subject: 30 November, 2005 ----- WYSIWYG NEWS ------------------------------ Copyright, Brian Harmer. Carindale is, by New Zealand standards, an immense shopping Mall. Of course, it is not in New Zealand, but in Sunny Queensland, in a southern suburb of Brisbane. Down here in Lower Hutt, Westfield's newly extended shopping mall is big by local standards, but nowhere near the size of Carindale, nor does it have the diversity of shops. Anyway, on our third day in Queensland, we accompanied young Grace to her swimming lessons in Carindale. In a shopping mall? Yes! Inside the space that might be occupied by a double shop was an indoor pool, with surrounding walkways, and the unmistakable smell of chlorine. Inside, dozens of youngsters aged from eighteen months to about eight years were doing various activities appropriate to their stage of development. Grace was stretched out on a flutter board and kicking up a storm behind her. In other parts of the pool, younger children were leaping fearlessly from the side of the pool to the waiting arms of their instructors. This was such a natural normal part of their weekend that it is small wonder that Australia features so strongly in the medal tables at the Olympic swimming events. In fact the proprietor of this swim school is a Commonwealth and Olympic medallist herself. The temperature outside was well in excess of thirty degrees C and somehow it seemed even hotter poolside. When the lesson was completed we all piled back into the car and with the aid of some family map reading ended up at the nearby Meadowlands picnic ground. Amid some nearby bush we spread our food out on one of the many shaded picnic tables that seem to characterise Queensland. Birds in many varieties hopped, skipped, sang, flew or waded, despite the heat which I think was around 32°C. Back in the family home, we enjoyed a relaxed dinner, and a spectacular golden yellow sunset that gave way to an equally spectacular thunderstorm. It seems that thunderstorms and forked lightning are a routine part of Queensland, though both are a real novelty to me as a Wellingtonian. Next morning required an early start, as Mary was returning to Wellington, leaving me to enjoy a further week of leave in Brisbane. Having seen her disappear down the stairs from the check-in counters to the immigration desks we took our leave, and headed out to Sandgate. Though still early in the day, the thermometer was going up like an express lift. A wonderful feature of the beach reserves around Brisbane are the stainless steel electric barbecues scattered around various covered picnic tables. With some friends we went to one of these and before long, bacon, eggs and sausages were sending up attractive smells and attracting gulls and ibises. Grace and a young playmate enjoyed the nearby swings and slides while the adults in the group were still coming to grips with the early start to the day. I should add that David is appropriately cautious about relying on the previous user's cleaning of the electric barbecue, so he came well equipped with scourers and detergents to ensure a clean start. Breakfast on the beach under perfect skies is a great way to start the day. In due course we decided that the next item on our agenda was a trip to the markets at Southbank. I am not sure if I identified that this was now Sunday. When we got there, the carparks were already under pressure and the place was jumping. Wall to wall people. Except for fresh produce, I am not much of a market person, but it was an interesting experience. Fascinating to me was the world's infinite tolerance of, and willingness to buy, things in really bad taste, or poor quality. Novelty is king. One stall holder who was unsurprisingly not doing so well, was attempting to sell football shirts in New Zealand colours, and the imprinted text "Who's waltzing now?" I didn't see him make a sale, nor should he have done. Let me pause there, to pay tribute to both the All Blacks (rugby union) on the completion of their grand slam tour of Britain and Ireland, and the Kiwis (rugby league) on a truly magnificent win in the Tri-Nations tournament. What a week for New Zealand sport! Now if only our cricket and soccer teams could lift their games! Meanwhile, back in Brisbane, when at last the stalls had been inspected, the children were taken to the swimming lagoon beside the Yarra on the site of the World Expo in 1988. The quite large area seemed to have total saturation of kids. I was not sure if even two more would find a space. In cowardly fashion, two of us abandoned the parents to look after the children and skulked into the cooling shade of a nearby pub where we could enjoy one of the products that Australia does really well, in tall frosted glasses. Eventually, the heat of the day drove the youngsters and their parents in to join us, and we enjoyed a large pub lunch. More from Queensland next week. Helen now has a working computer, but we long ago lost the install disk for her copy of MS Office. She is experimenting with one of the open office products. Keep bearing with us. ---- 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. 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. Formatting this week is sponsored again by Amanda Peet in Canada. Many thanks Amanda. ---- On with the News Monday, 21 November 2005 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ KEY APPEARS IN LEADERSHIP STAKES -------------------------------- John Key's rise in popularity is being attributed to his high profile during the election campaign. The National MP has popped into the preferred Prime Minister stakes in the latest One News-Colmar Brunton poll. He is on five percent - on par with Winston Peters. It comes as Don Brash drops six percent to 24 percent support as the country's preferred leader. John Key became the obvious successor to Don Brash during the election campaign, with commentators saying he has youth as well as intelligence on his side. Newstalk ZB's senior political reporter Helene Ambler says there will not be any type of scrappy leadership coup in the next few months. She says Don Brash will be replaced by John Key before the next election, but in a very public and managed way. (I wonder what expertise Ms Ambler has for that prediction? - BH) CRASH INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY ---------------------------- The cause of the helicopter crash which killed Michael Erceg and Guus Klatte may not be known for some time. The bodies of the 50-year-old liquor magnate and 38-year Dutch beer representative were found in wreckage at the foot of Karioi Mountain, near Raglan, on Saturday night, after their chopper disappeared from the radar in the area on November 4. Officials believe the pair died on impact when the helicopter crashed. Civil Aviation Authority investigators have been at the scene since early yesterday morning. They will be joined today by technical experts from Eurocopter, the company which manufactured the aircraft. CAA spokesman Bill Sommer says the cause of the crash is unlikely to come out very quickly and it is unclear at this stage what caused the helicopter to plummet. He says the scene examination will take at least another two or three days, after which parts of the helicopter will be taken away for examination. Mr Sommer says the wreckage of Michael Erceg's helicopter would have been very hard to find, as the wreckage lies in a small gully amidst heavy bush and is difficult to see from the ground and tough to spot from the air. Meanwhile Michael Erceg's friends and family are expressing gratitude for the love, support and prayers which have been shared during the difficult search. Mr Erceg's family held hopes of finding him alive right up to the discovery, and continued their private search for more than two weeks. Search coordinator and family and friends spokesman Roger Smith says they are grateful to everyone who lent a hand. The family is, however, steering away from criticism of official search efforts. Before the find, Mr Erceg's brother Ivan had criticised the Rescue Coordination Centre for calling of its search off after six days but Mr Smith says now is not the time to dwell on any problems with the search. He says the family simply wanted closure - and now has it. Michael Erceg's MP, Judith Collins is, however, calling for a review of the Rescue Coordination Centre's procedures. The Clevedon MP says it seems nonsensical that the centre was unwilling to help, despite the Erceg family offering to pay all the costs. The Rescue Coordination Centre says it is carrying out a review of its search for the missing helicopter and will see what was done well and what could have been done differently, separating the facts from the non-facts. The centre is declining to comment until its review is completed. NO TENSION IN NZ FIRST SAYS PRESIDENT ------------------------------------- The new president of New Zealand First is lashing out at suggestions there is tension within the party, Former MP Dail Jones has been elected to the job, replacing list MP Doug Woolerton who quit after leader Winston Peters threw the party's support behind the Labour-led Government. Mr Jones has taken a swipe at the opposition as rumours continue to surface that there is disquiet within New Zealand First. He says they are full of smiles because they have achieved something in the space of weeks, which the National Party will not achieve at all. Dail Jones says having a president who is not an MP is a good solution for the future which may make things a little easier for the party. Mr Jones failed to return to Parliament on the party list. (No tensions? I recall seeing on TV at least one delegate wearing a shirt in the colours of the Tui Breweries famous "Yeah right!" billboards, and the punch line was "No baubles". - BH) CLARK HAPPY WITH PETERS' PERFORMANCE ------------------------------------ The Prime Minister is suggesting Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has been poorly treated in media coverage of his performance at APEC. Mr Peters was under significant scrutiny, with much made of his role as Foreign Minister while not actually being a formal part of the Government. Helen Clark told Newstalk ZB's John Dunne the reports she has had is that the meetings involving Winston Peters actually went pretty well. Miss Clark says she has had a positive briefing from Foreign Affairs and Trade officials about the discussions Mr Peters was involved in. PILOT'S INITIATIVE HELPED SEARCH -------------------------------- Rescuers who located the wreckage of Michael Erceg's helicopter say claims the search area needed to be widened encouraged them to re-enter the area. The bodies of the millionaire liquor baron and his Dutch friend Guus Klatte were discovered at the weekend. Those who made the discovery say information from another pilot, Westpac rescue helicopter pilot Darryl Sherwin, suggested there was a radar error of 700 metres. Mr Sherwin had been privately plotting radar data after he noticed the radar track did not correspond to his map and GPS co-ordinates. It was already believed that a 500 metre error existed. One of the pilots John Funnell says Mr Sherwin's information convinced him to fly over the area again, though he adds had it not been for heat seeking technology the wreckage might have been missed again. NAZI DECISION GETS JEWISH APPROVAL ---------------------------------- Wellington's Jewish community is not totally opposed to Nazi memorabilia being traded online, providing it is used for educational purposes. Internet auction site TradeMe is refusing to let members deal in Nazi bayonets, military badges and helmets. Rabbi Anthony Lipman of Wellington's Hebrew Congregation says such material should only be sold through responsible collectors. He says if it was being used in a historical context to teach people about the War, he would have no problem with such online exchanges. However, he says because TradeMe has such a big market, it is difficult to control where the material might end up. STAGECOACH INVESTIGATES OAP'S INJURY ------------------------------------ Stagecoach is speaking with one of its Wellington drivers following an incident which has left a pensioner in hospital with a broken rib. The 77-year-old is thought to have fallen over while climbing aboard the bus outside Te Papa. The man hit his chest on a metal platform and he is currently recovering in Wellington Hospital. Stagecoach's Wellington area manager Eddie McCaffery says the matter is being investigated. He says Stagecoach would expect all drivers to wait for passengers to find their seats before driving on. (The number of silly accidents involving bus passengers recently warrants some emphasis on basic courtesy by the drivers. I know that they in turn deserve better treatment than they get from the public - BH) WINDY AFTERNOON FOR WELLINGTON ------------------------------ Wind gusts of up to 100 kph will continue to lash the capital for most of the afternoon, but MetService says the strong northerly will change to a southerly by tonight, bringing rain. Emergency teams have cleared up cladding which was ripped off a building on The Terrace earlier. Motorists are being asked to take extra care. (Windy? Pah! Just weigh the corners of the picnic blanket down with sandwiches! - BH) Tuesday, 22 November 2005 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ANCESTRAL REMAINS RETURNED TO TE PAPA ------------------------------------- Maori ancestral remains will be returned to Te Papa this morning from museums in Holland and the United Kingdom. Ancient skeletal remains, including Toi Moko or tattooed heads, are being delivered by the museum's staff. Te Papa spokesman Te Taru White says the repatriation ends 12 months of planning. He says the 18 ancestral remains will be stored in a secure place while their places of origin are researched. (It is time that museums everywhere stopped using words like "artefact" to justify the retention of human remains. - BH) MALLARD LIKELY TO OVERSEE WORLD CUP ----------------------------------- Trevor Mallard is likely to have another portfolio land on his desk thanks to New Zealand's winning of the 2011 Rugby World Cup hosting rights. The Sport and Economic Development Minister is the most likely choice for Rugby World Cup Minister. Helen Clark says it is the same idea used during the America's Cup - to create a close link between the Government as a financial sponsor, and the organising body. She is not concerned about a potential loss that would have to be underwritten by the Government. The Prime Minister says the tax take from the estimated tourist numbers more than equals the projected loss. (We need a minister for the world cup like we need a minister for Auckland affairs! - BH) REPORT HIGHLIGHTS TRANSIT DEFICIENCIES -------------------------------------- A report commissioned as part of Porirua City Council's submission over possible changes to the western corridor into Wellington highlights deficiencies in Transit reports into the matter, according to the council's CEO. The submission contains opinions from experts in several fields, including the geological and cultural implications of upgrading the coastal highway. Council chief, Roger Blakely says the cultural matters include the presence of sacred sites along the coastal highway and he cannot believe Transit did not give that greater consideration. BRA COMPLAINT BRANDED "PC RUBBISH" ---------------------------------- Controversy over Cardrona Valley's famous bra fence has been branded politically correct "rubbish" by National MP John Carter. He is commenting on legal advice suggesting the popular tourist attraction breaches Queenstown District Council and Resource Management Act rules. That advice stated the bra-covered fence is both a sign and a building, and thus requires resource consent. Going through a consent application could cost fence owner John Lee up to $10,000. Mr Carter, who is National's local government spokesman, says that the laws need an overhaul and we need to bring commonsense back into everyday life. He says it is the "quirky little things" like the fence that make up the New Zealand character and give small communities their own sense of identity. GOFF BRANDS PETERS "MOTHER-IN-LAW" ---------------------------------- Trade Minister Phil Goff has moved to explain his comment that Winston Peters is the 'mother-in-law' in Cabinet. Mr Goff suggested having Mr Peters in or out of Cabinet was like the difference between having the mother-in-law in the house or next door. It was seen to further stress relations after Mr Goff was asked by the Australian Foreign Minister to clarify Mr Peters' position. But Mr Goff says he meant the smaller parties need their own space to help make a coalition work, after National coalitions failed twice with Mr Peters in Cabinet. Mr Goff says his relationship with Mr Peters remains good, both professionally and personally. (I see the makings of yet another Tui billboard "yeah, right!" here. - BH) Wednesday, 23 November 2005 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PETITION TO SAVE COLDPLAY CONCERT --------------------------------- A petition has been launched to prevent one of the world's biggest bands from cancelling a New Zealand concert. Coldplay is tentatively booked to play at the Vector Arena in downtown Auckland next June. However, the venue is still under construction, and by most accounts the progress is slow. The British band is unlikely to play in the city unless Auckland City Council and contractors can confirm a pre-June completion date. Promoter Manolo Echave wants fans to sign a petition calling for an on-site hurry up. The site of that petition - http://www.coldplay.co.nz (Does anyone think that petitions actually influence anything? - BH) RAPIST VENTS ANGER AT COURT DELAYS ---------------------------------- A man who pleaded guilty to 91 charges of raping a girl, has vented his anger at court delays in handing down a sentence. Jarred Hutchison asked the Waitakere District Court yesterday to sort out a sentencing date so that he does not have to repeatedly appear in court. He complained he was losing his personal belongings in jail every time he appeared in court. Hutchison's lawyer Allan Roberts says when inmates are brought before the court their personal effects in jail are preyed upon by other inmates. Hutchison yesterday pleaded guilty and also admitted videotaping the abuse. A sentencing date has yet to be set. (Surely this fellow, having displayed his contempt for society, has lost any moral right to demand services from it? - BH) NO DECISIONS ON FLU MEDICINE ---------------------------- Health officials are stressing no policy decisions have been made on how to distribute the government's Tamiflu stockpiles in the event of a bird flu pandemic. The comments come from Director of Public Health Mark Jacobs, as a draft document released in Parliament reveals a list of candidates for priority access which includes Cabinet Ministers and their advisors. Dr Jacobs says officials are anticipating most of the stockpile would be used for those who become sick. He says the interim proposal suggests 10 percent be held back for essential services which could include health workers, police, and emergency decision-making bodies. FONTERRA CLEARED OF OVER-CHARGING --------------------------------- Fonterra has been cleared of allegations it had been over- charging for its wholesale milk. Exporter Open Cheese Company complained to the Commerce Commission that the dairy giant had unfairly included capital profits in its milk price calculations. However, the commission has reached a preliminary view that Fonterra has not breached the Dairy Industry Restructuring Regulations. The parties have until December 5 to respond to the draft determination. CALL FOR CUSTOMERS TO BITE BACK ------------------------------- As stores get ready for Christmas, customers are being encouraged not to put up with poor service. Marketing Specialist Phil Slater says he was at a dinner party where tales of poor customer services were being rattled off. It inspired him to write a book called "Customer Service from Hell". Phil Slater says there are many examples of the poor service people endure, ranging across misleading information, lack of consideration and queues. He says people do not have to put up with this. He says a low level of complaints does not equate to customer satisfaction. (With the usual proviso that courtesy should work in both directions, I think many of our shop assistants are appallingly trained, and beyond that, poorly informed from their earliest years on what constitutes good manners - BH) COMMITTEE DISCUSSES TVNZ INQUIRY -------------------------------- Terms of reference for the TVNZ inquiry will be worked out this morning. The Finance and Expenditure Select Committee decided last week an investigation of the state broadcaster is warranted. It will meet this morning to determine the framework and timeline for the inquiry. Committee chair Labour MP Shane Jones says it will largely look at governance issues. He says members are aware it needs to be a relatively speedy process. A separate financial review of TVNZ will also be carried out by the committee. NZTE QUESTIONED OVER FUNDING ---------------------------- Questions about a creative industries conference in Christchurch are now being raised nationally. Christchurch rate-payers poured $500,000 into the Converge 05 Conference. New Zealand Trade and Enterprise also put in $250,000. National Party economic development spokeswoman Katherine Rich says running a conference is not rocket science and is demanding the decisions behind granting the funding be made clear. Promoted as an international business opportunity, the October event attracted no overseas participants. Ms Rich questions why the event's convener, Paddy Austin, had to travel to the UK to get registrations. COURT APPEARANCE OVER GRAVESTONE DAMAGE --------------------------------------- The two men arrested for damaging 23 gravestones at the Taupo Public Cemetery last month will appear in the District Court today. The unemployed 17 and 19-year-olds face a charge of intentional damage. Senior Sergeant Tony Jeurissen says information supplied by the public and solid police work enabled them to charge the men and bring them before the court. He says police are very appreciative of the help given by locals during the investigation. (Somehow, simple incarceration seems inadequate for this kind of emotionally significant crimes. There ought to be some form of reparation, if not directly to the victims, then to the community at large. Perhaps some physical labour such as cleaning up 50 km of road verge or something of that sort. - BH) MISSING PLANE FOUND ------------------- The top dressing plane missing in Northland since yesterday has been found. The Fletcher turbo prop with two crew on board was reported missing to the Rescue Co-ordination Centre at 11.30 last night, although it had been overdue for around 12 hours. It has been found in bush four kilometres west of Whangarei. A search and rescue team and a helicopter with winching equipment are on the way to the scene. The condition of the two crew members is unknown. Meanwhile the 12 hour time lag in reporting the missing plane is concerning the Civil Aviation Authority. Spokesman Bill Sommers says the delay rings alarm bells. He says it is worrying that a plane could be overdue and nobody appeared to notice. The company that owns the plane is refusing to speculate on what might have happened. Spokesman for Ballance Agri-Nutrients Peter Mourits says their focus right now is on supporting the family and the rescue operation. He says a full investigation will be conducted once that phase is over. MAN ACCUSED OF PANIA THEFT IN COURT ----------------------------------- The 25-year-old charged with the theft of Napier's Pania of the Reef statue remains in police custody. Charles Nukunuku appeared in the Napier District Court this morning and has been remanded until next month. Police allege Nukunuku and unknown associates stole the statue from Marine Parade and took it to a house before dumping it where it was eventually found. Nukunuku has given no explanation as to why he took the statue, but told police he considered it his 'good luck charm.' (Perhaps he wanted to put it on a chain around his neck? - BH) FLU TREATMENT LIST COMMON PRACTICE ---------------------------------- Health chiefs have told a Parliamentary select committee it is common practice to have a list of people who would be the first to get treatment in a flu pandemic. Decision makers, like Cabinet Ministers, health workers, the police, prison officers, the military and border control agencies are among those who would get treatment first. Health Ministry head Karen Poutasi told politicians it is only a matter of time before a flu pandemic will hit and we must be prepared. Dr Poutasi says the likelihood of one occurring, has increased with the outbreak of bird flu, and she says planning for a pandemic is essential. The health officials say predicting when a flu pandemic will hit is a bit like trying to predict an earthquake. (There is a certain logic to this. However, there ought to be some public input as to who society really needs to survive for the good of all. I suspect there would be people that many of us would put well ahead of politicians. - BH) NO PROSECUTION FOR BENSON-POPE ------------------------------ Police have decided not to prosecute Labour MP and Minister for Social Development and Employment David Benson-Pope over allegations of misconduct when he was a teacher in 1982, even though a case was established. Mr Benson-Pope was accused of brutality by five former students, including one who claims he tied his hands to a desk and shoved a tennis ball in his mouth. The police say there was a prima facie case concerning that event, and another incident involving a student being struck on the face. Southern Police District Commander George Fraser says a thorough investigation took place and a decision has been made not to prosecute. George Fraser says Mr Benson- Pope has not been treated any differently from anyone else who may have had complaints made against them. He says if the person at the centre of the inquiry did not have a public profile it is unlikely the matter would have even surfaced. (Many seem to have decided that "prima facie" means guilty. It means that there is evidence that, if not rebutted, could be used to secure a conviction. In this case, I believe it to mean that several people say the events described actually happened. Several others say they did not. Have you tried to get a tennis ball in your mouth? I tried and failed. I heard Professor Matthew Palmer discussing this on the radio this morning. I am not sure how long this link will work but you can hear it here http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/national/ntn/law - BH) STORMY MEETING OVER WINDY BAY ----------------------------- Those wanting to develop a visitor's centre at Wellington's Owhiro Bay face disappointment. A large number of protesters turned out to last night's city council meeting to hear councillor Andy Foster seek to have an earlier decision okaying the demolition of the Owhiro Bay Quarry building rescinded. His bid failed. The motion was lost comprehensively and the building was variously described as "in the worst possible taste" and "ugly". John Morrison was one of the 10 councillors who voted against the motion, saying the building is a characterless concrete monster which should never have been built. Robert Logan from the Southern Environmental Association says they were keen for extra time to be granted for people to come up with a use for the quarry building. He says it is a wind-swept area and a new kiosk proposed by the council will not make the grade because it does not have walls and will not give any shelter to visitors to Owhiro Bay. Thursday, 24 November 2005 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ POLICE STAND BY BENSON-POPE DECISION ------------------------------------ Police are standing by their decision not to prosecute Cabinet minister David Benson-Pope, and say he did not get preferential treatment because of his position. Mr Benson-Pope was accused of misconduct by five former pupils while teaching at Dunedin's Bayfield High School in 1982. Police say a thorough investigation has taken place, and a decision has been made not to prosecute. However they say there was a prima facie case concerning an event where a student's hands were taped and a tennis ball shoved in his mouth, and another incident when a student was struck in the face. That means there was enough evidence to prosecute. Bayfield High School principal Denis Slowley says if the events occurred, it was 22 years ago and do not concern the current school. However, ACT leader Rodney Hide is promising to pursue the David Benson- Pope row. He does not accept the police finding and wants the case put before Parliament's powerful privileges committee. If the Privileges Committee finds an MP has misled Parliament, a parliamentary career can be over. RESIDENTS CONCERNED ABOUT HOME DETENTION ---------------------------------------- A hearing will be held today to decide whether a convicted sex offender will be released on home detention. The Parole Board has confirmed the hearing will take place for the 43-year-old man. Residents in a North New Brighton street in Christchurch will be anxiously awaiting the result of the hearing, after learning the man could be placed in their area. A spokeswoman for people living on Britannia Street, Mandy Karatau-Keightly says there has been no consultation with locals. She says residents have written to the Parole Board asking them to consider not sending the sex offender into their street, saying that if they do, people will be living in their own prison. She adds there are many elderly people living on the street, along with young families. (This got ugly vey quickly, with stones thrown through the windows of the man's sister who was to be his host. Stones also went through the window of another elderly woman who was totally unconnected. There is no good solution to these situations. The crime was committed, and earned a penal sentence which is coming to an end. In the normal course of the law, the matter is then at an end. You can't blame people for not wanting such a person in the street where their kids play. On the other hand, mob action with stones hurled at the houses of defenceless women is cowardice on a scale that I had not expected in Christchurch. I still don't know the answer. The man will now serve out the remainder of his sentence and will be released with no conditions in a few months. - BH) STARBUCKS DEFENDS PAY RATES --------------------------- The owner of Starbucks is disappointed the company's coffee shops have been used to launch a union's campaign. Unite Union workers at some Starbucks outlets in Auckland went on strike yesterday demanding a rise in the minimum wage to $12 an hour. Restaurant Brands CEO Vicki Salmon says the company pays above the minimum wage and offers well respected staff training programmes and a strong path to management positions. She says only a handful of the 7,000 staff were involved in the rally. Ms Salmon says the company has an excellent relationship with its staff and respects their rights to belong to the union. COUNCIL BLUNDERS OWHIRO BAY LAND SALE ------------------------------------- Wellington City Council has done a u-turn over the proposed sale of land on the capital's south coast. In September the City Council voted to sell two sections at the Owhiro Bay Quarry carpark, prompting an outcry from the local community. At last night's council meeting Mayor Kerry Prendergast admitted they had got it wrong and that the promised consultation had not happened. She says the sale will now be put on hold until that can be completed. Ms Prendergast says that Wellingtonians can be reassured that when the Council makes a mistake it takes action to put it right. (This is the same council whose mayor tells us we don't need Transmission Gully. - BH) COURT APPEARANCE IN BACKPACKER MURDER CASE ------------------------------------------ The man accused of murdering German backpacker Birgit Brauer has been further remanded after appearing in the New Plymouth District Court. Michael Scott Wallace is facing seven charges, including burglary, theft of a vehicle and the kidnapping and murder of Ms Brauer in September. His defence team has asked for more time to examine documents. Wallace will reappear on December 22. ACTING PM MEETS UN FACT-FINDER ------------------------------ The acting Prime Minister is set to meet with a UN representative looking at New Zealand's treatment of Maori. Rodolfo Stavenhagen requested an invitation for a fact-finding mission after the UN ruled the foreshore and seabed legislation discriminated against Maori. He has already met with Maori Affairs' Minister Parekura Horomia, members of the Maori Party and held several hui in marae around the country. This afternoon he will spend half an hour in discussions with acting Prime Minister Michael Cullen. Professor Stavenhagen is expected to release details of his findings tomorrow. (This fellow's job seems meaningless. How he can reach a useful and valid identification of the problem, let alone a solution in a six day visit is beyond me. On the other hand, if he succeeds, perhaps we should hire him to replace the Waitangi Tribunal and the Supreme Court. I can see him, like "Fast Eddie" in the telecom adverts, solving problems at full broadband speed! - BH) SKY TOWER CRASH CASE IN COURT ----------------------------- A man who threatened to crash a plane into the Sky Tower has appeared in the Auckland District Court. The 33-three-year-old has pleaded guilty to seven charges including threatening to harm people and property. David Turnock has been remanded in custody for sentencing on January 27. On election night he stole a Massey University-owned aircraft from Ardmore aerodrome, and flew towards St Heliers where he believed his ex-wife was at a party. Turnock changed direction, and radioed air traffic control to evacuate the Sky Tower, and flew around it at low altitude several times. He eventually crashed the plane 100 metres off Kohimarama Beach, and swam to safety. He told police he took the plane to get his ex-wife's attention, and never intended to harm anyone. NO APOLOGIES FROM PANSY WONG ---------------------------- National's Pansy Wong is making no apologies for her Chinese accent, which has seen Government MPs taking the Mickey. She was told to "weed" rather than "read" a document by Cabinet Minister David Cunliffe, who claims his mistake was a slip of the tongue. Pansy Wong says she was not aware Labour was having a laugh at her expense. She says she was more intent on grilling the Immigration Minister about the difference in immigration policy between Labour and New Zealand First. Pansy Wong says she is proud of what she calls her "Pansyspeak" because at least it is distinctive. (Listening to different accents is an everyday part of my job. This is the way New Zealand is going, and the bigots had better get used to it. Though I don't endorse her politics, I believe Pansy Wong is an effective electorate MP, now in her fourth term. - BH) APOLOGIES AND TENNIS BALLS IN THE HOUSE --------------------------------------- Tennis balls have featured as props in the House as mudslinging over David Benson-Pope dominated question time. It followed a police decision not to prosecute over allegations the Minister bullied students. Mr Benson-Pope is absent from the House. National MP Judith Collins asked whether his office believed a teacher could contribute to poor outcomes for a child by shoving a tennis ball in its mouth. Acting Prime Minister Michael Cullen asked Judith Collins to demonstrate whether it was possible by putting the ball in her own mouth, because it is one of the bigger in the House. Dr Cullen says her comments are outrageous, coming from someone who ripped off the Casino Control Authority, of which she used to be chair. Judith Collins says she does not understand that allegation. She says Dr Cullen's aggressive reaction was not what she would expect of an acting Prime Minister. Labour MP Trevor Mallard was made to apologise for yelling at Judith Collins, telling her she is a scumbag. Maori Party MP Hone Harawira is suggesting David Benson-Pope has been let off a police charge because he is a pakeha. He made the reference during Parliament's question time. Mr Harawira's statement had to be read out in English by an interpreter after he asked the question in Maori. Michael Cullen says that is not the case. He says police have made decisions not to prosecute similar events in the Far North in the past. Friday, 25 November 2005 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SPEEDWAY ROARS BACK TO LIFE --------------------------- Western Springs Speedway promoters are gearing up for the first meeting of the season this weekend. Racing was shut down last year because of excessive noise but an interim agreement has been reached between the council, speedway promoters and the Springs Stadium Residents Association which allows meets to go ahead this summer, with the tight noise restrictions loosened. Under the new agreement 60 percent of the races must not exceed 90 decibels, and 40 percent must not exceed 88 decibels. The former 85 decibel limit ended the last season early with organisers saying it ruined the quality of racing. Speedway promoter Dave Stewart says hard work and strong community backing have pulled through. He says all the drivers are "amping" to get back on the track. Dave Stewart says it is good to know the speedway can get back to the business of racing, without having to tiptoe around a lot of "dodgy" regulations. TAUPO GEARS UP FOR BIKE SPECTACULAR ----------------------------------- The annual Great Lake Cycle Challenge has ensured Taupo will be full to the brim for the next couple of days. A record 11,500 people are taking part in tomorrow's event. Event Director Keith Crate says the massive influx of riders and support people means eateries are full and accommodation scarce. He says 2500 people have had to be placed in private accommodation as every tourist bed is full. Mr Crate say the majority of people are taking part in the 160 kilometre Solo Challenge, with another 120 riding off in the Classic. 88 Enduro riders will complete two laps of Lake Taupo and 10 Super Enduros will ride three laps, a staggering 500 kilometres. Following the Classic Race local sports hero Bevan Docherty will accompany 10-year-old Nicholas Ward in the 5 kilometre Heart Ride. In 1995 Nicholas was one of 600 babies born in New Zealand each year with a heart defect. The nominated charity of the Heart Ride event is Heart Children New Zealand and it is hoped $200,000 will be raised from entry fees, donations and sponsored riders. Meanwhile nearly every style of bicycle from the ancient to leading technology will be on display during the Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge Expo tonight. A parade of novelty and historic bikes will lead the Enduro riders along Tongariro Street at 7.30pm. Cycle historians the Kennett brothers are organising the parade and will display bikes ranging from a Penny Farthing to the first mountain bike imported into New Zealand. MEDIAN BARRIER FOR CENTENNIAL HIGHWAY ------------------------------------- There is some relief at last for motorists who daily run the gauntlet along Centennial Highway on the Kapiti Coast. The narrow stretch of highway has been the scene of a number of fatal as a result of head-on crashes. However Land Transport New Zealand has agreed to provide $15 million so that a median barrier can be extended along the full length of highway between Paekakariki and Pukerua Bay. Kapiti Mayor, Alan Milne says that is great news as several of his constituents have raised their concerns about the road with him. The barrier should be completed late next year. (I was under the impression that the road was not wide enough to allow emergency vehicles to get through in the event of a road blocking accident. Experience has shown this to be untrue. What I am stunned by is the size of the bill. - BH) LAW COMMISSION APPOINTMENT -------------------------- Sir Geoffrey Palmer has been appointed president of the Law Commission. The former Prime Minister is a senior partner in Wellington law firm Chen Palmer. His colleague, Mai Chen says staff are delighted for Sir Geoffrey and know he will make a wonderful contribution. She can think of no one more qualified for the job. NZ TAMIFLU STOCKS HIGH ---------------------- New Zealanders hoping to stock up on Tamiflu will have to wait until next May to buy it from pharmacies. The Government has already stockpiled 835,000 individual doses of the anti- influenza drug. Tamiflu manufacturer Roche says this has given New Zealand one of the highest per-capita stocks of the drug in the world. The priority of the company is to fill orders from countries where it is likely to be most needed. It is temporarily delaying private non-treatment orders to assist other governments' pandemic prevention strategies. The company has made similar announcements in USA, Canada and China. PLANE WRECKAGE WINCHED OUT -------------------------- The wreckage of the top dressing plane which smashed into dense Northland bush, killing two men, is being removed. Peter Beatty and Greg Nash were killed when the plane crashed in Pukenui Forest near Whangarei on Tuesday. Their bodies were removed from the wreckage yesterday afternoon and are now undergoing post-mortem examinations. The pair had worked together for around 17 years and were close friends. Both families have expressed their gratitude to the response from the community and volunteers, but have asked that their privacy be respected while they come to terms with the deaths. The plane wreckage is being winched out by helicopter. TRAVEL AGENTS CLAIM VICTORY --------------------------- The Travel Agents Association says the conviction of Air New Zealand represents a victory for their industry as well as the consumer. The company has been found to have breached the Fair Trading Act and misled customers about the full price of their advertised fares. Association chief executive Paul Yeo says travel agents are interested in Air New Zealand's profit projections which have gone up by $40 million to $140 million. He thinks the airline would have absorbed some of the fuel surcharges - and those charges would have dropped because of that. The Government is welcoming Air New Zealand's prosecution for misleading its customers. Consumer Affairs Minister Judith Tizard is pleased 14 of the 20 charges have been proven. She says it sends a clear message to businesses that they should show the true cost of goods and services being sold. Ms Tizard says the Government agreed in its confidence and supply arrangement with New Zealand First, to review conditions applying to airline advertising. She says the Government awaits with interest, the next stage of proceedings and any signals the court sends when it sentences the airline. (The adverts are still not showing the full price inclusive of all levies taxes and surcharges. I still don't see why that is so hard to do, especially if all airlines are equally bound by the same regulations. Look out Telcos, you're next :-) - BH) 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.
_______________________________________________ WYSIWYG News mailing list News@wysiwygnews.com If you wish to unsubscribe, please visit http://wysiwygnews.com/mailman/listinfo/news Mailing List services provided by OneSquared <http://www.onesquared.net/>
