Bernard Hickey details the key news over the weekend in 90 seconds at 9 am in association with Bank of New Zealand, including news the Daily Mail has reported that more than 70% of meat exported from New Zealand to Britain is killed using Halal methods and is not labelled as such.
The Daily Mail said Halal slaughter methods in the Middle East were not humane as animals were killed without being stunned first, raising animal welfare concerns. It also targeted the fact the meat was not labelled as Halal. Many commenters on the story said they would not buy New Zealand meat anymore.
But Beef and Lamb New Zealand has said New Zealand's halal slaughter methods do allow animals to be stunned first and they comply with animal welfare requirements. British meat consumers are particularly nervous in the wake of the Mad Cow disease scandal of mid 1990s. The Meat Industry association said it was unconcerned by the story.
Meanwhile, the new Real Estate Agents Authority is handling 693 complaints and complainants face delays of over 3 months, the NZ Herald reported.
Over 1,400 agents have chosen not to renew their licenses as the 40% fall in volumes in recent years hammers the sector. Also, a new license fee of NZ$555.75 has forced many to abandon the industry, the NZ Herald reported.
Also, the Sunday Star Times reported that South Canterbury Finance lent NZ$37.6 million to Neville Mahon for two Fiji apartment and hotel developments. It then quietly swapped the debt for equity in the projects at the end of 2008.
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