WYSIWYG NEWS - 31 October, 2007
news at wysiwygnews.com
news at wysiwygnews.com
Wed Oct 31 23:05:05 NZDT 2007
Subject: 31 October, 2007
----- WYSIWYG NEWS ------------------------------
Copyright, Brian Harmer.
Gisborne on a fine day is wonderful. When we got there on
Thursday, and indeed on Friday, the sky was blue, and the sun
was warm. On Saturday, despite it being showery and overcast
with a cold southerly wind, it was still wonderful. Brides
have that sort of overpowering effect on the weather -
regardless of what's actually happening, they make the sun
shine for their families. Mary and I had travelled to that
most remote of New Zealand cities to join in the celebration
of the marriage of our younger daughter Helen to Vasely. We
had booked a large motel unit, aware that Helen would need a
place in which she and her bridesmaids might get dressed and
do their make up for the wedding. As the four young women and
their friend who attended to such mysterious arts as hair and
makeup chattered, I was conscious of just how young they were,
and yet how wise in so many ways about so many things, none of
which I understood. I know it was a disappointment to Mary who
was providing hospitality and general keeping the running of
things on a practical level, but I became painfully conscious
that this was no place for a mere male and sought for a way
out. Besides the place smelled like a beauty salon!
Fortunately for me, our youngest son Anthony who was in the
next unit, had similar sentiments, as his wife Sarah and
infant daughter Maggie felt the need to go shopping. The two
of us somewhat guiltily climbed in his car with baby Cooper
and made our escape as all these predominantly feminine
activities swirled about us. I can admire female beauty in all
its forms, but I don't need to learn the secrets of its
construction! We made our necessary escape up Kaiti Hill which
normally affords a splendid view across the bay to Young
Nick's Head (the promontory which was first spotted by 12 year
old "young Nick" on Captain Cook's first voyage of discovery
to New Zealand in 1769, and thereby earned for himself the
promised prize of a gallon of rum). On this occasion, there
was no view at all, and the drifting rain scarcely allowed us
to see the surface of the ocean at the foot of the hill. We
drove around the hill and explored the suburbs of Gisborne
until the imperious summons of our respective cell phones
recalled us to our allotted duties. Back at the motel, I
learned that my next task (of which the secretary would
disavow any knowledge if I was captured) was to pick up the
flowers for the bridal party. The florist handed over a box of
magnificent orchids, in various forms. A small bouquet for the
bride, and one of those arrangements that straps to the wrist
of each of her attendants, a spray for the mother of the
bride, and a white rose for the buttonhole of the father of
the bride. The men in the wedding party had been given the
responsibility of collecting their own flowers. Together with
the flowers the florist delivered dire warnings of plague,
pestilence, and outbreaks of frogs if anyone so much as
touched or otherwise damaged the delicate orchid blossoms. We
carried them with due reverence back to our motel where the
final touches were being added to hair and make up, and where
at least one of the bridesmaids was suffering suddenly from an
extreme crisis of confidence in her unaccustomed strapless
dress. Precautionary measures involving double sided tape were
taken. I sat down and ate a light lunch from the many
provisions laid on by Mary, and very soon thereafter, was
forced to don my newly purchased suit, and remember how to do
a double Windsor knot in my rarely worn tie. Various
adjustments were forced upon me by those who know best, and
then the limo was there. Helen looked absolutely gorgeous in
her white bridal dress and veil, even allowing for my natural
fatherly bias. In a minor break with ancient tradition, the
bride was to be given away by both parents, so we all climbed
into the limo, and made our majestic way through Gisborne to
the church. The little A-frame church where Helen and Vasely
worship was packed to the doors. It is apparently several
years since they last had a wedding from among their own
community, so, as well as the many invited friends of Helen
and Vasely, there was a goodly gathering of excited members
of the congregation. Indeed the sartorial contrast between the
mostly black clad, tattooed and pierced youngsters and the
mostly elderly conservative choices of the church members was
almost comical. Of course, if you take the time to get to know
individuals from either side of that divide, they all seemed
to be very nice warm hearted people. The music started as the
bridesmaids began their stately walk and the infernal bubble
machines were started so that we literally processed up the
aisle through a curtain of bubbles. As one elderly lady
observed to Helen afterwards, "weddings have changed since my
day". Helen appeared with Mary on her right and me on her
left, and the congregation all rose. I hope that I looked as
proud as I felt. Pastor Ray Sheldrake did a great job of the
simple ceremony arranged (and chaotically rehearsed) with the
bride and groom. Mary read a meditation on the nature of love,
then vows and rings were exchanged, pronouncements were made,
the registry was signed, and suddenly our youngest child was a
married woman (cue nostalgic music from Fiddler on the Roof,
Tevye singing: "I don't remember growing older ... when did
they? Sunrise, sunset ..."). The bride and groom went into the
hall next door where light refreshments were laid on, and
suddenly we were surrounded by lovely people from that
community telling us how much they loved our daughter and our
new son-in-law who were the youngest members of their regular
congregation. Growing up with Helen has been an interesting
ride, so I can't begin to tell you how these affirmations
moved me. She is her own person, and has made her own choices,
but I am proud to claim that we see many of our own values
reflected in her and indeed in all her brothers and her
sister. Eventually, duty done, the bridal party went away for
formal photographs, and we returned to our motel to rest up
and recover pending the festivities at the reception in the
evening. The Bushmere Arms is a reception venue at
Waerengaahika, some 11 km out of central Gisborne on the road
to Opotiki. It has the appearance of an old country pub to
which a large modern reception hall has been added. Invited
guests began to arrive as the sun was setting, and soon new
friendships were being made and old acquaintances renewed.
Mary and I got to know Vasely's parents and young brothers, as
well as their old family friends. The very smallest guests,
brothers of the groom, cousins of the bride were having a
great time racing around on the otherwise empty dance floor,
drinks were served, and soon there was a splendid buzz of
conversation, until at last it was time to take our places at
the tables. I have neglected to mention until now, that the
newlyweds and many of their friends are vegans, so the
challenge faced by the chef was greater than usual. He and
his team were equal to the occasion, with excellent food for
carnivores and vegans alike. Speeches were brief. I got the
role of MC and even got to make a few brief remarks in very
bad Russian to welcome my new son-in-law to the family.
(Thanks to my colleague Irina for the coaching, and all faults
in the pronunciation were my own). You may have guessed from
his name that Vasely's first language was indeed Russian,
though he has been a kiwi for a while now. He is a very nice
young man, a gentle soul who is not only a talented classical
violinist, but also a gifted guitarist in a heavy metal band
about to release their first album. I have to admit that
"heavy metal" and "music" do not usually occur in the same
sentence for me. However, I have heard from many who know that
the band, "Saving Grace" is indeed very good, and after
listening to a track intended for the new album, I have to
agree that there is great skill and talent in his playing. I
am not converted to the genre, however. Much eating, laughing,
talking, mingling. More speeches, and as I was able to point
out, Vasely had the last word for perhaps the last time on
this earth. The cake was cut and served and as all things
must, the party reached its conclusion. What a happy day. How
proud I was, and how pleased for the young couple. May their
lives be filled with happiness and prosperity.
----
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, 22 October 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SOLUTION SOUGHT FOR OVER-WORKED KIWIS
-------------------------------------
Support from the business community for the push to do
something about the number of hours we are working. Labour MP
Darien Fenton wants legislation to cap the working day to
eight hours. She says we are working too hard and it is doing
us no good. Business New Zealand chief Phil O'Reilly agrees
there is a culture of working long hours, but he says capping
the length of a day by law is not the way to fix it. He says
companies need to be flexible, and we should be looking for
ways to get better value from the hours we work by investing
in skills and productivity. Phil O'Reilly says it should be
left to employers and employees to negotiate the length of the
working day.
(Mr O'Reilly ignores the power imbalance between most
employees and their employer. Guess who has the last word. -
BH)
AIRLINE DENIES TOXIC AIR CLAIM
------------------------------
Qantas is rejecting claims that toxic air is being pumped into
aircraft cabins. The International Pilots Association raised
the concerns, after an engineer was overcome by fumes on a
flight from Los Angeles to Auckland. The association claims
that warm, unfiltered air is being pumped from a jet's engines
into the cabin. It says that is potentially dangerous and crew
and passengers could suffer serious long-term illnesses. It
believes the problem is due to a design flaw in commercial
aircraft. But David Cox, engineering general manager for
Qantas says there is no evidence to suggest the cabin air
quality is an issue in any of its aircraft. He says on
average, filtered cabin air is completely circulated every
three minutes and is monitored during each flight. Mr Cox says
Qantas operates cabin air systems in accordance with
manufacturers' normal operating procedures and all its fleet
comply with aviation safety rules.
Tuesday, 23 October 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ANGER CONTINUES IN PARLIAMENT OVER RAIDS
----------------------------------------
Tempers have frayed in Parliament, with Maori Party MP Hone
Harawira claiming police are ignorant towards Maori. Mr
Harawira used a speech in Parliament this afternoon to
continue his party's attacks on police following last weeks
terror raids. He laid into police, attacking them for the way
the raids were carried out. Mr Harawira likened their actions
to those used by the US to invade Iraq and find the supposed
weapons of mass destruction. "And a readiness to brutalise
Tuhoe in exactly the same way they did a hundred years ago,
even using 70 armed constabulary like they did back then." The
speech infuriated Peter Dunne, who labelled it disgusting. "It
becomes the dignity of that member and this house no good at
all, to behave in that manner on a matter of this type. I
intend to waste no more time on the member because frankly he
doesn't deserve it." The Maori Party also highlighted
criticism from the Montreal Maori Solidarity Committee, which
describes last week's arrests as suppression of the legitimate
right to dissent. Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia
responded saying New Zealand has one of the best records for
race relations, and while there may be tensions, they are not
new. He says if the country is serious about nationhood people
should not be trying to pull it as under. Mr Horomia says "a
lot of rubbish" is being talked about the issue at the moment.
EFTPOS COMPANIES MERGING
------------------------
Listed electronic payments companies Provenco and Cadmus have
reached a conditional agreement to merge. Provenco says the
proposed merged group will have a strong presence in the Asia
Pacific region, including Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and
in mainland China and will be well-placed to capitalise on the
growing adoption of its technologies in other regions. Under
the deal, the amalgamated company will continue to be listed
on the New Zealand Stock Exchange and Cadmus shareholders will
receive one share in the new entity for every 4.6 Cadmus
shares they hold while Provenco shareholders will receive one
of the new company's shares for every Provenco share they
hold. The companies say the rationale for the merger is that
they have both committed to investing significant sums
internationally into what would have been overlapping
technology and were seeking to expand into markets that also
overlapped. Cadmus says it has expanded its rental division
and the combined group will continue to build on this industry
segment by offering rental proposals to a broader
international customer base. The boards of Provenco and Cadmus
are recommending the merger proposal to their shareholders.
OIL COMPANY WANTS TO EXPLORE OFF WEST COAST
-------------------------------------------
NZX-listed company Widespread Energy is applying for a
petroleum exploration permit for an area off the West Coast.
The company wants to explore more than 3,000 square kilometres
between Hokitika and Punakaiki. A permit is not expected to be
granted for another three to six months. It is Widespread
Energy's second exploration initiative in the West Coast
region. Earlier this year, the company was successful with an
application covering the Kotuku structure north of Lake
Brunner.
UNIVERSITY TREASURES RETURNED IN GOOD NICK
------------------------------------------
Three valuable pieces stolen from Auckland University last
Christmas are in good condition, despite their ten month
absence. A Goldie painting, Colin McCahon poems and Oxford
bible were returned after police arranged for minor charges to
be dropped against a man who negotiated their return. Auckland
University says the bible suffered some damage and will be
repaired before being put back on display. It says it has
boosted security for all its significant art works and
valuable items since the theft.
COURT BATTLE FOR THE WAREHOUSE
------------------------------
The country's two big supermarket chains are taking on the
Commerce Commission in the High Court in Wellington today.
Foodstuffs and Woolworths are appealing the Commission's
decision to reject their applications to take over The
Warehouse. Both companies have so far acquired holdings of 10
percent, but the Commission considers that allowing a takeover
would give either of them too much market power. The Warehouse
is already selling groceries in some of its stores. The appeal
hearing starts this morning and is expected to take two weeks.
WORKERS AGAINST WORKING HOUR LAWS
---------------------------------
Some workers believe staff would be worse off under a law
restricting them to working eight hours a day. Labour MP
Darien Fenton wants legislation to cap the working day, saying
employees currently work too hard. She says the grind of long
hours at the office is causing too much stress. But Barry
Priest from the Petone Workingmen's Club says despite just
such a concept beginning in his town nearly 170 years ago,
restricting workers to a 40 hour week would have a huge impact
on the cost of living, causing productivity to go down and
prices to rise. Mr Priest says as long as people who work
overtime are rewarded for it, there should not be an issue
with working more than 40 hours a week. He believes family
should come before money, but says it is better for staff to
work with their employers to address the issue rather than
have legislation imposed.
(Society appears to be changing, and not everyone divides
their day into hours that belong to the boss and hours that
are mine. Some of us love what we do, and the boundaries do
get blurred. - BH)
GOVT URGED NOT TO BUCKLE TO FARMERS
-----------------------------------
Environmentalists are urging the government to ignore
criticism over its controversial emissions trading scheme. The
Environmental Defence Society has sent a letter to the Prime
Minister expressing concern that farming groups are doing
everything they can to delay the scheme including calling for
an extension of their free allocations on emission rights.
Spokesman Gary Taylor says the scheme sets a basic framework
for tackling climate change and opponents represent a minority
of people in the farming and business sector with hidden
agendas. Mr Taylor says the best scientific minds advise
preparing for a far more dramatic rate of climate change than
previously thought. He says the farming community should give
up and accept climate change is a real threat. He believes the
world needs to move as coherently as possible to fix climate
change and ignore delaying tactics from the money hungry.
Several environmental groups are asking the government not to
buckle to pressure from business interests.
Wednesday, 24 October 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LAST GASP PUSH AGAINST PARTY PILL BAN
-------------------------------------
A party pill manufacturer has labelled politicians as
"cowards" for wanting to ban BZP. A Parliamentary select
committee has heard submissions today on Jim Anderton's BZP
Bill. Grant Cunningham of Energy Products told the committee
he fears banning the drug will turn users onto harder drugs.
He urged MPs to oppose the law change, saying it would be
cowardly to just put their hands up and walk away. Also among
those making submissions was Matt Bowden of the Social Tonics
Association, who says prohibiting BZP will not work. He also
asked MPs to take a stand and oppose the legislation, claiming
if everything is continually banned it will kill the next
generation. Mr Bowden says it would be better to better
regulate party pills, which he says have been used by at least
ten percent of the population.
WILL NZ MEASURE UP IN 2011?
---------------------------
New Zealand is under pressure to live up to high expectations
following the success of Rugby World Cup 2007. The French
tournament has been hailed as an unqualified success, with 2.5
million fans attending matches over the last six weeks.
French-based rugby writer Ian Borthwick says there is now
plenty of doubt concerning this country's ability to show
similar interest in the global event. He says 36,000 turned up
to a game between Romania and Portugal and he does not believe
New Zealand will get close to that. Borthwick says apart from
the lack of decent stadiums in New Zealand, the fans may be
the biggest hurdle to success. He says he has found the
quality of fans in New Zealand has disintegrated and the fine
qualities of the public have disappeared, claiming New Zealand
supporters have become boorish and arrogant and need to sort
out their act. Other writers have joined Borthwick in
suggesting New Zealanders are too narrow-minded to show the
same spirit as the French.
PUSH TO KEEP INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN NZ
-----------------------------------------
The Government is relaxing visa rules for international
students, in a bid to keep more in New Zealand. The policy
changes will allow foreign students to stay for up to 12
months to find work once they have graduated, an increase from
the current six months. Another change will allow students to
sit their English-language test at anytime during their stay,
rather than as soon as they arrive. Immigration Minister David
Cunliffe says it is a matter of New Zealand being able to
compete for skills and talent in a global market. He says the
track record of migrants in New Zealand has been very
positive, with nine out of ten reporting good experiences in
the workforce. There are currently 93,000 international
students living in New Zealand, on average 27 percent stay
once they have graduated.
ONE IN FOUR WOMEN ARE SEX ABUSE VICTIMS
---------------------------------------
Around one in four New Zealand women have been victims of
child sex abuse, according to a new study from Auckland
University. The study suggests that 23 percent of women in
urban areas and 28 percent in rural areas have experienced
some form of sexual abuse before the age of 15. Around half of
them were abused more than once and a male family member was
the most likely perpetrator. The average age of the victim was
nine, while the average age of the abuser was 30. The study
was funded by the health Research Council of New Zealand, and
was a replication of a World Health Organisation study on
violence against women. It was carried out by Auckland
University. Nearly 3,000 women from the Auckland and Waikato
regions were interviewed. Dr Janet Fanslow of Auckland
University's Faculty of Medicine says the scale of abuse means
there is an urgent need for both prevention programmes and
support and treatment services for such women.
STATE HOUSE PRIORITY FOR NZERS SAYS MP
--------------------------------------
A New Zealand First MP wants state housing prioritised for New
Zealanders, leaving immigrants to wait their turn. Pita
Paraone is concerned there has been an increase of more than
20 percent over the past six years in the number of state
houses being granted to people who are not New Zealand
citizens. He says 7,000 state houses have been allocated to
immigrants, while thousands of New Zealanders languish on
Housing New Zealand waiting lists. Mr Paraone wants a rule
requiring immigrants to have the resources to buy their own
homes when they come to New Zealand. He says the government
must act urgently to ensure needy New Zealanders get priority
over newcomers. New Zealand First has also recently attacked
immigrants' influence on the property market, saying
foreigners are driving up prices and keeping New Zealanders
out of the market.
FALLING PRICES A FACTOR IN ALL-YEAR LAMBING
-------------------------------------------
An accelerated lambing programme run by Massey University
shows that year-round lambing can work, but falling lamb
prices may mean farmers are in no rush to implement the
scheme. The three-year project investigated a system of using
five breeding periods each year to produce lambs every 73
days. It was funded by Meat and Wool New Zealand and the C
Alma Baker Trust, and carried out on a University farmlet. A
flock of 506 mixed-age ewes was split to form a conventional
and accelerated lambing group. Half the ewes were high
fertility composites and half medium fertility Romneys. Some
ewes in the high-fertility flock were able to sustain15
pregnancies over three years in the accelerated trial,
producing 26 percent more lambweight than the traditionally
lambed ewes. However Prof Steve Morris says the decision about
whether to pursue accelerated lambing is based on economics.
He says the project was set up in 2003 when prices were good
and people were thinking about increasing production. He says
now that prices have come back down, the industry may not be
so keen, although people are interested in production in the
early part of the year when prices are high. The cost of
producing an out-of-season lamb was found to be 50 cents per
kilogram of weaned lamb more than the conventional system.
Prof Morris found feed demand to be only slightly higher for
the accelerated flock each year, but that demand was spread
more. In the trial, almost 70 percent of the highly fertile
ewes in the accelerated system got pregnant at each mating,
not matching the almost 100 percent in the once-a-year ewes
but potentially earning more income.
MORE THAN A MILLION PEOPLE IN SOUTH ISLAND
------------------------------------------
The South Island's population has tipped over the million mark
for the first time. Figures released by Statistics New Zealand
show an increase of one percent in the population for the year
ending June. The population is now 1,008,400. The areas with
the highest rates of population growth are Queenstown-Lakes
(+5.5 percent) and Selwyn District (+4 percent). Christchurch
City, Ashburton District, Central Otago and Waimakariri also
had growth rates above one percent. The North Island's
population increased by 1.1 percent to 3,219,000 representing
an increase of 33,800 people.
COSTS OF PRIVATE HEALTHCARE SET TO RISE
---------------------------------------
Health insurance premiums could be about to rise as claims top
the $600 million mark for the first time. The Health Funds
Association says there is an increasing number of people
covered by insurance and more are having surgical procedures.
Executive director Roger Styles says the estimated 1.38
million New Zealanders with health insurance are saving the
public health system around $400 million annually.
DHB OWED THOUSANDS BY NON-RESIDENTS
-----------------------------------
The Canterbury District Health Board is owed more than
$100,000 by non-New Zealand residents who have given birth at
its facilities. Almost 30 women not eligible for public health
care in New Zealand have given birth in Canterbury hospitals
in the past year. The CDHB says there were 27 non-eligible
deliveries between July 2006 and August 2007. Nineteen non-
eligible women who had used hospital birthing facilities still
owe money. In all, the health board is owed $111,000. The DHB
says there is a number of people who qualify for publicly
funded healthcare besides New Zealand citizens and residents.
They include long-term work permit holders, Australians living
in New Zealand permanently and refugees.
INFLATION FIGURES A CONCERN FOR RESERVE BANK
--------------------------------------------
The Reserve Bank could be worried about core inflation figures
sitting at around the three percent mark when it reviews the
Official Cash Rate (OCR) tomorrow. ANZ chief economist Cameron
Bagrie says there is global unease, the economic outlook is
uncertain and there is inflation risk but he says the general
feeling amongst economists is that Governor Alan Bollard will
not raise interest rates this time around. Mr Bagrie says
although the inflation story is a little bit more
disconcerting than the Reserve Bank was alluding to last
month, he expects the OCR to stay at 8.25 percent. However, he
expects Dr Bollard to talk tough about economic pressures.
NZ MOVING TOO FAST ON CLIMATE CHANGE
------------------------------------
The government is being urged to delay its carbon emissions
trading scheme, rather than forcing it on the business sector.
Privately financed think tank the New Zealand Institute has
released its first discussion paper on climate change and says
the scheme lacks strategic clarity. CEO David Skilling accepts
climate change as a global threat and says Labour's carbon
emission scheme sounds very good, but the nature of New
Zealand's highly emissions-intensive economy means the
government should wait and see what other countries do first.
He is criticising the government for being "hell-bent" on
becoming a world leader on tackling global warming. He says
New Zealand cannot save the world, even if it wants to and
believes New Zealand should be a fast follower and not lead
moves to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. Dr
Skilling says the country will not gain anything from
positioning itself as a world leader on the issue. He wants
Labour to delay its emissions reduction targets under the
Kyoto Protocol from 2012 to 2020 and for further discussions
to be held on how the scheme will affect New Zealand's
economy. Treasury estimates the proposal will cost $700
million but that figure may rise if emissions turn out to be
higher than estimated. Members of the NZ Institute include
Stephen Tindall, founder of The Warehouse, Rob Fyfe CEO of Air
New Zealand, Don Elder CEO of Solid Energy and Chris Liddell
from Microsoft.
Thursday, 25 October 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BUSINESS WELCOMES NEW AIR SERVICE
---------------------------------
A new air service from Dunedin to Queenstown is being welcomed
by the local business community. Dunedin-based Mainland Air is
to launch the service next month, with the possibility of
further connections to Wanaka and Invercargill. Otago Chamber
of Commerce chief John Christie says the move stacks up
financially, and will save people valuable time. He says at
the moment a lot of people make the trip regularly by road,
and they will be relieved to have hours cut off their journey
times. John Christie says the new air service will also boost
tourism in the region. He says it will provide an opportunity
for cruise passengers stopping off in Dunedin to make a day
trip to Queenstown.
(I suppose an air service between those centres will be
patronised, but what scenery they miss out on by not driving
the road way - BH)
OMBUDSMAN FOR PRISONS
---------------------
The Government has announced plans for an Ombudsman for
Prisons to look into complaints and issues in the prison
system. The Ombudsman would be responsible for providing an
independent assessment of incidents involving prisoners. There
has been criticism of previous investigations, which have been
carried out internally by the Corrections Department. The new
approach is the result of an agreement between the Government
and the Greens, who have been pushing for a change. The
killing of Liam Ashley by another inmate in the back of a
prison van is thought to have brought the matter to a head.
Green MP Nandor Tanczos says under the current rules, any
incident is investigated by the Corrections Department. He
says this arrangement is viewed with suspicion by some people
because it is been seen as leaving a potential for bias. Mr
Tanczos says public confidence in any inquiry can now be
bolstered.
DYSON WORRIED ABUSE MOSTLY WITHIN FAMILIES
------------------------------------------
The government is urging New Zealanders to react to new child
sexual abuse figures the same way it responds to children
being killed. Associate social development minister Ruth Dyson
says the whole country needs to work together to reverse
statistics indicating one in four women are sexually abused as
children. She says the figures are horrific and has no doubt
they are accurate. Ms Dyson says the fact New Zealand has
robust reporting and researching may mean the figures look
worse than those of some other countries. She believes one of
the worst aspects of the report is that most abuse occurs
within the family.
CANCER SERVICE DECLINE DUE TO 'NEGLECT'
---------------------------------------
The mother of a child cancer patient is blaming the Capital
and Coast District Health Board for the resignation of
Wellington Hospital's only remaining paediatric oncologist. Dr
Anne Mitchell resigned yesterday. She has been working alone
since the resignation of the hospital's other child cancer
special in July. Catherine Ternent, whose son Sean has been
battling non-Hodgkins lymphoma, says Dr Mitchell has done what
she can in extremely difficult circumstances. She blames
neglect on the part of the DHB for the poor state the service
has been allowed to reach. Three weeks ago the Capital and
Coast DHB announced it was seeking a partnership with
Canterbury so it could continue to provide a full service. It
admits Dr Michel's resignation is a setback, but says it will
continue with that plan.
TERRORISM BILL PASSES 2ND READING
---------------------------------
The government is defending changes proposed to the
Suppression of Terrorism Act. The bill passed its second
reading in Parliament last night. Act leader Rodney Hide
claims the bill is fascist as it erodes freedoms that should
be protected. The bill removes the power of the courts to
review terrorist designations and vests power in the hands of
the Prime Minister. Mr Hide says the measures catered for in
the legislation are set by the United Nations and therefore
outside New Zealand's control. But Justice Minister Mark
Burton says such changes are needed for practical reasons. He
says more than 420 designations are due to expire next month
and it is not feasible for the High Court to review them all.
INTEREST RATES UNCHANGED AT 8.25%
---------------------------------
An easing housing market is a factor behind the Reserve Bank's
decision to keep interest rates unchanged at 8.25 percent.
Reserve Bank Governor Alan Bollard says the labour market
remains tight, domestic income growth continues to expand on
the back of strong commodity prices and the core inflationary
pressures persist. But he says on the other hand, there are
signs that the housing market is moderating. Dr Bollard says
despite ongoing surpluses in the government's operating
balance there are a number risks to inflation, including the
direct impact of the proposed greenhouse emissions trading
scheme and rising global food prices. Dr Bollard says the
turbulence in global financial markets has eased but
considerable uncertainty remains, which poses a risk for the
economies of New Zealand's key trading partners. He says the
New Zealand dollar also remains relatively high, which is a
problem for exporters. The Reserve Bank believes the current
level of the OCR is consistent with the bank's aim of keeping
inflation within the 1-3 percent band over the medium term.
FUND URGED TO PULL OUT OF CASINO STOCKS
---------------------------------------
The New Zealand Superannuation Fund is being urged to sell its
investments in gambling companies. The organisation has $33
million invested in Sky City Entertainment, which owns casinos
in Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown and Adelaide. Problem
Gambling Foundation CEO John Stansfield, says the investment
is unacceptable on both ethical and financial grounds and many
families have lost their retirement dreams in casinos. He says
the fund's money should instead be put into activities that
bring benefits to peoples lives and into New Zealand
industries. The Super Fund recently got rid of its tobacco
investments saying it has a commitment to worldwide anti-
tobacco policies.
WADA BACKS "BIOLOGICAL PASSPORT"
--------------------------------
Cycling authorities have taken an unprecedented step in the
crackdown against drug cheats with the introduction of medical
profiling of all professional riders next year. The
"biological passport" system involves collecting urine and
blood samples to build up a full profile of athletes which can
be used as a reference point. The plan has been five or six
years in development and WADA's David Howman says the
initiative is a major step in the war against doping, although
he does not expect it will catch everyone. He says there is no
perfect system but what they are trying to do is widen the
ways in which evidence can be gathered to show athletes are
cheating. The World Anti-Doping Agency is hoping cycling's
plans will be used as a model for other sports. Howman says a
lot of resources are required to manage the system so it will
be introduced at international level first before it is used
at national level. He says most athletes already have their
blood collected so the new system will not require anything
extra of them and he is not expecting any negative reaction
from athletes regarding restrictions on personal freedom.
ELDERLY MEN NOT LOOKING AFTER THEMSELVES
----------------------------------------
A Massey University nutritionist is concerned that elderly men
whose wives have died are failing to look after themselves.
Jennifer Bowden monitored 12 men over the age of 70 to see if
they were coping with basic cooking as poor nutrition
knowledge and limited cooking skills are thought to be causing
health problems. She says when men are on their own, they have
no interest in cooking. Ms Bowden says unfortunately the daily
bombardment of dietary information is largely ignored. She
says as New Zealand's ageing population increases, it is even
more important to ensure older men are encouraged to eat well.
Ms Bowden is urging families to encourage their elders to
attend classes which teach basic food preparation.
NO HOLIDAY FOR CHILD SUPPORT DEFAULTERS
---------------------------------------
The National Party is demanding tighter controls at the
borders to stop child support defaulters from leaving the
country. Welfare spokeswoman Judith Collins says child support
debt totals almost $1.2 billion dollars and she wants a
collection system set up at international airports, to stop
debtors from skipping the country. "I have so many women who
contact me and say they're looking after three or four
children and their husband has gone off and now doesn't want
to have anything to do with them. But what about the parent
who does have the children and is trying to make ends meet?"
Ms Collins says the government claims it is concerned about
the issue but is refusing to do anything to catch people at
the border who owe child support. She believes they should be
treated the same way as people with overdue parking fines, as
Inland Revenue already has the power to apply for arrest
warrants for those who refuse to pay up. Ms Collins says
16,000 liable parents live overseas
BIFFO BETWEEN TWO MPS
---------------------
There has been a physical altercation between Sports Minister
Trevor Mallard and National Party MP Tau Henare outside
Parliament. It is believed last night's fight developed after
Henare made comments in the House about Mallard's personal
life. The exchange will do nothing to ease tensions between
National and Labour, which have been building in the lead-up
to the election. Neither Mallard nor Henare's office were
available for comment.
Friday, 26 October 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SECURITY UPGRADE FOR PARLIAMENT
-------------------------------
Parliament's security system has had a multi-million dollar
upgrade. Speaker Margaret Wilson has opened a new security
control room in the complex. The facility, which is described
as state of the art, cost $2.75 million and involves the
replacement of old security cameras and adds extra
surveillance to strategic areas. Parliament Buildings
currently have 108 video security cameras, 294 security doors,
1,820 alarms and 1,425 fire alarms.
SUPPORT FOR GOVT PICKS UP IN LATEST POLL
----------------------------------------
There is some good news for the government in the latest
political opinion poll. The Roy Morgan Research poll shows
support for Labour has jumped six percent to 39 percent, its
highest result since early February and just 2.1 percent below
its 2005 General Election result. During the same period,
support for National fell three points to 45.5 percent, the
party's lowest result since April but 6.4 percent above its
2005 election result. Amongst the smaller parties, the Greens
have fallen two percent to 7.5 percent and New Zealand First
is unchanged at three percent. The Maori Party has two percent
support (down 0.5 percent), the Maori Party two percent (down
0.5 percent), United Future New Zealand 1.5 percent
(unchanged) and Act 0.5 percent (down 0.5 percent).
TELECOM ENCOURAGES INPUT ON SEPARATION
--------------------------------------
Telecom is welcoming further public input on plans to separate
its structure. The government is calling for public
submissions on the draft plan to split the company into three
separate business units. Telecom chief executive Paul Reynolds
is endorsing the move. He says broadband in telecommunications
is a key part of the infrastructure of any economy. He says as
the biggest local player in telecommunications, Telecom has to
be responsible, forward thinking and do the best it can for
customers. Mr Reynolds accepts the separation issue is a
matter of some interest and debate and is looking forward to
hearing what others have to say about it.
NZ FIRST PAYING BACK OVERSPENDING
---------------------------------
New Zealand First has confirmed it will repay all the money it
overspent during the 2005 election. In his report into
election spending by political Auditor General Kevin Brady
identified the party as being liable for $158,000. Party
Leader Winston Peters then sought a legal opinion on Mr
Brady's findings but has declined to say when, or if, the
money might be repaid. President Dail Jones says it was
decided some time ago that the party should confront the issue
and it plans to pay back the final amount required to put the
matter to rest. Mr Jones says it is up to Mr Peters to
announce when the money will be paid back.
(Last to come to the party and protesting all the way. - BH)
GAS PRICES A CHALLENGE FOR CONTACT
----------------------------------
Contact Energy says despite a good financial result for the
2007 rising gas prices are an ongoing challenge for the
company. Chairman Grant King says natural gas prices have
risen by 20 percent this financial year and further increases
are likely as the company's Maui 367 gas entitlements expire.
Contact expects underlying earnings will not be materially
different from last year's result, but depreciation and
interest expenses will increase as previously signalled,
mostly as a result of increased investment in geothermal and
the revaluation of Contact's assets in June 1007. "The company
has a sound strategy that positions the company well both in
retail, through its acquisition of Rockgas, and in generation,
through the company's $2 billion renewable investment
programme in wind and geothermal." Contact Chief Executive,
David Baldwin says the company's opportunities include
developing significant renewable geothermal generation
capacity, and maximising Contact's advantage as the only
energy company that can now deliver electricity and gas
products across the whole country. He says Contact is well
placed to lead New Zealand towards an increasingly renewable
energy generation sector through the development of its new
225 MW Te Mihi geothermal power station north of Taupo and a
similar proposed power station at Tauhara. Mr Baldwin says the
company's proposed wind development in the Waikato is a
strategically significant project because it is located close
to major demand centres of Hamilton and Auckland and could
produce enough renewable energy to power up to 250,000 houses.
Mr Baldwin reiterated that in order for New Zealand to meet a
target of 90 percent of electricity coming from renewable
sources, projects need to be granted resource consent without
unnecessary delays. Contact Energy shares have fallen 18 cents
to $9.06.
WOOL PRICES FIRM
----------------
North Island wool prices remain firm. The New Zealand Wool
Services International says the latest auction in Napier was
met by a generally strong, well-contested market. A rise in
the value of the New Zealand dollar against the United States
dollar had little impact, with supply and demand factors
dictating prices. Hogget full fleece wools were solid, however
the shorter lengths increased in price by up to 1.5 percent.
Coarser carpet fleece types favoured the seller, with the only
area not fully supported being the coarse shear types, which
eased by up to 1.5 percent.
NEED FOR ANOTHER LAW SCHOOL QUESTIONED
--------------------------------------
National is raising questions about whether the country needs
a sixth law school, given the high number of students already
graduating from other institutes. A bid by the Auckland
University of Technology to set up a law faculty has passed
the first hurdle, but now needs approval from the
Qualifications Authority, the Tertiary Education Commission
and the Education Minister. National's education spokesman
Paul Hutchison is urging caution. He says there are already
law schools at universities in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington,
Christchurch and Dunedin. Dr Hutchison says while a law
faculty may complement AUT's other courses, the question needs
to be asked if another law school would be good for the wider
education system. He says many of the students graduating with
law degrees do not actually use them in that field. "Something
like 50 percent of all graduates don't go on to practice law.
They go on to commerce and journalism and all sorts of
things."
EFTPOS MACHINES NEED UPGRADE NOW
--------------------------------
Thousands of retailers are being told they will have a
potential nightmare on their hands, if they fail to upgrade
their Eftpos terminals before Christmas. Eftpos supplier
Viaduct is warning businesses their terminals will not be able
to read bank cards which have new microchip technology if they
do not upgrade their terminals. Director Mark Unwin says the
cut-off date is January 1, 2008, but retailers need to replace
equipment now because the process can take up to six weeks. He
says if retailers leave it to the last minute, there will be
many unhappy Christmas shoppers. Retailers must also make sure
their upgrade is compatible with other bank card changes in
the pipeline. Mr Unwin says the new machines will help to
reduce credit card fraud and improve PIN security.
PUPILS' WRITING NEEDS MORE ASSESSMENT
-------------------------------------
The Education Review Office is concerned not enough primary
school pupils are having their progress in writing assessed by
teachers. A report has been carried out at 159 state schools
into how well the subject is being taught in years four and
eight. National Policy and Analyst Manager Di Anderson says
while writing is being taught well, there is still a need for
pupils' progress to be monitored. She says schools are using a
wider range of resources and students are enjoying learning to
write.
GOVT URGED TO SIGN UP TO CODE OF CONDUCT
----------------------------------------
The Maori Party says it is not acceptable to dismiss Trevor
Mallard's behaviour as mere bullyboy tactics or larrikin
tomfoolery. The Sports Minister has apologised to National MP
Tau Henare for punching him outside Parliament's debating
chamber on Wednesday night. The fracas was sparked by Mr
Henare's comments about Mr Mallard's private life. Two
Parliamentary staff members had to separate the fighting MPs.
Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia says the violence is
intolerable and a strong response from the government is
needed. She wants Labour and National to sign up to a code of
conduct encouraging MPs to act with dignity, respect and
honour. Mrs Turia has detailed Mr Mallard's previous alleged
offences, including hitting National MP Bob Clarkson and
saying he wanted to jam a Heineken bottle up the rear end of
an International Rugby Board official.
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