Copyright © 1995 Brian Harmer
Last week I wrote:
OMIGOSH! Typing the date above reminds me that tomorrow is Valentine's day and I am in deep doodoo! Too late now. I'll think of something to rescue this situation tomorrow, but if you don't hear from me next week, suspect retribution :-(
Well, you didn't hear from me, but it wasn't as a result of punitive action. I just got swamped with the necessity to deliver some new course material, and my plea for 36 hour days went unheard. :-)
Anyhow, here I am back on my original Sunday schedule. Today is a golden Wellington day with rhythmic cicada songs threatening industrial deafness outside my window. Murphy has decreed a near flat calm for the weekend in which Wellington held an inaugural wind festival, so international kite experts had to work very hard to keep their fanciful creations in the air. The harbour is the deepest blue today, and I remember why I love living in this city.
On with the news:
The commissioner in the so called winebox inquiry, Sir Ronald Davison has been admitted to hospital suffering a lung complaint. This raised fears of further delays in the already protracted inquiry.
In the latest step in the investigation into the safety of the rabbit calicivirus, two kiwis were killed by scientists to obtain tissue samples to send to the Australian research centre at Geelong. The test are to determine whether or not the virus represents a danger to native fauna, especially the kiwi and the bat.
(Seems to have killed two kiwis so far - BH)
Alan Bond, 48, and his crew member Bruce Garrick, 45, both of Mt. Hutt were killed when their Hughes 500 helicopter crashed into trees near Windwhistle on the Rakaia river. The pair were on their way to rescue a fishing party of four stranded on an island in the rapidly rising waters when their craft hit the trees and burst into flames. Mr. Bond, universally known as "Bondie" was mourned by many others in the rescue industry. The stranded tourists were rescued by an RNZAF Iroquois
The Rt. Hon Bill Birch (see http://www.parliament.govt.nz/exec/bio/birch.htm) issued his Budget policy statement today. He predicted a budget surplus of $3.2 billion in the 96/97 year, despite an expected $1 billion increase in government spending.
The French Ambassador M. Jacques Le Blanc who insisted that the thing which went "bang" at Mururoa was not a bomb but a device which explodes, is now seeking public suggestions on how to restore, and perhaps improve the relationship between France and New Zealand. He said "We are friends with a major disagreement, but still friends"
(Lord preserve me from friends with devices which explode in the Pacific - BH)
Anthony Gray Heywood, and Paulette Raewyn Heywood, both 24, of Christchurch, were swept away when crossing the Hawdon River near Arthur's Pass. They became entangled in a single wire electric fence designed to keep stock out of the National Park, and drowned.
The luxury P&O cruise liner, Golden Princess was about an hour out of Wellington after a day's sightseeing in the capital when a patient had a heart attack. The ship turned back to Wellington, and called for medical help. To everyone's amazement, Captain Lewellhaeen refused to permit paramedics to be delivered by helicopter, or the patient to be winched up. Instead, the ambulancemen had to travel out the ship on the pilot boat, taking about 50 minutes to get there. To nobody's surprise, the patient was dead when they arrived.
Subsequent investigations revealed that the ship's doctor was unable to stabilise the patient prior to transport, and conventional medical practice requires that stabilisation be achieved.
The captain was apparently acting on advice from the doctor on board, but his statements to the shore-based services caused enormous confusion. He made some remarks about his ship not being equipped to handle helicopters. As every Wellingtonian knows, all pilots were delivered to, and retrieved from ships by helicopter prior to a re-evaluation of the economics, and consideration of noise complaints from Easter suburbs residents.
In a statement which was described by opponents as part of the "longest strip tease in history" and as "National's election manifesto in drag", the government released more details of impending tax cuts. Reactions varied as the cuts were aimed at "working families" and did nothing significant for beneficiaries. The Alliance, and the Labour party were particularly vitriolic, referring to theft from the poor.
(I personally agree with the arguments in a discussion in soc.culture.new-zealand which say that the cuts are a response to a surplus. Tax cuts are allowing citizens to keep what was theirs to begin with, and cannot be characterized as "theft" - BH)
A decision of the Privy Council in London, has awarded damages to an Invercargill couple for negligence on the part of a building inspector which resulted in serious damage to their house. The Council's defence was backed by the Local Body Association, and was based on an earlier ruling by the Law Lords which appeared to exonerate councils from blame for faulty workmanship by builders.
The Privy Council is the court of last resort under present NZ law, although the budding republican movement seeks to change this.
The Invercargill couple, were awarded $50,000 which will be sufficient to repair their house. It was alleged that the inspector failed to ensure that the house foundations reached solid ground.
Almost 300 staff left the NZ Police for medical reasons in 1995. This is a significant increase on the previous year. Police Headquarters are not saying much about the revelation, but are understood to be investigating the causes.
A nationwide survey of local bodies rated Christchurch as the top in most categories, while Wellington was rated below average in each category. Only its library and its "Absolutely Positively Wellington" campaign were rated well.
A man who is currently serving a nine year prison sentence is being sued by his victim who is seeking $75,000 in general and exemplary damages. The High Court in Auckland granted leave for the case to proceed, though there is some debate over the issue of "double jeopardy". Paul James Daniel broke into the woman's home in 1991, and dragged her by the hair across the broken glass to his car. The victim was violated twice during her six hour period of terror.
With the arrest of three teenagers aged between 13 and 15, Karori residents hoped that the arsonist who had set so many fires last year was at last in captivity. The boys however, were responsible for a relatively small number of minor fires, and the arsonist who started the major blazes is still at large. There have been calls for the boys to be put to work clearing scrub away from endangered residences.
BOOOOMMMMM!
A worker in central Wellington who was working in Wellington's old Dominion Building at the top of a ladder with oxy-acetylene equipment, dropped it, damaging the valve. After a brief attempt to extinguish the flames, the 19 year old fled down the stairs. He had got down two flights when the cylinder blew up, sending window glass onto the street below. Workers on the floor above were lifted by the blast, but otherwise no serious damage occurred.
(I was sitting in my office at Victoria contemplating the beauty of a bright clear morning when this thing blew. It was a really heavy noise which rattled windows. The other noises of the city seemed to go still for an appreciable period, after which sirens began to wail. Large areas of the inner city were cordoned off while the situation was investigated. - BH)
In the first glimmer of hope for some time, New Zealand's world cup cricket team beat the England team in Ahmedabad in Pakistan. The team batted first, and got the Brits all out to win by 11 runs. Nathan Astle was the toast of the country for his 101 runs. This is his third century in the only 18 one-day international matches he has played.
The talks initiated by the Labour Party's new president Michael Hirschfield to smooth over differences between Labour and the Alliance screeched to a halt at the direction of Helen Clark. Ms Clark expressed the view that there could be no association between the Labour Party, and the "dippy" financial policies of the Alliance. Allegations were also made that Alliance leader Jim Anderton was untrustworthy.
An obviously angry Jim Anderton said he almost felt like "doing physical violence" to the politicians who made such allegations. This allowed Ms Clark to regain the moral high ground, saying that, as a woman she was deeply offended by threats of violence. Anderton was quick to recognise that he had erred, and apologised for his intemperate outburst.
The High Court in Wellington ordered the Wellington City Council to refund a portion of the business rates levied in the 1994/95 year. Holding that the businesses had been unfairly over-rated, he required them to refund the portion of the rates which were gathered under a differential scheme which was judged unlawful
The finding may add a $26 million dollar burden to the already reeling Wellington residential ratepayers. The council plans to appeal.
On the same day, the woman who was alleged to have fleeced the council of $300,000 pleaded guilty in the Wellington District Court, despite an earlier bluster in which she threatened lawsuits against the mayor.
In a move announced at a National Party retreat in Akaroa, the Prime Minister said that the existing honours system would be dispensed with to be replaced by a new New Zealand based system. However, a rearguard action was obviously fought by empire loyalists as the ranks of knight and dame will remain. The Order of New Zealand will be the country's highest honour, although it does not carry a title.
Justice Doogue ruled that the Crown had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Tranz Rail had failed to take reasonable care to protect life when he dismissed the charge of criminal nuisance against Tranz rail. The charges arose from the faulty handrail which allowed Morgan Jones to fall to the tracks from the Coastal Pacific train in 1994. He ruled that absolute perfection of systems was not possible.
An obviously disappointed Jones family will now consider taking civil action.
Pharmac, the agency responsible for purchasing pharmaceuticals for the health system has already spent its entire $700 million budget, with four months of its financial year to go. It attributes its dilemma to the greed of manufacturers, and to indiscriminate prescribing by physicians.
The Department of Conservation, with the reluctant support of the Forest and Bird Society is to drop 1080 poison on Kapiti Island in a effort to rid the nature reserve of its rat population. Unfortunately, the poison will eradicate most of the island's estimated 3,000 weka which are ground feeders. About 120 weka will be caged so as to provide stock from which to re-establish the bird after the programme is complete.
In a sharply worded judgement the Court of Appeal ordered witnesses at the winebox inquiry to testify, despite their claim to put themselves at risk by breaking Cook Island commercial secrecy laws.
The panel of three judges said that the interests of the citizens of New Zealand were paramount in this case. They instructed the appellants to testify, hoped that they had seen the last of these cases.
(Yay! One for the good guys! Winston Peters drew a few chuckles when he alleged that the winebox inquiry didn't need rows of lawyers... it needed rows of physicians to cure an unprecedented outbreak of Alzheimer's disease which seemed to leave many witnesses unable to recall essential details of their business. - BH)
(Un*******-believable! In later news this week, the reluctant witnesses are considering an appeal to the Privy Council which could take up to a year! - BH)
To the astonishment of airline commentators and financial analysts, Kiwi Air made a $1.2 million pre-tax profit in the first 10 months of its operation. Gross ticket sales exceeded $13.5 million, carrying over 50,000 people between Hamilton, Dunedin, Brisbane and Sydney.
Minister of Tourism and Radio Pacific talkback host John Banks aroused the ire of ACT members after he preceded the ACT party political advertising with a recording of pigs snorting, and followed them with an old song about dreaming.
The ACT party demanded their money back or a replay of the adverts without the offending additions. As in other cases where he has given offence, the minister has pleaded innocence, saying it was all "just good fun".
The Auckland Institute of Technology drew sharp criticism over its offer of places on its heavily oversubscribed physiotherapy course to anyone willing to pay the full fee. The sixty subsidised places on the course attracted over 600 applicants. The successful students will pay $2,190 each per annum. The AIT then wrote to those who were unsuccessful, offering admission if they paid the full $11,250 fee. Five of them accepted. Local students who accept this deal are ineligible for the student allowances or loans which other receive. Elitist treatment for the rich has been cried by the students association.
In a precedent setting decision, Justice Morris ruled in the high court in Auckland that the estate of a dead man should pay $50,000 to the victim of an alleged sexual abuse. Law lecturers have expressed concern that the verdict should have been reached on the unsubstantiated word of the complainant against a dead person who was in no position to defend himself. The family of the deceased person will appeal.
The Finance minister Bill Birch has revealed more detail of the long predicted tax cuts:
Annual Tax Now Savings Income July 96 July 97 $15,000 $2,965 $220 $165 $20,000 $4,365 $420 $315 $25,000 $5,765 $620 $465 $30,000 $7,165 $820 $615 $35,000+ $8,771+ $1,154 $1,197
Again the minister has emphasised that this is relief of a tax burden on working people, and there is no handout to beneficiaries.
New Zealand Post have been horrified to discover that blood, a gazetted infectious substance is regularly sent through the mail by police in contravention of Post's regulations. Police say they have been sending driver blood samples by registered post for alcohol analysis for over 20 years without mishap. Police regulations require some mechanism to ensure that the results received belong to the sample sent, hence the registered mail technique. Talks are continuing between the two organisations.
The Accident Compensation Commission is appealing against a decision which requires it to pay compensation to a man who sustained injuries in an accident he caused while drunk at the wheel of his truck, and which killed four other people.
The man whose wife and children were killed by the truck driver is devastated to discover that the perpetrator is in effect, rewarded for his misdeeds.
The only airline providing a service to the Chatham Islands has been grounded by the Airways Corporation after allegations that the pilots of its Metroliner aircraft could not demonstrate that they had been properly rated on the type, and that they had not been properly rated or checked.
Islanders are appalled, as the airline chartered by Air Chathams to fill the gap does not have the capacity to shift the loads necessary to keep island exporters in business.
The company is appealing the grounding.
As part of a deal in which the United Party will enter a formal coalition with National, former Labour MP Peter Dunne of Ohariu electorate is to be offered a cabinet post. This has yet to formally confirmed by National. It is further rumoured that National will not contest the Ohariu electorate. This has outraged many National supporters.
A survey commissioned by Readers Digest magazine reveals that over half of New Zealand 17 year olds do not know when world war II ended. Only a tiny proportion knew when Captain Cook first came here, but several included Captain Cook and Nelson Mandela in their list of present New Zealand cabinet ministers. Less than 30% could name two cabinet ministers. The only glimmer of light was that more New Zealand kids than Australians in this age group could find Australia on a world map.
(Truly appalled, I tested my own son who did very well :-) I then tested my bright 12 year old daughter who did even better - phew! -BH)
Local Maori asked the Wanganui City Council for permission to hold a week long celebration of the anniversary of their occupation of the ground last year.
The council turned this down, but in a 6-5 decision allowed them to erect stalls and conduct a cultural festival on the site. The permission was conditional upon no one staying overnight on the grounds. There was instant opposition to this from the protest factions who said that hospitality was an indispensable rule of every marae. The council accepted the word of the elders who attended the council that their conditions would be met.
(Sorry, I'm out of time after attempting to catch two weeks news in one sitting - so I'll truncate here and hope to do better next week - BH)
Date: 8 February 1996 Brian Dooley - Wellington CURRENCIES To Buy NZD 1.00 US 0.6777 UK 0.4409 AU 0.8974 CD 0.9260 JP 71.94 DM 1.0034 FR 3.4460 INTEREST RATES Call : 8.45 90 Day: 7.50 To buy NZ Investment Trust: 21 June 1993 $4.09 Today $5.56
Well, I think I'm getting on top of things, though there is always room for someone to burst that bubble! See you next week.
Brian M Harmer - Department of Communication Studies
Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
email brian.harmer@vuw.ac.nz http://www.vuw.ac.nz/~bharmer
How can I be sure I succeeded
if I can't remember what I was trying to do? - Ashleigh Brilliant
To subscribe to, or unsubscribe from the WYSIWYG News E-mail list visit: WYSIWYG Subscriptions
To find it on the WWW go to the WYSIWYG Archives