Madame du Barry intervened New Zealand’s pending free trade agreement with the EU presents the country with an opportunity to supply France’s Pacific possessions. France has always insisted in supplying these foreign territories direct from France. The result has been that New Zealand exporters have enjoyed a fraction of the true value from this potential market. In 2014 for example New Zealand exporters garnered $180 million from a market potentially worth much more. Total imports from these possessions that same year of $4 million, mainly scrap and decoratives, give an indication of a most favourable balance to be built upon.…

Our European Correspondent Remembers .............

Political classes still hoping for a reversal of fortune. 

In which the president of the National Press Club seeks to explain the mystery of why he was the recipient, among many others, of an email soliciting donations from the British publishing organisation which owns The Guardian and which has cash reserves of around $1 billion.   At first glance you believed that the begging letter from The Guardian was counterfeit? It seemed to be a too perfect pastiche of The Guardian style. Also it seemed improbable to imagine that a newspaper that called it so utterly wrong for Brexit would then brazenly send out a letter soliciting donations so…

Not wanted on EU voyage. Europe’ most virulent outbreak of tribalism is nowadays evident in Scotland’s determination to quit the United Kingdom and team up with the EU.  The problem is that the EU has no intention of participating in this particular version of the Highland Fling. Scotland’s main economic dowry of whisky is now almost entirely owned outside Scotland.  It’s two banks, the Bank of Scotland and the Royal Bank of Scotland are bankrupt and nationalised and controlled from London, writes our European correspondent. Its oil and oil services industry is badly depleted.  That leaves salmon. Here Scotland indeed…

Doctrines now having opposite effect of the intended one. France the country that invented diversity and multiculturalism is having to abandon them just because they constrain diversity and multiculturalism by forcing the nation into gender segregation. The problem was thrust into embarrassing pubic prominence a year ago when police were required to guard an Arab potentate’s private beach on France’s Mediterranean coast, writes our European Correspondent. Some of the police rostered onto the task were women. Such guardianship ran counter to the proclaimed religious beliefs of those using the private beach. The female police were rostered off. The religious embarrassment…

Industrialist sees tie-up as turning point in public asset policy nationwide The Port of Auckland can no longer be expanded because of the growing opposition from a coalition of leisure and environmental groups commented Napier industrialist Ken Evans who also drew attention to the increasing pressure on the Auckland port to release land for high density housing. Mr Evans (pictured) of Napier Engineering was commenting on the alliance between the ports of Auckland and Napier. The deal between the two port authorities had the strength he said of recognising Napier’s position as the obvious alternative port in the North Island.…

Orderly and methodical marketing was his trademark The death at 65 after a short illness of vineyard proprietor Richard Riddiford will recall for many his remarkable organisational feat in instituting the Wellington region’s main food and wine exposition, Toast Martinborough. This required a two phase management. The first in bonding together the Martinborough district’s numerous and by definition, individualistic vineyards. The second in the precision marketing so that the event was perceived as a gastronomic one. He was successful in both these steps which he capped by ensuring that the annual event was always sold as if tickets were in…

Bulk Carrier’s arrival emphasises port’s role as nation’s fertiliser handling hub. The arrival at Napier in August of the bulk carrier Mollie Manx emphasises the port’s role as New Zealand’s fertiliser hub. The 60,000 tonne vessel was built six years ago and calls into Napier before resuming its outward voyage to Laayoune the capital of Western Sahara. The vessel is registered in the Isle of Man and is owned by LT Ugland Shipping which specialises in owning large-capacity bulk carriers. It was built at the Tsuneishi Phillipine Shipyard. Vessels in the Ugland fleet are all named after family members or…

Hawkes Bay & Wairarapa Wines get a special Commendation. Singapore tastemaker Robin Greatbatch proprietor of the Blue Bali restaurant on the Botanic Gardens has declared himself an ardent promoter of New Zealand wines, especially those from Hawkes Bay and the Wairarapa Valley. “These wines have the dual advantage of being perceived as premium, yet at the same time are affordable,” enthused Mr Greatbatch. He is widely credited with introducing to the island city state Indonesian cuisine and presentation. His Blue Bali series of restaurants and bars is definingly positioned in a large colonial era administration building situated at No 1…

Problem hiding in plain sight We asked MSC Newswire's European correspondent for an update on the emergency in France........ You have evaluated at close hand the terrorism in France. Are there any lessons that can be learned by New Zealand?We can see clearly an ingrained mind-set in both countries centred on the it-can’t happen here syndrome. The difference being that in France, it has happened there. We can see also a facilitating over-tolerance in both countries and at many levels of the community in both countries in regard to accepting and even condoning anti-social behaviourBe more specific here.I will. In…