WYSIWYG NEWS - 14 September, 2002
Brian Harmer
----- WYSIWYG NEWS -------------------------------
Copyright, Brian Harmer
Willows lining the banks of the Hutt River between Naenae
and Silverstream present a mass of the most delicate green
spring growth. Can this seemingly endless wet winter be
coming to an end? Are those Kowhai blossoms in glorious
yellow profusion? Apple, peach and plum trees everywhere
add their exotic shades to the palette. Around the country,
lambs are already frolicking, and daffodils have passed
their peak. It really must be spring! Of course, nature
cares not for our categorizations, and spring or not, has
dumped some of last season's weather on us. On Wednesday
this week, the inhabitants of the Southern suburbs woke to
a white world. Snow! Well ... not quite ... they had a
seriously heavy hailstorm such that the streets were
literally inches deep. I winced at TV pictures of kids
hurling "snowballs" compressed from a couple of handfuls of
ice. Ouch! The airport was closed for several hours as the
runways were hosed off by the airport fire tenders.
Commuter chaos. Nature's infinite capacity to surprise us
adds to the joy of living in a landscape such as this. The
day cleared to a magnificent blue sky and no wind, though
it never quite warmed up.
----------------------
All news items (except where noted otherwise) are
reproduced by kind permission of copyright owner, IRN Ltd.
Any text above this point, and all subsequent material in
parentheses, and concluded with the initials "BH" is the
personal opinion of Brian Harmer as editor of this
newsletter, or occasionally "HH" will indicate an opinion
from Helen.
In all cases they are honest expressions of personal
opinion, and are not presented as fact.
----
This week's formatting is sponsored by my good friends
George and Pat.
This issue is respectfully dedicated to the memory of all
who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, and to those
who grieve for them.
On with the news:
Monday, 9 September
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
IMAGES MAY STRESS CHILDREN
--------------------------
A child psychiatrist says the barrage of September 11th
images on TV may lead to post traumatic stress disorder in
children. The Royal College of Australian and New Zealand
Psychiatrists wants commemorations of the US terrorist
attacks to be shown during adult viewing times. Dr Louise
Newman says the events of that day should be considered
adult themes that may disturb viewers who are young and
vulnerable. She says many children can not distinguish
between past and present, and they may think the attacks
are happening now.
(I wonder what advice the well meaning psychiatrist has for
kids who actually lived through this, or kids from either
side of the many sordid little wars on our planet? - BH)
HOLD ON PAPERWORK CALLED FOR
----------------------------
Intermediate schools are calling on the Education Ministry
to put a hold on paperwork. The New Zealand Association of
Intermediate and Middle School Principals passed the
resolution at its annual conference last week. Spokesman
Bill Noble says in the interests of pulling failing schools
into line, the Ministry has introduced a new layer of
reporting back to Wellington. But Mr Noble says the
assessment has been imposed across the board, and teachers
are struggling to keep up with it. He says it is like
bringing out a new car without tools to fix it if it breaks
down. Bill Noble says all the paperwork's stressing
teachers out.
(How many of our institutions have ballooning costs which
the practitioners in the field say are due to the
inexplicable rise in the number of homo administratens? A
plague on the number of bureaucrats in schools, hospitals,
universities and the like. To borrow from the scripture,
consider the administrators, how they grow. They toil not,
neither do they spin, yet not even Solomon's court cost as
much as they do! <sigh!> - BH)
ACTION NOT FOREGONE CONCLUSION
------------------------------
Military action against Iraq is not a foregone conclusion
in the view of the Prime Minister. US President George W
Bush is trying to rally international support to back an
attack on Iraq and will present his case to the UN this
week. Helen Clark says New Zealand does not favour an
attack and any action would require a UN mandate. She does
not think war is inevitable and says there is a great deal
of international scepticism about the case which the US is
about to put to the UN. Miss Clark says if there was a UN-
mandated action taken against Iraq, New Zealand would offer
some military support.
BIG MONEY TO BEAT MOTH
----------------------
The government is spending $90 million on an expanded
spraying programme to help get rid of the painted apple
moth. But even then, the success of the programme can only
be 80 percent guaranteed. Biosecurity Minister Jim Sutton
has confirmed that Cabinet has approved the significantly
wider programme in a bid to fully eradicate the pest. He
says the first spray will be at the beginning of next
month. Mr Sutton says the spray zone will be between eight
and 12 thousand hectares, and 37,500 properties will be
affected. He says those houses are in Waitakere, Massey
West, some Auckland city suburbs including lower Point
Chevalier, the Henderson Valley, New Lynn and Mt Albert.
Jim Sutton says the sprays will be at three-week intervals
and MAF officials will be working to help minimise spray
drift and any potential negative effects. He admits the
programme is not guaranteed to work 100 percent, but it is
the best option the government has.
FISHING VESSEL FINED
--------------------
A warning has gone out to owners of foreign fishing vessels
who want to breach our 40- kilometre exclusion zone. The
master of Japanese boat Tomi Maru 86 has been fined $13,000
in the Christchurch District Court after being found in a
Hoki fishing ground off the West Coast. The boat was
chartered by a South Island company but was stung because
it was longer than 46 metres. Ministry of Fisheries Serious
Offences Unit manager Mike Green says the sting brings to
an end a year- long operation in which two vessels were
caught. He says he hopes it sends out the message to other
fishers they will be severely hit in the pocket if they
flout this rule.
DANGEROUS PRISONER RELEASED
---------------------------
Police are warning a prisoner who was mistakenly let out of
the Whangarei District Court cells is dangerous. Luke
Raymond Edmonds was released at three o'clock this
afternoon. The 23-year-old had appeared in court on arson,
burglary, car conversion and aggravated wounding charges.
Whangarei police are warning the public not to approach
him. He is described as Maori, 181 centimetres tall, of
medium build, with collar- length black hair and clean
shaven. He was wearing a red hooded sweat shirt.
(He was found next day - BH)
DRUG DEBTS BIG FACTOR
---------------------
The prosecution in the Michael Coffin murder trial claims
drug debts played a large part in the Auckland chef's
death. Twenty-four year-old Christopher Gregory Thomas is
standing trial for the murder in August last year and has
denied the charge. The crown alleges Thomas shot Mr Coffin
in the back of the head because the accused wanted to steal
up to up $16,000 dollars worth of Mr Coffin's cocaine. It
is claimed Thomas was under pressure from a drug dealer to
return cocaine he himself had earlier been supplied with.
Thomas has been accused of burying Mr Coffin's body beneath
a North Shore house where the accused's ex-partner and
children lived. More than 65 witnesses will be called in
the two-week trial.
BIG VIEWING FIGURES FOR TALL BLACKS
-----------------------------------
More than three quarters of a million New Zealanders tuned
in to watch the Tall Blacks' semi-final match against
Yugoslavia yesterday morning. Television New Zealand says
ratings peaked just before 10:30 when 793,000 viewers were
watching the live coverage from the World Championships in
Indianapolis. TVNZ says the figures are up there with the
viewership of such events as the Bledisloe Cup and the
Olympics opening ceremony.
(Some observers suggest Kiwis will watch any sport as long
as we are winning. In any case, the Tall Blacks really
caught the national imagination - I guess it was our
version of "Cool Runnings". They did remarkably well. - BH)
INVESTORS NEEDED FOR AIDS DRUG
------------------------------
A new drug could offer a chance for New Zealanders to help
in the fight against AIDS. Biotech company Virionyx has
developed a drug that could offer a breakthrough in
treating the virus that causes AIDS. The drug has passed
the first of three testing phases at Harvard Medical School
in the US. Virionyx Chief Financial Officer Paul Young says
the company needs nearly $9 million in capital to implement
phase two of the trials. He says it is a one-time offer for
New Zealand investors. He says investment incentives are
both medical and humanitarian.
WIND WARNING ISSUED IN SOUTH
----------------------------
A strong wind warning has been issued for Canterbury, Otago
and Southland. MetService says norwesterlies may reach 70
kilometres an hour at times in exposed places overnight,
with gusts of up to 120. It says the gales have the
potential to blow down trees. Drivers of large trucks and
cars towing caravans have been warned to take extra care.
Heavy rain is also expected in Fiordland and the ranges of
Westland, with between 150 millimetres and 180 millimetres
forecast.
PLAN TO CUT SMOKER NUMBERS BY 5%
--------------------------------
The Government wants to reduce the number of smokers.
Currently around 25 percent of the population light up and
the Government wants to cut that to around 20 percent.
Associate Health Minister Damien O'Connor has announced the
plan at a Smokefree meeting in Wellington. Mr O'Connor says
the number of smokers has decreased by more than 30 percent
over the past 10 years, with a more measured decrease over
the last five years. He says proposed amendments to the
current Smokefree Environments Act will help change
attitudes to smoking so it becomes sad rather than chic.
Tuesday, September 10
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SAFETY CONCERNS KNOWN
---------------------
The government is promising that no expense will be spared
to ensure public safety during the painted apple moth
aerial spray campaign. More than 37-thousand west Auckland
properties are in the target zone and there is concern the
spray could prove hazardous for some members of the public.
Biosecurity Minister Jim Sutton says the government's
acutely aware of the concerns. He says the government will
commit sufficient resources to address them. Mr Sutton says
there is a comprehensive range of support and expert
advice. Meanwhile, Waitakere mayor Bob Harvey wants the
government to provide compensation, like health costs. The
spray programme starts next month.
(No expense spared promises are hard to come by these days.
We could do with a few of them in the region of health and
education - BH)
GUILTY VERDICT IN PIGOTT MURDER CASE
------------------------------------
A 15-year-old girl has been found guilty of murdering
Waitara man Kenneth Pigott. A New Plymouth jury took just
under three hours to find Rene Cara O'Brien guilty of
bashing the 60-year-old over the head with a hammer eight
times and dumped his body in the local river. Two 14-year-
old girls have pleaded guilty to his manslaughter and are
awaiting sentence. The judge says the case is a sad
reflection of bad parenting, and the parents involved
should take a long, hard look at themselves. Rene O'Brien
sobbed and covered her face throughout today's proceedings.
She has been remanded in custody till October the 7th.
THREE HUNTED AFTER ROBBERY
--------------------------
Taranaki and Wanganui police are this afternoon looking for
three men who robbed a tourist park and tearooms, beating
up the proprietor. The female proprietor of the Ashley Park
Tourist Park and Tearooms at Waitotara was punched and
locked in a toilet while the offenders made their escape.
Police are looking for a white Toyota which was seen taking
off from the scene at high speed.
CLARK CONCERNED ABOUT PEACE PROCESS
-----------------------------------
Prime Minister Helen Clark's concerned a unilateral
military strike on Iraq could jeopardise the Middle East
peace process. Miss Clark's again told Parliament that New
Zealand will not support any action which was not mandated
by the UN. She is listed a range of reasons why. Helen
Clark says unilateral action could cause further
instability in the Middle East and make it harder to get an
Israeli-Palestinian settlement. She says in addition, an
attack could damage the international coalition against
terrorism, and would be likely to have an adverse effect on
the international economy.
TERRORISM OFFICES OPENED
------------------------
New Zealand has opened police terrorism liaison offices in
Washington DC and London. The offices were opened by Police
Commissioner Rob Robinson and are attached to the New
Zealand Embassies in both cities. The offices will be
attended by New Zealand detectives, who will serve two year
stints. Police Minister George Hawkins says the offices
represent the government's commitment to working with
international anti-terrorism agencies to boost New
Zealand's security. He says while there is no current
evidence this country is being targeted, the situation is
constantly monitored.
MURDER VICTIMS SON UNHAPPY WITH SYSTEM
---------------------------------------
The son of a murder victim has expressed dissatisfaction
with the justice system. A 15-year-old girl has today been
convicted of the murder of 60-year-old Waitara man Kenneth
Pigott by hitting him with a hammer, and then dumping him
in the local river. Two other 14-year-olds have pleaded
guilty to his manslaughter. Mr Pigott's son Dean praises
the police, but is not so happy with the courts. He has
expressed disappointment at the way the court system has
worked and claims there has been discrimination against the
victims.
JUDGE CRITICISES BAD PARENTING
------------------------------
The issue of bad parenting came to the fore today, as a 15-
year-old girl was found guilty of murdering a Waitara man.
Kenneth Pigott's body was found in a river, with severe
wounds to his head. Two 14-year-old girls had previously
pleaded guilty to manslaughter, and today 15-year-old Rene
O'Brien was found guilty of bashing Mr Pigott over the head
with a hammer, and dumping his body in a river. In the
crown's closing statement to the jury, prosecutors said on
the night of the killing, the girls had been drinking
Bourbon which had been supplied by adults and loved ones.
Justice John Priestley said today that this case shows the
results of bad parenting, and what happens when adults fail
to assume a role of responsibility. The judge said there
were adults in this court case, especially the parents, who
need to take a long, hard look at themselves. Our reporter
in court, Bryan Vickery says some of the girl's relatives
in court were upset, and others seemed bemused and offended
by the judge's comments. The 15-year-old is yet to be
sentenced.
Wednesday, September 11
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NZERS REMEMBER SEPT 11
----------------------
St Luke's Presbyterian Church in the Auckland suburb of
Remuera was packed today for the start of a world-wide
commemoration of the September 11 attacks on the United
States. At 8. 46am, the exact moment the first hijacked jet
struck the World Trade Centre, a choir began singing
Mozart's Requiem Mass. Throughout the day choirs in more
than 40 countries will repeat it. The Reverend David Clark
says the church and the Orlando Singers planned the event
late last year to give people an opportunity to remember
and reflect on the meaning of life. Candles were lit by the
congregation after the service. Another memorial service
was held at the Christchurch Cathedral this morning.
Anglican Bishop David Coles told the congregation that
today felt a bit like an ANZAC dawn parade. He said today
was a day of prayer and peace, a day to work for peace for
all, and a day to reaffirm that peace is a costly business.
About 150 people attended the service, including
representatives from the Government, the Fire Service and
the Army.
(An odd little spat arose in NZ discussion groups as to
whether we were somehow insulting the American people by
observing the anniversary before it actually occurred in
New York. The reality is that New Year's day dawns here
before anywhere else in the world, just as September 11
does. I am certain that any thinking person will recognise
that it is a fact of geography and international convention
that different places are in different time zones, and that
there can be no insult in a sincerely offered remembrance.
Certainly his excellency the Ambassador seemed to have no
difficulty in joining the local ceremonies - BH)
TRUANCY FIGURES "APPALLING"
---------------------------
The National Party believes truancy is out of control. The
Party has revealed figures it has obtained in response to
written Parliamentary questions. Education spokesman Nick
Smith says the figures show that already this year more
than 4,000 children have been referred to Non-Enrolment
Truancy Services. He says at the same time last year just
under 2,000 children had been referred. Dr Smith says the
figures are appalling. He says the link between truancy and
youth crime is clear and if we keep failing our young
people in this way there will be more incidents like the
Kenneth Pigott murder case. Yesterday, a 15-year-old girl
was found guilty of murdering the Waitara truck driver.
Earlier, two 14-year-old girls pleaded guilty to
manslaughter in the same case. The court was told that the
children had not been attending school regularly. At the
conclusion of the trial the judge commented that the case
showed what happens when adults fail to assume a role of
responsibility. Nick Smith says the Government needs to
look at encouraging and supporting alternative education
providers.
(Generalities are unhelpful in addressing specifics cases.
The best intentioned parents in the world may struggle to
deliver normative results with a uniquely wilful child. -
BH)
GM WILL BE DRIVER OF INNOVATION - MAF
-------------------------------------
Government briefing documents say New Zealand is likely to
benefit substantially from GM technology but only if it is
supported by the public. The MAF papers say New Zealand is
a biologically-based economy and leading edge biotechnology
is vital to our economic prospects. They say many of our
competitors are actively applying such biotechnology,
including GM, and that the "genie is out of the bottle".
The papers say GM is likely to be a key driver of
innovation and change in future years. However, they add
that it is important the environmental and health risks of
GM are fully discussed and understood by all of society,
not just the scientific community. The papers concede there
is also some public distrust of the objectivity of
scientists and business advocates involved with GM issues.
NZ BUSINESSES PAY FOR SEPT 11
------------------------------
New Zealand businesses are feeling the effect of September
11 - through their pockets. The insurance industry says any
bravado about being willing to insure anything has gone
forever post-September 11. Insurance Council chief
executive Chris Ryan says the events of that day were the
most defining moment in the industry for several decades.
He says the accumulated losses have forced premiums for New
Zealand businesses up 40 percent and caused a dramatic
change in thinking. Mr Ryan says the new rules are, unless
you can clearly ascertain the risk, don not insure it.
Chris Ryan says the first casualty of that was terrorism
cover, which no longer exists. He says insurance companies
are now also more disciplined and very specific about
individual policies. Meanwhile, the Terrorism Suppression
Bill could become law before the current Parliamentary
session ends. Foreign Minister Phil Goff says the bill is
before Parliament now. In the meantime regulations are in
force to carry out the intent of the UN resolution on
terrorism. He says New Zealand and all other countries must
stop financial and other forms of support for terrorists.
SOFTWARE PUNT DOES NOT PAY OFF
------------------------------
The Commerce Commission is cracking down on some types of
horse betting software. Along with its Australian
counterpart, the Commission has secured a conviction
against a former New Zealander, Robert Price in Brisbane,
of misleading consumers in selling the computer programme.
The Offtrack software was being sold both here and across
the Tasman. The Commission's Fair Trading director Deborah
Battell says it falsely claimed to be able to predict
place-getters with high accuracy and promised to net the
consumer huge profits. She says the consumer was led to
believe you could make up to $8,000 a month by using the
system and, not surprisingly, it was rarely the case. She
says some punters have even quit their jobs out of faith in
such schemes, only to end up out of pocket. Deborah Battell
says there are likely to be similar schemes duping punters
still in the market and the Commission would like to hear
from anyone who may have any relevant information.
NATIONAL WANTS CHAT ROOM CRACKDOWN
----------------------------------
National is calling for new laws to crack down on
paedophiles who go into Internet chat rooms to build
sinister relationships with children. The party's justice
spokesman Simon Power says overseas and local experience
shows that chat room contact can escalate to personal
contact. He says it is known that a person can enter a chat
room pretending to be a teenager, win a young person's
trust then arrange a meeting. Mr Power says in Britain at
least a dozen children have been sexually assaulted by
people they have met through the Internet. He says, where
an adult is using modern technologies to meet with a minor,
then a presumption should exist in law that such meetings
are not for a lawful purpose. He says Britain is
considering such laws and New Zealand should too.
(Good intentions are often hard to translate into effective
law. I wonder how Mr Power would go about this? Perhaps he
should consult his lowest ranked parliamentary colleague
who at least has been known to use the Internet and even
to participate in Newsgroups - BH)
LEARN ALL ABOUT GOVERNMENTS
---------------------------
Victoria University has joined top Australian universities
and the New Zealand and Australian Governments to form the
Australia and New Zealand School of Government. The school
has been opened by the Prime Minister Helen Clark and will
provide masterate-level studies for top public servants.
Professor Matthew Palmer says the input of the Australian
institutions and the two Governments means there will be a
lot of experience students can draw on. He says they will
also have the chance to travel across the Tasman as part of
their studies to look at how government departments
function in Australia.
NEW ZEALAND REMEMBERS SEPT 11
-----------------------------
The Foreign Minister says the great success of the year
since the September the 11 terror attacks in America has
been preventing a repeat. It is a year today since al Qaeda
terrorists flew two planes into the World Trade Centre in
New York, one into a Pennsylvania field and another into
the Pentagon, killing more than 3,000 people. Phil Goff
says without military intervention in Afghanistan and
combined international efforts to suppress terrorism,
another attack could have happened. But he says there is no
room for complacency and believes it will take more than
military force to defeat terrorism. Mr Goff says the focus
must be on dealing with its causes. Meanwhile, a day of
official commemorations gets underway in Wellington this
morning, with a flag raising ceremony at the US Embassy.
American Ambassador Butch Swindells will then host a
commemoration ceremony attended by Helen Clark. Both the
Prime Minister and Ambassador Swindells are expected to
speak and will plant two trees as a symbolic gesture. Later
in the day, both will attend a public memorial service at
Wellington Cathedral and a Wairarapa Youth Festival
Commemoration in Masterton.
Thursday, 12 September
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
STATS TESTAMENT TO ECONOMY STRENGTH
-----------------------------------
A rise in volumes of both exports and imports bodes well
for the economy. That is ANZ chief economist David Drage's
assessment of the June quarter overseas trade data. While
export prices have dropped almost six percent, and import
prices are down 1. 4 percent, David Drage says this is
being offset by big rises in volumes. Mr Drage says the
amount being imported is up 3. 5 percent for the quarter, a
testament to how strong the local economy is at the moment.
NORTH SHORE BOY DIES
--------------------
A critically-injured young boy has lost his fight for life,
after he and his mother were attacked in their home on
Auckland's North Shore a week ago. Ten-year-old Weng De Dai
- also known as Wender Zen - suffered serious head injuries
and died this afternoon in Starship Hospital. His mother,
Hua Dai who is 36, remains in a critical condition also
with head injuries. Police spokeswoman, Rebekah Holt, says
a 40-year-old man, already charged with assault, will be
back in court next Thursday. She says more charges will be
laid before that appearance. A post mortem examination of
the child will be made tomorrow.
SOCIAL WORK NO 9-5 JOB
----------------------
Social workers in South Auckland are being told to remember
their hours do not necessarily go from nine to five.
Clevedon MP Judith Collins is making the call after
receiving reports from local police of social workers
refusing to make night calls to attend to youth offenders
in police custody. She says this is not helping the
relationship between social workers and police which needs
to be a vital one to identify potential future criminals.
Ms Collins says police are being forced to take the role of
baby-sitters while they wait for the social worker to
arrive the next morning. She says the reality is children
are more likely to get into trouble with the law outside
office hours. Ms Collins says staffing levels need to be
set with this in mind.
(I wonder if Ms Collins is prepared to remunerate social
workers appropriately for an on-call lifestyle? - BH)
Friday, 13 September
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LONDON SEES WALKER'S COLLECTION
-------------------------------
Karen Walker is unveiling her latest collection at London
Fashion Week today. The Auckland-based designer is showing
her wares to European buyers at the invitation-only event
for the third time. She says it is important for her to be
in London for the event as sales there have been steadily
rising. The Walker collection has already attracted media
attention this week, with features appearing in Elle and
Vogue magazines as well as in the The Observer Sunday
newspaper. But while the fashion experts in Europe are
eagerly awaiting to see what is store on the cat walk, the
discerning New Zealand fashion bodies have already seen it.
An event to launch the spring/summer range was shown last
night at an event in Auckland.
ACC PROPOSES 22% INCREASE FOR MOTORISTS
---------------------------------------
The cost of registering a vehicle or the cost of petrol
could be about to rise once more as ACC prepares a proposal
to increase levies by 22 percent. ACC has produced a range
of options for fund the scheme for the 2003-04 year. The
Corporation says the new and ongoing costs of serious
injuries continue to have a major impact on the ACC scheme.
It says, at present, there are eight claimants in the Motor
Vehicle account portfolio whose estimated life cost is more
than $10 million for each claim. Over the course of one
year, more than 90,000 motorists' levies need to be
collected to fund the lifetime costs of five seriously
injured children. It says the increase in levies has been
caused primarily by an increase in and improved estimation
of long-term rehabilitation costs of those seriously
injured in vehicle accidents. The Corporation says, rather
than increasing the motor vehicle re-licensing fee for
petrol powered vehicles, another funding option is to raise
tax on petrol. But the proposal is being criticised by the
Automobile Association. AA spokesman, George Fairbairn,
says the proposal to raise levies comes on the back of a 13
percent increase on last year's levy and a rise the
previous year. The AA is inviting motorists to let them
know whether they would prefer the option of a rise in
petrol tax or re-registration costs and will pass on the
suggestions in a submission to ACC. The AA believes
absorbing a petrol price rise would be more equitable as
those out on the road the most should contribute the most.
The Corporation is proposing to reduce the average 2003-04
ACC levies for employers by seven percent from an average
composite levy of $1.20 to $1.12 per $100 (excluding GST).
It is also considering reducing levies for the self-
employed by three percent from an average $3.17 to $3.09.
YOUNGEST KILLER SENTENCED TODAY
--------------------------------
The country's youngest convicted killer will learn his fate
today. Thirteen-year-old Bailey Junior Kurariki is one of
five young people to be sentenced in the High Court in
Auckland for the killing of pizza delivery man Michael
Choy. Sixteen-year-old Alexander Peihopa and 17-year-old
Whatarangi Rawiri, were found guilty of murder, and four
others including Bailey Junior Kurariki, were convicted of
manslaughter. Kurariki was just 12 when Mr Choy was fatally
bashed and robbed. The two found guilty of murder are the
first young murderers to be dealt with under the new
Sentencing Act, which gives the sentencing judge other
options to life imprisonment.
(No he wont. With seven defence lawyers each arguing for an
hour or so for the minimum possible sentence on the grounds
of his or her client's "tragic background" the court ran
out of time and the sentencing hearing will resume on
Monday. As an aside, I wonder where MP Judith Collins is
with her calls for "no 9-5 jobs" sits on this. If it's good
enough for social workers to be at work on demand, why not
the legal profession? - BH)
TRANZ RAIL EXPECTS CREDIT RATING DOWNGRADE
-------------------------------------------
Tranz Rail says it will negotiate a fair price for the
Wellington passenger rail system, Tranz Metro. At the
company's annual results announcement yesterday, managing
director Michael Beard accused local politicians of wanting
to appease rate payers by minimising the purchase price.
But Mr Beard says the rail operator's responsibility is to
its shareholders. He says the company is in the early stage
of talks with the Wellington Regional Council and its
partner, and high level price negotiations will begin
shortly. Mr Beard hopes the parties will move fairly
quickly on the sale. He says the sale also requires the
Government to pass legislation enabling regional councils
to be rail operators. Tranz Rail has announced a net loss
of $122 million for the year to June, compared with a $5. 6
million profit the previous year. It is expecting
international credit rating agency Standard & Poor's to
downgrade its corporate debt rating today. Chief financial
officer Wayne Collins says the company has been on negative
credit outlook for three years, and in light of its debt
and last year's operating results, it is expecting to be
downgraded. Tranz Rail actually made an operating profit of
$24 million, but that was before write-downs and accounting
changes worth $143 million.
POLICE SMELL ECSTASY RAT
------------------------
Police suspect there are cases of rat poison being sold as
ecstasy in New Zealand. Canberra police have seized
capsules this week which were initially believed to be the
party drug, ecstasy, but later found to be rat poison.
Auckland Drug Squad Head, Detective Senior Sergeant Colin
McMurtrie says the same trick is highly likely to be
employed in this country. He says police have had
information in the past of laced ecstasy and speed being
sold in New Zealand. Mr McMurtrie says it is possible the
bad ecstasy made in Canberra could have crossed the Tasman.
NEW CHAIRMAN WALKS AWAY FROM TROUBLED TRUST
-------------------------------------------
The new chairman of Northland's troubled Maori health
provider is walking away from the job, just seven days
after he was elected. Taiira Awarau was appointed after a
meeting between iwi and the board voted the trust's
chairwoman Luana Murray out of the job. He says he left
because staff at Te Hauora o Te Tai Tokerau (THOTT) had
made managerial decisions without informing him. He says
they held a snap meeting yesterday afternoon and elected a
management team to oversee a report he was writing. Mr
Awarau says he was first told of the development was
through the trust's lawyer, Wayne Peters. He says he has
put his own money into the organisation over the past week
and is disappointed by the treatment he has received. He
accuses Thott of being dysfunctional. Child, Youth and
Family has frozen the assets of the Northland health
provider to prevent them from being sold after it was
reported five vehicles had been sent to an auctioneer. The
trust has also lost contracts with the Ministry of Health
and CYF after not meeting service standards.
(On the basis of the news reports I heard, I think the
committee is wise not to delegate cheque-signing and
decision making authority to anyone person. The chairperson
claimed that was how they got into difficulty in the first
place - BH)
POLICE DOG AND HANDLER BASHED
-----------------------------
A police dog handler and his dog have been bashed while
investigating a burglary in Christchurch today. The dog
handler disturbed two young men in a house in the suburb of
Richmond after police were called by members of the public
reporting people acting suspiciously in the area. Police
say the pair were attacked by someone wielding a wooden
bat. The injured officer has been admitted to hospital with
facial injuries. The dog has been treated by a vet. A 17
and 19-year-old have been charged with aggravated burglary,
aggravated wounding and injuring a police dog. They will
appear in court tomorrow.
RETIREMENT AGE UNDER MICROSCOPE
-------------------------------
Act Party leader Richard Prebble believes the retirement
age will have been pushed out to 68 by the time he retires.
It follows comments from the Retirement Commissioner that
New Zealand's aging population means there will come a day
when the age limit needs to be reviewed. Apart from Act
most of the political parties favour keeping the retirement
age at 65. However, Richard Prebble says that is because
they are petrified about upsetting people over the issue.
He says they are trying to tell the public what they think
it wants to here, rather than telling them the truth.
MORE MURDER-CHARGED TEENAGERS
-----------------------------
Three teenagers have been charged with murder following the
death of a Northland man. Richard Harcombe died on Tuesday,
three days after he was robbed and beaten in a Whangarei
park. The 18-year-old suffered serious head injuries in the
attack and was subsequently hospitalised in Auckland. Soon
after, police arrested three 16-year-olds and charged them
with aggravated robbery. A homicide investigation was
launched when Mr Harcombe's life support was switched off.
Meanwhile, the six young people who killed Auckland pizza
delivery man Michael Choy will have to wait until Monday to
discover their fate. The sentencing, which began this
morning, has become a protracted affair. A defence lawyer
for Alexander Peihopa, one of two teens found guilty of
murder, asked whether sentencing would be completed this
afternoon. But Justice Robert Fisher said the time needed
for submissions from seven lawyers means the sentences will
not be passed today. The court will resume again at nine
o'clock on Monday morning after the weekend break.
(Hey, there we go again! Perhaps if the social workers
wanted a 9-5 job, they should have become lawyers. Probably
pays better, too! - BH)
HEALTH FOOD SHOPS DISPUTE DOCTORS' CLAIMS
-----------------------------------------
A chain of health food shops is disputing allegations by
the Medical Association that it is handing out
irresponsible advice. The row follows an undercover study
by Wellington School of Medicine staff posing as asthma
sufferers, seeking help at pharmacies and health food
shops. Eighty-seven percent of the pharmacies visited,
referred the staff member to a doctor. Only 58 percent of
the health food shops did the same. Medical Association
chairman John Adams says it is disturbing to see what he
calls unsafe advice being handed out, and that people in
the alternative medicine business should be held more
accountable. But Managing Director of the Healthy Living
Group, Murray Hardy, questions the findings. He says a lot
of their customers are disillusioned with medical
practitioners. Mr Hardy claims the study has a number of
flaws in it. He has labelled it as just another attempt to
undermine the global growth in demand for natural health
products.
THE FINANCIAL PAGE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Date: 12 September 2002 Brian Dooley
Wellington New Zealand
CURRENCIES
~~~~~~~~~~
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GBP 0.3070
JPY 57.51
CAD 0.7539
EUR 0.4896
HKD 3.7274
SGD 0.8406
ZAR 5.0590
CHF 0.7182
INTEREST RATES (%)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Call : 5.75
90 Day: 5.87
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--
Brian M. Harmer
John Cawston
> SOCIAL WORK NO 9-5 JOB
> ----------------------
>
> Social workers in South Auckland are being told to remember
> their hours do not necessarily go from nine to five.
> Clevedon MP Judith Collins is making the call after
> receiving reports from local police of social workers
> refusing to make night calls to attend to youth offenders
> in police custody. She says this is not helping the
> relationship between social workers and police which needs
> to be a vital one to identify potential future criminals.
> Ms Collins says police are being forced to take the role of
> baby-sitters while they wait for the social worker to
> arrive the next morning. She says the reality is children
> are more likely to get into trouble with the law outside
> office hours. Ms Collins says staffing levels need to be
> set with this in mind.
>
> (I wonder if Ms Collins is prepared to remunerate social
> workers appropriately for an on-call lifestyle? - BH)
Seems fair enough. However, a great many other people work all
sorts of hours for their salaries. Including public servants.
There's nothing new in people exceeding paid hours by 50% and
not being rewarded. Its just the nature of some jobs.
JC
Brian Harmer
wrote:
Absolutely ... but I was distressed by Ms Collins picking on social
workers who are already among the lowest paid of teriary qualified
profession ... criticising them for not being accessible at all hours
when the other and more affluent parts of the justice system knock off
at 5 sharp or earlier.
--
Brian M. Harmer
John Cawston
Mmm. I suspect social workers would feel faintly nauseous about any
comparison with lawyers and judges. But that aside, I've often been
intrigued at why social workers are so lowly paid. The impression is that
the work is not valued very highly in terms of outcomes, its like picking
up an endless supply of smelly refuse from in front of my house and
putting it in front of yours ie, not a lot being done to solve the
problem.
JC
Dave Frame
Hmmm...I'm not sure I agree with Brian about other parts
of the justice system knocking off at 5 sharp, either. The cops
I know were never given that option, and very few of the
many lawyers I know work such short hours, either. That said,
I take the point about social work being poorly remunerated
- outcomes are hard to measure because you can never
establish rigorous counterfactuals when an ambulance
is at the top of the cliff rather than at the bottom...
Dave Frame
Brian Harmer
wrote:
>Hmmm...I'm not sure I agree with Brian about other parts
>of the justice system knocking off at 5 sharp, either. The cops
>I know were never given that option, and very few of the
>many lawyers I know work such short hours, either. That said,
>I take the point about social work being poorly remunerated
>- outcomes are hard to measure because you can never
>establish rigorous counterfactuals when an ambulance
>is at the top of the cliff rather than at the bottom...
I should have been more specific that if it's ok to target social
workers for non-availability at odd hours, then the very restricted
hours in which various courts sit, seem anomalous, and almost self
indulgent. There may be some good reason for this, but I can't see
what it is.
--
Brian M. Harmer
Brian Boutel
As I understand it, judges spent a good deal of time writing judgements,
and dealing with various applications and administrative matters that do
not involve a formal hearing in a courtroom. They also need to keep up
with legislative changes and other new material. I suspect they actually
work quite hard.
On the other hand, the snail's pace at which cases proceed should be
looked at. It can take the best part of an hour to select a jury and for
them to pick their foreperson. Evidence is given slowly, presumably so
that the court stenographers can keep up. And cases seem to be taking
longer. Four weeks for a big murder trial used to be very long, now it
is standard, and even depositions hearings can take longer than that.
--brian
--
Brian Boutel
Wellington New Zealand
Note the NOSPAM
John Cawston
It also removes from us the potential to watch our own slapstick version
of "Night Court, the American comedy of the 70s?
Putting the slapstick aside. I should think its quite a good idea to
process the drunks, scrappers, domestics etc at the time of the
happening, (often at night) rather than leave it for weeks when the
lawyers can eat up time and resources with people who have conveniently
lost their sense of guilt.
JC
Dave Frame
Well... it seems to me that social workers, police, ambulance
staff, firefighters, doctors, nurses and plumbers need to be
on call so that when a problem occurs, they can respond to
it and either fix it or prevent it from detereorating on a sort
of real-time basis.
Once a murder has happened, or a patient's heart has
stopped, or a house has burnt right down or whatever,
the homicide squad, the coroner, the forensics folks,
or the Whatever-you-call-the-after-the-event-
cleaner-upper-squad, can roll on up in the morning.
This seems (to me) to include judges and lawyers.
Dave Frame