Column - Gordon Campbell Gordon Campbell on Peter Dunne’s review of child supportIn his comments this morning about his planned review of the child support legislation, Revenue Minister Peter Dunne is showing every sign of just tinkering with the scheme - rather than engaging with the regular complaints about the rigid legal formula that sets the level of child support payments. Dunne is promising to take two new factors into consideration. Firstly, he says he wants to foster shared... more>

Does NZ Stand For Anything Other Than Rugby? - Ecotourism Conference Challenged.   World renowned environmentalist Robert Swan, speaking today at the first day of the Ecotourism NZ Conference in Rotorua, has challenged NZ to stand for more than rugby. “In my generation, growing up in England, we knew New Zealand for standing up to the US on the nuclear issue. You educated and inspired the whole world. What does New Zealand stand for today aside from rugby? Nothing – and... more>

DISPUTE: Westin Hotel workers, organised by the Unite Union, have vowed to fight for every job, as the news hit them that there are to be over 100 redundancies follwing a dispute between owners KordaMentha and Nigel McKenna's Melview, and will put the hotel under picket line today.  "These workers are asked to pay the price for a dispute between two wealthy and powerful groups. Many of these oversea investors have never even visited this hotel, yet its Auckland's workers who must pay... more>

Article - Businesswire NZ dollar climbs over 71 US cts as Fonterra milk prices surge; US data improvesBy Paul McBethSept. 2 (BusinessDesk) – The New Zealand dollar climbed back over 71 U.S. cents as milk prices jumped unexpectedly on Fonterra’s online auction, while global sentiment took a boost from upbeat American data. Whole milk powder prices surged 19% on Fonterra’s globalDairyTrade as the Russian drought raised fears about the security of future dairy supply. That carried on the... more>

CLIMATE: The report of the Inter-Academy Council (IAC) raises serious questions as to whether the IPCC model of ‘doing science’ has a worthwhile future. And it has almost certainly curtailed the future of the Panel’s chairman, Mr Rajendra Pachauri, according to the chairman of the New Zealand Climate Science Coalition, Hon Barry Brill. “Amidst growing doubts that government organisations can be relied upon to put the public interest ahead of their own political agendas,... more>

New Zealand Government Minister Announces Reserve Dispute Resolution SchemeMinister of Consumer Affairs John Boscawen today announced that Financial Dispute Resolution, and the Banking Ombudsman Scheme, have been formally approved as financial service dispute resolution schemes under the Financial Service Providers (Registration and Dispute Resolution) Act."The Banking Ombudsman Scheme has operated for 18 years with professionalism and integrity.  It has played a significant role in... more>

Maxim Institute 2 SEPTEMBER 2010Education Expert Argues For A Paradigm Shift In How We Think About Educating The Poor“Some of the poorest people on Earth are not waiting for their governments or aid agencies to provide them with an education. They’re doing it for themselves – successfully and in vast numbers. It’s most definitely ‘community self-help,’” says visiting professor of education policy, James Tooley.Professor Tooley has spent the past decade conducting research into, and... more>

Halberg Trust Media Release Sir Murray Halberg’s Golden Olympic Triumph 50 Years Ago to be Feature of 2010 Westpac Celebrity Sporting Functions Auckland, 01 September 2010: Fifty years after being part of New Zealand Olympic history, Sir Murray Halberg will re-live his fantastic 5000m winning performance from the 1960 Rome Olympics at this year’s Westpac Halberg Celebrity Sporting Functions. Sharing the stage with the Halberg Trust Founder at the five functions,... more>

Article - Businesswire Fonterra milk prices jump 19% amid nervousness over future supply by Paul McBeth Sept. 2 (BusinessDesk) – The price of whole milk powder jumped by almost a fifth in Fonterra Cooperative Group’s online auction as the Russian drought raises concerns about buyers’ ability to secure milk in the future. The average price for whole milk powder climbed 19% to US$3,522 a tonne, according to the globalDairyTrade website managed by CRI International.Rising grain... more>

ADVICE: As summer in the northern hemisphere is coming to an end, this time of year traditionally heralds the start of the annual migration of kiwis as they fly home in time for Christmas upon completion of their OE. For those New Zealanders whose two-year ‘tour of duty’ includes some freshly-minted overseas work experience on their CV, the thought of returning to ‘little old New Zealand’ may induce mild anxiety as they consider how they will slot back into the job... more>