Whangarei Council Sends A Message

The Whangarei District Council has voted against supporting a  one council proposal for the whole of Northland. I agree with them on this one because the area is long and narrow, has urban areas situated far apart and culturally more distinct than a typical city.

A Drop In The Bucket

In New Zealand, MPs get generous cost of living rises, but not so the working poor it seems.

Home Alone Billy

Billy has been left behind to guard the farm, while his boss and Sharlene are away at the Northland Field Days - that are taking place near Dargaville, in Northland, from  the 27th of Feb.  to  the 1st of March. In the meantime, Billy is hopeful that Sharlene'e Mum will be popping over to ensure that he is well provisioned with extra treats not normally on the menu.

Cola Role Models

The New Zealand Rugby Union must be nuts if they take on Coca-Cola as an All Black sponsor. Don't they know about the negative reputation that company has with those trying to stem the rising tide of tooth decay and diabetes in New Zealand? Crazy!!

Litigation Conversations

Two minor parties contesting the election in New Zealand this year have already started scrapping.  Colin Craig, as the NZ Conservative Party Leader, is threatening take Russell Norman, the Green Party's co-leader, to court over comments Norman made about Craig's attitude toward women and homosexuals at "The Big Gay Out". Craig is demanding that Norman offer a retraction or risk being sued.

Russell Norman is not backing down and so the ball is now in Colin Craig's court now for him to decide if he wants a lawyer as doubles partner to take on the Greens. Colin Craig has already got retractions from a satirist and others in the past, but this time he is taking on a feisty and canny politician and the litigation in my opinion will backfire on him if he goes ahead. The publicity will highlight even more the personal and historical prejudices of Colin Craig, that today look dated and out of sync with our modern liberal society. If he sues, he will be the one to be damned.

More Ugly Aussies

According to New Zealand Labour MP Shane Jones, an Aussie owned supermarket is at it again, this time giving Kiwi suppliers a hard time in their own country. On this occasion, he claims they are demanding suppliers pay cash for low and loss making lines in their NZ shops - and if they refuse, then Countdown supermarkets will not stock their products.

The Commerce Commission has agreed to look into it, but I would be surprised if the accusations did not have some truth in them. Supermarkets generally are said to be using their market dominance to squeeze suppliers to the brink of bankruptcy on both sides of the Tasman. Thank God for the Farmers Markets that are popping up all over the country. Food processors however, have yet to do the same - now there is a new business opportunity idea worth having a crack at.

Borderline Aussie Rules

New Zealand Prime Minister, John Key, has been having meetings with our Australian cuzzy's Prime Minister, Tony Abbot. Momentous matters discussed that featured in the headlines were - Australian supermarkets taking NZ stock off their shelves to support local producers and Kiwis living in Australia who pay taxes but get almost none of the government assistance Aussie citizens do.

John Key appeared to score a small victory for students who have long term resident Kiwi parents in Australia - they will now get the same benefits other Australian students have. I believe this was a remnant of a policy of the previous Australian Government led by Julia Gillard, but I did hear Key mention that.