WYSIWYG NEWS - 6 January, 2007

[news at wysiwygnews.com]

Subject: 6 January, 2008 
----- WYSIWYG NEWS ------------------------------ 
Copyright, Brian Harmer. 

A quiet home is always valued, but it comes at a price. All 
the young people have gone, on honeymoon, or back to Gisborne, 
Queenstown, Brisbane and Lower Hutt. The happy chaos that 
comes with having our children and grandchildren has gone 
(until the next time we are together), and already I miss 
them. Yesterday, we  made a trip to Wanganui to visit my 
mother and Mary's parents, and took little Maggie (3 yrs) and 
Cooper (14mths) with us. Maggie is in the "why?" stage of her 
growth, so when we drove along SH1 towards Raumati, and passed 
a steam locomotive in full song hauling an excursion train, 
there was an endless string of "why" questions, beginning with 
why the black smoke (it burns coal), why (to heat the water), 
why (to make steam) why (... ad infinitum). Of course this is 
how all learning begins, so it is not something to discourage. 
I wonder if there will be any steam locomotives left to marvel 
at by the time she reaches my age. In this instance, Ja1271 
was an magnificent spectacle as she thundered along the 
straight beside the road, hauling a nicely refurbished train 
in the old NZR red colours at around 80 km/h. For any 
enthusiasts among you, Ja1271 is a 67 foot long 4-8-2 hand-
fired coal burning locomotive weighing in at 110 tons in 
fighting trim. The wonderful rhythm of those polished  
connecting rods and valve gear whirling and the evocative 
sounds and sight and smell of a column of coal smoke and 
exhaust steam whipped backwards as she flew along aroused so 
many memories for me. Improbable as it now seems, there was a 
time when these mighty locomotives were the norm, and a diesel 
was something new. I drove ahead and stopped in a position to 
take photographs (why granddad?), and then continued on our 
way. The trip to Wanganui in these last days of the holiday 
period was marked by rather more traffic than usual, but was 
otherwise uneventful. The children fell asleep in their safety 
seats, so we didn't stop for our customary coffee break, and 
reached our destination in a little over two and a half hours. 
The visit to my mother was very well received, not only 
because of the joy of the great grandchildren, but also 
because I had my computer with me and could show still and 
video images from Catherine and Mark's wedding the previous 
week. From there, we went down to Kowhai Park on the Eastern 
side of the river. My own youngsters loved this park as 
children, clambering on the somewhat ponderous reinforced 
caricature dinosaurs. Indeed they probably never think of it 
as "Kowhai Park" but rather as "Dino park" because one of the 
slides is cast in the shape of Fred Flintstone's playful pet. 
It was a fine day and Mary's parents, and her middle brother 
and his wife joined us  for a picnic after which the children 
raced around keeping us all busy on see-saws, slides, and the 
water feature (getting those of us assigned to guard them 
thoroughly wet in the process). The water feature is a wide 
shallow concrete dish with various water dispensing devices, 
most of which turn on or off and random intervals. A couple of 
low pressure water cannon can be trained and triggered by 
anyone with mischief on their mind, so those who congratulate 
themselves on staying dry soon have their pride and their 
cloths dampened. To stay dry, stay away. It was a warm day, so 
no lasting harm was done. We had taken swing costumes for the 
children, so they at least had dry clothes to get into. 
Happily they were so tired by all their excited racing through 
the water that they slept almost all the way home again. 

----  
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.  
 
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copyright in the news items reproduced remains the property of 
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----  
On with the News. 

Monday, 31 December 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUCKLAND REST HOME WITH BUG
---------------------------

An Auckland rest home has been placed in isolation, in an 
effort to contain a suspected outbreak of Norovirus. Thirty of 
the ninety patients at the Mercy Parklands Hospital and 
Retirement Home in Ellerslie have been affected. They are 
experiencing symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and 
abdominal pain. General Manager Peter Buckland says lives are 
not at risk, despite one man falling into a coma. He says 
visitor numbers are being restricted, and staff have also been 
allocated to specific patients. He says it will take at least 
two days for the Ministry of Health to confirm if the bug is 
Norovirus or not.

POLICE READY FOR NEW YEAR
-------------------------

Mt Maunganui Police are well prepared for tonight's New Year 
celebrations. 180 police, backed up by almost as many 
volunteers and private security staff, will be watching over 
tonight's festivities to keep the peace. Western Bay of Plenty 
Commander Michael Clement says if people drink responsibly and 
respect the liquor bans, it will be a trouble-free night. He 
expects tens of thousands will be at the Mount tonight, and he 
will not let a few people ruin it for the rest. Michael 
Clement says people planning to be part of the night need to 
give themselves plenty of time to find a spot as roads will be 
closed off.

LEGIONELLA IN AIR CONDITIONING
------------------------------

There is a renewed call for buildings in Auckland's CBD to 
test their air-conditioning systems for the Legionella 
bacteria. Two buildings tested positive to the potentially 
life threatening bacteria, which can be harboured in air-
conditioning cooling systems. Medical Officer of Health Dr 
Cathy Pikholz says they are working closely with managers of 
buildings in the immediate vicinity. She says the bacteria can 
travel very easily, depending on weather conditions. Dr 
Pikholz says there is only a small risk of infection, and so 
far there have been no cases of Legionnaires disease from the 
infected towers.

ALMOST 2000 EATHQUAKE CLAIMS
----------------------------

Just under two thousand claims have so far been lodged for 
damage from Gisborne's big earthquake. The 6.8-magnitude quake 
struck just over a week ago. Earthquake Commission General 
Manager David Middleton says about 17 hundred of the claims 
are from around Gisborne - 46 are from Wairoa, and 190 are 
from other areas including the Bay Of Plenty. Mr Middleton 
says around 40 staff will be working out of the Gisborne 
office assessing claims from January 14.

POLITICAL CENSORSHIP STARTS NEW YEARS DAY
-----------------------------------------

National Party leader John Key says a new day of political 
censorship is dawning, as the Electoral Finance Act comes into 
force. From the stroke of midnight any unregistered party 
spending more than 12 thousand dollars on political 
advertising, will be breaking the law. John Key says Labour's 
self-serving laws will hamper New Zealanders' rights to 
freedom of speech. He believes it could change the course of 
history. Mr Key says the effects of the law change will 
gradually be felt as the election campaign progresses. He says 
issues like the Foreshore and Seabed and the Anti-Smacking Act 
will not be debated as widely when the new Electoral Finance 
Act is in place.

HEALTH AUTHORITIES BELIEVE VIRUS CONTAINED
------------------------------------------

The Canterbury District Health Board is managing to contain 
the suspected outbreak of norovirus at the 18th Scout Jamboree 
in Christchurch. Thirty-nine children have been placed in 
isolation after presenting with symptoms of the highly 
contagious virus which causes vomiting and diarrhoea. 
Canterbury Medical Officer Alistair Humphry says a number of 
agencies including the Army, St John Ambulance and the ESR 
were called in to prevent the virus from spreading. He says 
quick action was taken to prevent a potential disaster. Mr 
Humphry says everyone realises the seriousness of the 
situation and to keep numbers down to less then 40, is a 
tremendous feat. The majority of patients are now recovering 
well. More than 3,000 children are attending the jamboree.

SHADBOLT SPEAKS OUT BEFORE ACT ENFORCED
---------------------------------------

Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt is making a last ditch attempt 
to beat the new Electoral Finance Act. From tomorrow anyone 
spending more than $12,000 on political advertising for an 
unregistered party, will be in breach of the Act. Mr Shadbolt 
is running advertisements in four of the country's daily 
newspapers opposing government cuts to Invercargill's Southern 
Institute of Technology. The ads are believed to have a 
political message, saying the National Party would be more 
sensitive and encouraging towards successful, trade-based 
technical institutions that are providing quality education. 
Mr Shadbolt has said in the past he is willing to go to prison 
to defend his right to free speech.

DOZENS BREAK LIQUOR BAN
-----------------------

More than 150 people have already been arrested for breaking 
the liquor ban at Mt Maunganui. A ban came into effect at the 
holiday hot spot last Wednesday and runs until January 5, but 
has been widely ignored in the lead up to New Year's Eve 
celebrations. Senior Sergeant Tania Kura says police at the Mt 
Maunganui station have been busy dealing with intoxicated 
people over the past week, however she believes the message 
now seems to be getting through. She says the number of police 
has been bolstered to cope with the influx of young people on 
New Year's Eve, but she is hoping for a trouble-free night. 
 
(Good grief! No good news at all on the last day of 2007! - 
BH)

Tuesday, 1 January 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXPLOSIVES FOUND AMONG ROCKS
----------------------------

An Army bomb disposal team is on its way to Oamaru after 
sticks of gel explosive were found among rocks. A police 
spokesman says the find at Elephant Rocks near Duntroon was 
reported to police at 2.40pm. The Army has been notified of 
the discovery and is on route to deal with it. It is not known 
how the explosives got there.

ROAD TOLL RISES FROM LAST YEAR'S TOTAL
--------------------------------------

Twenty-nine more people died on the roads in 2007 than in 
2006. The official figures from the Ministry of Transport show 
that 422 people lost their lives on the roads last year. The 
figure represents a road casualty rate of ten per 100,000 of 
the population, or 1.3 per 10,000 cars on the road. Excess 
speed and drink-driving were the two biggest factors in fatal 
crashes. A quarter of those who were killed were not wearing 
seatbelts. Over the past 10 years there have been nearly 4,600 
deaths and 132,000 injuries from road crashes. More than 
35,000 people have been killed on the roads since New 
Zealand's first known fatal crash in Christchurch 1908. The 
deadliest year was 1973, when 843 were killed. The lowest road 
toll in more than 40 years was in 2006. As recently as 1990 
there were 729 road deaths each year. Since then annual road 
deaths have dropped by 42 percent, in spite of a 45 percent 
increase in the number of vehicles on the road and a 24 
percent increase in population. The Government has set a 
target of no more than 300 road deaths per year by 2010 and 
proposed a target of no more than 200 fatalities per year by 
2040. Annual road fatalities will need to be brought down by 
29 percent over the next two years to reach the first target.

FAMILY NIGHT AT PREVIOUS RIOT ZONE
----------------------------------

Wanaka's tarnished reputation as the teenage riot zone has 
been restored to that of a family holiday destination. Up to 
3,000 people celebrated the arrival of the new year at a 
council-run lakefront show. The night's entertainment included 
an Anika Moa concert at the Lake Hawea Motor Inn. Extra police 
were brought in from Dunedin for the evening and Sergeant 
Aaron Nicholson says only 15 arrests were made. They were 
generally for minor behaviour offences and liquor ban 
breaches. Most of those arrested were young males from out of 
town, aged between 17 and 21. Mr Nicholson says it is a huge 
improvement on 2005 when 54 arrests were made after a New 
Year's Eve riot. Out of 600 motorists stopped and breath-
tested in the Wanaka area only two were over the legal limit. 
Mr Nicholson hopes young people are getting the message that 
Wanaka is not a party town. He believes they are now taking 
their youthful exuberance elsewhere.

RECORD CROWDS MOSTLY WELL BEHAVED
---------------------------------

New Year's Eve trouble hotspot Mt Maunganui had record crowds 
last night but despite dozens of arrests, police are pleased 
with the overall behaviour of the crowds. Senior Sergeant 
Tania Kura says 180 people were arrested overnight, many for 
breaching liquor bans. She says the most positive change was 
the reduction of disorder and serious assaults that have been 
a feature of previous New Year's Eve celebrations, but there 
are still concerns about the high number of young people who 
became grossly intoxicated. Almost 400 arrests have been made 
in Mt Maunganui in the past two days. In Christchurch 
Cathedral Square played host to a fireworks display and a 
concert, drawing a crowd in the thousands. Thirty-two arrests 
were made, mainly for breaching liquor bans. A spectacular 
fireworks display launched from Sky Tower brought central 
Auckland to a standstill at midnight. Around 15,000 partygoers 
at Gisborne's Rhythm and Vines festival stayed up all night to 
enjoy the first sun of 2008. 
 
(Some hints at good news here, I suppose. - BH)

Wednesday, 2 January 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TWO NORTH ISLAND EARTHQUAKES
----------------------------

Two small earthquakes have been recorded in the Bay of Plenty. 
The first struck at 1.42pm and measured 2.4 on the Richter 
scale. It was within 5km of Rotorua at a depth of 5km. The 
second was at 2.08pm 10km north of Matata and was also at a 
depth of 5km. It measured 3.2 on the Richter scale.

WEBSITE CHALLENGES ELECTORAL FINANCE ACT
----------------------------------------

New electoral finance laws in effect for just two days are 
already being challenged. A new website called 
dontvotelabour.org.nz has been set up to support the causes of 
Kill the Bill and Southern Institute of Technology, which both 
oppose the new laws. Political commentator David Farrar says 
the site is in breach of the laws because a statement which 
advocates against a political party needs to contain the name 
and address of the person who has authorised it and must 
register its intention with the Electoral Commission. Mr 
Farrar says the website is a minor breach and he doubts the 
Electoral Commission would prosecute.

COURTS MAY STRUGGLE TO ENFORCE EFA
----------------------------------

Former Prime Minister Mike Moore predicts the courts will be 
put in an impossible position if they are forced to rule on 
the newly passed Electoral Finance Act. The Act came into 
force yesterday and Mr Moore says it is full of inviting 
loopholes and last minute amendments which went into the 
legislation without proper scrutiny. He expects it will only 
be a matter of weeks before the law is deliberately tested in 
the courts and found wanting. Mr Moore believes that the 
publicity generated by opposition to the act threatens to 
overshadow the good things Labour has achieved in government. 
Opponents of the act claim it restricts free speech. 
Yesterday, a brick was thrown at the window of Prime Minister 
Helen Clark's electoral office in the Auckland suburb of Mt 
Albert. A group called People Power claimed responsibility, 
saying their actions were a protest against the legislation.

PARTY PILL USE ON THE INCREASE DUE TO BAN?
------------------------------------------

National's police spokesman believes young people are making 
the most of a delayed ban on party pills. Chester Borrows 
spent time in Mt Maunganui over the New Year's Eve 
celebrations, observing police operations there. He says the 
effects of not passing a law banning BZP before the holiday 
period were evident. Mr Borrows says he saw young people who 
had been drinking and also taking party pills who had ended up 
in a fairly bad way. He says people are probably taking more 
pills than normal because they know they will soon be banned.

HOLIDAYS ACT PUTTING THE BITE ON DINING OUT
-------------------------------------------

A growing number of cafes and restaurants are opting to stay 
closed on statutory holidays, because of the higher cost of 
staff. The Holidays Act requires employers to pay staff time 
and a half, and give them a day-off in lieu if they work on a 
public holiday. Hospitality Association chief Bruce Robertson 
says the cost of complying with the Act is proving too much 
for some businesses. He says while the Holidays Act has been 
around for a while, an increasing number of operators are 
deciding it is not worth it. Mr Robertson says it is a bad 
look for international visitors who often want to enjoy a bite 
to eat and drink. 
 
(Family members and friends really struggled to find 
Wellington restaurants open in the holiday period. I don't 
understand why businesses don't simply spread the extra costs 
of the holiday periods over the normal costs for the remainder 
of the year. The impact on good will of find a restaurant 
closed, or charging like wounded buffaloes is surely much 
worse than the long term impression of slightly higher prices 
year round. - BH)

Thursday, 3 January 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SUCCESSFUL YEAR FOR FISHERIES
-----------------------------

Fisheries Officers are being congratulated for their efforts 
in providing a deterrent to people breaking the rules. 
Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton says in the past year close to 
$4.5 million worth of boats and fishing gear has been seized. 
He says this huge amount of work from the officers is a clear 
warning to potential rule breakers. Mr Anderton says the 
deterrent effect they are having is reflected in a substantial 
decrease in the number of people being caught. He says TV 
shows like Coastwatch have all helped raise awareness. Mr 
Anderton says there is now more understanding of the nature 
and importance of preserving our fisheries.

HIGHEST DROWNING TOLL IN 4 YRS
------------------------------

There has been a spate of drownings over the holiday period, 
with ten people lost in water-related incidents. Water Safety 
New Zealand says eight of them were a result of recreational 
activities....sometimes where people were in unfamiliar waters 
on holiday. It is the highest drowning toll in four years.

GREENS WARNING ON OIL PRICES
----------------------------

The Greens believe today's record breaking crude oil price is 
just its first flirtation with triple digits. On the first day 
of trading in the New Year, oil futures surged to 100 US 
dollars a barrel. Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says 
the era of cheap oil has been over for some time. She says we 
need to respond with an urgent re-examination of budget 
priorities for roading, public transport and freight. Ms 
Fitzsimons says it is clear we should be planning for a high 
cost, oil-constrained future.

TOURISM COULD BE HIT BADLY
--------------------------

New research has found greenhouse gas emissions generated by 
visitors travelling to New Zealand are far greater than had 
been previously thought. The study by Otago University 
suggests the scale of emissions could have far-reaching 
implications for the tourism industry. Researcher Doctor Craig 
Rodger says as tourism is New Zealand's number one export 
earner, the findings give cause for concern. He says emissions 
work out at about eight million tonnes a year. That is equal 
to the total carbon dioxide emitted by all the thermal power 
plants in New Zealand making electricity. Doctor Rodger says 
we need to come up with meaningful off-setting strategies if 
tourism is to remain a cornerstone of our economy.

BATTERY HEN FARMING BETTER
--------------------------

While many animal rights activists have campaigned hard to put 
an end to battery hen farming, it is being claimed this form 
of production may be best for the environment. A study in the 
United States has found traditional cage egg production 
reduces the industry's effects on global warming by 10 
percent. United Egg Producers spokesman Mitch Head says it 
should not come as any big surprise. He says free-range 
chickens use up more space and eat more feed. Mr Head says 
even worse for global warming would be converting to all 
organic production. He says organic egg farming will increase 
the industries effect on global warming by 40 percent.

PATIENTS ON THE MEND AFTER NOROVIRUS OUTBREAK
---------------------------------------------

The situation at an Auckland rest home suffering from a 
suspected outbreak of Norovirus is improving. Earlier this 
week, Mercy Parklands Hospital and Retirement Home in 
Ellerslie isolated 30 elderly patients with symptoms including 
vomiting and diarrhoea. General Manager Peter Buckland says 
things have improved a lot since Monday. He says there has 
been a couple more infections but those who were infected on 
Monday are all on the mend. Mr Buckland says it will be next 
week before they know if it is actually Norovirus.

PRESERVED MAORI HEAD STAYING PUT IN FRANCE
------------------------------------------

Plans to return a preserved Maori head back to New Zealand 
have been quashed by a French court. The head of the warrior 
has been held at a Rouen city museum since it was donated by a 
collector in 1875. Last year the museum decided to return it 
as an "ethical gesture of respect" for the Maori people But 
Europe correspondent Catherine Field says the French culture 
ministry stepped in to block the transfer, arguing the head 
was now part of France's cultural heritage. She says an 
administrative court has ruled in the ministry's favour, 
saying that city authorities failed to consult a scientific 
committee before withdrawing the head from a national museum 
collection. 
 
(I fail to understand how even the most insensitive court can 
fail to distinguish between an artefact and a body part. This 
head is part of someone's family. The collection of body 
parts, be they mummies or shrunken heads is a ghoulish act of 
barbarism which has no place in civilised society. It reflects 
badly on France in this instance. - BH)

SCOUTS SEEN AS GOOD CAREER MOVE
-------------------------------

Scout leaders believe the organisation's highest award is 
helping prepare young people for careers later in life. More 
than 150 Scouts have been presented with the Chief Scout award 
at the Centennial Jamboree in Christchurch. Deputy Camp Chief 
Malcolm Parker says scouts learn valuable life skills while 
working towards the award. He says there is a lot of demand 
from the business community for people who can work well in 
groups. Mr Parker says independent learning is another 
valuable skill scouts learn.

WEBSITE MAY SPARK CALL FROM ELECTION OFFICIALS
----------------------------------------------

The creator of a website challenging new electoral finance 
laws is expecting to hear from election officials. 
Christchurch man Andrew Moore has launched the website 
dontvotelabour.org.nz. He says that breaches the Electoral 
Finance Act which came into force on Tuesday. Mr Moore says 
the website was not set up to purposely break the law. He says 
he is angry at the idea of registering for freedom of speech 
but he is not sure what he'll do if the Electoral Commission 
calls. Mr Moore says it will be a case of playing it by ear.

ESPERANZA STARTS THE HUNT FOR JAPANESE WHALERS
----------------------------------------------

The hunters have become the hunted. The Greenpeace vessel 
Esperanza has made it to the Southern Ocean and will now try 
to intercept Japan's whaling fleet on their annual cull. The 
activist group believes Japan is killing the whales for 
commercial reasons and not scientific purposes as being 
claimed. Esperanza spokeswoman Sarah Holden says the crew is 
in search mode and will now aim to work out where the whalers 
are. She says the ship is currently sitting somewhere on the 
ice edge of Antarctica, but says she cannot confirm exactly 
where because it may alert the Japanese fleet. 

("Scientific whaling" is as bogus as the collection of body 
parts in museums. It too speaks of an underlying barbarism - 
BH)

Friday, 4 January 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DANGER FROM UV RADIATION
------------------------

We are being warned to be extra careful this week while we are 
out in the sun. Ultra violet radiation reaches it peak in the 
first week of January. Niwa scientist Dr Greg Bodeker says 
while the ozone hole is actually decreasing, people should 
still take extra care. He says New Zealand gets its highest UV 
levels in January, because the sun is at its highest peak in 
the Southern Hemisphere. Dr Bodeker says while the ozone hole 
is not directly above New Zealand, the depleted atmosphere 
increases UV radiation levels in New Zealand.

REPRIEVE FOR REGENCY DUTY FREE
------------------------------

The Commerce Commission has stepped in to prevent a monopoly 
in duty free goods at Auckland International Airport. Regency 
Duty Free was due to shut down its shop at the close of 
business on New Year's Eve. But the Commission is not 
satisfied with an arrangement which would leave only one 
supplier. It means Regency has a reprieve for the next 18 
months, while the Commission investigates.

GOVT BUREAUCRACY OUT OF CONTROL
-------------------------------

National is outraged more than 500 WINZ workers are dealing 
solely with debts owed by beneficiaries. Welfare spokeswoman 
Judith Collins says despite the army of people tasked with 
getting the money back, the debt mountain just keeps on 
growing. She says it is another example of government 
bureaucracy spiralling out of control, but not solving any 
problems. She doubts many of the people responsible for 
collecting the debt would be earning less than 70 thousand 
dollars a year. Judith Collins says beneficiary debt has now 
risen to a shocking 761 million dollars.

AN END TO LEAKY HOMES
---------------------

The Government is confident the days of leaky homes are over, 
because of its new accreditation scheme for builders. Seven 
thousand tradesmen have so far asked for information packs 
about the scheme. The idea is to set up a nationally-
recognised qualification specific to each craft. Building and 
Construction Minister Shane Jones says the building industry 
has been very supportive of the scheme.

ROAD TOLL RISES TO 18
---------------------

The Christmas holiday road toll has risen to 18 following the 
death of a woman in Rotorua. The 28 year old passenger died in 
a crash near Kaingaroa. It happened at about four o'clock 
yesterday morning, within the holiday road toll period.

KIWIS URGED TO TAKE CHARGE OF THEIR FINANCES
--------------------------------------------

The Retirement Commission is encouraging New Zealanders to 
take charge of their finances this year. Commissioner Diana 
Crossan says the New Year is a time when many people take 
stock and set goals. She says financial planning should be 
added to the mix, so people finish 2008 better off than when 
they started. Ms Crossan says people need to make a budget, so 
they are spending less than they earn. She says people need to 
manage their cash flow better, so they know exactly where 
their money is going.

ACID ON TOURISM INDUSTRY OVER CARBON EMISSIONS
----------------------------------------------

The tourism industry is being told to come up with ways to off 
set carbon emissions from visitors. It follows an Otago 
University study which says the scale of emissions from 
travellers is greater than previously thought. Total emissions 
work out to be about eight million tonnes a year. Greens' Co-
Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says the tourism industry cannot 
afford to turn a blind eye to the research. Ms Fitzsimons says 
the industry also needs to plan for fewer visitors, because 
many will not be able to afford to fly regularly as the price 
of crude oil continues to rise. It reached a record $US100 a 
barrel yesterday, before falling back. Ms Fitzsimons says it 
will be up to the tourism operators to think of new ways to 
attract tourists here for longer periods of time.


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