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