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French Alps Air Crash Causes New Zealand CAA to Tighten Flight-Deck Safety

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MIL OSI – Source: CAA – French Alps Air Crash Causes NZ CAA to Tighten Flight-Deck Safety Following reports that have emerged regarding the tragic Germanwings incident in the French Alps, The Civil Aviation Authority is working closely with New Zealand based operators to review procedures relevant to: (1) the minimum number of people in the flight deck at any given time; and (2) the ongoing updating of medical checks and reports back to the CAA. Acting Director of Civil Aviation, John Kay said ‘Effective today the CAA requires large jet aircraft operators in New Zealand to ensure they have a minimum of two people in the flight deck at any given time. This applies to domestic and International flights. This new stipulation recognises that temporary inflight incapacitation could occur for a number of reasons, including a medical event.’ ‘The CAA takes a precautionary approach on such matters in the interests of safety.’ ‘All New Zealand airline pilots undergo extensive and recurrent medical assessments to determine their fitness to hold a licence. As part of this, aeromedical examiners are required to assess a commercial pilot’s physical and mental health at each medical examination which, for an airline pilot flying with at least one other pilot, is undertaken annually. These detailed medical assessments are in-line with international aviation standards.’ Mr. Kay said. ‘The CAA’s stance is that flight crew need to be medically fit in order to fly.’ He said. ‘Our view is also that well treated medical conditions, in established remission, and/or those conditions that are well managed by taking reliably safe medication, may be eligible to return to aviation.’ Mr. Kay said ‘A pilot’s medical certificate can be suspended while determining their medical fitness to fly. It is unlikely that someone who has a medical or behavioural condition of concern would be considered as being fit to hold a medical certificate.’ (Relevant medical requirements are below). In addition, to hold a licence a pilot must remain ‘fit and proper’. When assessing an individual’s fit and proper status the Civil Aviation Act allows the Director of Civil Aviation to take into account any history of mental health of serious behavioural problems. ‘As with medical certificates the CAA will always take a precautionary approach on such matters.’ Mr. Kay concluded ‘We will closely monitor the situation as the Germanwings investigation continues and review our current requirements if any need improving or updating.’ –]]>

iPredict New Zealand Weekly Economic and Political Update

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MIL OSI – Source: iPredict – iPredict New Zealand Weekly Economic and Political Update

PETERS TRIUMPHANT; KEY WEAKENS; SHAW EMERGES

NZ First leader Winston Peters is expected to win the Northland by-election tomorrow with a majority of 1394, according to the combined wisdom of the 8000+ registered traders on New Zealand’s predictions market, iPredict.  Prime Minister John Key’s position has weakened, and he now has only a 32% probability of remaining National Party leader through to the end of 2017.  James Shaw has emerged as a contender for the Green Party co-leadership, with a 27% probability of winning the job behind favourite Kevin Hague.  The Official Cash Rate is now expected to remain on hold until January next year.  Fonterra’s final payouts (before retentions) are expected to be $4.82 on 2014/15, rising to $6.10 in 2015/16 and $6.49 in 2016/17.  National remains favoured to win the next General Election with 55% probability.

New Zealand Politics:

·       NZ First leader Winston Peters is now overwhelmingly expected to win the Northland by-election (84% probability, up from 77% last week), ahead of National’s Mark Osborne (14% probability, down from 23%).  Mr Peters’ majority is expected to be 1394

·       James Shaw has emerged as a contender to be the next male co-leader of the Green Party, with 27% (up from 5% last week).   Kevin Hague remains favoured with 62% probability (down from 90%)

·       John Key is strongly expected to remain National leader until at least the end of 2016 (88% probability, up from 77% last week) but just a 32% probability of remaining National leader until at least the end of 2017 (down sharply from 51% last week)

·       Andrew Little is overwhelmingly expected to remain Labour leader until at least the end of 2016 (97% probability, up from 82% last week) and has a 72% probability of remaining Labour leader until the end of 2017 (up from 39% last week).  There is a 55% probability he will still be Labour leader by the end of 2020

·       Stocks on who will be National and Labour leaders on Nomination Day for the next General Election have been launched today

·       Paula Bennett remains favourite to become National Party leader if a vacancy arises (33%, up from 30% last week), followed by Steven Joyce (26%, up from 25%)

·       Stocks on who is favoured to become Labour Party leader if a vacancy arises will be launched in the near future

·       Judith Collins expected to be appointed to Cabinet before next election (55% probability, down from 73% last week)

·       Next election expected in 2017 (92% probability, steady compared with last week)

·       Forecast party vote shares at next election:

o   National                             45.1% (steady compared with last week)

o   Labour                               32.6% (up from 32.4%)

o   Greens                               11.0% (steady)

o   NZ First                               6.9% (steady)

o   Others                                 4.4% (down from 4.6%)

·       National expected to win 2017 General Election (55% probability, steady compared with last week)

·       Almost no chance Wellington councils will be amalgamated by end of 2015 (only 6% probability they will be, down from 9% last week)

New Zealand Economics:

·       Fruit-fly outbreak expected to be contained with fewer than 20 Queensland fruitflies expected to be found in New Zealand as part of current outbreak (79% probability, up from 65% last week)

·       New Zealand dollar expected to reach parity with Australian dollar by the end of 2015 (57% probability, down from 62% last week) but not before July 2015 (23% probability, up from 12%)

·       Quarterly GDP growth expected to be:

o   0.8% in the March quarter (up from 0.7% last week)

o   1.1% in the June quarter (steady)

o   1.1% in the September quarter (steady)

o   1.1% in the December quarter (steady)

·       Annual growth expected to be 4.1% in the 2015 calendar year (up from 4.0% last week)

·       Unemployment expected to be:

o   5.4% in the March quarter (steady compared with last week)

o   5.3% in the June quarter (steady)

o   5.2% in the September quarter (steady)

o   5.3% in the December quarter (steady)

·       Current account deficit expected to be 3.6% of GDP in the March quarter (up from 3.5% last week), 3.5% in the June quarter (up from 3.4%) and 3.4% in the September quarter (steady)

·       Annual inflation expected to be:

o   0.2% to end of March 2015 quarter (steady compared with last week)

o   0.4% to end of June 2015 quarter (steady)

o   0.6% to end of September 2015 quarter (down from 0.7%)

o   1.0% to end of December 2015 quarter (steady)

·       Official Cash Rate priced to be:

o   3.488% on 30 April (down from 3.493% last week)

o   3.475% on 11 June (down from 3.480%)

o   3.455% on 23 July (down from 3.460%)

o   3.417% on 10 September (down from 3.419%)

o   3.395% on 29 October (steady)

o   3.377% on 10 December (down from 3.381%)

o   3.367% on 28 January 2016 (down from 3.371%)

o   3.364% on 10 March 2016 (up from 3.357%)

o   3.354% on 28 April 2016 (up from 3.347%)

o   3.344% on 9 June 2016 (up from 3.337%)

·       This implies the OCR is more likely than not to be cut on 28 January to 3.25% (compared with 29 October last week) and to remain at that rate until at least 9 June 2016 (steady)

·       28% probability of a fiscal surplus in 2014/15 (down from 30% last week)

·       Fiscal balance expected to be:

o   -0.16% of GDP in 2014/15 (down from -0.11% last week)

o   0.80% of GDP in 2015/16 (steady)

o   1.98% of GDP in 2016/17 (steady)

o   2.43% of GDP in 2017/18 (up from 2.38%)

·       Fonterra’s final payout (before retentions) expected to be:

o   $4.82 in 2014/15

o   $6.10 in 2015/16

o   $6.49 in 2016/17

Foreign Affairs/Constitution:

·       Next UK Parliament expected to consist of:

o   Conservatives                               37.9% of seats in the House of Commons (down from 38.0% last week)

o   Labour                                          35.3% of seats (down from 35.4%)

o   Nationalist parties                           7.1% of seats (up from 6.8%)

o   UKIP and similar                             6.0% of seats (steady)

o   Liberal Democrats                           5.3% of seats (steady)

o   Unionist parties                               2.2% of seats (steady)

o   Green and similar                            2.1% of seats (steady)

o   Independents and Speaker     2.1% of seats (steady)

o   All others                                        2.2% of seats (steady)

·       David Cameron expected to be prime minister after next UK election (63% probability, down from 65% last week)

·       Boris Johnson expected to be elected to UK House of Commons this year (91% probability, steady)

·       Socialist Workers’ Party expected to defeat People’s Party in next Spanish election (71% probability, steady compared with last week)

·       All Eurozone countries, including Greece, expected to remain in Euro in 2015 (23% probability of an announcement of a departure this year, up from 16% last week)

·       New South Wales Liberal/National Coalition expected to win most seats in NSW state election (94% probability, up from 92% last week)

·       Tony Abbott is expected to remain leader of the Australian Liberal Party until 1 July 2015 (only 23% probability of departing before then, down from 27% last week) but be replaced as leader of the Australian Liberal Party by nomination day (50% probability Malcolm Turnbull will be leader on that day, steady compared with last week)

·       Bill Shorten expected to be Labor leader at next Australian federal election (88% probability, up from 87% last week)

·       Liberals marginally ahead of Labor for next Australian Federal election in 2016 (53% probability of Liberal win, steady compared with last week)

·       Hillary Clinton is favoured to be the Democratic Party’s nominee for US president in 2016 and to be elected to that office (47% probability, up from 44% last week).  Jeb Bush has a 45% probability of being the Republican nominee (steady compared with last week) followed by Scott Walker (19% probability, steady)

·       There is only a 17% probability New Zealand will sign the Trans-Pacific Partnership this year (down from 20% last week), and the Trans-Pacific Partnership is not expected to be ratified by the US Congress before 1 July 2017 (only 31% probability it will be, steady compared with last week)

·       Helen Clark’s prospects of being the next UN Secretary General are 25% (up from 23% last week)

·       There is a 10% probability New Zealand will become a republic by 2020 (steady compared with last week)

·       Ireland to vote in favour of same-sex marriage before July 2015 (95% probability, steady compared with last week)

·       There is an 18% probability Kim Jong-Un will cease being leader of North Korea before 2017 (steady compared with last week) 

Notes:

·       iPredict Ltd is owned by Victoria University of Wellington.  Details on the company and its stocks can be found at www.ipredict.co.nz.

·       The weekly economic and political update is prepared by Exceltium Ltd on a pro bono basis and is based on a snapshot taken at a random time each week.  This week’s was taken at 11.48 am today. 

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Deaths While In Police Custody: IPCA review identifies significant problems in Police custody practices

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MIL OSI – Source: Independent Police Conduct Authority – Headline: Deaths While In Police Custody: IPCA review identifies significant problems in Police custody practices

27 March 2015 – In releasing two reports today, the Independent Police Conduct Authority has highlighted a number of significant problems with the way in which Police deal with people who are detained in Police cells. The first report, entitled “Review of Police Custodial Management”, is a review of 31 complaints and incidents that have been referred to the Authority over the last three years, combined with more general enquiries undertaken by the Authority. “From the moment they take custody of a person, Police have a legal duty of care to take all reasonable steps to ensure that person’s wellbeing while they are in custody,” said Judge Sir David Carruthers, Independent Police Conduct Authority Chair. “This report has found that, often through no fault of their own, Police officers do not always fulfil that duty of care.   They do not have the necessary expertise and training to deal with some of the challenges presented by people being held in Police cells, and they are sometimes required to manage people who should not be in Police custody at all.” The report describes the process that Police are expected to follow in assessing at-risk people and determining the steps required to reduce that risk.  While this process generally works well, the report identified a number of flaws in it. “Risk assessments are not always done robustly or quickly enough, so that officers do not identify relevant risk factors,” Sir David said. “When a person is found to be at-risk, officers sometimes fail to implement strategies to manage that risk – for example, by not monitoring the person frequently enough or calling a doctor or taking them to hospital.   As a result, there are too many instances of attempted suicide, self-harm, and failures by Police to seek attention for those that present with medical conditions.” “These deficiencies are not surprising. Police cell-blocks can be very busy. Staff are often dealing with difficult and uncooperative people who have issues that Police have neither the skills not the training to deal with appropriately.” The report has particularly highlighted the problems confronted by Police in dealing with people in custody who have mental health problems, or are intoxicated. The Authority has found that people with mental health problems are often detained and taken to a Police cell, not because they have committed an offence, but because they require a mental health assessment and there is no mental health worker immediately available to undertake that assessment in another location. “In some of the cases the Authority examined, their detention by the Police was unlawful,” Sir David said.  “In other cases the person’s initial detention was lawful, but they were subsequently detained for longer than the six hour period permitted by law.” “The Authority considers that Police cells are entirely unsuitable for those in mental distress.  They are a harsh, noisy and uninviting environment.  The problems arising from custody officers’ lack of skills and training in dealing with at-risk prisoners are accentuated when they are dealing with people who are in custody because they are mentally distressed. While officers try to deal with them patiently and professionally, the prisoners’ mental distress is often made worse and they sometimes suffer long term harm.” “Unless a person experiencing a mental health crisis, is violent or poses an obvious and immediate threat to the safety of others, all practicable steps should be taken to avoid having them in Police cells. It is unacceptable that, in many Police districts, this is the standard default inter-agency response to a public call for Police assistance to deal with a person experiencing a mental health crisis. Police should not be left in the position of dealing with vulnerable and distressed people in this way. Other more appropriate interagency responses must be developed,” Sir David said. The second report released by the Authority today is the result of an investigation into the death of a young man in Police custody. This report exemplifies the problems set out in the Authority’s review of Police custodial facilities. In the early hours of 23 February 2014 Sentry Taitoko was taken into Police custody after he was arrested for a breach of the peace. Mr Taitoko was heavily intoxicated, had taken drugs and was acting in a violent way that posed a risk to himself. After arriving at the Counties Manukau District Custody Unit at about 1.45am, Police put Mr Taitoko in a cell and officers periodically monitored him. They did not undertake a formal risk assessment until over an hour later. During the night officers witnessed Mr Taitoko rolling on the ground and thrashing his arms and legs about.   Over a period of half an hour from 1.47am to 2.16 am, the CCTV footage shows him falling and hitting his head on the concrete walls or floor of the cell 83 times.  Over the next hour, he hit his head around another 31 times.  Over time the walls of the cell became smeared with blood from Mr Taitoko’s nose and from grazes on his body. From around 4:00am onwards Mr Taitoko stopped any violent movements and started lying on his right-side and his stomach.  Although he had been made subject to frequent monitoring after his formal risk assessment (which requires checks at least 5 times per hour), he was not checked at all for about 50 minutes after 4.26am other than by way of CCTV observation. At 5:15am one of the custody officers noticed blood on Mr Taitoko and called for another officer to come and look at him. At this time the officers opened the cell door and found Mr Taitoko’s  breathing to be short and gargled and his eyes rolling back in his head. An ambulance was called and offers began monitoring his breathing.  However, attempts by paramedics to resuscitate Mr Taitoko were unsuccessful. Mr Taitoko was pronounced dead at 6:10am. The Authority has found that Police breached their legal duty of care to Mr Taitoko in a number of ways. “The officers who first detained Mr Taitoko should have called for urgent medical assistance,” Sir David said.   “There were also numerous other failures that resulted from the failure of Police to recognise that Mr Taitoko’s behaviour was caused by an extreme and dangerous drug reaction.  The custody sergeant should have called an ambulance or arranged for him to be taken to hospital when he arrived at the Police cells; custody staff should have undertaken a prompt risk assessment; and Mr Taitoko should have received continuous monitoring in view of his condition.” The Authority has noted that, at the request of the custody sergeant, a Police doctor looked at Mr Taitoko through the cell window at 3.21am, although he did not enter the cell or examine him.  The Police doctor said that Mr Taitoko was too violent to be taken to hospital and at 4.05 am he confirmed his view that Mr Taitoko did not need to go to hospital. “Although the Police should have taken Mr Taitoko to hospital at an earlier stage, they cannot be criticised for failing to do so after they received this medical advice,” Sir David said.  “It was reasonable for them to rely upon that advice.” “These two reports released by the Authority demonstrate significant problems with Police custodial management.  The Police themselves have recognised the difficulties they confront in dealing with many of those who come into custody and have been working hard in many Districts to address them.” “However, these problems are not solely the result of Police processes. They reflect an inter-agency and community failure to deal appropriately with mentally impaired and intoxicated people.  The Police simply do not have the expertise and training to respond to the demands placed on them in this respect. The Authority is highlighting these problems in order to encourage public and political debate about how improvements can be made.  Police cannot, and should not be expected, to remedy this on their own,” Sir David said. “The Authority has made a number of recommendations in relation to these issues.  These include the introduction of more systematic and nationally consistent training of officers working in custodial facilities, and more specific guidance to custody staff about the monitoring of prisoners. “The Authority has also recommended that Police work with the Ministry of Health and other agencies to look at ways of minimising the number of mentally impaired people who are taken into Police custody for a mental health assessment, and to explore ways to improve the current methods of dealing with intoxicated people,” Sir David said. –]]>

TPPA Investment leak: Jacobi misleads about protections for NZ – Prof Kelsey

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MIL OSI – Source: Professor Jane Kelsey – TPPA Investment leak: Jacobi misleads about protections for NZ [caption id="attachment_1844" align="alignleft" width="200"]Professor Jane Kelsey. Professor Jane Kelsey.[/caption]

On Radio NZ’s Morning Report Stephen Jacobi said New Zealand would have protections from obligations in the investment chapter of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) that were not part of the text posted by Wikileaks yesterday.

‘That is misleading’, according to Professor Jane Kelsey who specialises in international investment agreements.

‘It is true that the leak did not include annexes of so-called non-conforming measures, so we don’t know what New Zealand has proposed, what has been accepted and what is still under discussion.’

‘But even if we assume hypothetically that the other eleven parties, including the US, allow New Zealand to include everything the government does, now and in the future, through these annexes (which they will not), that won’t protect us.’

Professor Kelsey points out that these annexes only apply to some of the rules in the chapter. They do not apply to the rules that foreign investors rely most on to sue governments, for example in current investment disputes over Australia’s plain packaging of cigarettes, Quebec’s moratorium on fracking, or the Canadian courts’ denial of a patent for a medicine.[i]

Stephen Jacobi’s second argument is that these agreements have general exceptions in another chapter that would protect areas like public health and environment.

‘Mr Jacobi must know that the US has never agreed that the general exception provision should apply to the investment chapter in its previous agreements’, Kelsey said.

‘Having followed the negotiations closely for the past five years I can see nothing to suggest that position has changed.’

‘Any concessions the US did make in this area would be in the investment chapter itself. But what we see in the leaked text is a cut-down version of the standard general exception that applies to only to aspects of the rule on performance requirements.’[ii]

There is also a circular provision that the chapter shall not be constructed to prevent the government taking any measure that is otherwise consistent with the chapter.[iii]

Several other very specific exceptions exclude decisions made by the Overseas Investment Office[iv] and a weak annex on expropriation.[v]

Clearly, Australia considers its equivalent of Pharmac is vulnerable to the investment rules, because it has proposed a specific Annex to protect decisions by those various agencies.[vi]

‘These errors reinforce the need for the government formally to release the text now so we can have a properly informed debate, including expert analysis, that allows New Zealanders to assess the real implications of this for themselves’, Kelsey said.

[i] Article II.6 Minimum Standard of Treatment and Article II.7 Expropriation and Compensation

[ii] Article II.9.3(c)

[iii] Article 11.15

[iv] Annex II-H

[v] Annex II-B

[vi] Annex II-M

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Business expenditure on R&D continues to rise – Statistics NZ

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MIL OSI – Source: Statistics New Zealand – Business expenditure on R&D continues to rise Businesses are spending more on research and development (R&D) and this expenditure is expected to rise again in 2015, Statistics New Zealand said today. Business expenditure on research and development (BERD) increased by $53 million to $1,246 million in 2014. The greatest increase came from the services industry, partly offset by decreases in R&D expenditure by the primary and manufacturing sectors (down $33 million and $14 million, respectively). Total expenditure on R&D in New Zealand remained around $2.6 billion in 2014, despite the increase in BERD, as R&D expenditure by the government and higher education (eg universities) sectors fell. As well as the increase in business expenditure, the 2014 survey also found the number of businesses performing R&D had increased. Fifty-eight more businesses performed R&D in 2014 than in 2012, taking the total to 1,549. “Computer services is now the biggest spender on R&D of any business type, and has surpassed machinery and equipment manufacturing,” business performance manager Jason Attewell said. “Service industries account for two-thirds of the New Zealand economy, but only some of these businesses have R&D activity.” Within the services industry, computer services had the largest increase – up from $221 million in 2012 to $311 million in 2014, a 41 percent increase. This includes activities such as hardware and software development, programming, and consulting services. The Research and Development Survey measures expenditure on R&D based on international definitions. However, it also asks about respondents’ expectations of future R&D expenditure. “Almost half of businesses in the survey expect to increase their R&D activity in the coming year. A further one-third expect their level of activity to remain the same,” Mr Attewell said. The Research and Development Survey is conducted every two years. See Research and Development Survey: 2014 for tables with more detailed industry and sector breakdowns. –]]>

Radio: A New Zealand V Aussie Cricket World Cup Final + Nats Set to Lose Key Seat

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Evening Report’s editor Selwyn Manning joins FiveAA Australia’s Mark Aiston, Jane Reily and Dave Penberthy on the Breakfast show to deliver New Zealand Report. First up Cricket… ITEM ONE: Australia has beaten India to take on New Zealand in the Cricket World Cup final at the MCG in Australia on Sunday. Let’s talk Cricket! ITEM TWO: The National-led Government is predicted to suffer a humiliating loss as voters go to the polls this weekend in a key rural by-election. The Northland seat has been a National Party stronghold for decades but two significant polls in two days are predicting the Nationals candidate, Mark Osborne is 18 percentage points behind the wily New Zealand First leader, Winston Peters. When it comes to politicians, Peters is as a shred as they come. For three election cycles, Peters has been yearning to win an electorate. He and his party’s MPs won seats in Parliament as list MPs under New Zealand’s electoral Mixed Member Proportional voting system. And due to scandals and arrogance, the Nationals have handed their conservative nemesis the Northland electorate on a plate. Years of neglect have caused anger in the region. The Nationals committed a fatal strategic mistake sending posses of suited and slick ‘flash Harry’ urban types up to the rural electorate to door knock the shakes and homesteads of Northland. It seems voters have defined that as arrogant. And, the strategic blunders have caused rifts among the various factions inside the National Party. (For reference see: Evening Report’s analysis: State Of It – Factional Fractures In Evidence As National Loss In Northland Looms) But the real reason for the Nationals’ demise, is due to the resignation of the former MP for this seat. Mike Sabin, a former Police officer, was forced to resign after Police announced there was a prima facie case for him to defend in the courts. Details of the type of assault alleged have been suppressed by the Courts. If Winston Peters does win on Saturday, that will cool the Government’s legislative agenda and force it to present to the House more centrist, less neoliberal right bills. The Government can still be assured of confidence and supply support from the United Future and Maori Parties, but the power swings into their more moderate brands of politics, and leaves the ACT Party on the far right economically, as irrelevant. New Zealand Report broadcasts live weekly on FiveAA.com.au and webcasts on EveningReport.nz. –]]>

Top News-Cycle Items: NewsRoom_Digest for 26 March 2015

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Newsroom Digest NewsRoom_Digest for 26 March 2015 This edition of NewsRoom_Digest contains six media release snippets and seven links of the day from Thursday 26 March. Top stories in this news cycle currently include the the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security announces an inquiry into GCSB spying in the Pacific, the Government changes employment laws to crack down on the exploitation of vulnerable workers, and the acting head of the Health Ministry, Chai Chuah, is appointed as permanent head of the department. SNIPPETS OF THE DAY IGIS Inquiry Into Pacific Spying Allegations: The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, Cheryl Gwyn, will commence an inquiry into complaints over alleged interception of communications of New Zealanders working or travelling in the South Pacific by the Government Security Communications Bureau (GCSB). The complaints follow recent public allegations about GCSB activities. The complaints, and these public allegations, raise wider questions regarding the collection, retention and sharing of communications data. Labour: Sink In National’s Spending Spin: Massive pay rises at the State Services Commission prove National’s claims of clamping down on spending in the public sector are simply fantasy, Labour’s State Services spokesman Kris Faafoi says. “The Government is speaking out of both sides of its mouth on spending in the public sector. On one hand its warning frontline workers such as nurses and teachers not to expect pay rises, yet up the road at the State Services Commission salaries went up by an average of $13,000 in one year.” Monarchy Succession Laws Updated: Today, at a special meeting of the Executive Council, the Governor-General of New Zealand promulgated the Royal Succession Act Commencement Order 2015. The Royal Succession Act 2013 was passed in December 2013 to implement several important changes needed to modernise the monarchy. These changes included the introduction of gender equality and removed religious discrimination. Stronger Employment Safeguards: Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Woodhouse today announced a package of measures to strengthen enforcement of minimum employment standards. “Employers are the backbone of our economy and most do a great job in meeting their employment obligations, but there are a number of serious breaches occurring,” Mr Woodhouse says. The changes include tougher sanctions, increased tools for labour inspectors, and clearer record keeping requirements. Reforms Saving Taxpayer Money: Associate Minister for Social Development Jo Goodhew has welcomed news that since benefit fraud reform initiatives began two years ago, up to $60 million of taxpayers’ money has been saved. “Over the past two and a half years around 9,500 benefits have been cancelled after fraudulent and illegitimate payments were discovered. These changes hold people to account for their actions, and make it difficult to defraud the welfare system,” Mrs Goodhew says. NZDF Continues Vanuatu Relief Work: The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) sealift and amphibious support ship HMNZS CANTERBURY has arrived in Port Vila carrying further aid to support Vanuatu’s recovery from the devastation caused by Tropical Cyclone Pam. HMNZS CANTERBURY will offload 150 tonnes of food and other supplies at Port Vila before loading aid including hygiene packs and water purification equipment, destined for Epi Island and others in the Shepherd Islands group about 100 kilometres north of Port Vila. LINKS OF THE DAY RESERVE BANK BULLETIN: The Reserve Bank today published two articles in the Reserve Bank Bulletin. The Bulletin’s first article discusses the risks created by high and rapidly rising levels of household debt. Read the Bulletin at: http://www.rbnz.govt.nz/research_and_publications/reserve_bank_bulletin/2015/ BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION REPORT: Domestic bribery and corruption is both a real and growing issue in New Zealand that organisations ignore at their peril, according to a Trans-Tasman survey released to business audiences in Wellington and Auckland today. The 2015 Deloitte Bribery and Corruption Survey canvassed the views of 269 public and private sector organisations across New Zealand and Australia and found that an alarming 23% of respondents reported experiencing one or more known instances of domestic corruption in the last five years. Of these more than half occurred in the last twelve months. To read the full report, go to http://www.deloitte.com/nz/corruption. EBOLA ONE YEAR ON: The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement has launched a campaign – Words Against Ebola – to promote knowledge and awareness, alleviate fear, overcome complacency, and create a community of global support to bring Ebola cases down to zero. Kiwi aid worker, Corinne Ambler who is currently working for the International Federation of Red Cross in West Africa, writes about her experiences and the word she is using to fight Ebola in her latest blog: https://www.redcross.org.nz/blog/from-the-field/stopping-ebola-with-courage/ RENEWABLE ENERGY USE RISES: Energy and Resources Minister Simon Bridges says new figures showing renewable energy contributed almost 80 percent of New Zealand’s electricity generation last year are very encouraging. At 79.9 percent, the share of renewable electricity generation in 2014 is the highest it has been since 1996. The figures were released today in the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s December quarter 2014 edition of the NZ Energy Quarterly, which is available here: http://www.med.govt.nz/sectors-industries/energy/energy-modelling/publications/new-zealand-energy-quarterly REGIONAL TOURISM INDICATORS RELEASED: Today, the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment released the Regional Tourism Indicators (RTI) for February 2015. The RTI are based on electronic card transaction data and provide regular updates on both international and domestic tourism expenditure at a regional level. For more detailed information on the RTI series: http://www.med.govt.nz/sectors-industries/tourism/tourism-research-data/regional-tourism-indicators?utm_source=Data20Alerts&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Regional20Tourism20Indicators2020February202015 HIGH NUMBER APPLY FOR TEACHER FUND: Education Minister Hekia Parata has welcomed the more than 200 applications for the first round of the $10 million Teacher-led Innovation Fund. The new fund is part of the government’s $359 million Investing in Educational Success Initiative and provides funding for teachers to develop innovative ideas to be put into practice and shared across schools. “The high number of applications received reflects the passion and commitment of teachers to develop further good practice and share some of the great ideas and successes that are already happening in many kura and schools across the country,” says Ms Parata. More information can be found here: http://www.education.govt.nz/ministry-of-education/specific-initiatives/investing-in-educational-success/teacher-led-innovation-fund/ PRIME MINISTER’S BUSINESS SCHOLARSHIPS OPEN: Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce is encouraging senior managers, executives and business owners who want to expand their international expertise to apply for the 2015 Prime Minister’s Business Scholarships. Entries open today for the scholarships, which cover up to 50 percent of the course-related costs of attending an international learning institution. They are designed to grow skills and business capability to make New Zealand firms more internationally competitive, Mr Joyce says.Applications for the scholarships close on 11 May 2015. For more information: www.mbie.govt.nz/what-we-do/prime-ministers-business-scholarships And that’s our sampling of the day that was on Thursday 26th March 2015.]]>

State Of It: Factional Fractures In Evidence As National Loss In Northland Looms

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Former Prime Minister John Key.

Politics is a science. And when you create a vacuum an opponent will occupy it. By Selwyn Manning.

Selwyn Manning, editor – EveningReport.nz

IRRESPECTIVE OF THE FINAL COUNT, Auckland-based National Party insiders say there will be three losers once the by-election votes are counted, and they are: John Key, Steven Joyce and the National Party itself. That’s the scornful assessment by some well positioned National Party conservatives who insist fractional fractures are in evidence among National Party loyalists as Northland voters prepare go to the polls in the Peters versus National by-election.

They say many have become disillusioned with the Party’s leadership: most recently, with the party’s campaign strategy, and formerly, with the values and judgment calls by their leader John Key. Only a week ago, National contacts in Auckland were still hopeful of a victory. But that hope began to ebb after campaign manager Steven Joyce, and his team led by Jo de Joux and Chris Bishop, decided to deploy a posse of ‘flash Harry’ Auckland-based urban Nats to the far north for a ‘shack-door-knocking’ drive.

Fourteen days ago, Steven Joyce’s message to the campaign team was, they had 10 days to turn a National Party loss into a win. Despite a huge telephone-canvassing effort in recent days, teams of shack-door-knockers deployed to the region on the weekend, and an unprecedented effort to where high-profile MPs and Ministers descended on Northland “within the comfort of their Ministerial cars”, Joyce above all others looks set to take the blame for a loss of a once safe Tory seat.

On Wednesday evening the 3News Reid Poll tweaked National’s fears. The poll recorded Winston Peters on 54 percent, “well ahead of his closest rival – National’s Mark Osborne, who’s stranded on 34 percent”. The 3News poll confirmed what pundits were hearing about National’s own internal polls, which, two weeks ago, hinted that the campaign was too close to call. But as polling day loomed, National’s polling suggested Peters was pulling ahead and despite National’s efforts, a preferential shift in favour of Peters was observed. So John Key made an early return from his trip to South Korea and Japan and headed straight to Northland. But as Fairfax’s Tracey Watkins reported:

Prime Minister John Key has faced a rocky start to his Northland by-election tour. Key arrived in Dargaville just hours after touching down in Auckland from Japan. But within minutes of hitting the streets in Dargaville, Key was confronted by locals complaining about issues including local court services.

Reasons For The Loyalty Shift:

The reasons for the shift in loyalties has National’s “conservative rump” angry. For years, big local issues have been either ignored or treated as trivial or low priority.

One National Party insider told me Joyce’s strategies underscore the perception of arrogance displayed by National MPs. He said Joyce’s strategies are failing.

Primary among the failures was to send urban campaigners to an estranged rural seat: “That was foolish. That tactic looked sure to inspire a solid turnout of voters, but few of them will be voting National,” he said.

He added that Joyce’s decision to swamp Northland with suits and ministerial cars has become a metaphor for how distant the National Party leadership team has become from the real world.

Two weeks ago, a National Party contact said: “I suspect we are in a fairly poor state in Northland, it won’t be easily held, it could be very close or maybe even a loss. “Steven Joyce has thrown everything into it, his ‘groupies’ Chris Bishop and Jo de Joux are running the show.

If Winston wins it will create recriminations that will linger for a long time and damage the Prime Minister’s reputation. I suspect Willow-Jean Prime’s vote will collapse.”

Two weeks later that contact said: “The conservative rump in National is quite scornful of the party’s performance in Northland. This is the Joyce show. Grant McCallum, the board member who got stitched up in the selection is very bitter.

He won’t be around for long.” The comment speaks of political vendettas that have been dealt. During the candidate selection process prior to the 2014 General Election, Grant McCallum was believed by National insiders to have blocked candidates in the greater Auckland region who were loyal to Judith Collins and her faction.

McCullum’s power-base is Northland. And Collins loyalists bided their time and blocked him from getting his way during the National Party Northland candidacy selections.

The most Machiavellian of them suggest a loss in Northland will diminish Steven Joyce’s power, create instability for the leader John Key, and demonstrate that they cannot control the party outside of Wellington.

In simple terms, National is demonstrating third term disconnect, division among its factions, and pomposity and arrogance – something the newly re-elected Prime Minister John Key warned his party about in his post-election speeches.

Another contact said on the weekend: “The campaign is going better now but two weeks ago it was mayhem. And ministerial limos racing Ministers around Northland doesn’t help.”

He added: “Cunning Winston has a big blue bus.” He pointed out: “The Peters whanau is well respected there (in Northland). Its also married into the equally well respected Bruce Gregory whanau.”

And Labour’s more centrist leaning networks, who are loyal to Dover Samuels et al “will repay Winston for his endorsement of Kelvin Davis (Peters gave the nod to Davis in the latter stages of the 2014 Te Tai Tokerau General Election).

A Question of Values and Judgment: The National Party insiders say there are “many questions” circulating among the Nats, including: (a) John Key’s judgment and credibility after the 2014 win particularly his promotion of former MP Mike Sabin to chair the Law and Order Select Committee. (b) Joyce’s “diabolical mismanagement of the Northland by-election campaign”.

Regarding Joyce: “There are really brutal comments flowing from some quarters.”

But the estrangement between John Key and significant power-brokers within the Party’s Auckland factions is surprising.

One contact said: “John Key’s judgment is now being questioned, specifically with Key giving Sabin a safe harbour (post election) and support for his 2014 selection… despite the swirl of rumour concerning those matters that are now subject to a police investigation and charges.”

He insisted: The Judith Collins/Maurice Williamson faction will be watching this.”

Accordingly, among the Auckland-based Nats, Collins and Williamson are both of a view that Key has become soft when handling politically delicate matters among those who remain loyal to him.

A week ago, one contact said: “This goes to judgment, and the PM’s judgment will cost him.

New Zealand First will be empowered even if it loses.” By Thursday (two days before polls close in on the by-election), the contact said: “The polls in Northland aren’t great. But National’s ground-game will suffer a shocking result.

“I still think the result will be relatively close, but the problem is the legacy of Sabin and the loss of trust. This goes back a long way and relates to 9th floor conduct, cynical party behaviour, the Joyce-approach to campaigns and the divisions within the party.

“The basic problem is the party has taken a pounding over Sabin and years of neglect in Northland,” he said. He hopes “the ground-game” will keep the result a bit tighter for National. But he adds: “Winston and Andrew Little have out-foxed Joyce.” And that fact, irrespective of who wins on Saturday night spells a LOSS in capital letters for Steven Joyce and John Key.

See Also:

State Of It: Politics, Yes. Leadership, Yes. But Does NZ First Have the Infrastructure to Become the Rural Bloc Option?

KiwiSaver HomeStart Bill passes – IRD

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MIL OSI – Source: Inland Revenue Department – KiwiSaver HomeStart Bill passes The Taxation (KiwiSaver HomeStart and Remedial Matters) Bill passed its third reading today and now awaits Royal assent. Building and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith and Revenue Minister Todd McClay today welcomed Parliament’s passage of the Taxation (KiwiSaver HomeStart and Remedial Matters) Bill, which will allow eligible KiwiSaver members to access more of their KiwiSaver funds to purchase their first home. “These changes to KiwiSaver and the new HomeStart grant will open the door for 90,000 young New Zealanders over the next five years to own their own home,” Dr Smith says. “The passage of this Bill will extend the current KiwiSaver withdrawal rules for first home buyers, so that eligible KiwiSaver members will be able to withdraw the annual member tax credit paid by the Government as well as their own contributions and those made by their employers,” Mr McClay says. This means that eligible KiwiSaver members will now have access to up to an extra $521 for each year they have contributed to the scheme to put towards the deposit on their first home. “Often, the biggest challenge faced by prospective first home buyers is pulling together the deposit. The measures contained in this Bill will provide a welcome boost,” Mr McClay says. The Government’s $1,000 kick-start is not included in the changes in order to keep the KiwiSaver member’s account open and active after the withdrawal of eligible funds. The Bill implements one part of the Government’s new support package for first home buyers which was announced in August 2014. The KiwiSaver HomeStart package, which comes into effect 1 April, also includes:

  • A doubling of the support for first home buyers where they are purchasing a newly built home;
  • Increasing the house price caps to the more realistic levels of $550,000 in Auckland, $450,000 in Wellington, Christchurch and other areas facing housing affordability issues and $350,000 in the rest of New Zealand; and
  • Expanding eligibility for Welcome Home Loans by aligning the house price caps with the new KiwiSaver HomeStart grant.
Other refinements made to the KiwiSaver scheme in this Bill include:
  • The law has been amended in response to concern from the Māori Party, to enable a KiwiSaver first home withdrawal to apply to the building or purchase of a home on Māori land;
  • The law has been clarified so that a KiwiSaver first home withdrawal can be used for the purchase or building of a home in New Zealand only;
  • The law has been amended so that from 1 June 2015, the KiwiSaver first home withdrawal can be used for making an initial deposit on a home, provided the funds are protected until settlement. The current law does not enable withdrawals to be used for a deposit, which creates a barrier particularly for new homes purchased off the plans; and
  • The KiwiSaver HomeStart grant policy has been revised to allow greater flexibility for new builds in the time to completion because the timeframes announced in August were unrealistic for some apartment and townhouse developments.
“HomeStart is the most significant Government support for first home buyers in more than a generation and comes into effect on 1 April 2015. These changes double the Government’s support for first home buyers from $217 million to $435 million over the next five years. It complements the Government’s other housing initiatives, including opening up new residential land, reducing tariffs on building materials, investing more in building skills and reducing compliance costs,” Dr Smith says. The Bill also makes changes to clarify and correct the tax rules for payments made under the Veterans’ Support Act 2014. –]]>

What will help poorest children most, right now? – CPAG

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MIL OSI – Source: Child Poverty Action Group – What will help poorest children most, right now?

Government needs to hear loudly and strongly that it is the right of all low income children to benefit from tax-funded child payments to alleviate child poverty.

The tragedy is that the poorest children in New Zealand live in families without enough money and that much of this has been by deliberate choice of simply appallingly designed policy for family incomes support.

The time is over for us to continue to fudge the issue by toying with long term reform issues such as universal child benefits, basic incomes and living wage campaigns.  All these things have their place in ongoing debates about how the system can be reformed but government is hearing some confused messages about what it should do right now.

The danger is that it will do very little.

Over 230,000 children in low income families do not benefit from the full Working for Families package. Some are in families supported by wage income but their parents don’t get enough hours every week to qualify fpr important payments.

The child payment (called the IWTC) of at least $60 a week per family can disappear when the family falls on hard times or just can’t work enough hours or need a benefit.  Other benefits such as the parental tax credit and the minimum family tax credit compound the unfairness

It is based on the deserving and undeserving distinction that should have no place in child assistance policies that are supposed to reduce child poverty and are paid for through our taxes.

Not only is this very bad for the children, the IWTC is a terrible work incentive and doesn’t work in casualised labour markets.  

CPAG would encourage other groups to also give a clear message that does not allow the government to sidestep the obvious policy to begin to impact on the worst child poverty. After we fix this problem and begin to treat all low income children the same for tax-funded support , we then need to begin to improve the overall  incomes policy for those families who still struggle even though they are in full time work. Child poverty requires a long-term, sustained set of policies and programmes; let’s begin with the most disadvantaged and then move forward.

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Electronic tolling coming to Tauranga in 2015

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MIL OSI – Source: New Zealand Transport Agency – Electronic tolling coming to Tauranga in 2015

One of the nine-metre high electronic tolling gantries has been installed on the Tauranga Eastern Link (TEL) ahead of the official opening of the motorway later this year.

The second toll gantry will be built on Tauranga’s Route K (Takitimu Drive) in April, in preparation for when the Transport Agency takes ownership of the road from Tauranga City Council in July 2015.

The NZ Transport Agency’s Waikato / Bay of Plenty Regional Director, Harry Wilson says both of the new toll points are ‘single gantry, multi-lane free flow systems’, the first of their kind in New Zealand.

“Motorists have been using the electronic toll system on the Northern Gateway Toll Road (NGTR), north of Auckland, since 2009, however technology has moved on since the dual-gantry on the NGTR was installed,” Mr Wilson says.

“The gantries in Tauranga are a single gantry which spans all of the lanes and has an exterior cladding.

“All of the technical elements are housed inside the gantry cladding and in the technical shelter on the roadside. This results in a sleeker and more sophisticated design and it also means there is less potential for driver distraction when any maintenance work is carried out.”

Mr Wilson says the main benefit of the free-flow systems being used in Auckland and Tauranga is that there is no need for toll booths, allowing drivers to travel straight through, reducing travel times and providing a more predictable journey.

“Each gantry has 16 cameras, which will capture an image of the vehicle’s front and rear registration plates using the latest optical character recognition technology.

The cameras will read the registration plates and determine the size of the vehicle and whether it is a motorcycle, car, truck, or bus so the correct toll can be assigned”.

“This system is heralded internationally because of its performance, latest generation technology and low initial and operational costs,” Mr Wilson says.

The TEL gantry was shipped into Tauranga in December and installed at the toll point, between the Kaituna River bridge and the future Rangiuru Business Park interchange, near the Paengaroa roundabout.

Mr Wilson says the gantry installation is a significant milestone for the TEL and visible evidence that the project is nearing its final stages.

“The TEL is one of seven Roads of National Significance (RoNS) based around New Zealand’s five largest population centres. The RoNS have been identified by Government as key projects for moving people and freight between and within these centres more safely and efficiently.

“Tolling the TEL between the Domain Road interchange and the Paengaroa roundabout allowed the project to start a decade earlier than originally planned.”

Mr Wilson says light vehicles using the TEL would pay $2 and heavy vehicles $5. The Route K toll tariff will be $1.80 and $4.80 after July 2015.

He says the prices reflect the different benefits of the individual roads for motorists and the underlying costs of constructing the roads.

“Alongside the new-look toll points, the Transport Agency is also upgrading the back-end tolling system, offering customers a range of ways to pay their tolls.

“People can either set up a pre-pay account or pay as they go either online, through the 0800 number or over the counter at selected service stations”.

The new tolling system is expected to be operational in early July, ahead of the TEL being opened and Route K being electronically tolled.

View the 3D tolling animation and see how free flow tolling works.

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New TPPA Investment Leak Confirms NZ Surrender to US – Prof Kelsey

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MIL OSI – Source: Professor Jane Kelsey – New TPPA Investment Leak Confirms NZ Surrender to US [caption id="attachment_1844" align="alignleft" width="200"]Professor Jane Kelsey. Professor Jane Kelsey.[/caption]

THE CONTROVERSIAL INVESTMENT CHAPTER of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) has just been posted by Wikileaks, along with an analysis by Washington-based Public Citizen. Dated 20 January 2015, at the start of the negotiating round in New York, it clearly shows the government has capitulated to US demands.

‘We haven’t seen a text since 2012’, said Auckland University law professor Jane Kelsey. ‘Today’s leaked text confirms all our worst fears.’

‘As anticipated, the deal gives foreign investors from the TPPA countries special rights, and the power to sue the government in private offshore tribunals for massive damages if new laws, or even court decisions, significantly affected their bottom line’.

‘Prime Minister John Key once described the idea of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) as “far-fetched”.’

‘After he was briefed about the TPPA he changed tack, promising there would be effective safeguards. But the leaked text shows very little has not been agreed. That means the New Zealand government has accepted virtually everything the US has proposed with absolutely no effective safeguards.’

Professor Kelsey recalls how ‘we were assured the flaws that have made these investment agreements so toxic internationally would be sorted and new rules would prevent the investment tribunals going rogue.’

‘The leaked text shows nothing has been done to rein them in. There is no code of conduct, no appeals, no accountability of the private individuals who pass judgement on crucial matters of public policy, and no effective exceptions to protect the right of the government to regulate in the national interest’.

There are high risks for local governments as well.

‘Just last week, as protestors rallied against an extension of the port into the Auckland harbour, an investment tribunal upheld a case against Canada because an environment review panel refused to grant a US firm a permit for a quarry and marine terminal, saying it violated community values and there was inadequate consultation. The investor wants $300 million compensation. The local council is likely to be made to pay the bill.’

The dissenting judge, who was the Canadian government’s appointee on the tribunal, warned this meant the validity of local decisions would end being decided by foreign private arbitrators. The finding would also chill environmental review panels from rejecting proposals in the future.

Kelsey said the virtually concluded text shows the TPPA parties have completely ignored the tide of international sentiment that is rejecting these special rights for foreign investors.

The French and German governments have said they won’t accept ISDS in the parallel deal being negotiated between the US and EU.

Last year the chief justices of Australia and New Zealand expressed concerns about the potential of these investment tribunals to bypass or override decisions of our domestic courts.

 Even Business New Zealand told the OECD during a consultation that they don’t see the need for such powers where countries have quality judicial systems.

‘We need to ask why the government is opening us further to these risks, especially when US investors are responsible for more ISDS cases than any other country.’

 ‘The leak also shows the futility of the few positive changes secured in the investment chapters of the latest Korea agreement. Anything better in the TPPA would be available to Korea’s investors under the most-favoured nation rule.  It beggars belief that New Zealand’s negotiators weren’t aware of that reality. Maybe they are just hoping the TPPA well never come into being?’

For Professor Kelsey’s initial analysis of the investment chapter in the Korea FTA and  the leaked TPPA text see: http://www.itsourfuture.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/QA-on-NZ-Korea-FTA.pdf

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WEST PAPUA: Benny Wenda tipped to meet O’Neill, says PNG Loop

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MIL OSI Analysis – Pacific Media Centre/Pacific Media Watch

Former prime minister Paias Wingti (left) with Free West Papua PNG coordinator Freddy Mamborasa at Jacksons International Airport at Port Moresby yesterday. Image: PNG Loop

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Item: 9182

Freddy Mou PORT MORESBY (PNG Loop/Pacific Media Watch): Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has been tipped to meet with West Papua human rights campaigner Benny Wenda in Port Moresby. However, the reason behind the meeting is not known as details are sketchy. The coordinator of Free West Papua PNG chapter Freddy Mambraso told PNG Loop that O’Neill had flown back to Port Moresby from Madang yesterday and would meet with Wenda. PNG Loop, friends, family members and supporters of Free West Papua were at Jacksons International Airport to get a glimpse of Wenda. It is understood that negotiations between the National Capital District (NCD) Governor Powes Parkop and the government were still continuing for Wenda to spend some time in Port Moresby rather than be deported. Wenda, a West Papuan independence leader and spokesperson for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, arrived in Papua New Guinea on Tuesday and was “unexpectedly detained’’ by PNG immigration authorities Wenda had flown from the United Kingdom and had planned to stop briefly on Port Moresby before heading to a major meeting in Vanuatu of Melanesian leaders. Wenda was released on Tuesday afternoon and there were reports that he would be deported, which were later denied by PNG officials who said Wenda was travelling without a visa, according to Radio New Zealand International. A Free Papua news released earlier yesterday claimed that PNG Immigration officers were going against the Prime Minister’s orders in detaining Wenda. In a statement, the Free West Papua Campaign said Prime Minister O’Neill and Foreign Minister Rimbink Pato had directed that Wenda should be permitted to enter PNG. The campaign statement said Wenda wanted to thank O’Neill for his recent statement calling for attention to human rights of the West Papua people. Wenda was reported as saying that “the United Liberation Movement for West Papua is seeking to apply for membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group and I will brief PNG on the progress of the application and on the situation in West Papua generally”. Earlier story

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 New Zealand Licence.

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Radio: FiveAA Australia – Evening Report’s Across The Ditch – PM’s Credibility + Cricket Update

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Peter Godfrey and Selwyn Manning’s weekly bulletin Across The Ditch. This week: New Zealand PM’s Credibility questioned + Cricket World Cup Update. Recorded live on 26/03/15 – FiveAA.com.au and EveningReport.nz. [caption id="attachment_1205" align="alignleft" width="300"]Peter Godfrey and Selwyn Manning. Peter Godfrey and Selwyn Manning.[/caption]ITEM ONE: THE PRIME MINISTER HAS once again decided to attack the messenger rather than address matters of national interest, after the New Zealand Herald revealed the Government’s GCSB surveillance agency targeted emails of Trade Minister Tim Groser’s opponents while he campaigned for leadership of the World Trade Organisation.

From Seoul, the Prime Minister John Key insisted the latest spying allegations were timed by investigative journalist Nicky Hager, and others, to coincide with the signing of a free trade agreement between New Zealand and South Korea. When questioned on his conspiracy theory, the Prime Minister said: “Of course they were, it’s all part of a particular agenda by Nicky Hager and some others.” BUT… the New Zealand Herald’s David Fisher corrected the Prime Minister’s assumptions yesterday stating that Nicky Hager had nothing to do with deciding when the revelations would run: “Hager suggested holding until today (Tuesday) or tomorrow, or even waiting a week or more. I argued against holding it because, almost exclusively, news runs when it is ready to run.” In my view, the Prime Minister chose to attack the messengers rather than protect New Zealand’s national interest by directing an investigation into the GCSB’s activities. I suggest: that if the GCSB has been spying on our close trading partners; the people and officials of Pacific Islands states; and opponents of the Trade Minister, then surely the Prime Minister would instruct such operations to cease. That would address New Zealand’s national interest. ITEM TWO: Oh wonderful Cricket! To pinch a cliche the New Zealand versus South Africa World Cup Cricket semi-final match was a nail biter. The game came down to the wire… There were two balls left from the last over, and NZ needed to get five runs to win. A South African born batter, Grant Elliott, who settled in New Zealand and made the Kiwi team, hit a six and won New Zealand the right to compete in the Cricket World Cup final at the MCG on Sunday… It will be the first time New Zealand has made a final, and the team say they are under no illusions, that the MCG will be a cauldron of attitude irrespective of whether Australia wins the semi final match tonight (Thursday) or whether India emerges as the victor. The Kiwi team say if Aussie wins the semi final, then there will be 80,000 people chanting for Aussie at the MCG. If the Indians win, there will be 80,000 people chanting for the Indians. The Aussies are the TAB favourites to win on this side of the ditch… Let the best team win! Across the Ditch broadcasts live on FiveAA.com.au and webcasts on EveningReport.nz. –]]>

The PM is Right – Snowden Revelations Highlight Issue of Credibility

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Editorial by Selwyn Manning.

Selwyn Manning, editor – EveningReport.nz

THE PRIME MINISTER HAS once again decided to attack the messenger rather than address matters of national interest, after the New Zealand Herald revealed the Government’s GCSB surveillance agency targeted emails of Trade Minister Tim Groser’s opponents while he campaigned for leadership of the World Trade Organisation.

From Seoul, 3News reported the Prime Minister John Key insisted the latest spying allegations were timed by investigative journalist Nicky Hager, and others, to coincide with the signing of a free trade agreement between New Zealand and South Korea.

When questioned on his conspiracy theory, the Prime Minister said: “Of course they were, it’s all part of a particular agenda by Nicky Hager and some others.”

For the record, the latest in the Snowden Revelations investigation reveal how the New Zealand Government’s GCSB surveillance agency was used to spy on opponents of Trade Minister Tim Groser, as he campaigned (unsuccessfully as it turned out) to become leader of the World Trade Organisation.

Let’s be frank: This is a huge issue. It follows revelations that the GCSB targeted diplomats and officials of some of this country’s most important trading partners.

This, after revelations that the GCSB operates a total-surveillance-take of all communications (both civilian and official) of almost all Pacific Islands states. But the Prime Minister insists the leaders of the GCSB’s targeted nations do not care.

From Seoul he said South Korea’s prime minister didn’t raise it so she didn’t care: “They’re just not interested in Snowden,” the Prime Minister said. Rather than protecting New Zealand’s national interest – for example to categorically state that he would investigate the allegations and if it was found the GCSB was spying in the manner revealed in the NSA documents, then he would order the agency to stop immediately – the Prime Minister went on the offensive, basing his shoot-the-messenger attacks on assumptions, allegations that he got completely wrong.

The Prime Minister’s incorrect theories caused the New Zealand Herald to react.

The New Zealand Herald’s David Fisher corrected the Prime Minister’s assumptions in a responsive report on Tuesday stating that Nicky Hager had nothing to do with deciding when the revelations would run: “Hager suggested holding until today (Tuesday) or tomorrow, or even waiting a week or more. I argued against holding it because, almost exclusively, news runs when it is ready to run. Holding off on something – unless a matter of life or death – is as bad as planning to run it on a particular day for a particular objective.”

David Fisher added: “I consulted with the editor, explaining the dilemma. He could see the issue but was comfortable proceeding. News was news. It runs when it is ready.

“Hager’s contribution was done by Thursday. I worked through the weekend – as did Gallagher – to have the story ready for Monday,” David Fisher said.

So it was the New Zealand Herald’s decision to publish revelations of the GCSB-WTO-Groser-surveillance scandal on the day the New Zealand/South Korea free trade agreement was signed.

Is the Prime Minister suggesting the New Zealand Herald is part of some ‘left-wing conspiracy’? Frankly, that argument is not credible. Sadly, there is precedence to such attacks.

When Metro magazine published Eyes Wide Shut, an extensive investigation by journalist Jon Stephenson – on how New Zealand Defence personnel handed over Afghani prisoners to United States interrogators knowing that they would likely be tortured – the Prime Minister did not announce an official investigation into the allegations but rather attacked the credibility of the journalist.

As such, John Key’s attack-the-messenger style affects the ability of the fourth estate to function professionally and meaningfully. This tactic exhausts the fourth estate’s purpose to raise matters of public and national interest. But to date, even after the New Zealand Herald revealed how the truth is at odds to the Prime Minister’s assertions, the Prime Minister did not retract his attack.

John Key said from Seoul: “There’s no question there’s an anti-government, anti-American agenda.” “It’s just a 2012, backward-looking anti-American bunch of plonkers – that’s what these guys are, they’re not interested in the future of New Zealand or making it stronger, they’re just opposed to the government.”

Mr Key said Hager wasn’t a journalist, despite Nicky Hager being the most internationally recognised New Zealand investigative journalist. Key said: “The guy’s a protester. Well, fair enough but just don’t take him too seriously. I don’t.”

The Prime Minister also said:

  • – The GCSB operates lawfully
  • – The GCSB does not have that many resources
  • – And New Zealand has strong oversight.

However, the facts are:

  • The GCSB was found in 2013 to have operated illegally
  • The GCSB has been provided with United States NSA proprietary surveillance technology and has experienced massive increases to its annual budget
  • Security experts define New Zealand as having poor oversight frameworks, oversight that is the least probing of the Five-Eyes alliance members.

But beyond the Prime Minister’s attacks, and the inevitable damage this inflicts on the public reputations of those reporting the revelations, New Zealand’s national interest is arguably being corroded. New Zealand campaigned for its appointment as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council on the merits of its independence.

New Zealand’s elected representatives and officials could apply considerable legitimacy to the handle: New Zealand is an honest broker, that as an independent Pacific Island state, a member and arbiter of prestigious declarations and agreements spanning progressive interest around the globe, that this country would stand up for the underdog, would be a voice for smaller nations, for humanitarianism, for the rule of international law.

These revelations of massive scale-digital communication surveillance, undermine that decades old reputation.

Now that it is known that the Government Communications Security Bureau has committed to under-the-radar surveillance of friendly nations, in our name, the country’s international reputation is in tatters.

We have been relegated to a reputation akin to a repugnant pint-sized bully, resourced and protected by a superpower hulk, whose victims, and others, will understandably regard silently as one to distrust and where possible avoid. For the Prime Minister to insist they do not care is, in my opinion, beyond naïve. On this issue, John Key’s position is beyond credible.

    Ref.

NewsRoom Digest: Top NZ News Items for March 25, 2015

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Newsroom DigestThis edition of NewsRoom_Digest contains eight media release snippets and four links of the day from Wednesday 25 March. Top stories in this news cycle currently include the Black Caps’ win against South Africa in the cricket World Cup semi-final last night and this afternoon’s final round of ticket sales to the final on Sunday, two leading opera singers being among the 150 people killed in a German airliner crash in the French Alps and a 16 percent drop in Fonterra’s net profit in its half-year results and its decision to hold its forecast milk payout and reduce dividends to put dairy farmers under further financial pressure. SNIPPETS OF THE DAY NZ First: Political Power For Northland: New Zealand First stood in this by-election to end the neglect of Northland brought about by decades of abandonment by the National Party, says Leader and candidate for the Northland by-election Rt Hon Winston Peters. “Northlanders know they have been forgotten but now recognise they can bring about change by sending the government a message. “New Zealand First won’t change the government but we will change the way they think about Northland. NZ First: Remove Name Suppression: New Zealand First will introduce a Bill in Parliament to remove name suppression from paedophiles where the victim/victims have not requested it, or are asking for it to be removed, Leader and candidate for the Northland by-election Rt Hon Winston Peters announced in Paihia today. “There have been so many cases of sexual violence in New Zealand where the offender hides behind a cloak of secrecy imposed on the basis that secrecy protects the victim. Smaller-Than-Expected Trade Surplus: New Zealand recorded a smaller-than-expected trade surplus in February, led by declining dairy exports, while the annual deficit widened to the largest in more than five years. Statistics New Zealand said the trade surplus was $50 million in February, lower than the $392 million expected in a Reuters poll of economists. January’s surplus was revised down to $33 million, from $56 million. The annual trade deficit was $2.18 billion, the biggest gap since August 2009, and larger than the $1.82 billion deficit forecast in the Reuters poll. Kiwi Dollar Rises Above Pound: The New Zealand dollar rose to a two-month high against the pound after a report showed Britain had no inflation last month, stoking speculation the Bank of England won’t raise interest rates any time soon. The kiwi hit 51.54 British pence and was trading at 51.50 pence at 8am in Wellington, from 51.10 pence at 5pm yesterday. The local currency advanced to 76.46 US cents from 76.28 cents yesterday. The pound weakened after data showed British annual inflation hit zero for the first time on record in February, from a 0.3 percent pace in January, raising speculation it could dip below zero next month. Fonterra Discloses Results: Fonterra Cooperative Group, the world’s biggest dairy exporter, affirmed its milk payout forecast and lowered guidance for dividends, while posting a 16 percent drop in first-half profit it says reflected “tough conditions in dairy.” The forecast payout for the current season was affirmed at $4.70 per kilogram of milk solids, down from a record $8.40/kgMS last season, while guidance for dividends was trimmed to a range of 20 cents to 30 cents, from a previous 25 cents to 35 cents. Net profit fell 16 percent to $183 million in the first half, as sales declined 14 percent to $9.7 billion. Step Closer To Stopping Cyber Bullying: A Bill to curb the growing incidence of cyberbullying and its devastating effects passed its second reading in Parliament last night. The Harmful Digital Communications Bill introduces a range of measures to address damaging online communications and ensure perpetrators are held to account for their actions. Justice Minister Amy Adams says the Bill will prevent and reduce the harm caused by cyberbullying and harassment. Risk Of Cyber Attacks Underestimated: New Zealand companies are failing to realise the need to insure against cyber attacks, despite a growing number of incidents, according to a top commercial insurance expert. Kiwi SMEs have been slow to include cyber insurance in their business protection plans, but are also more likely to be at risk due to a lack of IT support and the increasing frequency of attacks, says Apex Insurance Special Risks Team Account Director, Jonathon Gillham. “Only around one in every 300 (0.3%) businesses in New Zealand are estimated to have cyber insurance,” says Gillham. “The majority of those that do have protection are large companies or companies that operate in the software industry who are very aware of the dangers.” NZ Sends Search and Rescue Team: New Zealand is to send 14 urban search and rescue personnel to Vanuatu to help with rebuilding efforts in the wake of Cyclone Pam. Paul Baxter, Chief Executive & National Commander of the New Zealand Fire Service, which leads the country’s USAR capability, said the team would focus its efforts on the island of Epi, which lies to the north of the capital Port Vila. They would operate from HMNZS Canterbury, which is in Vanuatu with nearly 12 tonnes of medical supplies and equipment for producing drinking water. LINKS OF THE DAY FIRST FLIGHT TO SOUTH AMERICA: Air New Zealand is celebrating fares going on sale today for its non-stop service between Auckland and the Argentinean capital of Buenos Aires with a special limited time introductory price of just $899 one-way. Subject to government and regulatory approval, the new Auckland – Buenos Aires service which kicks off on 1 December 2015 will be Air New Zealand’s first ever scheduled service to South America, opening up a whole new world of opportunities for Kiwis wanting to explore the vibrant city of Buenos Aires and beyond to the rest of Argentina and South America. See www.airnewzealand.co.nz for more details. QUEENSTOWN TOPS TRAVELLER’S CHOICE AWARDS: Queenstown has been named the number one destination in both New Zealand and the South Pacific in TripAdvisor’s 2015 Travellers’ Choice Awards. As well as taking out the top spot in the South Pacific and New Zealand, Queenstown has also been rated as one of the world’s top 25 destinations. This is the third consecutive year Queenstown has won New Zealand’s top destination but it is the first time the four season lake and alpine resort has taken the title of best South Pacific region. For the complete list of 2015 Travellers’ Choice Destinations winners, go to: http://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Destinations. MOBILE WALLET LAUNCH: ANZ will release a mobile wallet later this year within ANZ goMoney, New Zealand’s most popular mobile banking app. The wallet will be yet another enhancement to ANZ goMoney and will enable customers to make contactless payments with just one tap of their Android smart phones. The wallet will be available to around 120,000 customers* at launch. For additional information visit: 
www.anz.co.nz/gomoneywallet CHECK TYRES FOR SAFETY: With only one week to go before Easter weekend, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) is encouraging motorists to check their tyres now, so they have time to replace them if needed before they hop in their cars for the long weekend. EECA General Manager Transport Liz Yeaman says before the long weekend it’s a good idea to check tyre tread to make sure the journey is as safe as possible. Motorists can find the ENERGYWISE approved tyres available for their car at 
http://www.energywise.govt.nz/tools/fuel-efficient-tyres And that’s our sampling of the day that was on Wednesday 25th March 2015. Brought to EveningReport by Newsroom Digest. –]]>

NAURU: Asylum-seeker report confirms rape and sexual abuse of children

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MIL OSI Analysis – Pacific Media Centre/Pacific Media Watch

Protesting refugees at the asylum seeker processing centre on Nauru. Image: RNZI

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Item: 9179

NAURU (Radio New Zealand International/Pacific Media Watch): An independent report has confirmed cases of mistreatment and abuse of asylum seekers at an Australian-run detention centre in Nauru, reports Radio New Zealand International. The Moss Review, commissioned by the Australian government, found allegations made against 10 Save The Children workers at the camps, most of whom were sacked last year, were false. But it did find cases of rape, sexual abuse of children and the sale of drugs for sexual favours with some staff at the Nauru facilities to be credible. The Nauru government said it was disappointed in the service providers at the Australian-run asylum seeker detention camps in the wake of the Moss Review. The camps, which are managed by multinational company Transfield, are staffed by foreigners and Nauruan locals. Radio New Zealand International reported the Nauru government said it was deeply concerned about the findings and said it would make resources available to ensure that all recommendations were implemented. The government said the service providers were meant to ensure people in the camps were treated with care and dignity, and it was clear there must be changes in the way these operations were managed. It said it strongly condemned sexual assault, violence and any form of intimidation, particularly against those who are vulnerable. On several occasions in recent months the Nauru government had accused refugee groups of lying and misinformation when they had raised concerns about the welfare of the camp inmates.

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WEST PAPUA: Detained campaigner Benny Wenda awaits PNG verdict

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MIL OSI Analysis – Pacific Media Centre/Pacific Media Watch

West Papuan campaigner Benny Wenda with a booklet about exploitation at the Freeport mine. Image: PNGLoop

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Item: 9181

Freddy Mou PORT MORESBY (PNG Loop/Pacific Media Watch): A final clearance from Prime Minister Peter O’Neill will determine if  exiled West Papuan leader Benny Wenda gets deported today. The coordinator of Free West Papua PNG Chapter Freddy Mambraso told PNG Loop that Wenda was still awaiting clearance from the PM who was in Madang. He said attempts had been made to the head of  Immigration but he had been told to wait for the PM’s advice. Wenda was reportedly in Immigration custody and awaiting clearance. He has been denied access into the country and was reportedly locked up by Immigration officers at the Jackson’s International Airport in Port Moresby yesterday afternoon. It was revealed that Wenda was in the country by invitation from National Capital District (NCDC) Governor Powes Parkop. Wenda, a roving ambassador of the West Papuan people, had flown from the United Kingdom arriving yesterday and had planned to stop briefly in Papua New Guinea before heading to a major meeting in Vanuatu of Melanesian leaders. Wenda was released yesterday afternoon and will be deported today if the PM gives the order for deportation. However, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said he had no idea about the situation as he was attending to some events at Ramu in the Madang Province. Benny Wenda ‘held’ in PNG – RNZI report

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 New Zealand Licence.  ]]>

United Nations trade report calls on governments to improve environment for e-commerce

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MIL OSI – Source: United Nations – UN trade report calls on governments to improve environment for e-commerce The scope for developing countries to participate in and benefit from e-commerce is expanding, according to a new United Nations report released today, with improved connectivity, new e-commerce applications, platforms and payment solutions, and the emergence of local e-commerce companies that are tailoring their services to local demands. The 2015 edition of the Information Economy Report (IER), published by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), analyses trends and international policy issues related to information and communications technology and its links with trade and development. “As the digital economy expands and more business activities are affected, it becomes more important for governments to consider policies that can help to harness e-commerce for sustainable development,” said UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi, specifying that governments need to improve areas including information and communications technology infrastructure, the legal and regulatory environment, and develop skills in their populations. The report includes a B2C (Business-to-Consumer) E-commerce Index, which draws on data to assess e-commerce readiness and help States to formulate their national e-commerce strategies. Through the Index, governments can identify their relative strengths and weaknesses. In Africa, for example, internet penetration levels need to rise to promote e-commerce readiness. Making information and communications technology work for development requires more than expanding the infrastructure, the report says. In order to foster productive and inclusive use of information and communications technology, governments need to create legal, institutional and policy frameworks and generate the necessary skills in government, business and civil society and the Index measures progress in those areas. Among developing countries, States at the top end of the Index are in East Asia, including the Republic of Korea and Singapore, with larger countries such as Brazil, China and Russia performing better than predicted, suggesting that large markets facilitate e-commerce. Business-to-consumer e-commerce, valued at $1.2 trillion, is currently much smaller than business-to-business (B2B), which is worth $15 trillion, but is growing at a faster rate, especially in Asia and Africa, and is expected to double in size to $2.4 trillion by 2018. To enable that, postal networks will be vital and the report measures data on home postal delivery as an indicator of countries’ readiness to engage in B2C e-commerce. In Latin America and the Caribbean and in Asia and Oceania, the extension of postal home delivery was found to be particularly important. “Posts are seeing the mail makeup changing, with more merchandises making their way through their networks,” said Bishar A. Hussein, the Director General of the Universal Postal Union (UPU). “They must prepare for this growth by adapting their products and services, processes and infrastructure.” The UNCTAD report also notes that growing concerns over cybercrime affect the willingness of both buyers and sellers to make transactions online, with research showing that the enactment of laws to facilitate security and trust in online transactions varies considerably globally, with significant gaps in many developing countries. Although the United States is by far the most targeted country, accounting for almost half of known cases of cybercrime, information security is a rising concern for governments, enterprises and consumers around the world, especially given that $3.5 billion was lost in supplier revenue due to online fraud in 2012. UNCTAD’s report calls for interoperability of legal measures between States, with 117 countries having enacted cybercrime legislation. Ensuring international compatibility of e-transaction laws remains a challenge and the report says the legal recognition of e-signatures, electronic contracts and evidence at a national level should ideally be extended to those originating in other jurisdictions. –]]>

OECD Urges Indonesia to accelerate reforms and invest in human capital to ensure sustainable and inclusive growth

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MIL OSI – Source: OECD – Indonesia should accelerate reforms and invest in human capital to ensure sustainable and inclusive growth 25/03/2015-The Indonesian economy has enjoyed strong and stable growth over the past decade and a half, leading to impressive reductions in poverty and major improvements in living standards. But challenges remain to continue to converge towards higher-income countries, according to the latest OECD Economic Survey of Indonesia. The Survey, presented in Jakarta by OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría and Indonesian Minister of Finance Bambang Brodjonegoro, notes that economic growth has slowed in recent years and suggests that accelerating the pace of reform is needed to ensure sustainable and inclusive growth that benefits all Indonesians. Despite a slowdown in 2014 and a challenging international environment, Indonesian GDP growth is projected to reach 5.3% in 2015 and 5.9% in 2016. “Indonesia has been through a remarkable transformation, with tens of millions of people lifted out of poverty,” Mr Gurría said. “Today Indonesia is out-performing most of its regional neighbours, and most other emerging market economies, but by accelerating reforms it can do even better, grow even faster, and ensure that all Indonesians share the benefits of growth. Improving the education system and the country’s infrastructure will be critical to future success.” Mr Gurría also presented a new OECD Education Policy Review of Indonesia, with Minister of Culture and Elementary and Secondary Education Anies Baswedan, during the same news conference. The Policy Review points out that Indonesia faces a unique window of opportunity: with 43% of its 250 million-strong population under the age of 25, the country is already endowed with the human resources necessary to propel growth, provided its workforce is equipped with the right skills. To reap the demographic dividend, the Indonesian government must raise the quality of education, through improvements in teacher training, professional development and increased accountability. It must extend participation in the education system, to ensure that all students have an equal chance to progress to higher levels of learning. And it must strive for greater efficiency within the education sector. The Economic Survey points out that the central government’s strong fiscal position – marked by low deficits and low public debt – offers the opportunity to raise greater revenues to fund higher spending targeted at improving education, boosting infrastructure and expanding the social security system. Better targeting of existing social security programmes would ensure that measures to alleviate poverty, including cash transfers, health care spending and food subsidies, benefit those most in need. Reducing high levels of labour market informality, through the easing of labour market rigidities, would improve incentives for workers to join the social security system, the Survey said. Indonesia should also do more to make the most of its natural resources, notably by increasing agricultural productivity, through technical assistance and training, while improving farmers’ access to credit. It should also seek to diversify energy sources away from fossil fuels, notably by promoting investment in its abundant geothermal resources. An Overview with the main conclusions is available at http://oecd.org/indonesia/economic-survey-indonesia.htm. You are invited to include this Internet link in reports on the Survey. An embeddable version of the Economic Survey is also available, together with information about downloadable and print versions. ***NOTE TO EDITORS*** The 4th Economic Survey of Indonesia and the 1st Education Policy Review are key elements of Indonesia’s ongoing and expanding partnership with the OECD. Mr Gurría’s visit marked the inauguration of of the OECD’s new Southeast Asia Office, in Jakarta. The Office will serve as a platform for boosting OECD work in the region and enabling the Organisation to collaborate more closely with counterparts in Indonesia and across Southeast Asia. The 34 member OECD promotes policies that improve the economic and social well-being of people worldwide. The Organisation provides a forum in which governments can work together to share experiences and seek solutions to common problems. The OECD’s current members are: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. –  ]]>

FONTERRA ANNOUNCES 2015 INTERIM RESULTS

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MIL OSI –

Fonterra announces 2015 Interim Results

Click here to review the Interim Results presentation and Interim Report.

Results Highlights

·         Forecast Cash Payout for the 2014/15 Season of $4.90 – $5.00

–                   Forecast Farmgate Milk Price $4.70 per kgMS

–                   Estimated full year dividend of 20-30 cents per share

·         Revenue $9.7 billion, down 14 per cent

·         Reported EBIT $483 million, up 16 per cent

·         Normalised EBIT $376 million, down 7 per cent

·         Net profit after tax (NPAT) $183 million, down 16 per cent

·         Interim dividend of 10 cents per share

·         Ingredients normalised EBIT $299 million, up 2 per cent

·         Consumer and foodservice normalised EBIT $116 million, up 23 per cent

·         International Farming normalised EBIT ($27) million

Forecast Cash Payout

Fonterra Co-operative Group today announced its half-year results.

Chairman John Wilson said that given the results achieved in the first half of the year and the continued volatility in international prices, the Co-operative was holding its forecast Farmgate Milk Price at $4.70 per kgMS.

“However, our forecast dividend has been lowered to 20-30 cents per share, resulting in a forecast Cash Payout of $4.90 – $5.00. The Board has declared a 10 cent interim dividend.

“These half-year results are below our farmers’ expectations, in a period when the Farmgate Milk Price is low and we are reducing the forecast dividend range.

“Our half-year results are a snapshot of tough conditions in dairy with variable production, demand and pricing.  There was also the challenge of generating profit from inventory made in the previous financial year when the cost of milk was higher, but sold in the first quarter of the financial year when global dairy prices were falling.

“In New Zealand, milk production got off to an excellent start. A very dry summer in most regions curtailed production in the last three weeks of January, with the Co-operative reducing its milk volume forecast to slightly below last season’s production.

“Our current milk supply forecast for the 2014/15 season has increased to 1,551 million kgMS, two per cent below the 2013/14 season.

“Oversupply from dairy producing regions around the world in the early months of the financial year saw the trade-weighted GlobalDairyTrade price index hit a five-year low in December. Supply outweighed demand and buyers undervalued milk, which was reflected in prices that declined to unsustainable levels. Lower commodity prices placed downward pressure on our Farmgate Milk Price in the first half.  This was partially offset by currency, with a benefit of approximately 30 cents per kgMS to the forecast Farmgate Milk Price, as at 31 January.

“Volatility continues to influence international dairy commodity prices and given this, we recommend caution with regards to on-farm budgets,” said Mr Wilson.

Net profit after tax is down 16 per cent to $183 million. Normalised EBIT is also down 7 per cent to $376 million, compared with the same period last year.

Business Performance

The first half has been subdued for the Co-operative, due to high volatility and challenging global market conditions, resulting in a 14 per cent decrease in revenue, CEO Theo Spierings said.

“In the first quarter, opportunities to improve ingredients, consumer and foodservice gross margins were restricted until carryover inventory from the previous financial year was cleared.

“There is often a lag between when product is produced and when it is sold. During the first quarter, the value of our ingredients inventory was relatively high as it was mostly produced when Whole Milk Powder (WMP) prices were higher, ranging between USD2,700 to USD4,700 per MT. 

“However, these higher inventory costs were not recovered due to rapidly falling Whole Milk Powder (WMP) prices in the first quarter of this financial year, which dropped to a low of around USD2,400 per MT.

“This gap between the value of inventory and selling prices created a margin squeeze in the first quarter. This contrasts with the first quarter last year when the value of inventory was based on a lower milk cost, and was sold at a higher price. 

“In the second quarter this year earnings for ingredients improved, benefiting from the lower cost of milk.

“Our consumer and foodservice business in Asia and China source all of their milk from New Zealand and benefited from the lower value of milk, particularly in the second quarter.

“Our Australian and Chilean consumer and foodservice businesses source their milk in market. Their earnings were significantly impacted by higher milk prices within each of these milk pools which squeezed margins. In Australia, Chile and Brazil, the prices paid for milk are influenced by in-market dynamics rather than global prices, so our businesses in these markets have faced higher input costs.

“Meanwhile our Sri Lanka business has turned around and improved earnings after rebuilding the market share lost, following the temporary suspension of our operations last year.

“Despite some challenges, our consumer and foodservice business overall achieved volume growth and improved pricing, together delivering a $91 million increase in our gross margin. Normalised EBIT for consumer and foodservice for the first half was $116 million, an increase of 23 per cent on the prior comparable period,” said Mr Spierings.

Outlook

“Our first half year results combined with the current market conditions mean that our expectations for the full year have resulted in an updated forecast dividend range of 20 to 30 cents per share (based on our policy of paying 65 to 75 per cent of net profit after tax),” said Mr Spierings. “We are maintaining our current forecast Farmgate Milk Price.

 

“We are strongly committed to the V3 Strategy we formulated three years ago, which has been a huge change for the Co-op. The strategy is creating sustainable returns through the integration of our ingredients multi-hubs and targeted consumer and foodservice positions in our key markets. We remain uniquely placed in the world with our global reach, asset footprint, and integrated grass-to-glass supply chain.

 

“But the change so far has not been easy. Capital structure change was a necessity. However, the precautionary recall last year, and recent contamination threat have been unwelcome distractions. These events remind us that the world is constantly changing and we have to be agile and responsive so we can remain ahead. We have the building blocks in place to deliver on our vision and strategy for the long term.

 

“We have a single-minded focus on delivering results: increasing sales volumes, reducing complexity, and taking costs out to maximise returns. To accelerate delivery on strategy, my team and I are leading a comprehensive business transformation programme. It will firmly embed the best features of entrepreneurial thinking, such as effectiveness, efficiency and agility.

 

“This will require some tough decisions. We are committed to improving performance. We have made good progress so far but we need to increase the pace of change,” said Mr Spierings.

The record date for the interim dividend is 10 April, and the payment date is 20 April.

The dividend reinvestment plan (DRP), under which eligible shareholders and unit holders can elect to reinvest all or part of their cash dividends in additional shares or units, will be made available in respect of the 2015 interim dividend. The Board has determined that shares and units will be issued at a 2.5% discount on the average closing price for the period 8-14 April 2015.

Note: currency is New Zealand dollars unless otherwise stated.

About Fonterra

Fonterra is a preferred supplier of dairy ingredients to many of the world’s leading food companies. Fonterra is also a market leader with our own consumer dairy brands in Australia/New Zealand, Asia/Africa, Middle East and Latin America.


The farmer-owned New Zealand co-operative is the largest processor of milk in the world, producing more than two million tonnes of dairy ingredients, value added dairy ingredients, specialty ingredients and consumer products every year. Drawing on generations of dairy expertise, Fonterra is one of the largest investors in dairy based research and innovation in the world. Our more than 18,000 staff  ensure we live up to exacting quality standards and deliver every day on our customer promise in more than 100 markets around the world.

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APPENDIX ONE

Fonterra has changed the way it structures its financial reporting.  It is now focused on the Ingredients, Consumer and Foodservice, and International Farming businesses, to align with our global strategy.

Half-year financial highlights by business divisions

Ingredients

Milk collection across New Zealand for the season to 31 January 2015 was 1,150 million kgMS, three per cent up on the same period last season. Milk collection in Australia, which is our second largest milk pool, was 82 million kgMS, up six per cent. Ingredients sales volumes were flat as a result of lower sales to China which was offset by higher sales in other regions, but revenue was 23 per cent down reflecting the 45 per cent lower dairy commodity prices during the first half compared to the same period last year.  Normalised EBIT for the first half was $299 million, up two per cent relative to the comparable period. The ingredients segment includes group overheads. Operating costs were $43 million higher mainly due to higher costs to support our global strategy and ensure efficient allocation of resources, and higher storage and distribution costs in the United States and New Zealand.

Consumer and Foodservice

Volume across our consumer and foodservice businesses was up 27 per cent to 840,000MT in the first half compared to the same period last year. On a like-for-like basis, excluding volumes for Brazil and Venezuela, which were not consolidated last year, volume was up three per cent. Revenue was up 22 per cent to $3.3 billion and five per cent on a like-for-like basis, reflecting our ability to increase price points in some key markets. Normalised EBIT for the consumer and foodservice business in the first half was $116 million, up 23 per cent compared to the same period last year. This was mainly due to improved pricing and strong volume growth in China, the recovery in Sri Lanka and a strong performance from our foodservice business in Asia. This was partially offset by higher input costs due to the higher cost of milk in Australia and in Chile in the first half compared to the same period last year. Operating expenses were $4 million higher mainly because of higher investment in our China consumer business.

International Farming

We now have two farming hubs with a total of nine productive farms. A single farm has capacity for around 3,200-3,500 milking cows and a double farm has around 6,500 milking cows. In total we have 24,000 milking cows and 25,000 heifers and calves across all our farms. Milk production volumes increased significantly to 67,000 MT for the first half as a result of the new farms that have come on stream since the first half last year, equating to over five million kgMS of milk produced for the six months. Normalised EBIT in the first half was down $29 million on the same period last year due to the higher livestock revaluation adjustment in the first half of last year not being repeated this year. Accounting standards require Fonterra to hold livestock on our balance sheet at fair value. The relatively thinly traded livestock market on China and the volatile local Chinese milk price contribute to fluctuations in Chinese livestock valuations. In addition we had a lower milk price in China which reflected the impact of higher local milk production.

APPENDIX TWO

Non-GAAP measures

Fonterra uses several non-GAAP measures when discussing financial performance. For further details and definitions of non-GAAP measures used by Fonterra, refer to the Glossary in Fonterra’s 2014 Annual Review. These are non-GAAP measures and are not prepared in accordance with NZ IFRS.

Management believes that these measures provide useful information as they provide valuable insight on the underlying performance of the business. They may be used internally to evaluate the underlying performance of business units and to analyse trends. These measures are not uniformly defined or utilised by all companies. Accordingly, these measures may not be comparable with similarly titled measures used by other companies. Non-GAAP financial measures should not be viewed in isolation nor considered as a substitute for measures reported in accordance with NZ IFRS.

·         Fonterra calculates normalised EBIT by adding back net finance costs, taxation expense and normalisation adjustments to profit for the period.

·         Normalisation adjustments are transactions that are unusual by nature or size such that they materially reduce the ability of users of the financial results to understand the underlying performance of the Group or operating segment to which they relate.

·         Unusual transactions by nature are the result of a specific event or set of circumstances that are outside the control of the business, or relate to the major acquisitions or disposals of an asset/group of assets or business.

·         Unusual transactions by size are those that are unusually large in a particular accounting period.

·         Normalisation adjustments are determined on a consistent basis each year.

Reconciliation from the NZ IFRS measure of profit after tax to Fonterra’s normalised EBIT

$ million

Six month ended 31 January 2015

Six month ended 31 January 2014

Total EBIT

483

416

Net gain on Latin American strategic realignment

(129)

–

Time value of options

22

(13)

Total normalisation adjustments

(107)

(13)

Total normalised EBIT

376

403

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Dairy drives fall in exports – Statistics NZ

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MIL OSI – Source: Statistics New Zealand – Dairy drives fall in exports Total goods exports fell $608 million (13 percent) to $3.9 billion in February 2015 compared with February 2014, Statistics New Zealand said today. Milk powder, butter, and cheese exports led the fall, down 41 percent ($647 million) from February 2014, due to lower prices and a 10 percent fall in quantities exported. Over three-quarters of the drop in value was due to falling exports to China. “Annual dairy export values are still coming down from the highest annual level, which was in mid-2014, but quantities exported have remained fairly stable,” international statistics manager Jason Attewell said. “Annual values are now 16 percent lower than for the year ended August 2014 and are at similar levels to late 2013.” Meat values rose $78 million (12 percent) compared with February 2014. Frozen beef to the United States continues to push meat export values to new highs. Imports rose $139 million (3.7 percent), to $3.9 billion. Consumption goods (such as clothing) led the rise, up 14 percent. Machinery and plant equipment in the capital goods category rose 13 percent, led by mobile phones (personal and business use). In February 2015, there was a small trade surplus of $50 million, down from the surplus of $797 million in February 2014. The trade balance for the year ended February 2015 was a deficit of $2.2 billion. This deficit represents a $4.0 billion turnaround since the most-recent peak in the August 2014 year. –]]>

No trace of missing Dutch tourist – Police

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MIL OSI –

Source: New Zealand Police – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Day three – no trace of missing Dutch tourist

Tasman

Search and rescue teams, including specialist search dogs from Canterbury have again failed to find any trace of missing Dutch tourist Ken Boogers.

Mr Boogers was last seen on the Pillar Point track which is in the area between Wharariki and Puponga in Golden Bay on Saturday. There have been no further confirmed sightings of him since that time.

The weather has remained fine today in the search area. Searchers are now pulling out for the night and the search will resume at first light on Thursday.

Police would like to speak to anyone who has seen Mr Boogers since Saturday. Anyone with information should call Nelson Police Ph 5463840 or Takaka Police Ph 5259211.

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Investigations ongoing into serious assault at Christchurch Men’s Prison – Police

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MIL OSI –

Source: New Zealand Police – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Investigations ongoing into serious assault at Christchurch Men’s Prison

Canterbury

Canterbury Police are investigating a serious assault reported to have occurred at Christchurch Men’s Prison at approximately 9.30am this morning (25 March 2015).

The male victim, an inmate at the Prison, has been taken to Christchurch Hospital with serious injuries. 

Canterbury Police investigations into the incident are ongoing.

It is too early in the investigation to make any further comment.

ENDS

Issued by:  Lisa-Marie Brooks, District Communications Manager, Canterbury Police District.  Mobile:  021 942 404

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Carving out a wine market in China

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MIL OSI –  Source: Asia New Zealand Foundation – Carving out a wine market in China By Matt Calman Charlotte Read has been involved in the wine industry for most of her life. Her father was one of Hawke’s Bay’s first grape growers in the 1970s, during the infancy of the New Zealand wine industry. Now she is trying to convert Chinese palates to the award-wining wines of New Zealand winery Villa Maria. Read became Villa Maria’s first dedicated Chinese-based Asia market manager in 2010. She has spent significant time in both Shanghai and Beijing managing two China-based staff. Previously she was based in London as Villa Maria’s UK/European market manager. China is a fledgling market in terms of wine. Its supermarkets have small sections devoted to wine compared to the large volumes displayed in New Zealand supermarkets. But the past two years have seen a shift in Chinese wine buying habits. Wine was predominantly bought for gifting and banqueting but a change of government in 2012 led to a crackdown on lavish spending. “Now a more consumer-oriented wine culture is emerging which is essential for long-term sustainable growth,” Read says. Of a population of nearly 1.4 billion people an estimated 35 million drink imported wine, up from just 19 million two years ago. Imported wine makes up just 12 percent of the wine consumed in China. “Back in New Zealand there’s pressure to get a big presence in China, fast. But we need to have realistic expectations around what the size of the prize is and the timeframe to achieve it in,” Read says. “The wine-drinking public is still a very small group, but it’s growing rapidly and it’s that potential we are here for.” The westernisation of the restaurant experience, and the concept of social wine drinking going hand-in-hand with that sort of occasion, is slowly transforming China from a banquet-only culture. Red wines from the Bordeaux region of France have proved popular. They were an early pioneer in the market and have been well marketed to the point those brands are synonymous with wine in China. In fact, 90 percent of wine drunk and much of local production in China is red wine. “It’s what is preferred because it’s what was known first. In some sectors some people don’t even know that white wine exists. That is the challenge for New Zealand in that our mainstay is white wine.” However, members of the educated, emerging middle class, and women in particular, are very receptive to white wine, Read says. Villa Maria has maintained a presence in five-star hotels, restaurants, retail chains and major tier-one cities through its 15-year relationship with wine importer Summergate Fine Wines. In recent years social media and the internet has become a vital marketing tool. The Villa Maria team in China, with help from an agency, are very active on social media platforms Weibo and Wei Xin (WeChat). Villa Maria posts content about its brand, and about New Zealand, in both English and Chinese to its followers (Villa Maria has more than 20,000 followers on Weibo alone). E-commerce (buying and selling products online) is also a rapidly growing channel for wine sales, with China surpassing the United States as the largest E-commerce market in the world in 2012. China’s imported wine market has two main realms – the cheaper end dominated by large-volume wine-producing countries such as Spain, Chile and Australia, and the premium end of the market. “There are two speeds of the market here. There’s the very cheap end where it’s very price sensitive but New Zealand doesn’t want to play there,” Read says. Awards and accolades are important for brand perception with Chinese consumers. Villa Maria has just been named fourth most admired wine brand in the world by Drinks International Magazine, the only New Zealand winery named in the top 10. “If you build a strong brand you can command the premium. Chinese people will pay when they understand the quality.” Read says New Zealand’s annual wine exports to China totalled $27.7 million (NZD) to the end of January, which meant the market was rebounding to 2012 levels. In 2003, New Zealand Winegrowers figures estimated the annual exports to China totalled just $209,000 (NZD). Read is responsible for a huge territory – from Dubai to Japan and everywhere in between – but being a leader in the China wine market is key to the Villa Maria brand. “It’s symbolic of how important China is to our business … and how we are dedicated to developing this area. China is a market requiring patience and perseverance.”   – -]]>

Northport The Answer For Port Expansion – Peters

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MIL OSI –

Source: New Zealand First – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Northport The Answer For Port Expansion

New Zealand First Leader and candidate for Northland by-election Rt Hon Winston Peters is pleased the Auckland council have come to its senses over the expansion of the city’s port expansion.

“This was never a goer in terms of transport, maritime services, shipping and recreation. Aucklanders were well aware of that but the council was not listening.

“The answer is sitting under their noses, it’s Northport at Whangarei.

“It’s a win for Northland and a win for Aucklanders.

“Northland will benefit from the recurring revenue and will be much less reliant on seasonal opportunities.

“Aucklanders will not have their harbour ruined.

“The expansion was unsound. It makes sense to bring the container expansion to a naturally deep harbour with much flat land available.

“New Zealand First would force KiwiRail to restore the viability of the railway line north of Auckland to make it fit for modern container carriage purpose.

“We would build the rail link to the port, which is something the KiwiRail board and management should have done decades ago.”

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BIG DATA: World authority on digital humanitarian issues to talk at the University of Canterbury

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MIL OSI – Source: University of Canterbury – Big Data: World authority on digital humanitarian issues to talk at the University of Canterbury

March 25, 2015 A world authority on digital humanitarian issues says lifeline organisations get overwhelmed by the overflow of information generated during and after disasters. Mobile phones, social media, satellite imagery and increasingly aerial imagery contribute to a flash flood of big data, says Dr Patrick Meier, who is an internationally recognized thought leader on humanitarian technology. The University of Canterbury’s digital archive CEISMIC team has invited Dr Meier to speak at the university tomorrow (March 26). Dr Meier has given talks at the White House, the United Nations, Google, Harvard, Stanford and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  He says humanitarian organisations are the product of an information environment marked by scarcity. Until recently, it would take days or rather weeks following major disasters to determine who had been affected, how badly and where. The lack of information often leads to pure guesswork, which is not efficient. “The overflow of information that gets generated during and after disasters today can be as paralysing to humanitarian efforts as the absence of information. Organisations are no better off in either scenario: information scarcity and information overflow are both serious impediments to informed relief operations. “These humanitarian organisations are completely unprepared and frankly incapable of making sense of this big data, so they’re turning to digital humanitarians: tech-savvy digital volunteers the world over. “Digital humanitarians use crowdsourcing and trail-blazing insights from artificial intelligence to filter through the big data and thereby provide organisations with increased awareness in the immediate aftermath of major humanitarian crises. “The next generation humanitarian technology platforms they are crafting allow them to rapidly analyse mainstream media, social media, pictures, videos, text messages, satellite imagery and aerial imagery. These free and open source platforms combine crowdsourcing with artificial intelligence. “The trend is increasingly towards data integration; that is, layering multiple types of information on one map. For example, relevant reports and pictures posted on social media can be overlaid with aerial imagery and other sensors. “Digital humanitarians also face the challenge of verifying information during disasters; identifying rumours and vetting unconfirmed reports. Again, the big data challenge means that manual approaches alone do not work. So digital humanitarians use crowdsourcing and artificial intelligence to rapidly identify and debunk rumours. “Digital humanitarians that live in countries under repressive rule face additional challenges. Crowd sourced disaster response is a form of collective action; the latter is typically perceived by repressive regimes as a threat. But digital humanitarians are able to mobilise much faster than inept and corrupt government bureaucracies. There is a thin line between crowd sourced disaster response and nonviolent civil resistance. “Enlightened policymaking and leadership is needed to truly tap the potential of humanitarian technologies and those that deploy them,” Dr Meier says.
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19 year old missing woman found safe in Selwyn

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MIL OSI – Source: New Zealand Police –  Canterbury Police report 19 year old missing woman found safe in Selwyn

Canterbury Police and her family would like to thank the public and her friends for their help in reporting possible sightings of her and her car. A spokesperson from her family says “We would like to thank Canterbury Police and everybody who helped find Torrie and Paul yesterday.  We are glad she is home safe and look forward to spending Easter together.” – –
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Frances Joychild QC on the fading star of the Rule of Law

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By Frances Joychild QC. [caption id="attachment_2276" align="alignleft" width="210"]Frances Joychild QC. Frances Joychild QC.[/caption] ON NOVEMBER 7, 2014 the Chief Judge of the High Court, Justice Helen Winkleman, gave the Ethel Benjamin address on the subject of civil law: Access to Justice- Who needs Lawyers? It seems she has illuminated the most critically important legal conversation of our time for civil law at least. I wish to participate in it and my contribution follows. Access to Justice is not just a human right for individuals. It is central to our constitution and social wellbeing. Access to justice enables the rule of law. One of the rules tenets is that all are treated equally and all are equally accountable under it. The rule of law ensures that we live in a safe, peaceful, harmonious, free and democratic society. Over the past three years I have wondered increasingly if I am in a nightmare and have woken in Charles Dickens England. On a daily basis I clear my email and phone messages or answer the phone to at least one person in dire and desperate need of legal assistance, often with an extraordinary legal problem and always having found no-one to help them. By the end of last year, I was turning away many more contactees than I could help. Like others, I take on legal aid cases and clients who can pay by only small instalment. I also do some pro bono work . However no-one can run a viable practice without a healthy balance of paying clients. In recent months several of those contacting me said they had already tried large numbers of lawyers – from legal aid lists given to them by the Ministry of Justice or from the phone book or internet. One caller told me I was 20th lawyer he had tried. Often they had already been to a neighbourhood law office but I understand that recent changes mean these lawyers there are no longer permitted to represent poor clients – only to advise. Even for those who remain eligible for legal aid, the repayment rules have got tighter and harsher and act as a severe disincentive to uptake. Not only this but the legal problems these people present with astound me. They are not the sort of problems that I have come across before and suggest to me that life itself has become an extremely harsh experience for lots of people. These experiences lead me to believe that the rule of law star is fast fading in this country and most of us have no idea this is so. Legal aid as we know it today. I understand fully why such large numbers of lawyers have withdrawn from the legal aid system. Everyone who has undertaken it in recent times has a story to tell. It is a byzantine system which at its best is demeaning towards the legal aid provider and an affront to her or his professionalism . Enough has been said already about the rates of payment. These and fixed hours are appallingly inadequate in the context of the costs of running a legal practice. Those doing legal aid now should be recognised for the fact they are in part donating their work to enable the rule of law to continue. If a person happens to be in the increasing minority who are still eligible for legal aid, and one has to be near to destitute to be eligible these days, legal aid providers have to explain to them nineteen matters relevant to their grant of aid. Of most deterrence to the client are the legal aid debt rules. The client is told they may have to repay some or all of the legal aid granted to them and that interest will be charged on all outstanding debt when the case is finished. In fact interest is charged at the rate of 8% (higher even than the Judicature rate) with a six month grace period. Further, the client is told that, in accepting legal aid, they are consenting to the ministry sending the debt to a third party debt collector and to debt collection costs being added to the debt. Also they are to understand that the Ministry can deduct the debt via payments from their income or bank account. They are also waiving legal professional privilege. I have witnessed these potential debt recovery actions as a terrifying prospect for persons in need of legal advice and assistance. To be eligible in the first place they are living on a level of income which typically means they will have significant debt burdens already and are living hand to mouth. While they can apply for a debt write off – that is a discretionary decision which will not be considered until the end of the case and after their legal aid repayments have been set. Last year one elderly client who lost everything following a business collapse three years previously and was living solely on national superannuation in a rented home, started having panic attacks when advised he had to repay approximately $6000 . He had been treated already for severe depression in the course of his financial catastrophe. Those symptoms returned with a vengeance following that letter. I applied for a write off ($100 fixed fee for me) explaining all his financial circumstances and three months later he was successful. One has to wonder why the Ministry didn’t write the debt off when they first set the repayments rather than creating such torment by bureaucracy. [His financial circumstances are known as both the client and lawyer have a duty to let the Ministry know of any change of circumstances that might affect legal aid eligibility. ] A woman I advised recently, who needed to challenge the application of a government regulation that, unfairly, was preventing her from being registered in her profession and so able to earn considerably more than her minimum wage job, decided she couldn’t take the risk of incurring further debt for her and her young daughter. The legal issues were far too complex for her to try to take the case on her own. Neither could she have spared the time and her wages to do so. The vast population who cant afford a lawyer. With many ineligible or deterred from accessing legal aid and with the median New Zealand income at $31,200.00 and legal fees at the levels they are the facts speak for themselves. [Statistics New Zealand; NZ Income Survey, June 2014. ] From my personal experience I estimate that at least half the population of New Zealand could not afford legal services, were they to need them. Probably the figure is closer to two thirds. A client I acted for recently on legal aid, in a professional negligence matter involving 4 to 5 witnesses and a hearing of 2.5 days, told me he spent a whole day in Auckland City with his mother, herself a professional, knocking on doors of law firms and barristers’ chambers. The quotes for representation were around $100,000.00 and most of the money was required to be paid up front before legal work commenced. Justice Winkleman has referred to the huge problems to the court of the unrepresented litigant. However as she also recognised there are those who can’t self represent for many varied reasons. They don’t clog the court rooms but their inability to access the rule of law is a slow social poison seeping into the fabric of our society. For example, I understand that many small business in South Auckland use gangs to collect debts rather than filing for them in the District Court. In parts of society then the rule of force rather than the rule of law operates. Types of legal problems appearing. Employment Court and Employment Relations Authority decisions are starting to show the tip of the malpractices in the New Zealand labour market. A 2012 ERA decision records a woman having paid $27,000 for a telemarketer job in Auckland. [Jingxin Tian v South Pacific Ltd [2012] NZERA AC 3675350263] The employer required her to withdraw cash for the same amount she had been given in wages and return it to the employer immediately she received it. Also she had to pay her own PAYE. Effectively she was paying to be employed. I have acted for persons who paid an employer for a job for their daughter who refused to return the money when they withdrew from the agreement. One client was working all night at a retail outlet 6 nights a week for nothing but food. Clients have told me they work with people being paid half the minimum wage; people working up to 14 hours a day without food breaks, sick leave, holiday pay. Also of the very widespread employer practices of paying staff under the table to avoid tax or to record staff working many less hours than they actually work so as to avoid paying tax. That affects the employee in many ways including access to accident compensation. Two years ago I acted for a new New Zealander who borrowed many tens of thousands of dollars from relatives back home to establish himself in a small takeaway franchise. To cut a long story short the franchisor embraced him into the business, suggested he pay the money straight away so he could get started and said they could sort out the contract the following week. The contract was the most oppressive my client’s lawyer had seen in thirty years of practice. He tried to negotiate its terms. Within days of advising he would not sign without changes to the contract terms, my client was manhandled out of the premises by security guards and locked out. His money was not paid back to him. That happened 18 months later only after proceedings were filed and a hearing loomed. I was about the eighth lawyer my client had contacted for help. Some of the most disturbing and alarming cases I have dealt with recently come from citizen’s dealings with departments of state. The most vulnerable group in New Zealand, and the most stigmatised, are without a doubt income tested beneficiaries. There are increasingly large discretions held by WINZ officials largely without legal overview by independent lawyers. The rule of law fades in such situations, even despite the best meaning and well intentioned officials. I have heard regular complaints of benefits being randomly cut off, without notice. And it taking weeks or even months and numerous phone calls or visits to WINZ offices to get them reinstated. Often these cut offs are the result of a mistake on the part of the WINZ system (eg the medical certificate had been delivered on time but hadn’t made it to the file) or for reasons any fair minded person would consider perfect justification for not being able to comply with a job seeker condition. Affected beneficiaries, including their children, who are already living a hand to mouth existence, are plunged into sudden dire poverty. Such behaviour on the part of a government department would have been unimaginable in New Zealand, even a decade ago. One family I dealt with in November on another matter had three children under ten and were without any WINZ support other than two food grants – for months last year after the parents work stopped and the file passed between ACC and Winz. The benefit was finally paid after the landlady, who had issued an eviction order but then felt worried about their desperate plight, went down to the WINZ office with the client. Miraculously a cheque for back payment of benefit was written out. The harm inflicted on the parents and children in that time, (eg hunger, food insecurity, power insecurity, home insecurity, inability to use transport, stress, sleeplessness, family disharmony ) will have consequences for decades. Staff have so many discretions over beneficiary entitlements and beneficiaries are so dependent on their benefit to meet their most basic needs that the vast majority are too afraid to rock the boat. For several years now persons have been unceremoniously and unlawfully removed in droves from sickness and invalids benefits and subject to punitive job search conditions for which many are not equipped mentally or physically. I am aware of some who have ended up off benefit entirely. Their only recourse is to a Medical Appeal Board (MAB) panel and then to judicial review. They cannot access the Social Security Appeal Authority. Certainly the rules of natural justice appeared completely foreign to the MAB panel I sought to review judicially. Likewise the assessing GP’s appeared to be acting as an arm of WINZ rather than an independent health professional. But my proceeding never reached the courts. It was made impossible not to settle. One could sense the Ministry concern that a test case challenging the practices surrounding removal from benefit had to be avoided if at all possible. Clearly beneficiaries have no money to employ a lawyer. Most of the problems they encounter are not covered by legal aid. Some are lucky enough to have access to unpaid beneficiary advocates. I suspect a very large number do not. It is extraordinary that in an area of major legal complexity, wide government discretions and deeply disempowered citizens that the Rule of Law is at its weakest. Solutions: Lady-of-JusticeWhat is evident is that there is a huge middle and low income untapped legal market. There are many cases in these markets that can be financially viable. For example one young lawyer with six years experience told me last year that she persuaded her firm to let her take a claim against an insurance company where the client was impecunious. The case was settled with full reimbursement to the firm and a very fair recovery for the client. Last year I offered a law graduate 20 hours work a week. Other barristers have made up the rest. He has enabled me to take on many more cases from the untapped market. He is having great fun, learning tremendous and varied skills and feels a sense of satisfaction. He has worked in contract, tort, employment, insolvency, bankruptcy, human rights, professional negligence, privacy. Yes the supervision is something I wanted to avoid but the counterbalances have made it a positive successful step. There is the pleasure of seeing right done by people and their lives being put back on track or at least having had a voice and being able to put a matter to rest. There are some expressions of humble appreciation and gratitude . There is also the pleasure in helping someone launch their own career and the friendships that emerge as a consequence. Another very wonderful thing happened to me last year. I was approached by a person describing himself as a retired judge in his eighties. He offered to provide me with pro bono assistance one day a week. Not only was I touched by the generosity but deeply impressed by the quality of the work. He has reviewed the complex claim of a person wanting to instruct me and advised me on it; drafted a letter in a complex issue surrounding government policy and regulations and is now undertaking a series of interviews with a pro bono client with a very complex fact situation. Another barrister offered a spare room in her chambers for him to work in and interview clients in. A former colleague has contacted me on her pending retirement as a lawyer. She too has offered to do some pro bono work. There are many graduates and new lawyers keen to throw themselves into the market and learn skills. There are many retired lawyers (be they former lawyers, barristers and judges) who may likewise be open to making such contributions for other lawyers and barristers. There are also many high earning barristers and lawyers, who may feel they have earned enough to make unpaid contributions. [Of course some already do this. Several law firms act for clients pro bono. These are often organisations as opposed to individuals however.] How to put all this together. Perhaps the law societies or law commission could assist by providing information and discussion papers reviewing successful overseas models. Why not a firm with fee earning lawyers or a barrister’s chambers who also service the untapped market by using recent graduates supervised by senior lawyers (retired or otherwise working pro bono). Some cases would be part paying (as legal aid is) some with significantly reduced fees; some on conditional fee arrangements and some pro bono. Firms could determine their specialty be it public law, bankruptcy, employment law etc. Perhaps there could be charitable donation rebates or other fiscal incentives to undertake such work. For income tested beneficiaries, who are completely impoverished and have ongoing dealings with government departments perhaps a special clinic specialising in social security law and advocacy is the answer. Not only is social security law highly complex but the relationship between client and department is usually in motion, rather than static. There is unlikely to be any way of earning money out of such a practice, unless it is funded. Ideally there would also be a Social Security Ombudsman, something like the Banking and Insurance Ombudsman – though publicly funded. That too could have law graduates and senior law students. We are a profession of talented and creative people. Let’s keep talking. I am sure there are many possible solutions that can emerge from our collective thinking so that we can play our role in reversing the fast fading of the rule of law. Frances Joychild QC.]]>

NewsRoom Digest: Top NZ News Items for March 24 2015

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Newsroom DigestThis edition of NewsRoom_Digest contains six media release snippets and four links of the day from Tuesday 24 March. Top stories in this news cycle currently include Finance Minister Bill English confirming the Government will need to spend $1.5 billion upgrading State houses as they’re sold to social housing providers, the Government raising fears about what might happen to its legislative programme if New Zealand First leader Winston Peters wins this weekend’s Northland by-election and the only surviving pilot from the Second World War group known as the ‘Dambusters’ accepting an offer that will keep his medals in New Zealand. SNIPPETS OF THE DAY McCully Visits Iraq: Foreign Minister Murray McCully travelled to Baghdad yesterday for talks with Iraq’s Prime Minister Mr Haider al-Abadi and Foreign Minister Dr Ibrahim al-Ja’afari. “New Zealand is committed to supporting Iraq as they address the threat posed by ISIL and build a more law-abiding and democratic country,” Mr McCully says. Green Party: Rule Out Profit From State Homes: The Government must rule out selling state homes for private developers to profit from, the Green Party said today. “The Government looks set to sell off these assets to property developers, and then pay the same developers to house low income tenants through the Income Related Rent Subsidy. It’s a perverse money-go-round in which only the developers win,” Green Party housing spokesperson Kevin Hague said. US Company Buys Fletcher Building Shares: US fund manager BlackRock, which manages more than US$4.7 trillion in assets worldwide, has built up a 5 percent stake in Fletcher Building. The US fund manager declared it held 34.4 million shares, or 5.005 percent, of the Auckland-based construction and building supplies firm through various related companies, according to substantial shareholder notice lodged with the NZX. The notice covers trading in the shares starting in November, and includes purchases at prices ranging from $8.04 to $8.97. Deputy Governor Chairs OECD Committee: Reserve Bank Deputy Governor Grant Spencer has been appointed chair of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s Committee on Financial Markets (CMF). The membership of the CMF includes representatives of the OECD’s 34 member countries and senior management of the OECD Secretariat. The role of the Committee is to guide and manage the work programme of the OECD’s Financial and Enterprise Affairs Directorate. Reserve Bank Governor Graeme Wheeler said: “The appointment is a reflection of the high regard with which Grant is held in international financial markets.” Canadian Behind Bars For $2 Million Drug Import: A 19-year old Canadian woman has been jailed for nine years for importing almost $2 million worth of methamphetamine or ‘P’ labelled as “vitamins and supplements”. Kionie Downing was sentenced in the Auckland District Court for importing and possessing methamphetamine, a Class A controlled drug. She was arrested by Customs officers in August 2014 after they intercepted a package sent to her from Canada of four containers of supplements which had drugs hidden inside. RNZAF Hercules Turns 50: Hercules NZ7001 turns 50 today, and is spending her birthday doing what she has so often done before – delivering aid in the Pacific. Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) C-130 NZ7001 was the first of five C-130s which arrived at RNZAF Base Auckland in Whenuapai in 1965. Since then, the C-130 has been at the forefront of many New Zealand Defence Force operations, missions and exercises. The hard-working C-130 flew out of Whenuapai on Sunday morning with aid for Tuvalu and picked up more in Suva. After delivering that cargo to Tuvalu, she returned to Suva for the night. LINKS OF THE DAY KIWIFRUIT GROWERS KEEN ON CHANGE: Kiwifruit growers have made a strong statement about the direction they want for their industry in the Kiwifruit Industry Strategy Project (KSIP) referendum. There is a clear mandate for change with interim results from the referendum showing two-thirds of growers, representing 80 percent of production, voting so far, says Zespri chairman Peter McBride. “Over 90 percent of growers have clearly stated their desire for change in three areas which affect Zespri – ownership of Zespri shares by growers who have left the industry, the mechanism by which the Zespri margin is calculated and changes to Zespri’s board to formalise the three independent members. A full set of interim results can be found at: http://kisp.co.nz/ COM COM DROPS INVESTIGATION: The Commerce Commission is taking no further action in its investigation into Wilson Parking New Zealand Limited’s acquisition of rival Tournament Parking Limited’s parking assets. The Commission’s investigation focused on areas in city centres where the loss of Tournament following the acquisition in July 2013 reduced the competition Wilson faced. The most acute of these were Auckland’s Parnell Rise and Symonds Street areas. A copy of the full investigation report outlining this decision can be found on the Commission’s website.  http://www.comcom.govt.nz/business-competition/enforcement-response-register-commerce/investigation-reports/ CHILD AND YOUTH CASES PLUMMET: The number of young people (aged 10 to 16 years old) appearing in court has more than halved since 2007, Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams announced today. The latest Conviction and Sentencing and Child and Youth Prosecution Statistics for 2014 show the number of children and adults facing charges in courts is decreasing. Trends in Child and Youth Prosecutions 2014 infographic: www.beehive.govt.nz/sites/all/files/Trends-in-Child-and-Youth-Prosecutions-2014-infographic.pdf SPORT COACHING GAINS TRACTION: Sport coaching is gaining wide appeal at the University of Canterbury because the degree is providing graduates with excellent jobs, an expert sports researcher says. Professor Richard Light, Head of the School of Sport and Physical Education, says several hundred students have enrolled in the sports coaching degree this year, including All Black Kieran Read. Professor Light has coached rugby in Australia and Japan and has conducted extensive research on sport in Japan with a focus on rugby. He has 30 years’ training in karate, holds a 5th dan black belt and was Australian kickboxing champion. He will give a public lecture on campus tomorrow night. View a preview interview here: And that’s our sampling of the day that was on Tuesday 24th March 2015. Brought to EveningReport by Newsroom Digest, Tuesday March 24,  2015. –]]>

Coming Up Tonight on Evening Report – Tuesday March 24 2015

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Tonight on EveningReport.nz

Frances Joychild QC on the fading star of the Rule of Law

[caption id="attachment_2276" align="alignleft" width="150"]Frances Joychild QC. Frances Joychild QC.[/caption]Frances Joychild QC writes: Over the past three years I have wondered increasingly if I am in a nightmare and have woken in Charles Dickens England. On a daily basis I clear my email and phone messages or answer the phone to at least one person in dire and desperate need of legal assistance, often with an extraordinary legal problem and always having found no-one to help them. By the end of last year, I was turning away many more contactees than I could help. In this article Frances Joychild analyses the question: Is New Zealand failing many who seek recourse to the law? And, if so, what happens to those estranged from being able to afford the costs of representation and/or those who find themselves excluded from accessing legal aid? Also, what are the solutions to this crisis? FULL ARTICLE Is the GCSB trade team spying on New Zealand’s TPPA negotiating partners? – Kelsey [caption id="attachment_1844" align="alignleft" width="150"]Professor Jane Kelsey. Professor Jane Kelsey.[/caption]Is the GCSB ‘trade team’ spying on New Zealand’s TPPA negotiating ‘partners’? ‘The latest revelations about the GCSB pose a stark question: is the GCSB’s “trade team” spying on governments with whom New Zealand is negotiating international deals, especially the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA)?’, asked University of Auckland law professor Jane Kelsey. The following facts put the burden of … FULL ARTICLE Feature Documentary: Morality of Argument – Sustaining a state of being nuclear free Morality of AgumentEXCLUSIVE: For the first time publicly, this documentary webcasts exclusive to Evening Report, Documentary: Morality of Argument – sustaining a state of being nuclear free. This feature-length documentary, directed by Selwyn Manning, analyses what remains of New Zealand’s nuclear free policy that was so central to the Labour Party of the 1980s, and indeed whether the policy’s ethos and application is as relevant today and into the millennium as it was in the 1980s. FULL ARTICLE McCully visits Iraq ahead of NZ military deployment [caption id="attachment_2269" align="alignleft" width="150"]New Zealand foreign minister, Murray McCully. Image courtesy of Scoop.co.nz. New Zealand foreign minister, Murray McCully. Image courtesy of Scoop.co.nz.[/caption]MIL OSI – Source: New Zealand Government – McCully visits Iraq ahead of NZ deployment – Foreign Minister Murray McCully travelled to Baghdad yesterday for talks with Iraq’s Prime Minister Mr Haider al-Abadi and Foreign Minister Dr Ibrahim al-Ja’afari. “New Zealand is committed to supporting Iraq as they address the threat posed by ISIL and build a more law-abiding and democratic country,” Mr McCully says. FULL ARTICLE
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ALSO ER’s LATEST REPORTS:

NewsRoom Digest: Top NZ News Items for March 24 2015 New Zealand’s spying on Solomon Is hypocritical – officials Police appeal for public’s help to locate missing 19 year old woman Climate Change: Is extreme weather the new normal? Lowest number of youth in court in 20 years Redcliffs School closure plan wrong – Labour Commission closes investigation into Wilson Parking’s acquisition of Tournament Australia is on track to meet or beat emissions targets Beijing ‘welcomes interested nations joining the AIIB’ North China province targets gangs in corruption fight –]]>

McCully visits Iraq ahead of NZ military deployment

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MIL OSI – Source: New Zealand Government – McCully visits Iraq ahead of NZ deployment

[caption id="attachment_2269" align="alignleft" width="150"]New Zealand foreign minister, Murray McCully. Image courtesy of Scoop.co.nz. New Zealand foreign minister, Murray McCully. Image courtesy of Scoop.co.nz.[/caption]Foreign Minister Murray McCully travelled to Baghdad yesterday for talks with Iraq’s Prime Minister Mr Haider al-Abadi and Foreign Minister Dr Ibrahim al-Ja’afari.

“New Zealand is committed to supporting Iraq as they address the threat posed by ISIL and build a more law-abiding and democratic country,” Mr McCully says.

“To date New Zealand’s contribution to the international coalition against ISIL has been focused on the provision of humanitarian aid to people displaced by the fighting in Iraq and Syria.

“In February the Prime Minister announced plans to deploy a military training mission to Iraq. My visit was an opportunity to talk to the Government of Iraq about the deployment and how we ensure our defence personnel have the appropriate legal protections.

“I will be reporting back to the Prime Minister and my Cabinet colleagues on the outcome of these discussions when I return to New Zealand,” Mr McCully says.

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Police appeal for public’s help to locate missing 19 year old woman

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MIL OSI – Source: New Zealand Police – Police appeal for public’s help to locate missing 19 year old woman Tuesday, 24 March 2015 – 2:57pm

Canterbury Police are appealing for the public’s help to locate 19 year old Torrie Amstad who last contacted her family on Monday 23 March 2015. 

She left her flat in Aranui at approximately 10pm last night and has not answered her phone or spoken to her friends or family since that time.  She is understood to have been driving her red 1984 Mitsubishi Mirage registration PQ9779 and may have her black and white Fox Terrier (called Paul) with her.

It is possible that Torrie may have gone to the Lincoln area late last night after leaving her flat.  However she could now be anywhere in the Christchurch and wider Canterbury area.

Torrie is described as slim, approximately 167cm (5’6”) tall with shoulder length hair and was last seen wearing grey track pants and black ballet flats. 

Canterbury Police and her family have concerns for her safety.  It is out of character for her to turn off her phone and not contact her family or friends.

Canterbury Police urge anyone who sees Torrie’s red Mitsubishi Mirage registration PQ9779, or Torrie or her dog to call 111 straight away.

Information can also be provided anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Australia is on track to meet or beat emissions targets

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MIL OSI – Source: The Hon. Greg Hunt MP, Minister for the Environment – Australia is on track to meet or beat emissions targets Australia’s abatement challenge has shrunk significantly in recent years, as highlighted in figures released by the Department of the Environment today. We will easily meet our commitment to reduce Australia’s emissions by five per cent from 2000 levels by 2020. Under Labor, Australia’s abatement challenge to achieve the five per cent target was forecast to be 1,335 Mt CO2-e in 2008. This has now fallen to 236 Mt CO2‑e. Labor’s numbers exaggerated the abatement task by more than a billion tonnes of emissions. Labor used these figures in an attempt to justify the world’s largest carbon tax that hurt families and businesses by pushing up electricity prices.It is now absolutely clear that we can meet or beat our targets without a destructive carbon tax.Labor said we needed to push up electricity bills by billions of dollars in order to achieve our targets. It’s crystal clear this isn’t the case. They got it massively wrong. Since 2006, Australia’s emissions have been on a downward trend. Labor’s painful $15.4 billion carbon tax simply wasn’t needed to achieve a reduction in emissions. We’re committed to tackling climate change, but we can do it without hurting Australian families in the process. Through the Emissions Reduction Fund, we are committed to achieving measurable and identifiable cuts in emissions. By contrast, Bill Shorten is committed to hiking power bills for families, pensioners and businesses.

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Climate Change: Is extreme weather the new normal?

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MIL OSI – Source: NIWA – National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research – Is extreme weather the new normal?

New Zealanders have just experienced one of the driest summers on record – great for beachgoers and cricket lovers, but far from ideal for farmers and orchardists relying on rain to maintain productivity.

This year’s ‘big dry’ comes just two years after the last widespread summer drought, which is estimated to have cost the rural sector $1 billion in lost earnings.

New Zealand’s climate appears to be changing. Droughts seem more intense and frequent, windstorms more violent, rainstorms and snowstorms more crippling. The rural sector in particular has faced unprecedented challenge brought about by recent extreme weather events.   

So is this the new reality? Is our climate changing faster than first thought? How should the country respond to what’s happening and prepare for what’s yet to come?

Deep South, one of 11 National Science Challenges confirmed by the Government following wide stakeholder and public consultation, will seek answers to these critically important questions.

Professor David Frame, an internationally renowned climate researcher at Victoria University of Wellington, recently appointed Director of the NIWA-hosted Challenge, says scientists are making progress in understanding the links between extreme weather events and climate change.

“Climate scientists are adopting techniques from medical researchers to establish how the odds of various events, like droughts, are likely to change in the coming decades.”

“We are making progress, but different events have different meteorological drivers, and in some cases we can’t yet say as much as we would like because models can’t yet simulate all the relevant features.”

“What we can say, however, is that the extreme events we’ve experienced recently are a cause for people to think about how they prepare for a changing climate. Most New Zealanders now have an appreciation of the kind of weather the country could experience increasingly in the years to come. They understand the need to prepare for its impacts now.” 

Deep South will significantly intensify research into the nature of New Zealand’s changing climate, and the likely impacts of that change on New Zealand society over the coming decades and centuries. Studies will focus on Antarctica and the Southern Ocean (our ‘Deep South’), areas that play an important part in shaping weather systems and long-term climate patterns affecting New Zealand. Research in this part of the world has been piecemeal, or lacking altogether, until now.  

Leading-edge technology, including a new Earth Systems Model that will utilise the advanced processing power of NIWA’s supercomputer in Wellington, and unprecedented multi-sector collaboration will be keys to the success of the challenge.

“Deep South will bring together the country’s most respected thought leaders working at the interface of science, business and public policy,” says Roger France, Chairman of the Deep South Governance Board. “Their goal is to transform the way New Zealanders can adapt, manage risk and thrive in a changing climate. Their work will focus on drought, freshwater availability, flooding, coastal erosion and damaging storms, and their impacts on businesspeople, planners, regulators, Māori and New Zealand communities as a whole.”

“This is an ambitious undertaking that has the potential to transform New Zealand society,” says Dr Rob Murdoch, NIWA’s General Manager of Research, who played a pivotal role in shaping the mission and terms of reference for Deep South. “We shouldn’t underestimate the work involved but we believe that by combining our collective strength and expertise and directing it into world-class research projects we have the ability to address one of the world’s most important issues.”

Partners in the challenge are NIWA, Antarctica New Zealand, GNS Science, Landcare Research, New Zealand Antarctic Research Institute, University of Otago and Victoria University of Wellington.

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Beijing ‘welcomes interested nations joining the AIIB’

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MIL OSI – Source: China State Council Information Office – Beijing ‘welcomes interested nations joining the AIIB’

China has an open and inclusive attitude in building and operating the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Monday.

“China welcomes interested countries joining the bank,” Hong Lei told a regular news conference.

He made the remarks when asked if China would be willing to cooperate with the United States on the AIIB. The US has been urging its allies not to join the bank.

The China-proposed AIIB, with an expected initial subscribed capital of $50 billion, will be an international financial institution funding infrastructure projects in Asia. It is expected to be set up by the end of this year, according to Jin Liqun, secretary-general of the bank’s interim multilateral secretariat.

Although many countries have applied to join the bank, some traditional allies of the US, such as Japan and South Korea, are hesitating.

However, The Wall Street Journal on Sunday quoted Nathan Sheets, the US treasury undersecretary for international affairs, as saying that the Obama administration is proposing a formal partnership between the bank and Western development institutions like the World Bank.

“The US would welcome new multilateral institutions that strengthen the international financial architecture,” Sheets was quoted as saying.

He added that co-financing projects with institutions such as the World Bank or the Asian Development Bank would help to ensure that the AIIB complements rather than competes with existing institutions.

Hong said the shift in tone by the US shows the new bank’s mission to fund infrastructure projects in Asia has gained wide recognition.

To date, the bank has 27 prospective founding members. Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and Switzerland have recently applied to join as founders.

Jin expects the number of prospective founding members to reach 35 by the end of this month, the deadline for applications.

On Monday, Premier Li Keqiang said during a meeting with Takehiko Nakao, president of the Asian Development Bank, that Beijing’s proposal to set up the AIIB is aimed at helping regional interconnectivity and to provide an economic boost.

The new institution will complement existing development banks with an open attitude to achieve a win-win situation, Li said.

Dominic Barton, managing director of multinational management consulting company McKinsey & Co, who was also attending the China Development Forum, said the idea of having another multilateral organization like the AIIB is good as long as it is multilateral.

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North China province targets gangs in corruption fight

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MIL OSI – Source: China State Council Information Office – North China province targets gangs in corruption fight

North China’s Shanxi Province has busted 26 criminal gangs and arrested 155 suspects since the start of this year in a campaign against gang crime and corrupt officials.
The Shanxi public security department said Monday that the crackdown will continue to purifying the province’s political environment.
Wang Jianming, secretary of the political and legal affairs commission of the provincial Party committee, said he is determined to close the “protective umbrella” over such gangs and clean up the government.
The province is famous for unchecked collaboration between corrupt officials and gang leaders.
Since last year, many high-ranking officials in Shanxi have been brought down by the anti-corruption drive, including Jin Daoming, former vice Party secretary of the province.
According to Shanxi public security department, the province busted 137 mafia-style and criminal gangs last year, arresting of 973 suspects.

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Universities of Waikato, California to deepen ties

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MIL OSI – Source: University of Waikato – Universities of Waikato, California to deepen ties

The chair of UC Regents, the board that governs the University of California, is to sign an agreement with the University of Waikato to widen collaboration between the two.

The University of California has 10 campuses, 235,000 students, 190,000 staff and contributes $46 billion to the Californian economy. Bruce Varner, the Chair of UC’s Board of Regents, is visiting the University of Waikato at the end of March to deepen existing ties between the two organisations.

Close ties between University of California and University of Waikato

UC and the University of Waikato have had a long-standing arrangement for the exchange of students, and some academics from the two organisations already work together. This is set to broaden into deeper research collaborations and sharing of knowledge in key common areas.

These interests include areas such as coastal marine and freshwater, environmental science, sport, indigenous studies, agribusiness, computer science, management and education. “We have top people at the University of California and they are always looking at ways to enhance what they are doing,” Mr Varner says. Research into efficiencies in the growing of crops is one example of areas in which two organisations could work together, he says.

Research strengths aligned with University of California

Mr Varner is excited about the potential for University of California academics to work more formally with the University of Waikato in the coming years; he envisages an accord that evolve naturally over time.

“All universities are about creating knowledge and disseminating knowledge, and I have been reading of some impressive research at Waikato,” he says. “Size doesn’t matter – I see plenty of natural affiliations between our two organisations.”

University of Waikato Vice-Chancellor Professor Neil Quigley says while Waikato may run a much smaller model of university, it has built a reputation in its first 50 years of tackling some of the world’s big problems of today and tomorrow. Many of its research strengths are strongly aligned with the University of California’s, he says.

“We are already altering thinking and outcomes with some of the research being done at Waikato. Closer ties with the University of California will enable our reach and our influence to be felt even further afield.”

Staff and students to benefit

Professor Quigley says several staff at the two universities are already engaged in joint research programmes and benefit from a good relationship. “This agreement will build on these successful collaborations.”

Students also already benefit from a formal exchange programme between the two organisations and Mr Varner is keen that more UC students take up the opportunity to spend some time studying at the University of Waikato.

“This is something I’m really passionate about. It’s important for students to have the opportunity to go to other universities and engage with other students. It broadens and really enhances their experience of university.”

Mr Varner is visiting New Zealand in late March and April as a guest of Tauranga developer Paul Adams CNZM who is also a University of Waikato Council member.

Mr Varner will hold discussions with the University of Waikato and sign a letter of intent around the closer ties.

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Migration and ISIL in Libya pose security threats for UK

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MIL OSI – Source: British Parliament News – Migration and ISIL in Libya pose security threats for UK

In February and March 2015, the Committee undertook a short inquiry following up its work earlier in the Parliament on British foreign policy and the ‘Arab Spring’. The Committee visited Egypt and Tunisia in February 2015, and took oral evidence from Tobias Ellwood MP, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Minister with responsibility for the Middle East and North Africa region, on 3 March 2015. On the basis of the visit and the oral evidence session with the Minister, the Committee wrote to the Foreign Secretary setting out its observations, including matters for the attention of the Committee’s successors in the next Parliament. Today it is publishing that letter as an Annex to its Twelfth Report.

Chairman of the Committee, Sir Richard Ottaway, says,

“The General Election is almost upon us and Parliament is just about to dissolve. So we have swiftly published this list of findings for the FCO to consider in their approach to the Arab and North African Region. This also acts as a memorandum for the Foreign Affairs Committee to work on when it is reconstituted after the election.”

Egypt

The Committee welcomed the fact that the UK had weathered the volatile political changes in Egypt and had emerged with a strong bilateral relationship, based on common interests in trade and security. However, the Committee also stressed the need to press the issue of Human Rights with the Egyptian authorities and said it is vital that Ministers raise human rights issues during trade delegations.

Tunisia

The Committee again found a strong bilateral relationship and an optimistic outlook among its interlocutors. It welcomed increased FCO resources in Tunisia and suggested that a ministerial visit be made a priority of the next government. While recognising that security in Tunisia was relatively good, it expressed concern about the reported numbers of Tunisians fighting in Iraq and Syria and asked the FCO to carefully monitor any threat from returning fighters to the British tourist presence in Tunisia.

Libya

Unlike 2012, the Committee was unable to visit Libya, but it held talks with the FCO’s Libya team in Tunisia, and other ambassadors to Libya. It observed that the international community has a special responsibility to help Libya repair itself and welcomed the UN-organised talks. It expressed serious concern that chaos in Libya has allowed ISIL to establish itself there, as well as allowing large migration flows through and from Libya to Europe, both of which are a potential security threat.

The FCO’s Arab Partnership

The Committee has again stressed the importance of FCO analysis and expertise on the Middle East and North Africa, which had deteriorated in the FCO prior to 2011. The Minister has assured the Committee that that there has been an improvement in this area, that language skills have been upgraded and that experienced Ambassadors are returning to the region with established networks later in their careers, indicating that the FCO is cultivating a depth of experience in the region. The Committee hopes that its successors, after reforming post-election, will continue to monitor the net increase or decrease to the FCO’s spending in the region.

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Edible gardens in New Zealand schools providing food for thought – Otago University

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MIL OSI – Source: University of Otago – Edible gardens in New Zealand schools providing food for thought Edible gardens are taking off in New Zealand primary and secondary schools, presenting important new opportunities to promote fruit and vegetable consumption, new University of Otago research has found.

Researchers at the University’s Cancer Society Social and Behavioural Research Unit have highlighted the innovation shown by New Zealand teachers in using their school garden as a teaching resource. Among 491 schools responding to a survey, more than half (52.9%) currently had an edible garden, with most having been started in the previous two years.

From learning about microorganisms to cooking soup, building bean frames to writing poetry, gardens were used across the curriculum as a ‘hands-on’ way of enhancing student learning.

Study co-author Carly Collins says, “Those involved in the edible gardening projects were obviously very passionate about sharing them with us – when our surveys were returned to us we also received a variety of photos, school newsletters, DVDs and posters highlighting their hard work.”

As well as being used to teach specific curriculum areas, edible gardens were also seen to resonate with schools’ values, such as sustainability, partnership between school and home, work ethic, community service, practical skills, pride and respect.

“The challenge now is to ensure that schools are supported in order to maintain long-term success and sustainability of the gardens,” says Mrs Collins.

“Many of the schools commented that sourcing funding was a barrier to continuing the garden, with several staff members reporting that they pay for plants and equipment themselves.”

The findings appear in in the Health Promotion Journal of Australia.

For more information, contact:

Mrs Carly Collins
Tel 03 479 7582
Email Carly.collins@otago.ac.nz

About the CS SBRU

At the Cancer Society Social and Behavioural Research Unit (SBRU), we have received core funding from the Cancer Society of New Zealand and University of Otago since 1990. One of our priority research areas is support for health physical activity and nutrition as a means to reduce cancer risk. This study was conducted as part of this programme of research as there is evidence the patterns of good nutrition and physical activity established in early life can be beneficial into adulthood. School gardens are a means of connecting children and adolescents with the process of growing fruit and vegetables and, in some schools, also to have the opportunity to cook and share this produce with friends and family.

A list of Otago experts available for media comment is available elsewhere on this website.

Electronic addresses (including email accounts, instant messaging services, or telephone accounts) published on this page are for the sole purpose of contact with the individuals concerned, in their capacity as officers, employees or students of the University of Otago, or their respective organisation. Publication of any such electronic address is not to be taken as consent to receive unsolicited commercial electronic messages by the address holder.

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