Marie Hazledine-Barber

Global Connection

The essential responsive man decades ago was the mail man who despite conditions ‘the mail must get through’

Today’s world the electronic mail is just as critical ‘ the mail must get through’ the invisible mail man delivers despite conditions, however when it fails and the electronic medium being the computer and the technology collapses in an invisible heap who is the responsive man?

Living in a rural district in isolated parts of New Zealand being disconnected for today’s expectation for banking, business, writing for a living, and other essentials an IT ( Internet Technician ) man becomes the essential responsive man.

Like diamonds in the sand dune these men seem rare. Even rarer is the man who enters into ones rural framework that brings the consumer S.P.I.C.E. Simplicity, progress, Information/integrity, connection, explanation plus excellence in service.

Responds to the consumers requirements and like the trusty mail man of decades ago will turn up when expected and not forget you. The responsive man for the IT world with hands on approach, who pauses at the gate way of the global world, irrespective of rural or city, belaying the myths and mystery of the electronic world is not only the diamond in the sand dune: but the true essence of the essential responsive man.

One such hero or essential responsive man, armed with a bag of tools, as the mail man carried his bag of mail is mike@computerman.co.nz who took time to stop at this gate.

NEW ZEALAND COAT OF ARMS

Regulation in the NZ Financial Market?

Ponzi schemes alive and well. Is  the NZ Government sudden urgent sense for regulation like the old saying  ’shutting the door after the horse has bolted’?

The following article by Brian Gaynor New Zealand Herald in the business section dated Tuesday March 9th  2010

titled  ‘Hanover house of cards doomed to fall’

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10630196

Every New Zealander should read this.

Has the government gone mad allowing ex board of directors from Hanover that lost millions of dollars of ordinary New Zealanders start up again. To continue the same pattern not unlike a Ponzi scheme. They are Eric Watson and Mark Hotchin doing the same thing with FAI Money (formerly FAI Finance)

Regulation should be such that these failed Board of Directors of Hanover should be barred from access to operation taking Kiwi Saver funds etc..or any managed funds of any sort.

This includes Don Brash and Auckland Mayor John Banks involved / are on the Board of Directors of Huljich Wealth Management a Kiwi Saver Fund for the following events :

During the Securities Commission probe, discovery finds Mr Huljich Managing Director of Huljich Wealth Management, rewrote its investor statements for retirement fund returns after previous returns did not show Mr Huljich had made two payments in periods ending March 2008 and March 2009 as compensation for investment decisions he made. A Ponzi act.

Mr Don Brash and seemingly Mr John Banks say in that time, a whole years worth of time, they were not informed and did not know. Lame excuse as one would think as a Board of Director of ANY company one would make it their business  TO KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE BUSINESS …….. and not take a year to find out.

The untidy behaviour like a ragged military flag the torn fabric represent the many New Zealand people who struggled, worked hard whose savings/ retirement funds are at risk and or have been lost: one example by Hanover.

So why bother is the question to save as the two examples given in this article.

Savings? How -Where? With What?

A customer enters a car sales yard with a basic knowledge of a car, knows how to drive it , has a degree of trust and faith in the sales person and the reputation of the company. There is no expectation for a customer to have a degree in mechanics, studied the industry for years and be qualified to follow through with the purchase.

In the financial market with the angst of KIWI SAVER the constant catch words are “customer responsibility” customers should understand the products which are presented: many are in a complex dossier of words that would take either a lawyer or preferably a qualified person with a commerce degree to even understand the basics.

The question is: The New Zealand Government had boldly stepped out to announce that people should choose, take self responsibility for their savings and future retirement and not save by compulsory means for Government Superannuation, answer KIWI SAVER: however with recent rorts, financial institutions misleading the public with untrue accounts of performance already emerging, to the willing “want to save for my retirement “ the customer/investor ( who do not have a commerce degree) who is going to repay the investor their money saved lost on the stock exchange, portfolios gone sour, fraud, mismanaged managed funds, bonds losing value? The Government?

What about the older population that have saved for years, where did the consolidated fund go? Or those that lost everything at the hands of failures by the professionals and financial institutions, mis – managed funds. Is it just ‘tough luck’ ? Or is it the customer did not read enough, understand enough, maybe it was their fault they did not have a commerce degree!!!

To regulate, put in a ‘watch dog’ is just like opening a new pack of expensive cards of over-paid bureaucrats. For such a small populated country a simple percentage of money earned should go into a government superannuation fund that is held, not spent/squandered by the government, that earns interest. Just like a bank.

Ain’t a mechanic and don’t have a commerce degree, perhaps granny was right, put it under the mattress, might not earn interest but at least you have not lost everything.

( Whistlers Mother painting by James McNeill Whistler 1871 )

Granny