Y2K: High flyers brought into bug battle

By Chris Daniels

Dinner invitations are nothing new for Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, but her latest party invitation may be a more perilous affair than dining with mouthy admen.

Mrs Shipley and the Minister for Information Technology, Maurice Williamson, have been challenged to take to the skies to celebrate New Year's Eve to show they have no fear of the year 2000 computer bug.

But Mr Williamson is being more circumspect than his Australian counterpart, Richard Alston, who plans to be on a flight himself and wants Prime Minister John Howard aboard as the clocks click over from 1999 to 2000.

When challenged by United leader Peter Dunne -- a regular harbinger of computer-bug doom -- to follow the Australian example, Mr Williamson said he certainly would not rely on Mr Dunne to make his bookings.

Mr Dunne says it would be nice to think the pair would have enough certainty in New Zealand's compliance to boost public confidence with such a flight. "For my part, I ... would not have sufficient confidence at this stage to want to join them on any such flight."

Mrs Shipley says she hasn't decided where to spend New Year, but if it involves air travel, she won't be concerned.