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From: bharmer@matai.vuw.ac.nz
Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
Subject: WYSIWYG NEWS 18 April 1994
Date: 18 Apr 94 22:15:56 +1300
Organization: Victoria University of Wellington,  NZ
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Message-ID: <1994Apr18.221556.1@matai.vuw.ac.nz>
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WYSIWYG NEWS -----------------------------------------------------------

USED COMPUTER SERVICE FOR SALE
------------------------------

The Government appears to have overcome the privacy-related fears of its
backbenchers so that they are now offering the Government Computing
Service for sale by open tender. Among the rumoured contenders are
Telecom, IBM, and Wang. 

Jim Higgins, director of the "World Communications Laboratory" was 
interviewed on National Radio, and commented on the risks 
associated with such a company, noting that it was increasingly difficult
for a company based on large mainframes to compete with leaner meaner 
in-house services. 

GCS manages, among other things, the Wanganui Computer Centre, repository
of Justice Department records, so civil libertarians are twitchy about 
the sale.

TAX DODGES UNCOVERED
--------------------

The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has thus far, recovered in excess
of $5 million from various companies and individuals who have been
using the Cook Islands as a means of tax *avoidance*. There is at least 
another $6 million to come from a small number of people whose affairs
have not yet been fully investigated.

The commissioner of the IRD has been scathing about the ethics of company
officers who have exploited the Cook Islands in this way, although 
conceding that no law was broken. The department has made the point
that while tax evasion is illegal, tax avoidance is not. Nevertheless, 
they say that schemes established for the sole purpose of avoiding tax 
are subject to scrutiny and claims may be dissallowed in these 
circumstances.

MORTGAGE RATES BEGIN TO REBOUND
-------------------------------

Countrywide Bank have announced a rise of almost 1% in their mortgage
rate, following a rise in the 90 day bill rate. 
 
The new rate of 8.25% is now the highest, but it is predicted that
other banks will follow rapidly. On a mortgage of $80,000 this will 
translate to another $45 per month. 

(As a Countrywide mortgage holder, I have this perception that they are
always the last to lower, first to raise the rates - unfortunately
the paralegal costs of registering a mortgage seem still to be about
$2,000 so shifting to another bank is not necessarily economically 
sound :-[  - BH)

--- update on 18 April

Today, the dam broke (according to the Evening Post) and most of the 
other banks have followed Countrywide's lead and 8.25% seems to be the 
uniform, freely arrived at, competitive rate for almost everyone.

BOLGER SAYS MPS FREE TO LEAVE PARTY
-----------------------------------

Jim Bolger says he has no difficulty with National MPs who leave the 
party to join other conservative groupings in coalition with the 
National Party. He says MMP's reduction from 99 to 60 electorates 
means that parties cannot offer places to all who now have them. MPs 
will naturally seek to protect their own position.  Within the party, 
some have criticised this position, but the PM says they have not yet
understood the consequences of the electoral system for which New Zealand
voted last October.

NOT QUITE NZ NEWS BUR INTERESTING - LIFTED FROM AUS.LEGAL
---------------------------------------------------------

Michael Malone @ iiNet Technologies
Internet Service providers and Computer Retailers
pariah@iinet.com.au. Ph (09) 307 1183, Fax 307 8414. fido#3:632/552

Posted the following in the newsgroup AUS.LEGAL

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 1994 APR 4 (NB) -- In what is claimed to be the
first successful Australian defamation action over an electronic
message, a man was awarded $40,000 damages last Thursday. Judge
David Ipp, sitting in the Supreme Court Of Western Australia, found
that Dr David Rindos had been the subject of a damaging message
placed by Gilbert Hardwick.

..... (details omitted - summary: Harwick defamed Rindos on the net - BH)

Hardwick did not defend the action against himself.

RATA OFF TO SOUTH AFRICA
------------------------

Matiu Rata, leader of the Mana Motuhake party, and longtime critic of 
the South African apartheid system is among the observers from New Zealand
who are going to South Africa as UN observers of the forthcoming elections.

BUSINESSMAN BEATEN IN CARPARK
-----------------------------

After being missing for two days, Auckland businessman, Raymond Farrant
Mills, 61, was found severely beaten in the basement of an Auckland
city carpark. His assailants made attempts to set the building and the 
man's car on fire. 

Mr Mills is in intensive care in Auckland Hospital, having lost an eye
and at least five teeth. The family are offering a substantial reward 
for information leading to the conviction of the assailants.

(WYSIWYG extends its sympathy to family members who participate in
S.C. N-Z - BH)

FERRY DISPUTE POSTURES
----------------------

NZ Rail. owners of the Cook Strait ferries have advertised around the
world for shipping management companies to take the running of the 
ferries under contract. This is perceived to be a bargaining ploy 
to force the unions to accept the reduced manning and increased hours 
required by the company. Union leaders seem unmoved, pointing out
that overseas workers need to get through the immigration 
criteria before they could crew a coastal service such as this.

PORN BILL CRITICISED
--------------------

(Source: Infotech weekly - 18 April 1994)

Trevor Rogers, National MP for Howick wants to introduce a private 
member's bill which would make it illegal to be in possession of 
electronically sourced material of a pornographic, violent or offensive
nature. 

(Hey guys, don't shoot the messenger - BH)

Among the proposed penalties is a 5 year ban on owning a telephone. 

Delia Browne, from Auckland University's Commercial Law Department 
is strongly critical of the proposed legislation and says the move 
smacks of moral panic. It will only drive these things underground.


--------
As there will be only one or maybe two more posts before I go to Santa
Rosa, I will call it quits for tonight.

Cheers
Brian Harmer˙
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