Copyright © 1995 Brian Harmer
I apologise to subscribers for late delivery last week. I referred to the supine nature of our server here in Wellington. I know the vets are labouring mightily to restore it to health, but anyone with a horse in that condition would shoot it! :-)
I was late anyway, and posted the mail to Michael on Wednesday.... he still hadn't received it Friday, so I sent another copy which most of you got on Saturday, I guess. I hope for better things this week.
The harbour is very blue today, and punctuated by fleets of yachts,heeling in parallel under the pressure of a boisterous Wellington breeze. They look for all the world like the practice strokes of a celestial calligrapher clustered together as parallel white slashes on a blue parchment. A few clouds still linger on the horizon, and it remains muddy underfoot, but a bright sun does not take long to dispel winter gloom. Around the neighbourhood, home handypersons are banging, sawing, mowing, all happy for an excuse to be outside after so long indoors. Kids squeal and shout as they re-acquaint themselves with the great outdoors. I, of course remain inside to bring you the news.
The stunning clarity which comes with a Southerly after rain lets us see the snow glistening on the sharply delineated peaks Tararuas, and somehow, every ridge and valley on the receding ranges of hills opposite are picked out in fresh and celebratory green.
During this period of winter weather, we have had to console ourselves with the achievements of our sporting heroes. Most of you will know that Danyon Loader managed two gold medals in swimming events, while in the equestrian teams event Blyth Tait managed a bronze medal riding Chesterfield. Other members of the medal winning team were Vicki Latta, Andrew Nicholson and Vaughan Jefferis, Tait won a gold medal riding Ready Teddy in the individual event. Another kiwi, Sally Clark riding Squirrel Hill took the silver in the same event, and it was a fine stirring sight to see not one, but two big blue New Zealand ensigns soaring at the flagpoles during the prize giving. For a moment, the All Blacks almost took the euphoria away. In the second of the two annual Bledisloe Cup fixtures against Australia's Wallabies, with only 20 minutes to full time, they trailed by 13 points. Somehow, they regained the potency which marked the 40 point win in their first match, and scrambled home to win by 32-25. The home crowd at Brisbane's Suncorp park seemed philosophical about the outcome, perhaps because so many of them were expatriate kiwis.
(Not that I admit to watching sport, you understand :-) )
Danyon Loader got the Atlanta games off to a great start for NZ sports fans by winning gold in the 200 m freestyle swimming on the first day of the games.
Sports minister, John Banks infuriated NZ Olympians by saying he was their in anticipation of seeing early golds to NZ. The athletes were quick to criticise him for putting on unwanted extra pressure.
Professor Janet Holmes of the linguistics department at Victoria University says that Pakeha New Zealanders are gradually acquiring the rhythms and sounds which characterise Maori speech. The style which most New Zealanders associate with the late lamented Billy T. James is said to be coming into wider use, especially among those who try to identify with Maori.
Big Jonah Lomu used the classic sunglasses approach to conceal the battering he received in a somewhat dour game of rugby against the Springboks last weekend. All Blacks coach, John Hart was unusually forthright in condemning some outright thuggery. He alleged that Jonah Lomu was "gang tackled" and that Springbok John Allan deliberately headbutted All Black captain, Sean Fitzpatrick. Since the matter was dealt with on the field by the referee, further disciplinary action is not contemplated. The All Blacks won the game by ??-??
On an application lodged by the Holmes Show, the Court of Appeal has lifted a suppression order on evidence which was barred from the trial of David Bain last year. The suppressed hearsay evidence was to the effect that David Bain's deceased father Robin Blain was having an incestuous relationship with David's younger sister Laniet Bain. This evidence would have solved the question of motive which remained a void throughout the trial. In a further development, QC Judith Ablett-Kerr who recently gained a high profile by obtaining an acquittal for Victoria Calder on a charge of the attempted murder of Professor David Lloyd, has now taken on David Bain's cause, and will attempt to re-open the case at the Privy Council.
A survey which included over 3,000 people showed that almost half of all New Zealanders would be lucky to break even if their assets were offset against their liabilities, and as many as 14% would be in debt in such circumstances. The survey also revealed that most people have aspirations to retire on incomes which their present savings plans do not support.
Telecom's technical staff are refusing to work overtime in support of their campaign for single collective employment contract. This, in conjunction with a lot of rain recently has contributed to a significant backlog of unrepaired faults, especially in the Auckland region. Telecom guarantee repairs to be effected within 24 hours or the customer can have a $50 phone card or a month's free line rental. The union is urging customers to claim these rebates since Telecom does not automatically volunteer them.
In the third such round of downsizing, the Wellington City Council has announced the loss of 100 full time jobs, and anything up to 300 part time and casual jobs. Saying the replacement of these positions with high technology options was a strategy for delivering better service Ms. Angela Griffin, the council's chief executive lost some of the value of her speech when the high technology equipment on which she was making her presentation failed, and she was reduced to whiteboards. There is speculation that the council will attempt to reduce its redundancy compensation payout by restructuring in the meantime so that staff will leave voluntarily out of frustration. The council denies this.
The mayor, Mark Blumsky says that the intended $9 million cost reduction will not necessarily be reflected in lower rates.
Alleged improper use of travel claims has led to two district court judges in Northland being stood down while their expenses are investigated.
The report on the crash of an Ansett Dash-8 aircraft near Palmerston North in June last year has been further delayed because the pilots association has taken exception to the use of excerpts from the cockpit voice recorder being used. Airline pilots tolerate the use of voice recording as a diagnostic tool only, subject to indemnity against them being used against the pilots. NZ Police have been trying to obtain a search warrant to get the recordings before it becomes too late for them to institute proceedings if any criminal act is revealed. There is an international convention that the voice recordings be used only for the diagnosis of crash causes.
Former Labour councillor for Wellington City Councillor, and four time loser in the city's mayoralty stakes, Helene Ritchie has decided that she wants to be NZ First's candidate for Ohariu Belmont. To this end, she attended the NZ First conference in Auckland, despite not having enrolled as a member of the party, and was outraged when asked to leave a confidential session.
(I think, appropos of nothing in particular, that we Ohariu Belmont electors need the equivalent of a usenet package's kill-file feature, so that every time a new and improbable candidate sees us a career launch pad, we can go "plonk" and get on with our lives - BH)Later in the week, NZ First declined to accept Ms Ritchie as a member, let alone a candidate.
Gold for the 400 freestyle was taken by Danyon Loader who had already taken the 200 m on Monday.
Military personnel at Waiouru are being paid an extra $5 per day for putting up with the continued nuisance of volcanic ash as Ruapehu continues to emit black clouds of the stuff. Meanwhile, business people whose annual ski-season intake is severely curtailed are asking the government for a bail out.
(Snort! The ski people cash in on a National asset in good years. I am nor persuaded that the country or the mountain owe them a living. )
Auckland Hospital has applied to the High Court asking the court to take temporary guardianship of a 12 year old girl who, with her parents, is refusing chemotherapy. Their position is that if they trust in the Lord, they will have no need of human intervention. Names of the patient and her family and details of their religion have been suppressed by the court.
The Court of Appeal has said that the High Courts is imposing extended non-parole sentences in excess of the rate envisaged by parliament. One in five convictions since the amending legislation has resulted in the imposition of a non-parole period in excess of the minimum required. In the case of Martin Parsons, a car dealer of Hamilton who killed his father after being caught "fiddling the books" of their business, the Appeal court overturned a 13 year non-parole period. Although the crime was serious, they said, it was not so especially horrendous that it deserved such special treatment.
The minister of Justice, Doug Graham agrees with the court of Appeal, but John Banks was vocal in his disbelief.
(I would normally take agreement with John Banks as a sure sign of being wrong, but in this case, I think the appeal courts are wrong, In the case of Parsons, an act of patricide was committed to conceal another crime. It's about time the whole parole thing was scrutinised. There is little point in sentencing someone to ten years if he is only ever going to serve five. We should either call it five and be done with it, or they serve the 10! - BH)
A few weeks ago, a publican pulled some strings when he was stopped and found to have a high blood-alcohol concentration. He was permitted to go on his way provided he paid $500 to the SPCA.
For their part in this act of mercy, the two policemen involved are subject to severe internal disciplinary charges which could range in severe fines and even dismissal.
Meanwhile, Wayne barry Gray, 36, went on to do it again, and this time there was no escape, and a chastened police force offered no loopholes. The evidential breath test showed blood alcohol almost twice the allowed 400 micrograms per litre. $900 and seven months disqualification.
Glenn Turner was unsuccessful in applying for a renewal of his one year old contract as coach of the NZ cricket team. Instead, the job has been given to (delicate shudder) .........an AUSTRALIAN! Steve Rixon, a former Australian test wicketkeeper and recently coach of the successful NSW team has got the job and is promising lots of discipline.
(Last cricket player I heard talk like that went over Huka falls - BH)
Turner's failure is being attributed mostly to his failure to agree with NZ Cricket's chief executive, Chris Doig.
Michelle Boag, PR director for Fay Richwhite, has confessed to the commissioner in the winebox inquiry, that on behalf of her company, she arranged for Zee Films to film the evidence given by Winston Peters at the inquiry. Asked why the subterfuge, she responded that she was attempting to avoid Mr Peters' well known paranoia, and to avoid the filming itself being the issue of the week. The film was intended to be used to make a documentary on the evidence given by Mr Peters. The commissioner found a prima facie case of contempt of the commission had been established, and he gave both Fay Richwhite and Zee Films until mid day monday to respond or defend the finding. The commissioner has the power to impose fines or even a jail sentence.
Press commentators are gloating over Ms Boag's error. Known as a very adversarial PR manager, she is reputed to regard the press as the enemy, according to the Sunday Star Times. She has not only embarrassed her company, but gave Winston Peters the evidence of his constant assertion that there really is a big conspiracy.
After a sixth place in the 200 metre backstoke at Atlanta, Anna Simcic has retired from competitive swimming.
(I never cease to be amazed at how many people stop reading before they get here. If you want to change your address, or unsubscribe, the details are below. Remember, I am not the list manager, so don't send the requests to me! - BH)
Date: 25 July 1996 Brian Dooley
Wellington
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Night has fallen, but oh so gracefully. The shadows of the Western hills raced across the valley and then tree by tree climbed the Eastern hills leaving a diminishing landscape bathed in the wonderful yellow luminance of a winter sunset. Now the valley is in darkness, and the prettiness of the scene below belies the bleak chill of that Southerly which is still whipping up from penguin land.
See you next week.
Brian M Harmer
email brian.harmer@vuw.ac.nz http://www.vuw.ac.nz/~bharmer
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