Friday, 2 March 2007

House construction costs skyrocket - house prices spiral

Carter Holt Harvey, one of the countries two biggest timber producers, are to hike timber prices by around 15%-20% to the Carters, ITM and Fletchers owned Placemakers outlets according to industry insiders. This rise will fuel an already overheated housing market and could see existing property prices rise by as much as 5%. Price rises are to be announced by CHH in the next two weeks.

Carter Holt Harvey, after purchasing the ITM builders supplies chain recently have effectively doubled their market share to 40%. CHH also supply 50% of their timber to Placemakers, giving CHH a very large footprint in the New Zealand market place. Any price increase by CHH is likely to be mirrored by Fletchers seeing flow on house price inflation hit an already overheated and increasingly toppy market.

Thursday, 1 March 2007

Labour legitimise Harawira' political platform

Recent events in the Coromandel at Whenuakite have given a much needed fillip to the Maori party and no doubt their ratings. Landcorp, after having their offer to surrender the 1100 hectare farm to the State for treaty settlements declined, put the block up for sale to the highest bidder.

An enterprising group of local Iwi have occupied the farm causing a huge political embarrassment to the Government. Mallard and Clark have been backpedaling furiously to make this go away. So much so there has been another set of press releases heralding Helen's much publicised meeting with 'Jethro' George Bush. Rather testily Helen quickly pointed out to an interviewer that her meeting with George was not to be as short as 20 minutes but upwards of an hour, well, imagine the chit chat.

Both Mallard and Clark have gone out of their way to note that 'due process' must be followed in matters treaty implying that these pesky Maori party people are encouraging the peasants to revolt. Come on, if due process had been followed by the Labour Government the land would be sitting on the table for treaty settlements by now.

Big Trev, as we like to call him after his appointment as Rugby World Cup Minister, dredges further towards the bottom of the barrel with his musings on LabourFM that 'we need a new set of policies for the new millennium' or some such tosh. Trev, the new millennium dawned 8 years ago mate (but lets not split hairs over 1999 v 2000).

Labour has single handedly given the Maori party and Hone Harawiri a call to arms. Watch this space.

And Hone, good on ya mate, I don't give a stuff what Helen and Trev reckon either.

Human ass fat drives sustainability

Labour party sustainability wonks will be salivating (or should that be gagging?) over their soy lattes by news that Earthracer, the New Zealand sustainability awareness raising boat journey around the globe, is powered by liposuctioned ass fat.

Go Earthracer!

This is surely a sign to the faithful that, in order for the new dawn of sustainability in New Zealand to shine over the rising underclass, legislation is needed immediately to allow starving plastic surgeons to perform emergency mandatory liposuction on fat kids and obese lard ass parents across the nation.

Perhaps the Government should have helped Earthracer with its fund raising a year or so ago when various government bods (Tourism NZ and Jim Anderton) did their best to distance themselves and New Zealand from Earthracers bloody exciting and leading edge expedition. I suppose the photo opps weren't as good as poncing around the Antarctic or grandstanding on carbon credit trading.

Go Labour, get Tourism NZ to sponsor the guy.

Wednesday, 28 February 2007

Middle age men in lycra gather at Aotea square

Eeeeew yukky!

I was walking through Aotea square this morning only to be met by the sight of 50 or so nerdy, part time sandal wearers otherwise known as moving road hazards or cyclists. Apparently Auckland City in its wisdom has given them some cash so they could offend peoples sensibilities early in the morning by wearing inappropriate, tight fitting slightly indecent clothing in public AND put on free breakfast and freakshow. Wheres my goddamn free breakfast?

While walking past making faces at the more feral looking beasties I spied an elder (easy to recognise, they are the ones with full length wheel guards none of these flash harry short guards for them) rush on by, cutting off a grey haired lady and failing to indicate to a car which way they were going.

Conclusion: Innercitius beardycyclus are a bunch of (endangered) tossers who shouldn't be fed and encouraged with public handouts.

Friday, 23 February 2007

Ginga scares man

No shit love. Theres nothing more to add about this Womans Day 19 Feb front page item.

Monday, 19 February 2007

Scutteley butteley

Well well well, the stories one overhears at certain viaduct harbour bars after work.

Guess which Australasian financial services company is having a real struggle getting its IT projects to bear fruit. I wouldn't like to spill the beans and can only suggest your insurance bill increases may not only be related to major natural disasters overseas.

Another, Kiwi, firm whos share price has spiked may have some cost savings coming its way as the head Shark leaves the aquarium and is no longer able to indulge in fancy European marques on the company chit.