HARNESSING A HANDOUT
Media coverage of the way National trimmed the Maori Party's bill on gambling issues focussed on the distribution of pokie proceeds and problem gambling, but there's another important point. The bill had proposed excluding racing clubs from the charities that can receive a share of the proceeds of gambling. This provision has been quietly deleted, as the racing industry needs the grants to stay afloat. The select committee which made the changes cited a court decision which said racing clubs were non-profit organisations, providing facilities to community groups at low or no cost, and in this way were similar to other sports clubs. "We consider the removal of funding would have an adverse effect on communities and racing-related economic activity." It's a sad day when the once-proud racing industry has to rely on handouts of pokie money.
PENALTY CLAWS
Some lawyers are saying "I told you so", now the ANZ has become the first bank to face a class action over allegedly unfair penalties and fees. The lawyers say that while the NZ judiciary is a bit uncomfortable with class actions, they are not ruled out, and legal precedent has been reluctant to back up penalties in contracts unless there is a clear prior agreement on what happens when a contract is breached, and recompense must then be based on real losses. One top lawyer told the Insider the banks' best hope is that they get a judge with a strong aversion to class actions, or find a way to convince the court that the penalties were agreed with customers before being charged, and are fair and reasonable compensation.
CONSTITUTION? YAWN ...
Not many people would have noticed, but the Constitutional Advisory Panel has extended the deadline for submissions on its "constitution conversation" by another month, to July 31. This is apparently due to "growing interest". The problem is that the process has failed to gain any real profile. Few people, even among the political elite, let alone the masses, have taken much interest. Constitutions are usually born in the fire of revolution or nation-building, whereas this exercise is more about advancing the political interests or ideological beliefs of a few. If the panel does come up with some radical ideas, public interest will grow - at which point National will kill it off as it is not keen on election-year controversy over such esoteric matters as constitutional reform.
JOB-AID
The Ministry of Social Development is trying to put a price on motivation, seeking people to provide short-term confidence and motivational training to help those out of work in job-seeking. It is a case of the carrot and stick approach to welfare, with a bit of encouragement offered before benefits are cut off.
HOME $WEET HOME
Auckland's property market may be running hot, but it still has a way to go to catch up with Australia. The Melbourne Age reports that a six-bedroom mansion in leafy Toorak has changed hands for A$25 million ($29.8 million), a record for the city. Other reports put the price at a more modest A$21 million. Whichever it is, it might explain why Australian investors are flocking to buy Kiwi properties.
