Subject: 20 September, 2006 ----- WYSIWYG NEWS ------------------------------ Copyright, Brian Harmer.
Did I mention that spring was here? With my new-found physical fitness campaign, I decided to accompany Mary as she wheeled our granddaughter Maggie in her pushchair from Normandale down into the valley and across to her home near the Hospital. Like many recent days, the sun was shining, the sky was blue from horizon to horizon and all seemed right with the world. I suppose it's a half hour walk, but it reinforced last week's announcement of the wonders of the season. Particularly spectacular were a couple of flowering apple trees in the grounds of the old Von Zedlitz estate at the bottom of our hill. (Incidentally, George William von Zedlitz was an academic at Victoria University College as it then was, and his story is summed up briefly at http://www.teara.govt.nz/1966/Z/Zedlitz- neukirkGeorgeWilliamEdwardErnest/Zedlitz- neukirkGeorgeWilliamEdwardErnest/en - note the very long URL ends at .../en) The brilliant bridal white adornment of the fruit trees was emphasised by its contrast with the shining dark green foliage of the mainly evergreen native bush all around. Further down in the valley, walking along Pharazyn Street, we enjoyed an enormous variety of blossoms, especially the weeping cherries and other pip and stone fruit. Magnolia and camellia, rhododendron and kowhai all made this walk a very colourful experience. I am running late and have many pressing issues so I'll stop short here. ---- Any text above this point, and all subsequent material in parentheses, and concluded with the initials "BH" is the personal opinion of Brian Harmer as editor of this newsletter, or occasionally "GS" will indicate an opinion from our editorial assistant. In all cases they are honest expressions of personal opinion, and are not presented as fact. All news items (except where noted otherwise) are reproduced by kind permission (renewed this week) of copyright owner, Newstalk ZB News. All copyright in the news items reproduced remains the property of The Radio Network Limited. This edition of the news is sponsored by another long-time WYSIWYG supporter, Lydia in Nova Scotia. Thanks for all your support and encouragement Lydia. ---- On with the News. Monday, 11 September 2006 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GOVT PLANS ELECTION FINANCE REFORM ---------------------------------- Prime Minister Helen Clark wants to change the law so the kind of advertising conducted by the Exclusive Brethren during last year's election campaign is virtually impossible. She says the Government is looking very seriously at reforming major campaign finance including third party advertising. Miss Clark says Parliament needs to ensure that when it sets caps on campaign spending, those caps are comprehensive and do not allow the authors of smear campaigning to be anonymous. She says she expects it won't be easy for the Exclusive Brethren to mount the kind of campaign they did last time and adds that the question is whether New Zealanders want their politics manipulated by wealthy interests or whether they want a level playing field. (I fear an outbreak of selective morality. It is not credible to fix those things that disadvantage you while leaving in place the now festering sore of the pledge card spending. - BH) OLD COINS ON THE WAY OUT ------------------------ More than 200 million old coins have found their way back to the Reserve Bank since lighter currency was introduced a month ago. However, the bank is urging people to hunt for them behind the couch cushions before they cease being legal tender from November 1. The old, heavy coins are melted down by an overseas country to be re-minted for use in other parts of the world. The Reserve Bank's reminding hoarders they cannot pay completely in silver coin for anything over five dollars, so people should not try to be clever with a bucket load of 50 cent pieces to pay speeding fines. TONGA URGED TO LOOK TO THE FUTURE --------------------------------- Tonga's new King Tupouto'a is being sworn in today, although his coronation will not take place until next year. His father, Taufa'ahau Tupou IV died at Auckland's Mercy Hospital just before midnight last night. Tongan Advisory Council chairman Melino Maka says the King's body will lie in state at his Auckland residence from tomorrow. He says it will be there that well-wishers can pay their respects. Mr Maka says the King will be transported back to Tonga on Wednesday. A date for the King's state funeral should be released later today. He says a website for the palace office will be continuously updated for those wanting information on the King's funeral and other arrangements. That website is www.palaceoffice.gov.to The 88-year-old ascended the throne in 1965 and Radio Tonga's Viola Ulakai says the community was awaiting news of his death. Now, Tonga is being urged to move forward. The recent years of the late King's rule were marked by calls for democratic reform from the Tongan opposition. Foreign Minister Winston Peters says there is a new King now and a chance for the reform movement to make progress. He says one would expect with a new and younger King there will be an appreciation from the Royal family for the need to adapt and face change. Mr Peters says Tonga's institutions also need to be respected. (Tonga's very rigid system of societal stratification is a mystery to me. How in 2006 do we still have an absolute monarchical system, with nobles and commoners? I am not all that persuaded by constitutional monarchies such as our own, but I am even more unconvinced by the Tongan system. For some reason I had assumed that the system was somehow introduced by Europeans, but it seems that the highly stratified society with a supreme ruler dates all the way back to the 13th century. - BH) HOSPITALS NOT GETTING TO HEART OF MATTER ---------------------------------------- A new study shows New Zealand hospitals are not getting the right messages through to patients who have survived heart attacks. The Auckland University study finds many patients who are at low risk of having a repeat experience believe they are at high risk. But worse is the number of patients who are in danger of having another heart attack, who think they are not. The research article is published in the latest edition of the Internal Medicine Journal. Author Dr Elizabeth Broadbent says the results will come as a surprise to many doctors. She says inpatient hospital care appears to be unsuccessful in effectively communicating the future risks to patients. (I seriously doubt that the message is not getting through. In my own case, I know what I should eat and when I should exercise, yet I continue to find rationalisations for my various lapses - BH) COMMISSIONERS DECIDING ON IRRIGATION PLANS ------------------------------------------ Four commissioners have been appointed to decide the fate of a controversial irrigation scheme in Canterbury. The Central Plains Water Trust's 55 resource consent applications, which were notified by Environment Canterbury in June, relate to the taking, using and discharging of water from the Waimakariri and Rakaia Rivers to be stored in a man-made dam. ECan director of regulation Mike Freeman says the commissioners include Dr Greg Ryder, a water quality and ecology scientist, Philip Milne, an environmental law specialist, Robert Schofield, a planner specialising in Resource Management Act cases and Raymond O'Callaghan, who is a civil engineer. More than 1600 submissions were received by ECan last month on the scheme. Almost 1400 were opposed to it and 800 individuals or groups want their views to be heard. CAPITAL WINS AD CONTRACT ------------------------ Wellington has beaten several other cities in Asia and Australia to score a big budget TV car commercial, which will be filmed in the central city next weekend. Film Wellington has been instrumental in bringing the project to the capital and says it is certainly the biggest-budget TV commercial ever to be filmed in the city. Ex-pat New Zealander Matt Long from the Sydney-based production company Good Oil Films, says Wellington was chosen because it is very compact and several looks can be achieved within a small geographic area. He says Wellington is also very film friendly, with great infrastructure developed for big productions such as the Lord of the Rings and King Kong. The commercial will be filmed overnight for five nights from Saturday. There will be some road closures and buildings in Lambton Quay and on The Terrace have been asked to leave their lights on overnight, so the right impact is gained. The film company will be making a donation to the Westpac Rescue Helicopter as a thank you gesture. (From time to time, I am inconvenienced when I encounter streets blocked and diversions in place while film crews occupy the streets of Wellington. In this latest episode, citizens have been annoyed by helicopters at low levels late at night. I hear that these things are beneficial to the city. In what way precisely? No one has ever sent me a royalty cheque. Who exactly is benefiting from these ventures, and by what mechanism? - BH) NEW CERVICAL CANCER VACCINE CLEARED ----------------------------------- Health authorities have cleared a controversial vaccine against cervical cancer. Gardasil is available for girls and women aged from nine years to 26 from today, however the treatment will cost $450. The drug is designed to prevent cervical cancer caused by certain types of the sexually transmitted human Papillomavirus. Around 180 New Zealand women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year and a third die. The fact Gardasil is available for girls as young as nine has caused controversy in Australia and America with politicians calling for a debate on its social implications. TONGA'S KING DIES ----------------- Prime Minister Helen Clark has expressed her condolences to Tonga's royal family following the death of King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV. The 88-year-old passed away overnight at the private Mercy Hospital in Auckland. He has spent much of the past year in hospital suffering heart problems and was most recently admitted in July. The Tongan Government is expected to make an official announcement later today. King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV came to the throne in 1965 following the death of his mother Queen Salote. He is survived by his four children. (As a very young schoolboy at the time of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, I recall the impression that a beaming Queen Salote made on the crowd as she rode through the streets of London in an open carriage in the coronation parade. - BH) MINERS INTERVIEWED AFTER TRAGEDY -------------------------------- A union representative is expected to arrive in Greymouth today to monitor the Department of Labour's investigation into the death of West Coast miner Bernard Green. The 47-year-old was killed on Friday when a shaft collapsed at the Roa mine, near Blackball. Department of Labour spokeswoman Margaret Radford says inspectors will spend the next two days interviewing the miners working on site at the time of the fatal accident. Tuesday, 12 September 2006 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EDEN PARK MAY NOT HOST WORLD CUP -------------------------------- Eden Park may be ditched as the venue for the Rugby World Cup - in favour of a brand new stadium to be built on Auckland's waterfront. Sports Minister Trevor Mallard says the Government is evaluating the potential of such a stadium while also still evaluating the $350 million proposed upgrade of Eden Park. The head of the Eden Park Trust Board has confirmed the government is looking at other Auckland options. John Alexander says there is no guarantee Eden Park will be redeveloped and adds they would be disappointed if they lost the bid. Mr Alexander is hoping for some progress by the middle of November. (People who argue that these events are good for New Zealand should see the logic that those who will benefit directly should invest directly. No ratepayer or taxpayer funds should be spent unless it can be PROVEN that there is a positive return on investment directly to the taxpayer. And I don't mean some vague "pie in the sky" intangible benefit over the next few decades. - BH) HOSPITALS COPE WITH STRIKE -------------------------- The Hutt Valley District Health Board says the first day of the radiographers' strike has gone smoothly. Over two hundred workers in seven DHBs around the country walked off the job this morning, in a strike set down for three days. Hutt Valley DHB chief operating officer Warwick Frater says people seem to be getting the message, and are seeing their GPs first, or seeking treatment off site. Mr Frater says they do have a contingency plan in place, but thankfully at this stage there has been no need to use it. Further south, day one of the radiographers' strike in Canterbury seems to have gone without major mishap. Canterbury District Health Board spokeswoman Michele Hider says they have been busy but are coping. She says a couple of people have been sent over to the after hours surgery which is covering minor injuries and breaks with the help of specialist DHB staff. Ms Hider also says the public seems to be doing their bit by staying away from emergency departments unless it's absolutely necessary. Meanwhile Pete Hodgson's comments about this week's strike by radiographers are being labelled as flippant. The Health Minister today wished DHBs and striking staff every good luck in resolving their dispute, though he emphasised they should realise the impact the strike is having on patients. National's Health spokesman Tony Ryall says the comment was flippant and reflects the Minister's total indifference to the thousands of patients affected. He claims 14 hospitals have ground to a near halt, and Mr Hodgson is avoiding any responsibility for getting patients back into care. METEORITE WAKES UP CHRISTCHURCH ------------------------------- A massive bang which rattled Christchurch just before three o'clock this afternoon seems to have been caused by a meteorite. Several witnesses report seeing the meteorite streak across the sky in Hinds, while Christchurch police say they believe it was space junk re-entering the atmosphere. There have been no reports so far of damage, though some witnesses told our newsroom it shook their entire house and sent some of them running outside. Many Christchurch residents say the bang was so loud they thought it was a plane blowing up or an earthquake. Resident superintendent Alan Gilmore at the Mount John Observatory in Christchurch says it seems like the kind of noise a meteorite would make. He says any object from space which penetrates lower than about 60km above the ground then the sonic boom it causes would get down to the ground. Professor Jack Baggeley of Canterbury University runs a meteor radar. He says these kind of things are fairly common, and one of them hits the land area of New Zealand about once a year. AUCKLAND GETS ELECTRIFIED BY 2012 --------------------------------- Auckland is being tentatively promised its first electric train service by 2012. Regional transport authorities have today outlined a plan which includes boosting the train fleet from 22 to 40 and have services running every ten minutes at peak times. The cost of the electrification plan is $1.45 billion, most of which is already available. However around $250 million is needed from central government. Government ministers have agreed to set up a small due diligence committee to look into the plan. (My first thought was what a great idea, but I see that they are just talking about trains :-) - BH) PROGRESSIVE OFFER REJECTED -------------------------- More than 500 locked out distribution workers have rejected the latest offer from supermarket operator Progressive Enterprises. The National Distribution Union says meetings in Auckland, Christchurch and Palmerston North were unanimous in their decision. NDU National Secretary Laila Harre says the offer does not address the issues at the heart of the dispute. She says the settlement proposed by the unions last week showed significant movement by the members that did address concerns raised by the employer. She says the employer's offer shows no movement at all. She says the union will now try to get the lock out declared illegal. The NDU and Engineers' Union have filed proceedings in the Employment Court challenging the lawfulness of the lock out of distribution workers serving Progressive supermarkets. "The employer has demanded that union members give up their right to good faith negotiations for a national agreement. The right to good faith negotiations is a fundamental right in the Employment Relations Act and our position is that it is not lawful to demand that that right be given up." says Ms Harre. Meanwhile Progressive Enterprises says it notified the NDU and the EPMU yesterday that today it would be writing to their members, and requested their comments on the letters. The Company did this because, prior to negotiations, it says it had agreed with the Unions that this would be the approach. Managing Director Marty Hamnett says in response the NDU has demanded that Progressive should not send letters to staff members outlining its offers. He says the union demand ignores a signed agreement between the parties that allows for communication with interested parties. Mr Hamnett says he believes the offers of a wage increase are fair, reasonable, sustainable and consistent with the retail industry where pay increases are in the three to four percent range. (It drags on. This week, support groups have been staging trolley jams at the checkouts and "accidentally" entering wrong pin numbers for their transactions so as to cause traffic jams in the aisles. - BH) POLICE RECRUITMENT DROPS ------------------------ There has been a fresh attack on the Government's police recruitment promises. Labour, in a deal with New Zealand First, has committed to recruiting 1000 extra frontline police officers, and began its campaign to do so back in July. Now National's Law and Order spokesman, Simon Power, has obtained official police recruitment data which reveals, a month into the initiative, the number of sworn officers had dropped by 34. He claims it shows the recruitment campaign is going from bad to worse. (With idiot politicians and journalists second guessing them at every turn, why would anyone want to be a cop? - BH) MAORI HEALTH FUNDING INCREASES ------------------------------ Funding for Maori Primary Health Organisations has jumped by more than 50 percent over the last three years. Associate Minister of Health Mita Ririnui has released details following questions from New Zealand First MP Pita Paraone. He says annual allocations to Maori PHOs have risen from $21.7 million in 2003-04 to $34 million for the last financial year. Mita Ririnui says the amounts do not include casual fees or rural bonus and rural retention funding. MORE SCHOOL LEAVERS WITHOUT QUALIFICATIONS ------------------------------------------ More high school students are leaving Canterbury schools without any qualifications, but the figure is in line with the national average. The Ministry of Education statistics for 2005 show almost 30 percent left high school with no qualifications in 2005 compared with 19 percent in 2004. The number of students who obtained NCEA level one, the equivalent of the old school certificate, or less was 42 percent up from 29 the previous year. This year the national average for school leavers without any qualification was also almost 30 percent. National education spokesman Bill English says the lack of qualification means limited choices and difficult access to tertiary education and training. NEW USES FOR SEWAGE ------------------- An Auckland company has developed technology to dry sewage sludge and use the end product as fertiliser or fuel. Flo-Dry Engineering says its two stage thermal system for sludge drying, reduces the volume of waste and produces a product which is easy and hygienic to handle. The finished substance could be use as a fertiliser or burnt as a fuel source such as coal. Project Manager Tissa Fernando says trials are being conducted with the country's largest wastewater company, Water Care Services Limited. It is hoped they will prove the product can be used as a heat source in boilers. Mr Fernando says thermal drying is an environmentally friendly waste solution. SUPER CITY FOR CAPITAL? ----------------------- Wellington's deputy mayor believes the Wellington region would do well to follow in Auckland's footsteps and establish a large council to encompass the entire area. Alick Shaw says the formation of a super city which would do away with the need for local bodies in Porirua, Lower Hutt and the Kapiti Coast would be of benefit to ratepayers as it would result in a significant amount of money being saved. However, he believes such a proposal is probably some time away from being put on the table. (Given the inter-region tensions this would be an interesting spectacle to watch. "There need be no rational basis for inter-group discrimination to exist, it is sufficient that the in-group member is aware of the very existence of the other group" (Tajfel & Turner, 1986). Sad, isn't it. - BH) Wednesday, 13 September 2006 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ELECTRICITY COMMISSION CHAIRMAN UNPLUGGED ----------------------------------------- Electricity Commission Chairman Roy Hemmingway has been dumped by the government. Mr Hemmingway says he has received a letter from Minister David Parker telling him he will be removed from office on November 30, when his term expires. The decision to remove him comes despite his request to stay in the post until some time next year after finishing work on Auckland's transmission upgrade. Mr Hemmingway says he can only conclude that he is being removed from office because he has stood up to the Government as an independent regulator should. He says he has insisted regulatory decisions be made on the basis of the law and the facts, not what politicians want. Mr Hemmingway comes from the US state of Oregon where he chaired the Oregon Public Utility Commission, and has been Electricity Commissioner since September, 2003. Since then there have been a number of high profile controversies involving the commission, including the row over Transpower's controversial transmission line through the Waikato, fears of a power crisis over winter, and a major power cut in Auckland. Mr Hemmingway's relationship with Transpower has not been smooth, with him accusing it of being "blinkered" over the Waikato to Auckland pylon upgrade. He claimed there are four other options the national grid owner should have considered but Transpower argued they had already spent three years canvassing all possibilities. Just over a month ago, the Government ordered the Electricity Commission to get its relationship with Transpower back on track and ensure the lights stay on. (The minister correctly pointed out that Mr Hemmingway has not been sacked. His contract has expired. There was no reason to presume it would be renewed for a further three year term - BH) TASER TEST INJURIES RAISE DOUBTS -------------------------------- Political pressure is being put on the Government to abandon the police trial of taser guns. It follows the release of information that three police officers have been injured by the weapon during tests - two receiving minor flesh injuries and another being dazed after falling badly. Green MP Keith Locke says he has written to Police Minister Annette King to reconsider the taser trial in light of this information. He says overseas incidents highlight these dangers. He maintains the risk to the public is too great to justify the continued use of the weapon. (See what I mean? These things are designed to embed themselves in the flesh to administer the voltage. Of course there will be a small wound. Much smaller than 9mm. The survivability of such measures are vastly greater than if a firearm was used. People who get hit with tasers had the clear opportunity to avoid it by simply complying with the request to desist from unlawful behaviour - BH) IS MYSTERY OBJECT SPACE JUNK? ----------------------------- The mystery deepens as to just what was found on a mid- Canterbury farm following yesterday's sonic boom that was heard across the region. This morning scientists at the National Radiation Laboratory in Christchurch tested a piece of material that is the size of a person's palm and looks like a rock. Lab General Manager Jim Turnbull says the material is not radioactive, which means it is not a nuclear device from a space craft and he also doubts it is a meteorite as it is too light. He says, however, it still may have something to do with yesterday's sonic boom and says it could be a fragment of space junk. Jim Turnbull says the object may be returned to the owner or be handed over to geologists or staff at the University of Canterbury. WORKPLACE BULLYING EPIDEMIC --------------------------- An expert claims we have an epidemic of workplace bullying in the nation's offices - and the Government is failing to address it. Author and businesswoman Andrea Needham says New Zealand is the only developed country in the world that does not have legislation to cover workplace bullying. She spent 25 years working overseas and upon her return was appalled at what she describes as the "psychological terrorism" that is allowed in this country. She says women are most likely to be targeted - but are just as likely as men to be bullies. WHO OFFICIAL SLAMS FAST FOOD ---------------------------- International health expert Dr Robert Beaglehole has laid some uncompromising criticism at the door of the fast food industry. The World Health Organisation's director of chronic diseases and health promotion has put his case to a Select Committee inquiry into obesity today. Dr Beaglehole rejects the fast food industry's argument that there are no bad foods, just bad diets. He told the Committee, "There is no goodness coming from whatever the latest, fattest, greasiest McDonald's concoction is. I mean, that is bad for you. To accept that "no bad food, bad diet" argument is to play exactly into the industry's hands and we should reject it." Dr Beaglehole is also scathing of industry advertising aimed at children, associating junk food with fun, describing it as insidious and inappropriate. ("the latest, fattest, greasiest McDonald's concoction" scarcely sounds like the reasonable rational voice of science. It's as if he believes that the addition of a corporate logo makes everything bad. Salads and wraps are selling quite well I believe. - BH) SPACE ROCK MAY BE MERE PEBBLES NOW ---------------------------------- The chances of anyone finding fragments of the meteor that shot over Canterbury before slamming to earth are astronomically small. Within hours of yesterday's sonic boom just before 3pm yesterday, caused by the space rock, sellers on TradeMe were offering pieces they claim were the meteorite. But Andrew Buckingham from Auckland's Stardome Observatory says while the original rock was probably about the size of a large ball, it may have broken into pebble-sized pieces. He says unless it is known where it landed, the chances of finding a piece are tiny as it would look like any other rock in Canterbury. Mr Buckingham says anyone who suspects they might have a fragment, can get it tested to determine its origin. OTAGO STUDENTS THREATEN LEGAL ACTION ------------------------------------ Otago University students are threatening to take the university to court over a new Student Code of Conduct. The Students' Association says under the new code, the university can discipline students for behaviour that has nothing to do with the university or even Dunedin. Student President Paul Chong says he finds it absurd that a student who breaks the law in Australia could be barred from returning to Otago University. He believes the new Code of Conduct is well outside the university's powers, and he says the Students' Association intends laying a formal complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman. (I would think that it is no more illegal than the good behaviour bond imposed on elite sports people. The university should make it a condition of enrolment that the student refrains for the duration of the studies, from any behaviour that would bring the institution into disrepute - BH) Thursday, 14 September 2006 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNION ACCUSES DHB ----------------- The Otago DHB is working through issues raised by the striking radiographers' union. The union claims Otago DHB has breached good faith bargaining. Spokeswoman Deborah Powell says the DHB called in striking workers to perform procedures on patients not covered by the life-preserving services agreement. Otago DHB operations manager Megan Boivin says the DHB has provided the union with information after it raised its concerns. She could not comment further as she is now awaiting further response from the union WAREHOUSE MAY HEAD BACK TO PRIVATE HANDS ---------------------------------------- Warehouse founder Stephen Tindall is making a bid to take over the company again. The Stock Exchange confirms a halt has been put on trading of Warehouse shares. Mr Tindall founded The Warehouse in 1982, after working for twelve years with retailer George Court and Sons. The chain started with just one store on Auckland's North Shore and $40,000 capital and remained in private hands until late 1994 when it floated on the New Zealand Stock Exchange with Mr Tindall as Managing Director. Mr Tindall formally stepped down from that role at the end of January 2001. The retailer now has more than 128 stores throughout New Zealand. The original Takapuna store boasted opening day sales of $4,490, whereas the more recently opened South Dunedin store clocked up first day sales of $427,485. (On the back of this news the share price rocketed up 17%. What a surprise! - BH) BLACKOUT HITS SOUTH ISLAND -------------------------- Transpower hopes to have power restored to everyone in the top half of the South Island by seven o'clock tonight. Spokesman Chris Roberts says some people will have had their power be back on before that. He was still trying to trace the cause of the blackout which stretched across North Canterbury, Marlborough, Nelson and Buller, but thought it may have something to do with contractors working for them today. Transpower says it lost the circuits that run from Christchurch up towards Nelson at 4.35pm. "VESTED INTERESTS" LAUNCH ANTI-NZ CAMPAIGN ------------------------------------------ A European advertising campaign attacking New Zealand agricultural exports is being rubbished by Trade Minister Phil Goff. The campaign, funded by European producers and NGOs, claims New Zealand's exports are not environmentally sound because of the energy that is needed to transport them around the world. Mr Goff says an independent study, done by Lincoln University, proves this country's energy costs for lamb, fruit, and milk exports are substantially lower than their United Kingdom counterparts. He says the UK campaign is fuelled by vested interests, and if left unchallenged has the potential to threaten our food and beverage exports. COX-2 INHIBITORS NEED REVIEW ---------------------------- Arthritis New Zealand is calling for a review of Cox-2 inhibitors in light of new information about Voltaren. The organisation wants a rethink after research has found ingredients in the alternative drugs to Cox-2 inhibitors, such as Voltaren, can cause heightened risk of heart attacks. A study in the American Medical Association Journal has raised concerns about the effects of the active ingredient diclofenac, which is found in Voltaren and Cataflam. In similar doses to Cox-2 inhibitor medications, diclofenac drugs were found to increase the chance of heart attack by 40 percent. Arthritis New Zealand CEO Roger Sowry says this should cause PHARMAC and Medsafe to review the status of Cox-2 inhibitors, which are not allowed to be advertised and do not get any funding because of the increased risk of heart attack or stroke they bring. He says in light of this new information about Voltaren there needs to be a level playing field. Mr Sowry says Cox-2 drugs are crucial for arthritis patients who often use them as the last line of defence against pain. In February 2005, the New Zealand Ministry of Health issued a strong warning on Cox-2 painkillers, saying the increased risk of heart attack and stroke outweighs the benefits. Vioxx was withdrawn in 2004 - but the 2005 warning also covered other Cox-2 inhibitors, including Celebrex, and ArCoxia. America's influential Food and Drug Administration says Cox-2 drugs "significantly increase" the risk of a heart attack or stroke, and although it stopped short of a complete ban, the FDA's advisory panel agreed there was a need for the drugs to have a "black box warning."Cox-2 inhibitors are among the group of analgesics called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which also includes aspirin, and ibuprofen (Nurofen). LOWEST PRICE FOR PETROL SINCE MARCH ----------------------------------- Petrol and diesel prices have fallen to their lowest level since March. Shell, BP, Mobil and Caltex have all dropped their prices by five cents bringing the price of 91 octane to its six-month low of $1.50.9, while 95 has also fallen five cents to $1.55.9. The three companies have also dropped diesel two cents to $1.16.9 a litre. A mellowing of tensions in the Middle East has led to a softening in the world price of oil, which now sits at just under $64 a barrel. At the height of the conflict between Israel and Hizbollah in July, 91 reached a record price of $1.77 a litre . It began 2006 at $1.36. (It dropped a further 4 cents this week to $1.46.9 Well, I have been as guilty as the next person of complaining about how quick they are to raise prices and how slow to let them fall. It seems I must take back my words. - BH) SLIGHT DROP IN FOOD PRICE INDEX ------------------------------- Food prices fell last month, albeit slightly. The August food price index recorded a decline of 0.1 percent, after rising 0.8 percent in July. Most of the drop was due to falling fruit and vegetable prices which dropped more than 1.4 percent. . Within the fruit and vegetable subgroup, vegetable prices fell 7.3 percent, while fruit prices rose 9.6 percent. Prices were down for lettuce (down 44.6 percent), broccoli (down 25.7 percent) and cauliflower (down 33.1 percent). These decreases were partly offset by increases in prices for tomatoes (up 12.5 percent), bananas (up 15.5 percent) and grapes (up 28.1 percent). No overall change in prices was recorded for the grocery food, and meat, poultry and fish subgroups. Prices for the restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food and non-alcoholic beverages subgroups increased 0.4 and 0.2 percent, respectively. Statistics New Zealand says for the year to August, food prices rose nearly three and a half percent. The most significant upward contribution came from higher prices for the fruit and vegetables subgroup (up 18.1 percent). NO EASING OF INTEREST RATES --------------------------- The Reserve Bank says there is no prospect of monetary policy being eased "for some considerable time." Governor Alan Bollard has announced the Official Cash Rate will remain unchanged at 7.25 percent. The bank says, despite clear signs of the economy easing, economic activity has been stronger than expected through the first half of this year. Dr Bollard says the New Zealand economy continues to show resilience. Net exports and Government spending has been contributing to the buoyancy in activity and household consumption has not eased as much as expected. He says while the housing market has slowed, it continues to show momentum. The bank expects that while high oil prices and higher effective mortgage rates will further dampen the economy there will be more inflation pressure than previously. LYMPHOMA CASES DOUBLE --------------------- The number of people diagnosed with potentially fatal lymphoma has more than doubled in the past decade. The Leukaemia and Blood Foundation says it is partly due to the growing and aging population, but that does not totally account for the increase and no one knows why the disease is on the rise. The Foundation says it is extremely worrying, given a lack of public awareness about the cancer. It is urging people to be more aware of the symptoms, which include swollen but painless lymph nodes, rapid weight loss, excessive sweating at night, fever, coughing and sometimes chest pain. SUGAR-FREE DRINK GOES DOWN A TREAT ---------------------------------- Fast food giant McDonald's is considering replacing all its soft drinks with sugar free versions following a world-first trial which has taken place in New Zealand. The Counties Manukau District Health Board and McDonalds have been testing whether customers in the area's 21 outlets were happy to substitute Sprite, which has a high sugar content, for Sprite Zero, which contains artificial sweeteners. The move amounts to a 17 percent reduction in sugar intake. Chairman Pat Sneddon says the trial has been a huge success and the DHB wants to extend it to other drink brands sold at McDonalds. He says the scheme is linked with the DHB's Lets Beat Diabetes Programme. McDonald's spokeswoman Jo Redfern Hardisty says the restaurant chain is also considering extending the trial beyond Counties Manukau's borders. Friday, 15 September 2006 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AUCKLAND REVAMP VOTED DOWN -------------------------- Plans to revamp the shape of Auckland's cities have been given the boot. Four of Auckland's seven Mayors had been promoting a super-region, governed by one over-seeing council and three city authorities. However, that vision has been voted down at today's Mayoral Forum attended by all the region's mayors and the Auckland Regional Council chairman, Mike Lee. The four mayors had met without inviting the mayors of the other, smaller councils in the Auckland region, which led to some controversy and saw some of the smaller districts discussing leaving the Auckland region altogether. ARC Chairman Mike Lee says there will be no boundary changes in the near future. He says instead the forum voted to look at strengthening the regional governance and fixing the problems within local government. Mr Lee says it is a good outcome for the people of Auckland. (Well now! Given the arrogant behaviour of the mayors, I think this outcome was entirely predictable. Many elected councillors were understandably outraged at what amounted to a four-person coup d'etat. No attempt was made to seek their views before the mayors went galloping off to the media as if it were a done deal. - BH) NEW PROPOSALS FOR OFFSHORE INVESTMENT TAX ----------------------------------------- The Government is revealing proposals for a way forward for taxing offshore investments. Revenue Minister Peter Dunne and Finance Minister Michael Cullen say currently, some offshore investment vehicles allow their investors to avoid paying tax by paying no, or very low dividends. The Government says that is not fair, and they should be paying their share of tax. The ministers' proposals are to apply a "fair dividend rate" tax to overseas shares, taxing individuals on a maximum of 5 percent of the value of their shares in a given year. The scheme does not target capital gains, but instead will tax what seems to be a reasonable dividend yield. The Ministers insist this is not a tax grab, but an attempt to remove distortions in investment markets. They claim that the Government will actually be foregoing around $140 million a year if this new scheme is instituted. BIOHAZARD DETECTOR INVENTED IN NZ --------------------------------- A New Zealand invention which can almost immediately identify bacterial spores such as anthrax could be used by emergency services all over the world. The product is being developed by the University of Canterbury, Ngai Tahu Equities, and a venture capital firm. The hand-held lightweight detector is about the size of a large coffee mug. Project manager Andrew Rudge says it will be useful in situations where potentially hazardous materials and bio-threats need to be identified. He says that makes it ideal for airports, postal services, and emergency services. NZ SCIENTISTS ISOLATE ANTI-CANCER COMPOUND ------------------------------------------ New Zealand scientists could be a step closer to uncovering a secret which could help to rid the body of cancer. A team of researchers at Christchurch School of Medicine have discovered compounds in the cruciferous family of vegetables which help kill cancer cells that are resistant to other treatments. Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, cabbage, watercress, bok choy, radishes, turnips, and kale. Team leader Dr Mark Hampton says a protein call Bcl-2 makes human cells resistant to the normal cell-suicide process which removes damaged cells from the body. He says cancer cells with a lot of Bcl-2 also have increased resistance to chemotherapy drugs, but he says compounds called isothiocyanates found in the cruciferous family make the cells more susceptible to treatment. Dr Hampton says the next step is to find out how the compounds work inside the cell to negate the power of the protein. He says from there they could use that information to design new drugs. SAVING LAKE ROTOITI ------------------- A major engineering project to improve the health of one of Rotorua's lakes has been given the go ahead by the Environment Court. A multi-million dollar wall is to be built from below the Ohau Channel outlet to Te Akau Point to divert nutrient- laden water away from Lake Rotoiti. Instead, it will travel from Lake Rotorua directly into the Kaituna River and on to the ocean. Environment Bay of Plenty chairman John Cronin says this is a very positive decision and could save Lake Rotoiti. He says with other measures supporting it, the lake now has a chance. The $14 to 16 million project is scheduled to be constructed next year. CALL FOR COMPO LAWS WHEN UTILITIES FAIL --------------------------------------- Nelson MP Nick Smith is calling for legislation ensuring consumers can claim compensation if they are cut off from essential services, following yesterday's outage in the South Island. Transpower is blaming human error for the blackout which resulted in the loss of supplies from 130,000 homes which effected Buller, North Canterbury, Motueka, Golden Bay, Marlborough and Nelson. It follows a number of problems this year including one in Auckland in June which left more than half a million people without supplies. National's MP for Nelson Dr Smith says it could be time to consider a law that forces utilities to pay up. "Whether it be gas, whether it be telecommunications, whether it is power failure, so that there is a stronger commercial incentive to ensure we don't get these sorts of failures." (Where was Dr Smith when the gas failed in Wellington? However, I think there is some justice in the idea. Of course mishaps happen, but peoples lives and livelihoods are inextricably tied up in these services, and the ability to restore service quickly must be taken as a given. - BH) RADIOGRAPHERS BACK AT WORK -------------------------- Radiographers head back to work today after holding a three- day strike. All hands will be back on deck across the seven affected DHBs from 10am, but two further strike days are planned for next Tuesday and Thursday. Dwayne Crombie, spokesman for the DHBs, says contingency teams will review how hospitals coped. He says the strike was not as disruptive as some feared due to good will from everyone including some of the striking workers who came in for emergency and lifesaving services. Dr Crombie says chief executives for the DHBs will hold a teleconference today. He is keen to get back round the bargaining table, as he believes it is the only way the dispute will be resolved. Union spokeswoman Deborah Powell says from the workers' perspective the industrial action ran fairly smoothly. She has confirmed that next week's industrial action will go ahead. TINDALL'S PLANS RECLAIMING KIWI BRANDS -------------------------------------- A financial analyst believes Stephen Tindall's plan to privatise The Warehouse is part of a push to make iconic kiwi brands kiwi again. Mr Tindall contacted directors of the group yesterday to express his interest in buying back the red sheds. He has formed a consortium with Pacific Equity Partners, a private Australian equity business. They will offer $5.75 a share. Shares closed at $5.11 last night, valuing the company at $1.8 billion. Journalist Fran O'Sullivan says it is quite a clever strategy as Mr Tindall will make a big deal about The Warehouse being New Zealand owned and will use this to refocus it. She says it is a welcome move that companies are starting to think about reclaiming their New Zealand roots. However, Mr Tindall's bid could strike difficulties as key shareholder Foodstuffs, holds a 10 percent stake. Mr Tindall founded the Warehouse in 1982 and currently owns just over 50 percent of it. The company floated on the New Zealand Stock Exchange in1994. IN-STORE STAFF SETTLE DISPUTE ----------------------------- Progressive Enterprises and its in-store retail staff have finally reached an agreement. The supermarket operator and union have been in talks since last week. The terms of the deal will not be released until they are presented to union members for ratification over the coming month. Union spokeswoman Laila Harre says members will be encouraged to accept the deal. She says the terms of the settlement achieve a good result on key issues and provide a basis for continued work on developing a single pay scale across the three brands, Countdown, Woolworths and Foodtown. Meanwhile, more than 500 distribution workers head into their fourth week without pay, with no signs of agreement. The union is taking Progressive to court next week to try to end the lockout. SUBSCRIBE OR UNSUBSCRIBE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Brian Harmer does NOT administer the mailing list. Please do not send subscription related messages to him. Instead, visit the website listed below, where you can make changes as required. If you want to send a personal message to Brian, change the country code to nz and send a message [EMAIL PROTECTED] If you do choose to comment on something in these posts, please don't send the whole newsletter with your message. Just trim it back to the relevant bits. Thanks. 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