WYSIWYG NEWS, 14 October, 2007
news at wysiwygnews.com
news at wysiwygnews.com
Sun Oct 14 16:53:43 NZDT 2007
Subject: 14 October, 2007
----- WYSIWYG NEWS ------------------------------
Copyright, Brian Harmer.
This week marks the first anniversary of David's surgery in
Sydney, as well as the birth of our grandson, Cooper Jack. As
my wonderful daughter-in-law Rowena observed, we have much to
celebrate and be thankful for. David is well, they have a new
son, Isaac George who was seven weeks old on Friday. Life is
good. World cup? What world cup? I know not of what you speak.
Here in Lower Hutt, Cooper enjoyed his birthday party and got
heaps of presents from doting fiends and family. A large
number of these seem to be battery powered and make lots of
noise. His sister Maggie seemed to think they were pretty neat
too, and since he has not yet become possessive of things he
is not immediately playing with, she got to have some fun too,
though she was more eager to dance and shriek with the other
little girls present. Two grandmothers, two grandfathers, and
two great-grandmothers were there. The spaces between the
youngsters and the elder citizens were neatly filled by
friends of Anthony and Sarah and the children they brought
with them. A very happy gathering indeed.
Today, Sunday, I was scheduled to be a judge in a scale model
aircraft competition. Alas the wind was far too high to risk
such fragile works of art. Scale models have an enormous
amount of love and hard work invested in them, and are for
fine days. Meanwhile the triennial election for local bodies
is over and done. Some surprises for me, including the return
of John Banks to Auckland, promising to be a kinder less
domineering mayor than he was when he was thrown overboard
last time (I just saw a pig fly past my window). Sure enough,
he has not even taken office and he has announced that
Auckland will not pay for the refurbishment of Eden Park as
required for the next Rugby World Cup (whatever that is). He
thinks it should be declared a national stadium and that the
taxpayers should pay for it. In my view, as I am sure I have
said before, the taxpayers might chip in precisely as much as
they did for Wellington's Stadium, or for the planned
replacement for Carisbrook - Nothing! But who else? No change
in Waitakere, Dunedin, Wellington or Lower Hutt. Michael Laws
who infamously referred to the late king of Tonga as "a brown
slug", and who announced he wasn't standing again, changed his
mind, and despite all the controversy in his previous term,
got back in. Former mayor of Banks Peninsula and TV
personality, Bob Parker is the new mayor of Christchurch.
Life goes on, mostly good, and some quite bizarre.
Our news gatherer and formatter, GS is back from a data
gathering trip around Asia pursuant to her PhD. Throughout the
two months of her absence, regardless of her whereabouts, she
was able to gather, process and send the news neatly packaged,
ready to print. Isn't technology wonderful?
----
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, 8 October 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TRANSPOWER MAKES $126M SURPLUS
------------------------------
The owner of the national electricity grid has reported an
after tax surplus of $126 million, almost $20 million more
than last year. Transpower chairman David Gascoigne says the
rise is largely due to the increase in electricity being
transported by the national grid, and by increased peak demand
which is the most costly electricity to buy. Despite the
increase, Transpower will not be paying a dividend to the
Government. Mr Gascoigne says the surplus will be invested
back into improving the grid.
TOKELAU TO RE-VOTE FOR INDEPENDENCE
-----------------------------------
For the second time in two years, Tokelau is to hold a
referendum on becoming independent from New Zealand. Last year
a referendum on self determination fell just short of the two-
thirds majority needed for such a move. However with there now
being 174 more registered voters than the 615 eligible last
year, Tokelauan authorities have requested another vote. It
will be held between October 20 and 24, with results to be
announced on October 25. Among those monitoring the referendum
are United Nations decolonisation and electoral assistance
officials.
(Interesting. Those who voted "no" last time are incensed at
what they see as a premature reconsideration. They allege that
the politicians pushing it are keen to get their hands on an
anticipated boost in international aid if they were to become
a fully independent nation - BH)
NZ SIGNS UNEXPLODED BOMBS PROTOCOL
----------------------------------
New Zealand has signed up to an international protocol aimed
at clearing unexploded bombs in former war zones. The
Explosive Remnants of War agreement obliges countries to
remove or destroy any remnants left over in territories they
control after a war. Disarmament Minister Phil Goff says New
Zealand has extensive experience of the humanitarian threat
posed by explosives and land mines, in countries like
Cambodia, Laos and Mozambique. A New Zealand Defence Force
team is currently cleaning up unexploded munitions in Lebanon.
(I am not sure whether New Zealand has ever controlled a
territory in which it has left any munitions. Seems like a pro
forma exercise. - BH)
HOUSING MARKET MAY HAVE REACHED PEAK
------------------------------------
The annual pace of house value growth has eased for the first
time in eight months and government agency Quotable Value says
that could be a sign the market has reached its peak. QV's
house price index rose 13.2 per cent in September, slightly
weaker than the 13.3 per cent annual rise for August.
Spokesman Blue Hancock says the figures could indicate the
first signs that the rate of increase in property values is
flattening. He says the number of sales has been falling for
several months and that trend may be starting to impact on
prices. Nevertheless, the average sale price for residential
properties increased to $404,089. "2007 has seen the value of
NZ properties increase at a higher and higher rate, but our
September figures show a marginal drop. Although it's only a
very minor slowdown, this is the first time since January 2007
that our statistics have shown the rate of growth in values to
be slowing." He says the trend can only continue for so long
before it starts to impact on prices. Of the main urban
centres, property values in Wellington City grew 14.1% (down
from 14.5% reported last month) and Christchurch dropped to
13.1% from 14.1%. Auckland City held steady at 12.1% (up
slightly from 12% reported last month) and Hamilton and
Dunedin increased to 14.4% and 10.4%, respectively. In the
provincial centres, growth in property values in Invercargill
increased marginally to 34.6% with Gisborne easing from 25.3%
last month to 21.8% this month. Taupo slowed to 3.1%,
Palmerston North to 13.7%, Nelson to 13.1%, and growth in
Queenstown property values slowed from 11.6% to 10.8%
RUGBY LOSS COSTS
----------------
The All Blacks' loss at the Rugby World Cup is having a huge
impact on punters at the TAB. The All Blacks are out of the
tournament after France beat them 20-18 at the Millennium
Stadium in Cardiff this morning. TAB spokesman Paul Lally,
says he is now expecting interest in the rugby world cup to
drop off. He says most people were waiting for the quarter and
semi-finals to place bets, because the early games are so one-
sided. However he says for the New Zealand punter there is
much less interest in a game between England and France that
there would be in a match between Australia and England, or
better still New Zealand versus Australia. Mr Lally says the
TAB'S biggest bet was $100,000 at $1.60 for the All Blacks to
win against France.
VACCINE IN BRISBANE
-------------------
Nearly 5,000 vials of equine influenza vaccine will arrive in
Brisbane today. Another 1000 horses will have been given their
shots by tomorrow when a further shipment of the vaccine is
due to arrive. Despite the latest outbreak of the virus in
stables at Rosehill in Sydney, Queensland officials say they
are going ahead with plans to open some of the state's tracks
for training tomorrow.
Tuesday, 9 October 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PREGNANT VOLUNTEERS WANTED
--------------------------
A University of Auckland researcher is looking for pregnant
volunteers to help find out more about how mothers with new
babies cope with depression. Clinical psychologist Sue Cowie
wants to interview up to 25 pregnant mums in Auckland City and
Manukau who suffered post-natal depression after their first
child. She hopes to learn more about how women who had
depression after the birth of their first child manage after
the birth of their next baby.
INTERNET SHOPPING TAKING OFF
----------------------------
New research by credit card company Visa International has
revealed more than three quarters of New Zealanders are now
shopping online. Director of Corporate Relations Andrew
Woodward says kiwis are more likely to shop online because of
the strength of the New Zealand dollar. He says the survey
shows people have confidence in the Internet as a place to
shop. He says it does not mean the days of shopping face to
face are over, but the internet allows people to shop at
different hours of the day and night and in different ways.
Books are the most common item bought over the internet. DVDs,
airline tickets and holidays are also popular.
(On the one hand it's not news. On the other, the percentage
reported surprises me. - BH)
PARLIAMENT TV LAUNCHES TODAY
----------------------------
The public can now watch politicians in action, or inaction,
on Parliament TV. The channel broadcasts on Sky channel 94 and
on Freeview channel 22 from 2pm. It will screen Parliament in
session, including during question time, general debate and
the debating of bills.
(And if anyone wants to watch it streaming live on the
Internet, http://tinyurl.com/2dvlkq will take you to it - BH)
GUN DEALERS CONCERNED ABOUT BLACK MARKET
----------------------------------------
A gun dealer is adamant the legitimate firearms community is
staying well away from the black market trade. Police found an
automatic pistol, ammunition, drugs and a syringe when they
arrested a man at a Hamilton motel, raising further concerns
about the link between the drugs trade and illegal firearms.
South Island gun dealer Rod Woods says he shares the concerns
of police but he says the guns are being imported from off-
shore. Mr Woods says since the Arms Act changed in 1983
unregistered guns have not shown up in legitimate industry
circles although the black market has grown.
MAMMOTH AMOUNT OF SUGAR REMOVED
-------------------------------
The Canterbury District Health Board has saved its patients
and visitors from ingesting almost two tonnes of sugar in the
past year, by replacing drinks in most of its vending machines
with water. The board has also ordered its cafes to make sure
at least 70 percent of the food they sell is healthy,
including making all hot drinks with low fat milk. Spokesman
Dr Greg Hamilton says the DHB is leading by example in
providing healthier food choices for its 8,400 staff and
patients. The amount of sugar it has removed from its sites is
roughly equivalent to the weight of 1.5 elephants.
FARMERS WANT TOURISTS TAXED
---------------------------
Federated Farmers is calling for a tax on tourists to meet the
climbing cost of efforts of controlling unwanted nasties
brought into New Zealand, such as the invasive algae didymo.
The bill for Didymosphenia geminata alone has reached $12
million in just three years. Federated Farmers President
Charlie Pedersen says it is usually unthinking tourists who
bring such pests into the country and it is not unreasonable
they should pay. He says charging people a fee as they cross
the border would highlight how careful they need to be to
protect New Zealand. Mr Pedersen claims the tax would be as
much an educational tool as a way of raising money.
(Alternate headline "TOURISTS WANT FARMERS TAXED". Everybody
would prefer that someone else should shoulder the taxation
burden. I doubt that it is tourists who introduce these
things. More likely NZ residents bring home things that would
look nice in their garden - BH)
Wednesday, 10 October 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
REAL ESTATE AGENTS TAKEN OFF THE MARKET
---------------------------------------
Five Auckland Real Estate agents have been temporarily
suspended, and told they cannot sell any properties. The
salespeople were suspended after an application to the
Licensing Board by the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand.
Institute President Murray Cleland says the case involves
inflating house prices to borrow more money from banks. He
says the problem was uncovered by Barfoot and Thompson. The
company detected discrepancies in property transactions
involving three of its salespeople, a sales assistant and a
former salesperson. Murray Cleland says the agents will not be
able to sell property until the Licensing Board can look at
the case properly.
OVER 600,000 NZERS HAVE A DISABILITY
------------------------------------
More than 166,000 adults have a disability which has been
caused by an accident or injury, according to figures released
today. The latest Statistics New Zealand Disability Survey
shows 67 percent of disabled people over the age of 15 are
affected by a physical problem. Other disabilities include
difficulty seeing, speaking, learning or remembering to do
everyday activities. Statistics NZ spokesman Paul Brown says a
total of 660,300 people in the country have a disability. He
says 45 percent of adults over 65 are classified as having a
disability. He says people become more limited as they age,
and are therefore defined as being disabled. Paul Brown says
10 percent of children have a disability.
SURPLUS BEATS FORECASTS AGAIN
-----------------------------
Michael Cullen's cash mountain continues to grow. The
Government has opened its books for the year ending June,
reporting a surplus of $8.7 billion, just over $2 billion
ahead of forecast. Those who have been crying out for tax
relief will not be amused, with the tax take continuing to
contribute to large surpluses. Neither personal earnings
growth nor inflation has been matched by any increase to the
tax band thresholds. Consequently 14 percent of the workforce
are now paying tax at the top rate of 39 cents in the dollar.
Revenue from taxation is $700 million ahead of forecast, with
$300 million of that coming through GST. The corporate tax
take is up by $400 million.
COMPUTER GEEKS WANT FLEXIBLE HOURS
----------------------------------
More IT and technology workers are demanding flexible hours
and conditions. The Hudson IT and T Remuneration Guide has
found a strong new trend, particularly among workers aged over
40-years-old, to want to work four days a week. More
contractors are also working fewer hours - around 30 hours a
week compared with 40 to 50 in the past. Spokesman Campbell
Hepburn says more permanent employees are demanding to work
remotely, either from home or away from their employers' main
offices. IT workers are also choosing short-term or project-
orientated work off-shore. Mr Hepburn says despite the skills
shortage in the IT sector, the market cannot sustain rising
salaries to meet demands. IT salaries have levelled out
compared with last year, when they increased by two to five
percent. Mr Hepburn says that is partly because companies now
accept IT as part of their business and it is no longer
perceived as a specialist or separate area. The exception to
stagnant salary levels is at senior levels, where highly
skilled staff are harder to find.
STRONG THIRD QUARTER FOR ORGANICS CO
------------------------------------
Organic herbicide group CER has reported a strong third
quarter sales result. The company says sales grew by 60
percent, driven mainly by the success of its Certified
Organics company in Australia, which supplies weed control
herbicide to Australia's viticultural industry. Demand for
products from its online operation NZ Nature was also strong.
The company says the purchase of the Australian sustainable
environmental management company Vital Resource Management,
which specialises in microbial products to treat soil and
water during the quarter was a significant development. VRM
has contracts with Queensland sugar cane growers and CER says
there is excellent growth potential in Australia, New Zealand
and internationally. CER's third quarter sales topped $1.44
million, compared with $894,000 during the third quarter of
2006,
DEATH PENALTY PLAN POLITICAL SUICIDE
------------------------------------
New Zealand is joining an international effort to have the
death penalty abolished worldwide. Helen Clark has made the
announcement while speaking to Amnesty International
representatives at Parliament. A total of 83 people were
executed for murder and one for treason between 1842 and 1961,
before the death penalty for murder was abolished in New
Zealand. The last execution in this country was in 1957, when
Walter Bolton was hanged at Mount Eden prison for killing his
wife Beatrice. He had slowly poisoned her by putting arsenic
in her tea over a period of a year. Capital punishment was
available as a possible sentence until it was finally removed
in 1989. Helen Clark says the Government is working with other
countries to put a resolution to the United Nations to abolish
what she calls the ultimate form of cruel, inhuman and
degrading treatment. But the Sensible Sentencing Trust
believes the move shows Helen Clark does not want to be re-
elected as Prime Minister next year. Trust spokesman Garth
McVicar says while there are no calls yet to re-introduce the
death penalty in New Zealand, this is simply another example
of putting offenders' rights before those of victims. Mr
McVicar says he is shocked because the Trust deals with
victims who have had loved ones murdered, and there is no
worse form of treatment than that. He observes that two
countries New Zealand is working at achieving free trade deals
with - the United States and China - carry out the largest
number of executions each year.
(Mr McVicar does not speak for me. I look at the list of
countries that still allow the death penalty, and the majority
of them are countries with such repugnant regimes that I
wouldn't want New Zealand to be listed in their company. Of
course this might be interpreted as a swipe at the US. I
assure you that was not my intention. I regret that they are
on that side of the ledger. - BH)
OPTIMISM RETURNS
----------------
The BNZ's monthly survey has found net confidence in the
economy over the coming 12 months is positive for only the
second time in the three years the survey has been running. A
net two percent see better times ahead. Twenty-six percent
were pessimistic in September. The BNZ says the result comes
despite the recovery in the New Zealand dollar over the past
month and bodes well for growth in capital expenditure and
employment going forward. It says while there have been claims
to the contrary, the dairy and business boom has kicked in and
dairy farmers have begun to spend. "Business is booming, we
started October with sales 10 times higher than the same time
last year. Forget what you hear, dairy farmers have begun to
spend. Hallelujah.? The survey indicates a quiet month in the
residential real estate sector last month, which will probably
continue into Christmas. It also states that staff are as hard
as ever to find. Construction is still looking generally firm,
there were mixed conditions for retailing and for tourism the
situation was mixed to positive. The report comes as the
Institute of Economic Research's quarterly business confidence
survey finds 30 percent of firms are picking a worse economic
outlook for the next six months.
DRUG USE A FACTOR IN HIGH NUMBER OF CRASHES
-------------------------------------------
The government is revealing new research findings as it moves
to outlaw drugged drivers. Legislation has been drafted which
could make those driving under the influence of illegal drugs
subject to the same penalties as drunk drivers. Transport
Minister Annette King says there is compelling research from
the ESR (Environmental Science and Research Services) and
police about the involvement of drugs in fatal vehicle
accidents. Blood sample analysis from 408 deceased drivers
reveals 87 tested positive for drugs and a further 61 were
positive for drugs and alcohol
RAPE VICTIMS URGED TO COME FORWARD
----------------------------------
Auckland police are appealing to any further victims of an
alleged serial rapist to come forward. It follows yesterday's
arrest of a 30-year-old man for abduction and rape. The digger
driver from Panmure has been charged in relation to an attack
on a woman in the suburb of Grafton in February last year. He
has also been charged with offences against two other women
and police are investigating possible links to another three
attacks. Inquiry head, Detective Sergeant Andy King, says
there has been a series of similar attacks in the central city
area from February 2006 through to July this year. Prostitutes
and other vulnerable women were targeted.
Thursday, 11 October 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
POLICE ARE GRADUATING "UP TO SCRATCH"
-------------------------------------
A psychological report commissioned by the Government shows
that graduating officers are up to scratch. The independent
report was commissioned by the Government after claims were
made some recruits could not recite the alphabet. Psychologist
Dave George says standards may have slipped slightly - but he
is satisfied with them. Dr George says police skills in
negotiating with people and defusing situations may initially
be less than satisfactory, in some cases. But he is satisfied
after the recruits have completed their training, they are
fully up to scratch. Police Minister Annette King says she was
particularly concerned by claims the police were "the thick
blue line". Mrs King says an independent analysis of standards
was needed to restore public confidence in the standards
expected of the police were being adhered to. She is satisfied
the abilities of police officers are no cause for public
concern.
GENESIS THERMAL PROJECT BLOCKED
-------------------------------
A major electricity generation project has been blocked by the
Government's new energy strategy. Genesis Energy has been told
it cannot go ahead with its $500 million gas generation
proposal planned for Rodney. Energy Minister David Parker says
state-owned generators are now banned from building thermal
plants. The Government aims to have the country generating 90
percent of electricity from renewable energy sources by 2025.
Finance Minister Michael Cullen says the company will not be
compensated for its work, as you cannot compensate someone for
not building something. He says Genesis will have no claim as
the Government has made it clear it sees no need for
additional thermal capacity.
VEHICLE IMPORTS TARGETED IN EFFICIENCY PLAN
-------------------------------------------
All vehicles coming into New Zealand by 2015 will need to have
25 percent better fuel efficiency than current models. The
target is part of a wide-ranging energy efficiency strategy
released by the Government today. Among a raft of goals, it
aims to halve greenhouse gases emitted by vehicles through
greater use of public transport and walking. Energy efficiency
spokeswoman and Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says all
new and used vehicles will need much better fuel efficiency to
help tackle climate change. She says that will bring New
Zealand into line with where Europe is now, and the Europeans
have much better vehicles than those in New Zealand.
IN-SCHOOL APPRENTICESHIP SCHEME UNVEILED
----------------------------------------
The Government has launched a new apprentices pilot scheme
targeted at secondary students. Education Minister Steve
Maharey says the approach will give students industry based
training and work experience in a trade while still at school.
He says the credits they earn will go towards their
apprenticeship when they finish school. Mr Maharey says the
initiative is aimed at restoring apprenticeships and boosting
trades training
A RARE FALL IN HOUSE PRICES IN MT MAUNGANUI
-------------------------------------------
House prices Mt Maunganui are under pressure. The Bay of
Plenty area usually defies slumps in the real estate market
but is showing signs of a rare fall in prices. The latest
figures from the Real Estate Institute show a $35,000 fall in
the median price in the Mt Maunganui-Papamoa area last month,
to $405,000. However a dozen more houses sold than in the
month before.
(It's not the only place. My spies tell me that Wanganui and
Napier are suffering likewise - BH)
URGENCY OVER CLAIMS FOR LEAKY HOMES
-----------------------------------
A lawyer at the forefront of the battle over leaky homes
believes new figures about the number of people affected are a
gross underestimation. Research from the Wellington School of
Medicine suggest the health of 80,000 people is affected by
30,000 damp buildings, but Auckland City Council says the
actual number is much lower. Lawyer Paul Grimshaw says that is
absurd, given how many buildings could have problems. He
believes the Auckland City Council in particular is playing
down the problem by working from figures which estimate only
10 to 20 percent of the total number of building consents
issued will have problems. Mr Grimshaw says many of the
properties built in the 1990s used stucco type materials that
are now emerging as a big problem. Mr Grimshaw says anyone
with a house built in that period should get it checked
because they only have 10 years to track down the people
involved and make a claim.
POST PREPARING FOR VOTING SURGE
-------------------------------
New Zealand Post is preparing for a late surge in voting
returns for local body elections. Voting papers need to be in
the post now to meet the Saturday deadline. They can also be
delivered by hand. NZ Post has rostered on extra staff to cope
with the expected workload. Voting has been slow over much of
the country. In Wellington City, nearly 27 percent of people
have returned their papers, down three percent on the same
time in 2004. Gore is the standout district with returns close
to 50 percent. Auckland's mayor Dick Hubbard believes voting
numbers could be down for several reasons. He says in
Auckland, there are no big issues sparking public interest as
there were leading up to the last elections when issues such
as the eastern corridor debate and the V8 car race divided the
city's population. Mr Hubbard says Auckland voting patterns
are going back to what they were six years ago and are now
more in line with what is happening around the rest of the
country. He says it is hugely important for people to vote
because democracy stops working with less than a 40 per cent
turnout.
(They needn't have worried. Lower Hutt's 39% turnout seems to
have been fairly typical. - BH)
MORE WOES FOR XTRA CUSTOMERS
----------------------------
Some customers of the internet service provider Xtra are
experiencing more problems this morning. Customers from all
over the country are reporting they are unable to get into
their email. A recorded voice message on the Xtra helpline
says it could take 45 minutes for calls to be answered. Last
week, Telecom chairman Wayne Boyd apologised to customers at
the company's annual meeting for the disruption suffered when
the Yahoo!Xtra Bubble service was launched in August.
CLIMATE CHANGE RULING APPEALED
------------------------------
Genesis Energy and Greenpeace continue their battle in the
Court of Appeal today in a case that could have major
implications for climate change. The power company does not
believe climate change should be a consideration under the
Resource Management Act for projects resulting in greenhouse
gas pollution. It wants the Court of Appeal to overturn an
earlier High Court ruling won by Greenpeace which found
climate change must be considered in such cases. Richard
Gordon of Genesis Energy says the company would prefer that
climate change issues remain in government hands. "They've got
plenty of policy coming down the road on that, around carbon
trading with a new energy strategy out today or tomorrow. Our
view is that it is really for governments to decide on these
things and for local councils to decide on land use." Mr
Gordon says the court action is seeking clarification on the
issue.
SURPLUS - BUY VOTES OR SPEND ON CLIMATE CHANGE?
-----------------------------------------------
Political parties have mixed views on what should happen with
the huge government surplus. The government's latest financial
statements reveal it is sitting on an operating surplus of
$8.7 billion. National is predicting a spate of "lollynomics"
in election year, believing the government will use the
surplus to buy votes. Finance spokesman Bill English says the
figure underlines Labour's rapacious appetite for over-
taxation. He says the surplus has been paid for by those on
middle incomes whose tax rates are too high. Mr English
predicts Labour will try to win votes at next year's election
by giving those people some of their own money back in a lolly
scramble. The ACT Party is also using the Government's latest
financial figures to lobby for personal tax cuts. MP Heather
Roy says hard working New Zealanders deserve meaningful tax
cuts and the surplus provides the means to do it. She says it
would nearly cover a drop in an across the board tax rate to
20 percent. Ms Roy says workers should not have to struggle
while Finance Minister Dr Michael Cullen jealously guards his
huge surpluses like Ebenezer Scrooge. The Greens want the
government to invest the surplus in combating climate change
and reducing oil dependency. Co-leader Russel Norman says the
government should invest in measures to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions and the country's reliance on fossil fuels. He says
more money needs to be spent on public transport as well as
encourage the agricultural sector to use available technology
to cut its emissions.
POWER PRICES RISE FOR MERCURY CUSTOMERS
---------------------------------------
Mercury Energy customers are receiving letters from the power
company informing them power and gas bills will rise by around
three percent from the middle of next month. Mercury says the
move follows a review of commercial conditions and insists it
is still one of the cheaper suppliers in the market.
Friday, 12 October 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BROADLANDS FINANCE HITS TROUBLE
-------------------------------
Broadlands Finance has confirmed it has laid off staff in an
attempt to reduce overheads. General manager Rudi Kats says
the company will also reassess its lending activities because
of the current environment. He says a management team will
review lending activities and opportunities on a month by
month basis. Mr Kats says through no fault of their own, good,
loyal and committed people are now without employment.
ENERGY STRATEGY WILL MEAN BIGGER BILLS
--------------------------------------
Industry experts are warning the Government's new energy plans
will drive up power prices. In its new energy strategy, the
Government has imposed a ban on any new thermal power plants
being built in the next ten years, in a bid to nudge the
industry towards more use of renewables. It wants 90 percent
of electricity to come from renewable sources by 2025. Ralph
Matthes of the Major Electricity Users Group says renewable
energy is expensive, and the additional costs will be passed
on to consumers. He says it is unfortunate householders will
not be able to do much about it, and believes it could be seen
as another reason for businesses to head offshore. Mr Matthes
says the proposal is Draconian, and out of touch with what the
rest of the OECD is doing. Generating company Contact Energy
believes it is up to the government to make sure it is easier
to build renewable generation projects. It says plans to
streamline the resource consent process will be critical.
Chief Executive David Baldwin says the country will have no
choice but to develop new thermal generation, if renewable
projects are blocked or delayed. National has also focussed on
the Resource Management Act issue. The party's energy
spokesman Gerry Brownlee says the targets cannot be met
without streamlining of the Act, and of consent processes
themselves. He says it has proved difficult for the renewable
sector to get permits for their projects and unless something
is done about that, getting security of supply for electricity
will be very difficult. Landlords are concerned rents will
rise as a result of the government's threat to force them to
insulate their properties. The Property Investors Association
does not believe the government has given a scheme offering
landlords a 50 per cent subsidy on insulation a fair go. Vice
President Andrew King says it is only two months since the
scheme was opened up to the country's 180-thousand landlords;
as prior to that only those who were amongst the Association's
four-and-a-half thousand members qualified.
ONLINE POLL COULD PUSH UP VOTING
--------------------------------
Electronic voting has been suggested as a way of encouraging a
younger generation to take part in the local body elections.
Voting numbers are low, with the deadline in just over 24
hours. Steve Kilpatrick from Electionz.com says most voters
are middle-aged and he is sure the ease of Internet voting
would cause numbers to rise again over time. He says there is
evidence younger generations are very disengaged with their
local councils and they will be expecting a more modern way to
vote. Steve Kilpatrick says the government needs to make
changes to local body regulations, which currently do not
allow online voting.
(As every detective knows, you should "follow the money". Who
would benefit? The short answer appears to be private
organizations. E-Voting would add convenience to those who
already vote, but would not enhance the civics knowledge nor
decrease the apathy of the non-voters. Local body elections in
particularly are mind-numbingly boring and to some extent
unimportant. - BH)
POWER PROPOSALS 'DRACONIAN'
---------------------------
Industry experts are warning the Government's new energy
conservation plans will drive up power prices. In a strategy
released yesterday, the Government has put a ban on any new
thermal power plants being built in the next ten years, in a
bid to make industry investigate renewable sources like wind
and water. Ralph Matthes of the Major Electricity Users Group
says renewable energy is expensive, and the additional costs
will have to be passed on to consumers. He says it is
unfortunate householders and consumers will not be able to do
much about it, but it is another reason for businesses to head
offshore for lower operating costs. He says most countries use
thermal generation because it ensures security of the
electricity supply, and renewable sources cannot guarantee
that. Mr Matthes says the proposals are draconian, and out of
touch with what the rest of the OECD is doing. Meanwhile a
landlords' group is unhappy at suggestions the government may
impose minimum energy efficiency standards for rental
properties if more owners do not take up a 50 percent subsidy
on insulation. Property Investors Association Vice President,
Andrew King, says regulation involves policing - and believes
it will cost up to $350 per investigation to check whether
landlords are complying. Andrew King says the cost will
ultimately be passed onto tenants. He suggests the government
should simply subsidise the material so landlords can install
the insulation themselves, which would dramatically reduce the
cost.
MISCONDUCT COMMON IN PUBLIC SERVICE
-----------------------------------
Several areas of concern are being highlighted in a survey of
civil servants. The State Services Commission has just
released an analysis of the integrity and conduct of people
working in the public services. It surveyed more than 4,600
workers on six elements it considers essential to supporting
integrity and good ethics. One third of those surveyed said
they had observed misconduct, 36 percent had observed abusive
or intimidating behaviour, and only around half believe their
senior managers keep their promises. State Services
Commissioner Mark Prebble says they will deal with the
problems which have been identified.
TURN THAT ***** THING OFF!
--------------------------
Auckland University wants to hear from parents whose children
watch too much TV. New Zealand children spend an average of
131 minutes a day watching television, and as part of a new
study on childhood obesity researchers want to figure out ways
of getting them away from the box. Researcher Cliona Ni
Mhurchu says she wants to look at existing strategies parents
use to stop children watching telly, and help them develop new
ones.
STAB-PROOF VEST SCHEME BACK ON TRACK
------------------------------------
An acknowledgement from the Police Minister that mistakes have
been made in the issuing of stab-proof vests to police. A
report by the Auditor-General reveals police turned down an
offer from the manufacturer to ensure the vests were properly
sized, and chose to do it themselves as a cost-saving measure.
Poor sizing has been blamed for delays in the delivery of
vests to frontline officers. Police Minister Annette King
accepts it was an unwise decision made by the former head of
the project. She says things are back on track with all the
vests to be distributed to officers by the end of the year.
(I saw my son wearing his the other day - no, not for Cooper's
birthday, but while he was on duty. It looks smart, but causes
some overheating of the wearer. The consequential cost of
these lifesaving devices will likely include a redesign of
police uniforms - BH)
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