REPLAY - FORESHORE ALL COASTLINES ARE NOT EQUAL

This is required reading for all those with an interest in the Foreshore and Seabed issues. We wrote about it some time ago and it generated quite a bit of interest. It is deserving of another airing.

THE NOT SO FRIENDLY FACE OF PRIVATELY OWNED FORESHORE

We did a bit of a tiki tour on Saturday to a place called Flatpoint in the Wairarapa It's a stark barren stretch of coast . Flatpoint is a collection of a hotch potch of both old style bachs and beach mansions. A smallish round house with uninterrupted views to the sea across the little 9 hole golf links is up for grabs - offers over $600k. A vineyard with an average home and 3 ha is up for grabs at a $1 million.
Its an area known for crayfish and paua in abundance.

But what makes Flatpoint interesting is that the foreshore - thats the beach , is privately owned and access is apparently jealously guarded as is a considerable stretch of the Wairarapa coast. In fact the discussion document on the Foreshore and Seabed Act makes special mention that these areas will not be part of any changes to the Foresohore and Seabed legislation.

There is essentially only one road into the area which stretches from Flatpoint to Glenburn. Sections with beach views are for sale and they have " exclusive access " to the beach to launch a boat " as part of the title. So sections do not own the access - they just appear to have " exclusive access" across the landowners land - in essence there is no Queens Chain.

It was not a welcoming place. Simply because the access to the beach is not allowed and everywhere there were " Private Property" Private access only signs. DOC had two access points and again it was made patently clear that part of that access was across private land. In one track it was made clear that the track did not provide access to the beach -essentially the very very long coastline is privately owned - lock stock and sifting sand.

Each Section sale includes the following:

• a right of way secured to title in favour of the purchaser to enable permanent private access to boat launching to the Lot owner and his immediate family and guests, up to ten persons at a passing.
• a 1/39th share in the community controlling body as required by Resource Consent Condition(Flat Point Beach Ltd). This body will be responsible for Environmental monitoring and transfer of solid waste to landfill. This body is also required to draw new owners attention to the Environmental Care Code and to make its records available to Council annually.
• a 1/39th share in Lots 40 & 41(plantation reserve) and Lots 43 & 44(pedestrian walkways).

However we found a track to the beach via a river bed and we toddled down to the ice water just to say that we had dipped our toe in the ocean.
It was an unsettling place simply because it does not feel like the rest of coastal New Zealand. It is not the way we want to see the rest of New Zealand's coast line managed. For some reason we cant quite fathom it actually made us profoundly sad.
We cant remember another place where we have essentially been locked out of a coastline.

We noticed that the access roads which interestingly are public to a point are obviously maintained by the taxpayer and we would be interested in seeing who paid for both the power and telephone lines as well.

We are keen to see the foreshore and seabed issue sorted out to everyones advantage - we dont really care if there is a title that denotes ownership. However that ownership should be required to ensure public access. We do not want to see more examples of Flatpoint anywhere ever.

THE NOT SO FRIENDLY FACE OF PRIVATELY OWNED FORESHORE

We did a bit of a tiki tour on Saturday to a place called Flatpoint in the Wairarapa It's a stark barren stretch of coast . Flatpoint is a collection of  a hotch potch of both old style bachs and beach mansions. A smallish round house with uninterrupted views to the sea across the little 9 hole golf links is up for grabs - offers over $600k.  A vineyard with an average home and 3 ha is up for grabs at a $1 million.
Its an area known for crayfish and paua in abundance.

But what makes Flatpoint interesting is that the foreshore  - thats the beach , is privately owned and access is apparently jealously guarded as is a considerable stretch of the Wairarapa coast. In fact the discussion document on the Foreshore and Seabed Act makes special mention that these areas will not be part of any changes to the Foresohore and Seabed legislation.

There is essentially only one road into the area which stretches from Flatpoint to Glenburn. Sections with beach views are for sale and they have " exclusive access " to the beach to launch a boat " as part of the title. So sections do not own the access - they just appear to have " exclusive access" across the landowners land - in essence there is no Queens Chain.

It was not a welcoming place. Simply because the access to the beach is not allowed  and everywhere there were " Private Property" Private access only signs.  DOC had two access points and again it was made patently clear that part of that access was across private land. In one track it was made clear that the track did not provide access to the beach -essentially the very very long coastline is privately owned  - lock stock and sifting sand.

Each Section sale includes the following:

• a right of way secured to title in favour of the purchaser to enable permanent private access to boat launching to the Lot owner and his immediate family and guests, up to ten persons at a passing.
• a 1/39th share in the community controlling body as required by Resource Consent Condition(Flat Point Beach Ltd). This body will be responsible for Environmental monitoring and transfer of solid waste to landfill. This body is also required to draw new owners attention to the Environmental Care Code and to make its records available to Council annually.
• a 1/39th share in Lots 40 & 41(plantation reserve) and Lots 43 & 44(pedestrian walkways).

However we found a track to the beach via a river bed and we toddled down to the ice water just to say that we had dipped our toe in the ocean.  
It was an unsettling place simply because it does not feel like the rest of coastal New Zealand. It is not the way we want to see the rest of New Zealand's coast line managed. For some reason we cant quite fathom it actually made us profoundly sad.
We cant remember another place where we have essentially been locked out of a coastline.

We noticed that the access roads  which interestingly are public to a point are obviously maintained by the taxpayer and we would be interested in seeing who paid for both the power and telephone lines as well.

We are keen to see the foreshore and seabed issue sorted out to everyones advantage - we dont really care if there is a title that denotes ownership. However that ownership should be required to ensure public access. We do not want to see more examples of Flatpoint anywhere ever.

EXCLUSIVE FOOTAGE OF ADY GIL RAMMING JAPANESE WHALING VESSEL - Exclusive

As we suspected - a suicide mission .

U Tube has taken the video down because it breaches community guidelines - weird as we have seen it reproduced a number of times already.

such as here which is odder as we are the only ones who had it. Go figure.

EXCLUSIVE - TRANSMISSION GULLY TO GET GO AHEAD FROM FROM JOYCE

We are expecting the Minister of Transport Steven Joyce to make an announcement tomorrow (Tuesday) that the Transmission Gully roading project is going to get the go ahead. Apparently Joyce let it be known that was what he was supporting at a Rotary meeting.

And try as we might we cant access Transit NZ site about the project - they must be updating the site.
We think its a great news for Wellington, jobs and better infrastructure.

SOLOMON THREATENS HIS OWN PEOPLE

We have had a few threatening emails over the Ngai Tahu controversy. We have had them before and they dont scare us much.

However we think that this email below, which has been sent to all runanga ( the local councils) by some in the Solomon family in Kaikoura, who are distressed at the ousting of Wally Stone, shows that Mark Solomon is not the man to lead Ngai Tahu.The Solomons are a proud, wonderful family but as I have said before, sometime the blood thins through the generations.

Anyway here is the letter that has been sent throughout the Ngai Tahu rohe ( area) which will give some insight into the threatening behaviour and perhaps the intellect of Mark Solomon.



Kia ora Ngai Tahu Whanui

It is with saddness that my sister Hariata Manawatu and I (Martin Solomon) find ourselves having to address the serious break down in communication between our Runanga Chair Thomas Kahu and kaiwhakahaere Mark Solomon who are both our nephews.

Mark's nomination to contest the position of kaiwhakahaere was supported by myself because my brother Wiremu Solomon who was then Upoko would not.

In the past we have had exceptional leadership in my father (Rangi Solomon) and brother (Wiremu Solomon) they were men of mana and humility. Through there labour we acquired land to build our marae, and an economic base through Whalewatch which is now a tourism icon.

The language used by our Kaikoura rununga representative, and Te Rununga o Ngai Tahu kaiwhakahaere in communicating with our runanga chairman, Thomas Kahu, and our executive, is not a reflection of these men of mana.

Below is an example of what I believe is the inappropriate language from Mark, an email that I and Hariata, have read as a result of concerns raised by rununga members and whanau.

"That's alright taina. You resist. Let's see what happens. You are an incompetent fool who rushed to defend stone befor engaging his brain. Look around fool how many in the whanau support him. Everyone I have spoken to despises him. you can Reap the dividend. Know this taina"

Mark

Taina, as expressed by the kaiwhakahaere above, has become to him a derogatory term implying a sense of being worthless to the person or people to whom he has directed it.

Tuakana is a role of responsibiity, it is about encouraging, empowering,supporting. It's about being inclusive not exclusive "taina are not mokai to tuakana".

The tone of this email is totally unacceptable. It falls well short of how we speak to each other as whanau, and if this is the leadership style supported and exercised by tront members, then we as a peopl are in serious trouble.
Our tront table has been divided for the last 3 years. The events of the past week are the last straw and I call for our representative on tront to resign. We believe it is time for change, and we will put forward a more appropriate delegate in the coming weeks.

Martin Solomon

We read this with sadness but no surprise.
There is also an iwi wide petition circulating calling for Solomon to step down.

Maori TV ratings will rise on Monday nite

He should korero te Maori, cos as a few commentators have pointed out - Winston has been not be very articulate of late.


“An exclusive and candid interview with Winston Peters will screen in Maori Television’s indigenous current affairs show NATIVE AFFAIRS on Monday September 15 at 8.00 PM. The 30-minute interview follows many weeks of controversy over allegations of large, unreported donations to his party, and his subsequent appearance in front of a Parliamentary select committee.”

DULL GREEN - exclusive

We were hoping for some really good candidates to put their hands up for the Wellington Mayoralty. Sadly the first out of the blocks, so we hear on the Welly gossip mill, is that arch Greeny and long time councillor - Celia Wade Brown

Well we know one thing... the candidates can only improve from this point on...


And does anyone else think she looks like Su Bradfords younger sister????

DEREK FOX IN PRINT

Maori commentator and publisher Derek Fox has a new column in the Cook Islands but it deserves another airing.

We don't agree with everything he says - ( that often makes having a drink with him a stimulating and interesting occasion) but his thoughts need a wider audience.

Here is the Cook Island column in full .

Still looking for justice

Last week I foreshadowed that I might this week talk about the Foreshore and Seabed debate here in Aotearoa. I indicated that while what MPs used their ministerial credit cards for was gaining all the headlines, the big story of the week should really have been the foreshore and seabed – and I still believe that.

It’s important for a number of reasons. Firstly it is/was a pivotal issue and cornerstone of the support agreement between National and the Maori Party; and secondly it’s one of those flax root debates between Maori and Pakeha which we need to get right – and so far we haven’t – if there is to be a peaceful path forward in this country.

It’s also important because we are at the halfway stage in the political game we call this parliamentary term, and the Maori Party doesn’t have too many meaningful points on the board as we head down now to the next general election.

The foreshore and seabed debate is about property and legal rights – something you’d think the National Party would be solid on. It’s not about access to the country’s beaches - that right – within reason – is beyond doubt.

But National is no keener than Labour to see Maori retain any of their traditional and customary rights developed over the centuries we occupied these islands prior to the arrival of the Pakeha. And that tells me this is a Maori Pakeha issue not one about law and justice and people’s inherent rights. Labour even took away the right of Maori to go to court to see if we had a right – National will restore that but will so tightly prescribe how that right may be determined that it will all but be negated.

So the foreshore and seabed that my tipuna held sway over as a result of hundreds of years of co-existence with our iwi neighbours, will be taken away by the government. On the other hand 12 and a half thousand separate parcels of foreshore and seabed – overwhelmingly held by Pakeha - which have somehow passed into ‘freehold’ title -will be sacrosanct. You won’t be able to go to those beaches and have a swim or a barbie, certainly not without permission and maybe a fee?

So once again it is Maori who have their rights legislated away.

Labour and now National both claim that one of their reasons for moving in this way is to ‘protect’ the foreshore and seabed from sale – nothing would give it greater protection that customary title - after all it’s endured for a thousand years until now.

Another looming punch-up in this process is the hoops that Maori will have to jump through to establish their limited customary right. They will be required to show ‘exclusive and continuous use and occupation’ of their foreshore and seabed rohe. If the land has been subdivided that test will fall down. But what if the only reason that hasn’t occurred is because a previous pakeha government stole the land or it was acquired by some other Treaty breach?

John Key last week joined Helen Clark in showing that he too is not able to treat fairly and justly and in good faith with Maori, the pull of his blood and the baying of his supporters is too strong.

While Fox has some harsh words for the government we think that after listening to Chris Finlayson this morning on Q and A , we are more confident that the agreement provides a good framework to allow Maori to exercise their customary rights.

We, in particular, are expecting Ngai Tahu to lodge a claim get title for the former crown muttonbird (titi) islands which are now under the guardinaship of a Trust. And the beneficial owners of the other titi ( privately owned ) islands will also be able to make a claim for theirs.

There is also a fair bet that the Waitutu and Rakiura Maori Lands Trusts will also be taking a close look at the new rules as there will be some expectation they will have a good claim as well.

Interesting times ahead.

BUSTEDBLONDE

Hello all,

I have had a few emails asking why Roarprawn has not been entered in the Air New Zealand Awards for bloggers ( real bloggers). Well as Busted is a little bit of bother which hopefully will be resolved soon, she decided that it would not be appropriate to enter.

However, it appears that Roarprawn could still be a wildcard in the awards which are here

As Busted can't do or say much for the moment, here are our links to some of her best work in the last year.

I like Bustedblondes impressions of Ngai Tahu politics such as this post here. I am Rangitane so I am always interested in what our neighbours in the south are up to.

And I definitely want to hear more about this issue. Scampi may be a tad historical but by Jove it has all the makings of a great yarn.

And who could forget this post about the downside of being a mistress. ( Busted seems to know an awful lot about being a consort) That post spawned an international threat of legal action because some woman claim to own the word Mistressology. The entire VRWC corner of the blogosphere came to her aid and slam dunked the Pommie blogger.

She has such an interesting family. He mother and father seem  to live every day like there will be no tomorrow. This post shows a real soft side to Bustedblonde.

And she has been a very strong supporter of Maori TV. That was apparently one of her most read columns.

She is fervently pro whaling, leaving no room for doubt. She scored a world exclusive piece of footage on the Ady Gil crashing into the Japanese whaling vessel. It was watched on You Tube over 45,000 times in less than 2 hours - before it was taken down - but not before the activists re edited it and put it up on you tube where it was viewed by millions. Busted then put it up again with reworked commentary and today it has been viewed 18,000 times.

So I am sad the Busted never got to enter the Real Bloggers awards and I hope that this list of posts will show that she would have been an admirable contestant.

Toodle Pip

COMING SOON.... EXCLUSIVE - THE MEURANT CHRONICLES

We have had a pretty laid back weekend. Our knee is buggered. So we have been resting up - hoping that it might get a bit better but an operation is looking increasingly likely.

However we have been busy. We have been reading the Meurant Chronicles.

Late last week - in time honoured form we received a parcel of documents.

Euminedes perhaps?

Essentially they are the reports and emails of Ross Meurant while he was employed by Vela fishing at the same time he was employed by Winston Peters.

They are illuminating , sometimes funny, occasionally revealing and often outrageous.

They also mark what we believe were the last days of the worst years of the seafood industry.

They are the documents that Phil Kitchin used as the basis of his expose on Winston Peters a story that broke in the Dominion a couple of days before the election in 2008 on November 1.

Anyway in the next few weeks we are going to release them. As we should - in the name of transparency and openness and history - they relate to the late 1990's and the 2000's.

So everyone can read them and draw their own conclusions.

They will keep political junkies happy for days.

And don't worry - the documents are safe.. very safe.

SHAKIN THE TREE

Matthew Hooton has done one of his finest columns ever for the NBR today. Its explores the fears we hold about access to the foreshore and seabed and why we should be relaxed about it..


We are going to fisk it....

When I am in Tauranga, I stay at the very pleasant Sebel hotel, built on three piers out over the harbour. Its construction in 2006 meant New Zealanders lost access to that part of the foreshore. Up the road is the port, with fences preventing access to the sea.

When I was young, holidays were at Turkey Island, near Coromandel, owned by three family friends. No one ever stopped others landing on the island for a picnic but it would have been odd had they not introduced themselves and asked if it was OK.

Later, my family bought a bach at Northland’s Te Ngaere Bay. We called the next bay Tattersfield’s, after the family that owned it, and it was customary to say hi when strolling across their beach.

Just south was a farm owned by Doug Myers, including a holiday home on a small, secluded bay. With no public road access, it didn’t feel quite right to land a boat on his beach but there was no sign saying you couldn’t.

A short walk up the valley, on Maori-owned land, was a waterfall with a decent fresh-water swimming hole. When we Auckland kids wanted to use it, it was courteous to check with the whanau living there, in pretty much third-world conditions. It was never a problem.

Yip our life has been pretty much the same - Never been denied access to any part of NZ.

Nowadays, my wife and I take our kids to a Pacific Island resort each year. The kids go to the Kids’ Club and we take it easy at the beach. The locals don’t have access to that small bit of coastline but they do have the rest of the island to choose from. They also have jobs.

The enjoyment of my life has never been compromised by limited restrictions on my access to the sea. Nor has any of my privileged access compromised anyone else’s enjoyment of theirs. But the idea there is an inherent right by every New Zealander to access every square centimetre of foreshore and seabed is plainly wrong. No such right exists.

The so-called Queen’s Chain has always been a myth. To simply declare it belongs to the state is to propose a nationalisation and collectivisation of land of which Stalin would have been proud.

Unbelievably, this was exactly the position asserted by everyone in Parliament in 2004, except Act and the Greens. It was a national disgrace.

Abso - bloody lutely.

15,134 km coastline

With just four million people, New Zealand has 15,134 kilometres of coastline, the 10^th longest in the world. The exclusive economic zone is more than 4 million square kilometres, the 7th largest in the world.

Listening to politicians in 2004, it was possible to believe the 3.4 million New Zealanders who do not identify as Maori were at some risk of losing access to these resources, whether for commercial development or just building a sandcastle with their kids. Avoiding this risk, we were told, justified sabotaging due process, removing the right of access to the courts and undermining the rule of law.

The risk was never real. The area of foreshore and seabed where it was ever likely a hapu could prove customary title was always infinitesimal compared with the thousands of kilometres of coastline. The Foreshore and Seabed Act, announced unprompted by the Labour regime within hours of the Court of Appeal’s Ngati Apa decision, was a despicable piece of legislation.

It was worse than that - it was venal and evil.

National’s abandonment of its commitment to property rights, the rule of law and civilised race relations was even more vile.

Yip we were gobsmacked that they would not make a principled stand for what was essentially an issue of property rights.

Resolution

John Key, Chris Finlayson, Tariana Turia and Pita Sharples will repeal that legislation and put the shame behind New Zealand, but the myth of a right of access to every square centimetre of the foreshore and seabed endures. There will be pressure on them to enshrine that myth in new legislation, as well as greater or lesser rights for Maori than the courts might otherwise find.

They should resist. No new statutory framework is needed. The courts are the proper place to resolve disputes over land ownership, not parliament.

Further, should a handful of hapu be able to prove customary title to the satisfaction of the courts, why shouldn’t they be able to have that right recognised as freehold title? Why shouldn’t they then be able to decide that collecting tuatua is not the extent of their aspirations, but instead form a JV with the Sebel hotel chain to build a holiday resort? (Good luck to them, of course, getting consents from local councils.)

What possible harm would this involve? It would create an economic base and jobs for a bunch of New Zealanders.

As long as it had a Kids’ Club, my wife and I might even decide to spend our holiday dollars not at the Raratongan but at the Muriwhenua Beach Resort and Spa.

It’s difficult to see why so many in Parliament still seem to think that would be so terrible. Are we really that afraid of Maori economic self-determination? Is socialism really so embedded in our national soul?

Matthew is so right, we need to stop being worried about Maori self determination and embrace it.

FOUR DAY WORKING WEEK STORY ON TVONE NEWS

Well well - We blogged on the four day week being the new black in employment strategy circles about a week ago. A breathless Guyon Espiner is running an exclusive on the issue on TVone tonight.
We reckon the first place to start is the public service. Older secure workers are talking up the benefits.

We will be interested to see how the government and industry can make it work

winstons last days in the sun part deux.

This is one of the comments from one of winnies followers
on his website. Looks like a former Exclusive Bretheren follower thinks that Winnies being persecuted. Hmmm , I've never been in the mire in the streets before - The roarprawn likes deep water not muck.


http://www.winstonpeters.com/archives/279

Tim Says: August 31st, 2008 at 1:12 am
Well said Winston.
You are still a hero in NZ politics, and people will see that in time.
“Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me” Micah 7:8
“Then my enemy will see, And shame will cover her who said to me, “Where is the LORD your God?” My eyes will look on her; At that time she will be trampled down Like mire of the streets” 7:8
Best regards

EXCLUSIVE - THE WINDS OF CHANGE ARE BLOWING IN THE SOUTH.

The best news we have had for a week. Wally Stone has been elected as a runanga representative of Ngati Wheke to the Te Runanga O Ngai Tahu ruling council.

Wally , who has the huge respect of the New Zealand business community fell foul of Mark Solomon and left his job as chair of the financial power house of Ngai Tahu empire - Ngai Tahu Holding corp earlier this year.

The last ten years has seen an unstable tribe council riven by bitter personality battles that have spilled into the public arena.

We have been happy to put our hand up and say that Solomon must go.

His reign at the top of the "Table" has not unified the tribe. And his ego has prevented him from making the decision that would have shown integrity - to step aside.

Just recently we came across Solomon in the Wellington Airport - he yelled at us and waved his big Solomon finger in our face. He is obviously no fan of Roarprawn and BustedBlonde and we saw first hand why some people believe he is a bully.

It was not the action of a man of dignity.

But we are not scared of him. Instead we just laughed at him. His finger may be big but his mana is puny.

So the election of Tahu Potiki last week and Wally Stone this week means that we will see a change of direction in our tribes politics. We hope that it will mean that Solomon will finally show some humility and step down.

Our dream team would be Wally Stone at the helm with Tahu Potiki as deputy and to ensure that we dont see anymore swinging dicks, that the role of the chair is more clearly defined on governance and not the semi titular head it appears to have become.

We also want to see some of the people who have built their own businesses and shown strong leadership representing Ngai Tahu on boards and organisations around the country instead of the same old tired faces who have been sychophants of Solomon.

We also want to see Ngai Tahu take the lead and form stronger relationships with other iwi so that we can take advantage of the economies of scale that joint ventures with other tribes can offer.

And we want, apart from issues of commercial sensitivy, utter transparency. No more PR spin glossing up the tribes performance - tell it like it is.

We are well pleased with todays events as every Ngai Tahi beneficiary should be. We firmly believe that together Potiki and Stone have the brains, financial prudence and wise leadership to take the tribe forward. Kia Kaha to you both.

EXCLUSIVE - FONTERRA STUFFUP DEVASTATES KIWI KIDS

Well we have all heard about how well Fonterra has been doing but hows this for big corporate bully bastards .

A mum we know well has written a letter to Andrew Ferrier after she got a shit response from the company.


Good evening Andrew -

It was a pleasure to meet you at the.....................................................last week


After meeting you briefly, you struck me as an approachable man with a commonsense head.

I have an issue arising at a personal, consumer level that I wonder if you could help me with. Please note this email is unrelated to work and my approach to you is as a private individual.

You may be aware of the Anchor Milk Moolah promotion currently running at retail. With two weeks left to run, the promotion has suddenly and without warning shut out thousands of NZ kids from access to its redemption (earned rather than auction) prizes. This move has caused distress to kiwi children, who have been encouraged to engage with the brand since September, saving up milk carton labels towards some great child-targeted prizes.

I spent a harrowing one and a half hours last night, comforting my 12 year old son, who is devastated. He discovered the news via the competition website - not declared openly at the outset, but buried in the deep-click details of each individual redemption prize, a particularly cowardly attempt to avoid attention.

I am at loss as to what to say to him. I had spent the last several weeks encouraging him to engage with the brand, I'd dutifully changed my buying habits to help him, I thought the promotion would be fun for him, engaging and a good lesson about working for and earning rewards over time (delayed gratification).

Instead, he's been smacked in the face with the reality that grown ups don't play fair, they don't honour their commitments to little kids, but they'll keep trying to get them to buy more milk (the promotional offer is still on pack and the withdrawal of redemption prizes was not explained on the website). It's an appalling lesson to learn at 12. I suspect my son is not alone and that others will be learning the same harsh lesson at even earlier ages. It's irresponsible, callous and unconscionable.

I contacted your call centre and received a scripted "tough luck" response. As a professional courtesy I also rang your PR service to let them know how negatively the promotion had impacted on my son and to see if there was an opportunity to make it right for him (by allowing him to redeem the points he had saved so hard for over so many weeks for the laptop he had dreamed of earning). The alternative was (and still is) to draw public and media attention to the brand's cavalier treatment of kids. I'm keen on my children learning from this experience not to be victims but to stand up for themselves. They are currently thinking about staging a public protest and picket at the supermarket.

The response I received from your PR team today was entirely unsatisfactory and arrogant - that's the way it's worked out and tough luck if you missed out. I was advised that there was an auction element and a bonus prize draw - but you know what? My 12 year old didn't want to win $50,000, or enter an auction for a car - he's 12, he doesn't even know what $50,000 looks like - he wanted to EARN a laptop of his very own.

I was told there had been huge interest in the promotion, as if that mitigated the company's behaviour, with 40,000 entrants (I was not surprised, it's a big brand, bought daily over 12 weeks, promoted with a large budget). I heard that some adults gamed the system, buying bulk milk supplies at once and donating the milk to shelters, since they were only interested in bidding for the cars. Fair enough, they were adult prizes. Those entrants weren't interested in engaging with the brand.

The second part of the prize pool was targeted at children, with child-aspirational prizes and a school element. In talking to your staff, I was advised that they were aware of some entrants (older than 12, I assume, my boy's smart, but not that sophisticated) writing computer programs to alert them the second new redemption prize stocks came on line, so they could swoop down and grab them up before the kids had a chance.

So, not only was the promotion woefully underprepared for the demand level, but you posted the last prize pool after kids went to bed. It's almost as if you didn't care about kids at all.

The kid-oriented redemption section of the prize pool got hijacked but some IT-sophisticated adults and Anchor's response to all of the children all around New Zealand who were, like my son, just a few labels away from their goal and thinking the promotion had two more weeks to go ( the deadline is still marked on our family calendar), was "tough luck, we said there was limited stock (but not how woefully inadequate)" and "never mind, there's always the prize draw".

Kids weren't in this for the cash, they wanted to earn prizes. They were almost at the finish line and your team took the game away with no regard at all for the impact it would have on them.

And by the way, your PR advisors have interpreted or "spun" my giving them a chance to make it right for my son as attempted "extortion". I don't think that's plausible and it is insensitive in the extreme.

My issues are these:

This is an appallingly put together sales promotion. Any well designed reward redemption promotion factors in the cost of prizes in relation to the sales required to earn it - that way, selling more milk should just mean buying more redemption stock, but no increase in cost. Marketers have been taught this basic rule for the last 20 years.

Stopping the redemption pool two weeks before the end of the promotion is just cruel and insensitive to kids. They don't understand if clever adults hijacked it, they just know the rules they thought they were working were just dismissed and they were shut out.

This is an appalling way for any brand to interact with children. Interacting with children involves an entirely different foundation of trust and expectation of responsibility than interacting with adults. What were you thinking?

I think you owe the children of New Zealand an apology. You certainly owe my son one.

I'd like to discuss this in more detail and am requesting a meeting so you can explain to Zachary why the rules of natural justice don't apply to little kids.

As I said at the beginning, you strike me as a fair man. I'd appreciate a direct response.

We think Fonterra needs to seriously rethink this one - its a very very bad look.

PADDY NEEDS A WACK

We watched Patrick Gower's shift from the Herald to TV3 with interest. He has some talent but  on the face of it  his latest story about Tuhoe stepping up to get "total " control of the Ureweras as part of a treaty settlement is a beat up. A really big beat up - the sort that fuels redneck racism. 
So why do we think its a beat up  - well because the Treaty Minister the gracious Chris Finlayson says so. We are very glad he did. It would be an outrage if the Government was going to give away a big corner of the country lock stock and punga trees   to one group of families as their exclusive fiefdom  because that's essentially what the story meant.

Hon Christopher Finlayson Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations
19 April 2010	Media Statement

Statement on Treaty negotiations with Ngai Tuhoe

At no point in the negotiations have Ngai Tuhoe asked for any form of separatism from New Zealand or an independent Tuhoe state.  Those issues are simply not part of any negotiation the Crown is undertaking.  The Crown has not, and will not, make any offer to Ngai Tuhoe that includes such forms of redress.  Any claims by TV3 or other media organisations are simply untrue.

The Crown and Ngai Tuhoe have been engaged in negotiations for nearly two years.  The negotiations raise a number of complex issues which both parties are working through in a constructive manner and we hope to see progress in the near future.

Ngai Tuhoe have discussed the importance of Te Uruwera and the Crown is currently exploring with them what form any redress might take.  The Crown has made clear its position that any settlement must recognise the rights of all New Zealanders, including public access and conservation values.

So there we have it... Its not a runner...  However we reckon up in the mists of the Ureweras there will be a little band of Tuhoe who think that its all true and even if it never comes to pass, its the way they will see things anyway and if white people venture too far up that a -ways well they just might not come back.....They are the silly buggers Gower probably had a yarn to. 

So Patrick - you owe us a beer for scaring us and the rest of TV3 watchers unnecessarily....

BETHUNE IS STILL A WANKER

Pete Bethune got a suspended sentence for ocean going eco - terrorism from the Japanese.

Our collective views here at Roarprawn are well known. Bustedblonde brought the world some exclusive footage of the incident that caused all the fuss

Sadly Bethune will now be a celebrity among the eco dorks and will undoubtedly make a shit load of money on the speaking celebrity circuit telling of his traumas and dramas. We remain convinced that his actions are not about saving whales but about promoting Pete Bethune. Barf....

However we expect his off shore escapades will be curtailed as he is now a convicted criminal.

TAU FOR TE ATATU?

Bet Phil Goff had a serious case of indigestion after reading the Sunday Star Times this morning.

He is now in an untenable position after the Sunday Star Times has revealed that Chris Carter sought the advice from ex PM Helen Clark on returning to parliament. So he has decided on the strength of a wee korero with her to head back to work in Wellington.

ERRANT WEST AUCKLAND MP Chris Carter last night broke his silence, saying he was returning to parliament, having taken advice from the party's former head, Helen Clark.

Last week Labour leader Phil Goff told Carter to head home to think about his future, after his refusal to front to media and apologise for using his ministerial credit card to buy flowers and massages.

Goff said Carter, MP for Te Atatu, had failed to express contrition and forced him to apologise unreservedly.

Yip, so now he tells us all that he has sough the advice of Aunty Helen about the situation he had got himself in due to his arrogance and overblown sense of entitlement.

And by association she has now shown that she sees no wrong doing among any of her former troughing Ministers.

It is clear that Carter has respect for Clark but none for Goff. Carter also indicates that he is not sorry. He shows no contrition. He displays all the characteristics of a narcissist..

So Goff now has no choice. He will have to cut him loose.

When the Sunday Star-Times asked Carter if he felt pressured into apologising, he replied: "I think that, ah, ah, we had discussions around it, of course. I think I needed time to reflect on it. When you are shoved into a corridor with a whole lot of journalists who have been waiting three-and-a-half hours to interview you... it wasn't very conducive to clear thinking."

Carter said: "We could argue the rights and wrongs of whether I've done anything wrong. The only personal items were two bunches of flowers that a staff member sent on their card, and all ministerial travel was signed off."

He said the apology was given "because you have to think about what is good for the Labour Party".

And at the end of the day the country's sickliest political fruit cake is a stranger to the truth. And he has no political antennae if he agrees to be questioned at length by the Sunday Star Times on such tricky issues.

Carter was embarrassed again last week when it was revealed he promised exclusive interviews to both TV3 and TV One. "I guess I just wanted to be nice. It's called PR, that's what politicians do."

So Goff, to ensure any semblance of respect, will have to cut him lose and do it quickly.So there will have to be a by election in Te Atatu. That means Nationals Tau Henare will have to step up to the plate. Thats good - Tau looks to us to be as ready as he ever would be to take back Te Atatu.