Copyright, Brian Harmer Through a swirling fog of words, towards the bright light, and suddenly, I'm free. Of course I must now await the verdict of my examiners, but in the meantime I am faced with a rehabilitation process. Evenings and weekends can now be used without having to justify the profligate use of time to myself, or to feel guilty. I plan to rediscover my hobbies, and as far as possible, to enjoy life.
Sadly, of course, this new found freedom arrives in mid-winter, and the landscape outside is shrouded in cloud, and droplets hang on everything. But winter is a season for hope, and the silver droplets of clear water adorning every bare branch and twig promises a green leaf in spring about six or eight weeks from now. Still, there are things to do even on such a day, and Mary and I chose to visit the exhibition of great press photographs at the gallery of the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts in the Queens Wharf complex. Whereas I thought the content of the photographs was significant, and at times deeply moving, I decided that it leaned more in the direction of great photojournalism than great photography. There were some excellent photographs, but I am not sure that the Academy of Fine Arts was the right venue. Moving on from there, Mary and I visited the Wellington Museum of City and Sea (formerly the Wellington Maritime Museum). To put what follows in context, when I had a day in Amsterdam, and was faced with the choice of seeing the Rembrandt Museum or the National Ship Museum, for me there was no contest, and the day spent in the ship museum was one happiest memories I have of the Netherlands. Similarly I used to love the Wellington Maritime Museum. The sheer density and quality of the artefacts on display put it right up there with some of the really great maritime museums of the world. Sadly, the Wellington City Council decided it was too narrow a specialisation to justify the cost of its upkeep, and reconstituted it as the Wellington Museum of City and Sea. The new museum is brilliantly executed, and does what it sets out to do very well. The mixture of period reconstruction, combined with Maori folklore told by holographic figures is a triumph of the very highest class of museology. For those who would like to know in general terms about the history of Wellington and its relationship with its mighty harbour, this is a not-to-be-missed attraction. I just wish they had been able to simply apply the same level of curatorial excellence to the material they already had, most of which is now in storage. Thanks Helen for keeping the news rolling for the last three weeks. We should be back to normal now. Well done. ---- 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 http://www.moneyonline.co.nz Many thanks. On with the news: Monday, 17 June ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DON BRASH ATTACKS ANDERTON --------------------------- One-time exceedingly polite Don Brash has taken his gloves off now that the election campaign is underway. The former Reserve Bank Governor who is assured of a place in Parliament for National is telling Jim Anderton to beef up his knowledge of basic economics. Mr Anderton, who will tomorrow declare himself the leader of the Jim Anderton Progressive Coalition Party, has questioned Dr Brash's economic stewardship. But Dr Brash says it appears Mr Anderton is as ignorant of basis economic concepts as he is about the true definition of party hopping. He says there is only one thing that matters when keeping interest rates down and that is controlling inflation. Dr Brash says the facts, rather than Mr Anderton's illogical claims, speak for themselves. NEW FUND FOR NURSING -------------------- A new $8 million fund has been set up to encourage primary health care nurses to explore new ways of working together. The fund comes out of the $400 million that has already been allocated to primary health care over the next three years. Health Minister Annette King says primary health care groups will be asked to consider applying to the new fund. She says it will allow nurses to develop new ways of working collaboratively and co-operatively. She says there are over 7,000 registered nurses working in primary health care. However she says many of them are isolated from one another. She says she wants to start getting as many of them as possible to work together and encourage nurses outside of hospitals to start working with primary health care organisations. PROGRESS IN TEACHERS' DISPUTE ----------------------------- Calls for concessions from both sides of the secondary teachers dispute, after some progress today. The teachers' union has decided not to send any more students home this week. The PPTA says it is offering the olive branch to stop student protests, and get back into contract talks. Education Minister Trevor Mallard welcomes the move, and now awaits a new pay claim from the union. He believes the teachers pay row could be settled within a week and says the decision not to send any more students home this week is a very encouraging sign. For the next three days teachers will hold stop-work meetings to re-consider their demands. Principals' Association head Bali Haque is calling for both sides to give a little. Meanwhile, around 150 secondary students marched on Parliament. Mr Mallard refused to meet them, because they had cut class to be there, although opposition education spokesman Dr Nick Smith did make time to meet the protestors. LABOUR, NATIONAL SEEK TV FUNDING -------------------------------- The two major political parties are looking for a greater share of taxpayer-funded television advertising this election. Labour and National and 12 other parties are making submissions to the Electoral Commission on the divvying up of more than $2million of election advertising funds. Labour party general secretary Mike Smith says Labour and National had support from about 80 percent of voters at the last election, but got only 61 percent of the funding. He says at this election, the Commission should allocate funds that more closely represent actual support. National's general secretary Allan Johnston says his party should get the same amount as Labour to allow a fair fight. He says the smallest parties should not get any prime time TV advertising space, as that cuts into the amount available to larger parties which have a more realistic chance of becoming part of a government. The Greens want a new formula for the allocation of election broadcasting funds. Co-leader Rod Donald believes the Electoral Commission should only consider the party vote when assessing funding criteria. He says that is because it is normally only the party vote which determines the number of seats won by each party. When allocating funding the Electoral Commission also has to take into account the 1999 election results, the number of MPs a party currently has and poll ratings. The Commission is due to make its decisions later this week. KAITAIA ANGRY WITH HEALTH OFFICIALS ----------------------------------- The community of Kaitaia has passed a motion of no confidence in the Northland Health Board at a public meeting in the town this afternoon. At least 500 residents met with the hospital's general manager Dr David Meates and board member Kevin Robinson. They are angry after-hours and weekend surgery were axed at Kaitaia Hospital last month, due to a shortage of anaesthetists. The board's communications manager Luke Worth says surgery hours had to be cut for patient safety. But he concedes the hospital could have communicated better with the community. Mr Worth says positive things did come out of today's meeting, such as a joint taskforce between the community and the board to look at the recruitment problems. (Things seemed to go downhill from here, with what seems at first glance like a misapplication of the new credentialing system. - BH) CHARGES LAID AFTER FATAL CRASH ------------------------------ A man accused of driving a stolen car has been charged with manslaughter after smashing into another car while being sought by North Island police. The 22-year-old will also face four driving charges when he appears in the Wanganui District Court tomorrow. Fifty-four-year-old Wally Charlie Fischer was killed when the stolen Honda Prelude crashed head-on into his car near Hunterville this morning. His wife, 50-year-old Doreen Fischer is seriously injured at Palmerston North Hospital. Twenty-five minutes before the crash police chased the stolen car but lost it after it reached speeds of up to 180 kilometres an hour. TRIBUTES FOR SANDRA LEE ------------------------ Conservation Minister Sandra Lee has announced she is retiring from politics to spend more time with her family. She was the first Maori woman to win a general electorate seat. Her win in Auckland Central in 1993 knocked Richard Prebble out of Parliament. Jim Anderton has today publicly thanked her for almost a decade of support in the House. Ms Lee represented Mana Motuhake in The Alliance and became the party's Deputy Leader Mr Anderton is also praising her as one of the best Conservation Ministers ever. Sandra Lee herself says twenty years in politics is long enough and that her resignation today should not surprise anyone. POWER KNOCKED OUT BY SNOW ------------------------- Around 4000 South Canterbury homes have been without power this afternoon as a freezing southerly brings heavy snow to the region. Up to six inches of snow has fallen in Ashburton - falls further inland are reported to be even heavier. Ashburton Electric operations manager Ken Stirling says all their maintenance crews are out trying to restore power as the snow has brought a large number of lines down. He says the area to the west of Ashburton is the worst affected and it is unclear how long it will take to fix. Meanwhile people in the area are being warned not to approach downed lines and to treat all electric cables as live. Many roads in rural Canterbury are closed this evening as snow continues to fall. State Highway One is closed south of Ashburton, while inland highways linking Geraldine and Fairlie are also shut. Arthur's Pass is open to cars with chains only and towing vehicles are not permitted to pass through. Inland highways into the McKenzie Basin and High Country are also closed. (Several Northern Hemisphere tourists were astounded at how little snow it really took in their context, to disable an entire province. - BH) NZ FIRST LAUNCHES POLICIES -------------------------- Law and order, derailing what it calls the Treaty of Waitangi 'industry', and immigration are the key planks of New Zealand First's election strategy. Launching the campaign in Tauranga this afternoon, the party faithful showed particular support for leader Winston Peters' attack on the current immigration policy. He suggests a probationary period of all migrants of three years during which, if a migrant commits a crime punishable by prison, their right of entry would be revoked and they would be sent home. His speech was greeted by enthusiastic applause. Winston Peters says both the electorate and party votes are crucial in Tauranga. GREENS CLAIM PUBLIC SUPPORT ON GE ---------------------------------- The Greens have released new figures which they say show the majority of New Zealanders support their position on genetic modification. A Consumer Link survey of 476 people shows 64 percent believe living genetically engineered organisms should be kept in a contained laboratory. Twenty-four percent disagree and 11. 5 percent do not know. Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says the poll proves that a clear majority of people share the Green vision of keeping GE in the lab. She says on this issue it is clear that the Greens are the head of the dog, not the tail as Prime Minister Helen Clark says. (Hmmm ... oddly, others are claiming significant increases in their own support base as a backlash against what are regarded as the extreme positions adopted by the Greens. - BH) TIME FOR TEACHERS TO TALK TURKEY -------------------------------- Secondary heads want both sides of the teacher dispute to take full advantage of some new breathing space. The secondary teachers' union has called off the rostering of students at home this week. The PPTA hopes the move will prevent further student protests, and help the negotiation process. Secondary Principal's Association President Bali Haque says now both sides need to make concessions. He says it is unacceptable if either side refuses to shift from its current position. Bali Haque says principals see student protests as having a potentially corrosive effect on school discipline. He says what is needed now is some serious talking. ASHBURTON CUT OFF ----------------- The weather has stranded the town of Ashburton, about an hour south of Christchurch. The main roads heading south from the town are closed, and most of the side roads are impassable because of snow. People are also being warned to stay off the road between Christchurch and Ashburton, as snow continues to fall heavily. Ashburton Senior Sergeant Arnold Kelly says some vehicles are grading the roads, but it is still snowing, so the conditions are treacherous. He says they have got about two inches of snow settled in town, and more up country. Senior Sergeant Kelly says if people do not have to be on the roads, they should stay home. Meanwhile, further south Alexandra police became good Samaritans today, delivering Meals on Wheels to elderly residents after snow made conditions treacherous for usual volunteer drivers. Senior Sergeant Brian Seymour says it is the biggest snowfall in the area for 14 years and that is created chaos on the roads. He says police supplied a couple of vehicles and staff to get the meals delivered. Meanwhile Senior Sergeant Seymour says police also arrested a 16-year-old youth who gave people rides on a sea biscuit behind a car in Clyde. FLETCHER CHALLENGE BUYS NORTH ISLAND FORESTS -------------------------------------------- All the assets of the Central North Island Forest Partnership are to be purchased by Fletcher Challenge Forests. Fletcher Challenge will pay more than $1. 34 billion for the assets, which include 163,000 planted hectares of forest and associated processing facilities. The agreement with the receivers of CNIFP is subject to the approval of Fletcher Challenge shareholders. Fletcher Challenge also has to satisfy a number of regulatory and government requirements. The CNIFP estate is the largest plantation forest in the country. The key features of the funding arrangements for the proposed purchase include a placement of more than $413 million in new shares with South East Asia Wood Industries Holdings Ltd. China's industrial giant CITIC is a significant shareholder in SEAWI. Fletcher Challenge will also establish a new bank facility with a syndicate led by the Bank of New Zealand and HSBC, to finance the balance of the purchase price after the SEAWI deal and replacing its current bank facility. Another company, Rubicon, will acquire Fletcher Challenge's Tahorakuri forest estate in return for surrendering most of the 492 million shares it owns in the company, worth more than $180 million. Fletcher Challenge chairman Sir Dryden Spring says the deal will enable his company to consolidate the ownership of the CNIFP forests with the rest of its estates, creating a unified ownership and management structure. He also says the involvement of CITIC will help Fletcher Challenge develop the all-important Chinese market. Sir Dryden says China is a major growth market as the People's Republic continues to lift its living standards and expand its use of imported wood products. Fletcher Challenge chief executive Terry McFadgen says the CNIFP forests are well established, with excellent growth rates, low harvesting costs and access to a highly developed infrastructure. A special meeting of Fletcher Challenge Forests shareholders will be called in mid-August to vote on the proposed deal, which will be recommended by independent Board members. AWARD FOR TOP POLITICAL JOURNALIST ---------------------------------- Top political columnist and commentator Jane Clifton has been given a Wallace Award by the Electoral Commission for the most significant contribution by a print journalist to the public understanding of electoral matters. She received the award for a series of articles she wrote for the NZ Listener. Two other Wallace awards have been given out: the award for the best paper or thesis by a tertiary student went to Amy Annan of Otago University, while the award for best book on electoral matters was given to the authors of "Proportional Representation on Trial. The New Zealand General Election and the Fate of MMP". The annual awards are named after the independent agency's inaugural President, Sir John Wallace, who also chaired the 1985-86 Royal Commission on the Electoral System. Tuesday, 18 ~~~~~~~~~ DIPLOMAT'S FAMILY ACCEPTS FINDING ---------------------------------- The family of New Zealand diplomat Bridget Nichols is said to have accepted her death was accidental. A Solomon Islands magistrate has ruled that Ms Nichols was the victim of a freak accident, after tripping and falling on a knife in her bag outside her Solomon Islands home in March. It was initially thought that Bridget Nichols was murdered. Foreign Minister Phil Goff says there is no reason to doubt the magistrate's finding. He says Bridget's family in Britain appears to have accepted it. Mr Goff says her father has been told of the result and says he was expecting it. He says the inquiry would only be re-opened if contradictory forensic evidence emerged. NURSES SET TO STRIKE -------------------- Auckland nurses have voted in favour of industrial action. Almost 5,000 health workers from the region's three district health boards will walk off the job if a settlement is not reached by the end of this week. Seventy-eight percent of the nurses endorsed industrial action. The Nurses' Organisation members will strike for four hours on July 9, followed by a two week ban on extra shifts and overtime. The nurses are seeking a backdated pay rise, a collective agreement and better money for new graduates. CANNABIS ISSUE COULD HAVE BEEN SORTED - GREENS ----------------------------------------------- The Greens would make cannabis law reform an issue in any potential coalition talks with Labour. It follows the failure of a Parliamentary select committee inquiry to finish its report into cannabis law reform, before the dissolution of Parliament today. Green co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says the committee had done a lot of good work on the harmful effects of cannabis and potential law reforms. She says the committee could have finished the report but the Government did not want to give it that amount of priority. She says the Greens favour the decriminalisation of small amounts of cannabis for personal use, although it is not a bottom line coalition issue like GM release. Ms Fitzsimons says cannabis is a health, not a criminal issue. JAIL FOR KILLING STEPFATHER --------------------------- A man who stabbed his stepfather to death has been sentenced to two and a half years jail. Last week 19-year-old Christopher John Keen admitted the manslaughter of his stepfather, Kelvin Donaldson. He had originally been charged with murder after Mr Donaldson died at his home last September. In the High Court at Invercargill Justice Chisholm says he has taken into account that Keen had a history of abuse from both Donaldson and a previous stepfather. He also acknowledged Keen's young age and mental health problems. Justice Chisholm says he hopes Keen gets the appropriate treatment for his psychiatric problems. He also recognises that his family members have been supporting him. LAWYER GETS PRISONERS OFF REGIME -------------------------------- A human rights lawyer has succeeded in getting four prison inmates off a so-called behaviour management regime after a hearing in the High Court at Wellington today. Eight inmates, who claim they suffered psychological torture during long periods of solitary confinement at Auckland Prison, are bringing a class action against the Corrections Department. They allege six prisoners shared a dirty rag and bucket to clean their cells and toilets. Their lawyer Tony Ellis is seeking to have the system declared wrong, and wants damages for his clients. Mr Ellis says he is waiting to get legal aid approved so he can get psychological reports carried out on his clients. STORM PROBLEMS CONTINUE ----------------------- Roads are open in Canterbury but there are still major problems with power and water supplies. Maintenance crews have been pulling 14 hour shifts as they attempt to restore power to thousands of homes affected by yesterday's snowstorm. To the south of the region around a thousand homes will spend another night without electricity. Ashburton Electricity warns some places may be without power for up to three days. Further north the situation has improved but Orion expects hundreds of homes to be cut off until tomorrow. In the Selwyn district the power cuts have affected the water supply from Sheffield through to Glentanner and residents are advised to conserve water. NO DECISION ON CHARGES OVER FREAK ACCIDENT ------------------------------------------ Wanganui police are still deciding whether to lay charges over yesterday's fatal accident in which a local man was struck by the side door of a horse float. Thirty-three-year-old Clyde Alfred Horne died on the way to hospital. Sergeant Tim Walker says police need to speak to more witnesses and have the truck inspected before a decision on whether to press charges is made. The six tonne horse transporter was from a stud farm and was carrying two horses at the time of the accident. Mr Horne was walking past the vehicle at the time of the accident. . LONGER JAIL TERM SOUGHT ----------------------- The convicted killer of Margaret Lynn Baxter could be spending longer in prison. Dartelle Alder is serving a life sentence for raping and murdering Margaret Baxter in January 2001. Miss Baxter was attacked while out jogging near Hastings and her body was later found in the boot of a car. The Crown wants his minimum non-parole period of 15 years increased to 18 years. Crown lawyer Simon France says the sentence does not reflect the seriousness of the crime, nor the community's reaction to it. Alder's lawyer David Maddison says the decision on his client's case should now lie with the parole board. TEACHER MEETINGS BEGIN ---------------------- At least one Auckland branch of the PPTA has endorsed the secondary teacher union's latest pay claim. Waitakere College is one of more than 50 secondary schools in the Auckland region which has been holding stop work meetings today to discuss the new claim. Other meetings are being held throughout the country over the next few days. Auckland regional secretary Chris Bangs says the new deal would mean accepting a backdated 3. 5 percent pay rise over a shorter period. He says they are looking at a contract expiring next June and they will be looking at a much bigger bite of the pie after that. Chris Bangs says the union also wants the $3,000 a year NZCEA allowance backdated so teachers get the full amount this year. BOUWER CASE GOES TO APPEAL --------------------------- Convicted murderer Colin Bouwer is seeking to have his conviction overturned. The former Dunedin psychiatrist was found guilty of murdering his wife by poisoning her. The Court of Appeal in Wellington heard his case today. At the same time, the Solicitor-General is seeking to have Bouwer's 13-year non-parole term extended. Colin Bouwer has served seven months of his life sentence. PARLIAMENT DISSOLVED -------------------- The 46th Parliament has been formally dissolved in a ceremony on Parliament's front steps. The dissolution has been proclaimed by the New Zealand Herald Phillip O'Shea, as the authorised representative of Governor-General Dame Silvia Cartwright. The ceremony was attended by the Clerk of the House David McGee, and other Parliamentary officials. Several MPs, Beehive staff and members of the public also observed proceedings. The dissolution is the essential first step towards the holding of the general election. The next will be for the Governor-General to issue a writ on June 25 to the Chief Electoral Officer, directing him to conduct an election. The general election will be held on Saturday, July 27. MORE WEATHER WORRIES -------------------- Residents in inland Canterbury are being warned to conserve water. The Selwyn District Council says water supplies in Darfield, Sheffield, Springfield and those on the Selwyn rural water supply, are disrupted by this week's bad weather. Mayor Michael McEvedy says they are hopeful of getting the Darfield water supply up and running by this evening, however for other areas it could take up to a couple of days before they are back on. Meanwhile residents are being warned to stay off roads in the Darfield, Hororata and Lake Coleridge areas. GRAVE INTERFERED WITH --------------------- A grave in a Christchurch cemetery was cordoned off last night after it had earlier been found to have been interfered with. Police were called yesterday after it was discovered someone had attempted to dig up the grave which is located in Waimairi cemetery. Detective Sergeant Grant Wormald says police want to hear from anyone who saw any suspicious activity in the cemetery on Sunday night. Police say the grave is 12 years old and the family of the deceased have been notified of what has happened. It is not known if the casket in the grave was opened by the offender. ACCUSED APPEARS IN WANGANUI COURT --------------------------------- Interim name suppression has been granted to the Waikato man charged following the smash near Hunterville that killed one man and left his wife seriously injured. The 22-year-old was in the Wanganui District Court this morning. The judge has granted him name suppression until tomorrow morning to give him time to contact his parents. He faces five charges, including manslaughter. He has been remanded in custody for another appearance next Tuesday. Yesterday's accident happened after police abandoned the chase of a car reported stolen from Hamilton last weekend. Thursday, 20 June ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MINISTER CHALLENGES POLITICIANS OVER FLUORIDE --------------------------------------------- Health Minister Annette King has thrown down a challenge to Tauranga's mayor and other local politicians on the fluoride issue. Mayor Jan Beange and her colleagues have refused to reconsider the question of fluoridating the district's water. Annette King, who is visiting Tauranga, urged them to spend a day in hospital and see children having their teeth extracted. She says in recent cases she has heard of eight children had 58 holes in their teeth between them. She says people are living in 'cloud cuckoo land' if they think that sort of thing is going to improve on its own. Annette King also challenged the mayor to acknowledge the cost to the district of providing such dental treatment. WEATHER BOMB EXPLODES --------------------- The storm whipping parts of the North Island has brought winds gusting up to 115 kilometres an hour, caused flooding in parts of the Far North and Whitianga, and brought down power lines in many areas. United Networks reports power cuts on the North Shore and in Rodney District north of Auckland, in the city's western suburbs, Thames Valley, Coromandel, Tauranga, Rotorua, Taupo and in Wellington. The storm's centre is moving south towards Taranaki and should hit Wellington tomorrow. Our reporter on the Auckland Waterfront says a couple of yachts have broken their moorings and are drifting around the Waitemata harbour. Police are warning motorcyclists and high sided vehicles to cross the Harbour Bridge with caution. The storm's also caused a skylight at Shore City shopping centre to break, showering glass on shoppers below. Trees have been uplifted and roofs blown off in Northland where some roads have been closed, along with others on the Coromandel peninsula. Fears of flooding in Whangarei's CBD with the high tide have not been realised, but sandbags are still in place. KFC OUTLET CLOSED ------------------ A Hastings fast food restaurant has shut its doors this afternoon following a health scare. Hawke's Bays medical officer of health Dr Caroline McAlnay says she has been advised of the closure at KFC Stortford Lodge. Dr McAlnay is now inquiring. A KFC spokesman says the restaurant is not willing to comment on what the health scare is at this stage. This is the second restaurant to close its doors in Hastings in the last month. Three weeks ago Burger King was closed after a staff member was found to have the Hepatitis A virus. MINISTER URGES FLUORIDE RETHINK ------------------------------- Health Minister Annette King has thrown down a challenge to Tauranga's mayor and other local politicians on the fluoride issue. Mayor Jan Beange and his colleagues have refused to reconsider the question of fluoridating the district's water. Annette King, who is visiting Tauranga, urged them to spend a day in hospital and see children having their teeth extracted. She says in recent cases she has heard of eight children who had 58 holes between them in their teeth. Annette King also challenged the mayor to acknowledge the cost to the district of providing such dental treatment. GOVERNMENT SLAMS S AFRICA TARIFF CHANGES ----------------------------------------- The Government says it is concerned at the impact of a new tariff regime for imported red meat going to South Africa. Tariffs on red meat were already at 40 percent and look to cost kiwi exporters even more in future. Trade Negotiations Minister Jim Sutton says the South African Government's new tariffs do not seem justified. He says he wrote to South Africa's Trade and Industry Spokesman, Alec Erwin, when changes to the tariff structure were first considered. But Mr Sutton says the new tariffs are even higher than were originally envisaged and he is concerned about the impact on producers in this country. He says the reasons advanced by South Africa as being behind the changes do not hold water. MEAT PLANT TO CLOSE -------------------- Job losses have been announced in Blenheim today. Some 250 people will be looking for new work following a decision by PPCS to close it is Marlborough meat processing plant. The company blames the region's burgeoning wine industry. It says so many farmers have switched to growing grapes that there now is not enough stock to make it's killing chain profitable. MMP REFERENDUM PROMISED ----------------------- National is promising a referendum on MMP before the next election if it is elected to the Treasury benches next month. Party leader Bill English says people are genuinely concerned about MMP and he says it is time they had another say on the issue. Meanwhile, the Alliance is advocating wiping existing student loan debt. The idea is a key part of the party's tertiary education policy announced today. Alliance leader Laila Harre says one in 10 New Zealanders has a student debt, with the average graduate debt now around $21,000. Ms Harre says if the debt isn't written off the social and economic impact on individuals will be catastrophic. The party has today issued a pretend bank cheque of $21,000 to every young New Zealander for tertiary education. She says free education and a universal student allowance are a priority for the Alliance. RAW DEAL FOR WOMEN ------------------ Women are better educated, earn less money and do more unpaid work than men, according to Census 2001. The survey shows 34 percent of women have a tertiary qualification, compared with 31 percent of men. Eighty-nine percent of women do unpaid work compared with eighty-two percent of men. Women earn a lot less than men with an average annual income of $14,500 versus nearly $25,000. Women's increasing participation in the labour force has been one of the strongest employment trends in the post-World War Two period. Women now comprise almost half the workforce. For every 100 European, Maori and Pacific men there are 105 women. However, Asian women outnumber men 110 to 100. The male-female difference is most noticeable in the older age groups, with women comprising 53 percent of those aged 70 to 74 years and 79 percent of those 95 years and older. CONVICTED COP TO GET REVIEW --------------------------- The former head of the Wanganui police district Alec Waugh has successfully sought to have his fraud convictions reviewed. In an unusual move Justice Minister Phil Goff has asked the Governor General to refer the matter back to the High Court. Mr Goff's move follows an independent review of the case by former High Court Judge Sir Thomas Thorp into whether Mr Waugh should be given a Royal pardon. He says the High Court can consider questions relating to the convictions and whether the charges should be reheard. Four years ago Mr Waugh claimed he was blackmailed into admitting the charges. He pleaded guilty, he says, because the police threatened to withhold his superannuation entitlements. Waugh was convicted in 1998 on ten fraud charges relating to expense claims. EXPERTS LEARN FROM KIWI INGENUITY --------------------------------- The experts who turned the Internet from a hi-tech oddity to a fact of everyday life say they still have something to learn from kiwi ingenuity. The TechEd 2002 conference will give more than 700 local IT professionals a chance to meet some of the top names in the computer industry. The event - coordinated by industry giant Microsoft - takes place in August, though people hoping to buy tickets with discounts off the $1,500 price tag need to book by the end of this month. The organisers say it is a fantastic opportunity to learn from the best in the business as TechEd will introduce local experts to the people who made the Internet what it is today. Spokesman Paul Muckleston says software developers will find that very exciting. But he says it is not just a one way process for the visiting lecturers. He says New Zealand boxes outside its weight class, and the visitors get a lot out of seeing how smart smaller countries are at producing innovative solutions from the available technology. FISH FACTORY JOBS SAVED ----------------------- Jobs at the Christchurch fish factory gutted by fire are safe. Fresco Seafood's Sydenham factory was closed for production due to the fire earlier this month. This morning staff were told their jobs were safe after initial concerns the factory may have to close. Finance manager Kathy Johnson says Independent Fisheries has generously provided the company with temporary accommodation to enable the company to continue its export operation. Work will recommence tomorrow. Kathy Johnson says they are now looking for a premises in the inner city where they can continue their wholesale auction. TYRE IDEA GOES AWRY ------------------- A mountain of tyres in Hamilton is the result of a good idea gone awry, according to a local liquidator. Rubber Technologies New Zealand Ltd has dumped tens of thousands of used tyres on two properties in the Waikato region. Beattie Rickman, senior manager David Blanchett, says the idea of turning old tyres into carpet underlay and asphalt has merit. He says Rubber Technologies was trying to be environmentally responsible but ran out of capital. He says he would like to hear from anyone interested in continuing the work. NO EVIDENCE OF ECONOMIC HARM ---------------------------- Finance Minister Dr Michael Cullen says there is no evidence that either the rising dollar or the prospect of a summer drought has impacted on the economy. In a speech to an ANZ client function in Wellington, Dr Cullen says Treasury will be reviewing its budget forecasts for the Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update on June 25. But he says two risks are starting to appear on forecasters' radar screens. He says one is a risk of a more substantial correction - or even an over-correction - in the US dollar. The other is the prospect of a summer drought. Weather forecasters are predicting there may be another El Nino phenomenon, which leads to drought conditions. But Dr Cullen says there is no evidence that either factor has harmed confidence or economic activity. He says the challenge for the next three years is to make use of the economic headroom to prepare New Zealand to move progressively into the top half of the OECD. The Finance Minister says this will require business and government to work in partnership to invest in initiatives which will transform the economy. Budget forecasts are for economic growth to remain robust with GDP growth forecast to be 3. 1 percent to March 2003 (up from 1. 9 percent forecast in the December date). UNOFFICIAL ANTHEM MOOTED ------------------------- Australia has Waltzing Matilda - so what do we have as an unofficial national anthem? Deputy Prime Minister Jim Anderton has put forward Pokarekare Ana as a possible candidate. The new leader of the Progressive Coalition Party wants the song given some status as our national song, alongside the national anthem. Mr Anderton's comments come in a speech in Wellington today on what it means to be a New Zealander. (As much as I regard Pokarekare Ana as a gentle and pleasant melody, it is not a national song! - BH) SIR PETER DID NOT FIRE FIRST - JUDGE ------------------------------------ The Brazilian judge in charge of the Sir Peter Blake murder trial told the court the New Zealand yachtsman did not fire the first shot. Sir Peter was shot dead by robbers while his boat the Seamaster was moored at the Brazilian port of Macapa last December. His killers have this morning been found guilty and will now serve sentences of between 26 and 36 years. Judge Jose Magno Linbares said there was no evidence to support the claim Sir Peter fired the first shot. He says there is no scope in Brazilian law for any of the accused to claim self defence in the face of the crew's reaction. Judge Linbares says there is no way Sir Peter's reaction to the situation was unfair. Meanwhile, a journalist onboard the Seamaster the night Sir Peter Blake was killed says the sentences handed down to his killers provide some sense of conclusion. However, Mark Scott says those on board the Seamaster that night last December will never forget it. He says the effects will continue for a long time, particularly for Sir Peter's family. Monday, 24 June ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ARMED OFFENDER STILL ON LOOSE ----------------------------- South Taranaki residents are being warned about an armed offender still thought to be loose in the area. The settlement of Normanby was cordoned off for hours while police and armed offenders looked for the man. That cordon has been lifted. However armed police dogs and officers remain in the area as they look for the man who is wanted in connection with an overnight armed hold up in New Plymouth. Taranaki rural acting controller Inspector Mark Harrison says the man they are looking for should not be approached. One man's already in custody. GRAVE ARRESTS MADE ------------------ Two more arrests have been made over the desecration of a grave in Christchurch. It follows the earlier arrest of an 18-year-old man after skeletal remains were taken from a grave at Waimairi Cemetery. Police have this afternoon arrested a 22-year-old man and charged him with interfering with human remains. A 20-year-old woman has also been charged with being an accessory. Police say further charges will be laid. All three will appear in the Christchurch District Court on Friday. STATE OF EMERGENCY DISCUSSED IN THAMES -------------------------------------- Officials have been meeting in Thames to decide whether to lift the state of emergency that has been in place since the so-called weather bomb went off. The cleanup has continued through the day across the Coromandel Peninsula, and also in the South Waikato. Meanwhile the insurance industry has come under fire from the Thames mayor for critical comments about a lack of insurance cover. The Insurance Council says local bodies need to do more to make sure people are educated about the importance of being covered. Thames mayor Chris Lux says the comments are insensitive. MURDERER'S APPEAL DISMISSED, SENTENCE INCREASED ----------------------------------------------- Convicted murderer Colin Bouwer has had his appeal over his conviction dismissed by the Court of Appeal and had his jail term increased. The former Dunedin psychiatrist was convicted last year of killing his wife by poisoning her. He has served seven months of his life sentence. He asked the court to overturn his conviction, but instead was given another two years on top of his 13-year minimum non-parole period. The Solicitor General had applied for that non-parole period to be increased. ROUND 1 TO THE ALLIANCE ----------------------- A victory for the Alliance. The Electoral Commission has turned down a request by Labour to get the Alliance logo changed. Labour complained to the Commission that the Alliance's logo features too much red and would prompt confusion among voters. The Alliance changed their logo a year ago to feature more red, although it still retains substantial amounts of green. In a submission to the Commission, the party argued that Labour is only objecting now because it intends changing its logo this year to feature more red. The Alliance views Labour's objection as an attempt to sabotage its campaign and urged the Commission to reject the complaint. THUMBS DOWN FOR WELLINGTON-NELSON FERRY --------------------------------------- The Interisland Line is saying no to a Wellington - Nelson ferry service. The idea was raised by a Nelson councillor, who wanted the company to expand its existing Wellington to Picton services. The Interisland line has looked at the idea, but says it would not be profitable. Group general manager Thomas Davis says only 10 percent of current ferry passengers would use the Nelson service. He says using a fast-ferry would cost too much, and running a conventional ferry would make the crossing seven hours long. CONCERN GROWS FOR MISSING MAN ----------------------------- Police are growing increasingly concerned for the safety of a man who has been missing for two weeks. Twenty-five-year-old Donald Slack was last seen hitchhiking home to Birkenhead in Auckland from Hamilton. He was seen in Ngaruawahia on June 9, but never arrived home. He has failed to contact friends or family, which is out of character. Detective Scott Armstrong says as Mr Slack does not have a bank account or cellphone, it is proving difficult to track him down. Detective Armstrong says if anyone has seen the missing man, they should contact their local police station. He is described as a Caucasian, 175 centimetres tall, of thin build with brown hair and brown front teeth. (He was reported safe and well today - Saturday 29 June- BH) MANAWATU ESCAPERS CAUGHT ------------------------- Two escapers from Manawatu prison have been recaptured. Phillip Payne and Steven Shortcliffe broke out of the prison on Friday, by cutting a hole in the brand new $2 million security fence. The two men were hitchhiking separately on State Highway 3A between Inglewood and Waitara north of New Plymouth when they were picked up by Police. Police say they are now firmly in police custody. Prisons spokesman John Jamieson says an investigation has been launched into how the prisoners escaped. DOMINION AND EVENING POST MAY MERGE ----------------------------------- Up to 90 jobs are about to go at Wellington's two daily newspapers. INL wants to merge The Dominion and Evening Post into a single morning daily, called the Dominion Post. The bombshell was dropped on staff at a meeting this afternoon. At present, the two papers have separate editorial teams, but share advertising, production and printing. INL's promising to consult with workers over the next few days, but wants to confirm the decision by the end of the week. If all goes to plan, the new publication will hit the streets next month. Chief Executive Tom Mockridge says the company's suffered an advertising slide that is making it heard to sustain two separate publications. The Evening Post's suffered a decline in readership and advertising in recent years. At the moment its circulation is down to 54,000, from a high of almost 100,000 in 1974. Australian-born newspaper magnate Rupert Murdoch has a 49% shareholding in INL - in fact, the company was his first overseas investment, back in 1964 when it was known as the Wellington Publishing Company. INL runs the STUFF website and is a major shareholder in Sky TV as well as publishing more than 80 print titles. (Aaaauuuuugghhhh! I subscribe to both, but if I had to choose one of them to survive, I would have preferred it to be the Evening Post. - BH) GIVE US A BREAK SAYS DOC ------------------------ The Department of Conservation is pleading with the public to give its staff, and exhausted seals a break. Rangers have received nine calls from members of the public concerned about seals on beaches from Horowhenua to Braker Bay in Wellington. But a check after each call has revealed the animals were simply quietly snoring. DOC's technical support officer in Wellington, Bruce Dix, says seals need some calm after a storm such as the weather bomb which hit the country last week. He does not want to discourage people from contacting DOC about wildlife in distress. But he says in this case it's simply a matter of wildlife doing what wildlife does. SMOKING IS PERSONAL CHOICE - BAT -------------------------------- One of the tobacco companies facing legal action from a terminally ill woman says adult smoking is a matter of personal choice. Fifty-one year-old Janice Pou has filed a suit against British American Tobacco and W. D. and H. O. Wills. She wants $330,000 in compensation. British American says people have been well aware of the risks of smoking for years. It points to Department of Health anti-smoking campaigns dating back to 1948 and says it is a responsible company, operating legally in a strictly regulated environment. Spokesman Carrick Graham says adult smoking is a matter of personal choice and responsibility. British American's promising to strongly defend any legal action. (Fascinating that a company which, according to my memory, strenuously denied any link between smoking and cancer well into the seventies, should now be attempting to use the arguments of the health department which it always denied, as a defence! On the other hand, with so little cash at stake compared with the suits it has faced in the US, it is perhaps a good opportunity to try a novel defence. - BH) APPEAL FOR MOTH PROGRAMME TO CONTINUE ------------------------------------- Conservationists are critical of MAF, amid claims that the agency plans to ditch the programme to eradicate the painted apple moth. MAF has been carrying out a spraying campaign in Auckland in an effort to destroy the imported pest, which attacks native plants including karaka, kowhai, mangrove and native broom species. Forest and Bird claims that a Cabinet committee will decide tomorrow the fate of the eradication programme and that MAF has recommended that eradication be abandoned. Spokesman Geoff Keey says the pest's destruction of native plants in this country's fragile ecosystem will also have devastating effects on rare creatures such as the kiwi and the katipo spider. He says New Zealand does not need the insect equivalent of possums as there are more than enough costly pests damaging native forests at the moment. Mr Keey admits MAF bungled its early attempts at eradication but says that is no reason to give up now. NATIONAL ANNOUNCES TOURISM POLICY --------------------------------- National says it would cut business compliance costs and improve New Zealand's roading network to help boost tourism. The party's tourism policy promises to make life easier for small to medium sized operators. Tourism spokeswoman Katherine Rich says the success of the country's tourism operators is being stifled by the increasing burden of compliance costs. She says National would make key policy changes like simplifying the Resource Management Act consent process, and allowing private investment in infrastructure. Ms Rich says National would also ensure the country's border control and biosecurity measures are as tight as possible. She says access to New Zealand's tourism 'jewels' is a key issue in the growth of the industry, which is why the roading network needs to be improved. National plants to create a Ministerial Tourism Advisory Group forum to bring together views across the tourism sector, directly to the Minister and the public agencies affecting tourists and tourism policy. CTU PLEASED BY BANK PARENTAL LEAVE MOVE ---------------------------------------- The Council of Trade Unions is optimistic a move by the WestpacTrust to pay staff parental leave will have flow-on effects. The Bank is offering workers 12 weeks parental leave, on full salary. It is also offering to top up the state scheme if employees return to work for at least three months. CTU secretary Paul Goulter hopes it will lead to more competition within the banking sector to retain good staff. He says that is likely to involve other banks matching employment packages, which he says is good news for banking staff, who are predominantly female. INL ANNOUNCEMENT EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON ----------------------------------------- A major announcement is expected soon about the future of the Wellington newspaper market. INL, which publishes both the Dominion and the Evening Post, has called staff to a meeting this afternoon. The company's New Zealand divisions now publish more than 80 daily, Sunday, community, suburban and weekly newspaper titles, magazines and specialist publications. It is also responsible for the STUFF website and is a major shareholder in Sky TV. Australian-born newspaper magnate Rupert Murdoch has a 49% shareholding in INL - in fact, the company was his first overseas investment, back in 1964 when it was known as the Wellington Publishing Company. A media conference is scheduled for just before four o'clock. ESCAPERS COULD BE BEHIND CAR THEFT ----------------------------------- More details have emerged concerning the theft of a Wellington man's car last evening, which could be the work of two escaped inmates. Police say it appears the man was approached by two other men while he was in a public toilet in Kaiwharawhara. Detective Sergeant Dean Rosson says the victim went to a nearby park with the men where he was assaulted and had his money card and car keys stolen. The car was later found at Tongaporutu north of New Plymouth. Dean Rosson is now urging anyone who sees the men to call the police straight away, but he advises people to be extremely cautious. Taranaki police have launched a large manhunt in bush near where the car was found. MAYBE MONEY CAN BUY YOU LOVE ---------------------------- A New-Zealand based dating website is aiming to make the internet a more romantic place right around the world - and make money at the same time. Hotmatch.co.nz plans to license overseas the technology it uses on its site in this country. The site is a lifestyle and dating portal that already receives 10,000 visitors a week, even though it has only been running since February. Joining the site is free - but members then pay for use of the 0900 voicemail and competition lines. Rob Earle, the chief executive of the software company that developed the Hotmatch technology, says licensees in the UK or the USA could expect to pay more than $200,000 for the license to use it. He says New Zealand has been a great test market for a global platform. Tuesday, 25 June ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ARMED OFFENDERS ALERT UNDERWAY ------------------------------ An armed offenders alert is underway in Palmerston North. Police are looking for a man they think is armed with a knife, who was disturbed inside a house in Saturn Crescent. Streets in the suburb of Milson have been cordoned off. Palmerston North police are asking people living in the area to stay in their homes and report any suspicious behaviour. ALLIANCE PROPOSES MORE WAITANGI FUNDING --------------------------------------- A 30 per cent increase in funding for the Waitangi Tribunal every year for the next ten years would speed up the treaty claims process. The Alliance Party has launched its Treaty of Waitangi policy in Hamilton today. The party also wants an extra 10 people appointed to the tribunal to clear the majority of treaty settlements by 2012. Party leader Laila Harré says the policy is the most comprehensive ever released by her party. She says the Alliance has a commitment to resolving the claims. FLIGHT FEVER FOR TRAVOLTA ------------------------- Auckland will be one of the destinations for Hollywood superstar and pilot John Travolta as part of a goodwill tour on behalf of Qantas. The Oscar-nominated star was given a pair of golden wings by Qantas today after training on 747 simulators at Boeing in Seattle. The 48 year old actor called it one of the proudest days of his life. The star will travel to 10 countries as part of the tour, and will visit Auckland next month. He is now officially "Ambassador-at-large" for the Australian airline. Qantas spokesman Curtis Davis says Travolta's been a longtime fan of the airline - and even owns one of its old planes, a Boeing 707. Travolta will pilot the plane himself on the tour. REACTION TO BUSH PROPOSAL ------------------------- It appears Palestinian President Yasser Arafat is being punished by the US for continued terrorist attacks. It follows the unveiling of US President George W Bush's proposal for the war-torn Middle East. He told Palestinians they would get US support for an independent state if they gave up their leaders. Although he did not name Yasser Arafat, it is clear he is at the centre of Mr Bush's thoughts. Our correspondent in Jerusalem says President Bush has an agenda and wants the Palestinian problem out of the way. He says the failure of Arafat to be seen to do anything in recent months has led President Bush to the decision he announced today. The US leader has made it clear that he's unhappy with Yasser Arafat's performance. President Arafat is unlikely to step aside however, preferring to see himself as the die-hard jihad warrior. But our correspondent says there are people within the Palestinian leadership who are thinking about moving towards leadership positions. He believes the Palestinian people will be listening and open to the US proposal. ARREST MADE IN TOKOROA CASE --------------------------- A team of police investigating a murder in Tokoroa will continue working on the case even though an arrest has been made. A 25-year-old Tokoroa man was arrested in Auckland early this morning. He has been charged with the murder of 31-year-old Jaden Marcus Paora, who died of head injuries eleven days ago. Senior Sergeant Steve Bullock says the team of police from Tokoroa, Rotorua, Putaruru and Taupo are pleased an arrest has been made. He says they have not ruled out the possibility of further arrests in relation to the murder. SPCA WARNING FOR FARMERS ------------------------ The SPCA is sending out a reminder to farmers about the need to take extra care of livestock during winter. In particular lifestyle farmers are being urged to look out for the needs of their animals when cold snaps hit and conditions deteriorate. Veterinary advisor for the SPCA, Marjorie Orr says often less experienced farmers are unaware of the extra attention livestock need during colder times. She says it is vital they bring themselves up to speed on how to take care of the animals they have. Ms Orr says a disproportionate number of SPCA call-outs during the winter are to lifestyle farms. UNION SUPPORT FOR CULLEN; NATIONAL SAYS HE'S WRONG -------------------------------------------------- Former Reserve Bank Governor Don Brash says Labour's heading down the wrong track if it wants to encourage economic growth. Dr Brash, who is now a National list candidate, has taken issue with the Minister of Finance who is suggesting a more liberal approach to monetary policy. Michael Cullen wants to renegotiate the Reserve Bank's interpretation of the zero to three percent inflation target. Dr Brash says it is not true to suggest that by being more tolerant of inflation, economic growth would follow. He says in the 1970s and 80s New Zealand suffered high inflation but little growth. However, Unions are backing the Finance Minister's call for a rethink. The CTU says it has been concerned for some time that the bank has damaged the economy by aiming for that midpoint. It says trying to squeeze that last percent or so out of inflation can impact on economic growth. NZ, USA WIN WTO ROW AGAINST CANADA ---------------------------------- Complaints against a controversial Canadian dairy export scheme laid by New Zealand against the United States have been upheld by the World Trade Organisation. The scheme at the centre of the row was brought in after a 1999 decision by the WTO which found than the regime then in force provided illegal dairy subsidies to Canadian dairy exports. Now the latest scheme has also been found wanting. Trade Negotiations Minister Jim Sutton says the illegal export subsidies cost this country's dairy industry $80 million a year. He says it is time Canada realised the writing was on the wall and withdrew the illegal support to its exporters RESERVE BANK POLICIES UNDER REVIEW ---------------------------------- A strong hint from Finance Minister Michael Cullen this afternoon that he wants the Reserve Bank to take a more stimulatory approach to monetary conditions in future. Dr Cullen says the Bank clearly has a different interpretation to the Government of the zero to three per cent inflation target agreement. The Bank, under former Governor Don Brash, had usually kept the target at the midpoint of its range. But Dr Cullen says the target could be anywhere between zero and three. He says the Government will look to renegotiate the policy targets agreement with the new governor when a permanent replacement for Don Brash is appointed. But Dr Cullen refused to attack Dr Brash personally, saying he is not in the business of commenting on the former governor. However he says Dr Brash is these days out kissing babies, making sure they do not grow too fast. Dr Brash is now a National list candidate and Dr Cullen's growth comment was clearly aimed at the economy. ENROLMENT WEBSITE SLUGGISH UNDER PRESSURE ----------------------------------------- The elections website is sluggish under pressure from a last minute surge of enrolments. Today is the final day for standard enrolments. Voters can still enrol from tomorrow but will be required to fill in a special registration and complete a special vote. Election enrolments centre national manager Murray Wicks says internet users should expect delays as people rush to enrol. He says this is the first Government election to take place with the website up and running and the results show voters are embracing the on-line process. That website can be found at www.elections.govt.nz EXTRA MONEY TO HELP COROMANDEL ------------------------------ The Thames-Coromandel District Council is getting another $330,000 from the Government to help it deal with its flooding disaster. The region has been devastated by the so-called weather 'bomb' which has damaged and destroyed more than 100 homes. Civil Defence Minister George Hawkins says the payment's on top of a $20,000 contribution to the Mayoral Fund announced by Helen Clark on Saturday. He says the money will be spent on more Taskforce Green workers who will carry out work such as clearing out waterways. George Hawkins says a report is also being prepared for Cabinet on more appropriate ways to help councils whose regions experience natural disasters. CAVE CREEK RE-EXAMINATION REJECTED ---------------------------------- A call for a re-examination of the Cave Creek Enquiry has been turned down by the Prime Minister. Christchurch lawyer Grant Cameron appealed to Helen Clark for an independent QC to look into who decided not to prosecute anyone following the tragedy, and why. He represents 22 families affected by the collapse of the Department of Conservation platform on the West Coast of the South Island seven years ago. 14 people died in the disaster. But today Helen Clark has announced she does not intend to get involved in matters which are properly the province of statutory officers. She has told Grant Cameron his request to re-open the case should be directed to the Commissioner of Police, or the Solicitor-General. POLICE, FAMILY WELCOME INCREASED SENTENCE ----------------------------------------- A Hawke's Bay detective hopes Dartelle Alder's increased sentence will serve as a warning. The Court of Appeal has added two years to the minimum non-parole period for Alder who ran down, raped and murdered Margaret Baxter near Hastings last year. He will not now be eligible for parole until he has served 17 years of his life sentence. Detective Inspector Godfrey Watson says it is a more appropriate sentence. He hopes it will have a positive effect and act as a deterrent to others. He says the minimum non-parole period is now at a more justified level and that the victim's family have also welcomed the increased sentence. APPLE MOTH DECISION ON HOLD --------------------------- Cabinet is yet to decide what to do about West Auckland's painted apple moth problem. There has been talk that the Government had decided to ditch a controversial $11 million eradication programme, and examine other options on how to deal with the pest. One was for the Government to adopt a long-term management approach. But Prime Minister Helen Clark says Cabinet's only just received a thorough paper on the next stage of the programme. She says ministers will take more advice from officials next week, and a decision could be made by Wednesday. The painted apple moth is a native of Australia and was discovered in the West Auckland suburb of Glendene in 1999. It attacks many native plants, including Karaka, Kowhai and several species of native beech. Forest and Bird yesterday attacked proposals to ditch the eradication programme, saying that although MAF had bungled its initial stages, it was important to protect the country's unique ecosystem. The conservation organisation says that if the moth attacks native plants, the knock-on effect can be highly damaging to native creatures such as the rare katipo spider and the kiwi. WEBSITE UNVEILS "TWO TOWERS" POSTER ----------------------------------- The hype has begun. The "Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy website, theonering. net has given fans their first view of the teaser poster for the second movie in Peter Jackson's blockbusting series. The poster features a view of the two towers in the movie's title, set against a stormy sky with what appears to be an enormous army in ranks preparing for battle. "The Two Towers" follows the continuing quest of the Hobbit, Frodo Baggins and the remaining members of the Fellowship of the Ring as they work to destroy the One Ring and stand against the evil Sauron. The new movie stars Cate Blanchett, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen and Elijah Wood as Frodo. The screenplay, based on the second book in J R R Tolkien's series, has been written by Peter Jackson, his partner Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. Do not start queueing yet - the movie does not open until December 18. Wednesday, 26 June ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LOYAL GREENS REWARDED --------------------- All seven Green MPs have been rewarded for their efforts in Parliament by being ranked in the party's top seven list placings, out today. Top of the list are co-leaders Rod Donald and Jeanette Fitzsimons. However there have been some changes in the ranking of the seven, with Ian Ewen-Street dropping from three to six and Nandor Tanczos jumping a place to number four. Co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says some people were skeptical about the Greens' line-up after the last election. However she says they have all been effective MPs. Current polling would see four new Green MPs enter Parliament, including young Maori lawyer Metiria Turei, and Wellington anti-bypass campaigner Roland Sapsford. Ms Turei says she is slightly nervous at the prospect of entering Parliament, but believes it is a fantastic opportunity to make a difference to society. Metiria Turei is a former candidate for the McGillicuddy Serious Party and the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party. NATIONAL BACKS NCEA REVIEW -------------------------- The National Party believes the National Certificate of Educational Achievement can work. National's education spokesman Nick Smith says reports of an Auckland school shunning the NCEA highlight the need for the qualification to be reviewed. Mr Smith says there is little wonder teachers are struggling with the work load. He says the teachers' dispute is leaving 56,000 year eleven students in the dark. National believes the NCEA can work if modified and properly resourced, but first the Government has to settle the teachers' dispute. WORLDCOM SCANDAL DRAGS SE40 DOWN -------------------------------- Shares in New Zealand have taken a slide thanks to another financial scandal in the US. The SE 40 has closed down 34 points at 2064 - a fall of more than one and a half percent. The US dollar has fallen and Asian stocks have also slumped. The latest problems have been traced back to US telecoms giant WorldCom. The company may have misreported up to $7 billion as capital expenditure, rather than expenses. Analysts say it could bankrupt the company. WorldCom says it has fired its chief financial officer. FACELIFT FOR CHRISTCHURCH WOMEN'S --------------------------------- A $79 million rebuild of Christchurch Women's Hospital has been announced in Christchurch this afternoon. The news was released by Health Minister Annette King while holding a seminar at Christchurch Hospital. The plan will see the existing facility, which dates back to the 50s, replaced with a new wing at Christchurch Hospital. The new hospital will have 134 beds, and District Health Board management say it will be a significant improvement on the existing facility. Construction will begin in early November and the wing is expected to be completed in 2005. LIFE SENTENCE FOR CLINTON MURDERER ---------------------------------- The Oamaru man accused of murdering 40-year-old John Bruce Hendry at Clinton last December has received a life sentence for his crime. Twenty-six-year-old Ross Donald Cannon pleaded guilty to the murder in the High Court at Dunedin today. He was committed for trial last Friday following a depositions hearing. However today he entered a guilty plea. He faces a minimum non-parole period of thirteen years. TEAM NZ ANOTHER STEP CLOSER TO FUNDS ------------------------------------ Team New Zealand is breathing easier now that it is one step closer to a $650,000 cash injection. Auckland City Council's Finance Committee has approved the one-off grant for the America's Cup syndicate. The matter will now go to the full council meeting tomorrow night to get the final tick. Team New Zealand CEO Ross Blackman says the council money will go some way towards an overall funding deficit of $9. 5 million. He says the councillors have no doubt the event is huge for both Auckland City and the country. Ross Blackman says the grant will be used to help Team New Zealand run the event. GUILTY MURDER PLEA ------------------ The man charged with the murder of Punakaiki woman Mya Sollis has pleaded guilty to her murder and been sentenced to life imprisonment. The body of 73-year-old Mya Sollis was discovered on a West Coast beach near Punakaiki in January. She had been stabbed 11 times to the face and neck. Thirty-four-year-old Peter Douglas Carrington of Oamaru pleaded guilty to the murder in the High Court at Greymouth today. MERGE EMERGENCY SERVICES - NZ FIRST ----------------------------------- New Zealand First wants to develop a new set up for the country's emergency services. The party wants to integrate the police, fire and ambulance services into a single Ministry of Emergency Services. New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says the services will share facilities, radio communications, vehicle and support staff. He says information will also be shared among the services to ensure police are better advised of trouble spots. The idea is part of New Zealand First's law and order policy announced in a speech by Mr Peters today. TENT FULL OF STOLEN GOODS ------------------------- A Wellington man has been charged with theft and his 16-year-old daughter has been referred to Police Youth Aid after they were found living in a tent full of stolen goods. Senior Sergeant Ian McKeown says police were called after a supermarket theft on Monday, and the pair took officers to a tent in Mount Victoria where they had been living for about two months. He says a search of the tent revealed a large quantity of stolen property. Friday, 28 June ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HODGSON KEEPS UP GE DEBATE ------------------------- The GE debate remains in the headlines. Science Minister Pete Hodgson says New Zealanders are unlikely to see commercial GM crops here for years. His comments come the day after a public debate on the subject between himself and Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons. The vigorous debate attracted a crowd of around 500 in Dunedin last night. The current moratorium on GM organisms outside the laboratory ends in October. Even then, Mr Hodgson doubts there will be any applications for non-trial release of GM for some years after that. He says if there are, and they are approved, strict conditions will be placed on the crop. Pete Hodgson believes the Greens' opposition to GM is rooted in their fear of multinational companies. CENTRAL WELLINGTON POWERLESS ---------------------------- The power's gone off in central Wellington. It is understood that power's out through most of the CBD and surrounding areasThe cause is not yet known. A City Council spokesperson says they understand parts of the city may be without power for up to three hours. (Apparently a transformer blew up. Trolleybuses were stranded fro three hours. - BH) GOVERNMENT TAKES ADVICE ----------------------- The Government is taking advice on whether to appeal the High Court ruling on refugee detention. A High Court judge has ruled the Government's policy since September 11 of detaining asylum-seekers is unlawful. However, Immigration Minister Lianne Dalziel says every country has the right to question who is coming into their country. And she says she is concerned that such a narrow interpretation has been applied to the international law used in this case. Ms Dalziel says she expects to make a decision on the issue by the end of next week. CATHOLICS TO HEAR OF SEX ABUSE ------------------------------ New Zealand Catholics will hear from their bishops this weekend about the mounting revelations of sex abuse involving priests and brothers. A letter from the bishops will be read or distributed to parishioners at Mass this weekend. The move follows recent revelations the St John of God Order has paid compensation to several people following alleged incidents in Christchurch. A spokeswoman for the church will not comment on the contents of the letter, saying church members should get the chance to hear or read it first. It is not known if the letter from the bishops will contain an apology to victims of clergy sex abuse. (It does - BH) CRACKDOWN ON FALSE 111 CALLS ----------------------------- Telecom is cracking down on false 111 calls. From August fixed line customers will be allowed just one false call a month. After that they will be charged six dollars a time. Telecom hopes the move will cut down on the number of unwanted 111 calls, currently running at about 70 percent. The company believes a large number of the false emergency calls are made by children. ECONOMY SURGES IN MARCH QUARTER ------------------------------- Statistics New Zealand figures show the economy surged during the first quarter. Gross domestic product rose by 1. 1 percent in the March quarter, driven by strong exports, a solid domestic sector and healthy tourism figures. Average annual GDP growth for the year to March grew 3. 2 percent, compared with 2. 6 percent in the previous March year. A better than expected $496 million trade surplus has also been recorded in May, the highest monthly surplus since May last year. Exports were estimated at $3. 1 billion for the month, outstripping imports of $2. 60 billion. Finance Minister Michael Cullen says growth was driven primarily by exports and household spending, which rose 1. 5 percent over the quarter. But economists are warning more interest rate hikes are likely, in order to dampen pressures. GOVT CROWS AT BOAT PEOPLE CAMPAIGN ---------------------------------- The Government claims potential Indonesian boat people are being put off attempting a trip to New Zealand due to its graphic anti-people smuggling campaign. Foreign Minister Phil Goff says 3,000 pamphlets warning of the perils of undertaking a journey to New Zealand have been distributed in towns and ports in Indonesia. He says reports from Jakarta reveal that the campaign is making an impact and potential illegal immigrants are becoming doubtful about making the trip. He says the hard-hitting pamphlets contain a clear message about people-smugglers, that they do not care whether their cargo gets to their destination alive. Another 25,000 pamphlets are due to be released in other countries including Thailand and Vietnam. CASH TILLS RING GREEN AT SUPERMARKETS ------------------------------------- Organic foods are proving to be a boon for supermarkets, but specialist stores are struggling. A study by Otago University of organic retailers in Dunedin, suggests that nationwide, sales are $38. 5 million per annum higher than they were in 2000. Nationwide sales now top $71 million annually. Dr Hugh Campbell says supermarkets enjoy the lion's share of the growth, and the news is not so good for specialist retailers. Supermarkets' share of the market has soared from 26 percent to 57 percent but traditional organic retailers' market share has fallen from 57 percent to 22 percent. Dr Campbell says the move reflects trends in many EU countries. But he says while specialist organic shops are clearly in for a challenging few years, they still have certain advantages over supermarkets. He says they provide consumers with more information on the goods and sell more unusual produce that supermarkets are not interested in. He says committed organic shoppers also prefer supporting local, "green" retailers to supermarkets. COMMUNITY WORK SERVICE BEGINS ----------------------------- Schools, churches and hospitals stand to benefit from a new community sentencing programme. From next week, both periodic detention and community service will be scrapped. In their place, sentences called Community Work will be meted out to low-level offenders. Corrections Department spokeswoman Tracy Mellor says hours and places of work will be more flexible. She encourages any educational, cultural or recreational community groups to make use of the system. Mr Mellor says the work must not normally be carried out as full-time employment. NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY DIVISIVE ----------------------------------- Labour is describing National's education policy out today as boring, old and divisive. National wants to move away from the centralised state education system. The party would bring back a form of bulk funding for schools and allow communities more control. However Education Minister Trevor Mallard says New Zealanders do not want bulk funding. He says National has spent three years in Opposition and had not come up with a single new idea on education. THE FINANCIAL PAGE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Date: 27 June 2002 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 0.4913 AUD 0.8751 GBP 0.3221 JPY 59.10 CAD 0.7468 EUR 0.5018 HKD 3.8418 SGD 0.8681 ZAR 5.1154 CHF 0.7368 INTEREST RATES (%) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Call : 5.50 90 Day: 6.00 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 [EMAIL PROTECTED] 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/ -- Brian M. Harmer This message sent to: archive@jab.org
