Copyright, Brian Harmer
A city that cares about its first impressions really should do something about the flight paths by which tourists arrive. Mary and I flew to Christchurch last weekend to visit middle son, Andrew and his wife, "Caz". Freedom Air provided good sound basic service, on time, at a cost of just NZD$304 return for the two of us. I will certainly use them again. The 737-300 came in over Addington, on its way to an approach from the South. From the air, it was hard to avoid the perception that a huge amount of the real estate in this sprawling Southern city is devoted to gravel pits and scrap metal yards. At ground level, the view is altogether more attractive, and "The Garden City" does live up to its name. The young folks live on the Burwood side of town, so we had a long and somewhat confusing ride around the outskirts of the city to their very pleasant home near the Avon. Having unpacked our bags and explored the neighbourhood, we decided that lunch downtown in one of the establishments on "the strip" would be nice. We chose a place called "The Tap Room", and sat on the pleasant benches out on the footpath, watching the world go by, sampling the products and enjoying the climate which was, for the time being, pleasantly mild. I haven't mentioned that it was show day have I? Show day is taken as a public holiday in Canterbury, in lieu of Canterbury Anniversary Day. The city was relatively quiet, with many businesses closed. We had a very pleasant lunch, and the salad, though delicious, was most definitely not the Caesar salad it claimed to be. The proper preparation of a salad to Caesar Cardini's great recipe is a matter of snobbery, bordering on religious conviction for some, and only the anchovies are open to negotiation :-) (See http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/caesar.htm for an example of the real thing). The beer was fine, though I stayed with good North Island beer - Monteiths <kidding!>. The remainder of the day was spent in the kind of catching up that families do. On Saturday, the wind was strong and cold, and the sky was bleak. Nevertheless, we carried on with our plans, and began by visiting the inner city arts and crafts markets. The setting, near the famous "Dux de Lux" restaurant is lovely. The weather undoubtedly took the edge off the experience as people huddled against the wind. We spent little time in the open air stalls which in any event were filled with trinkets and trivia, things I wouldn't buy in a million years. Inside the arts building, there were some more interesting specialist craft shops, but the presence of signs in Japanese was enough to alert me to some interesting pricing strategies. $72 for Ug boots which were just $49 for a remarkably similar looking pair outside. Not that I wanted any Ug boots, but it was a comparison that caught my eye. Outside once more, Andrew and I fortified ourselves with a hot bratwurst roll (which was delicious), before setting out to explore some of the sights of the city. One of the places we chose to visit was Christchurch's "other" cathedral, since I had heard much of the architectural merit of its modernisation. We found the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Barbadoes Street. Perhaps the weather predisposed me to a critical judgement, but I was unmoved. It was an elegant space, but in my judgement, at least in its empty state, it lacked warmth or a human dimension. Perhaps in the context of a live service with people present, it may be more appealing. A drive over the Port Hills was planned. As a visiting alien, I was struck by the way houses surge up the lower slopes of the Port Hills like some great wave sweeping in from the West. Once clear of the elegant homes in that suburb, we drove up through the open areas of the park, and admired the magnificence of the view which expanded with every extra metre of altitude. The rocky nature of the landscape and the marvellous winding road along the ridge are quite spectacular. Due to the grey nature of the day, the view of the Alps was a little less than we might have hoped for, but impressive nonetheless. Down the other side into Lyttelton, where we paused for refreshment in a pleasant little coffee bar. The brick paved courtyard was sheltered from the blustery Southerly and we could enjoy our coffee in an oasis of calm. More next week. Sorry ... we are late this week, and may be even later next week as our formatter relocates. ------ All news items (except where noted otherwise) are reproduced by kind permission of copyright owner, IRN Ltd. 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 "HH" will indicate an opinion from Helen. In all cases they are honest expressions of personal opinion, and are not presented as fact. ---- This week's formatting is sponsored by . Many thanks for the valued support. On with the news: Monday, 19 November ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNION STEPS INTO ALLIANCE ROW ----------------------------- A top union official has been at Parliament today trying to help untangle a stoush within the Alliance party. It follows allegations that security guards locked some Alliance parliamentary staff out of their offices last week so their computers could be searched. It is understood the search was related to an e-mail campaign by people on the left of the party who are unhappy with the Parliamentary wing's support for the war on Afghanistan. Alliance leader Jim Anderton was understood to be upset with the e-mails, but denies having called for the lock-out calling it a mistake. Union official Maxine Gay has been at the office today representing the Alliance workers, who are understood to be unhappy about the incident. (Not sure how universal the word "stoush" is ... a brawl or conflict, either real, or as in this case, metaphorical - BH) NZ RISKS HIGH PRICE FOR BEING FIRST ------------------------------------ The National Party warns New Zealand risks paying a high price for being first off the block in ratifying the Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse gases. Environmental spokesman Nick Smith has just returned from final international negotiations on the agreement. He says our ratification next year will be the most significant issue to be addressed by parliament. He says with Australia and the US refusing to ratify it and other major trading partners not facing limits on emissions there will be an incentive for industry to leave New Zealand. He believes if we ratify and Australia does not there will be a strong incentive for industries to move to Australia. He says it is also a farce for the Government to hold consultations meetings when it has said it will ratify the protocol next year. UP TO 30 YOUTHS INVOLVED IN BRAWL --------------------------------- Auckland police are still trying to establish the identity of the victim in a fatal hit and run incident in the central city early this morning. One man is dead and two in hospital after the incident which police believe began as a violent brawl involving up to 30 Asian youths. Detective Senior Sergeant Stu Allsopp-Smith says they are still in the process of interviewing witnesses. He says they believe the dead man was a Chinese national with no family in New Zealand. Detective Senior Sergeant Allsopp-Smith says the two injured men suffered non life threatening head injuries. GOVT DENIES OVERSTAYER BUDGET BLOWOUT ------------------------------------- The Government is rejecting suggestions that it does not have the money in its health budget to pay for its overstayers policy. Treasury papers show the decision to give amnesty to over 6000 overstayers will cost the health system an extra $4 million a year. They also say the Ministry of Health may have to delay other measures to meet the extra cost. But Health Minister Annette King says Cabinet has already come up with the extra money and in reality the amnesty makes little difference. She says many overstayers have been using the health system for years anyway. Mrs King says the amnesty policy formalises the process and makes sure overstayers start paying income tax. (I think Ms King is right. The overstayers were already going to doctors and being admitted to hospitals. I don't think the volume of services consumed actually increased as a result of a change in people's immigration status - BH) CRUNCH MEETING LOOMING FOR ALLIANCE ----------------------------------- The Alliance's next council meeting in two weeks time is looming as a crunch meeting as the party struggles to deal with internal divisions and rifts. The row spilt over into the public arena at the Alliance's annual conference earlier this month. IRN's political editor says attempts by leader Jim Anderton to dampen down divisions have not been successful. What began as a row about the Alliance's MPs support for the war in Afghanistan has opened up wounds between the parliamentary and the administrative wing of the party led by President Matt McCarten. Some feel Mr McCarten has not used the best resources the party's ever had to build membership. It is understood Mr McCarten, who works in Parliament acting as an advisor to Mr Anderton, has been pressured by him to step aside. The crunch time will be the Alliance's council meeting on December 8th. Earlier today Alliance leader Jim Anderton confirmed security staff were called while computers operated by some Alliance staff were checked. However, he says the directive to check for what might by controversial e-mails did not come from him. Mr Anderton says the security action was a mistake committed by people who thought they were being helpful when they were not. HOT DEMAND FOR MISSION TICKETS ------------------------------ There has been huge demand for tickets to the Mission Concert in Hawke's Bay which went on sale this morning. The outdoor concert at the Mission Estate Winery is being held in February next year. The headline acts are Engelbert Humperdinck and The Seekers. Twenty thousand tickets went on sale at nine o'clock. Hundreds of people queued outside Ticketek offices in Napier and Hastings to make sure they did not miss out, some had even spent the night. Ticketek is reporting very strong sales and expect the concert to be sold out within a couple of hours. (I am old enough to enjoy the Seekers and too old for that other person. Of course if it were the NZSO playing music by the real Humperdinck, that might tempt me. - BH) HEALTH DEGREE PROGRAMMES DOUBLED -------------------------------- A staffing crisis in the health service has prompted a major tertiary institution to double the number of health degree programmes it offers. Auckland University of Technology has developed the new courses in consultation with employers. It is targeting health promotion, mental health, paramedics, podiatry and dental therapy. AUT's Dean of Health Professor Max Abbott some parts of the health service are in crisis because there are not enough qualified people to fill vacant positions. He says for example, in mental health, the Mental Health Commission has found that services fell short of growth targets as a direct consequence of staff shortages and that many existing staff are not adequately trained. Meanwhile, in Northland and parts of Auckland, there is a serious deterioration in child dental health, in part due to a lack dental therapists according to Professor Abbott. He says while the new courses will not provide the full solution, they will be a big help. (One has to wonder where they will get the staff to double the throughput of the present courses. - BH) ANDERTON DENIES CLAIMS HE PUSHED MCCARTEN TO RESIGN ---------------------------------------------------- Alliance leader Jim Anderton has denied asking party president Matt McCarten to resign, amid reports that the party is in further turmoil. But he does admit to asking some hard questions about how prepared the party is fight next year's election. It is being reported this morning that Mr Anderton wants Mr McCarten to quit a year before his term expires. The Alliance leader admits he is worried that the party is not ready for the next election. The junior coalition partner is already divided over the Government's commitment of troops to the war on terror. Meanwhile, Jim Anderton also says he played no part in a move that kept some Alliance staff out of their parliamentary offices last week. There are reports some staff were locked out while their computers were checked. But Alliance leader says the directive to check for what might be controversial e-mails did not come from him. He says the security action was a mistake committed by people who thought they were being helpful when they were not. POLICE IMPOUND STOCK CAR FOLLOWING LATEST ACCIDENT -------------------------------------------------- Upper Hutt police have impounded the stock car at the centre of the latest speedway accident involving a spectator. A 37-year-old woman remains in hospital with leg injuries after she was struck by a wheel which flew into the crowd at Te Marua speedway on Saturday night. Her 13- year-old daughter also received head injuries. Police mechanics hope to examine the car today to determine what caused the wheel to come off. Meanwhile officials are being questioned as to why it took so long to call off the race after the incident. The wheel that struck the spectators was initially stopped by safety barriers, but was later struck by another vehicle, causing it to fly over the fence. (Does anyone remember the radio commentary in the second running of the now defunct Wellington City road races? I think the car was a Ford Sierra which lost it's front wheel. Without missing a beat, the commentator came in with "you picked a fine time to leave me, loose wheel". You could wait a lifetime for an opportunity like that. - BH) Tuesday, 20 November ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SING FOR PEACE IDEA TAKES OFF ----------------------------- An international singing event in support of world peace being planned by a Christchurch school is attracting strong interest. The Sing for Peace idea is the brainchild of year eight students at Selwyn House School and they are busy arranging the event via the internet. Teacher Sandy Hastings says they have been overwhelmed by responses from schools around New Zealand and the world all of whom are keen to take part. She says students from schools in Europe, North America, and Asia have all contacted Selwyn House to show their support. The idea is that students at participating schools will all sing the song "Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me" at midday on November the 29th. SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ON LINE ----------------------------- Education Minister Trevor Mallard has released a study showing increased computer use for school administration. Most secondary schools and more than half of primary schools have more than one computer dedicated to administration. Most of these have Internet access and e- mail but some are restricted by a lack of bandwidth. Mr Mallard says the technology will save the schools' time and increase their access to the Ministry of Education. (I wonder if Mr Mallard can credibly quantify the actual time saved by more technology in the administration of schools. Does it translate, for example into one less administration staff member to employ? As a former boss of mine used to say whenever I tried the old "time saved" justification for a project, "can you go around the office and attach one of these red stickers to the forehead of each person you will no longer need. If you can't, perhaps the alleged saving is illusory". - BH) NASTY WEATHER CAUSES PROBLEMS ON ROADS -------------------------------------- Wet weather in the south and on the West Coast are creating a few concerns for Police regarding road conditions. Flooding has forced the closure of two roads near Riverton and police also say there is surface water on many of the State Highways on the West Coast and main roads connecting through the Alps. Sergeant Roy Appley says drivers should exercise caution as wet weather driving conditions apply in the wake of heavy overnight rain. ALMOST $1 MILLION FOR INCREASED AIRPORT SECURITY ------------------------------------------------ It has cost almost $1 million to increase security arrangements at the country's major airports since the terrorist September 11 attacks on the United States. In response to a series of Parliamentary written questions, Transport Minister Mark Gosche says the total cost to the end of October for the Aviation Security Service is $970,000. The figures apply to Rotorua, Christchurch, Auckland, Wellington , Queenstown and Dunedin airports. Upping security at Auckland airport has been the most expensive exercise at $409,000, followed by Wellington where $179,000. Mr Gosche says12 extra x-ray machines to support both national and international screening operations have been purchased, although only three are up and running at this stage. (I am stunned by the number of idiots who still turn up at the x-ray machines carrying knives, scissors and screwdrivers. The sharp objects are permanently confiscated. Even more amazing are the people who attempt to carry such things deliberately just to see if they can defeat the system. One person was made to go through the detector three times, surrendering a dangerous object each time, and on the last loop, his remaining item was a brass knuckleduster. The security agencies did not see the joke and he was charged with various offences in court. - BH) NUMBERS OF SEATS TO GO UP BY TWO -------------------------------- The number of electoral seats looks set to increase by two for the next election. The Representation Commission, which looks at election boundaries every five years, has recommended two new seats in the fast growing Auckland area. One seat will be a seventh Maori seat called Tamaki Makaurau. The other will be called New Lynn, in the seat formally known as Titirangi. The changes mean there will now be 62 general seats, seven Maori seats and 51 list seats making up the 120 seats in the MMP Parliament. The Commission recommended a number of other small changes. But controversial marginal seats such as Coromandel and Wellington Central were left unchanged. (the headline is a little misleading. The number of electorates goes up by two, but the number of party list seats decrease by two to keep the total at 120. In any event, it looks as if John Tamahere, presently representing Hauraki will stand for Tamaki Makaurau [which incidentally is the Maori name for Auckland] - BH) ANTHRAX SCARE DEALT WITH IN COURT --------------------------------- A man who sparked an anthrax scare in Bulls has been fined today. A Palmerston North judge has fined 48-year-old Richard Allen George Fletcher $600. He was charged with wasting police time, for sending salt and citric acid to Prime Minister Helen Clark and two media organisations. The letters led to an anthrax scare at the Bulls branch of New Zealand Post. Fletcher has been fined $600, and ordered to pay costs of more than $500. Judge Gregory Ross says the sentence should act as a deterrent to anyone else thinking of similar action. DAMAGE DONE TO PARTY - MCCARTEN -------------------------------- Alliance president Matt McCarten admits the rift between him and leader Jim Anderton has damaged the party. However he is refusing to comment further on the row, as he says it is not in the interest of the party. There are reports that tensions between the pair have become unbearable, following debate over the Alliance support for the Government's offer of SAS troops to Afghanistan. The Alliance is now reviewing its position. Matt McCarten is aligned with Alliance minister Laila Harre, who is unhappy with her party's stance on the war on terrorism. A spokesman for Jim Anderton says he is reluctant to comment further on the issue, but Mr Anderton could meet with Mr McCarten later this week. LOWER DRINKING AGE TO BLAME --------------------------- Emergency department doctors at Auckland Hospital say the increase in teenage binge drinking comes down to the lowering of the drinking age from 20 to 18. An Auckland University study has shown teenage drinking patterns are getting worse. Emergency medical specialist Peter Jones says a study carried out by the hospital's emergency department has also shown a 50 per cent increase in people aged 18 to 19 admitted with alcohol poisoning. There has also been a 30 per cent increase in people aged 15 to 18 admitted. Dr Jones says the only thing which has changed over the period the study was carried out is the lowering of the drinking age, so that must be the reason for the increased alcohol abuse. PLEA TO PEOPLE LOST IN BUSH --------------------------- A plea for people who get lost in the bush to take a good look at their surroundings before trying to find their way out. It follows the rescue of a mother and her young son who went missing in the Tararua Forest Park yesterday afternoon. The pair were found this morning about an hour upstream from where they went missing. Search coordinator Senior Sergeant Murray Johnston says they had travelled quite some distance in the wrong direction. He says the clear message to others caught in similar situations is to stay put unless they are certain where they are heading. (I wonder how many people lost in the bush could read the plea? - BH) GOFF SAYS ANDERTON HAS BEEN EFFECTIVE -------------------------------------- A senior Labour cabinet minister has gone in to bat for Jim Anderton. The Alliance leader is under fire from some elements of his party, particularly for his support of the Government's commitment of troops to the war on terror. Foreign and Justice Minister Phil Goff says Mr Anderton has played an effective role as deputy prime minister. He thinks the Alliance leader has acted responsibly, and put some runs on the board for his party. Mr Goff says Mr Anderton went into the coalition knowing that New Zealand First and National had "utterly destroyed the credibility of MMP", and that the Alliance would not be the tail wagging the dog. CYCLISTS WANT KIDS OFF FOOTPATHS -------------------------------- Cyclists are criticising the Automobile Association's call for a law change enabling children to ride their bikes on the footpath. An article in the AA's Directions magazine claims lives would be saved if minors were allowed to ride on footpaths. But Cycling Advocates Network spokesman, Robert Ibell, says the move would disadvantage children by putting them in an unsafe area. He says motorists do not expect cyclists to be on the footpath and accidents could happen as cars back out of driveways onto roads. Mr Ibell says statistics show that children are in more danger on the footpath than the road. He says the AA would be more constructive if it used its magazine to tell motorists how to drive safely near kids on bikes. Mr Ibell says the AA would probably save lives if it campaigned to reduce speeds in residential areas to 30 kilometres. He says a 1996 United Kingdom study showed child cyclist crashes dropped by 48% after speed limits were reduce to around 30 kilometres. (As is often the case, the AA has reached a conclusion which does not necessarily reflect the opinion of its members. My own opinion is that if the person riding the bike lacks the maturity to deal with the traffic, he or she should confine their riding to roads and neighbourhoods where they can cope. It is unreasonable to endanger pedestrians and the elderly by having bikes on footpaths - BH) Wednesday, 21 November ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AIRPORT POSTS STRONG PROFIT --------------------------- Despite the September 11 attacks and financial turmoil within Air New Zealand, Auckland International Airport has announced record profits. At its annual meeting today the airport announced a record profit of nearly $60 million after tax. A slow down in world wide aviation since the terrorist attacks in America does not seem to have affected the airport. The airport was also unshaken by the financial uncertainty within Air New Zealand, which contributes 15 per cent of total revenue. The company is confident of another record profit next year, saying the downturn in passenger traffic will not be as significant as originally thought. CULLEN SAYS THINGS NOT AS BAD AS COULD HAVE BEEN ------------------------------------------------ Finance minister Michael Cullen says the Government's operating surplus will have to be carefully watched during a predicted downturn in the world economy. The latest Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development report has forecast a drop in economic activity across the world. However, Dr Cullen says while there will be a drop, it is not looking as bad as first expected. He says the Reserve Bank will have to walk its usual fine line with interest rates, depending on what the economy does. He says the tourism industry looks like providing a welcome boost to the economy, even after the international uncertainty following the September 11 attacks. Dr Cullen says the outlook for tourism is not looking nearly as dire as it was just a couple of weeks ago. (Smile, they said. Things could be worse. So I smiled. Sure enough, things got worse! - BH) TRAIN CARRIAGES --------------- More than five tonnes of aluminium has been stolen from train carriages in Lower Hutt. The aluminium luggage racks have been stolen from 35 carriages at the New Zealand Railways Yard. Acting Detective Sergeant Carolyn Crawford says the carriages have been stripped over a three month period and the aluminium stacked up. It was then taken from the yard last weekend. She says police need the public's help to find out who was involved. New, the aluminium would be worth up to $500,000. (Someone has not done their homework. At today's price on the LME, Aluminium is worth USD$0.624/lb and five tonnes would thus be worth no more than NZD$16,200 - BH) WE WILL TRY AND LOWER TAXES - ENGLISH ------------------------------------- The National Party has given a strong signal that it will cut taxes if it wins the next election. National Party leader Bill English has told a business breakfast in Hamilton that his party stands for lower taxes and believes it is better for small business and families. He says his party would look to lower taxes progressively and in a sustained manner over time, in order to meet the growing costs of health and education. Mr English says it is important that we reward skills, talent and entrepreneurial effort at home. He says there is a strong consensus in the business community that if lower taxes are possible then we should pursue them. POLICE SPEAK TO TRIO OVER GRAMMAR SCHOOL BANG --------------------------------------------- Police have discovered the source of a large explosion at Auckland Girls' Grammar School yesterday afternoon. The bang was heard half a kilometre away just after midday. Senior Sergeant Ian Tuke says police have spoken to three teenage boys about the incident, which involved fireworks. He says the police file has been passed to the youth aid section. The only casualty of the explosion was a sparrow, which fell out of the sky from shock. RAIN DOES NOT DETER FLOWER FANS ------------------------------ The first day of the Ellerslie Flower show has received considerable interest. The light rain in Auckland has not deterred viewers, with about 12,000 people expected today. Organisers are anticipating record numbers during the five day show, with 80,000 people expected to smell the flowers. Special attractions this year include vegetable versions of TV One news-readers, Judy Bailey and Richard Long, as well as a marquee cloaked with flowers with the theme "Daydreams to Midnight". GOVERNMENT SHAKEY AS ALLIANCE SQUABBLING CONTINUES -------------------------------------------------- The Alliance runs the risk of crumbling, putting the Government in a precarious position. The rift between Party leader Jim Anderton and President Matt McCarten has factionalised the MPs and split the membership. Funds gathered from the MPs have been redirected on the orders of Mr Anderton, which is being seen an an attempt to freeze Mr McCarten out. Alliance MP Willy Jackson says that is not going to happen because he will fight for Mr McCarten to his last breath. Mr Jackson says Manu Motuhake - of which he is the leader - wants both men to sort out their differences before it is too late. He says if it drags on over the Christmas break it could prove terminal for the Alliance. Three MPs, Laila Harre, Liz Gordon and Mr Jackson are refusing to have their funds redirected LEAD STAR ATTENDS RINGS PREMIERE -------------------------------- The star line-up for next month's Australasian premiere of the Lord of the Rings has confirmed the Fellowship's lead actor will come to New Zealand. Elijah Wood who plays the lead role of Frodo Baggins in the Fellowship of the Ring will headline the Wellington premiere. But the film's other major stars, Cate Blanchet, Liv Tyler, Sean Bean and Sir Ian McKellen will not. Other members of the cast will be making an appearance, including Orlando Bloom and Hugo Weaving. The Australasian premiere of the first of three Lord of the Rings installments kicks off on December 19th. ESTELLE-35 MAKERS SAYS RISK MINIMAL ----------------------------------- The manufacturer of the contraceptive Estelle-35 believes the risk of getting pregnant even with pills out of sequence is minimal. Douglas Pharmaceuticals is recalling two batches of the product after a Wellington pharmacist found an inactive tablet in the middle of one packet of the contraceptive pills. Managing Director Graeme Douglas believes even if a woman took the pill out of sequence, the risks of pregnancy are next to none. He says hormone levels would stay extremely high and would still prevent ovulation. Mr Douglas says so far, no more defective packets have been returned. He says the company is preparing for the worst, in the event that any women on Estelle-35 get pregnant from the packaging botch up. All women on the pill are being advised to contact their GP, but Mr Douglas says the company has notified its insurers for the good of Douglas Pharmaceuticals and the patient. He says the company would be as supportive as possible on the advice of professionals looking after the women. GOVT ACCUSED OF DUMBING DOWN NURSING ------------------------------------ The Government is being accused of dumbing down nursing training by reintroducing a one-year enrolled nursing course. It is bringing back shorter courses to address a chronic shortage. But National's senior citizens' spokeswoman, Dr Lynda Scott, says geriatric hospitals do not have the funding to afford both registered and the new enrolled nurses. She fears the elderly will be cared for by one-year graduates instead of the higher qualified three- year graduates. Dr Scott says she would support the scheme if geriatric hospitals were given adequate funding to replace unqualified aides with enrolled nurses. Thursday, 22 November ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ACT E-MAIL CAMPAIGN ATTACKS WORKPLACE SAFETY LAWS ------------------------------------------------- The ACT party has launched an intensive e-mail campaign urging small businesses to help quash the Government's proposed new workplace safety laws. Leader Richard Prebble says the new measures contained in the Health and Safety in Employment Amendment Bill are extremely draconian. He claims the Government is proposing to introduce absurd penalties like half-a-million dollar fines, and two-year jail terms for employers. Mr Prebble says the changes are over-the-top, and treat employers as criminals. He says ACT's e-mail campaign will target 130,000 small businesses, who will be given step-by-step instructions on how to make a submissions to the bill. DIESEL SPILL MAY HAVE CAUSED FATAL CRASH ---------------------------------------- Tauranga police have confirmed there had been an earlier diesel spill at the scene of a fatal truck crash this morning. The crash happened at around eight o'clock. The truck and trailer unit was heading north on the downhill section of Waihi Road. Police say it appears the truck lost traction, and jacknifed to the wrong side of the road where it hit a light truck coming up the hill. The driver of the light truck was killed on impact. The truck and trailer unit careered on, and hit a house. The accident caused major snarl ups for motorists trying to head north. MORE ACTS FOR WELLINGTON ------------------------ Organisers of the New Zealand Festival of the Arts in Wellington are hoping to cash in on the woes of their Australian counterparts. The Wellington festival, which opens in February next year, is similar to the Adelaide Festival and they often share international acts, however this year Adelaide has only planned 19 acts instead of the usual 100. New Zealand artistic director, Carla van Zon, says that has left many Australians disappointed, so she is hoping to entice some of them to Wellington with our low dollar and the promise of a bigger festival. MINISTRY WANTS MORE INFO ------------------------ The Ministry of Health is looking for overseas expertise about the effects of increasing doses of radiation therapy to cut cancer patient waiting lists. Auckland Hospital has been giving some patients stronger doses of radiation treatment in an effort to combat the waiting lists which are getting longer by the day. Medical advisor to the Ministry of Health Dr Colin Feek says the practice has been trialled in the United Kingdom and Canada. He says the ministry does not know enough about the effects to have an opinion. Dr Feek says the ministry has received information from the United Kingdom and Canada, and this will help clarify the issue. He hopes this will provide a more informed choice for patients. SCHOOL TIME STAYS THE SAME -------------------------- Wellington High School will not be changing it is start time next year. The school caused controversy in September when it brought up the idea of starting school at 9:45am each day to allow tired students to arrive in time. It was among a range of proposals put forward as part of the school's four-yearly review. But principal, Prue Kelly, says while the response from the community has been generally good, the start time will remain as it is at the start of the next school year. (I have been impressed by Prue Kelly and her staff who make every effort to accommodate the students who for one reason or another do not fit well elsewhere. While I am in favour with some degree of conformity and discipline, the fact is that some kids just don't fit, and they need all the assistance they can get - BH) ANDERTON AND MCCARTEN URGED TO KISS AND MAKE UP ----------------------------------------------- A truce may be on the way in the bitter battle raging within the Alliance. IRN's political editor says party leader Jim Anderton is holding a news conference this afternoon and a meeting between him and Party President Matt McCarten is being worked on. Those who were yesterday warning the end for the Alliance was nigh are today more conciliatory. One of the members who sparked the row, Dave McPherson from the party's ruling council, says it is time for Mr McCarten and Mr Anderton to kiss and make up. Mr McPherson says if a vote was taken now 99 per cent of party members would want Mr Anderton and Mr McCarten to stay on. And that view is shared by firebrand MP Willie Jackson who says both men are leaders capable of sorting out their differences. BETTER OFF IN SOUTH ------------------- Southern workers have more money in their pockets than those further north, according to a study. The Venture Southland study shows that after paying the mortgage, Southlanders have more cash to spend compared to people in Auckland, Wellington and Canterbury. The research shows Southlanders have an average discretionary income of $380. That compares with $180 for Aucklanders. DNA STORE UPSETS GREENS ----------------------- The Greens are whipping up a storm over a national database containing up to a million people's DNA. Most infants born since 1969 have had a heel prick test - known as a Guthrie test - to check for congenital abnormalities. Many of the samples were taken without consent and are now in indefinite storage at the National Testing Centre. Greens Health spokeswoman Sue Kedgley says the system is open to abuse. She says they know of no legal controls to stop the samples being used for research purposes. Mrs Kedgley says the Privacy Commissioner is investigating and her party wants a full public debate. (While I don't share the paranoia of the Greens as to possible misuse of such a database, I am surprised to learn that the samples were kept. Every one of our children had such a sample taken, ostensibly to check for certain disorders. No mention was made of the sample's indefinite retention. Informed consent is a key ingredient of most ethical issues, and I don't feel we were fully informed. - BH) WORKERS TO GET MORE PROTECTION ------------------------------ Greater financial protections are being put in place for workers of failed companies. The Government has unveiled the first stage of a plan to clean up the country's insolvency laws. Today's announcement follows the collapse of companies such as Hartner Construction and Qantas New Zealand that left many workers out of pocket. Associate Labour Minister, Laila Harre says it will increase the amount of money workers can claim if their employer goes bust, from $6,000 to $15,000. Ms Harre says it will also give employees greater priority as creditors to claim redundancy monies and not just wages. VISITORS STAYED AWAY LAST MONTH ------------------------------- Visitor arrivals dropped by three per cent last month, compared with October 2000. Statistics New Zealand says the reduction was the result of the September terrorist attacks in the United States and the collapse of Ansett Australia. Senior Demographer Ian Richards says there were fewer visitors from America, Japan and Thailand. He says at the same time there were increases in visitor arrivals from China and Korea. Meanwhile, Mr Richards says overall visitor arrivals until October increased by 11 per cent when compared to October 2000. He says the October to October figures show an increase of 1. 931 million visitors. Mr Richards says much of the increases were reported in visitor arrivals from Australia, the United Kingdom, Korea and China. DRUG DEAL DELIGHT FOR HAYFEVER SUFFERERS ---------------------------------------- A drug for hayfever sufferers, which previously attracted a charge for users, will be fully funded from February. The Government drug funding agency, Pharmac, says Loratidine will join two other drugs for hayfever on the fully-funded list. At present, the drug attracts a significant part- charge for patients. Pharmac Medical Director, Peter Moodie, says the drug is a non-sedating variety, which has been around for a considerable length of time. He says it provides another option for allergy sufferers. Dr Moodie says Loratidine has only been able to be made fully-funded, because of the negotiation of a large price reduction from the suppliers. He says the decision will free up more than $1-million over two-and-a-half years. He says there is a long list of drugs Pharmac wants to be able to fund in full, but he is unable to say which drugs will be given priority for the extra cash becoming available. SEAFOOD FOURTH BIGGEST EXPORT EARNER ------------------------------------ The economic future is looking bright for the seafood industry. A review over the past four years shows it to be a big export earner, providing at the same time more than 26,000 jobs. But General Manager of the Seafood Industry Council, Alastair MacFarlane, says the Resource Management Act is a big constraint to growth in fish farming, also known as aquaculture. He says the industry is restricted by current policy, and claims there is a lot of anti-lobbying from environmental green groups. Mr MacFarlane says those groups are opposed to any economic development, regardless of how benign it may be to the environment. He wants to convince some local authorities that aquaculture is a suitable use for coastal waters space. Seafood is New Zealand's fourth biggest exporting earner, after dairy, meat and timber. Alastair Macfarlane says fish farming exports will total around $1 billion in the second half of this decade. He says, at the moment, it is dominated by the growing of green shell mussels, and also salmon and oysters, but there is potential in the future for paua, and fin and flat fish. Fish farming is currently earning around $200 million in annual export earnings. CITY SLICKERS BENEFIT FROM FARMERS' SWEAT ----------------------------------------- Cities are finally starting to benefit from the bullish rural economy. The latest Regional Trends survey from the National Bank shows the Auckland, Waikato and Canterbury regions recorded the country's fastest growth rates in the September quarter. National Bank chief economist John McDermott says the South Island's rural economy has been powered for the last year by commodity prices and a low currency. He says farm incomes have been very high and it has taken some time for that spending to spread through to the rest of the economy. He says that money has finally reached the urban centres. John McDermott says after a phenomenal year's growth of about 8%, Southland's economy grew by 1% in the September quarter. He says that remains above the national average. The South Island's West Coast had the second-best economic growth for the year, at about 5%. John McDermott says houses are selling very fast on the West Coast. THREE INJURED AFTER CAR PURSUIT ------------------------------- A man is in a stable condition in Christchurch Hospital after being shot in the chest by police. Police say the 32- year-old was shot at Avonside Drive after he approached a group of armed officers carrying a machete. The incident began at around 4 pm yesterday. Canterbury Police District Superintendent John Reilly says police received a report that a man and two women were fighting at a house in Southbrook Road, Rangiora. They left in a car which police followed into the city. The pursuit came to an end on Avonside Drive when the car was stopped at the police vehicle crashed into a pole. Superintendent Reilly says the man came out of the car with a machete and was shot. He is in a serious but stable condition in Christchurch Hospital. The police officers have suffered head in chest injuries, which are not serious. Canterbury Police District Superintendent John Reilly says internal and external investigations are underway. The actions of the police officers will be investigated to determine whether there is any criminal liability. ISOLATED INCIDENT CAUSED PILL SCARE ----------------------------------- Early checks show the contraceptive pill scare has been triggered by an isolated incident. Two batches of Estelle- 35 have been recalled after one packet was found to have an inactive pill in the middle of the contraceptive sequence. Douglas Pharmaceuticals managing director Graeme Douglas says they have received over eight hundred packets of pills. All of the recalled packets are correct. Women on Estelle-35 are still being advised to check their packets for any abnormalities and to use condoms or see their GP if they have any concerns. KING DENIES SUGGESTING CONTROVERSIAL CANCER TREATMENT ----------------------------------------------------- Health Minister Annette King is rejecting claims that she is encouraging the use of an experimental and unproven radiation treatment to reduce cancer waiting lists. A specialist cancer team have suggested radiotherapists investigate using a concentrated form of radiotherapy, which would mean patients take up less time in treatment. National's Health spokesman Roger Sowry claims Mrs King is pushing the unproven and potentially harmful therapy in order to solve the political problem of waiting lists. But Mrs King says the decision about whether the treatment is safe to use is up to the specialists and she has not put any pressure on them at all. New Zealand is currently experiencing a shortage of Radiotherapists. SKYHAWK CAMPAIGN MAY NOT BE OVER YET ------------------------------------ The Save Our Squadrons Campaign is considering appealing a decision by the High Court in Wellington over the future of the Air Force's strike capability. Justice Heron has struck out the campaign's application to stop the Government disbanding the air combat force. SOS says it is concerned at the narrowness of the decision which it says seems to focus on the scope of the Minister's powers of control over the defence force. Spokesman David Dickens says SOS questions whether the court gave due weight to its case. He says it is an argument over the minister's powers of control and whether he exceeded what is laid down in the defence act. Friday, 23 November ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NORTHERN THERAPISTS REJECT PAY OFFER ------------------------------------ Radiation therapists in the North Island are set to strike after rejecting the latest pay offer from employers. The 48-hour strike action is due to start on December 3, and excludes therapists in the Wellington region. Health boards are offering a three per cent pay rise for two years, which the therapists union says is insufficient to recruit and retain staff. Union secretary Deborah Powell says health board claims that is all they can afford are false. She says they have proven it with information provided by the boards. Dr Powell claims requests to take the matter to arbitration have been flatly refused. NZDF UNDER SCRUTINY AFTER MP MARK'S FILE SEARCHED ------------------------------------------------- The defence force is under scrutiny following revelations an NZDF officer has searched the personal service files of New Zealand First MP Ron Mark. Mr Mark is a former soldier, and has been openly critical of the army for many years. Defence Minister Mark Burton has confirmed in an answer to a Parliamentary written question, that Mr Mark's file has been accessed by an officer who wanted to check aspects of the MP's military service record. He has ordered a State Services Commission inquiry into the incident. Ron Mark says the incident raises very serious constitutional issues which strike at the heart of democracy, but he is reluctant to comment further. He says he does not want to run the risk of jeopardising or limiting the actions he may choose to take. (According to the Sunday Star-Times, the person who requested the files was no less than Major General Dodson, head of the Army. He apparently insists that "nothing untoward" was taking place. It is not a good look. - BH) MAHAREY SAYS STUDENT LOAN FRAUD NOT WIDESPREAD ---------------------------------------------- Tertiary Education Minister Steve Maharey is confident that an alleged multi-million dollar student loan fraud uncovered today is a one-off. The Government is investigating the Practical Education Training Centre in Taranaki after half of the 4000 students enrolled in its travel course had dropped out. Mr Maharey says it is clear that many students were only enrolling for the loan money and a free computer. In some cases five computers were going to the same household. However Mr Maharey says there is no evidence to suggest that the alleged scam is widespread across the tertiary sector. The Practical Education Training Centre is being accused of not informing the Ministry about the loan abuse. TRAINING ORGANISATION CONFIDENT DONE NOTHING WRONG -------------------------------------------------- The Taranaki training organisation at the centre of a $35 million student loans fraud scandal says it has done nothing wrong. New Plymouth's Practical Education Training Centre has funding suspended while the government investigates whether they failed to report possible loans abuses. Half of around 4000 students enrolled in an extramural travel course completed no course work, but collected their student loans. General Manager Shona Glentworth says she is confident the centre will be cleared of any wrong doing. Mrs Glentworth says the centre has been tarred by the activities of a few unscrupulous students. SECURITY REVIEW FOR ARMY ------------------------ The army is reviewing its security practices, as the mystery over a stolen Steyr rifle during an exercise near Waiouru remains. Earlier this week someone stole the rifle and some webbing from an army Land Rover while one soldier was asleep inside the vehicle and another was sleeping beside it. One of the soldiers was woken and chased after the intruder who ran to a waiting vehicle and drove off south towards Waiouru. Spokesman Major Mike Shatford says the loss of a military weapon is concerning. He says the army has been investigating security surrounding weapons and exercise duties. Major Shatford says the army has not ruled out an inside job. BANK BRANDS UNION SURVEY MISLEADING ----------------------------------- ANZ Bank has branded as biased and misleading a survey of bank staff conducted by their union, Finsec. The survey, carried out by an Auckland University postgraduate, claims a high proportion of employees of four major banks are dissatisfied. It says bank staff feel duty bound to their employers rather than loyal, and a large number lack confidence in their bosses. ANZ says the survey only covered 348 people, representing a small proportion of the four banks' staff. Spokesman Steve Fisher says the bank's own survey covered three-quarters of its staff. He says it shows 76 per cent of its staff are satisfied with ANZ well above the Australasian average. And Mr Fisher has sprung to the defence of the bank's managers. He says Finsec has tried to make a big deal out of a small part of the survey which is misleading. He says in two of the three major areas ANZ performed better than at least one of the other four banks. CASINO BABY WITH SOCIAL WORKERS ------------------------------- The baby left in Sky City casino car park has been discharged from Starship and placed in the care of social workers. The seven-week-old was allegedly left in a car for three and a half hours while her mother gambled at the casino yesterday. The baby was found by casino security and taken to Starship hospital suffering from dehydration. Child Youth and Family Otahuhu site manager Julie Sutherland says they have placed the child in foster care while they investigate. She urges parents to never leave children unattended. SOME WORRIES OVER PROPOSED CHANGES ---------------------------------- Not everyone is welcoming changes to the national insolvency laws. The Government has reviewed tier one decisions that include bankruptcy, voidable transactions and priority debts. It says approved changes will give priority to employees who are owed money by their employers. Employees currently have no priority for receiving redundancy money. Northern Employers and Manufacturers spokesman Graham Perfect says initial reaction to the changes must be cautious. He is concerned the shift in rankings will hurt small businesses. DECISION ON SICK CREWMAN STILL TO BE MADE ----------------------------------------- A Volvo ocean race spokesman says there is still plenty of time to decide what to do about Amer Sports One's sick crewman. Keith Kilpatrick is seriously ill with a suspected blocked intestine, and additional medical supplies were dropped to the Grant Dalton-skippered yacht this morning. Race spokesman Andreas Hanakamp says the crew will make a decision as to whether they will come into port or have the American rigger helicoptered off. There is also the chance he will make a full recovery. Mr Hanakamp says Amer Sports One has an experienced doctor on board, so at the moment, the crisis has been averted. The next stopover for the race is in Sydney. GUILTY SOLDIER RELIEVED COURT MARTIAL OVER ------------------------------------------ A New Zealand peacekeeper found guilty of shooting a British marine in the leg is relieved the ordeal is over. Captain Jose Cooper denied the charge of causing injury with intent. The incident happened during a drinking session in Bosnia in August last year. The 12-day court martial was held in the United Kingdom so Bosnian witnesses could give evidence. Army spokesman Major Kendall Langston says although it has taken over a year for justice to be done, it was important that Captain Cooper had a fair trial. He says Captain Cooper just wants to move on. The soldier is expected to be sentenced tomorrow morning New Zealand time. NEW LAMBING RECORD IN HAWKES BAY -------------------------------- Hawke's Bay has a new lambing percentage record. The Economic Service has released its latest survey of lamb numbers and lambing percentages. Hawke's Bay District Officer, Doug Syme, says 7.8 million lambs were born in the region setting a new record of 117%. He says 400,000 more lambs are on the ground in Hawke's Bay compared with last year. Doug Syme says stable weather conditions during lambing allowed excellent lamb survival rates. BATTLE OF THE CLEAN SLATE BILL ------------------------------ The Green Party is calling for public submissions on its Clean Slate Bill. The bill allows people with minor convictions to get a clean record if they do not re-offend for seven years. The Clean Slate bill went before the House for the first time in March, backed by Greens Justice spokesman Nandor Tanczos. Tanczos claims Justice Minister Phil Goff is trying to push through his own version of the bill while stalling the submission process for the Green Party's version. He says the Government is playing politics and trying to take credit for the bill. Meanwhile, Justice Minister Phil Goff says his version of the bill is better than the original bill as it is less expensive. He says the bill requires a fool proof system of assessment for offenders before their convictions are dropped. Mr Goff says people should wait for both bills to be ready and make only one set of submissions on the bills. (Not sure about this. What rights do the victims of earlier crimes have? What rights do potential employers have? Life is hard and some consequences *are* forever. - BH) INSOLVENCY LAW CHANGES SCARE FINANCIERS --------------------------------------- Businesses may find getting credit from financiers more difficult following plans to clean up the country's insolvency laws. The Government is moving to give workers more protection if companies collapse. Wellington banking specialist Steve Flynn says the measure means financiers will be worse off if a company collapses. He says the Government is only fiddling with existing laws in increasing workers entitlements during insolvency from $6- 15,000. He says there were other ways of better protecting workers. (Now there's a surprise! We object to the undeserving poor having priority over the big guns. Surely the big returns which financiers usually seek are commensurate with the risks. The real improvement to be made is to stop investing in the dodgy and the incompetent, or at least, if you do so, don't bleat when the chickens come home to roost. Joe Worker does not usually have either the knowledge or the resources to check out the credit-worthiness or the competence of the boss. - BH) POWELL RELIEVED AS NEW TRIAL GRANTED ------------------------------------ The lawyer for the Christchurch man convicted of the manslaughter of a picketer at Lyttelton Port claims justice has been done as his client is granted a new trial. Forty- five-year-old Christine Clark died of head injuries two days after she was struck by Derek Powell's four-wheel- drive vehicle while on a picket line at Lyttelton Port in December 1999. Fifty-three year old Derek Powell stood trial on manslaughter charges. The Court of Appeal says it was proven that Ms Clarke died from injuries received when Powell struck her. But Justice Gault, who delivered the Appeal Court's decision, says the jury was wrongly directed by the trial judge. He says directions from Justice Panckhurst to the jury over the degree of negligence required to constitute a manslaughter conviction have prompted the new hearing. Powell's lawyer Pip Hall says his position on the issues of law has been vindicated, and his client is relieved that a new trial has been granted. THE FINANCIAL PAGE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Date: 22 November 2001 Brian Dooley Wellington New Zealand CURRENCIES ~~~~~~~~~~ The currency codes given below conform to ISO 4217, which can be found at http://www.xe.net/currency/iso_4217.htm. The rates given are for telegraphic transfer and are as given in the Wellington Evening Post today. To Buy NZD 1.00 USD 0.4146 AUD 0.8016 GBP 0.2929 JPY 51.21 CAD 0.6641 EUR 0.4732 FRF 3.1022 DEM 0.9255 HKD 3.2420 SGD 0.7640 ZAR 4.1228 CHF 0.6884 INTEREST RATES (%) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Call : 4.75 90 Day: 4.89 HOW TO SUBSCRIBE OR UNSUBSCRIBE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Brian Harmer does NOT administer the mailing list. Please do not send subscription related messages to him. ALL requests to subscribe or unsubscribe must be sent to majordomo@nz. com To subscribe: send a one-line e-mail with the following command: subscribe nznews <e-mail-addr> To unsubscribe, the message to send is: unsubscribe nznews <e-mail- addr> In either case, omit the angular brackets. Remember, to unsubscribe, you must use exactly the same alias as you used to subscribe in the first place. New subscribers can add themselves to the WYSIWYG News E- mail list by using the enrolment form at the Akiko web site: http://nz. com/NZ/News/
