Copyright © 1995 Brian Harmer
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So, I want to gauge the real necessity for the continuation of the news transcription service. Please email your view to me at brian.harmer@vuw.ac.nz make the subject "wysiwyg"
Do not use your reply function ... it won't get to me.
I would consider continuing the weekly introduction as a form of writing in which I take pleasure, but I am increasingly reluctant to spend one or two hours transcribing newspaper articles each weekend when there are so many more comprehensive and up to date news services.
The week was bleak and cold for the most part, but improved dramatically on Saturday. Last night I watched the Tararuas at sunset, and the peaks with their coating of new snow took on the delicate blue and purple colours of the darkening sky. In a very short space of time, the view was like a wash painting with strokes so delicate, you were scarcely sure that the mountains were there at all. Despite the pleasant warmth of the day, last night was sharp and cold, and the stars glittered in a way that only seems to occur in winter. Regardless of the economics, the gas heater in the lounge seemed like a good investment.
On with the news
I had intended to publish the Queen's Birthday Honours in full, but will save them for next time.
The top two honours were Sir James Fletcher, and Dr Ivan Lichter who received the Order of New Zealand. Though it carries no title, the order ranks higher than a knighthood, and is restricted to 20 living members. Dr Lichter is an expert on palliative care, and is the former medical director of Te Omanga Hospice in Lower Hutt.
Bluff Oysters, $9.95 per dozen
(Well I think it's good news :-) - BH)
Evidence is slowly mounting of systematic fraud associated with imported Japanese used cars. This appears to be taking place on two levels. The odometers are being wound back by up to 50,000 km, and the purchase price is being understated in order to pay less import duty. The Customs Department is currently scrutinising shipments of cars through the Port of Auckland in excruciating detail. There are upwards of 1,400 cars on the wharves and the Port Authority says it will charge $50 per car per night. An inquiry has been launched by the minister of customs into the effectiveness of his department
(Industry spokesmen oozing sincerity from every pore say they know nothing of such scams, and if they are happening it is probably organized crime in Japan, or perhaps there may be a few isolated rogue dealers in New Zealand, but certainly no members of _our_ association, no sirree! Gosh those few little rogues must have made a fortune as some estimates place the number of "clocked" cars as high as 80% of all used imports. - BH)
Retailers were complaining bitterly about a two hour system outage of the electronic funds transfer point of sale (EFTPOS) system yester, Queens Birthday. Estimates range as high as 100,000 transactions affected on the busy holiday.
Police are puzzled over the find of a human foot clothed in a sock on Petone Beach near Wellington. Speculation in the media linked it with the wreck of the Maria Luisa which was run over in the harbour mouth on December 29 last year. (Seems improbable to me - that's six months ago - BH)
The trawler Maria Luisa is back in Wellington after extensive repairs following its being run down by the container vessel, Sydney Express.
Wairoa and Nuhaka in Hawke's Bay were evacuated as the Nuhaka river rose rapidly. The area was without electricity for almost 24 hours as an unnamed tropical cyclone dumped on the region, and brought slips and dangerous driving conditions to most of the Eastern and Central regions of the North Island. Cook Strait ferry sailings were cancelled for a short time until the swell abated. Winds gusted to 107 km/h around Wellington.
Yet another armed holdup has resulted in the death of a sales person. This time the dead man, Glen Lewis Payne, 23, was a sales clerk in the wholesale liquor outlet of Christchurch's Caledonian Hotel. A police chase resulted in the arrest of three men subsequently charged with the murder of the young man. Special efforts were made to isolate the jury in the Naenae bank robbery case from news of this event.
Rathkeale College, an upmarket private school in Masterton cast around for new forms of sanction when corporal punishment was made illegal. They decided that carrying rocks from the nearby Ruamahanga River would be a suitable deterrent to crime. The number of beautifully built stone structures at the school would seem to indicate that it is no deterrent at all. Some parents seem to have belatedly discovered this punishment and are raising civil liberty issues. The Minister of Education, Wyatt Creech has approved of the carrying of stones as a form of punishment.
Just two days after the last storm, the Mahia Peninsula was again lashed by high winds and heavy rain and was again without electricity.
Controversial Maori author, Alan Duff (Once Were Warriors) has told the complainants at Wanganui Polytechnic to resist the bullying tactics of the Maori tutors whom he calls "brown- necks". Two pakeha women have complained of systematic humiliation and harassment as they attempted to complete qualifications in social work at the regional polytechnic. The tutors involved are alleged to have "gone ballistic" when the name of Duff was mentioned. They are said to have told their students that Duff books are not to be read, and the author's name is not to be mentioned.
The skeleton of arguably New Zealand's most famous export to Australia, Phar lap has moved from storage in the Trentham racecourse, to the New Museum of New Zealand where it will be mounted in an appropriate display. The Australian racing industry was attempting to get the skeleton taken to Melbourne where the famous racehorse's skin and heart are on exhibit.
Tukuroirangi Morgan has hit the headlines again. This time, lawyers acting on his behalf attempted to sell exclusive rights to a full and frank interview about the ATN affair for $20,000. Unfortunately, TV3 decided that despite having given an undertaking of confidentiality, the story was more important, and the offer which was secretly taped was broadcast. It appears that as the news broke, Morgan was still denying involvement, and assured Winston Peters that he was not doing any such thing. Mr Peters castigated the press for peddling unfounded allegations, only to have to apologise and backpedal the next day when Morgan's lawyers held a press conference to reveal that they had indeed been commissioned by the MP to sell his story. He is apparently in dire need of cash to fund the two libel suits in which he is involved.
Moral outrage has swelled to a crescendo with almost every editorial in the country thundering the "Tuku Must Go" line. Several eminent Maori leaders including Sir Robert Mahuta of his own Tainui people have said Morgan should resign as he is now doing more harm than good. Morgan gave an interview to TV1's Holmes Show, probably to get even with TV#. He continued to talk in terms of "my destiny" and "my people" and to insist he had done nothing wrong.
A major work by New Zealand artist, Colin McCahon has been stolen from the Waikaremoana visitor centre The work known as the Urewera Triptych is estimated to be worth well in excess of $1.5 million. Roadblocks were set up when the burglar alarms went off but a car crashed through. It was later found burned out some distance away, prompting fears that the uninsured 6m by 3m painting had been reduced to very expensive ash. It is now suspected that the theft is a political act, and there is some discussion as to why the Department of Conservation were in possession of it at all, since some believe the work was a gift to the Tuhoe people.
The jury in the case of the fatal attempted bank robbery at Naenae found 19 year old Anton Henare Matenga, and 22 year old Chris Daniel Lemalie guilty of murder. Their accomplices, Mark Taiko Mahaki, 36, and Roseanne Te Moni, 37 were both found guilty of manslaughter.
Date: 5 June 1997 CURRENCIES The currency codes given below conform to ISO 4217, which can be found at http://www.xe.net/currency/iso_4217.htm. The rates given are for telegraphic transfer and are as given in the Wellington Evening Post today. To Buy NZD 1.00 USD 0.6946 AUD 0.9138 GBP 0.4254 JPY 80.95 CAD 0.9558 FRF 4.0617 DEM 1.2043 HKD 5.3931 SGD 0.9965 CHF 1.0062 INTEREST RATES (%) Call : 6.85 90 Day: 6.95 The prices below are given in cents. To buy NZ Investment Trust: 21 June 1993 409 Today 565 To buy TeNZ: 1 June 1996 103.7 Today 119.5SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
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Text Copyright © 1998 Brian Harmer,
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