong commodity prices. Mr Bagrie says businesses appear 
to have shrugged off global and domestic uncertainty. The 
survey is pointing towards a two percent growth over the 
coming year.

EMISSIONS STANDARDS "UNWORKABLE"
--------------------------------

The Government is being urged to rethink emission standards 
for vehicles, before it forces diesel vehicles off the roads. 
New standards are set to be introduced in January in an effort 
to ensure only clean burning vehicles are imported. David 
Vinsen from the Imported Motor Vehicles Dealers Association 
says the effect will be huge. He says the proposal will stop 
98 percent of used diesel vehicles coming into the country and 
small businesses which rely on the vehicles will be crippled. 
Mr Vinsen believes they will hang on to their smoky vehicles, 
which defeats the purpose of the new rules. He says the 
Government's own researchers have told the Ministry of 
Transport that the rule is unworkable, but their advice has 
been ignored. Mr Vinsen says the government should instead be 
focussing on higher standards for cars already on the road.

DIFFERING ACCOUNTS OF POLICE SHOOTING 
-------------------------------------
A witness to the fatal shooting in Christchurch on Wednesday 
night refutes other witnesses' claims that the victim had his 
hands by his sides when he was shot by police. Thirty-seven-
year-old Stephen Jon Bellingham died when a bullet was fired 
into his chest and another in his leg as he ran towards a 
police officer on Stanmore Rd. Eighteen-year old Chris Young 
saw the shooting and says reports that the man had his hands 
by his sides, are incorrect. He says the man was rushing at 
the officer with his arms in the air, wielding a hammer. Mr 
Young has no doubt the officer would have been struck, had the 
man not been stopped. New Zealand First MP Ron Mark says anti-
Taser campaigners should wake up to the benefits of stun guns. 
He believes Tasers are an effective tool that keep police safe 
and can prevent offenders from being shot. He says anti-taser 
campaigners are noticeable by their silence. Mr Mark says 
Tasers need to be introduced as soon as practicable. 
 
(In some circles this is turning into a reprise of the Wallace 
shooting in Waitara in 2000. Those who are determinedly anti-
police try to put the worst possible interpretation on the 
events. I declare my bias in the other direction. I agree with 
the call for Tasers. - BH)
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