Copyright © 1998 Brian Harmer
A colleague asked me to describe Wanganui. Given his relative youth I was forced to adopt a somewhat equivocal position. Some really nice people live there, including my parents, and of course the redoubtable Doreen from s.c.n-z. It is, however, scarcely the place to send a young man looking for excitement. Nevertheless I got to thinking about Wanganui, and its various attractions for those of a more sedate turn of mind. Mary and I decided to wander around Virginia Lake. As lakes go it is a small one, but it has a particular enchantment on days such as last Sunday which was spectacularly fine. The lakeside path wanders from the car park through a fine stand of exotic trees planted by the early Europeans ... Oaks, Chestnuts, etc. The lake is rimmed with what I have previously assumed to be a thick wall of rushes. This time around they were in yellow flower and to my astonishment, they turned out to be irises. Black swans and a variety of ducks were immediately visible, but on reaching the little inlet at the head of the lake, we were delighted to see a whole brood of cygnets, still unfledged, but obviously ready in all respects for sea-going duties. These grey downy infants were larger than an adult duck, but were still dwarfed by the aloof elegant figures of the adult black swans. Like swans everywhere, the adults were protective of their brood, and a menacing hiss warned us to keep her distance.
Mary had committed the cardinal folly for any photographer, of having left her camera behind, so she raced back to the car to get it, while I, being far less fit, clambered up onto a fallen log to sit above the water and watch the small flotilla doing its mysterious glide beneath me. It came to me as the youngsters circled that I was seeing a real live cygnet ring - sorry, I could wait years for another opportunity :-)
I became aware of another set of chicks ... this time they were really small ... Australian Coots. The adult bird is black with a distinctive white fronted head and beak, but the chicks resembled nothing more than tiny grey tumbleweeds drifting across the surface of the lake. As I watched, one hopped jauntily up onto a lily pad nearby, which caused the hen some anxious moments as the chick was too near me for her liking. Mary focused on the lily pad and duly got her shot, but to our great amazement on looking at the finished print, there were three other chicks on nearby pads which we just didn't see at the time.
Walking back through the city we passed the gates to Cook Gardens, where back on a memorable summer evening, January 27th 1962, on my first visit to this city I, with thousands of others, cheered myself hoarse as the great Peter Snell shaved a tenth of a second from the mile record in the then astounding time of 3m 54.4s.
On with the news ***************
All news items are reproduced by kind permission of copyright owner, IRN Ltd whose current news listing can be found at http://www.xtra.co.nz/news/.
Many of you will be pleased to know that our splendid list managers, Akiko, have agreed to pay a data entry person to capture and format the news ... all I will have to do is the purple prose and the odd slightly cynical comment underneath the items. This combined with the strong pleas for continuance mean that as long as this arrangement is in place, WYSIWYG lingers on. There will be less fiddling with IRN's text to render it suitable for written communication. Thanks to Michael Witbrock for arranging the additional subsidy, and to my younger daughter Helen for agreeing to be the first data entry person.
The latest political opinion poll has some good news for Labour leader Helen Clark, suggesting her party has enough support to govern without a coalition partner if an election was held today. The TV 3/CM Research poll found party-vote support for Labour has reached 49 per cent, up seven points on the last survey. Support for National has dropped from 35 to 32 per cent. The poll result translates into 62 seats for Labour, 40 for National, and nine each for the Alliance and Act. The survey has a margin of error of 3.1 per cent.
A CYPS manager has revealed an oversight by a social worker was the reason rape complaints concerning a five year old went unanswered for 36 hours. The girl's school principal says he called CYPS numerous times, but it failed to take immediate action. Her stepfather has since been jailed for raping her, her brother is awaiting sentencing. The acting area manager of CYPS in South Auckland John Hoult says his inquiry shows there was a breakdown in communication between the social worker who took the complaint, and the supervisor. He agrees it should never have happened.
Failed and jailed native wildlife smuggler Freddy Angel is facing divorce, bankruptcy and an extra year in prison. Caught mounting an international scam from his Rolleston Prison cell, 39 year old Frederick Robert Angel was sentenced to a cumulative term of twelve months on forgery charges by a judge in Christchurch. Counsel Tony Garret described Angel's attempts to obtain deposits from overseas buyers for mainly fictitious lizards as a farce and scam by a broken man desperate to raise finance. Mr Garret said Angel's parole board appointment had been cancelled, his wife is leaving him, and he has debts of $25,000.
Fewer women in the prime childbearing age is one factor being blamed for the drop in births. More than 56 thousand live births were registered in the year to September. That's a drop of more than one and a half per cent in the previous corresponding period. Statistics New Zealand attributes the fall to a drop in the number of women 30 years and younger, and the fact that fewer of them are having children. There were also fewer deaths in the September year, around 26 and a half thousand, down 2.4 per cent.
A display of pomp and ceremony at Palmerston North's showgrounds for Prince Andrew, the Duke of York. He's presented a new banner to the Army's Logistics Regiment, in his role as the unit's Colonel-in-Chief. A guard of 400 soldiers were on parade ground for the ceremony. Prince Andrew told the soldiers ... they're the backbone of the army, referring to the important part mechanics, engineers and transport personnel play in wartime. It was hot, though - five soldiers at the parade fainted in the heat
(The Prince appeared in the uniform of a New Zealand Army officer, including the ceremonial "lemon-squeezer" hat. - BH)
A New Zealand company's created a hundred jobs for workers in Melbourne. First Electric has awarded Australian call centre company United Customer Management Solutions a contract to handle its phone enquiries and billing. The contract is worth millions of dollars. 13 other firms competed for the contract.
(There is a certain irony in this taxpayer owned enterprise being free to ship jobs offshore in this manner - BH)
The heavyweights have arrived in Kuala Lumpur today for APEC...the meeting of leaders of nations bordering the Pacific. The leaders of the major nations flew in today, except for President Bill Clinton who has remained in Washington to deal with the Iraqi crisis. Our political editor is accompanying Prime Minister Jenny Shipley in a country that has more than just Asia's economic troubles to deal with.
The country's Prime Minister is trying to battle a popular wave of unrest, which began when the country's deputy Prime Minister was jailed accused of sodomy.
The Apple and Pear Marketing Board will present its plans on producer board reform to the government this evening. It's one of nearly a dozen boards asked six months ago to come up with plans for a future without statutory backing. Those plans were received by the government yesterday and the boards will individually present them over the next two weeks ago. In an about turn, minister John Luxton has already said the Apple and Pear Marketing Board, the Dairy Board and the Kiwifruit marketing board were unlikely to lose their monopoly.
New Zealand First MP Tu Wyllie intends to take legal action over claims he will support the government on confidence and supply. The Alliance's Sandra Lee released a memo today apparently from Mr Wyllie to his leader Winston Peters. It outlines Mr Wyllie's concerns about the stability of the country saying he would vote with the government to avoid an election. But Mr Wyllie says it's a smear campaign and he has never seen the memo before. He says he did support the government over the Ngai Tahu legislation but it won't be getting his vote again.
Former Serious Fraud Office boss Chas Sturt says the Winebox Inquiry's finding that he acted in a lawful and proper way is as strong now as when it was first released. His comments come in the wake of today's Court of Appeal ruling, allowing Winston Peters to challenge the inquiry findings. The New Zealand First leader has also been awarded costs. Chas Sturt says Mr Peters has not challenged the Commission's outright rejection of his allegation's of corrupt conduct, which Mr Sturt says were the only claims of real concern to him. And Mr Sturt says he stands behind everything he wrote on his recent book on his time as head of the Serious Fraud Office.
The way the country's judges are appointed is to change and a complaint system is being set up so the public can easily lodge concerns about a judge's behaviour. Justice Minister Doug Graham says under the changes judges will have to apply for their jobs and only the Attorney General will be able to approve their appointment. He says most people don't know how to lay a complaint against a judge but the new system will make it more transparent. Mr Graham says cases that appear to have merit will be reviewed by an independent person, with the Attorney General becoming involved if the case is so serious that the judge could be removed from the bench.
National list MP Arthur Anae has been cleared of any wrongdoing in relation to the misappropriation of money... and mishandling of immigration applications in his electorate office. An Audit Office report concludes a staff member committed theft by misappropriation while working in Mr Anae's Otahuhu office. The report says any legal action would need to be taken by the people whose money was misappropriated. The report says there was no evidence to suggest that Mr Anae knew money was being misused... and that once he was made aware he took prompt action leading to the staff member's resignation.
State-owned coal producer Solid Energy is off the market, and its annual profit has taken a dive. SOE Minister Tony Ryall says the bids they received for the company weren't good enough. Solid Energy went on the market earlier this year after a scoping study said the business would be able to expand if it was in private ownership. Its book value is 122 million dollars. Solid Energy's reported a net profit of 13.24 million dollars today, down from nearly 19 million in the previous year. It won't pay the government a dividend this year.
The Auckland Coroner has described the events leading to the death of 15 year old prison inmate as the actions of a determined young man, who saw liberty in death. David Tufala died in October last year, two weeks into a four year sentence in Mount Eden Prison. At his inquest today, Auckland Coroner Mate Frankovich called for more recreational activities for young offenders - to reduce the risks of suicide, brought about by long periods of lock-up confinement. He also wants younger inmates segregated from older offenders.
Today's overturning of some of the Winebox Inquiry findings is unlikely to lead to another lengthy court case. Five Court of Appeal judges have overturned a High Court judgement, which had prevented Winston Peters from challenging the findings of the Inquiry. Today's ruling questions the finding that Inland Revenue and the Serious Fraud Office were competent. Journalist and publisher Ian Wishart says we won't see another rehearing of the Winebox Inquiry evidence, as the High Court will look at the thousands of pages it already has. He predicts there'll eventually be a completely different verdict.
Prime Minister Jenny Shipley has today distanced New Zealand from comments made by US Vice President Al Gore at an APEC dinner in Kuala Lumpur last night. Mr Gore shocked his hosts by praising the pro-democracy movement in Malaysia, calling its members brave. Mrs Shipley who will shortly meet with the Malaysian leader, says the American way is not necessarily the New Zealand way on this issue. She says it's not our style to do megaphone diplomacy.
(This item sparked some vigorous debate in the newsgroups. For my part I am, somewhat unusually, on Mrs Shipley's side. She said what NZ wanted to say directly to the Malaysian PM - BH)
Telecom's looking to increased mobile phone use to boost its profit figures, after recording a drop in second quarter profits. There was a 2.2 per cent drop in profit to the end of September....down to 206.2 million dollars. The half yearly result is down just .6 of a percent on the same period a year ago...at 396.3 million. Telecom says increased competition, which has led to toll call price drops, are responsible for the slip in profitability. However, the corporation says mobile phone call volume lifted 15 per cent in the September quarter and it's looking to increasing expansion in the mobile market.
It'll be weeks before convicted paedophile Peter Ellis knows the Governor General's response to a second petition seeking his freedom. Ellis is currently in the seventh year of a 10-year jail sentence for sexual offences at the Christchurch Civic Creche. Earlier this year, his case was referred back to the Court of Appeal for a second time. Ellis' lawyer, Judith Ablett-Kerr QC, filed a second petition calling on the Governor General to free Ellis, and for a Royal Commission of Inquiry to be held into the whole creche case. A spokesperson for the Governor General's office says the petition will be viewed by Justice Minister Doug Graham before Sir Michael Hardie Boys makes any decisions, which could take some weeks.
Auckland police are interviewing a man in connection with an overnight stabbing death in Mangere. A homicide inquiry's been launched, but Inspector Mark O'Connor says police aren't looking for anyone else after the male victim was found in a pool of blood just before midnight. He says police were called to the address by another occupant of the house, who reported a man wielding a knife.
Australian police say they're extremely pleased with the New Zealand joint effort which snared one of their most wanted criminals in Christchurch. Later today Australian police will apply to have alleged child pornographer Anthony Terence Savage extradited to Australia. Savage fled Canberra two years ago after he was identified in an international Internet child porn sting. He faces charges in Australia of interfering with an eight year old girl. Customs investigation manger Matt Rosengrave credits the arrest on co-operation between Customs, Internal Affairs and police.
New Zealand teachers are gradually being drawn back into the profession. Schools no longer face a shortage of teachers next year as they have in previous years, but most of the gaps are being filled by overseas teachers. Multiserve Education Trust spokesperson, Cheryl Wilson says the teaching profession is starting to look more attractive. She says the newly negotiated collective employment contract granting primary teachers pay parity with their secondary colleagues, has certainly encouraged some.
Home owners could be in for an unexpected Christmas present. Economists are predicting floating mortgage rates are likely to fall to around 6.25 per cent by the end of December. The prediction's been sparked by a half-a-per-cent drop in the 90 day bank bill rate following a statement by the Reserve Bank yesterday. Deutsche Bank economist Ulf Shoefisch says the current economic climate can handle the lower interest rates, at least in the short term.
Businesses are to be asked to provide 500 new jobs within the country's prisons within two years. But there are concerns that hiring prisoners to do work, could lengthen dole queues. Corrections Minister Nick Smith launched the scheme at Auckland's Paremoremo prison this afternoon. He acknowledges that companies allowing their work to be done inside prisons, will lessen the number of jobs available outside. He says there's always a risk of displacing employment in the private sector, but he believes if the risks are managed properly, society as a whole will be a winner.
(This is madness. Not only is the government expecting businesses to conjure up 500 jobs for the inmates, but also more jobs for the "work for the dole" scheme, and of course all those thousands of students who are ineligible for the dole must also find summer work. - BH)
Labour's Jill White has made her valedictory speech to Parliament this afternoon. As of midnight she ceases to become an MP to concentrate on her new job as mayor of Palmerston North. The list MP will be replaced by educationalist Helen Duncan. Jill White she says she's very pleased her last vote in the House was on the Sale of Liquor Amendment in which MPs got to vote with their conscience and not along party lines.
Not guilty verdicts in the trial of former ACC boss Gavin Robins and his brother Anthony. The pair were charged with 900 thousand dollars worth of fraud. At the end of the three week trial, a High Court jury in Wellington took less than two hours to find the brothers not guilty. The Crown claimed the pair set up a complex trans-Tasman scheme to fleece ACC.
Hundreds of people have attended a service north of Auckland today to farewell murdered woman Joanne McCarthy. The Whangaparaoa mother was found with multiple head injuries in her home last Thursday. A police investigation's underway. The service was held in the Stanmore Bay Primary School Hall for staff, students, friends and family. Principal Dave Fletcher says afterwards they planted a Pohutukawa tree at the kindergarten next door to the school in memory of Jo. He says the family helped plant it .. and it was really a magic moment.
The Minister of Courts has labelled an independent review into our court security as very helpful. The review was commissioned in the wake of the fatal stabbing of Margaret Bennellick in the foyer of the Palmerston North Family Court in July. It makes numerous recommendations including one that says guards should be stationed outside all of the country's courts. Minister of Courts Georgina Te Heu Heu says the security of people visiting our courts is paramount. She says we must ensure a tragedy like that which sparked the report never happens again.
(A prophet is not without honour save in his own land!!! It is fascinating that this becomes a good idea when we pay an external consultant to tell us so, but is complete rubbish when the Department's own officers recommended the same thing for several years in a row - BH)
Auckland University's Students' Association is the latest to set up a food bank for the summer, to deal with people it claims are being left high and dry by government policy. About one third of tertiary students are now ineligible for the emergency unemployment benefit during the summer holidays. Auckland Students' Association spokeswoman Sarah Lee says establishing a food bank is an unusual step, but one that's needed. The food bank will begin distributing emergency parcels and food vouchers from Monday. Students' associations at several other universities have also set up food banks.
The Ministry of Health says it believes a report into radiotherapy delays at Midcentral Health will provide some reassurance for the families of cancer patients who died while on the waiting lists. An independent review commissioned by the Ministry of Health has found none of the patients died as a result of the delays in treatment. Health Ministry spokesman Dr Colin Feek says the report also states there was no patient whose survival was likely to have been improved by earlier therapy. He says although it's understandably distressing for the families to have delays, the patients concerned were seriously ill and it's doubtful whether radiotherapy would have been of any benefit.
A major rescue operation is underway in Australia to rescue at least two sailors stranded on a stricken New Zealand yacht off Lord Howe Island. An Australian customs aircraft is circling the ketch, while an Air Force Hercules and a South Korean fishing ship is also on its way to the area. Conditions in the area are described as very rough.
(The search was called off when all hope of survival had lapsed. - BH)
Security will be tight when the man accused of murdering missing friends Ben Smart and Olivia Hope appears in the Blenheim District Court on Monday. 27 year old Scott Watson was arrested in June, after the pair disappeared while holidaying in the Marlborough Sounds on New Years Eve. Preliminary hearings begin on Monday. Detective Senior Sergeant John Rae says those going into the courtroom will be vetted in order to prevent any disruption to proceedings. Meanwhile the Solicitor General has warned the media not to publish pictures of the accused or describe his personal characteristics in detail. John McGrath says it could prejudice his right to a fair hearing if the case goes to trial.
The latest official statistics show a slight increase in average hourly earnings over the last year. The average worker now earns $17.26 cents an hour.... about 50 cents more than a year ago. Men in the private sector average $17.83 ... while women are $3.50 an hour worse off... on $14.32. In the year to August the number of full-time jobs fell by 1.5 per cent... while the number of part-time jobs increased by 1.6 per cent. There were more than one and a half million filled jobs.
Date: 19 November 1996 Brian Dooley
Wellington New Zealand
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 0.5443
AUD 0.8383
GBP 0.3256
JPY 66.32
CAD 0.8445
FRF 3.0651
DEM 0.9139
HKD 4.2257
SGD 0.8908
ZAR 3.0972
CHF 0.7527
INTEREST RATES (%)
Call : 3.00
90 Day: 4.17
*****
What a glorious day today ... I was helping some good friends move
house from Seatoun to Waikanae, and had to drive up the coast with my
car packed wall to wall with Epiphillums which my friends breed with
spectacular success. Anyhow the day was one of those in which the
detail in distant landscapes was visible with crystal clarity. From
the coast road North of Pukerua Bay, the hills and islands of the
Marlborough sounds could be seen not just as a blue haze, but it was
possible to see bush and gullies. The slopes had the hard edges of a
Rita Angus landscape ... days like this are to be savoured.
I wish all our readers in America a happy holiday with Family and
friends ... and for our Kiwi cousins over there as Winter gets a grip,
I can tell you I saw the first pohutukawa of this lovely summer :-)
See you next week
Brian Harmer
http://www.vuw.ac.nz/~bharmer/
I may not be disgruntled but I am far from gruntled
P G Wodehouse
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