WYSIWYG NEWS - 17 September, 2007

[news at wysiwygnews.com]

Subject: 17 September, 2007 
----- WYSIWYG NEWS ------------------------------ 
Copyright, Brian Harmer. 

A week of good days, or at least of days that were mostly 
good, is a promising start to this spring. Evenings are 
lighter and I have travelled to work in early morning sunshine 
recently. Yesterday (Sunday) was a little greyer, with a bit 
of wind, and it was in these conditions that my wife, Mary 
participated in a  half-marathon walk in the Hutt Valley. My 
support was limited to providing transport to and from the 
start/finish line, and appearing at strategic points around 
the 21 km course. This suited me quite nicely as I had some 
student work to mark, and I was able to drive ahead to the 
next vantage point and get in some good work will waiting for 
the pack to appear. Departing from the Fire Station in Buick 
St., Petone, the competitors very quickly spread out. The 
walkers were released at 8 am and the runners an hour later, 
thus ensuring a more or less unified finish at or around 11 am 
for most athletes. The course went Westward along the 
Esplanade and turned North on the Hutt Road, and thence along 
Pharazyn street to the Melling Bridge. The group crossed the 
Hutt River there, and then came Southward down the Eastern 
stop bank beside the Hutt River until it reached Moera. This 
was my first opportunity to see the field spread out. At the 
front were the competitive walkers, people doing that peculiar 
heel and toe action unique to Olympic walkers. At least one of 
them was engaged in vigorous debate with a marshal as to 
whether she was walking properly, or jogging. If I understand 
correctly, a competitive walker always has at least one foot 
on the ground. Mary was behind the Olympic style walkers but 
ahead of the other recreational walkers. The course travelled 
from the river bank at Moera through the back streets of 
Waiwhetu to emerge at the Pt Howard Marina, and thence turned 
North again, up Port Rd in Seaview to rejoin the Esplanade. I 
waited for a while on Port Road, reading the course work and 
occasionally looking at ships coming and going through the 
heads. The inter-island freighter Kent, which looks like a 
large dark blue landing craft, was anchored in the harbour, 
and stood out against the drizzle that appeared to envelope 
Wellington city. There was a constant stream of big petrol 
tanker trucks arriving along Port Rd with a startling 
flatulence of engine brakes as they turned into the gates of 
the storage depot to refill and then head out again to keep 
the underground tanks full at service stations around the 
region.  Across the Hutt River bridge, past the ever present 
people fishing there, and thence to the Hikoikoi reserve and 
the walkway beside the beach, the course finally reached its 
conclusion at the Heretaunga boating club near Petone Wharf. 
No roads were closed for the race, but there were traffic 
cones, and race marshals wearing fluorescent jackets at every 
intersection to minimise the likelihood of any problem with 
traffic. Aren't volunteers wonderful people?  Race walkers are 
a dedicated bunch, and most of them look as if they have been 
hung out on a rack to weather and cure. With few exceptions 
they are lean, not to say wiry people. There were a few people 
of the other persuasion, clearly attempting to become 
healthier. Among those on the 5 km and 10 km races run 
concurrently with the half marathon were a one legged man on 
crutches, and a blind person using his stick to avoid 
obstacles. Several parents pushed prams with infants. Before 
and after the race they are all friendly, but during the race, 
most of them on the longer course prefer to conserve oxygen 
for walking and tend not to waste any on idle conversation 
with fellow competitors. I managed to take photographs at a 
few places and then went to the finish line. By now the 
runners were coming home, and if the walkers are single 
minded, the runners are positively cut-throat in their 
attitude. The funnel through which the competitors were 
channelled to check in seemed to be full of sharp elbows and 
people striving to place even one spot higher. Once through 
the formalities, the athletes underwent a reverse 
transformation and became warm and sociable again, munching on 
the fruit and snack bars provided by the organisers, and 
discussing how well (or not) they had done, and which of the 
next two or three events they planned to train for. Like the 
apparently mythical charge of the lemmings, the urge of the 
competitive runner is a mystery to me, but though I  don't 
understand it, I am inordinately proud of Mary's place of 22nd 
in an all-comers field of 86, and her time of 2:47:52 which is 
remarkable for her second race ever. 


Thanks again for the checks and deposits and promises which 
have arrived for the support of WYSIWYG. When it is all done, 
I think we will have sufficient for one more year at the 
present rate. I have not yet attempted to acknowledge 
individuals, but will do so soon, privately. 

---- 
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, 10 September 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SETTLEMENT DEED UPDATED
-----------------------

Taupo iwi Ngati Tuwharetoa will get almost $10 million plus a 
substantial annual payment in an updated deed of settlement 
with the Crown. The central North Island's tribe's ownership 
rights for the bed of Lake Taupo and its tributaries have been 
amended from a deal previously struck in 1992. The new deed 
sees the Tuwharetoa Trust Board get a one off payment of $9.85 
million plus an annual non-reviewable payment of $1.5 million. 
The Trust also gains the right to licence commercial users of 
the lake meaning it will be able to charge fees similar to 
those levied by the Department of Conservation on Crown land.

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

BP has led another round of price rises by the major oil 
companies, the second in less than a fortnight. Petrol has 
jumped four cents a litre and diesel six cents, taking the 
price of 91 octane to around $1.63.9 a litre and diesel to 
$1.15.9 in the main centres. Mike Noon from the Automobile 
Association says the increase appears justified because of the 
rising cost of the refined product, but he says they are at 
the top end of what is reasonable. He is urging oil companies 
to move swiftly to cut prices if there is even a small drop in 
the international price of oil or a rise in the value of the 
New Zealand dollar. Independent fuel retailer Gull says its 
prices have not risen and it will delay any increases for as 
long as possible.

TELECOM'S MEETS QUALITY OBLIGATIONS
-----------------------------------

The Commerce Commission has reported that Telecom has complied 
with its quality obligations for the 2006-07 year. Telecom is 
required to provide the commission with audited information on 
the quality of its local residential phone services, including 
dial-up modem line connect speeds, the percentage of 
unsuccessful residential call attempts and the proportion of 
111 calls that are answered within 15 seconds. The Commission 
has advised the Minister of Communications that Telecom has 
met its quality requirements. 
 
(I am astounded. I suggest that the requirements must be so 
loose as to be meaningless. There ought to be something in 
there about broadband up time, free of micro-drop-outs and 
effective bandwidth delivered. In my experience, the actual 
bandwidth received by most customers using ADSL is 
approximately half of the package that they sign up for if 
they are lucky. - BH)

HOUSING MARKET NOT AS ROSY AS FIGURES SUGGEST
---------------------------------------------

The latest statistics may not be presenting an accurate 
picture of the state of the current housing market. The latest 
Government agency Quotable Value figures show a 13.3 percent 
increase in national property values over the past year. QV 
says house prices are continuing to rise despite predictions 
of a slow down. But Professor of Property at Massey University 
Bob Hargreaves believes the market is levelling off. He says 
the statistics are an indication of where the market was at 
six weeks ago when things were looking rosier that they are 
right now. Prof Hargreaves says market activity has been 
slowing down as people become more cautious due to the recent 
collapse of several finance companies and the uncertain state 
of America's subprime mortgage market. He says last month's 
statistics from the Real Estate Institute showed sales volumes 
were well down although prices were holding up. Mr Hargreaves 
believes that when the figures come out for this month, they 
will show that sales volumes are still well down which is a 
precursor to market slowing. While he sees the market 
levelling off, he does not believe there will be big declines 
in the price of the standard family home.

INTERVENTION MEASURES OVER THE TOP
----------------------------------

A former children's commissioner says most parents are doing a 
good job and do not need any intervention from the government. 
The current commissioner Cindy Kiro is proposing a scheme 
which would make it compulsory for every caregiver of a 
newborn baby to choose an authorised provider to visit them at 
home and assess their progress. One of her predecessors, Roger 
McLay, says such wide-ranging intervention simply is not 
necessary. He says statistics reveal the circumstances that 
lead to child abuse and efforts should be concentrated on 
homes where those circumstances exist. Mr McLay says the money 
set aside for the proposal would be better spent on agencies 
which already go into homes, such as Plunket and district 
nurses, who would quickly pick up if something was not right. 
 
(Of all the people who have held the office of children's 
commissioner, only the original, Dr Ian Hassall has really 
given me the impression that he had his feet on the ground as 
well as having his heart in the right place. - BH)

RULES RELAXED FOR SOME BENEFITS
-------------------------------

The Government is relaxing the rules for people claiming they 
are too sick to work. Those wanting to receive the sickness 
and invalid's benefit will now only need to produce one 
medical certificate, completed by the family doctor. People on 
the Invalid's benefit also will not have to re-establish their 
condition on a regular basis, if their health is unlikely to 
change. Those applying for the benefits will now only need to 
see a specialist if there is insufficient information to 
establish eligibility. The Government hopes the changes will 
allow disabled people or those with ill health to participate 
in the community.

TEACHERS CALL OFF STRIKE
------------------------

Secondary teachers have called off a planned strike set down 
for Wednesday. The Post Primary Teachers Association made the 
decision following talks with the Ministry of Education. The 
union believes there has been enough improvement in the 
ministry's offer to continue with the negotiations. President 
Robin Duff says most of the substantive issues have been 
resolved, but he says talks will continue this week to sort 
out the details. The teachers were seeking a 7.5 percent pay 
rise.

NATIONAL CRITICAL OF BURTON PLAN
--------------------------------

The Corrections Department is being accused of trying to spin 
its way out of blame over the Graeme Burton tragedy. National 
Party justice spokesman Simon Power has released an internal 
Corrections Department communications plan which outlines how 
it should deal with official reports into Graeme Burton's 
release. Burton breached his parole conditions and went on to 
kill Wainuiomata man Karl Kuchenbecker. He is now serving 
another life sentence. Mr Power is not impressed that the 
department's first message was to highlight that it was 
cleared of any wrongdoing. He says condolences to Mr 
Kuchenbecker's family only rated fifth on the list. "I would 
have thought that the department would place its priorities in 
reverse, and it goes to show the type of spin machine, 
propaganda that these departments are engaged in presently." 
Mr Power claims the Corrections Department seemed more 
concerned with protecting its own back than fronting up to the 
public.

KEY AHEAD AS PREFERRED PM
-------------------------

The gap between Labour and National is narrowing, but there 
has been an about face in the preferred prime minister race in 
the latest political opinion poll. The TV3/TNS survey reveals 
National is down one point to 47 percent, while Labour has 
risen one to 37 percent. In the preferred prime minister 
stakes National leader John Key has again shot to the lead, 
rising one to 32 percent support while Helen Clark has dropped 
three to 28 percent. 
 
(As of Sunday 16th Helen Clark was on 33 and John Key on 31 - 
BH)

Tuesday, 11 September 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GREEN LIGHT FOR FINANCE INDUSTRY CRACKDOWN
------------------------------------------

The Government has decided to adopt measures put forward by 
the Securities Commission, which are aimed at improving the 
finance industry. The Securities Commission wants trust deeds 
changed to improve best practice reporting, including monthly 
reports on liquidity, asset quality, re-investment rates and 
reports on any breaches of financing arrangements with third 
parties. Commerce Minister Lianne Dalziel says Cabinet has 
noted the recommendations and has decided to implement them. 
She says the amended requirements will automatically become 
part of existing and new trust deeds meaning they will apply 
to all finance companies operating in the country.

SFO TO BE CANNED
----------------

The Serious Fraud Office is to be done away with as the 
Government moves in a new direction to target organised crime. 
Attorney General Michael Cullen says a new Organised Crime 
Agency is to be established and will carry out the important 
functions currently done by the SFO. He says it is better to 
build a single strong agency rather that retain the separate 
powers and functions of the SFO. Justice Minister Mark Burton 
says the new organisation is designed to give police better 
tools to target organised crime, and will also provide for a 
collective response across the justice system. 
 
(I am not sorry. I think the SFO has a patchy record, with too 
many unsuccessful prosecutions, and some of the slowest 
clearance rates imaginable. - BH)

CANCER - BIGGEST KILLER OF NZERS
--------------------------------

Latest figures show cancer is the leading cause of death in 
New Zealand. Ministry of Health figures from 2003 show cancer 
accounted for around one in three deaths that year. More than 
18,500 cancer registrations were lodged in 2003, up 3.6 since 
2002 and up more than 17 percent since 1995. The report also 
shows Maori are more likely than non-Maori to die from the 
disease. Ministry of Health Principal advisor for cancer 
control, Dr John Childs, says the figures confirm the 
importance of work being done to prevent cancer through 
encouraging people to quit smoking and eat more fruit and 
vegetables.

HOUSE PRICES RISE AND SALES FALL
--------------------------------

House prices nationwide are up, but sales are down, according 
to real estate figures just released. The Real Estate 
Institute says it is still at least a month too early to make 
predictions about the overall direction of the market. But it 
does say the market in August showed signs of pausing to 
absorb rising interest rates. The August national median house 
price recovered to reach the May all-time record figure of 
$350,000. The lowest number of sales for seven years was 
recorded, at just under 6,400. Wellington's figures seemed to 
buck the trend in the rest of the country, with sales well up 
and a jump in median prices to $381,000.

ANIMAL TESTING FIGURES SHOCK THE GREENS
---------------------------------------

The Greens are condemning latest figures on animal testing. 
Data released by the National Animal Ethics Council shows more 
than 318,000 animals were experimented on last year - an 
increase of over 20 percent from 2005. Of those, more than 
five percent suffered at a severe or very severe level. 
Committee Chairman John Martin says most of those were rodents 
and were used to test animal health products. He says 87 
percent of animals used in testing experienced little or no 
suffering. Mr Martin says the principal purposes of testing in 
2006 were animal husbandry, basic biological research and 
veterinary research. He says it is important to remember that 
the treatment and cure for many diseases in the world rely on 
animal research, and research is not just about developing new 
drugs for humans, as many of the drugs tested on animals are 
developed for animals. Green MP Sue Kedgley says the rise is 
appalling and is dismissing the contents of the NAEC report as 
spin. She says it sheds no light on why institutions continue 
animal experiments when alternatives are available. Ms Kedgley 
is scathing of the report's claims there is a focus on 
reducing animal testing. She says the numbers clearly do not 
bear this out.

PARTY PILLS BAN EXPECTED TO PASS FIRST READING
----------------------------------------------

The Green Party is likely to be the sole voice of opposition 
as moves to outlaw party pills are pushed through Parliament 
today. A Government Bill aimed at classing Benzylpiparezine 
party pills as a 'class C1' drug will have its first reading 
of the Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill this afternoon. The 
legislation aims to make it illegal to buy, sell, possess, 
import, export, or manufacture pills containing 
Benzylpiperazine - the active drug in party pills. It also 
contains a clause that would deem anyone found with five or 
more grams of the drug to be a supplier. The move follows 
advice last year from the Expert Advisory Committee which 
suggests party pills pose a moderate safety risk. One trial 
showed frequent and severe side effects from taking party 
pills, and suggested the potential for serious harm in some 
individuals, even at relatively low and recommended doses. 
Green MP Metiria Turei says the legislation is a bad move, and 
believes it is easier to protect the community with regulation 
of these kinds of drugs, as opposed to completely banning 
them. She says it is very disappointing the Government is 
going down the path of prohibition, when there are other 
options available that would help it meet its harm reduction 
strategies. Ms Turei says Parliament very rarely allows 
legislation to go through that breaches the Bill of Rights and 
she does not see it as justifiable for this Bill. Meanwhile, 
National MP Jacqui Dean says the Manukau City Council is 
effectively doing the Government's work, with its decision to 
remove party pills from liquor outlets in the area. "The 
Manukau City Council has decided time has run out for party 
pills and has shown courage and leadership by removing them 
from liquor stores." Ms Dean says this moves clearly shows 
communities want party pills gone and the Government has been 
too slow in getting them off the streets.

IS THE HOUSING BOOM ALMOST OVER?
--------------------------------

Analysts are predicting the relentless climb of house prices 
could be almost over. Figures from government agency Quotable 
Value show property values have grown 13.3 percent over the 
past year bringing the average sale price to $394,397. The 
average amount a household is worth rose by $8,700 in the June 
quarter. Rozanna Wozniak from Arcus Investment Management says 
rising house values continue to drive growth in net worth 
which has been boosted by around $188,000 since 2001. She is 
wary about what the future holds and is not confident the 
market will pick up after its traditional winter slowdown. Ms 
Wozniak says people need to be careful about where their money 
is invested as the situation in the US arising from the 
collapse of the subprime mortgage market, shows what can 
happen when people invest heavily in property and the market 
drops out. Ms Wozniak says many home buyers have jumped into 
the housing market with little or no deposit over recent years 
because they were afraid of missing the boat and being unable 
to afford a home if they waited, which will put some in a 
tricky situation if the housing market slows down. But she 
believes most households are well-placed to weather any storm 
that develops. "The unemployment rate is very low and the 
shift by households into longer term fixed mortgage rates 
several years ago has provided some temporary protection. 
Also, debt levels in comparison to housing values are not 
excessive."

JUDGES REFUTE CRITICISM
-----------------------

District Court judges are fighting back against criticism they 
are too soft on offenders who have assaulted police officers. 
An article in the Police Association magazine Police News 
quotes a number of unnamed officers who claim the judiciary 
are too lenient on offenders who assault police, possibly to 
keep down the prison population. Chief District Court Judge 
Russell Johnson has issued a statement refuting the 
allegations. He says it is wrong to allege judges are 
sentencing with that in mind. "Judges take all their work 
seriously and that includes assaults on police, who are so 
often in the front line upholding the law and protecting 
society. Nevertheless, it is quite wrong to claim that in 
their decisions, judges can be directed from any source or by 
considerations such as prison populations."

(In general the learned judge is probably right, but there are 
judgement from time to time that are utterly baffling in the 
extent to which they are at odds with the public perception of 
the seriousness of the offence. - BH)

TVNZ'S MODEL FLAWED SAYS NATIONAL
---------------------------------

National says there is no relief in sight for TVNZ. The state 
broadcaster's returned a loss for the first time. It is 
blaming the $4.5 million loss for the year to June 30 on 
falling advertising revenue and a one-off restructuring bill 
of $11 million. National's broadcasting spokesman Jonathan 
Coleman says TVNZ's audience is falling, yet it is launching 
two new commercial-free channels on Freeview. Dr Coleman 
predicts that will only take viewers from TV One and TV 2, 
which will hurt the company's bottom line even more. Dr 
Coleman believes there is no evidence the situation will 
improve. He says the company cannot keep cutting costs because 
sooner or later programme quality will be affected. He 
believes TVNZ's problem is that it is trying to operate as a 
public and commercial broadcaster.

Wednesday, 12 September 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BACON LOVERS IN FOR PRICE SHOCK
-------------------------------

The New Zealand Pork Industry Board says it has real concerns 
over recent grain price predictions. Director Colin Kay says 
rising prices are the final straw for producers. He says there 
is an international grain shortage thanks partly to the demand 
for bio-fuels using maize in the United States, and the 
Australian drought. Mr Kay says farmers will not be able to 
lift their prices significantly between now and Christmas, but 
after that consumers will be faced with price hikes.

(Frankly, I think bacon lovers have already suffered a quality 
shock. Modern bacon in its vacuum wrapping is not as I 
remember it. The packed product seems to float in weird salts 
and water, and tastes nothing like real bacon. - BH)

NEW RULES TO MONITOR DEPOSIT TAKERS
-----------------------------------

New rules have been announced by the Government that will 
require all deposit takers to be registered by the Reserve 
Bank. Finance Minister Michael Cullen says the new regulatory 
framework will apply to non-bank deposit takers, including 
finance companies, building societies and credit unions. Dr 
Cullen says some of the requirements will include approved 
credit ratings, minimum capital levels and fit and proper 
criteria for directors and senior managers of deposit takers. 
He says the move is not a quick fix and will not solve all the 
problems finance companies are currently facing.

SIR GEOFFREY WANTS OUTDATED LAW CLEAN-OUT
-----------------------------------------

The Law Commission is calling for an overhaul of statute laws 
which it says are in a chaotic state. It says some of the 
legislation was created by Parliament more than 120 years ago 
and is well and truly outdated. Commission President Sir 
Geoffrey Palmer says much of the clutter needs to be removed, 
with some of the older laws which are still in force very 
difficult to understand. He cites the Railways Purchasing Act 
1885 and the New Zealand Institute of Journalists Act 1895 as 
two examples showing the chaotic state of the system. Sir 
Geoffrey says both are unused and unusable today, as are many 
others. "There is a rule, for instance, that contracts to sell 
books to be delivered in the future must be in writing and 
must contain the total price in red print. It is hidden in an 
Act called the Mercantile Law Act 1908, the last place anyone 
would think to look for it." Sir Geoffrey says some of the 
older Acts still in force are very hard to understand, and 
some have sentences of more than two hundred words.

DROP IN FOOD PRICES LAST MONTH
------------------------------

Food prices dropped 0.1 percent in August, mainly due to lower 
prices for fruit and vegetables, but were 3.4 percent higher 
for the year. Last month, the price of avocados fell by 50 
percent, courgettes were down 29.2 percent and oranges fell 
16.3 percent. The decreases were partly offset by higher 
prices for frozen vegetables which were six percent more 
expensive while apples were up 6.4 percent. Meat, rose 1.3 
percent and poultry up 2.3 percent. For the year to August, 
meat, poultry and fish were 8.4 percent higher, restaurant 
meals and ready to eat food rose 3.7 percent, fruit and 
vegetables rose 1.1 percent and non-alcoholic beverages were 
three percent higher.

COORDINATED APPROACH WANTED TO CANCER
-------------------------------------

The Cancer Society says the latest figures highlight the need 
for better access to specialists and medical treatment and 
drugs. Ministry of Health figures show a 3.6 percent increase 
in cancer cases between 2002 and 2003. The statistic 
represents 18,586 patients. The ministry says an aging 
population and population growth accounts for most of the 
increase. Dalton Kelly, CEO of the Cancer Society says the 
figures show there needs to be a coordinated approach to new 
technology and recognition of the value of radiology 
therapists and clinicians. He says the government's drug 
funding agency Pharmac must take a realistic perspective on 
cancer drugs and therapies. The ministry's figures also show 
more Maori than non-Maori are likely to die from cancer and 
Maori women are at least 4.5 percent more likely to die from 
lung cancer than non-Maori women. Maori men are more than 2.5 
times more likely.

NURSES AWAIT CONFIRMATION OF PAY BOOST
--------------------------------------

Nurses are likely to get a major pay deal signed off today. 
Twenty thousand hospital nurses, midwifes and health care 
workers have been negotiating with the country's 21 District 
Health Boards since February. Nurses Organisation spokeswoman 
Glenda Alexander says nurses are hoping for a pay rise close 
to 12 percent over three years. She says confirmation is 
expected this morning.

GREENS VOTE AGAINST PARTY PILL BAN
----------------------------------

Parliament has passed the first reading of legislation 
proposing to outlaw BZP party pills, preventing their 
manufacture, sale and possession. Associate Health Minister 
Jim Anderton says there are enough harmful substances around, 
such as alcohol and tobacco, which have huge social and 
economic costs and there is no need to add to them. The Greens 
and Act were the only parties to vote against the Misuse of 
Drugs Amendment Bill which makes BZP a class C1 drug. Green MP 
Nandor Tanczos argued the bill will just push the industry 
underground and people who continue using the pills will no 
longer have any surety about what they are taking. He warns 
supply will be taken over by criminals and the government is 
simply writing a blank cheque for organised crime.

NOBEL PRIZE NOMINATION FOR SAILING GROUP
----------------------------------------

The umbrella organisation for the Spirit of New Zealand has 
been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize after a Norwegian MP 
put forward Sail Training International for the prestigious 
award. The Spirit of New Zealand Trust is one of 21 members of 
the organisation. Chief Executive John Lister says it is an 
indescribable honour to be nominated. More than 75,000 young 
people have been trainee crew on the ship, or its predecessor 
the Spirit of Adventure. The Nobel Prize will be awarded next 
month.

SUPPORT FOR NEW CRIME UNIT
--------------------------

A crime specialist believes the initiative to do away with the 
Serious Fraud Office (SFO) in favour of a bigger umbrella 
organisation is a good idea, provided the focus on fighting 
fraud is not diminished. The SFO will be replaced with the 
Organised Crime Agency (OCA) and will be within the auspices 
of the police, investigating a range of organised crime. 
Director of Victoria University's Crime and Justice Research 
Centre, Pat Mayhew says the SFO was set up around 15 years ago 
to deal with a particular type of fraud prevalent at the time, 
but the nature of fraud offences has changed with the 
introduction of computers and globalised information and 
communication technology systems. Ms Mayhew says her only 
concern would be if the focus on fraud was taken away. Police 
Minister Annette King says organised crime activity includes 
cyber crime, identity theft and fraud, money laundering, 
extortion, blackmail, drug manufacturing and paedophilia 
networks. She says organised crime is becoming increasingly 
complex. "One of the most significant drivers in the 
development of contemporary trans-national organised crime and 
terrorist groups is the impact of technological change and 
globalisation.

Thursday, 13 September 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FARMERS SLAM UNHEALTHY MILK CLAIMS
----------------------------------

Federated Farmers is rubbishing a book by a Lincoln University 
professor claiming milk is not good for you. Keith Woodford's 
book claims milk with the A1 protein causes all sorts of 
problems and the country needs to switch to cows that produce 
milk with the A2 protein. Federated Farmers President Charlie 
Pedersen says the debate is fuelled by people with commercial 
interests in A2 milk. He says most milk is in its complete 
form with both A2 and A1 proteins.

LABOUR DEFENDS BILL AS CRITICISM WIDENS
---------------------------------------

The Labour Party has made a submission to the Electoral Select 
Committee, defending its contentious Electoral Finance Bill. 
Labour says the proposed legislation is timely and necessary 
and will be of considerable assistance to the parties and 
electoral agencies in ensuring a clear law and fairer 
electoral system. It says the Electoral Finance Bill includes 
caps on expenditure, transparency of donations and public 
funding to supply, which it says are "the necessary 
supplemental funds for election campaigning by political 
parties". National is promising to repeal the legislation, 
should it come into power at the next election. Deputy leader 
Bill English says the law would not last under a National 
government because it cuts across the right to freedom of 
speech. United Future leader Peter Dunne believes the two 
major parties should set aside their differences and start 
talking about the bill. He believes the stands the Labour and 
National are taking on the legislation are more about 
protecting their own interests, than principle. He says the 
law is not there to be tweaked to the advantage of whichever 
party is in power. Mr Dunne says they should stop their 
posturing and engage in multi-party talks over the future of 
the Electoral Finance Bill. Also at the select committee 
hearing, former Electoral Commission chief executive Paul 
Harris picked holes in the bill, arguing it is too wide in its 
definition of election advertising and that it will likely 
catch activities not intended to influence an election. He 
also criticises the $60,000 spending cap on third parties as 
too severe. Dr Harris believes it should be benchmarked at a 
percentage figure of spending limits allowed to political 
parties. Dr Harris says another major failing of the proposed 
legislation is that it does not address anonymous donations to 
political parties. He says more transparency is needed. 
Business New Zealand has also taken a stand against the bill, 
with the lobby group's economist, Stephen Summers, telling the 
Electoral Select Committee hearing it will affect the body's 
ability to comment on policy. He describes the bill as 
restricting free speech. Mr Summers also condemned the way the 
bill has been presented to the public, saying consultation has 
been poor. He says the bill should not proceed, or should at 
least be delayed until after the next election so it can be 
improved to a satisfactory level.

INTEREST RATES FAIL TO DETER SHOPPERS
-------------------------------------

New Zealanders continue to shop, in spite of rising interest 
rates. Retail sales figures for July from Statistics New 
Zealand came in at the same level as the month before. Sales 
in the core sectors measured have flattened over the past four 
months, but when vehicle-related industries are added the 
total trend is towards an increase. Regionally, sales trends 
in Auckland and Waikato have been declining since March, but 
increasing in the rest of the country.

CODE OF CONDUCT VOTE FOR REAL ESTATE AGENTS
-------------------------------------------

Real estate agents are due to vote on a voluntary code of 
ethics separate to the one being forced on them by the 
government. The code is based on recommendations by former 
consumer advocate David Russell, after a review of the 
existing agents' code of conduct. The revamped code encourages 
agents who are put in a potentially compromising situation by 
their clients to walk away from any further association with 
them. It would result in people selling houses finding it 
harder to hide sensitive information from potential buyers. 
The National Council of the Real Estate Institute is meeting 
in Queenstown today.

PRESCHOOLERS NOT OVER-MEDICATED
-------------------------------

It turns out that New Zealand is not full of over-medicated 
preschoolers after all. Figures released by the government's 
drug funding agency Pharmac earlier this week suggested that 
thousands of prescriptions for antidepressants were issued 
annually for young children however the numbers have been 
crunched again and it is now being suggested that fewer than 
10 children aged under six received antidepressants in the 
2006/2007 financial year. Pharmac's medical director Dr Peter 
Moodie, says when officials first saw the figures produced, 
they were concerned so a recheck was carried out, which found 
a coding error caused the problem.

Friday, 14 September 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PM REMAINS THE MOST POWERFUL NZER
---------------------------------

Prime Minister Helen Clark once again tops the New Zealand 
Listener's annual list of the country's most powerful people. 
"It is the fourth year running that Helen Clark has topped the 
Power List," says NZ Listener editor Pamela Stirling. "It now 
seems to be a given among political analysts and commentators 
that she is the most powerful prime minister since Keith 
Holyoake in the 1960s." Her opposition, in National leader 
John Key, has risen from ninth to third place, just behind 
Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen. All Black Coach Graham 
Henry has rocketed up, coming in at seventh, compared to 23rd 
last year. All up, there are 25 new names this year. Notable 
debuts include Weta Workshop's Richard Taylor, anti-smacking 
MP Sue Bradford, broadcaster Willie Jackson, David Bain 
campaigner Joe Karam and poet Bill Manhire. Peter Jackson, Don 
Brash and Trevor Mallard have all dropped right out, after all 
placing in the top 20 last year.

AIR NZ LOOKS AT PARAPARAUMU AIRPORT
-----------------------------------

Air New Zealand is evaluating using Paraparaumu Airport, north 
of Wellington, for domestic services. Deputy chief executive 
Norm Thompson says they are quite excited at the possibility. 
He says that is particularly so as, Air New Zealand was told 
by Wellington Airport it cannot guarantee they will get 
dedicated or preferred use of its services in the future. Mr 
Thompson says the comment is nothing short of astounding, 
given the airline is by far Wellington Airport's largest 
customer. The first stage of Air New Zealand's evaluation of 
Paraparaumu Airport is expected to be completed within a few 
weeks.

(This proposal suffers from the same drawback as the Whenuapai 
proposal. People wanting to go to locations served by these 
airports are going to have their journey times massively 
extended if they have to transfer to or from a service that 
terminates at a main airport. - BH)

TAURANGA COMPANY CAN HANDLE THE HEAT
------------------------------------

A Tauranga-based company has unveiled details of a new range 
of "space-age" flame-resistant clothing it believes has the 
potential to make tens of millions of dollars. Flamecrusher 
says its 2BKool range includes tops and long johns, designed 
to regulate body temperature, which is crucial in top level 
motor racing. Owner Bernie Gillon says the gear is now 
certified by the Formula One governing body, and they cannot 
keep up with the demand. He says they have purchased the 
American company that developed the technology, which uses 
heat-absorbing microscopic balls.

TEACHERS BACK IN TALKS WITH MINISTRY
------------------------------------

The Post Primary Teachers Association is back around the table 
with the Ministry of Education. Secondary school teachers are 
seeking higher pay rates and smaller class sizes. PPTA 
President Robin Duff says teachers want a four percent pay 
increase every year for the next three years. He says it will 
enable the system to retain good quality and experienced 
teachers.

BIG PROFIT FOR THE WAREHOUSE
----------------------------

The Warehouse has posted a big increase in profit. The 
retailer made a net profit after tax of $115,776, million for 
the year to the end of July, compared with $29.3 million last 
year. The result includes a one-off gain of almost $12 
million. Sales from continuing operations were up 2.4 percent 
to $1.76 billion. A special dividend of 36c has been announced 
which will be paid on September 28. Ian Morrice, group CEO 
says the result is creditable given two difficult seasons for 
apparel, a higher level of discounting in the market since 
Christmas and the company's strategic investment in category 
start-ups, pharmacy, liquor and fresh foods. "Despite these 
challenges, operating margins were held year on year." He says 
The Warehouse has invested heavily in improving service during 
the year, speeding up transaction times by replacing point-of-
sale terminals and improving distribution centres. Mr Morrice 
says developments during the year include a second Warehouse 
Extra store opened in Whangarei, which is the first conversion 
from an existing store. A replacement store was opened in 
Ashburton, but Wellington Central and Milford (Auckland) were 
temporarily closed during the fourth quarter. Warehouse 
Stationery sales were up 0.9 percent to $213.5 million, with 
same store sales up 2.2 percent for the year. Growth 
categories included consumer electronics, computer consumables 
and packaging and postal products. Earnings before interest 
and tax was up 2.2 percent to $9.5 million.

CRACKDOWN ON CAMPYLOBACTER IN CHICKEN
-------------------------------------

Food officials have introduced strict new rules in their 
attempts to crack down on cases of Campylobacter. The Food 
Safety Authority wants the number of cases, many of which are 
linked to raw or undercooked chicken, to fall by 50 percent 
over the next five years. The authority has given chicken 
processors until April to cut Campylobacter contamination 
levels by 90 percent. It says it will take strong action 
against processing plants that do not meet the target. The 
authority says that could lead to some premises being closed. 
Principal risk management advisor Judi Lee says it is part of 
an ongoing strategy to combat the disease. She says consumers 
also need to be vigilant, remembering to clean, cook, cover 
and chill chicken. 
 
(Long overdue. - BH)

PACIFIC BLUE TALLIES UP SAVINGS
-------------------------------

Cut-price airline Pacific Blue estimates New Zealanders have 
saved at least $4 million on air travel in the three weeks 
since it announced it was entering the domestic market. The 
company says it has sold around 100,000 of its introductory 
$39 one-way fares. Commercial General Manager, Adrian 
Hamilton-Manns, says the fare seems to have set a benchmark 
with competitors, as Air New Zealand and Qantas match it.

HIGH COST TO SETTLE LEAKY BUILDING CLAIMS
-----------------------------------------

Auckland City Council believes it could cost up to $360 
million to settle all its leaky building claims. The Finance 
Committee has completed an estimate of how much the council 
has already spent and is likely to spend in the future, to 
settle all leaky building claims. Finance general manager 
Andrew McKenzie says the council is in a bind, as it has 
obligations to ensure ratepayers live in safe houses yet must 
balance that cost against its financial responsibility to all 
other ratepayers. Mayor Dick Hubbard has requested an urgent 
meeting with the prime minister on the issue. He is proposing 
a joint approach between central and local government.

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