The Independent, Thurs, 27 April

ERB – Lion Nathan – Singapore Airlines – ANZAC Dollar – Parental Leave – State Housing – Auckland Uni – Turoa – Tax Avoidance

ERB - Government stage-managing submissions on Employment Relations Bill so that supporters appear during media-friendly times while employers and business submissions are scheduled in evening sittings. Hearings begin this morning, with Council of Trade Unions, which helped draft the bill.

LION NATHAN - Lion Nathan pours cold water on speculation that it will move head office to Sydney. No decision yet.

SINGAPORE AIRLINES - Brierley Investments and Singapore Airlines decided to act quickly to consummate the sale of BIL's 16.7 per cent of Air NZ "B" shares to SIA after speculation over Easter weekend that BIL would lobby Government for sale of "A" shares to Qantas. Those reports described by BIL and Air NZ chairman Selwyn Cushing as "total rubbish". - full story in Chalkie column.

ANZAC DOLLAR - Business strongly supports currency union with Australia, Institute of Policy Studies study for Australia-New Zealand Business Council finds.

PARENTAL LEAVE - Alliance's paid parental leave policy will cost employers $100 million and kill 1000 jobs, according to calculations for Labour Minister Margaret Wilson by the Labour Department.

STATE HOUSING- Changes to Housing NZ's statement of corporate intent to allow return to income-related rents will require the approval of bondholders who control $1.3 billion of the SOE's debt.

AUCKLAND UNI - Auckland University may find itself linked to News Corporation through its involvement in the Universitas 21 e-university scheme linking a global network of 18 universities. Major developments expected during U21 meeting in Shanghai this week.

TUROA - Turoa skifield moves closer to sale.

TAX AVOIDANCE - Government Actuary admits he may be unable to come up with adequate definitions for superannuation schemes, meaning that the Government may have to legislate to stop tax avoidance by high income individuals using super schemes as cash boxes to avoid the new 39 cent top personal tax rate.

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