ENZA – Electricity Prices – Murder – ANZ Job Ads – UK Tories – Northern Ireland – Underage Drinking – All Black Jerseys – Leased Executives

ENZA: Pipfruit growers are calling for the Government to intervene in their dispute with ENZA. ENZA will meet the Apple and Pear Board and Crown Law lawyers today.

ELECTRICITY PRICES: Wholesale Electricity Prices have leapt to over 20 cents a Kwh from a combination of cold temperatures and low lake in-flows. Prices had fallen to 14 cents at the end of last month.

MURDER: Police are trying to work out what happened to a man who was dumped dead in a hydro lake near Lake Taupo. Police still haven’t identified the man.

ANZ JOB ADS: Advertised job vacancies are at an all time high in the latest ANZ Bank job ads survey. Economists are viewing the figures with caution however.

UK TORIES: The British Conservative Party’s finance spokesman Michael Portillo appears to be the front-runner in the first round of voting for a new leader.

NORTHERN IRELAND: The Northern Ireland peace process is once again in crisis. The Unionist Ulster Freedom Fighters have said they can no longer remain silent about the impasse. They have withdrawn from negotiations.

UNDERAGE DRINKING: Several groups say that underage drinking ID checks are not being made of teenagers. They are seeking greater resources for enforcement. In one survey less than one third of outlets checked for ID.

ALL BLACK JERSEYS: The NZ Rugby Union says its failure to stop the clothing manufacturer Canterbury from selling Invincibles All Black jerseys is not the end of the matter and more legal action will follow.

LEASED EXECUTIVES: The ACT Party is questioning whether the government is getting value for money from leased executives working in the public service, some of whom are earning more than the Prime Minister.

© Scoop Media

Alastair Thompson

Scoop Publisher

Alastair Thompson is the co-founder of Scoop. He is of Scottish and Irish extraction and from Wellington, New Zealand. Alastair has 24 years experience in the media, at the Dominion, National Business Review, North & South magazine, Straight Furrow newspaper and online since 1997. He is the winner of several journalism awards for business and investigative work.

CONTACT ALASTAIR THOMPSON

• Mobile - 021707044
• Twitter - @althecat
• Google+

• Linkedin
• Facebook
• Email - alastair@scoop.co.nz