WYSIWYG NEWS - 24 January, 2008

[news at wysiwygnews.com]

Subject: 24 January, 2008 
----- WYSIWYG NEWS ------------------------------ 
Copyright, Brian Harmer. 

As I said last week, it was time to take my recently purchased 
car to the open road, so of course, another trip to Wanganui 
was the result.  Well, I love the car. It's quiet, 
comfortable, well equipped, sufficiently powerful, and a 
pleasure to drive and good looking too. In fact Mary (who is 
usually a bit conservative) thinks that there is an imp under 
the bonnet waiting to be unleashed, and wants to take it 
somewhere to really open it up. Not on my watch!  Sunday was a 
day of blue sky overhead, though there were signs of a distant 
front to the North and East. Clear views of Ruapehu and 
Taranaki were available from Sanson and beyond. Black rock was 
visible at or near the summits of both mountains, with just 
residual snow in the gullies.  Driving through some of the 
gently rolling hill country between Bulls and Wanganui, I was 
struck by how dry things have become in a very short time. Hay 
crops are bleached pale gold, almost white, and the contrast 
against the perfect blue of the sky was very attractive. 
Coincidentally, since he hadn't planned to be there this 
weekend, I met my brother in Wanganui. He and his wife have 
sold their home in Auckland and bought a very comfortable 
motor home based on a fairly large bus. I admire their 
courage, and wish them many great adventures on the road,  but 
know that I couldn't do it. Having visited both sets of 
parents, we turned around and did the return journey, and got 
caught in the holiday weekend traffic. At Forest Lakes Rd 
about 5 km north of Otaki, the traffic came to a standstill. 
It then took about half an hour to reach the township where 
people shopping in factory outlet shops were the apparent 
cause of the problem. Once through Otaki, we picked up speed 
again, but traffic was heavy from there all the way home. 
 
----  
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 one of several sponsors who preferred to remain 
anonymous or this week's sponsorship.
----  
On with the News. 

Monday, 14 January 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MARKET HITS LOWEST POINT IN 15 MONTHS
-------------------------------------

Investors have been in sell mode today, shaving off 42 points 
with the New Zealand stock exchange hitting its lowest point 
in 15 months. The 1.2 percent drop is linked to a fall on Wall 
Street as investor confidence continues to decline over the 
state of the US economy. Barry Lindsey of First NZ Capital 
says a number of companies have taken a hit, Contact Energy in 
particular down 20 cents. He says the stocks are not over 
valued and they do not deserve to be smashed down further, it 
is just a result of a lack to confidence in the future. Mr 
Lindsey says it will take time for investor confidence to 
improve and there may be a further slide in the market.

GREENS, EPMU CALL FOR SIR ED DAY
--------------------------------

The Greens would want people to spend the day outside if the 
Government agreed to create a public holiday to remember Sir 
Edmund Hillary. Green co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons is 
promoting making Sir Ed's birthday on July 20 a holiday. She 
says having it on that day, or on the nearest Monday, would 
allow people to spend it outdoors skiing or tramping. Ms 
Fitzsimons says it would be a fitting tribute for Sir Ed and 
encourage people to get off the couch in the middle of winter. 
She says the Greens also strongly support recognising and 
continuing the work of the Himalaya Trust. Engineering, 
Printing and Manufacturing Union spokesman Andrew Little says 
the day of Sir Ed's state funeral, January 22, should be made 
a one-off holiday. Mr Little says the 88-year-old deserves to 
be honoured by the nation. He says time out is needed to 
reflect on his accomplishments as a humanitarian.

(Sir Edmund made clear what he wanted his memorial to be ... 
he wanted the people of New Zealand to pick up and continue 
the work he had done with the people of Nepal. - BH)

POLICE CONTINUE CYBER CRIME INVESTIGATION
-----------------------------------------

Waikato police say enquiries are continuing into a Whitianga 
teenager's involvement in a worldwide cyber crime network. The 
18-year-old has not yet been arrested or charged over the 
attack on more than a million computers, causing around $25 
million in damage. Police say the special agent from the FBI, 
who was assisting police with their investigation, returned to 
the US prior to Christmas.

WARNING AGAINST VEGE CRACKERS
-----------------------------

The national food watchdog has issued a warning not to eat 
Piranha Vege Crackers. It follows news from the Australian 
state of New South Wales that there are higher than usual 
levels of naturally occurring cyanide in a batch of the 
exported vegetable crackers. Food Standards Australia New 
Zealand says the likelihood of someone getting sick from 
eating the product is low, but as a precaution consumers, 
particularly children, should not eat the product.

GOVT TO CONSIDER MEMORIAL FOR SIR ED
------------------------------------

The Prime Minister is suggesting the Government should honour 
Sir Edmund Hillary's wishes for a lasting memorial. Helen 
Clark says in 2003 Sir Ed made it clear that what he most 
wanted as a tribute was support for his life's work in the 
Himalayas. She says at the time her Government made a 
commitment of ongoing support. Miss Clark says once next 
week's state funeral is over, she wants to go back and review 
what the Government did in 2003. The Prime Minister says an 
awful lot of work is underway on organising the service, which 
will be held on Tuesday at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in 
Parnell. She says Sir Ed's family is very much involved, 
working out who needs to be invited and what his favourite 
music was. Miss Clark says the huge event involves officials 
from Internal Affairs, the military and the police. She says a 
major factor is traffic management, particularly as no-one 
knows just how many people will turn out on the day. Miss 
Clark says given the universal outpouring of love, respect and 
admiration for Sir Ed, organisers have to anticipate a huge 
amount of public interest. Meanwhile, the Green Party is 
backing calls for Sir Edmund Hillary's birthday to become a 
national holiday. Co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says marking 
an annual public holiday on July 20 would be a fitting 
tribute. She says it could fall on the actual day, or on the 
Monday nearest to it, to allow New Zealanders to extend their 
weekend to participate in some form of outdoor winter 
activity.

ESTIMATED QUAKE DAMAGE TO HOMES $16M
------------------------------------

The Earthquake Commission's temporary office in Gisborne is 
wading through the claims lodged after December's quake. The 
magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck just five days before 
Christmas. Around 3,000 claims have been filed so far, with 
the total damage to residential properties estimated to be 
around $16 million. The Gisborne office has 40 staff and will 
be open until at least the end of the month. The Insurance 
Council expects to have a handle on the cost of damage to the 
central business district at the end of the week.

WORKERS SAY STRIKING A LAST RESORT
----------------------------------

Health care sector workers at Brackenridge Estate in 
Templeton, Christchurch, insist they will only take industrial 
action as an absolute last resort. Around 140 workers are now 
back on the job after a two day strike. They have sent what 
they say is a strong message to the Ministry of Health about 
the need for extra funding. Janice Gemmell from the National 
Union of Public Employees says the ball is now in the 
ministry's court and it has been given until the end of the 
month to come up with another offer. She says the workers take 
their jobs seriously and regard any strike action as a last 
resort. The workers have turned down an additional one percent 
pay rise to the four percent already on offer. They says the 
one percent would come at a cost with cuts to training, 
maintenance and weekend outings for residents. Ms Gemmell 
claims the employer is not prepared to make a decent pay offer 
on base pay rates, penal rates and will not pay any overtime 
rate despite staff regularly working a lot of additional 
hours. She says many of the staff are paid $14.50 per hour and 
caregivers who have been at Brackenridge since its 
establishment in September 1999 have seen their hourly rate 
increase by 32 cents per year over eight years. Brackenridge 
Estate is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Canterbury District 
Health Board and takes care of residents with intellectual 
disabilities.

FIRE BANS EARLIER THAN USUAL
----------------------------

Extremely dry conditions in the South Island have prompted 
several councils to enforce a ban on all open fires. The ban 
covers Southland, Canterbury and some parts of the Clutha 
District. Christchurch Chief Fire Officer Dan Coward says 
while it is common to put bans in place at this time of the 
year, the dryer weather has arrived earlier than expected. He 
says temperatures have soared in the south, but the biggest 
problem has been prevailing winds increasing the fire risk. Mr 
Coward is urging campers in particular to exercise extreme 
care. He says if people are not sure about restrictions in 
their area, they should contact their local council.

Tuesday, 15 January 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

YOUTH CRIME STRATEGY FAILS IN MANY AREAS
----------------------------------------

National is slamming the state of a youth crime prevention 
strategy. A Justice Ministry report has found the programme, 
launched by the Government in 2002, has failed in many areas. 
Among the problems are that only 16 percent of youth offenders 
have turned up to every meeting set up for them. There is also 
confusion over what the strategy is meant to achieve. 
National's Chester Borrows says the whole idea was to tackle 
crime by getting youth offender agencies working together, and 
that has not happened. 

(If, as seems likely at present, National become the 
government at the end of the year, I shall watch with interest 
how Mr Borrows performs in this area. Politicians in 
opposition have the luxury of "slamming" things without having 
to front up with a workable alternative. - BH)

MOTORMAKER ANNOUNCES MAJOR DEAL
-------------------------------

An Auckland-based motor maker says it has executed a deal with 
a major international company. Wellington Drive Technologies 
(WDT) makes energy-efficient motors for appliances. The 
company is not naming its new client but says the development, 
manufacturing and distribution agreement is worth more than 
$1.5 million. WDT expects product revenues from manufacturing 
to grow steadily from next year onwards as a result of the 
long-term deal. It says the customer has extensive sales and 
distribution operations worldwide and is generally considered 
within the industry to be an international leader. It says a 
considerable amount of development work was completed during 
2007 in anticipation of the completion of the contract and the 
work will now be recorded as revenue. WDT shares last traded 
three cents higher at 47c.

ARTISTS URGED TO DRAW INSPIRATION FROM PARKS
--------------------------------------------

New Zealand artists are being encouraged to draw inspiration 
from Auckland's regional parks. The Auckland Regional Council 
has set up a residency grant for artists to spend a month at 
historic homesteads and beachside baches within regional 
parks. The chairwoman of the Parks and Heritage Committee 
Sandra Coney says it is open to all artists, including 
photographers, musicians, writers and film makers. She says 
getting people to look at the parks though new eyes can help 
all New Zealanders see new things about the environment, 
landscapes and histories. The grant will cover free 
accommodation and costs.

MOORE CALLS FOR CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE
-------------------------------------

Former Prime Minister Mike Moore is calling for a review of 
New Zealand's constitutional arrangements, including a look at 
the possibility of becoming a republic. Mr Moore says cross-
party consensus on being a republic is emerging in Australia, 
so the issue is likely to become fashionable here. He says 
recent changes, such as the ditching of the Privy Council and 
the introduction of MMP, have been ad hoc, opportunist, 
leaderless and potentially dangerous. However Mr Moore says 
New Zealand's constitutional arrangements are not in a 
desperate state of disrepair and there is no need for haste. 
Mr Moore is suggesting the nation holds a Constitutional 
Conference and that all political parties establish an Eminent 
Persons Group to report on the matter to Parliament. 
 
(I instinctively distrust any who would allow themselves to be 
designated as an "eminent person". Indeed, I reject the notion 
that any group of "eminent persons" has a monopoly on 
constitutional wisdom. - BH)

NZ RESEARCHERS HELPING ASIAN DIABETES STUDY
-------------------------------------------

Singapore researchers have called on Auckland University 
experts to help set up a laboratory to study diabetes. The 
study will look at the role of genes in diabetes and why 
Asians are about twice as likely as Caucasians to develop the 
disease. Peter Gluckman, the director of the Liggins 
Institute, says it is an honour to be involved in the project. 
The fact that researchers chose New Zealand experts over those 
at Harvard or Cambridge University is great for the country's 
reputation. Dr Gluckman says the partnership recognises the 
Liggins Institute as being one of the world's major 
contributors to medical research. 

GOVT URGED TO FOLLOW BRITAIN'S ORGAN LEAD
-----------------------------------------

Campaigners pushing for the setting up of an organ donor 
register here are praising the lead of the British government. 
Prime Minister Gordon Brown is backing the proposed "presumed 
consent" system, which allows organs to be removed from a dead 
patient, unless the person had specifically opted out of a 
national register, or their family objects. Andy Tookey from 
the group Give Life New Zealand says studies in New Zealand 
show 90 percent of people are in favour of organ donation but 
only 25 percent actually sign an organ donor card. He says if 
the New Zealand government was serious about ending organ 
donor shortage it would follow Britain's lead and consider 
introducing a presumed consent system. He believes it will be 
some time before attitudes towards organ donation change in 
New Zealand and in the meantime many lives will be lost 
unnecessarily.

Wednesday, 16 January 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LEADING NZ POET DIES
--------------------

One of New Zealand's best-loved poets has died. Hone Tuwhare 
passed away today in Dunedin, aged 86. He was among 10 of New 
Zealand's greatest living artists named as Arts Foundation of 
New Zealand Icon Artists in 2003. 
 
(I am certain that the media might have made more of the death 
of Hone Tuwhare if they had not gone into such a frenzy over 
the passing of Sir Edmund. - BH)

HOUSE PRICE AND SALE LEVELS DROP
--------------------------------

The housing market ended the year with a drop in both the 
level of sales and the median sale price. Real Estate 
Institute figures show in December, 2,000 fewer homes were 
sold than in November. The national median price fell $7,000 
to end the year on $345,000. Real Estate Institute president 
Murray Cleland says despite some commentators' predictions, 
there is no discernable erosion of property values with house 
prices doubling since the turn of the century. He says there 
are suggestions the market may have reached a peak and is now 
levelling off.

PLASTIC BAGS A MINIMAL PROBLEM, SAY RETAILERS
---------------------------------------------

Retailers say there is no need to follow Australia's example 
and put a tax on plastic shopping bags, as a way to reduce 
their use. Australia has announced it will be introducing a 
bag tax this year, while China has decided to ban bags 
completely. New Zealand Retailers Association spokesman Barry 
Hellberg says plastic bags represent a very small portion of 
the nation's waste problem, just 0.2 percent. He says there 
are far more important environmental issues out there to worry 
about than plastic bags. Mr Hellberg says initiatives the 
industry has already put in place to encourage people to say 
no to plastic bags are working.

TAILGATERS CONCERNING AMBULANCE SERVICE
---------------------------------------

Wellington Free Ambulance is concerned about a growing trend 
of motorists following emergency vehicles too closely in an 
effort to get past traffic. They say the tailgating is a 
dangerous practice and is putting the lives of paramedics and 
the public at risk. It follows an incident on Monday on State 
Highway 1 just north of Tawa, when an ambulance was delayed in 
reaching an emergency after it was hit by a tailgating 
motorist. The motorist involved initially failed to stop and 
is expected to face charges. Ambulance Operations Manager Rob 
Jenkins says not only do ambulances often have to brake 
quickly, but they also have to exert their right of way at 
intersections and traffic lights, something a motorist cannot 
do.

WATER RESTRICTIONS A POSSIBILITY IN CHCH
----------------------------------------

The Christchurch City Council may have to introduce water 
restrictions. Water usage per household is increasing 
dramatically every week, as temperatures rise. Resource and 
Efficiency team leader Kevin Crutchley says over the past week 
households have used about 1600 litres, a rise of 500 litres 
on the previous week and just 400 litres shy of restrictions. 
He says council is keen to promote the waterwise message.

CRITIC SAYS VILLA MARIA 2007'S TOP PRODUCER
-------------------------------------------

An influential wine critic has named New Zealand's Villa Maria 
Estate as the world's best wine producer. American Michael 
Franz has named the winery as 2007's world wine producer of 
the year, claiming it is at the ?forefront in the historic 
rise of kiwi wine?. On his website Franz describes Villa Maria 
as ?an innovator in technical matters and an exemplar in terms 
of quality and price". He has singled out the Reserve Clifford 
Bay Sauvignon Blanc and Single Vineyard Taylors Pass Sauvignon 
Blanc as "among the world's best." George Fistonich founded 
Villa Maria in 1961. The company is wholly New Zealand-owned. 
It was the first major wine company in the world to declare 
itself a cork free zone. As of 2004, all its wines have been 
sealed with a screw cap to maintain consistency of the 
product.

WOMEN WARNED ABOUT ONLINE DATING
--------------------------------

An internet safety group says the arrest of a Huntly man is a 
timely reminder for women to take precautions when meeting men 
on internet dating sites. The man who uses the cyber name 
"Houndman" is facing numerous charges after allegedly raping 
two women on separate occasions at his rural property. He met 
them on a dating website. Lee Chisholm from Netsafe says there 
are a number of precautions women can take, including being 
careful about giving out personal details before meeting 
anyone face-to-face and meeting in a public place such as a 
cafe. Taking a friend along is another recommended precaution. 
Ms Chisholm believes internet date rape is under reported for 
a raft of reasons, including women being embarrassed about 
using an online dating site.

Thursday, 17 January 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

INFLATION RISES ABOVE RESERVE BANK'S TARGET
-------------------------------------------

The annual inflation rate has pushed through the Reserve 
Bank's target band of three percent. The latest Consumer Price 
Index rose 1.2 percent in December, bringing inflation for the 
December quarter to 3.2 percent. Food and fuel were the major 
factors behind the rise. The price of cheese and butter pushed 
up food prices by 0.9 percent. Butter rose a whopping 22.1 
percent and cheese 13.9 percent. Chocolate biscuits cost 11.4 
percent more. The most notable fall in prices in the grocery 
sub group was in the cost of potato crisps, which were down 
4.8 percent. Boxed chocolates fell 9.9 percent and yoghurt was 
4.6 percent cheaper. Fresh fruit and vegetables rose 2.6 
percent, driven by a 27 percent rise in the price of apples. 
Tomatoes fell 14.1 percent in price and broccoli was 25.3 
percent cheaper. The most significant contributor to the CPI 
came from transport costs. Petrol rose 5.4 percent for the 
month and the cost of international air transport rose by 11.9 
percent. If petrol prices had remained constant over the same 
period, the CPI would have risen one percent. Domestic air 
transport fell 4.6 percent.

NEW FLIGHTS BETWEEN WHAKATANE- WELLINGTON
-----------------------------------------

Air New Zealand is launching a six month trial of a direct 
service between Whakatane and Wellington. The new six days a 
week service will be operated by Air New Zealand subsidiary 
Eagle Air, which will trial the route for six months from May 
19, using a 19-seat Beech 1900D aircraft. General Manager 
Grant Kerr says the service is in response to strong demand 
from Whakatane travellers, who currently travel to and from 
Wellington via Auckland, Rotorua or Tauranga. He says it will 
reduce travel time for Whakatane customers by at least an 
hour. Mayor of Whakatane Colin Holmes says despite the service 
being a trial, he believes the Eastern Bay of Plenty is the 
growth area of the future and that the service will become 
permanent. Air New Zealand last operated the route in 1999, 
but it was not sustainable at that time. One-way smart saver 
fares will be available from $99.

REPORT FINDS FARM WORK PAYS WELL
--------------------------------

A report into farm worker remuneration has found that 
agriculture offers farm employees a competitive rate in 
comparison to other sectors. The Federated Farmers? 
Remuneration Report released by Federated Farmers and Rabobank 
details remuneration rates of farm employees in the dairy, 
sheep, beef and arable sectors. It says there are clear 
opportunities for career development but finds that attracting 
and retaining quality employees is becoming increasingly 
challenging for all employers. Federated Farmers? president 
Charlie Pedersen says the report shows that farmers have 
lifted their game in recent years and are offering employees a 
competitive rate compared with other industries He says it is 
particularly important for dairy employers, that remuneration 
rates are based on responsibility rather than being fuelled by 
a high payout. He says that enables employers to pay more in 
the short-term and tempts them to buy their way out of the 
labour availability challenge. Ben Russell from Rabobank says 
the report shows a positive trend for agricultural employment. 
He says it is important for farmers and all employers, to get 
the balance right between containing wage cost growth, paying 
good people a competitive remuneration, and offering them the 
type of career development opportunities that will see them 
stay for longer.

MEDAL REWARD OFFERS ACCEPTED
----------------------------

The largest ever reward is being offered for the return of New 
Zealand's stolen war medals. Police have decided to accept the 
$200,000 offered by British collector and peer Lord Ashcroft 
and another $100,000 from an unnamed New Zealander for 
information leading to the return of the medals. Ninety-six 
medals including nine Victoria Crosses were snatched from the 
Waiouru Army Museum early last month. The haul included the VC 
awarded to World War 2 soldier Captain Charles Upham Police 
have said they believe clues to the theft lie within the local 
Waiouru community. 
 
(This has caused some offense among the families of murder 
victims. The highest reward offered by police for information 
leading to conviction for any of the unsolved murder cases is 
$50,000. They do not see that the reward for mere property 
should be so much higher. It's an understandable human 
reaction - BH)

ANOTHER EARTHQUAKE IN GISBORNE
------------------------------

Gisborne has been struck by another earthquake. The magnitude 
4.2 quake happened at 6.58am. It was centred 30km south-east 
of Gisborne at a depth of 30km. There have been no reports of 
damage yet.

NERVOUS TIME FOR NCEA CANDIDATES
--------------------------------

The New Zealand Qualifications Authority expects around 85 
percent of students who sat NCEA will receive their results in 
the mail today. More than 130,000 teenagers across the country 
sat the exams during November and December. Bali Haque, NZQA's 
Deputy Chief Executive, says anyone who does not receive their 
results today, can log on to NZQA's website this afternoon. 
Scholarship results are due next month.

BIRDS DIE IN MYSTERIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES
-------------------------------------

The death of half a colony of sea birds in Canterbury will 
have an ongoing impact on the future of the threatened 
species. Approximately 200 black-billed gulls and 50 chicks 
have been found dead at the colony's regular nesting site at 
the Conway River in North Canterbury. Craig Alexander, a 
ranger with the Department of Conservation says as yet it is 
not known why the birds died or why half the colony survived. 
He says there is no obvious sign of violence but DOC has not 
ruled out the possibility the birds were shot. Mr Alexander 
says the deaths have affected the rest of the colony, which 
appears to have abandoned nesting for the season in the wake 
of the deaths. He says that will have a big impact on the 
colony. It is believed the birds died about three weeks ago.

Friday, 18 January 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HILLARY FUNERAL - FURTHER DETAILS
---------------------------------

Further details have been announced about the state funeral 
for Sir Edmund Hillary, which is to be held in Auckland on 
Tuesday. Sir Edmund will lie in state at the Cathedral of the 
Holy Trinity on Monday. Members of the public will be able to 
file past his casket from 11:30am. On Tuesday, the state 
funeral will begin at St Mary's in Parnell at 11am. Roads in 
the area will be closed from 9am, and the public are being 
encouraged to watch the service on a large screen which will 
be erected in The Domain. A reading will be given the Queen's 
representative, Governor-General Anand Satyanand. Also 
speaking will be Helen Clark, a member of the Hillary family, 
Reverend Peter Beck and Jim Wilson. There will also be a 
tribute from Norbu Tenzing Norgay. Dame Malvina Major will 
perform and Sir Edmund will be farewelled with an honour guard 
by the New Zealand Alpine Club and a haka, before the funeral 
cortege travels through Auckland Domain towards his home in 
Remuera Road. The service is expected to last about two hours, 
and will be broadcast in full by Newstalk ZB. There will be no 
member of the Royal Family, although the Queen has offered Sir 
Edmund Hillary's family a memorial service at Windsor Castle. 
The Hillary family is expected to travel to the UK in April 
for the service in St George's Chapel.

MARKET DOWN - BRACE FOR MORE
----------------------------

Advisors are warning stock market investors to brace 
themselves for a further plunge in share prices. Stocks on the 
NZX have been trading significantly lower again today the 12th 
consecutive day of losses. The exchange has not experienced 
more than seven losing sessions in a row before. The NZX50 
index was down more than 2 percent at one point - it has 
touched a low point of 3644 today, almost ten percent lower 
than it began the year. Five billion dollars have been wiped 
off the value of stocks. Stephen Wright of ASB Securities says 
there are a number of reasons for the slide - including New 
Zealand's high interest rates and an overall lack of 
confidence. He expects it will be a good 12 months before we 
see any correction in the market. New York's Dow Jones index 
was also sharply lower, down 306 points at 12,159. Australia's 
All Ords is also 2 percent lower today - it was down more than 
130 points at 5721 in mid-afternoon.

SUNBED USE WORRIES GREENS
-------------------------

The Greens say a report on the cancer risk of using sunbeds 
shows why New Zealand needs new regulation. The Queensland 
Institute of Medical Research has found that people who use a 
sunbed are 22 percent more likely to get melanoma than those 
who do not use them. Those who first use a sunbed under the 
age of 35 raise their risk of developing of skin cancer by 98 
percent. Greens health spokeswoman Sue Kedgley says some 
people using sunbeds seem oblivious to the risks. She says the 
Government must bring in regulation for the sunbed industry, 
particularly considering the growth in the number of people 
using them. 
 
(Given the harshness of NZ sunlight, I agree with the critic 
who said that kiwis need sunbeds like they need a third 
nostril - BH)

NZ FIRST BLASTS SEXUAL ENGINEERING
----------------------------------

New Zealand First is scathing of a report suggesting it should 
become easier for people to change their sex. The Human Rights 
Commission believes the rights of transgender people need to 
be protected, especially transgender children attending 
school. New Zealand First's Peter Brown says we should not be 
condoning liberal attempts to push children towards sex 
changes, when many already find it difficult enough to make 
basic decisions about life. Peter Brown says just because 
technology physically allows a person's sex to be changed, it 
doesn't mean that society should be forced to accept the 
results. He says transgendered people are already catered for 
in society and do not need the Human Rights Commission. Mr 
Brown says it is just another example of the creeping insanity 
of social and sexual engineering, and transgender children do 
not need encouragement to wear drag to school. The 
groundbreaking report by the Human Rights Commission also 
suggests amending procedures for changing sex on passports and 
birth certificates, to make the process easier. Commissioner 
Joy Liddicoat says it is already hard enough for most New 
Zealanders going up to passport control in these days of 
tighter security, but it is even more frightening for 
transgender people when their passport photo shows a person of 
the opposite sex.

HAMPERS 'A WASTE OF MONEY'
--------------------------

A South Auckland budget advisor is urging clients to leave the 
Chrisco Christmas hamper club, in favour of alternatives. 
Mangere Budgeting and Family Support Services has filed a 
complaint with the Commerce Commission, claiming Chrisco comes 
with hidden costs. Spokesman Darryl Evans says it is a great 
idea for people to put cash aside to cover the expensive 
festive season, but recommends the Pak 'n Save deal or 
Aotearoa club. He says these packages are cheaper, and people 
can pick their own food. He says the hampers are a waste of 
money, and are filled with useless goods. 
 
(This message has been put out year upon year by different 
agencies. The best deal is to put your own money into an 
interest bearing account. - BH)

MEDICINES CONCERN IN YOUNG CHILDREN
-----------------------------------

Parents are being urged not to give cough and cold medicines 
to children under the age of two. The government's drug safety 
agency, Medsafe, has issued a warning following advice from 
the US Food and Drug Administration, which says there is too 
much risk. Medsafe Manager Dr Stewart Jessamine is also urging 
parents to be cautious giving the drugs to older children. He 
says there have been reports of harm to children even when the 
drugs have been used correctly. Accidently overdose is also a 
risk, and there is concern the dangers may outweigh the 
benefits. He says parents need to read labels carefully and 
take care to identify which ingredients are in a medicine 
before using it. Dr Jessamine says there is no evidence to 
suggest the medicines are beneficial for children anyway.

BUSINESS SEES INFLATION UP, GROWTH DOWN
---------------------------------------

Businesses are expecting a slow start to the year, not helped 
by the latest Consumer Price Index figure. The CPI was up 1.2 
percent for the December 2007 quarter. Higher petrol prices 
were a significant contributor, helping push up transport 
costs by 3.2 percent. Food prices increased 1.5 percent, while 
housing and household utilities were up 0.9 percent for the 
quarter. Annual inflation broke through the Reserve Bank's 3 
percent target - rising to 3.2 per cent for the year. Auckland 
Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Michael Barnett says 
businesses are pessimistic about the first few months of 2008. 
He predicts the post-Christmas credit card bite will probably 
affect trade in February and March, when businesses are 
expecting a slower time. Mr Barnett says a shortage of labour 
is helping to drive up prices.

STEEL PRICES SET TO ROCKET
--------------------------

New Zealand steel manufacturer Pacific Steel is warning the 
price of steel and wire products are about to jump 
considerably, due to a rapid escalation in the cost of scrap 
metal. The international price has rocketed from $US380 a 
tonne just before Christmas to $US480 dollars a tonne this 
week. While Pacific Steel's products are made entirely from 
New Zealand recycled scrap, the company says the price is set 
by the international market. General Manager John Beveridge 
says he has never seen such a boom and puts it down huge 
demand from India and China.

NO PROBLEM KEEPING JUNIOR DOCTORS SAY DHBS
------------------------------------------

District Health Boards are disputing union claims that 
hospitals are suffering a retention crisis with junior 
doctors. A DHB spokesman says the Resident Doctors 
Association's claim that resident doctors are being lost to 
locum work and overseas markets are misleading. He says the 
figures the association has put to the media are selective and 
have been chosen to support the association's agenda. He says 
DHBs will not negotiate contracts through the media, but will 
be talking with doctors at the table later this month.

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