Copyright © 1995 Brian Harmer
Those glorious days I reported last week stretched out till Friday. Seven straight days of sunshine at this time of year - fantastic!
Saturday was spotty, with scattered showers. Today, Sunday, started out fine and sunny, but as Mary and I were sitting looking over the valley enjoying a quiet drink before lunch, there was a startling transformation. A wall of blue-black cloud sailed in from the South, obscuring the Eastern bays with sheets of rain. Occasional claps of thunder announced the arrival of this system, and within the space of 15 minutes, the scene had changed from delightful sunny spring to a dark and forbidding stormscape. As I write, the Southerly rain is sweeping in, and the temperature has dropped markedly.
I don't care. The memory of last week will keep me going for a while.
While I am always pleased to hear from those kind people who choose to send me supportive messages, can I register a plea for care with the address.
Such replies go to the list manager, Dr. Michael Witbrock in Pittsburgh. If you want to talk to me, my address is brian.harmer@vuw.ac.nz
And can I tell you what a pain it is when those of you who use automated repsonders when you are out of the office, send copies of the message back to me. It is no great fun to get 20 or so "bounced" copies of 400 lines of news each week.
On with the news.
In a confrontation at a petrol station in Auckland's Greenlane, police shot dead Timipoara Kawhiau Raharuhi, 46, of Karikari. The dead man was armed, and in the course of a domestic dispute with his estranged partner who was employed at the service station, had fired several shots. Although the armed offenders squad had been sent for, Raharuhi was shot by the constable who was first on the scene. As is their custom, police are refusing comment pending the outcome of the investigation by the independent Police Complaints Authority. This is the sixth person shot by police in New Zealand this year.
New Zealand's chief justice, Sir Thomas Eichelbaum has made pungent comment on the changes which have occurred in New Zealand since 1984. He said the art collections which hang in the foyers of major law firms sit uneasily with the difficulty others have in gaining access to justice. Sir Thomas also fired some remarks at the well off, saying they seemed to want a special brand of justice for themselves. In a clarification later in the week, Sir Thomas said his remarks were explicitly directed at the Business Round Table
(I'm think of putting out a call for the establishment of a newsgroup called alt.fan.eichelbaum - BH)
A concert in the Wellington Town Hall on Sunday night had more than its share of casualties. The Orpheus Choir was appearing with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra performing in Brahms' "A German Requiem". Halfway through the pre-interval number, Peter Walls, the conductor dislocated his shoulder. In some pain, he tip-toed offstage leaving soloist and concert master to manage things as best they could.
Fortunately, the choir's former conductor, Professor Peter Godfrey was in the audience. Unfortunately, he hadn't brought his spectacles with him. Stage hands adjusted the podium to make the best of a bad situation, but thereby created a new hazard. Professor Godfrey caught his hand on the edge of the podium, and spent the remainder of the concert trying not to scatter blood over Dame Malvina Major who was standing near him. The audience responded with a standing ovation at the end of the concert.
(I was in the audience, and it was a truly wonderful concert with splendid performances from the choir, soloists, and of course our own incomparable NZSO. - BH)
A 39 year old Englishman faces charges of sexual violation and murder arriving from an incident in Oamaru. It is alleged that he sexually assaulted a 12 year old girl, and then assaulted the girls mother. The woman whose name is suppressed to protect the child, died of her injuries.
Grounds staff at the Arnold Rae Memorial Park were astonished, on their arrival at work, to discover that the rugby pitch had been neatly planted overnight with 257 pine seedlings in neat rows.
Speculation is rife that this prank was perpetrated by a team of forestry workers who were due to play a local side on the field soon. Police say they are "stumped". The trees are being held in case they were stolen. The park has been restored to its proper state.
In a now familiar move, activists at Victoria University presented a petition requesting no fee increases to the Council of the university and then declined to leave. They set up barricades and declared themselves to be in possession of the registry portion of the historic Hunter Building, and before long there were sleeping bags strewn all through the great council chamber (the original library). The move, though regretted by the Vice Chancellor Professor Les Holborow, obviously came as no great surprise. An alternate registry office had been established in a tower block across the road, and necessary changes to the campus networks had been carried out to permit business to continue.
(As our department is one of the few privileged to be based in the Hunter Building, we feared some disruption. Fortunately, the VUWSA was resolved not to interfere with teaching programmes, so the occupation remains on the other side of the wall at the end of the corridor. All very civilized, and the worst disruption is the loss of the staff common room as a place to gather for morning teas. - BH)
As the new protest was starting at Victoria, the students at Auckland University had just negotiated a peaceful resolution with the Vice Chancellor of that institution to end the occupation of the registry there. Unfortunately a number of radical minded participants regarded anything less than a commitment to zero increase as a "sell-out" and declined to leave. Police were called an a number were arrested and charged with trespass.
Junior doctors in hospitals in the Wellington and Wairarapa regions are planning to strike from next week to force their employers to negotiate on their now expired conditions of employment. Among the things doctors are seeking, is an enforcement of previously agreed, but neglected conditions such as a 16 hour limit to shifts. Some doctors may be on duty for as long as 32 hours under present practices, they say, and this is dangerous for the patients.
Tranz Rail has announced its intention to build a new terminal for its ferries at Clifford Bay, South of Blenheim. The $100 million terminal will arouse great concern in Picton which may lose up to 260 jobs. The new terminal will cut 30 minutes of ferry passage times to Wellington, and according to the consultants report, will save motorists $136 million in petrol over the first 35 years.
(For goodness sake, who ever heard of a 35 year project term? And anyway, why would you want to travel on a ferry that didn't pass through the glorious sounds? - BH)
What seemed at first to be a common street robbery escalated rapidly when the robber shot her as she resisted his attempts to grab her bag. Police are conducting wide inquiries in the area near Auckland's Ponsonby Road where she was shot. Although the woman lost a lot of blood, she was shot in the arm, and her injury is understood to be not life threatening.
(Auckland is getting more like LA every day :-( - BH)
Wellington Central National Candidate, Mark Thomas is apparently competing against more than the opposition parties. A number of National party members, apparently backed by some cabinet ministers have urged him to withdraw in favour of ACT leader, Richard Prebble. The rationale is that, under the MMP formula, if Mr Prebble wins, he will bring five other ACT members with him from the list, thereby gaining six National allies instead of one. Mr Thomas is leading in the polls for the seat, by a slim margin, and is adamant that he will not stand down, though he thinks it would be a good idea if Mr Prebble did so. Other parties are expressing contempt for the blatant manipulation they see at work.
(My disdain is reserved for cabinet minister Murray McCully who even now will not endorse the properly selected candidate for his own party. I think Mark Thomas has a major battle ahead competing with the opposition without having to contend with internal treachery. This is in no sense a statement of my own political choice, but Mark has worked hard and deserves better treatment from his own people. - BH)
A prolonged wrangle is taking place between the protagonists in a proposed merger between Kiwi Coop Dairies (based in Hawera) and Tui Milk Products (based in Palmerston North and Pahiatua). The directors of the companies involved in the merger have issued opponents with letters threatening legal action if they spread any disinformation. The recipients of the letters are indignant, saying they are presenting factual material from the companies' own annual reports.
Meanwhile, further North, East Tamaki Coop Dairy Co (a specialty cheese maker based in South Auckland) has agreed by an overwhelming majority to merge with New Zealand Coop Dairy
(Hamilton based). (By my count, if both mergers proceed, there will be only ten dairy companies left in the country. There were 405 just after the turn of the century - BH)
Transport in New Zealand was greatly affected by the life of Sir Jack Newman who died in Nelson on Monday, aged 94. His company's long distance coaches are still a major player in land transport, and the airline he founded was the basis for Ansett New Zealand.
Kah Hong Tan, 33, obtained the keys to no less than 11 flats on the basis that he intended to rent them. He went to each in turn and sold the contents to second hand furniture dealers. When arrested, he s said to have disposed of furniture to the value of $31,300 and to have cashed $12,000 worth of dud cheques.
During the inquest into the death of Constable Glen McKibbin, who was shot in Hastings earlier this year, notes left by Terence Thompson, the man believed to have shot him were read to the court. Thompson is said to have been obsessed with military matters and to have had a deep rooted hatred of police.
Keith Douglas Ramstead, 44, a surgeon, is on trial facing three charges of manslaughter in respect of the deaths of Pieter Marinus Van Dijk, 50, Arthur William Wilkinson, 74, and Nancie Muncie, 71. All died during operations performed by Mr Ramstead in Christchurch. When he was suspended during an investigation, he left the country, saying he would return if required to do so. Once he got back to Britain he changed his mind, and concluded that a fair trial would not be obtained in New Zealand. Extradition papers were served and after lengthy process, he is now on trial in the Wellington High Court. Evidence is being given by other operating theatre staff as to Mr Ramstead's procedures and demeanour during the operations in question.
Unsecured creditors of the failed North by South Ferry company which went into liquidation this year are furious to learn that the companies directors, as debenture holders will get a payout in the order of $26,000 while they will get nothing. Many small businesses were left disastrously out of pocket in the collapse of the company.
A tremor measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale was felt around the country from Napier to Christchurch at 10:35 pm yesterday.
(I know, scared the heck out of me as I was upstairs at the time - that always magnifies them - BH)
The MMP process is stretching some nerves at present. United New Zealand have indicated that although they are currently in a coalition with the National Party, they are likely to form a coalition with Labour after the election. Meanwhile, many National party supporters want to be distanced from the Christian Coalition who are making a number of strongly worded claims in respect of abortion and homosexuality.
Ross Allan, a principal in a Napier based Internet Provider threatened legal action against Telecom's subsidiary, Xtra which, unlike most other ISPs was permitting access in New Zealand to the "alt.sex" groups. After consultation with the department of Internal Affairs, Xtra closed off access to a wide range of groups including many which most concede are quite innocuous.
In a televised debate between the leaders of the major parties, Helen Clark emerged as the clear victor with a 41% approval rating against the prime Minister's dismal 13%. Mr Bolger got off to a very bad start when answering a question from a man whose mother died while waiting for hospital treatment. "Death is always associated with health," he said. Apparently unknown to Mr Bolger, and to his subsequent fury vigorously expressed to the host, Paul Holmes, the studio was equipped with a "worm" which displayed the response of some 80 uncommitted voters to the statements of each of the leaders. The worm stayed low for Mr Bolger all night.
John Barlow, convicted of the murder of Gene and Eugene Thomas in Wellington last year, is objecting to being transferred to the high security prison at Paremoremo, preferring instead to be kept at Mt Crawford in Wellington, near his family. Mrs Barlow has appealed to the Ombudsman, who has requested that any move be put in abeyance pending his investigation. Mr Barlow had been transferred as far as Wanganui when this went into force.
In what is undoubtedly a major coup for National just prior to an election, Finance Minister Bill Birch announced that the net foreign currency debt is now zero, for the first time since 1954.
A wedding ceremony in Auckland's registry office was disrupted when the groom had second thoughts and fled. He was being hotly pursued by the bride and would be mother-in-law when he was spotted by a passing police car. The constables stopped to see if he needed help, and he leaped in urging them to drive off quick. The helpful officers did just that, and delivered the reluctant groom to his own family. The wedding was apparently arranged by the bride's family as a response to news that she was pregnant.
Date: 25 September 1996
Brian Dooley
Wellington
CURRENCIES
To Buy NZD 1.00
US 0.7049
UK 0.4530
AU 0.8869
CD 0.9632
JP 77.69
DM 1.0687
FR 3.6210
INTEREST RATES (%)
Call : 9.95
90 Day: 9.92
The prices below are given in cents.
To buy NZ Investment Trust:
21 June 1993 409
Today 525
To buy TeNZ:
1 June 1996 103.7
Today 113.6
Well that's another week done.
See you next time
Brian M Harmer
email brian.harmer@vuw.ac.nz http://www.vuw.ac.nz/~bharmer
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