By: Larry Williams | Wednesday, May 09, 2012 6:33 PM

Urewera Four

The "Urewera Four'' will not be re-tried on a charge of belonging to an organised criminal group.

I think this was pretty much expected. The adverse publicity got to them I think. The media sided with the accused, played them as if they were heroes. There was bad press, and of course the initial raids were overdone.

The court decision to prevent the surveillance tapes being used as evidence sunk the Crown’s case.

Still don't know what they were doing decked out in military style gear with guns and Molotov cocktails running around the place.

 

Birth Control

The irrational reaction to the free contraceptive policy for beneficiaries was to be expected.

The net effect of their argument is they are happy for the taxpayer to fund women into a lifestyle of dependence. To trap them into intergenerational welfare.

The Government's own coalition partner, the Maori Party, are also on the loony tunes’ side of the debate. The Maori Party thinks it’s insulting to tell somebody how many children they should have. Oh for God’s sake, the policy doesn't dictate that.

The outrage displayed by these loops is sadly indicative of a mentality that is killing our nation.

Anti business, anti wealth, anti mining, anti selling anything, anti foreign investment, anti this, anti that. They whinge about the gap between NZ and Australia, but reality is the gap will only get wider. The anti's will see to that.

 

Kiwi

The Kiwi dollar has dumped to a four month low and may go even further.

The Kiwi is around 78.75 against the US dollar. Currency strategists suggest that the Kiwi could drop to 75 in the next few weeks.

This is great news for exporters who have been battling against the high dollar for some time. The downside is that imports, stuff like oil will cost more.

Europe is very much on the verge of imploding and that is causing all of this. Greece will surely be the first to go. It’s just a matter of time.

 

Alcohol Bill

It very much looks like the split age for consuming and buying alcohol will get defeated.

A Herald poll of MPs found that keeping the status quo of a purchase age of 18 was the favoured option.

This is a conscience vote, but predictably the Greens all think the same. Of course they want the status quo. They can see where their votes are coming from.

It’s a bit like wanting young women to breed so the taxpayer can pick up the tab.

 

Pat Lam

The Blues coaching job is being advertised. This comes off the back of a horror season on course.

Pat Lam will go and that's a shame because it’s the players who have let him down.

In most professional sport the coach would have gone about now, but with rugby it’s a kind of bitsy professionalism where the NZRU are in up to their eyeballs.

You'd expect if there is to be a clean out, then that would be across the board.

 

Overseas

Missing British girl Madeleine McCann's image has been used to promote low cost holidays in Portugal in an online advertisement.

Some website was using the photo to promote holiday deals to Portugal.

It’s vile of course, and likely to put people off going to Portugal if anything.

 

John Travolta is being sued by a male masseur for sexual harassment in a hotel room.

Travolta denies the charge saying he wasn't even in Los Angeles at the time.

The masseur now claims he's got the evidence.

Now another masseur has popped up, represented by the same lawyer and he says he was sexually harassed.

They both want $2m.

Travolta looks to be in a spot of bother right now.

Photo: NZ Herald