WYSIWYG NEWS - 5 June, 2008

[news at wysiwygnews.com]

Subject: 5 June, 2008 
----- WYSIWYG NEWS ------------------------------ 
Copyright, Brian Harmer.

This was originally despatched on 5 June, but due to the rebuild
of my laptop referred to below, the automatic fill feature
of outlook didn't happen, and I mistyped the address. Sorry.
Next issue a day or two later.

Sometimes those close to you can prick your bubble. My eldest 
son (Brisbane) speaking of my rant against the airline last 
week, wrote "you're wasting too much energy raging against the 
machines. Life's too short to commit so many words to problems 
with the airline industry, banks, telecommunications companies 
etc (unless you're being paid for your efforts) ... it happens. 
Move on."  Well, he's no longer a babe or a suckling, but he's 
probably correct.  

The week just ended has been a busy one. The last teaching 
week of my academic year. To coincide with that, my battle-
weary laptop became unmanageable as it became increasingly 
entangled in three years worth of change and adjustment. This 
meant that it could take 10 to 15 minutes to reboot, and 10 
minutes to shut down. Unexplained hang-ups, and all sorts of 
problems made life difficult. Our splendid tech guys at work 
cleaned it out and rebuilt it, so that I have in effect, a 
three year old "new machine". Unfortunately this means that 
many of the settings and configuration details that make life 
comfortable and familiar are lost. I still have all my data, 
but I occasionally have to figure out anew, how to restore a 
setting or achieve a function. Rage against the machines? As 
soon as exams and marking are over, I commence six months of 
research and study leave, which is pressure of a different 
kind. In the meantime, what seems like a million unmarked 
assignments beckon, even before exams take place.

>From a weather perspective, winter has arrived. Dark nights, 
howling wind, driving rain, slippery roads. On the days when 
the sky is clear and the sun does shine, there is something 
close to a frost, and the threat of black ice on the dark 
corners around the winding roads of the Western hills. 
However, the shortest day is just a couple of weeks away and 
it will be all uphill from there. 

----  
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. 
Sponsorship this week is courtesy of long time reader and 
supporter, Kim Prisk. Thanks Kim.
----  
On with the News. 

Monday, 26 May 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HALF OF PARENTS ADMIT TO SMACKING
---------------------------------

A poll commissioned by the lobby group Family First says 
nearly half of parents with young children have broken the no-
smacking law in the last year. The survey of just over a 
thousand people, shows 48 per cent of parents with children 
under 12 admit to smacking their children. Women are more 
likely to do so than men. The survey also suggests opposition 
to Sue Bradford's legislation has increased from 62 per cent 
last year, to 73 per cent now. Only 19 per cent strongly or 
somewhat agreed with the new law, despite the Police 
discretion clause. Family First says the figures show how out 
of step with reality the law is. Spokesman Bob McCoskrie says 
good parents have become the victims of a badly drafted law. 
Family First is calling on MPs to amend the Act, so that the 
law explicitly states that reasonable smacking for the purpose 
of correction is not a criminal act. Kiwi Party leader Larry 
Baldock, who has organised a petition calling for a referendum 
on the issue, says the poll shows parents are strengthening 
their resolve to see the Act repealed. He says rather than 
"moving on and getting over it" as the Children's Commissioner 
Cindy Kiro wants them to, parents and prospective parents are 
digging their toes in. He says campaigners have collected 
355,000 signatures on their way to a target of at least 
370,000 to ensure that a referendum is held. Plans are 
currently underway for a major collection drive across the 
nation from Queens Birthday weekend through to mid June to 
finish the task. 
 
(Though cynical about the trustworthiness of polls 
commissioned by lobbyists, I would not be surprised by this 
outcome. - BH)

COUNCIL TOLD TO ASK FOR MORE MONEY
----------------------------------

Greater Wellington is being urged to lobby the government for 
more money, so it does not have to raise train fares in 
August. Land Transport New Zealand has presented a submission 
to the regional council, urging it not to go ahead with a 
proposed a ten percent hike in fares. Rail advocate Lyndy 
McIntyre says Kapiti commuters are already paying thousands 
every year to travel into Wellington, and a fares increase 
will only push them back into their cars. She says despite the 
LTNZ submission, it is disappointing to see Greater 
Wellington's chairman still committed to the increases. She 
says even with petrol prices continually rising, it is still 
cheaper for people to carpool to Wellington than use public 
transport, which makes no sense. She says fares should not go 
up until services are improved. Ms McIntyre says she would 
like to see Greater Wellington lobbying the government to 
support the region's public transport system. The council will 
decide next month whether or not to go ahead with the fare 
increases.
 	
GANG SCHEME HAS EXPANSION PLANS
-------------------------------

The man responsible for a Porirua programme which aims to get 
young people away from gangs, says he is proud he has 
succeeded every time. The Streets Ahead programme launched a 
DVD on Friday, as part of a visual library documenting how it 
works, and what it can achieve. Wayne Poutoa says his is the 
only programme in the country which works from within to get 
young people away from gang culture. Mr Poutoa says it has the 
endorsement of community role models such as principal youth 
court judge Andrew Becroft. He says many of those he helps 
used to be up in front of the judge every week, and now they 
have turned their lives around. Me Poutoa says one of the 
girls he has worked with used to be the leader of the Bloods 
gang, but is now part of the Porirua youth committee. He says 
his next goal is to introduce the programme into other parts 
of the country.

AIR NZ CUTS BACK ON LONDON RUN
------------------------------

Air New Zealand is reducing capacity on its daily run to 
London. The move comes as airlines around the world feel the 
impact of rising fuel prices, with jet fuel now US$172 a 
barrel. Business correspondent Ian Witters says Air New 
Zealand can ride out higher fuel prices better than most 
airlines as it has a younger, more efficient fleet. However, 
plans are underway to cut capacity on international flights by 
six per cent. From September, the big 747-400 planes used on 
Auckland to London flights will be replaced with the new 
Boeing 777, which has about 60 fewer seats but is much less 
thirsty on fuel. Mr Witters says the move is expected to save 
the airline $100 million a year in fuel alone. 
 
(I finds the 777 is a very nice aircraft to ride in. It has a 
majestic stability in the air, even in the turbulent 
atmosphere over Singapore. - BH)

PETROL PUMPS PAINFUL FOR OPERATORS TOO
--------------------------------------

There are signs Wellingtonians are being more careful at the 
petrol pump, with one local operator reporting a downturn in 
profits. The price of a litre of 91-octane petrol is now over 
$2, as the result of a 19 percent increase in the past three 
months. Owner of the Paekakariki BP Ian Johnston says he is 
noticing markedly less weekend traffic through his station, 
and while people are still willing to fill up, it is mostly 
for work related purposes. He says some people are only 
driving now if they absolutely have to. Ian Johnston says many 
of his customers have also downgraded from large gas guzzling 
vehicles to smaller, more economical cars. Car sales people 
have told him they have yards full of V6 and V8 vehicles, 
which they cannot sell. Mr Johnston says the high prices are 
also taking their toll on his business, with the oil companies 
reaping huge profits, while businesses like his suffer. He 
says a gross profit margin on fuel of two per cent is putting 
pressure on his business. Ian Johnston says he would have 
preferred to see Michael Cullen shave petrol taxes in the 
Budget, rather than offering personal tax cuts. 
 
(The last time I set out to downsize my car, I was overcome by 
technolust and ended up with something similar to my old car, 
but newer. I can resist everything but temptation as the old 
saying goes. - BH)

BENEFICIARIES LEFT OUT OF BUDGET
--------------------------------

The Finance Minister has acknowledged a lack of assistance for 
beneficiaries in last week's Budget. The Salvation Army has 
criticised the lack of focus for those on welfare and says the 
Budget does not appear to have done anything for the country's 
most vulnerable people. But Michael Cullen told TVNZ's Agenda 
programme the Government is looking at what kinds of 
additional assistance it can provide to help beneficiary 
families who have missed out. He says what is being considered 
is relatively modest, with Treasury and the Ministry of Social 
Development working on new schemes, due to be released in the 
next few weeks. 

(Tax cuts are inherently not likely to be beneficial to those 
who pay little tax. Tax cuts are a decision not to take as 
much money off those who have earned it. They are not a gift 
to those who are taxed. They already owned the money that was 
previously being taken. This is not to say that I am opposed 
to helping those who are poor. I would just like some honesty 
when people get emotional about tax cuts. - BH)

APOLOGY TO VETERANS - 34 YEARS ON
---------------------------------

A formal apology from the Crown is being welcomed by Vietnam 
War veterans. The Prime Minister will deliver the apology on 
Wednesday, recognising veterans were not treated fairly on 
their return to New Zealand. It is part of a Memorandum of 
Understanding with the ex-Vietnam Services Association and the 
RSA. Helen Clark says it is a way of recognising the service 
and sacrifice of veterans and their families. She says they 
undertook their duties bravely, loyally and professionally. 
Hundreds are expected to travel to Parliament for the 
occasion, which will include a civic ceremony and a parade 
next weekend. Ex-Vietnam Services Association President Terry 
Culley says he is looking forward to spending the week with 
some old colleagues. He says it is also a culmination of 
negotiations with the Government over the past two years to 
get things put right. Mr Culley says it is never too late for 
an apology, despite the fact it has been a long time coming. 
He says he avoided most of the poor treatment when he got 
home, unlike his colleagues. Many had to endure public 
derision, even being spat on, and having unusual comments made 
to them. Military historian Glyn Harper says the apology is a 
step in the right direction. The Massey University Defence 
Studies Centre Director says the war was very unpopular, and 
so returning service personnel were considered an 
embarrassment by the Government of the day. They had no 
counselling, no thank-you and no homecoming parade. Glyn 
Harper says the apology has been 34 years in the making, and 
there is still some way to go before veterans get real 
justice. He says some extra money which has been allocated to 
veterans' healthcare is not enough, and a promise to review 
services for children and grandchildren is incredibly vague. 
 
(One of history's little ironies is that the PM an several of 
her cabinet were themselves active and indeed prominent anti-
war protesters at the time of the Viet Nam war. - BH)

PSA WANTS TO KNOW TRUE COST OF TAX CUTS
---------------------------------------

Public service workers are hoping to see a wider debate about 
how tax cuts will be funded. The Government has announced a 
package worth $10.6 billion, with the first phase legislated 
to come into effect this October. The Opposition and minor 
parties are also touting tax cut promises, ahead of the 
election. Public Service Association National Secretary Brenda 
Pilott says it is understandable people are welcoming tax cuts 
given rising costs. She says the flipside is the money has to 
come from somewhere, and it is important people know what 
services will have to be cut. Brenda Pilott says New 
Zealanders should not be left in the dark about where the new 
tax cuts will come from. She says clearly the money will have 
to be taken from a public service, or through increased user-
pays charges. The alternative is an increase in Government 
borrowing. Brenda Pilott says she has sent out a list of 
questions surrounding tax cuts for the political parties to 
answer.

Tuesday, 27 May 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LOW RAINFALL WILL LEAD TO POWER SAVING CAMPAIGN
-----------------------------------------------

Transpower is warning New Zealand could be just three weeks 
away from being asked to cut back on electricity use. Hydro 
storage levels are at their lowest point since the 1992 
electricity crisis, sitting at an average of 58 percent. 
Transpower chief executive Patrick Strange says the company is 
very concerned about the lake levels. He says if there is no 
rain in three weeks time it might need to move towards a 
conservation campaign. Energy Minister David Parker agrees 
electricity conservation measures are now a possibility unless 
there are significant inflow increases in the next three 
weeks. Dr Strange is advising electricity users to be prudent 
and turn off lights in empty rooms. Transpower is amongst the 
members of the electricity industry launching a website to 
provide consumers with the latest information about the power 
supply situation over winter. Dr Strange says the Winter Power 
Watch site will be updated daily and will feature the latest 
data on hydro storage levels, lake inflows and daily power 
usage.

NATIONAL MP CLARIFIES KIWISAVER COMMENTS
----------------------------------------

National has moved quickly to clarify the comments of its 
industrial relations spokeswoman on KiwiSaver. Kate Wilkinson 
has been quoted as saying a National Government would remove 
compulsory employer contributions to the retirement savings 
scheme. She says she misinterpreted a question and her 
comments were incorrect. Ms Wilkinson says National will not 
release its KiwiSaver policy until later this year but 
compulsory employer contributions will not be done away with. 
 
(Regrettably, politics has a bad name. It is in part due to 
the Pavlovian need to regard any mistake by a member of the 
other party as a triumph for your own side. - BH)

PPCS CLOSING DANNEVIRKE AND BURNSIDE PLANTS
-------------------------------------------

Meat processing company PPCS has confirmed its Oringi plant 
near Dannevirke and Burnside plant near Dunedin will close. At 
Oringi, 466 jobs will go and at Burnside 138. Staff will 
receive a redundancy package and the company is setting up 
resource centres to help staff find new jobs. PPCS chief 
executive Keith Cooper says the company recognises that the 
closures have a direct impact on local communities and 
people's livelihoods. "The hard reality is that these closures 
are necessary to reduce excess production capacity in the face 
of a significant ongoing decline in livestock numbers. Our 
ultimate aim is to provide long term sustainability to the 
business and to our farmer shareholders going forward." Mr 
Cooper says the closure of the Oringi sheep and lamb 
processing facility near Dannevirke reflected an expected drop 
in North Island sheep numbers of more than 500,000 over the 
next three years, in addition to an increase in processing 
capacity of more than two million head over the past two 
years. PPCS says the closure of the Burnside facility in 
Dunedin, which processes venison, lambskins and deerskins, is 
due to a significant decline in livestock availability and 
issues with the site related to its age and configuration. 
PPCS is selling the 57-hectare property. The Oringi sheep 
meats and Burnside venison processing facilities are currently 
in seasonal shutdown and will not reopen. Skin and hide 
processing and cold storage operations at Burnside will end by 
the end of August and both sites will be decommissioned and 
sold. From next season PPCS will process North Island sheep 
and lamb at its Takapau and Waitotara facilitie and venison at 
its four South Island facilities at Islington, Mossburn, 
Kennington and Hokitika. National deer numbers are forecast to 
drop from 736,000 in 2006 to approximately 500,000 by next 
year while South Island sheep and lamb numbers are forecast to 
drop by two million in the next year.

CHEAPER DAIRY PRICES URGES NZ FIRST
-----------------------------------

Fonterra is being warned its reputation is being harmed by 
skyrocketing prices for dairy products. Doug Woolerton, New 
Zealand First's economic development spokesman says Fonterra 
is imposing international prices on the local market at a time 
when families are struggling to buy food. He says it is not a 
good look for New Zealand when kiwis cannot afford to buy 
locally-produced food and Fonterra should smooth prices for 
local consumers. Mr Woolerton says it is sad to see that some 
Australian cheeses are cheaper than locally produced ones. 
Fonterra is expected to announce it is raising the pay out to 
dairy farmers by 30 cents per kilo of milk solids to $7.60.

CONCERNS ABOUT ONLINE LOTTO SALES
---------------------------------

The Problem Gambling Society labels the Lotteries Commission's 
move to take Lotto sales online as "the fox in charge of the 
hen house" approach to product safety. The Commission is 
capping individual spending on Lotto online to $150 in any 
week and a maximum of $300 a month. But John Stansfield from 
Problem Gambling says that is appalling as the average spend 
on Lotto tickets now is $149 a year. He is questioning what 
kind of responsible Government in a declining economy wants to 
increase the amount of money people spend on gambling and have 
them doing it on their credit card. Mr Stansfield says that 
will only result in more credit card debt. He says the online 
move is targeted at young people and the commission has 
admitted as much. Mr Stansfield says another concerning issue 
is that the gambling operator is involved in formulating the 
rules for safety.

INADEQUACIES OF COMPUTER STUDIES HIGHLIGHTED
--------------------------------------------

Teachers want to see more action to encourage secondary 
students back into computing, following a report which shows 
they are being put off the subject. A study by the New Zealand 
Computer Society suggests a huge number of students who could 
be potential computing professionals have already opted out of 
the subject at school. It also claims current technology 
achievement standards for NCEA are vague and unsuitable. Paul 
Curry, the computing teacher at Upper Hutt College, says the 
study highlights an international trend which has been 
happening for some time. He believes there are many students 
who would like to do computing, but most schools do not have 
the resources to accommodate them. Mr Curry says fortunately 
the Ministry of Education is slowly recognising the problem 
and is doing something about it. The secondary teachers' 
union, the PPTA, agrees that a lack of decent computing 
standards at secondary school level is holding the country 
back from the digital revolution. Kevin Bunker, general 
secretary, says the technology curriculum has been 
unsuccessfully adapted to try to incorporate computer 
sciences. He says the standards in technology are not suitable 
for computing or computer science as a subject in its own 
right. 
 
(As many of us know, computers are tools. We liken them to 
telescopes. We can either become obsessive about telescopes, 
or we can use them to look at the stars. Thus a number of us 
have approached NZCS with a view to establishing s special 
interest group to advance the notion of information systems as 
a career, distinct from computer science. - BH)

FARMERS MILKING IT AGAIN
------------------------

There is speculation Fonterra will again raise its final milk 
solids pay out to dairy farmers. The dairy giant's board is 
meeting on Thursday and is expected to announce the next day, 
that the pay out will be at least 30 cents per kilogram higher 
than expected, taking the rate to $7.60. Last year's payout 
was $4.46. However, business correspondent Ian Witters says 
chairman Henry van der Heyden has already said that the 
cooperative would consider retaining some of this season's pay 
out because of the instability of financial markets. Mr 
Witters says the other bad news has been the drought, but it 
only reduced Fonterra's production around three percent.

BILL DRAFTED FOR VICTIMS' FAMILIES
----------------------------------

The Government is pushing through legislation to prevent 
victims' families having to pay legal aid grants. The issue 
was brought to light late last year when the widow of Karl 
Kuchenbecker was sent a letter informing her she could have to 
pay $19,000 in legal bills for the coroner's inquest into his 
death. The 29-year-old father of two was murdered by Graeme 
Burton during a shooting rampage in Wellington. The final bill 
for the inquest was just over $4,300 and was written off. 
Justice Minister Annette King has now drafted the Legal 
Services Amendment Bill so that victims of a crime who attend 
inquests or Parole Board hearings, will not have to repay 
legal aid grants. The bill is likely to pass through 
Parliament in the next few months.

Wednesday, 28 May 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

VIETNAM VETERANS GET APOLOGY FROM PM
------------------------------------

The Crown has today offered a formal apology to the New 
Zealanders who served in the Vietnam War. Politicians of all 
political persuasions have joined in the apology in Parliament 
and have paid their respects to the 37 who died in the 
conflict and the 187 who were wounded. Prime Minister Helen 
Clark says Vietnam veterans have been ignored for too long by 
Governments who refused to acknowledge they were exposed to a 
toxic environment like Agent Orange. Miss Clark says the 
service of all those who served and fell in the conflict 
should be honoured alongside other brave service personnel who 
have been deployed to other conflicts in the service of the 
country. Miss Clark was a leader in the anti-Vietnam War 
movement. Another Vietnam war protester hopes the apology will 
help heal their wounds and bring the nation back together. 
Former activist and now Invercargill mayor Tim Shadbolt says 
at the time he was an idealistic young man wanting world 
peace. He says no one had any idea the impact that Agent 
Orange would have on New Zealand soldiers. Mr Shadbolt says a 
terrible ecological tragedy has taken place, and the nation's 
apology helps recognise that. He says as a Vietnam protester, 
he wanted to target politicians and not soldiers.

ANZ NATIONAL MORTGAGE RATES RISE
--------------------------------

Banks are already pushing up mortgage rates, wiping out any 
gains that will be made from tax cuts. ANZ National Bank has 
raised its one year fixed rate from 9.4 percent to 9.8 
percent. The six month fixed rate has also gone up, to 9.95 
percent. The larger than expected tax cut announcement spiked 
up wholesale rates, which the ANZ National says it is now 
passing on to consumers.

GUARDED SUPPORT FOR NATS' RURAL DOCTOR PLAN
-------------------------------------------

The Rural GP Network is confident graduate doctors would take 
advantage of National's plans for doctor retention, if they 
come to pass. The party is considering a policy of writing off 
loans for doctors who commit to working in country areas for 
up to four years. Kirsty Murrell-McMillan, chairwoman if the 
Rural GP Network, says while she supports the idea, she hopes 
rural communities are marketed in a positive way. She says 
working as a doctor in a rural setting has credibility 
internationally, which is something that should be pushed by 
medical schools. Dr Murrell-McMillan hopes National provides 
additional resources in rural communities to help new doctors 
settle in but believes the scheme will only work if the rural 
lifestyle is heavily promoted. The proposal is receiving 
guarded support from other organisations. Jonathan Fox, 
president of the College of GPs says New Zealand produces very 
good doctors and the Government should be doing all it can to 
keep them. He says any scheme that gets more professionals 
into rural areas should be welcomed. Anna Dare, president of 
the Medical Students' Association, says many graduates like Mr 
Key's idea, but are worried they will be forced into the 
scheme. She says if the proposal goes ahead, it should be 
voluntary. Ms Dare says doctors would be happy to work in 
rural areas, but would want a clause in their contracts 
allowing them to leave at any time.

WINTER POWER CUTS "VERY UNLIKELY"
---------------------------------

Transpower says power cuts over the winter are very unlikely, 
although the Energy Minister appears to be less optimistic. 
Energy Minister David Parker has announced contingency 
measures may have to be put in place within three weeks to 
prevent a power crisis, because hydro lake levels are at the 
lowest levels since 1992. But Transpower CEO Patrick Strange 
says the supply should be adequate, even if there is lower-
than-normal rainfall, however he admits it could get tight and 
a conservation campaign may have to be launched if the very 
dry sequence continues. He says that is a little way off at 
the moment. Five major power companies and Transpower have 
launched the site winterpower.co.nz, which enables the public 
to check the state of electricity supply. It highlights the 
key variables that determine how the situation could change 
over winter such as the water levels of the key storage lakes 
and consumer demand.

HOUSING BOSS MAY BE PUNISHED OVER CONFERENCE
--------------------------------------------

Housing New Zealand's chief executive looks set to be punished 
for spending $65,000 on a two-day conference. Ninety four 
staff member spent two days at the Tongariro Lodge earlier 
this month in an effort to improve the way the staff provide 
service to state house tenants. Housing New Zealand's chairman 
agrees the venue was inappropriate, and is planning to review 
the performance payment to chief executive Lesley McTurk. 
State Services Minister David Parker says the improper use of 
funds are taken into account when heads of Government 
departments have their pay reviewed. Housing Minister Maryan 
Street has spoken out in support of the conference, saying it 
allowed staff to improve the service they offer to state house 
tenants. But the Prime Minister says the Tongariro Lodge is 
the wrong venue for a conference of that kind. She says while 
any organisation, be it a parliamentary caucus or a Government 
department, will get staff together, you have to be very 
careful about choosing the venue. Miss Clark says she advised 
Ms Street not to try to defend the conference. She says Ms 
Street is a relatively new minister, who was trying to say 
that some good would come out of the conference. 
 
(This is all a case of putting the worst construction on 
things, in my opinion. As a columnist elsewhere wrote, if the 
conference had been held in Otara or Porirua and had cost 50% 
more, no eyebrows would have been raised. In fact the 
conference was held to be successful in what it set out to do. 
It became a political football as soon as you could tie the 
words "Taupo" "resort" and "Government Department" together. 
The notion that people who work for the government should be 
as good as those in the private sector, yet should be 
satisfied wit lower wages and the most Spartan of facilities 
is a puritanical absurdity. They should be treated like valued 
employees everywhere. - BH)

CONSUMERS URGED TO CUT BACK ON POWER USE
----------------------------------------

An independent energy analyst believes too much electricity is 
being wasted and consumers need to urgently cut back. Lake 
storage levels and inflows are well below average, while 
demand is significantly higher compared with this time last 
year. The Energy Minister is warning the country is just three 
weeks away from introducing contingency measures to prevent a 
power crisis. David Parker says while the drought on the East 
Coast has broken, it still remains very dry in key southern 
hydro catchments. He says unless there are increased in-flows 
to the hydro catchments in the next three weeks, further 
conservation measures will be considered. Energy analyst Molly 
Melhuish says people do not need to freeze over winter, but 
should stop using items such as heated towel rails. She says 
insulation covers can be purchased for hot water cylinders to 
conserve energy. Ms Melhuish says at best people should expect 
hot water cuts over winter and at worst rolling power 
blackouts. She is urging people to go to the website 
www.winterpower.co.nz for energy saving tips. Transpower says 
the electricity industry is currently dealing with several 
technical issues such as the forced retirement of New Plymouth 
power station because of asbestos contamination and an unusual 
situation where energy is being transferred from the North 
Island to the South Island. Transpower says the forecast rain 
over the lower South Island late last week was less than 
expected. Manapouri and the smaller lakes in the Clutha system 
got a short period of rain, while the big Waitaki system lakes 
to the north got little. The weather turned southerly 
resulting in snow rather than rain. In addition, most of the 
southerly rain falls on the foothills, downstream of the hydro 
catchments. Forecasters are now tracking a high which is 
spreading onto the South Island to see what it brings late in 
the week.

Thursday, 29 May 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"PUBLIC CAN BE CONFIDENT IN THE POLICE FORCE"
---------------------------------------------

The Police Association says the public can have every 
confidence in the police force. Doubts have been raised about 
police investigations of criminal cases following the recent 
acquittals of George Gwaze, Chris Kahui and Murray Foreman in 
murder trials. Police Association vice-president Stuart Mills 
says all three cases were difficult from the start, relying on 
evidence from medical and forensic experts. Mr Mills says 
police are disappointed by the verdicts, but it is important 
to remember the other times juries have been able to convict. 
He says in two of the cases, the investigations were hampered 
by refusals to talk to police. The three acquittals have led 
the Green Party to call for more pressure to be put on police, 
as to when they prosecute. MP Nandor Tanczos says while the 
acquittals do not mean the system is failing, he thinks a 
police prosecutor's office needs to be established. Mr Tanczos 
says there are claims that in number of high-profile cases, 
police have picked a suspect then looked for evidence to 
convict. He says this can lead the police ignoring evidence. 
The MP says a prosecutors office could review the evidence and 
decide if charges should even be laid.

TRUCKS TO GET HEAVIER LOADS IN TRIAL
------------------------------------

A trial allowing trucks to carry heavier loads has been 
unveiled. The Government has released details on a six month 
scheme that will allow select trucking firms to carry 50 tonne 
loads, rather than the current limit of 44 tonnes. Transport 
Minister Annette King says the trial is about looking at 
options for increasing transport efficiency and finding 
innovative ways of doing things. The Green Party is condemning 
the trial, saying heavier trucks will endanger other road 
users. It also says other transport options such as rail and 
shipping will be undermined.

FULL STAFF TURNOVER UNDER NEW COMMISSIONER
------------------------------------------

The head of the Parliamentary Commission for the Environment 
has revealed there has been 100 percent staff turnover since 
she has been in charge. Dr Jan Wright was sworn in as 
commissioner last March. She has told Parliament's Local 
Government and Environment Select Committee that of the 18 
staff currently employed, none are from the previous 
administration. Dr Wright says some retired, some moved onto 
other opportunities, while others did not like the direction 
she was taking. "And the staff were very loyal to each other, 
in fact were very strongly socially connected, as well as 
connected in the workplace. And they were very loyal to the 
previous commissioner - and I was somewhat different." Dr 
Wright says $43,000 has been paid out in redundancies.

NEW ZEALANDERS DROWNING IN ECONOMIC GLOOM
-----------------------------------------

The world is feeling gloomy about the economy, and New 
Zealanders are the gloomiest of the lot. In an online survey 
by AC Nielsen, just over half of the global respondents say 
they believe their country is in recession. The biggest drop 
in consumer confidence was reported in New Zealand, where the 
index plunged 18 points from the second half of last year to 
the first half of this year. Twenty three percent of New 
Zealand consumers consider the economy to be their biggest 
concern over the next six months. AC Nielsen's managing 
director Stephen Mitchell says it is not a surprise given 
rising food and fuel prices. He says manufacturers and 
retailers should take note, as it is clear value and 
competitive pricing are becoming more important.

WELLINGTON HOSPITAL ON CODE RED
-------------------------------

Wellington Hospital has elevated its operating status to code 
red, with its emergency department bursting at the seams. 
Clinical director Dr Robyn Toomath says the hospital often 
goes into code red during the high-demand winter months, but 
the situation today is worse than she has seen for some time.
Dr Toomath says when she arrived at work this morning there 
were 17 people who had been accepted for admission, but could 
not get a bed. She says the situation is due to a combination 
of illnesses both in the community and among hospital staff. 
Dr Toomath says anyone who can should see their GP before 
heading to the hospital, while those who go to hospital should 
be prepared for a wait.

STUDENTS NEED INFO NOT RANDOM DRUG TESTING
------------------------------------------

The Alcohol and Drug Association says random drug screening at 
schools would be a step in the wrong direction. The proposal 
is one of several recommendations made by former police 
officer Mike Sabin to Parliament's Law and Order select 
committee. Mr Sabin, who is with the drug education company 
MethCon, wants to see the introduction of drug testing for 
students based on a similar model used in America. But Cate 
Kearney, CEO of the Alcohol and Drug Association, says most 
evidence suggests that drug testing in schools is not the 
answer. She doubts the threat of random testing would deter 
students from using harmful substances and believes it would 
be better to give students all the information they need to 
make their own decisions. Ms Kearney says there needs to be a 
greater focus on alcohol abuse among young people.

GOVT SITTING ON HANDS OVER POWER SITUATION - NATS
-------------------------------------------------

Contact Energy is reopening part of its mothballed New 
Plymouth power station in order to avert a power crisis but 
National says the Government is going against its own position 
over thermal generation. The facility was closed last year 
because of the danger of asbestos but now the 100MW gas-fired 
plant is being restarted. National's energy spokesman Gerry 
Brownlee says the plant is inefficient and its partial 
recommissioning goes against Government's desire to ban 
thermal electricity generation. But he says contingency 
measures will have to be considered to avoid a power crisis if 
there is no significant rain in the southern hydro lakes soon 
and he fears the handling of the situation by Energy Minister 
David Parker will lead to the lights going out. He says the 
Government is not being up front about the need to conserve 
power now, or face the consequences during winter. At 57 
percent of average storage, the hydro lakes are at their 
lowest level since the power crisis of 1992.

Friday, 20 May 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GOODBYE MEAT PIE
----------------

National guidelines come into effect over the weekend, which 
mean school canteens can only sell healthy food. The Education 
Ministry says the eating, drinking and recreation habits 
children pick up can stay with them through to adulthood. It 
says it is important good habits are developed. The ministry 
says there will be still be freedom of choice, as parents can 
still put what they want into their kids' lunch boxes.

(Yet at many schools, there are those busybodies who usurp the 
parents' role and presume to confiscate things that don't meet 
with their approval. - BH)

MORE STAFF NEEDED FOR BOWEL CANCER SCREENING
--------------------------------------------

The fast-tracking of a screening programme for bowel cancer 
has delighted oncologists. Cancer Control Council deputy 
chairman Professor Chris Atkinson says a good programme could 
cut bowel cancer deaths by a third, which would save around 
eight lives a week, while also saving a lot of health dollars 
and decreasing the burden on all those affected by cancer. But 
he is warning New Zealand may not have enough health 
professionals in the field to run it properly. Professor 
Atkinson says Australia faced the same issue, but has managed 
to get a programme ready to go in spite of it. He says New 
Zealand is struggling with workforce levels right across the 
spectrum of cancer control, so says nurses may need to be 
upskilled.

FARMERS GET 60C INCREASE IN PAY OUT
-----------------------------------

The news just keeps getting better for dairy farmers and it 
could mean a cut in interest rates this year for homeowners. 
Fonterra has announced another 60 cent increase in its pay out 
for the 2007-2008 season. Chairman Henry van der Heyden says 
that means each kilo of milk solids will earn farmers $7.90 up 
from its past forecast of $7.30. He says the increase is 
driven by higher commodity prices, the drought and because of 
a slightly weaker currency than forecast. Mr Heyden says it is 
great for farmers to have the extra cash at a time they are 
facing sharply rising costs. The ASB estimates the total cash 
injection for the season will be around $9.6 million, 2.2 
percent of GDP. It says relative to a pay out based on the 
$7.30 forecast, the current season will produce an extra $750 
million. The drop off in the following year will be around 
$500 million but the overall level of income for the dairy 
sector will remain significantly high, maintaining both strong 
encouragement of investment in dairy and strong support for 
rural economic activity. The ASB believes the Reserve Bank has 
a window to cut interest rates of September through to 
December. It says the RBNZ will not have time to factor the 
pay out into its forecasts but will be able to include it into 
its official cash rate deliberations and written policy 
assessment.

SUPERMARKET CHAIN DENIED RIGHT TO SELL SPIRITS
----------------------------------------------

The Liquor Licensing Authority has rejected an application by 
Progressive Enterprises to sell spirits at its supermarkets. 
The supermarket chain wanted permission for a "store within a 
store" concept to gain the ability to sell spirits and spirit-
based drinks. Director of Alcohol Healthwatch Rebecca Williams 
says spirit based drinks known as "RTDs" are particularly 
popular among young women. She is pleased they will not be 
available in supermarkets, as she says it would only encourage 
more young people to drink. Ms Williams says it would have 
only made the prices more competitive, as already seen with 
the sale of beer and wine in supermarkets.

SMOKING RATES AT LOWEST LEVEL IN 30 YEARS
-----------------------------------------

A new survey shows the smoking rate in New Zealand has fallen 
to its lowest level since monitoring began 30 years ago. 
Results from the New Zealand Health Survey have been released 
by Prime Minister Helen Clark and Associate Health Minister 
Damien O'Connor at Auckland's Edgewater College. The survey 
puts New Zealand smoking prevalence at 19.9 percent for 
current smokers aged over 15. It is the first time the rates 
have gone below 20 percent since 1978. The figures show daily 
smoking rates for adults also decreased, down almost five 
percent since the last survey for the years 2002 and 2003. 
Miss Clark says a drop of one percentage point equates to 
about 30,000 fewer smokers. 
 
(Now that's good news. Pubs and restaurants are now quite 
pleasant places to visit. Time we cleaned up Lambton Quay - 
BH)

SEATS MAKING MAORI ISSUES NON-MAINSTREAM
----------------------------------------

A new study is calling for the abolition of the Maori seats in 
Parliament, saying they are keeping Maori issues out of the 
mainstream political agenda. University of Canterbury Law 
Professor Philip Joseph has conducted the research, as part of 
a report by the Business Round Table. He says there is a 19 
percent Maori representation in Parliament, which is 
disproportionate to the national representation of 14 percent. 
Professor Joseph says he is confident Maori would be well 
represented in Parliament even without the Maori seats. He 
says the separate representation has tended to sideline Maori 
issues. The professor says he wants to make it clear he 
conducted an objective study and he has no agenda.

RETAILERS URGED TO HELP CUSTOMERS SAVE POWER
--------------------------------------------

With the prospect of power blackouts in the winter, 
electricity retailers are being encouraged to help their 
customers save power. Demand in the North Island, and low 
hydro levels in the South Island are putting pressure on the 
country's electricity supply. Ralph Mathes, executive director 
of The Major Electricity Users' Group says power cut threats 
teamed with high spot prices, mean people should try to save 
power. He says in the past, retailers have adopted initiatives 
such as choosing a community and donating money to charity if 
the community can save a certain amount of power. He says that 
has worked well. Alasdair Thompson, CEO of the Employers and 
Manufacturers Association, says staff at his workplace use the 
stairs instead of the lift and wear pedometers to compare how 
far they have walked in a day. He says the power situation is 
quite serious and if everyone saves a bit, a power crisis 
could be averted.

COMPENSATION WANTED BY FISHERS
------------------------------

The Government is being urged to compensate fishers affected 
by new regulations. From October, regional bans and 
restrictions on set netting, drift netting in coastal waters 
and trawling come into force to protect Hector's and Maui's 
dolphins. Four marine mammal sanctuaries will be set up in 
areas the dolphins frequent. It is expected hundreds of jobs 
in the fishing industry will be lost, costing the sector more 
than $80 million. Owen Symmans from the Seafood Industry 
Council is angry that affected fishermen will not receive a 
cent from the Government. He says the restrictions will ruin 
the lives of hundreds of hard working New Zealanders. But 
conservation group Forest and Bird is in favour of the 
changes, saying they are the most significant steps taken in 
20 years to bring Hector's and Maui's dolphins back from the 
brink of extinction. Spokesman Kevin Hackwell says the 
measures will go a long way towards halting the decline of the 
endangered dolphins and protect them. He says the extra $6 
million over the next three years for observers on all 
commercial fishing vessels within the dolphins? range is also 
a good move. According to Forest and Bird, Hector's dolphins 
number fewer than 8,000, down from 21,000-29,000 in the 1970s. 
Maui's dolphins found off the north-west coast of the North 
Island are a distinct sub-species, and just 111 are estimated 
to remain, making them the rarest marine dolphin in the world. 
Forest and Bird says it is estimated that Hector's dolphins 
bring in $24 million a year in tourist dollars and it believes 
the new measures will help increase that amount. The four new 
marine mammal sanctuaries are: West Coast, North Island; 
Clifford and Cloudy Bay in Marlborough; Porpoise Bay/Fortress, 
Catlins Coast; Te Waewae Bay, South Coast. Those areas are 
where the dolphins are known to frequently range. Alterations 
to the existing sanctuary at Banks Peninsula are also 
proposed.


SUBSCRIBE OR UNSUBSCRIBE 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
 
Brian Harmer does NOT administer the mailing list. Please do 
not send subscription related messages to him. Instead, visit 
the website listed below, where you can make changes as 
required. If you want to send a personal message to Brian, 
change the country code to nz and send a message 
brian.harmer at vuw.ac.xx If you do choose to comment on 
something in these posts, please don't send the whole 
newsletter with your message. Just trim it back to the 
relevant bits. Thanks. Brian. 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://wysiwygnews.com/archives/news/attachments/20080609/549ccd59/attachment.html