THE BIG STORY
The big news keeps rolling out of Qantas. First there were the announcements last week that the airline's loss-making international business would be split from its profitable domestic operation, top management would get a shake-up and more than 500 engineering jobs would be cut. This week the company
pulled its four directors off the board of Air Pacific, in which it has 46 per cent stake, as relations with the Fiji government deteriorated. But amid all the turmoil the Aussie carrier has gone through lately, it's good to see it hasn't forgotten the big issues: its latest announcement reveals that designer Martin Grant has been appointed to create new crew uniforms, the ninth redesign since 1959. But passengers will have to wait a while for a look at the finished versions - they won't appear until 2014.
JOKES FOR THE BOYS
Sometimes there are reminders that it wasn't so long ago that Parliament was very much a boys club. This week the House experienced one such flashback, when Maurice Williamson asked MPs to welcome Miss Universe New Zealand contestants in the public galleries, and noted how fortunate he'd been to host them in his office. There was much male laughter and sexually tinged quips, and much cringing from female MPs, particularly those of the Green variety. They got their revenge next day, by asking MPs to welcome finalists in the (fictional) Feminist of the Year competition, who they said were in the galleries.
WOOL-GATHERING
Few will mourn the death of Disco, as the Wool Board Disestablishment Co was not so fondly known. When it was set up in 2003, it was thought its task of winding up the Wool Board would take two years, but Disco's long suffering chairman Bruce Munro endured almost a decade in the job, making distributions of $70 million. Along the way there were battles with farmers and corporate rivals, topped off by complex and hideously long legal action. There was also significant collateral damage - Supreme Court judge Bill Wilson resigned after complaints about an alleged conflict of interest regarding one of the Disco cases he was involved in. After all that, it seems little has been learned in the wool industry, which remains as fractious and divided as ever.
LOSING VALUE
When it comes to state-owned enterprises, the focus has been on the health of the energy SOEs as they are prepared for partial sale. But officials are also worrying about the state of of some of the smaller fish. Quotable Value is New Zealand's largest valuation and property information company, with a presence in three Australian states. Last year it had a deficit of $2 million on revenue of $46.5 million and is facing intense competition from multinational companies as it takes on a wider range of activities such as property management. Some officials are wondering if the SOE can survive specialising in valuations and reckon it should diversify. Others are wondering what an SOE is doing in the property management business.
WORTH A PUNT
An Irish town has its own solution to the euro crisis - bring back the punt. Shopkeepers in Clones, near the border with the north, say turnover soared when they began promoting their willingness to accept the old currency. Customers with a few punts in their piggybank can exchange them for vouchers redeemable in the town's shops. The town then makes a profit by selling the old currency to the Irish Central Bank, which still accepts punts, even though it is 10 years since they were replaced by the euro.
