Qantas NZ – Colmar Brunton/TV3 Poll – GDP Figures – Consumer Confidence (poll) – Deserting Major – Policeman Crushed –
Lord Of The Rings – Wanganui Murder – Big Rain
QANTAS NZ: A New Airline is likely to fly into NZ with a familiar logo. Qantas NZ – formerly Ansett NZ - is going to be
hopping between NZ cities. The first Qantas franchise in the world. NZers will be running the new airline. Qantas NZ
will belong to One World Alliance and to the Qantas frequent flyer programme. Today Air New Zealand advertised the fact
it has taken over Ansett. Air NZ says it is business as usual and is not worried about the development.
Colmar Brunton TV3 Poll
Helen Clark’s efforts at influencing people are not working latest poll shows.
Labour down 7 46%
National up 6 34%
Green 5%
Alliance 4%
Act 4%
NZ First 2%
Translated into seats the Greens could now keep Labour in power on their own.
Preferred PM
Helen Clark 35% down 7
Jenny Shipley 17% up 3
Questions On PM’s Performance
Capable leader 77% down 8
Down to earth 78% down 6
Understands economics 58% down 13
Losing touch 29% up
The Poll was taken during the Dover Samuel debacle. Helen Clark says this – Dover - will not affect her government
however. “I do not think this is the sort of issue that NZers will judge a government on,” she says.
Budget Rating:
Overall rated 5.5 out of 10
National voters 4.3 out of 10
Labour 6.6 out of 10
Jane Young Comments: I do not think the PM is right about Dover Samuels. The public will be watching very closely how
this is handled.
GDP FIGURES: A slow year for Tait electronics is expected to end soon. According to the Statistics everything is looking
rosy. Business Investment is up – Exports are up – GDP is up 0.8%. Finance Minister Dr Cullen says it is important that
NZers do not talk themselves out of growth.
CONSUMER CONFIDENCE: Meanwhile the Colmar Brunton Poll shows the number of people expecting the economy to get worse is
up 21% and those expecting it to get better are down 21%.
DESERTING MAJOR: Army Major Van der Ent at the centre of a desertion row has returned home, but has to work at Trentham
still, after a hearing in the High Court. Army lawyers agreed at the High Court that there were bill of rights issues
involved. The Army maintained he had to be arrested because he had broken conditions of his release. The Major’s new job
at Telecom is on hold in the meantime.
POLICEMAN CRUSHED: A policeman has been crushed in an accident involving a truck.
LORD OF THE RINGS: A man has appeared in court in Wellington charged with stealing “rushes” of film from the Lord of The
Rings movie.
WANGANUI MURDER: A pair have been charged in Wanganui with the murder of a man in his 40s.
BIG RAIN: Huge rains have been falling over the weekend on the West Coast. All lakes in Central Otago are full to
overflowing. In Central Otago people are nervous that there will be another flood. The Clutha is running at three times
its usual winter level. Queenstown skifields have lost 50cms of snow in warm Nor-Westers.