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Wednesday, 03 August 2011

  • Dairy prices fall in NZ Fonterra's latest auction

    Aug 3 (Reuters) - International milk prices fell for a third consecutive internet auction, New Zealand's Fonterra Cooperative Group, the world's biggest dairy exporter, said on Wednesday. Fonterra's Global Dairy Trade-Trade Weighted Index, which covers a range of 30 products and contract periods on offer, fell 1.3 percent, with an average selling price of $3,716. That followed a 5.1 percent fall in its previous auction, and the index is now down more than 6 percent for the year to date. Prices for most types of dairy products offered were lower, with anhydrous milk power the biggest decliner, down 7.2 percent. Fonterra holds two auctions a month, with the next one is on Aug 16. Full details of the auction are at: www.globaldairytrade.info Fonterra has made an initial forecast of its payout for the just started production season to farmer shareholders of between NZ$7.15 and NZ$7.25, comprising a milk payment of NZ$6.75 a kilo of milk solids and an additional 40 to 50 NZ cents from operational activities. More information on reuters.com

    Other links:
    Simon Power , Bill English , Lockwood Smith , Metiria Turei , Gerry Brownlee , Kennedy Graham , John Boscawen , Murray McCully , Wayne Mapp , Gareth Hughes , Anand Satyanand , Annette King

Monday, 13 September 2010

Friday, 09 April 2010

  • Politics of New Zealand



    New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy. Although it has no codified constitution, the Constitution Act 1986 is the principal formal statement of New Zealand's constitutional structure. The constitution has been described as "largely unwritten" and a "mixture of statutes and constitutional convention." Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state and is titled Queen of New Zealand under the Royal Titles Act 1974. She is represented by the Governor-General, whom she appoints on the exclusive advice of the Prime Minister. The current Governor-General is Anand Satyanand.



    The Governor-General exercises the Crown's prerogative powers, such as the power to appoint and dismiss ministers and to dissolve Parliament, and in rare situations, the reserve powers. The Governor-General also chairs the Executive Council, which is a formal committee consisting of all ministers of the Crown. The main constitutional function of the governor-general is to "arrange for the leader of the majority political party to form a government"; by constitutional convention, the governor-general "acts on the advice of ministers who have majority support in parliament."



    Members of the Executive Council are required to be Members of Parliament, and most are also in Cabinet. Cabinet is the most senior policy-making body and is led by the Prime Minister, who is also, by convention, the Parliamentary leader of the governing party or coalition. This is the highest policymaking body in the government.



    The New Zealand Parliament has only one chamber, the House of Representatives, which usually seats 120 Members of Parliament.



    Parliamentary general elections are held every three years under a form of proportional representation called Mixed Member Proportional. The Economist magazine explains: "Under MMP (Mixed Member Proportional) there is usually a 120-seat parliament; an extra seat can sometimes be added to ensure truly proportional representation. Of the total number of seats, 65 electorate (directly elected constituency) seats are contested on the old first-past-the-post basis, including seven seats reserved for the indigenous Māori people. The remaining 55 or so seats are allocated so that representation in parliament reflects overall support for each party (the party vote).



    Read more about politics of New Zealand on wiki or participate on democracy in New Zealand on Election(s)Meter - online voting polls.

Tuesday, 19 January 2010

  • Hillary Clinton to visit Australia, New Zealand

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit Australia and New Zealand next week, further cementing improved relations with two key Pacific allies in a region overshadowed by the rise of China.
    Clinton will deliver a policy speech on U.S. engagement with the Asia-Pacific region in Honolulu on January 12, and will make a stop in Papua New Guinea on January 14 to discuss the environment and women's issue, the State Department said in a statement on Wednesday.

    Political analysts say the visit will likely boost Washington's warm relations with the two Pacific countries, where President Barack Obama's election in 2008 was greeted with enthusiasm.

    Clinton's stop in New Zealand on January 15-17 will feature a meeting with Prime Minister John Key, whose election at the head of a center-right government in 2008 ended nine years of rule by Labour Party governments that often struck an anti-American tone.

    Obama and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd have also established a good working relationship, analysts say, with the two governments largely aligned on many key international issues, including climate change policies.


    More information on reuters.com

Wednesday, 04 November 2009

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