WYSIWYG NEWS - 17 February, 2008

[news at wysiwygnews.com]

Subject: 17 February, 2008 
----- WYSIWYG NEWS ------------------------------ 
Copyright, Brian Harmer.
 
Whoa. Another two week lapse. Sorry folks. 

"Lofty mountain grandeur" is hard to ignore even when viewed 
from the middle of an over-commercialised tourist town. Mary 
and I spent the latter half of last week in Queenstown with 
our son Andrew and his family. Their house, situated in 
Frankton at the very foot of the Remarkables, offers quiet 
hospitality despite its proximity to the airport, and seems 
like a wonderful place for little Billie's formative years. We 
were fortunate to be there in a spell of beautiful weather, 
though Andrew (Drew to his friends) was recovering from a 
virus of some sort. Every time I went into the back yard, 
there they were, those truly astonishing mountains. The eye is 
first caught at a relatively low level, and then follows ever 
upwards to what seems like an enormous height. Billie was in 
her daycare session when Andrew and Abbey, Mary and I went to 
experience the Shotover Jet, a quintessentially Queenstown 
tourist attraction. Consistent with the drought conditions we 
saw from the air, the Shotover River was running at a far 
lower level than when I last saw it. There are jet boat rides 
in many other places, but there are surely few that take place 
in such a dramatic setting. These big powerful boats race up 
and down the river at speeds in excess of 80 km/h literally 
within inches of sharp rocky outcrops, and do impossibly tight 
turns whenever the river opens up a little. It is a wild and 
hairy ride that gets the pulse racing, and sometimes cause a 
clenching of the posterior muscles. They prefer to know 
whether you have a heart condition before they let you on. And 
you should be prepared to get wet. Then Mary accepted the dare 
to try tandem paragliding from the peak above Queenstown's 
Skyline facility. We all went up in the gondola rocking a 
little in the light breeze as the lake and the landscape 
unfolded beneath us. At the top, the fee was paid, and a burly 
Swiss grabbed his parachute and with Mary in tow, headed for 
the chair lift to get closer to the top. The rest of us headed 
straight back down to the gondola and thence to the landing 
site, and waited to record the event for posterity. In my mind 
I was rehearsing the explanation I would have to give to my 
daughters as to how I could have let her do it in the event  
of any mishap. As if I could have stopped her! Ben's 
paraglider, we were told, was predominantly white, with a soft 
blue leading edge. Several other paragliders came into view, 
but none of them were Ben, according to the team ferrying the 
pilots and their chutes back to the gondola. Eventually it 
appeared just above the pines on the skyline. It seems that 
they caught some good wave lift, and spent a good ten minutes 
doodling about on the face just below the ridge. Soon enough 
though, they were near the landing zone, and we could see 
Mary's legs sticking forward as she seemed to sit on the 
emergency parachute in front of the pilot. A minute or two 
later, with a landing run of about three or four steps she was 
down, with a huge grin that didn't leave her face for the rest 
of the day. The wave left meant that she had almost twenty 
minutes in the air rather than the seven or eight minutes that 
some customers get. She was almost serious when I started 
looking at Trademe (NZ equivalent of eBay) for used 
paragliders for her :-) I am not sure which was the stronger 
force in keeping me earthbound - either fear of embarrassing 
rejection since I am at or near their maximum permissible 
weight limit, or simply a well developed instinct for 
survival. The next day we went to a winery to see if we wanted 
to buy some of their Pinot Noir. To my admittedly inexpert 
palate, it tasted like Jet A-1 aviation fuel, so we moved on 
to the Kawarau Bridge Bungy jump. This A J Hackett site lays 
claim to being the world's first (November, 1988) commercial 
bungy jumping site after the original vine based indigenous 
custom in Pentecost Island in the Vanuatu group. For only $160 
you can subject yourself to this crazy business of being tied 
to a long length of stretchy rubber to leap out towards the 
tumbling white water, 43 metres below. I watched (and 
photographed) several nerveless souls (and a few screamers) do 
their jump. I still have my $160 and so, to my relief does 
Mary. Just up the road from there, is the Gibbston Cheesery 
(yes, it is a word - I checked). There I was able to overcome 
my fear of death and test my manhood at last by daringly 
tasting some very fine cheeses, including a very sharp washed 
rind cheese called Gibbston Gold. As the man behind the 
counter said, it bites you right back. Their blue was less 
aggressive, and had a nice flavour and texture and I was 
sufficiently persuaded as to buy some to take home. The 
Gibbston Valley Cheese company is well worth the visit. We 
returned via Arrowtown where we enjoyed a pleasant drink in a 
bar and café on the edge of a village green, and enjoyed the 
warmth of the afternoon.  However apart from the joy of seeing 
and being with family, the big event of the visit was that 
Mary gifted me with the fare to come back to Queenstown and to 
attend the biennial air show "Warbirds over Wanaka" at Easter 
weekend with Andrew. I have always wanted to attend this. Of 
course, the purchase of a much more powerful telephoto lens 
than any I have owned until now was made necessary. 
----  
Any text above this point, and all subsequent material in 
parentheses, and concluded with the initials "BH" is the 
personal opinion of Brian Harmer as editor of this newsletter, 
or occasionally "GS" will indicate an opinion from our 
editorial assistant. In all cases they are honest expressions 
of personal opinion, and are not presented as fact.  
 
All news items (except where noted otherwise) are reproduced 
by kind permission of copyright owner, Newstalk ZB News. All 
copyright in the news items reproduced remains the property of 
The Radio Network Limited. 

Thanks to Peter Coleridge in Toronto for this week's 
sponsorship.
----  
On with the News. 

Monday, 4 February 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TREATY CLAIM SLAPPED ON TREATY GROUNDS
--------------------------------------

As preparations for the commemoration of the signing of the 
Treaty of Waitangi reach their peak, a claim has been lodged 
over the ownership of the Treaty Grounds. Matarahurahu is 
asking the Waitangi Tribunal for the return of 240 acres of 
land. The Far North sub-tribe of Ngapuhi also wants 
compensation for loss of the land's use, and an apology from 
the Crown. Spokesman David Rankin says the claim is based on 
firm documentary evidence, and is a matter of international 
law. He says the sale by his ancestors Hone Heke and Tuhirangi 
fell under a guarantee by then New South Wales governor George 
Gipps, that Maori would keep possession of land that had not 
been fairly sold to Europeans prior to 1840. Mr Rankin says 
the sale to James Busby, which took place in 1832, was never 
investigated and so the Crown could not claim to have paid a 
fair price. The Treaty Grounds were subsequently bought 
privately and then gifted to the people of New Zealand by 
former governor-general, Lord Bledisloe. 
 
(Apparently the Treaty Grounds are in private ownership, and 
are thus ineligible to be the subject of a Treaty claim. - BH)

HOUSE TOO EXPENSIVE? GET A CAR INSTEAD
--------------------------------------

With houses out of the reach of many New Zealanders, it seems 
some are contenting themselves with a new car instead. 
Registrations have risen for the first time in three months, 
according to Land Transport New Zealand. More than 7,500 went 
on the road during January...a third more than in December, 
and a rise of 11 percent on last year's figure. Toyotas were 
the most popular model, followed by Holdens. Registrations of 
used imports were down five percent - at just over 9,000 for 
the month.

FREE SCHOOL BREAKFAST SCHEME GROWS
----------------------------------

More needy children will be getting full tummies before school 
this year. The Red Cross is adding eight more schools to its 
breakfast programme, which began last year with 18 schools. 
Spokesman Patrick Cummings says the programme is available to 
any decile one primary school, provided the school organises 
volunteers to help dish out the food. The supermarket chain 
Countdown provides the meals free of charge. He says feedback 
from principals and teachers is that breakfast is making a 
difference.

FARMERS HOTLINE TO MONITOR DROUGHT
----------------------------------

Federated Farmers has set up an 0800 number to help monitor 
the effects of the ongoing drought. The aim is to support 
farmers who are having difficultly sourcing feed. Federation 
president Charlie Pedersen says farmers need to be planning 
for a sustained dry spell, likely to last until April. The 
hotline allows farmers to register demand for feed, or if they 
have a surplus feed, offer it to others. The number is 0800 
335 663.

AUSTRALIA BOUND DEPARTURES UP TO 28,000
---------------------------------------

Despite Australia's long-running drought, it seems the grass 
still looks greener on the other side of the Tasman. The 
number of people leaving permanently to live in Australia shot 
up last year, reaching levels not seen since the late 1980s. 
The net loss for the year was 28,000, compared with just under 
21,000 in 2006. Figures from Statistics New Zealand show a net 
gain of permanent migrants during 2007 of just 5,500, well 
under half what it was the year before. Britain was the source 
of most permanent newcomers. 7,000 made the trip from there, 
while 3,600 came in from India and 3,200 migrated from the 
Philippines.

SEVENS INJECTS $10M INTO WELLINGTON
-----------------------------------

Early indications are the weekend's Rugby Sevens event 
injected close to $10 million into Wellington's economy. Mayor 
Kerry Prendergast says the event is huge for the city because 
it is held over such a short time. Ms Prendergast says the 
World Of Wearable Arts also brings in reasonable cash - but 
that is spread out over eight shows. And she says what it does 
for the Capital's branding is phenomenal. Ms Prendergast 
believes the fun and vibrancy of the Sevens epitomises 
everything Wellington stands for. She says it overshadows all 
the other events the city hosts. 
 
(Watching 40,000 people, most of whom seem to have had a good 
skinful, bouncing to excessively amplified music always sends 
shudders through me. It's not just a generational thing. I 
must be from a different planet. I disagree with her Worship 
the Mayor. I acknowledge that at least 40,000 people disagree 
with me. - BH)

WELLINGTON, CANTERBURY SHORT OF WATER
-------------------------------------

Wellingtonians could be facing serious water shortages if 
there is no heavy rainfall within the week. Greater Wellington 
councillor Rex Kirton says river levels are so low the 
Wainuiomata water treatment plant may have to be shut down. If 
that happens, sprinklers and irrigation systems would be 
banned. Mr Kirton says there has been no significant rain 
since early January and the forecast does not bode well for 
February, when demand is usually expected to peak. Meanwhile 
times are tough for farmers in Canterbury, where total 
irrigation restrictions have now been in place for more than a 
week. Waimakariri Irrigation manages about 1400 kilometres of 
water canals for the area's District Council. It has noticed 
shareholders are doing it tough with dry times. Operations 
Manager Phil Reid says the situation is expected to continue 
for the next week at least, but there has been a welcome 
prediction of rain on the way. Mr Reid says only stock water 
is now allowed to be taken. 
 
(It's very rare indeed that water rationing is contemplated in 
the Wellington Region, other than in Kapiti. Rain in the last 
week may have dispelled this possibility. - BH)

TIME FOR A FINANCIAL STOCKTAKE
------------------------------

A budgeting service is warning already stretched families 
their rent or mortgages will cost more by the end of the year. 
The warning comes on the heels of Australian research, which 
estimates 300,000 homeowners will default on their mortgages 
this year. Experts here say New Zealand will follow the trend. 
Some believe the fall-out could be even worse in relative 
terms, as interest rates this side of the Tasman are 
traditionally higher than Australia's. Family Budgeting 
Service Chief Executive Raewyn Fox say people should take some 
time to do a thorough stocktake of their financial situation. 
She says thousands of families do not realise what government 
assistance they are entitled to. Raewyn Fox says if interest 
rates here go up most New Zealanders will be affected, not 
just homeowners. Those paying rent can expect to bear an 
increase, to help cover their landlord's expenses. She says it 
is tough for tenants, with few able to cover their weekly 
payments and save for a place of their own.

TEACHERS TO VOTE ON PAY DEAL
----------------------------

The union which represents primary and intermediate school 
teachers is quietly confident it is close to finalising a $300 
million pay deal. The NZEI reached a breakthrough in 
negotiations last year. Teachers will vote over the next month 
on whether to ratify it. The package includes a four percent 
pay rise for members over the next two to three years. NZEI 
president Frances Nelson says the deal will help retain 
experienced staff, by paying more to those who take up 
management roles. She says she is glad teachers are starting 
the new school year without industrial action looming over 
them. The package needs the support of 51 percent of members 
if it is to be ratified. Ms Nelson is confident the deal will 
go through, and looks forward to the tallying up of votes at 
the end of this month. Information meetings detailing the 
settlement are to be held before teachers cast their votes.

Tuesday, 5 February 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NGATI POROU DEAL ABOUT "REAFFIRMING MANA"
-----------------------------------------

Both the Government and east coast tribe Ngati Porou are happy 
with a heads of agreement deal on the foreshore and seabed. 
The deal, which has still to be finalised, recognises the 
special status the seabed and foreshore has to Ngati Porou, 
protects customary rights and activities and guarantees the 
tribe a say in the way the area is managed. Attorney General 
Michael Cullen says it is an historic agreement and strikes a 
balance between protecting public, private, Maori, Crown, 
business, and recreational interests. There is no payout or 
financial compensation as part of the deal and Ngati Porou 
spokesman Dr Apirana Mahuika says the tribe was never seeking 
any. He says the greatest thing for them was the reaffirmation 
of their mana and that is something money cannot buy. 
 
(Mana according to Wikipedia can be understood mana is a 
spiritual quality considered to have supernatural origin - a 
sacred impersonal force existing in the universe. Therefore to 
have mana is to have influence and authority, and efficacy - 
the power to perform in a given situation. This essential 
quality of mana is not limited to persons - peoples, 
governments, places and inanimate objects can possess mana ...  
People or objects that possess mana are accorded respect; 
because their possession of mana gives them authority, power 
and prestige. In M?ori, a tribe that has "mana whenua" is 
considered to have demonstrated their authority over a given 
piece of land or territory. - BH) 

CLARK SHOULD GET OVER THE PAST - KEY
------------------------------------

Helen Clark is being told to get over past incidents at 
Waitangi's Te Tii Marae. The Prime Minister has refused an 
invitation from Ngapuhi to attend a leaders' debate at the 
marae, saying it is against her policy. Miss Clark has not 
returned to the marae since she was jostled there in 2004. 
National leader John Key says it is time for Helen Clark to 
move on. He acknowledges she has had some issues at Te Tii, 
but Mr Key believes things have changed. Mr Key says a visit 
to the marae is a chance to engage with Maori. The Maori 
Affairs Minister is coming to the defence of his boss. 
Parekura Horomia says Miss Clark is damned if she does and 
damned if she does not attend celebrations at Te Tii. Mr 
Horomia says people are often complaining to him about the bad 
behaviour of protesters on the marae. "Who consistently tell 
me when I roam around they get very hoha . . . with the ugly 
incidents that happen here. Two years ago I got my finger 
bitten by some little runt that was up there being naughty." 
Mr Horomia says Te Tii has been the venue for some ugly scenes 
in recent years. 
 
(Hoha: Maori for bored - BH) 

POTENTIAL AIRPORT BIDDER PULLS OUT
----------------------------------

A company interested in bidding for Auckland International 
Airport has pulled out, leaving the Canadian Pension Plan as 
the only player with an offer on the table. Auckland Airport 
Chairman Tony Frankham says due to a confidentiality 
agreement, he cannot say who the third party was, but the 
initial terms proposed did not meet the board's requirements. 
The Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board's (CPPIB) partial 
takeover offer is for 40 percent of the ordinary shares of 
Auckland Airport. Shareholders are required to make two 
decisions - whether to sell their shares into the offer and 
whether to vote for or against CPPIB becoming a 40 percent 
shareholder. CPPIB needs 39.2 percent acceptances and a 
majority vote in order to complete the transaction. CPPIB had 
advised that acceptances have been lodged for 48,318,171 
shares representing 3.95 percent of the total shares in the 
company. Of those acceptances 42,851,210 shares have been 
lodged in the CPPIB acceptance facility. These shares can be 
withdrawn by shareholders prior to the close of the offer. 
56,141,965 shareholder votes, representing 4.59 percent of the 
total shares in the company, have also been received. Of the 
votes received to date, 76.56 percent are against CPPIB 
acquiring a 40 percent stake and 23.44 percent are in favour 
of the offer. The offer period closes on 13 March 2008. AIA 
shares have lost six cents in morning trade, to be worth 
$2.68.

SCREWS TIGHTENED ON INSURANCE COMPANIES
---------------------------------------

The Commerce Minister has announced law changes that will see 
people taking out insurance policies required to disclose 
everything an insurer will need to know. However Lianne 
Dalziel says the focus will be on insurance companies making 
sure they ask the right questions. She says it will provide 
fairer outcomes for people who innocently fail to disclose 
information they did not know was required and lessen the 
chances of having their policies voided. 
 
(There seems to be a vast difference between what they want to 
know, and what they need to know. Surely they should have to 
prove some direct correlation with risk before they ask for 
any item of information - BH)

US-NZ FREE TRADE DEAL NUDGES CLOSER
-----------------------------------

New Zealand is another step closer to a free trade agreement 
with the United States, after joining forces with Singapore, 
Brunei and Chile in what is called the P4 grouping. The US has 
announced today it has agreed to begin a thorough exploratory 
process to determine whether to press ahead with full free-
trade negotiations with the group. Trade minister Phil Goff 
says this is a parallel path to a free trade agreement and it 
is a significant move. He says it also provides a building 
block for a much wider, high quality, agreement with other 
countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The New Zealand United 
States Council says the sooner we seal a free trade agreement 
with the US the better. Chief executive Stephen Jacobi says at 
the moment the US is prepared to negotiate an agreement on 
financial services and investments. He says it is a 
significant first step.

INVESTMENT LONG-TERM AS CONFIDENCE DROPS
----------------------------------------

As investment confidence falls, financial advisors are urging 
people to realise that investment is a long-term commitment. 
Investment confidence now stands at 19 percent, a fall from 22 
percent for the September quarter. Jonathan Beale, head of 
investment services for ASB, says confidence began sliding 
when it became clear that problems in the US housing market 
were spreading. He believes the difficulties are not yet over. 
Mr Beale says people need to put things in perspective and 
realise why they are investing and the timeframe involved. He 
says investors often react too early when they see the market 
taking a dive. Mr Beale says there are signs some investments 
are doing well, but he fears overall confidence may slide even 
further.

LATEST LAND CLAIM POINTLESS SAYS ACADEMIC
-----------------------------------------

A Maori historian believes the latest land claim at Waitangi 
is a waste of time. Maori academic David Rankin says his sub-
tribe Ngapuhi hapu Matarahurahu wants 97 hectares of Bay of 
Islands land returned. The land takes in the Waitangi Treaty 
grounds and the historic Treaty House. He is citing what are 
known as the 'Gipps Proclamations', in which he says the New 
South Wales Governor, George Gipps, guaranteed a few weeks 
before the Treaty was signed that Maori would keep possession 
of any land that had not been fairly sold to Europeans prior 
to 1840 and that had not been investigated by the Crown. Mr. 
Rankin claims that the sale of the 240 acres of land by his 
ancestors Hone Heke and Tuhirangi was never investigated and 
that the Crown cannot therefore claim to have paid a fair 
price for it. Mr Rankin says he will be asking Auckland 
University of Technology historian Paul Moon to help research 
his claim, but Dr Moon says there is no point, because the 
Waitangi Tribunal cannot consider claims on private land. He 
says the land in question is deemed private property, as it is 
administered by a trust.

MAORIDOM "COOL" SAYS REPORT
---------------------------

A new report is encouraging companies to boast about their 
links to Maoridom. The study prepared by the Institute of 
Economic Research for Te Puni Kokiri (the Ministry of Maori 
Development), shows Maori culture has a good reputation and is 
quickly growing internationally. Chief executive Leith Comer 
says New Zealand could be levering off what he describes as a 
"Maori edge," using Maori images to brand New Zealand products 
and differentiate them overseas. "Points of difference are 
potentially very valuable and traditional Maori values, 
activities and protocols are providing Maori with natural 
advantages they can exploit." The report points to the success 
of Michael Campbell's clothing range, Kia Kaha, as an example 
of the ease with which Maori spiritual and cultural elements 
can be fused with consumer preferences. It argues that 
interest in the clothing range springs not just from 
Campbell's sporting success but also in designs that have 
actual meaning and tell a story. Mr Comber says New Zealand 
businesses should act now to capture the positive demand for 
aspects of Maori culture. He says it appears to be "cool" to 
be Maori. He says the attitudes of Maori culture towards 
business could also be adopted, as they fit in with many Asian 
cultures. The report states that Maori culture favours 
relationship building and putting faces to names, suggesting 
that Maori are well-suited to playing a leading role in 
negotiating and securing potentially lucrative deals with some 
overseas trading partners. The report says the size of the 
Maori asset base in 2005/06 was estimated to have grown to 
$16.5 billion, an increase of 83 percent compared with 2001.

Wednesday, 6 February 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PROTESTERS MARCH AT WAITANGI
----------------------------

Hundreds of people have marched at Waitangi this afternoon to 
protest last year's police anti-terror raids. The hikoi 
travelled from Te Tii Marae across the bridge to the flagpole 
at the Treaty grounds. Members of the hikoi say it is one of 
the biggest turnouts in several years. The majority of the 
hikoi members are Maori, however one group calling themselves 
Pakeha Support Tuhoe also took part. The march was peaceful 
but there was a strong police presence at the upper meeting 
house.

TOXIC SMOKE FORCES EVACUATION IN PATEA
--------------------------------------

People in the Taranaki township of Patea are being urged to 
leave their homes this morning. Civil Defence has been 
activated as fire crews battle a large blaze at the old 
freezing works. Smoke from the asbestos-filled building is 
being blown across town. A welfare centre has been set up at 
Hawera. Spokesman Gerard Langford says they are arranging 
transport from the Patea Fire Station with more than 300 
people expected to be seeking shelter. Meanwhile, fire crews 
are beginning to put water on the flames, after letting the 
buildings burn for much of the morning. Chief Fire officer Pat 
Fitzell says losing the buildings is not a worry because they 
have been left derelict for years. However, he says their main 
concern is the danger of asbestos particles getting into the 
air. Mr Fitzell says some of the buildings are 100 years old 
and the wall claddings, insulation and roofs all contain 
asbestos. He says helicopters may be called in later today, 
but the fire is likely to burn for several days. 
 
(Subsequent analysis revealed no trace of asbestos in the 
residues deposited - BH)

Thursday, 7 February 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CULLEN VAGUE ON TAX CUT PLAN
----------------------------

Tax cuts are a reality for 2008 - but just who will benefit 
and by how much is yet to be announced. Finance Minister 
Michael Cullen has confirmed the Labour Government will offer 
tax cuts this year. He pointed to the strong run the economy 
has been enjoying, and the fact net Crown debt has been 
reduced from 35 percent of GDP to 20 percent. He says these 
conditions set the stage for cutting taxes, and it is fair to 
do so because there is money in Crown accounts which is not 
needed to meet the Government's obligations to New Zealanders. 
But he says he cannot be any more specific because he does not 
have updated economic forecasts. Dr Cullen also refused to say 
if people in all income brackets would benefit from the cuts. 
He was clear that he did not want any cuts to add to 
inequality in society. The Minister promises more details will 
be revealed before the May budget - but he is not calling his 
plans an election winner, saying in his experience budgets do 
not win elections. Michael Barnett, Chief Executive of the 
Auckland Chamber of Commerce, says Dr Cullen should remove the 
uncertainty. Mr Barnett says one of the biggest problems the 
business sector has at the moment is around people and skills. 
He says personal tax is an issue which could retain and 
attract skilled workers here, and the rates people pay in New 
Zealand just don't compare to those of Hong Kong, Singapore 
and Australia. Meanwhile, National remains unconvinced the 
Finance Minister intends delivering anything meaningful. 
Leader John Key says the four 'tests' Dr Cullen requires to be 
satisfied simply show he does not like tax cuts. Mr Key says a 
government led by himself would deliver. He says Labour has 
had a tremendous opportunity to deliver cuts with a low 
inflationary environment and high surpluses and yet they have 
not had the political will. Mr Key says if National had been 
voted in at the last election, workers would be $40 to $50 a 
week better off today.

PATEA CLEAN-UP COULD COST MILLIONS
----------------------------------

The clean-up following a fire at the old Patea freezing works 
looks set to cost millions. Fire ripped through the building 
yesterday causing extensive environmental damage, and leaving 
the town with fears of toxins in the air. A group of health, 
fire and local government met today to discuss the needs of 
the community. Taranaki district council spokesman Gary 
Bedford says one report has been issued putting the likely 
damage at around $5 million. He says the eventual cost will 
depends on how the community wants to deal with the situation. 
Officials are now working on a plan to deal with the remaining 
buildings, asbestos dust and the concerns of Patea residents. 
Mr Bedford says people are worried about eating fruits or 
vegetables from their gardens. He said a letterbox drop will 
be made tomorrow recommending things residents should and 
should not do.

GOVT COY ON TOLL PLAN FOR NEW MOTORWAY
--------------------------------------

The Government is keeping its card close to its chest on the 
possibility a major new motorway planned for Auckland might be 
tolled. A public-private partnership to build the Waterview 
connection on the Western Ring Route is being looked at. 
Involving the private sector in the project raises the 
question as to whether such a road could be paid for by tolls, 
but Government briefing papers say that might not necessarily 
happen. The papers say it is one way of helping to pay for the 
multi-billion dollar project, but any application would have 
to be approved by the Minister of Transport. Previously, 
following public consultation, Transit had ruled out using 
tolls to pay for the project.

FINANCE COMPANY HALT EXTENDED
-----------------------------

A trading halt in the shares of MFS New Zealand - the parent 
company of finance firm MFS Pacific - has been extended until 
the end of the week. The NZX says there is continuing 
uncertainty over the company's future, after its Australian 
arm withdrew funding. The company has just sold a chunk of 
travel operator The Stella Group, and says the income from 
this will be good for investors in MFS Pacific. It has not yet 
made good on payments to those investors, which were due at 
the end of January.

WAIKATO OFFICIALLY IN DROUGHT
-----------------------------

The Waikato has now been declared a drought zone - the first 
time there has ever been a drought declaration in the region. 
A drought response group - which includes representatives from 
the regional council and rural sector - has been set up to co-
ordinate information and action. Environment Waikato chairman 
Peter Buckley says the dry conditions are starting to take 
their toll on many farms and rural businesses across the 
region. He says even if rain was to fall, it is unlikely it 
would put enough moisture into the soil to boost pasture 
growth to normal levels. 
 
(The Waikato is traditionally the greenest of NZ provinces. A 
drought there is a drought indeed. - BH)

UNEMPLOYMENT REACHES NEW LOW
----------------------------

Unemployment has fallen yet again. Statistics New Zealand has 
just released figures for December. In seasonally adjusted 
terms, the unemployment rate hit a new low of 3.4 percent - 
the lowest since surveys began in March 1986. The number of 
people in work increased by 23,000 - or just over one percent 
in the December quarter. It means there are now 2,173,000 
people in work. The growth was driven by women. The percentage 
of women now working has risen to 62 percent - the highest 
ever - while the male participation rate has dropped to 75 
percent.

KIWISAVER NUMBERS STILL RISING
------------------------------

The Government is again trumpeting the success of its 
KiwiSaver scheme, as the number of workers signing up 
continues to beat predictions. Latest figures show over 
410,000 people had joined the savings scheme at the end of 
January. The figure is well ahead of the 276,000 predicted by 
Treasury. Finance Minister Michael Cullen says the surge 
suggests the country is undergoing a strengthening in its 
savings culture. He says KiwiSavers are focussing for the 
long-term and that is good news for the economic and social 
well-being of the whole country.

KIWI INVESTORS OUT OF POCKET AGAIN
----------------------------------

Another investment meant for mum and dad investors has turned 
sour. New Zealand investors have put $30 million into 
Macquarie New Zealand Fortune Notes and it now looks as though 
the notes have half their value. Business correspondent Roger 
Kerr says Macquarie Bank merely arranged the deal and does not 
guarantee the investment. "I think they should be doing the 
honourable thing here and protect their own name and 
reputation in the market place by stumping up and paying out 
investors." Mr Kerr says the notes were issued in May 2005 at 
$1 each and are now valued at 48 cents.

RECORD NUMBER ATTEND CELEBRATIONS AT WAITANGI
---------------------------------------------

A record 46,612 people attended celebrations at the Waitangi 
Treaty grounds yesterday. That is 41 more than the record set 
two years ago. Organisers say the crowd was well-behaved, laid 
back and in festive move. Jeanette Richardson, CEO of the 
Waitangi National Trust, says rain affected numbers last year, 
but there has been an almost steady doubling of attendance 
annually over the last five years. "With Waitangi Day on a 
Friday next year, the Treaty Grounds is set to host the 
nation's largest, most established and most significant 
birthday celebration."

PARTIAL ECLIPSE THIS AFTERNOON
------------------------------

A partial eclipse of the sun will be visible around the 
country this afternoon. Times will vary by a few minutes but 
in Auckland it will start at 4.48pm and finish about two hours 
later. The time of maximum eclipse in the region will be at 
5.52pm when 47 percent of the sun will be covered by the moon 
Maximum eclipse in Christchurch will occur at 5.37pm when 53 
percent of the sun's surface will be covered. Graham Murray 
from the Auckland Stardome warns people not to look at the sun 
directly, or through a camera, binoculars or telescope, as 
that could cause permanent damaging, including the possibility 
of blindness.

Friday, 8 February 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CANCER SOCIETY SUNSCREEN FAILS SPF TEST
---------------------------------------

One of New Zealand's most popular sunscreens has failed to 
meet its protection standard. Consumer NZ says the Cancer 
Society's SPF 30+ Trigger Spray was tested on 10 volunteers 
and achieved only an average SPF of 23. CEO Sue Chetwin says 
the Cancer Society has been alerted to the findings and has 
agreed to urgently recall the sunscreen. Consumer NZ says it 
is a major public health issue, particularly in New Zealand 
with its high rate of melanoma and at this time of high UV 
levels. It says the Cancer Society needs to look at urgently 
testing all its products.

ROTORUA AND BOP SET TO SCORE MAJOR FILM
---------------------------------------

A big budget movie full of A-list actors may be on its way to 
Rotorua and the Bay of Plenty. The movie's producers are 
looking at the possibility of using New Zealand scenery. Film 
Volcanic spokeswoman Chrissy Leif says if they do choose to 
film here they will reside in Rotorua for three to four 
months, and spend around $17 million nationwide. She says the 
producers have looked at forest and farmlands in Rotorua and 
at White Island in the Bay of Plenty as prospective scenes. 
Mrs Leif says many New Zealanders would also be employed to 
work on the movie.

TIMBERLANDS TO BE CLOSED DOWN
-----------------------------

State-owned forestry company Timberlands is being closed down. 
State Owned Enterprise Minister Trevor Mallard has announced 
the company's assets will be transferred to Crown Forestry. He 
says poor financial results and revised lower harvest 
forecasts would mean Timberlands would continue to operate in 
the red for at least another decade. Mr Mallard says as a 
result, Timberlands cannot fulfil its statutory obligation to 
operate as a successful business and it will be wound up once 
its assets are transferred to Crown Forestry.

SUPPORT PACKAGES FOR DROUGHT-STRICKEN FARMERS
---------------------------------------------

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is rolling out a 
range of support packages for farmers affected by drought. 
Waikato has been declared a drought zone for the first time. 
Southland, Canterbury, Central Otago, South Taranaki and 
Hawke's Bay are all expected to follow suit. The National 
Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research says no 
significant rain is forecast until next month. MAF's national 
drought coordinator Phil Journeaux says the organisation is in 
the process of assessing how much supplementary feed is 
available. He says tax provisions, income equalisation schemes 
and welfare support will all be on offer for affected farmers. 
Mr Journeaux says the full financial impacts may not be felt 
until the end of the year. 
 
(I have said before that many other forms of business or 
investment are subject to uncontrollable adverse events. I 
don't understand why just one industry gets this kind of 
support. I am not necessarily opposed to support, provided 
other sectors get similar assistance - BH)

EARNINGS FALL FOR TELECOM
-------------------------

Telecom's earnings are down by $57 million for the half year 
to December 2007. It is reporting net earnings of $397 
million, compared with $454 million in the previous period. 
The company's adjusted net earnings for continuing operations 
were down by 2.7 percent but Telecom chief executive Paul 
Reynolds says a transformation is underway at the company. He 
says decisions have been made about leadership, structure and 
focus that will help to secure future momentum. Dr Reynolds 
says highlights of the period included the setting up of the 
Chorus networks business and the accelerated rollout of a fast 
broadband network. "This network will support fast broadband 
speeds across a geographic footprint that is virtually 
unmatched by any other country." Dr Reynolds says Telecom's 
wholesale business performed well and its ICT services 
business won further customers including ACC and the Ministry 
of Social Development. "We also banked an after tax dividend 
of $19 million from Southern Cross in the quarter, following 
the $22 million after-tax dividend received in Q1. We expect a 
further $10 million to be paid in Q3." However Dr Reynolds 
says there were weaker performances in other areas including 
revenue from mobile connections. "We have the opportunity to 
increase our share of high-value customers and roaming 
revenues over time, once our WCDMA mobile network is deployed 
before the end of this year, and as we bring sophisticated new 
worldmode mobile devices to market, including Blackberry and 
Windows Mobile 6 PDA devices." Retail broadband connections 
were weaker for the quarter because of competition. Dr 
Reynolds says there are also challenges with the Australian 
arm of the business. He says although the integration of 
Powertel with AAPT is on track for completion in Q3, the 
migration of its retail customers to a customer service 
platform has proved challenging. Telecom needs to keep a 
relentless customer focus at the heart of its transformation. 
"We have therefore begun to re-organise our company, and the 
incentives facing senior managers, to ensure a much stronger 
and consistent customer focus."

GOVT URGED TO RELAX IMMIGRATION LAWS
------------------------------------

Wellington's Chamber of Commerce believes the government 
should relax the immigration laws in bid to curb the labour 
shortage. The latest Household Labour Force Survey shows the 
unemployment rate is at its lowest level since the survey 
began in 1986. Wellington Chamber of Commerce CEO Charles 
Finny says the shortage of workers is making life tough for 
many businesses and staff recruitment and retention continues 
to be the number one concern among the business sector. Mr 
Finny says the country does not have enough people to fill the 
number of jobs available and immigration policy settings must 
be changed. He says there is too much focus on immigrants 
being seen as a threat instead of a solution. He believes 
there should be a greater emphasis on encouraging skilled 
migrants to the country. Mr Finny says there is a huge problem 
filling IT jobs and immigration rules must be adjusted to 
allow increased migration.

FUMIGATION PROCESS CAUSES CONCERN
---------------------------------

The Greater Wellington Regional Council is disputing claims a 
methyl bromide fumigation facility at Wellington's port is 
causing a significant impact on the environment. The Green 
Party has raised concerns about the process used to fumigate 
export logs as it is carried out near several facilities such 
as the Westpac stadium, cruise ship wharf, a marae, schools, 
the inter-island ferry, the Wellington Railway Station and 
Parliament. Sue Kedgley says not only does the fumigation pose 
health risks, methyl bromide has a huge impact on the 
depletion of the ozone layer. The Soil & Health Association is 
also critical of the process. It says gas was released last 
week in an uncoordinated and reckless way. Spokesman Steffan 
Browning says there were no warning notices and car and rail 
traffic flow into Wellington is not halted when the fumigant 
is released for dispersal. The association describes methyl 
bromide as an odourless, colourless gas used to kill pests 
that is extremely toxic to humans. Nigel Corry from Greater 
Wellington says the regional council monitors air quality 
around the region and does not believe a monitoring system is 
needed at the port.

NATS CLAIM HIDDEN STORY IN UNEMPLOYMENT FIGURES
-----------------------------------------------

The government is confident the record low unemployment level 
can continue for a long period of time but National claims the 
figures are not showing the full story. An increase in the 
number of women in the workforce has seen the unemployment 
rate fall to 3.4 percent, the lowest level since it was first 
measured in 1986. The figures show that around 2.2 million 
people are in some form of paid work, the highest ever rate of 
labour force participation. Social Development Minister Ruth 
Dyson says the extraordinarily low levels, may well be 
cyclical, and they would be expected to be a feature of the 
unemployment figures in the next few years. She is confident 
the economy will allow the rate to remain low in the years to 
come. Ms Dyson says the country should be celebrating the 
achievement in getting the unemployment rate so low. However, 
National is worried the figures are not showing the true 
story. Welfare spokeswoman, Judith Collins, believes says 
there is a certain amount of hidden unemployment in the 
figures with many people in causal and part-time employment. 
She would like to see more people working full time. Mrs 
Collins says the government also needs to focus on the 25,000 
young people in no form of employment, education or training.

EMPLOYERS APPLAUD PPP TO BUILD ROAD
-----------------------------------

The Employers and Manufacturers Association says it is good to 
see the government considering a public private partnership in 
order to build a roading project in Auckland. Finance Minister 
Michael Cullen has confirmed the government is looking at the 
feasibility of a PPP to build a 5km motorway tunnel mostly 
under the suburb of Mt Albert, as part of the Waterview 
Connection to complete Auckland's Western Ring Route by 2015. 
The whole project would cost around $2.5 billion and would run 
for 48 kilometres from Mt Roskill to the Northwestern 
Motorway. It allows motorists to bypass the city while linking 
Manukau, Auckland, Waitakere and North Shore cities. It is 
described as the largest roading project to be undertaken in 
New Zealand. EMA chief executive Alasdair Thompson says a PPP 
delivers better economic value for business infrastructure. He 
says Australia has been convinced of this for many years. 
Michael Barnett, CEO of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, says 
Aucklanders should be delighted as the route will take 100,000 
cars a day off the central motorway system. Dr Cullen has 
suggested the possibility of tolls being imposed to carry out 
the project.

Monday, 11 February 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BREAST CANCER SUFFERERS RETURN TO COURT
--------------------------------------- 

Eight breast cancer survivors have been back in the High Court 
In Wellington to challenge PHARMAC's decision over the funding 
of the drug Herceptin. They are questioning the drug-buying 
agency's decision to fund Herceptin for just nine weeks 
instead of a full year for woman with Her2-positive cancer. 
The Breast Cancer Aotearoa Coalition says thousands of lives 
depends on decisions made by PHARMAC, and women are becoming 
increasingly concerned about the way it reaches some 
decisions. They say the purpose of the Judicial Review is to 
find out how PHARMAC managed the advice it received about 
Herceptin and how its actions stacked up against its 
responsibilities. Twenty-four OECD countries now fund the 
recommended 12-month treatment of Herceptin. The eight 
plaintiffs want PHARMAC to explain why it does not. They say 
it is out on a limb on its own. The coalition is also 
concerned that future patients may find themselves in a 
similar situation. It says there are a large number of other 
new therapies on the horizon, and it would be unacceptable for 
another group of patients to go through the same issues, 
delays and inconsistencies women wanting the Herceptin 
treatment have endured. This morning Justice Gendall granted 
their request for disclosure of documents the defence argued 
were commercially sensitive. The case is expected to last a 
week.

GANGS WELCOME - BUT NOT FOR RECRUITING
--------------------------------------

The Waitangi Marae Trust says it would not allow gangs to use 
its grounds to recruit members. The statement follows a claim 
from Labour's Northland List MP Shane Jones, that the 
Tribesmen gang had a stall at the Treaty grounds on Waitangi 
Day, and were targeting young people. Marae Trustee Kingi 
Taurua says if word got round gangs were taking advantage of 
the commemorations, they would quickly be shown the door. He 
says he was under the impression the Tribesman were there to 
talk with police about issues affecting them. Mr Taurua says 
it is Marae protocol to make sure everyone feels welcome, and 
that includes gangs. He says part of the idea was to present a 
different view of the gang behaviour, particularly towards 
women, than most people have become accustomed to. Shane Jones 
is unhappy at gangs using the occasion as a recruiting 
platform, and wants them banned.

INVESTORS BAIL AS PROPERTY MARKET STALLS
----------------------------------------

It is believed property investors dumping rental homes on the 
market and getting out of the business are part of the reason 
there are so many houses for sale. The number of listings on 
the real estate industry's official website is up 35 percent 
on last year, at almost 57,000. Property Investors Federation 
spokesman Andrew King says growth in property values has 
almost come to a halt, returns are not high enough, and 
investors are bailing out. He says the yields from rental 
properties have fallen because rent rises are not keeping pace 
with increasing house prices, making things difficult for a 
lot of investors.

SALLIES REPORT MAKES GRIM READING
---------------------------------

The Salvation Army has issued its first ever "state of the 
nation" report. It finds some disturbing results after 
analysing social changes over the past five years. Spokesman 
Major Campbell Roberts says more children appear to be at risk 
of harm, more are engaged in petty crime, there is more 
violent crime and more people in jails. He says social 
spending has climbed from $23 billion ten years ago to $39 
billion this year - but there has been very little social 
progress. Major Roberts says while more New Zealanders are 
working than ever before, incomes have risen only modestly and 
the gap between rich and poor appears to be widening. 
 
(I am always perturbed when people look at macro figures 
without providing the contextual statistics. What else has 
changed in the ten years under discussion? - BH)

AIR SECURITY OFFICIALS MEET MINISTER
------------------------------------

Transport Minister Annette King has met with aviation security 
officials at the Beehive this morning. It follows Friday's 
attempted hijacking of an Air New Zealand flight from Blenheim 
to Christchurch. Immediately after the incident, Mrs King said 
security at the country's airports would be reviewed. 
Officials outlined the options available at this morning's 
meeting, amid fears security, particularly at the country's 
smaller airports, needs to be improved. A report is due to be 
released at some stage next week. Prime Minister Helen Clark 
said earlier today that the review does not necessarily mean 
there will be any dramatic changes at regional airports. 
 
(At least until now, domestic flights with fewer than 90 seats 
have not required all the security palaver that larger flights 
require. For a start, we live on an island, and most of those 
small aircraft have insufficient range to go anywhere else. 
The hijacking attempt is tragic on several levels, not least 
the entirely unjustified backlash against Somalis in general. 
- BH)

REVIVAL PLAN FOR AUCKLAND WATERFRONT
------------------------------------

Helen Clark likes the look of Auckland's latest plan for the 
waterfront. Auckland Regional Council leaders Mike Lee and 
Michael Barnett have sketched out an idea to convert Queens 
Wharf into a cruise ship terminal. Instead of being used for 
stacking containers, it would feature markets and exhibitions. 
The Prime Minister says she is not privy to the details - but 
opening up the waterfront is a good idea. She says Aucklanders 
have often lived with their backs to the waterfront, and yet 
have a beautiful outlook at the foot of Queen Street. Helen 
Clark says she is not sure if the ARC will want the government 
to come to the party with funding. 
 
(Alas! I recall those halcyon pre-unitisation days when as a 
schoolboy, oblivious to security issues or occupational health 
and safety issues, I could wander the wharves of Auckland, in 
the midst of working cargo slings, jitneys and crane hooks. 
The watersiders were friendly and no pompous officials told 
you that you couldn't go there. What a privileged time that 
was. I don't recall any serious issues arising. - BH) 

BEEKEEPERS FEEL STUNG AS GOVT SHIFTS GOALPOSTS
----------------------------------------------

Beekeepers are unhappy at the Government, which is about to 
shift the goalposts on honey imports. Last year the National 
Beekeepers Association won an Appeal Court case to block the 
import of Australian honey. The industry argued it breached 
health import standards and heightened the risk of disease and 
pests getting into the country and damaging the domestic 
industry. It is believed the Government is now preparing to 
fast track new laws through Parliament so it can get its way. 
National Beekeepers Association President Frans Laas believes 
his industry's concerns are not being treated fairly. He 
believes free trade deals are at the heart of the Government's 
position and he warns imports of tainted or disease-bearing 
honey could have far reaching effects. 
 
(The apple growers should keep a close eye on this. Australia 
is basing its opposition to imports of our magnificent apples 
on very similar grounds, and if the beekeepers succeed, it 
could be used as a counter-precedent. - BH)

PRIME MINISTER PREPARES THRONE SPEECH
-------------------------------------

The political year really gets rolling tomorrow, with Prime 
Minister Helen Clark to make another major speech. Parliament 
opens tomorrow, and as always it will be marked by a speech 
from the throne by Helen Clark. Her address is expected to 
cover housing as well as issues touched upon in the past few 
weeks such as tax policy and infrastructure investment. 
Specific details are not being given away in advance, but it 
is expected Ms Clark will drop some hints today. The speech 
from the throne provides a formal outline of the Government's 
programme for the year.

PUSH FOR MORE MEN TEACHING THE VERY YOUNG
-----------------------------------------

Men who work in early childhood education have been meeting 
over the weekend to develop ways to attract more of them into 
the profession. The organisers of the summit held in Porirua, 
are concerned New Zealand has one of the world's lowest rates 
of male participation in early childhood education. Just one 
percent of teachers are male. Russell Ballantyne, President of 
Men in Early Childhood Network of New Zealand, says male 
teachers bring a whole different range of skills and 
abilities. He says it is about children building relationships 
with both genders. Mr Ballantyne believes having children 
build early relationships with men could even have an impact 
on crime statistics. He says in the past, men have not been 
invited into early childhood teaching, so they are working 
with the Ministry to change that. 
 
(The lunacy of the Christchurch crèche case is largely to 
blame here. No tunnels from the crèche have been found to this 
day. - BH) 

NATS CLAIM MORE ENVIRONMENT COVER-UPS
-------------------------------------

National is alleging more cover-ups within the Ministry for 
the Environment. It follows claims from the Green Party that a 
chapter highlighting the effects of industrial dairying was 
pulled from a recently released report on the state of the 
country's environment. National's environment spokesman Nick 
Smith says the resignation of the Ministry's chief executive, 
allegations of ministerial interference, and now this add to 
the impression the report was doctored. He says it adds weight 
to calls for such reports to be prepared by the independent 
Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment. He says we 
need to be open and honest about agricultural impacts so they 
can be addressed. Dr Smith says National is proposing a new 
Environmental Reporting Act, to put such documents in the 
hands of an independent agency and make them more frequent.

RECORD NUMBER OF HOUSES ON THE MARKET
-------------------------------------

There's dramatic evidence this morning of the extent of the 
slowdown in the property market. More homes are listed as 'For 
Sale' on the real estate industry's official website then ever 
before. Almost 57 thousand properties are currently on offer - 
an increase of 35 percent on the number of listings this time 
last year. The site, realestate.co.nz, says it is taking much 
longer to sell a house, with enough properties on the market 
in some areas to keep realtors busy for more than a year. The 
longest queues of sellers are in Northland and Central Otago, 
where there has been significant tourist and holiday home 
development. There are enough listings in Northland to satisfy 
the current level of sales for almost two years. The website's 
owners say the inevitable consequence is a downward pressure 
on prices. The figures back up statistics from Quotable Value, 
showing a continuing slowing of the market. QV says property 
values nationally grew 8.9 percent in the three months ending 
January 2008. QV spokesman David Paterson says it's further 
proof the property market is a buyers one at the moment, as 
the growth figure for the year to December was 10 percent. He 
says those who bought at the peak of the market might struggle 
to recoup their money if they tried to sell now. The average 
national sale price was just over $390,000 in January. 
 
(It looks like the long forecast real estate slump is now 
pulling into a station near you - BH) 

Tuesday, 12 February 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HOME OWNERSHIP FOR 'MODEST' EARNERS
-----------------------------------

Families on modest or low incomes are being given a leg up by 
the Government to own their own homes. In the Prime Minister's 
speech to Parliament, Helen Clark announced the start of a 
shared equity scheme in which the home buyer will own the 
majority of the house and land, and the Government will own 
the rest. When the house is eventually sold the Government 
will reclaim its percentage of the sale value. The Crown will 
also free up some of its land to allow more homes to be built. 
One large-scale housing development is planned for 
Hobsonville, near Auckland. Of the three thousand homes to be 
built, 450 will be affordable for families on modest incomes. 
450 others will go to state house tenants and the remainder 
will be larger, more expensive houses for the private market. 
Business analyst Fran O'Sullivan from the New Zealand Herald 
told Newstalk ZB housing affordability is a major issue and 
the Government is doing the right thing by tackling it. And 
she says there could be other benefits. "If the economy is in 
fairly heavy water mid-year, toward the latter part of the 
year, the stimulus by a major new building programme could be 
quite considerable." Fran O'Sullivan says previous major house 
building schemes under Labour governments were a major 
stimulus to the economy.

CLARK PLEDGES $446 MILLION FOR TROUBLED FAMILIES
------------------------------------------------

A $446 million funding package to help troubled families is 
among the moves announced by Prime Minister Helen Clark, as 
she outlines the Government's policy agenda for the year. The 
money would be made available to non-government organisations 
and social support agencies. Also outlined are efforts to make 
more housing available. The Government will review public land 
holdings and see if any are available for new housing 
projects. Miss Clark repeated promises made earlier for more 
infrastructure investment and to keep youths in education or 
training until they are 18. In total more than $170 million is 
to be spent on boosting skill levels within the education 
system.

CYBER BULLYING IN THE SPOTLIGHT
-------------------------------

To help mark Internet Safety Day today, the group Netsafe is 
launching an initiative to help teachers in the war against 
cyber bullying and harassment. The 'Cybercitizenship Pathway' 
is a resource which integrates online safety and security 
education in their programmes. Netsafe spokesman Richard Beach 
says it is New Zealand's first cybersafety programme designed 
to work in with national curricula from early childhood 
through to primary and high school levels.

LOCALS NOT AT RISK SAYS BATTERY COMPANY
---------------------------------------

A battery recycling company claims residents living near its 
Petone plant were never at risk from a second illegal lead 
particle leak in November. Exide Technologies has filed a 
formal response to Greater Wellington, which is investigating 
the breach. Exide officials believe tiny particles escaped 
from a filter system as it was being moved and the company has 
constructed a temporary enclosure to prevent further problems. 
The company plans to replace the filter system later this 
year, at the cost of $1 million. It believes the incident did 
not represent a health threat to residents or staff. The 
Greater Wellington Regional Council could fine the multi-
national company $200,000 or jail staff for up to two years if 
found guilty of any further discharge breaches. Last year, the 
Environment Court fined the company $5,000 for breaching the 
permitted levels of lead emissions into the air. 
 
(Frankly, they have no credibility with me. I simply don't 
believe them. - BH)

LAKE LEVELS HAVE BEEN WORSE
---------------------------

The Government is keeping a sharp eye on electricity supply as 
hydro lake levels fall. Spot electricity prices have spiked in 
recent weeks, with demand high and pressures on supply but the 
Prime Minister says lake levels are not as bad as in previous 
years. Helen Clark says there are other pressures on 
electricity supply to consider such as prolonged high 
temperatures in the Waikato region which puts limits on 
operating parameters for Huntly Power Station. She says those 
limits have not yet been reached but the situation is being 
followed very closely.

DROUGHT PUTS PRESSURE ON YOUNG STAFF
------------------------------------

Farmers are being encouraged to think about their staff as 
drought conditions worsen. Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton 
is meeting with sector leaders from parched regions of the 
country this afternoon to discuss the extremely dry 
conditions. A spokesperson from his office says it will be an 
opportunity to work on a collaborative approach to deal with 
the challenges posed by the drought. Ben Allomes, president of 
Young Farmers says many younger employees have not experienced 
drought conditions before so their coping mechanism might not 
be as developed as more experienced farmers. He says giving 
staff time away from the farm will ensure everyone makes it 
through the summer.

Wednesday, 13 February 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NZ HOSPITALS "NOT YET SAFE"
---------------------------

Health and Disability Commissioner Ron Paterson has told 
Parliament's Health Select Committee that New Zealand 
hospitals are not yet acceptably safe. Mr Paterson says most 
patients get excellent care, but there are some areas where 
hospitals could do better. They include the number of patients 
who die within surgery or within 60 days of being discharged, 
medication errors and hospital-acquired infections. Mr 
Paterson says progress is being made, but needs to be sped up. 
Health Minister David Cunliffe agrees improvements can be 
made. He says he has high regard for Mr Paterson and he agrees 
with the direction of his comments. Mr Cunliffe says they will 
work together to ensure Mr Paterson's agenda can be achieved. 
National's associate health spokesman Jonathan Coleman says Mr 
Paterson's remarks are more evidence the Government is failing 
patients. He says if the Government has not improved the 
safety of hospital services after nine years in charge and 
billions of dollars, it never will.

NEW ZEALAND'S OLDEST IMMIGRANT SAILS ON IN
------------------------------------------

New Zealand's oldest immigrant has arrived in the country, the 
old-fashioned way. Englishman Eric King-Turner, who is 102, 
sailed into Wellington Harbour on the cruise ship the Saga 
Rose after a five week voyage from England. He arrived with 
his 89-year-old New Zealand-born wife Doris. They plan to 
start a new life together in her hometown Nelson. The couple 
say they were surprised at the celebrity treatment Mr King-
Turner received onboard the ship, as well as at the large 
media contingent that turned out to meet them in Wellington. 
Mr King-Turner says one of the first things he will do is 
apply for a fly fishing licence, as he is keen to continue the 
hobby. 
 
(Oddly, at the same time, the immigration people were getting 
ready to deport another 101 year old whose only living 
relative, his son, was in New Zealand. The nameless 
bureaucrats behind this didn't see why he couldn't continue to 
live alone as he had done for much of his life. The man had a 
pension and sufficient means that he was never going to be a 
burden on he taxpayer. Sometimes I wonder if these decisions 
are made by a formula in an excel spreadsheet. If there is a 
person behind such cold decisions then let us know who they 
are. I should add that I saw no coverage of this in our media, 
though lots of adverse comment in Australian newspapers, until 
the decision was eventually reversed.  - BH)  

OTOROHANGA FINDS THE ANSWER TO GRAFFITI
---------------------------------------

Graffiti has been virtually eradicated in the King Country 
town of Otorohanga, through an initiative to get young people 
into jobs or training. Otorohanga District mayor Dale Williams 
says local employers and organisations have worked with the 
council on eleven projects in the past five years, including 
an apprenticeship training programme. Mr Williams says courses 
are tailor-made around the needs of local businesses, so jobs 
are guaranteed. He says they now have zero unemployment among 
people aged under 25. Mr Williams says the town's young adults 
have a pay packet, a sense of achievement and feel connected 
to their community. He says as a result they are not out doing 
unsavoury things after hours. 
 
(Not sure why, but the name "Marie Antoinette" just popped 
into my mind. Let them all have jobs is a sentiment that for 
most places is easier to say than to achieve. - BH)

RICH PUTS FAMILY BEFORE POLITICS
--------------------------------

One of National's senior frontbench MPs has decided to put her 
family ahead of her political career. Katherine Rich has 
announced she will resign from Parliament at the next 
election. She was a near-certainty to be Education Minister, 
if National comes into power. Mrs Rich says after nine years 
in Parliament, she wants to focus on other areas of life. She 
says she has had to think of the impact on her two children. 
"While I could do a good job in a National government, it 
would be unlikely I could do that without impacting unfairly 
on their lives." Mrs Rich says she leaves with her head held 
high, and it is just time for her and her family to do 
something else. National leader John Key describes the 
decision as a loss for the party, but says he understands her 
reasons for standing down. Katherine Rich will stay on in 
Parliament until the election, but her education portfolio has 
already been taken over by the party's chief whip Anne Tolley. 
 
(Most media comment about Dr Rich is that her loss will be 
keenly felt. - BH)

PROPERTY CRASH "NOW INEVITABLE"
-------------------------------

Analyst Kieran Trass of the property market research company 
SuburbWatch claims New Zealand is heading into the worst 
property slump in 20 years. He says there is evidence of the 
value of property falling by as much as 10 percent in the 
final quarter of 2007, and will probably slide a further 10 
percent or more in the main centres this year. Property sales 
volume is down 40 percent on a year ago. Mr Trass says it was 
hoped the market would show some signs of strength in the 
usually buoyant spring and summer seasons but that did not 
happen and the market has continued to weaken even more 
rapidly since them. Mr Trass says the soft landing for 
property formerly expected is "not even a remote possibility." 
But Mr Trass says the biggest concern is for those on fixed 
mortgages with around $41 billion worth coming up for renewal 
this year. He says the homeowners are currently paying eight 
percent interest on average but that will rise to around 9.8 
percent. That represents on average, an extra $141 in interest 
per month. Mr Trass says property investors need to focus on 
reducing debt as quickly a possible and strengthening cash 
flows so that they can weather the storm. Mr Trass says during 
the property crash of the early 1990s, he got a second job so 
that he could afford to ride out the slump. He says defaulting 
on mortgages was not a palatable option for him so generating 
extra cash flow was critical to his ability to retain his 
portfolio. Mr Trass says to ride out a property slump, 
investors need to increase cash flow, reduce living expenses 
avoid the "one bank trap" by spreading lending across several 
banks, charge current market rents for their properties and 
adding value to rental properties "wisely" to increase rental 
income. Mr Trass says if investors take a long term view, 
there will definitely be another property boom given time.

BUTTER PRICES TOO HIGH FOR SOME SHOPPERS
----------------------------------------

Soaring prices for dairy products are seeing some consumers go 
without. A 500g block of butter can cost up to $5, more than 
twice the price of a year ago. A kilogram block of cheese can 
now set shoppers back by up to $15, almost double last year's 
price. One Wellington supermarket says butter sales are down 
but sales of other spreads such as margarine have risen. 
Cheese sales remain steady. Several shoppers spoken to at the 
shop say they are prepared to replace butter with other 
spreads, but those with children are reluctant to cut back on 
cheese and milk because of their calcium needs.

ARC WANTS MORE BALANCED GROWTH TO HOUSING
-----------------------------------------

The government is being urged to concentrate on growing 
different parts of the country and not just Auckland when it 
considers measures to encourage affordable housing. Prime 
Minister Helen Clark has announced the government will review 
public land holdings, with a view to finding land for urban 
housing developments. She is pointing to developments in 
Hobsonville and Tamaki in Auckland as ways the government is 
addressing housing affordability. Mike Lee, chairman of the 
Auckland Regional Council, says former Defence Force land is 
an example of areas which can be released, however he says it 
is important that room for parks and reserves are included in 
developments. He says while there is a large inventory of 
public land in Auckland, resources, facilities and land is 
also available in other parts of the country. Mr Lee says 
policy settings need to encourage a more balanced growth.

DROUGHT ASSISTANCE WELCOMED BY FARMERS
--------------------------------------

Farmers are welcoming the help on offer as they face pressure 
from ongoing dry weather. Stakeholders met with Agriculture 
Minister Jim Anderton in Wellington late yesterday to discuss 
the drought and what support might be needed to help the 
farming community. A national drought committee has been 
established to help deal with the challenges and the 
government is promising farming families will be supported if 
the dry conditions hit crisis point. Mr Anderton says the 
needs of families and income protection will be handled in a 
partnership with the Ministry of Social Development. He says 
agencies are ready to help farming communities with 
specialised support should they need help. Federated Farmers 
President Charlie Pedersen is pleased by the support shown, 
particularly by banks. He says they are relaxed about the 
situation as most farm businesses are very financially sound 
and are able to borrow to get through seasons such as this. 
Inland Revenue is also promising assistance.

Thursday, 14 February 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

REPORT INTO RIMUTAKA PRISON RELEASED
------------------------------------

A report into alleged corruption at Upper Hutt's Rimutaka 
Prison has found no evidence of a systemic problem. But it 
does confirm a culture in the prison that allowed some 
individual instances of corruption to occur. Eleven guards 
have been stood down over the past year over allegations they 
smuggled cell phones, tobacco and drugs into the prison for 
inmates. The Department of Corrections has today released the 
results of a 16 month investigation into the claims by 
Wellington barrister David Patten. Corrections chief executive 
Barry Matthews says he is pleased no systematic corruption was 
detected. However he says there is no excuse for corrupt or 
unethical staff behaviour and they will continue to deal 
swiftly and decisively with any staff member found guilty of 
such misconduct.

CHEESE AND BUTTER LEAD GROCERY PRICE RISE
-----------------------------------------

There is proof it is costing more to feed the family, with 
grocery prices rising 1.3 percent last month. The overall 
price of food increased 0.4 percent in January. Within the 
grocery food subgroup, the main contributors to the 1.3 
percent increase were 14.7 percent higher prices for cheddar 
cheese and butter and a 19.6 percent rise in the price of 
boxed chocolates. The price of meat, poultry and fish fell 1.3 
percent, with fresh chicken the biggest contributor with a 4.3 
percent fall. Over the past year, food prices have risen by 
4.4 percent, with grocery prices rising 8 percent. Restaurant 
meals and ready-to-eat food prices were up 4.1 percent.

NEUROSURGEON SHORTAGE IN OTAGO-SOUTHLAND
----------------------------------------

Neurosurgeons from Christchurch are being called on to cover 
head and spine services in the lower half of the South Island. 
The Otago-Southland area has been left with just one 
neurosurgeon after the second finished working at Dunedin 
Hospital and went back to Australia. The Otago District Health 
Board says it has been working hard to recruit a replacement, 
and is also trying to get a locum to cover in the meantime. 
Chief Medical Officer Richard Bunton says their lone 
neurosurgeon, Suzanne Jackson, is carrying a very heavy 
workload and on-call demands. Arrangements are in place to 
transfer urgent cases to Christchurch whenever she is not 
available, and that happened for the first time last weekend.

NO NEED FOR "SORRY" SPEECH HERE
-------------------------------

Maori Party MP Hone Harawira says he was deeply moved by Kevin 
Rudd's "sorry" speech, but will not be pushing for anything 
similar in New Zealand. Mr Harawira was in Australia with an 
Aborigine community yesterday as the Australian Prime 
Minister's apology was broadcast on big screens nationwide. 
But Mr Harawira says there is no need for a similar statement 
in New Zealand, because righting of wrongs done to Maori has 
been done on an individual tribal basis. 
 
(I would be astonished to learn that Mr Harawira believes all 
wrongs have yet been righted. - BH) 

UNRAVELLING PROPERTY TANGLE WILL TAKE TIME
------------------------------------------

It will be some time before the situation becomes clear for 
investors tied to 19 property management companies that have 
gone into liquidation. Some of the companies are franchises 
associated with Blue Chip's parent company in Australia. 
Around 1800 property investors have been left in limbo. Blue 
Chip Financial Solutions Ltd, which is listed on the 
Australian stock exchange, has requested a trading halt, 
pending an announcement. Liquidator Jeff Meltzer says some 
investors have paid deposits on investment properties and are 
waiting for the homes to be built. He has been informed that a 
large number of the deposits are in solicitors' trust 
accounts, but warns it will take time to pinpoint just what is 
where. Investors also had inner-city apartments in Auckland 
and were using the franchise companies to manage and collect 
the rent. Mr Meltzer says such investors may be out of pocket 
by up to two months rent, which could amount to $3,000 to 
$5,000 per investor. He says those investors should now go 
directly to the tenant for future rent.

PETROL PRICE DROP FOR VALENTINE'S DAY
-------------------------------------

Gull Petroleum has got into the spirit of Valentine's Day by 
lowering petrol prices by five cents a litre for 24 hours. 
General Manager Dave Bodger says it is the company's way of 
saying they love their motorists. The discount will be in 
place until 7am tomorrow. 
 
(Bah humbug! They all went back up by 4 cents to $1.709 per 
litre for 91 Octane on Friday - BH)

DHBS RELUCTANT TO CHANGE
------------------------

The union representing junior doctors says District Health 
Boards need to be more willing to try new systems in order to 
make hospitals safer. Two years after Health and Disability 
Commissioner Ron Paterson said progress aimed at improving 
services was slow and uncoordinated, Mr Paterson has told MPs 
the situation has not improved and New Zealand hospitals 
remain unacceptably unsafe. In presenting the commission's 
annual report to Parliament's health select committee 
yesterday, Mr Paterson said safety standards could be improved 
if hospital data was openly published. He said New Zealand has 
an unnecessarily complicated hospital system, with 21 
different boards using their own systems. He suggests improved 
methods are trialled successfully in one place and should then 
be rolled out to DHBs around the country. But Dr Deborah 
Powell from the Resident Doctors' Association says that is 
difficult when each DHB insists on maintaining its own 
position. She says often DHBs will decide that while a system 
may be a good idea, it would rather stick with the system it 
had in place and already knew well. Dr Powell also believes 
management roles need to be more clear cut as the duties of 
chief executive and board chairperson have become confused, 
leading to leadership problems.

Friday, 15 February 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TEACHERS AMONG THOSE SPEEDING OUTSIDE SCHOOLS
---------------------------------------------

Dunedin teachers have been among those caught speeding outside 
schools by police. Police have been monitoring speed around 
schools as part of a campaign. Senior Sergeant Steve Larking 
says he is particularly disappointed in a couple of teachers 
and parents who have been caught speeding in the past few 
days. He is urging everyone to watch their speed around 
schools.

PROOF WE'RE NOT ALONE
---------------------

Auckland astronomers have helped to discover a solar system 
that looks more like ours than anything seen before. Stardome 
Observatory astronomer Grant Christie is part of the team of 
69 scientists from 11 countries who have identified two 
planets very similar to Jupiter and Saturn orbiting a red 
dwarf star 5,000 light years away. Dr Christie says it shows 
we are not alone, and it seems likely ours is a common 
arrangement. He says it certainly raises the possibility that 
systems exist similar to ours that could sustain advanced life 
forms.

HIGHER FINES FOR TAGGERS
------------------------

The maximum fine for tagging will be increased tenfold under 
the Government's crackdown on tagging and other forms of 
graffiti. Details of the Stop Tagging Our Place (STOP) 
Strategy have been unveiled by Helen Clark at a South Auckland 
skate board park. The fine for tagging will rise from $200 to 
$2,000. Taggers also face the possibility of a community-based 
sentenced where judges can require them to clean up the 
graffiti in their own neighbourhood. Sales of spay paint cans 
to under 18s will be banned and a person who sells spray cans 
to the age group could be fined up to $1500. The Government is 
also providing $6 million over the next three years to support 
local communities in combating graffiti. Of this, $800,000 per 
annum will go to the Graffiti Vandalism Small Initiatives 
Fund. Grants of up to $20,000 each will be available for non-
government organisations (NGOs), iwi, and local authorities 
for anti-graffiti vandalism initiatives in local areas. - $1 
million per annum will go to the Graffiti Vandalism 
Contestable Fund available to local government. It will 
support larger scale programmes with a city or district-wide 
approach. - $200,000 per annum will be available for use for 
restorative justice for victims of tagging and graffiti 
vandalism and the offenders responsible. An Advisory Group 
will be appointed and will include local government 
representation, NGOs and government agencies responsible for 
the rail track and highways. The nationwide strategy will be 
considered by Cabinet by July. Miss Clark says tagging is more 
than just a nuisance. "Tagging is a destructive crime and 
represents an invasion of private and public property. Its 
presence in an area also contributes to fears that the place 
is not safe. That too is destructive of communities."

(I join in a chorus of commentators who observe that taggers 
will be no different to any other group of scofflaws who 
simply ignore penalties and accrue vast sums in unpaid legal 
penalties, only to have them wiped by misguided judges when 
the total becomes unrealistic. - BH)

FARMERS WANT DOC TO BUTT OUT
----------------------------

Federated Farmers believes the Department of Conservation 
could save millions of dollars if it stopped fighting farmers 
and concentrated on its own land. DOC is expecting average 
losses of $8 million annually for the next three years. 
Federated Farmers president Charlie Pedersen says the 
department spends $5 million a year on involving private land 
and gets involved in planning processes and resource consents. 
Mr Pedersen believes DOC should spend that money inside its 
own estate and leave private enterprise and local communities 
alone. 
 
(Keep it up DOC. Private land or not, this country's 
environment needs protection - BH)

AID FUND'S PROBLEMS BEING ADDRESSED
-----------------------------------

The Foreign Affairs Minister is promising that problems with 
the government's overseas aid programme will be fixed. An 
audit has shown procedural problems in management of aid 
projects and says there is a need for clearer objectives and 
performance targets. Winston Peters says steps are being taken 
to rectify the problems outlined. They include extra staff, 
more internal audits and monthly monitoring. NZAID has an 
annual budget of $428 million.


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