Letter No.26
16 October, 1995

25 September 1995

United New Zealand announce their Caring for Kids policies which include free milk and apples in schools for children who need dietary assistance.

Household products giant Reckitt and Coleman is to close its Avondale factory with the loss of 107 jobs.

Helen Walch is to resign as director of Wellington's Downtown Community Ministry, and will take up a post with the Personal Advocacy Trust, which provides support for people with intellectual disabilities.

26 September 1995

The CTU has declared its support for Maori sovereignty and the development of a Maori economy. Ken Douglas says that Maori and Pacific Island groups deserved greater support from unions because, together with rural workers, they were among a new `worker underclass'.

Maori activist Mike Smith says that up to 5000 people will be using the CHOGM Commonwealth heads of government meeting to protest over Maori sovereignty.

27 September 1995

Mercury Energy will close its Otara depot, with redundancy notices issued to 50 staff.

The Auckland City Mission launches its first major advertising campaign as `competition for the fundraising dollar increases'.

28 September 1995

The government is coming under pressure by Labour and the Alliance to intervene about increases in banking fees that will effect low-income customers. From next month, over-the-counter withdrawals from Postbank's Connect accounts will cost $3 each. Fee waivers for high-balance customers are widespread in NZ.

29 September 1995

The government could have as much as $2.7 billion available to splash out on tax cuts and extra spending next year.

Vision Wallcovering of Papatoetoe announces the loss of 55 jobs, after a merger with Ashley wallpapers.

Thames could see a boost in hundreds of jobs as Toyota decides to shift production of commercial vehicles there from Christchurch next year. The company will use its Christchurch plant for refurbishing used imports, or for manufacturing componentary, and says that no jobs will be lost in Christchurch.

30 September 1995

Quarterly GDP figures for the NZ economy are much lower than expected and confirm that the economy is slowing faster than expected.

The Social Welfare Department's annual report shows that spending on benefits has increased by $13m in the past year, despite a drop in the number of beneficiaries. While the numbers of unemployed and superannuitants has fallen, the increase comes from more people going on the domestic purposes, sickness and invalids benefits. (See graph this issue)

The visiting international secretary-general of the WEA, Dan Gallin, says that reduced government funding to WEA in NZ was vindictive: "It is what you would expect from right-wing extremists..."

The head of policing for the CHOGM leaders meeting in Auckland takes a public swipe at comments by the judge who freed veteran protester Sue Bradford.

1 October 1995

Bill Birch announces details of his proposed tax cuts, and a `hand-up' package which will focus on getting beneficiaries into jobs.

2 October 1995

The OECD says that the average rate of growth by member countries is expected to slow down from 3% in 1994 to about 2.25% in 1995.

Health Waikato is calling for tenders to take over support services in moves which could cause hundreds of existing staff to lose their jobs to private contractors.

4 October 1995

Sue Bradford plans a training day for activists from all over NZ preparing for `non-violent direct action' at next month's CHOGM meeting.

5 October 1995

Almost one in three young black American men is serving a criminal sentence: either prison, probation or parole, according to the US advocacy group the Sentencing Project.

7 October 1995

Reserve Bank governor Don Brash says that the NZ economy could maintain growth of about 3.5% per year.

10 October 1995

Minister of Communications Maurice Williamson resurrects the idea of introducing computer-chip `smart' cards for access to health and welfare services.

11 October 1995

The Fishing Industry Guild says that advertisements for hundreds of crew members for foreign deep-sea fishing vessels were a farce, and says they are part of a campaign to prove NZ'ers could not fill the positions by imposing strict qualification requirements. The advertisements were placed under Immigration Service guidelines for employing foreign crews in NZ waters.

Jim Bolger says government is not proposing to introduce `smart' cards for welfare services, citing security and privacy concerns.

12 October 1995

Polytech fees around NZ for next year are going up an average of 15%

Next month's CHOGM meeting is estimated to cost taxpayers $12 million. More than a quarter of NZ's police force will be on security duties in Auckland and Queenstown.