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From: hawthorn@waikato.ac.nz
Newsgroups: soc.culture.new-zealand
Subject: NOT the WYSIWYG news
Message-ID: <1994May5.111231.28311@waikato.ac.nz>
Date: 5 May 94 11:12:30 +1200
Organization: University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
Lines: 78

Since we must go WYSIWYGless for a bit longer, here is a description of the
news of the day.

1. Lockout on Ferries now seems likely: 
	NZ rail has given out a news release saying it is about to issue
	a lockout notice to Cook Strait ferry staff. (But they haven't 
	actually done so yet). They are legally obliged to give two weeks
	notice of a lockout. No bookings are being accepted for late May
	immediately after the school holidays.

	NZ rail apparently has a full complement of Aussia strikebreakers
	ready to go. 

	This news release looks to me to be managed to put more pressure on 
	the Unions. Note that they have merely said they are ABOUT TO issue
	a lockout notice. Negotiations are continuing.

2. Treasury has cancelled a bond tender scheduled for next thursday, for
	$300M. Another scheduled for mid-June has also been cancelled, and
	a third has been delayed and a decision about whether or not to 
	cancel it will be made later. Bill Birch earlier predicted that the
	govt would get to within $300M either way of balance. Now treasury
	says a surplus appears likely, and the govt may not need to make any
	more bond issues this year. The treasury's program of repatriating 
	foreign debt has also reached completion. Interest rates dipped
	slightly at the news, however since Mortgage rates follow the 
	international market, there is expected to be little impact on 
	Mortgage rates. The stock market showed no reaction.

3. A group of powerboat enthusiasts has circumnavigated NZ in four days, 
	16 hours, and 49 minutes. This looks to have sparked interest from
	other powerboat fanatics who may attempt to better it in the near
	future.

4. Police have offerred a $50,000 reward for information leading to the 
	conviction of the South Auckland serial rapist believed responsible
	for the rapes of 27 girls and women since 1988. This equals the 
	highest reward ever offerred in NZ.

5. Maori interests have brought a high court action seeking to block Chatham
	Island Moriori from bringing a case to the Waitangi Tribunal. The
	Maori group claims that Moriori are not Maori, hence the Waitangi
	tribunal has no jurisdiction. They also claim that the Moriori have
	lost their tangata whenua status by virtue of their conquest in 1835. 
	The Waitangi tribunal has indicated that it plans to go ahead with 
	hearing the case despite the high court action. The Moriori are 
	asking that the government return crown owned land, sacred sites, and
	award descendants of the Moriori birding and sealing rights on the 
	chathams. They are also seeking monetary reparation for the failure 
	of the government to protect them from enslavement and inhuman 
	treatment at the hands of the Maori invaders.

6. Television has come in for criticism. Critics point to the glut of news
	programmes, and the competitive scheduling practices that see viewers
	faced with a choice of news, news, or news, twice each night. 

7. There has been a minor uproar in the parliamentary press gallery following
	allegations that some political reporters have been accepting money 
	from public relations firms to slant their questions in a particular 
	way. A meeting of parliamentary reporters has resolved that those 
	caught doing this kind of thing should be expelled from the
	parliamentary press gallery.

8. In the wake of the South African elections there has been some rehashing 
	of the springbok tour mess. Some people have suggested that those
	arrested in the protests should be pardoned. Jim Bolger has also been
	trying to rewrite history a little bit by sliding over into the 
	protesters camp. Of course Jim was one of the most staunch supporters
	of the tour way back when.

9. (Political distraction of the week) - Bolger has complained to the 
	Australians about broadcasting rules (designed to maintain Aussie 
	content) that prevent Shortland Street from being shown in that
	country. His argument is that since NZers have to watch Neighbours
	it is only fair that Aussies be subjected to SS. Mr Hawke seems to 
	agree, and has promised to look into it.

Ian H. 
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