The National Business Review - September 3

Ansett Strike - Opinion Poll (National Tumbles) - Vector Vs Transpower - Analysis & Comment

ANSETT STRIKE RATTLES QANTAS
The failure of Ansett New Zealand's management to accept staff cuts and resolve the industrial disputes that have delayed thousands of travellers might also have lost the airline a potential buyer. Qantas has been interested in buying the domestic airline from News Corporation for the past two years and was believed to be on the verge of a deal about six weeks ago.

OPINION POLL: NATIONAL TUMBLES
National is staring down the barrel of a thumping defeat if the latest National Business Review-Compaq poll, taken August 26-30, is anything to go by. It gives the government just 28% of the vote share - the same rock-bottom figure that sealed former leader Jim Bolger's fate in 1997. If that performance were replicated in the November's general election, National would end up with about 37 seats in the 120-member House. Labour, on 40%, would have around 52 seats.

VECTOR LOSES TRANSPOWER CASE
Auckland power lines company Vector lost its Court of Appeal case against national grid operator Transpower in a ruling that could be significant for competition law. The case has ruled out any question of the courts stepping in to fix prices in cases where monopoly providers and customers are scrapping over network costs. Vector was suing Transpower over the price it charges to use its network, raising well-trodden issues over how monopoly providers calculate pricing.

ANALYSIS & COMMENT
Union spectre haunts Labour: Rodney Hide declares employment law policies put heat on the opposition
Employees' right protection upheld: Meat Union secretary Graham Cooke argues Court of Appeal decision is not a defeat for unions,
Minority of councils outpace inflation: Local government New Zealand president Louise Rosson puts rates rises in perspective
East Timor vote exposes breakup threat: Stuart McMillan backgrounds separatist pressures in Indonesia
Customers come first in knowledge economy: Jake Pearce emphasises role of marketing
E-commerce heralds trading revolution: Mark Jeffries and Mark Cox reveal latest developments in business of the future
IRD puts kibosh on knowledge economy: Mike Stanley and Michael Craig urge certainty in tax rulings for business
Kiwi dollar heads for limbo: Neville Bennett explains why the currency is likely to stay down
MP3 promises rescue from cultural imperialism: Gareth Morgan embraces the internet as source of entertainment
National's act too little and too late: Jeff Gamlin fears the government's performance is too like the All Blacks

For further information: Nevil Gibson, Editor-in-Chief Ph 0-9-307 1629 or email editor@nbr.co.nz

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