Sydney Radio Segment: 31st March, 2011

The Price of Milk

After months of debate and media hysteria over the price of milk in this country New Zealand’s official competition watchdog the Commerce Commission announced yesterday that it was going to look into the matter.  The timing of the statement was interesting given that it came around 24 hours after the same organisation told a parliamentary select committee that an inquiry was not necessary.  At issue is the monopoly of dairy co-operative Fonterra, whose insistence that the cost to the New Zealand consumer be equivalent to that paid by those overseas is not one that finds a lot of sympathy on the home front.  International diary prices have risen 18 percent in this year alone.  A recent survey by lobby group Consumer New Zealand indicated that nine out of ten New Zealanders felt they were paying too much for milk and that more competition in the domestic market place would improve the situation.  Neither Fonterra nor the two supermarket chains who dominate this country will publicly discuss their margins on milk.

Sex Scandal

The Labour party opposition has been rocked in the last fortnight by a sex scandal involving its now former chief whip and education spokesperson, Darren Hughes.  Mr Hughes is under investigation by the police after allegations from an 18 year old male that he behaved improperly when late night frolics after an Orientation week celebrity debate got out of hand.  Hughes claims to be innocent but hasn’t exactly sent those signals to the electorate by resigning from Parliament anyway. Labour leader Phil Goff, who is a close personal friend of Hughes, has come under criticism both within and outside the party for his handling of the affair.  Goff knew of the allegations a full two weeks before they were made public yet did not disclose them to either his caucus colleagues or the wider public.  His position that Hughes is innocent until proven guilty is at odds with his behaviour last year when a National party MP was under suspicion of a crime and Goff called for his head to roll on the strength of the allegations alone.

McCaw snubs Royal Wedding

All Black captain Richie McCaw hit the headlines yesterday for turning down an honour that royalists the world over would give their right arms for.  McCaw has ticked the ‘Decline with Regret’ box on his invitation to the nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton.  His explanation that rugby must come first in a World Cup year is one likely to increase his mana in the clubs and public bars of the land but it may well impact on his ability to command top dollar with the nation’s women’s magazine.  All Black legend Sean Fitzpatrick is understood to be attending Will’s big day along with lesser folk like Prime Minister John Key, the GG, and David Beckham.