Numbers of New Year in Canberra

January 1, 2014 – 11:13AM

Hamish Boland-Rudder

Thirty-nine Canberra youths will have to sit an alcohol education program in 2014 after they were taken into custody in Civic for intoxication or possession of alcohol on New Year’s eve – more than double the number brought in last year.

ACT Policing Superintendent Brett Kidner described the night as “challenging”, but said police were pleased with the outcome, after just seven adults were taken in for intoxication, two arrested for affray, and a couple more for breaches of the peace.

There were 76 officers out patrolling the ACT, with a focus on high-visibility, early-intervention policing. Superintendent Kidner said crowd numbers were higher than an average Friday or Saturday night in Civic, but the number of incidents was down compared to weekend nights.

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The high number of juveniles apprehended by police – more than double last year’s figure – was due to a proactive police approach aimed at avoiding a repeat of last year’s extreme intoxication following the all-ages dance party. All 39 teens brought in will have to take an “alcohol diversion program”.

“Last year we had an issue with juveniles later on in the evening, about that 3am mark. This year we were very proactive in that space and as a result we took into custody a lot more, however it probably paid its results later on in the morning,” Superintendent Kidner said.

“[The apprehended teens] will do basically a course in regards to alcohol education, and hopefully through that course they’ll learn to be more responsible in regards to the effects of alcohol the way it should be consumed appropriately.”

Police also tripled the number of random breath tests conducted across the ACT to 867 screenings, but only two drivers returned positive results. The highest reading was 0.104.

A total of 14 traffic fines were issued, which included two young provisional drivers caught for speeding, both at about 30km/h over the speed limit.

“I’m hoping that people are getting the message … you either drink or you drive, you don’t do both. We seem to think that the results are indicating that maybe the message is getting through in the driving space, however on this particular occasion it’s probably not getting through to the young people,” Superintendent Kidner said.

Ambulance paramedics also reported a relatively quiet evening in Civic. They treated a total of 15 patients, however only three needed to be taken to Canberra Hospital, none of whom had alcohol-related injuries.

Meantime, partiers were still roaming the streets of Civic as late as 5am on New Year’s day, as taxis ferried home the last of the late-nighters.

Cleaners were also out early on the streets of the city, clearing away the debris from night’s revelry.

Authorities were preparing to collect about 2000kg of rubbish from bins in the city on Tuesday night, with a further 500kg of waste expected to be scraped up off the pavement by early morning cleaning crews.

with Tegan Osborne

The Canberra Times

BRASIL 3 X 0 ESPANHA

Dana Johannsen: Sport has failed women

Dana Johannsen on sport

Dana Johannsen is a Herald sport writer

It’s hard to keep loving sport when it consistently fails women but at least the topic is being discussed more.

You try to live by your principles, but the uncomfortable truth for me is that sport is a minefield of compromises.

I love sport. I love the feeling that you’ve just witnessed a small miracle when the Black Caps win a test; watching Valerie Adams psyche out her opposition with her imposing physique and swagger; that confidence you feel just before kick-off in an All Black match; Casey Kopua snatching a spectacular aerial intercept from an unsuspecting Aussie shooter; and that look of grit and determination on the faces of Eric Murray and Hamish Bond, a sheer refusal to be beaten.

But I sometimes hate sport. I hate that it consistently fails women.

This year has produced many highlights for women: Adams, Lydia Ko, Lauren Boyle, the Football Ferns, Lisa Carrington, Team Jolly – aka Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie – in the women’s 470 have all delivered special moments.

And yet still I can’t bring myself to celebrate the state of women’s sport.

*When the NZRU don’t have a female representative on their board – and never have.

*When Marion Bartoli wins Wimbledon with a gritty performance and people are more concerned about her looks.

*When rugby players can front domestic violence campaigns yet when one of their teammates is charged with assault they lose their voice.

*When the ANZ Championship struggles to get a foothold in the Australian TV market yet the Lingerie Football League – sorry, I mean Legends Football League – a new sport with no tradition in Australia gets a deal on mainstream telly in its first season because the athletes are running around in their knickers.

*When that same league is the fastest growing women’s sport in the world.

*When there is a scarcity of women on our TV screens, radio and in print talking about sport, particularly once past a certain age in TV.

*And when Fifa pays lip service about wanting to promote equality for women in their sport yet Sepp Blatter can barely open his mouth without spouting some sexist drivel (Blatter I imagine would be a strong supporter of the LFL having famously proclaimed female soccer players should wear tighter shorts if they wanted to boost the profile of their sport).

It makes me start to wonder why I remain a fervent supporter of sport.

The irony is not lost on me that I work in an industry that often perpetuates sexist attitudes, with coverage of women’s sport shamefully under-represented in the media. And still I really, really like my job.

But if there is reason to be hopeful it’s that discussions around female representation are becoming more commonplace. When I look back at the past 12 months it is staggering to see how far we’ve come in terms of opening up a dialogue in the role women play in sport. I hope that conversation gets louder in 2014.

The New Zealand Herald

4C rise by 2100, warns new study

By Jamie Morton

5:30 AM Wednesday Jan 1, 2014

Research also appears to solve one of the great unknowns of climate sensitivity, the role of cloud formation .

Under the 2200 scenario, the climate of Auckland would become like that of Tonga. Photo / Alan Gibson

Global average temperatures will rise at least 4C by 2100 and potentially more than 8C by 2200 if carbon dioxide emissions are not reduced, according to a major climate change study published today.

The Australian study, which is in the journal Nature, found global climate is more sensitive to carbon dioxide than most previous estimates.

The research also appears to solve one of the great unknowns of climate sensitivity, the role of cloud formation and whether this will have a positive or negative effect on global warming.

In New Zealand, four degrees of warming would mean extreme rainfall events would increase by more than 30 per cent, marked drying everywhere in summer, and varying and widespread impacts on agriculture.

Under the 2200 scenario, the climate of Auckland would become equal to that of Tonga, glacier cover would vanish, and sea levels up to 3m higher would pose serious issues for our coastal centres.

“Our research has shown climate models indicating a low temperature response to a doubling of carbon dioxide from pre-industrial times are not reproducing the correct processes that lead to cloud formation,” said Professor Steven Sherwood, the lead author from the University of New South Wales’ Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science.

“When the processes are correct in the climate models the level of climate sensitivity is far higher.”

Previously, estimates of the sensitivity of global temperature to a doubling of carbon dioxide ranged from 1.5C to 5C, he said.

“This new research takes away the lower end of climate sensitivity estimates, meaning that global average temperatures will increase by 3C to 5C with a doubling of carbon dioxide.”

The key to this narrower but much higher estimate could be found in the real world observations around the role of water vapour in cloud formation.

Observations showed that when water vapour was taken up by the atmosphere through evaporation, the updraughts could either rise to 15km to form clouds that produce heavy rains or rise just a few kilometres before returning to the surface without forming rain clouds.

When updraughts rise only a few kilometres they reduce total cloud cover because they pull more vapour away from the higher cloud-forming regions.

However water vapour was not pulled away from cloud-forming regions when only deep 15km updraughts were present.

The researchers found climate models that show a low global temperature response to carbon dioxide do not include enough of this lower-level water vapour process.

Instead they simulate nearly all updraughts as rising to 15km and forming clouds.

When only the deeper updraughts are present in climate models, more clouds form and there is an increased reflection of sunlight. Consequently, the global climate in these models becomes less sensitive in its response to atmospheric carbon dioxide.

However, real world observations showed this behaviour is wrong.

When the processes in climate models are corrected to match the observations in the real world, the models produce cycles that take water vapour to a wider range of heights in the atmosphere, causing fewer clouds to form as the climate warms.

This increased the amount of sunlight and heat entering the atmosphere and, as a result, increases the sensitivity of our climate to carbon dioxide or any other perturbation.

The result is that when water vapour processes are correctly represented, the sensitivity of the climate to a doubling of carbon dioxide – which will occur in the next 50 years – means we can expect a temperature increase of at least 4C by 2100.

“Climate sceptics like to criticise climate models for getting things wrong, and we are the first to admit they are not perfect, but what we are finding is that the mistakes are being made by those models which predict less warming, not those that predict more,” Professor Sherwood said.

Auckland climate scientist Dr Jim Salinger, author of the new book Living in a Warming World, said the findings were important.

“This is a very significant paper, because it shows the climate sensitivity to doubling carbon dioxide is now significantly higher than formerly believed.”

The New Zealand Herald

Future of our climate: Cloud research points to hotter, drier New Zealand

Studies of the way clouds form have changed the picture for climate scientists.

* New research into cloud processes shows that our climate is more sensitive to carbon dioxide than previously recognised.

* When the correct cloud processes are factored in, it is estimated that global average temperatures will rise by at least 4C by 2100 and probably more. This is an increase in temperature of 3.2C in just 90 years compared to an increase of 0.8C over the past 100 years.

* If we continue to produce emissions under a business-as-usual scenario, we will see temperature increases of close to 10C by 2200.

What it will mean for NZ

The two models of four degrees of global warming by 2100 produced increases of 4.4C and 3.1C over New Zealand.

* Rainfall would increase in the west and decrease in the east, and summer would bring a marked drying everywhere.

* Most lowland areas of New Zealand will become frost-free, climate scientist Dr Jim Salinger says.

* One-in-100-year rainfall events will increase by 32 per cent everywhere – which means increases of 50 to 150mm.

* For non-irrigated pastures, winter pasture will increase, but summer pasture growth will decrease because of lower soil moisture.

* For beef-sheep and dairying, the two models give a 3 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively, decline in beef-sheep production, and +4 per cent and -3 per cent change in dairy production.

* For pine forest, increased carbon dioxide gives CO2 fertilisation – the result is a 30 to 40 per cent increase in productivity, with productivity doubling in eucalypt forests.

Eight degrees of warming by 2200 would bring much more extreme changes:

* Christchurch mean temperature will be 20C, with frequent days piercing into the mid 40s.

* A sea level rise of 2.5m to 3m by 2200 will result in serious flooding and inundation issues for most of New Zealand’s cities and towns.

* Glacial snow lines will rise 1200m from 1800m now to 3000m, which means New Zealand will have no mountain glacier cover left.

* The climate of Auckland will become tropical with a mean around 23C – equal that of central to northern Queensland, or Tonga.

 

The New Zealand Herald

Poisoning trial: Why did you kill my brother? – Victim’s sister

By Kurt Bayer

5:30 AM Wednesday Jan 1, 2014

Lee-Anne Cartier says she needs to confront Phil Nisbet’s murderer, Helen Milner, in jail.

Lee-Anne Cartier gives evidence during the trial.

The sister of murder victim Phil Nisbet wants to meet his killer, Helen Milner, behind bars.

Lee-Anne Cartier says she wants a face-to-face talk with the woman dubbed the Black Widow to find out why she drugged and suffocated Mr Nisbet.

“I need to ask her straight out: at what point did she think it was okay to kill someone?”

Milner, 50, was found guilty last month of murdering Mr Nisbet, her second husband, in 2009.

She slipped the sedative Phenergan into the 47-year-old delivery driver’s evening meal and, while he was heavily sedated, suffocated him.

Milner then made his death, on May 4, 2009, look like suicide in the hope of cashing in his $250,000 life insurance policy.

“You hear of women who rip off their husband before a break-up, but to suddenly click it’s okay to commit murder?

“I just can’t get my head around it,” says Ms Cartier, 44, who has been praised by police for her detective work in bringing Milner to justice.

Police originally ruled the death was suicide. It was only when a coroner raised doubts that a full homicide investigation was started.

Ms Cartier became sceptical within days of the funeral about Milner’s story that Mr Nisbet killed himself.

From her home in Queensland, she did her own detective work, supplying information to police, and even ringing Milner’s work colleagues, who told her that she had often spoken of getting rid of her husband and asked if rat poison would work.

They even nicknamed her the Black Widow.

The High Court trial, which ended just before Christmas, has taken a toll on Mr Nisbet’s family, Ms Cartier and Milner’s own sons Adam and Greg, who testified against her.

“Everyone says, ‘You won, you won,’ but it’s not a win. You can never win this. Even if she dies in prison, Phil is dead and nothing will bring him back.

“All we can do is make sure she doesn’t do it to anyone else.”

Ms Cartier says she is desperate to find out how she can get into prison to see Milner. “I just want to scream at her.

“I need to know what was she thinking. It’s tearing me up inside, not knowing. Was she out one day getting her hair done, or driving down the road, when she suddenly had an epiphany and thought, ‘Yep, that’s the best way out – I’ll kill Phil.’

“She must have something seriously wrong with her … I just need to know why she did it.”

Milner will be sentenced on February 20.

Protocols for jail visits

Visitors to prison must fill out an application form, which is followed by security checks.

Prison staff will assess the application and make a recommendation to the prison manager.

If an application is declined, a prohibition order is issued, banning the applicant from entering the prison for a set period.

All prisoners are entitled to at least one visit each week, for a minimum of 30 minutes. The visit may be in a visiting room with other people, or in a booth.

Staff are present in the room. Visitors are allowed to give the prisoner a hug or kiss when greeting them and before leaving.

During a booth visit, there is no physical contact.

– APNZ

The New Zealand Herald

Another year, another day of reckoning for Fairfax Media’s political pundits. The year 2013 will go down in history as one when ministers quit – or were fired – unexpectedly, the Government’s support parties Left, Right and Centre ran into trouble, Labour eventually bit the bullet and replaced its leader and the state’s role in electronic snooping itself came under close surveillance. In some cases our pundits saw it coming, in others they were completely blindsided. So how good was the press gallery’s soothsaying this year? 1 At an annual salary of almost $145,000 plus allowances, Brendan Horan will continue to believe he is needed in the House and will tough out the criticisms and stay on in Parliament – unless the police intervene. 10/10. With a backdated pay rise before Christmas, this is a prediction with legs for 2014. 2 Official interest rates will end the year no higher than they started it at 2.5 per cent, and if the Reserve Bank moves at all it will be to cut the OCR. 10/10. Predictions vary as to when the bank will move in 2014, with March the new favourite. But it flatlined in 2013. 3 David Shearer will win unanimous support for his leadership from his caucus in the February vote, and remain safe from any serious challenge throughout the year. 0/10. As wrong as a wrong thing. No-one knows for sure how the vote went, but unanimous it wasn’t. Neither does jumping before you are pushed qualify as “safe from a serious challenge”. 4 Aaron Gilmore will return to Parliament and be joined by a least one other replacement list MP – though Gilmore will make no better an impression in 2013 than first time around. 9/10. We were simply too kind. One mark off because we did not pick how much worse he could be. The luckless Mr Gilmore out-did his own bad press as he came and went in just a few months. Jackie Blue also quit, while Claudette Hauiti and Paul Foster-Bell topped up National’s ranks. 5 Arise Sir Lockwood Smith. The former Speaker will be knighted in the Queen’s Birthday honours. 10/10. A bit like putting a dollar on the All Blacks to beat Japan, but on the money all the same. 6 Hekia Parata will remain in Cabinet but lose the education portfolio. 3/10. We were holding our breath when the OECD figures showed New Zealand’s rankings plummeting but John Key held his nerve and she not only kept her seat at the top table, she kept the education role too. Ad Feedback 7 Labour will rewrite its list selection rules to give the regions and the unions less power, but not without a major controversy. 6/10. They rewrote the rules along those lines, but we failed to pick the major controversy would be around gender quotas and the late-but-unlamented “man ban”. 8 National will fail to find a cross party “consensus” on changes to the MMP rules, but Opposition parties will pledge to implement the main Electoral Commission recommendations if they win power. 7.5/10. Sure enough Justice Minister Judith Collins used the “no consensus” line to justify no change, but the Opposition has not waited for the election but is rallying behind Iain Lees-Galloway’s member’s bill. 9 The referendum opposing the sale of state assets will get the numbers and go ahead in October. But the partial sale of Mighty River Power will go ahead, after the Maori court challenge over water rights fails. The Government will also sell shares in Meridian and Genesis in 2013. 7/10. The referendum went ahead (but in November) and the Government did sell three of its planned partial privatisations, although it opted for Air NZ ahead of Genesis after the share market developed indigestion over energy shares. 10 John Key will make international headlines again for a gaffe to rival the Beckham putdown, but he will resist the urge to become a full time talkback host. 2.5/10. He did stuff up by not taking a leader of the anti-apartheid movement to Nelson Mandela’s funeral, and was rewarded with the karmic caption on a photo that referred to him as an unidentified guest. But that was shy of his reported “thick as bat shit” quote. But we were wrong about the talkback crack. He’s everywhere. Spin the dial and catch the PM live on Drive Time! 11 Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples will bow to pressure and give up the co-leadership, opening the way for Te Ururoa Flavell. But Dr Sharples will not relinquish his portfolios. On the button! It’s a shame they don’t give more than 10/10. 12 Maurice Williamson and one other minister will announce they will not stand for re-election in 2014. 4/10. Come on Maurice – don’t keep us waiting! Oh, all right then, stay. Chris Tremain did surprise everyone with his decision to call politics quits. Kate Wilkinson and Phil Heatley were pushed out of Cabinet and have joined the exodus. 13 A new Right-wing party will emerge, offering to fill the need for an ally for National. But National will be less than enthusiastic. 6/10. There are a number of contenders including the 1Law4All Party that recently pamphlet-bombed some suburbs with policies that hark back to Don Brash’s Orewa speech. There is also a rumoured ACT-like party in the wings, but so far National only has eyes for its existing allies – and Colin Craig’s Conservatives. 14 The Government will launch the year with a major economic policy promising to boost job numbers and make employment its top priority. 9/10. It made the promises all right, with a John Key speech launching a big push on apprenticeships. Forests also gave their all for a series of glossy “business growth agenda” booklets. But did anyone notice? 15 A minister will resign over allegations surrounding events that emerge from the past. 10/10. ACT leader and minister John Banks quit after he was hauled into court to defend his disclosure of donations during his campaign for the Auckland mayoralty. 16 As a consolation for missing out on the speakership, National list MP Tau Henare will be offered a diplomatic post in the Pacific. 3/10. Sure enough he missed out to new Speaker David Carter and was apparently sounded out on whether he was angling for a post, but it seems no formal offer was made. 17 The Greens will not top 15 per cent in any major poll in 2013. 9.5/10. The third party’s support has held up remarkably well during the year, but it only hit 15 per cent once – in the volatile Roy Morgan survey – and never bettered its target mark. So we are claiming vindication by a nose. 18 Andrew Little and David Clark will be promoted to the Labour top 12 and Nanaia Mahuta will not hold the prime responsibility for education by year’s end. 6.5/10. Two out of three aint bad. Ms Mahuta gave way to Chris Hipkins in education. He hung on despite being on the wrong side of the leadership spill. David Clark did scrape into the top 12, before being demoted after the change at the top. Mr Little is still waiting . . . 19 Growth will fall short of Treasury’s pick of 2.3 per cent in the year to March but the economic mandarins will be closer to the mark on unemployment, which will be near their 6.9 per cent forecast. 0/10. Don’t take investment advice from us (or Treasury). Growth actually bettered Treasury’s forecast reaching 2.7 per cent in the March year, while unemployment fell to a surprisingly low 6.2 per cent – though there was some questioning of the data. 20 David Bain will be paid some compensation, even though a second review will be more ambivalent about his innocence – but he will get less than $1 million. 0/10. We are still awaiting the final outcome. So overall it’s a very creditable 133/200. – © Fairfax NZ News

MAURICE WILLIAMSON: 4/10.

Another year, another day of reckoning for Fairfax Media’s political pundits.

The year 2013 will go down in history as one when ministers quit – or were fired – unexpectedly, the Government’s support parties Left, Right and Centre ran into trouble, Labour eventually bit the bullet and replaced its leader and the state’s role in electronic snooping itself came under close surveillance.

In some cases our pundits saw it coming, in others they were completely blindsided.

So how good was the press gallery’s soothsaying this year?

1 At an annual salary of almost $145,000 plus allowances, Brendan Horan will continue to believe he is needed in the House and will tough out the criticisms and stay on in Parliament – unless the police intervene. 10/10. With a backdated pay rise before Christmas, this is a prediction with legs for 2014.

2 Official interest rates will end the year no higher than they started it at 2.5 per cent, and if the Reserve Bank moves at all it will be to cut the OCR. 10/10. Predictions vary as to when the bank will move in 2014, with March the new favourite. But it flatlined in 2013.

3 David Shearer will win unanimous support for his leadership from his caucus in the February vote, and remain safe from any serious challenge throughout the year. 0/10. As wrong as a wrong thing. No-one knows for sure how the vote went, but unanimous it wasn’t. Neither does jumping before you are pushed qualify as “safe from a serious challenge”.

4 Aaron Gilmore will return to Parliament and be joined by a least one other replacement list MP – though Gilmore will make no better an impression in 2013 than first time around. 9/10. We were simply too kind. One mark off because we did not pick how much worse he could be. The luckless Mr Gilmore out-did his own bad press as he came and went in just a few months. Jackie Blue also quit, while Claudette Hauiti and Paul Foster-Bell topped up National’s ranks.

5 Arise Sir Lockwood Smith. The former Speaker will be knighted in the Queen’s Birthday honours. 10/10. A bit like putting a dollar on the All Blacks to beat Japan, but on the money all the same.

6 Hekia Parata will remain in Cabinet but lose the education portfolio. 3/10. We were holding our breath when the OECD figures showed New Zealand’s rankings plummeting but John Key held his nerve and she not only kept her seat at the top table, she kept the education role too.

7 Labour will rewrite its list selection rules to give the regions and the unions less power, but not without a major controversy. 6/10. They rewrote the rules along those lines, but we failed to pick the major controversy would be around gender quotas and the late-but-unlamented “man ban”.

8 National will fail to find a cross party “consensus” on changes to the MMP rules, but Opposition parties will pledge to implement the main Electoral Commission recommendations if they win power. 7.5/10. Sure enough Justice Minister Judith Collins used the “no consensus” line to justify no change, but the Opposition has not waited for the election but is rallying behind Iain Lees-Galloway’s member’s bill.

9 The referendum opposing the sale of state assets will get the numbers and go ahead in October. But the partial sale of Mighty River Power will go ahead, after the Maori court challenge over water rights fails. The Government will also sell shares in Meridian and Genesis in 2013. 7/10. The referendum went ahead (but in November) and the Government did sell three of its planned partial privatisations, although it opted for Air NZ ahead of Genesis after the share market developed indigestion over energy shares.

10 John Key will make international headlines again for a gaffe to rival the Beckham putdown, but he will resist the urge to become a full time talkback host. 2.5/10. He did stuff up by not taking a leader of the anti-apartheid movement to Nelson Mandela’s funeral, and was rewarded with the karmic caption on a photo that referred to him as an unidentified guest. But that was shy of his reported “thick as bat shit” quote. But we were wrong about the talkback crack. He’s everywhere. Spin the dial and catch the PM live on Drive Time!

11 Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples will bow to pressure and give up the co-leadership, opening the way for Te Ururoa Flavell. But Dr Sharples will not relinquish his portfolios. On the button! It’s a shame they don’t give more than 10/10.

12 Maurice Williamson and one other minister will announce they will not stand for re-election in 2014.4/10. Come on Maurice – don’t keep us waiting! Oh, all right then, stay. Chris Tremain did surprise everyone with his decision to call politics quits. Kate Wilkinson and Phil Heatley were pushed out of Cabinet and have joined the exodus.

13 A new Right-wing party will emerge, offering to fill the need for an ally for National. But National will be less than enthusiastic. 6/10. There are a number of contenders including the 1Law4All Party that recently pamphlet-bombed some suburbs with policies that hark back to Don Brash’s Orewa speech. There is also a rumoured ACT-like party in the wings, but so far National only has eyes for its existing allies – and Colin Craig’s Conservatives.

14 The Government will launch the year with a major economic policy promising to boost job numbers and make employment its top priority. 9/10. It made the promises all right, with a John Key speech launching a big push on apprenticeships. Forests also gave their all for a series of glossy “business growth agenda” booklets. But did anyone notice?

15 A minister will resign over allegations surrounding events that emerge from the past. 10/10. ACT leader and minister John Banks quit after he was hauled into court to defend his disclosure of donations during his campaign for the Auckland mayoralty.

16 As a consolation for missing out on the speakership, National list MP Tau Henare will be offered a diplomatic post in the Pacific. 3/10. Sure enough he missed out to new Speaker David Carter and was apparently sounded out on whether he was angling for a post, but it seems no formal offer was made.

17 The Greens will not top 15 per cent in any major poll in 2013. 9.5/10. The third party’s support has held up remarkably well during the year, but it only hit 15 per cent once – in the volatile Roy Morgan survey – and never bettered its target mark. So we are claiming vindication by a nose.

18 Andrew Little and David Clark will be promoted to the Labour top 12 and Nanaia Mahuta will not hold the prime responsibility for education by year’s end. 6.5/10. Two out of three aint bad. Ms Mahuta gave way to Chris Hipkins in education. He hung on despite being on the wrong side of the leadership spill. David Clark did scrape into the top 12, before being demoted after the change at the top. Mr Little is still waiting . . .

19 Growth will fall short of Treasury’s pick of 2.3 per cent in the year to March but the economic mandarins will be closer to the mark on unemployment, which will be near their 6.9 per cent forecast. 0/10. Don’t take investment advice from us (or Treasury). Growth actually bettered Treasury’s forecast reaching 2.7 per cent in the March year, while unemployment fell to a surprisingly low 6.2 per cent – though there was some questioning of the data.

20 David Bain will be paid some compensation, even though a second review will be more ambivalent about his innocence – but he will get less than $1 million. 0/10. We are still awaiting the final outcome.

So overall it’s a very creditable 133/200.

– © Fairfax NZ News

Maracarena de trás para frente

Números de ontem do TV TOTAL

 

Country	Views
Brazil	624
United States	61
Portugal	22
Germany	4
Ukraine	3
Mozambique	2
Belgium	2
Mexico	2
Australia	2
Sweden	2
Finland	1
Czech Republic	1

Wanderers coach Tony Popovic to shake things up for Wellington clash

December 31, 2013 – 9:08PM

Sebastian Hassett

Football reporter

Return: Tomi Juric and Shinji Ono are expected to return for the Wanderers on Wednesday after sitting out the weekend draw with Melbourne Victory. Photo: Getty Imges

The Western Sydney Wanderers selection merry-go-round is set to roll on with coach Tony Popovic preparing to shake up his side for Wednesday’s clash against Wellington Phoenix at Pirtek Stadium.

The Wanderers have embarked on a fierce rotation policy this season, dropping players regardless of form and sometimes only notifying players barely an hour before kick-off.

It is all part of Popovic’s plan to keep the squad fresh and on edge as they move towards the half way point of a season that sees firmly in contention for their maiden A-League championship.

“There’s probably a good chance we’ll change some more players. With three games in nine days, it’s very difficult but we’ve built a squad which is capable of handling that,” he said. “Regardless of who plays, we feel they can get the job done. We’ve got a lot of confidence in our players and those who came in [against Melbourne Victory] did a great job, as we expected.”

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Two players putting their hand up for selection will be Shinji Ono and Tomi Juric, rested during the 1-1 draw with Melbourne Victory despite their blitzing form in the pre-Christmas win over Central Coast.

Popovic confirmed he didn’t want to over-stretch the pair by forcing them to play right through the hectic festive calendar.

“Obviously against Central Coast they both played very well but Tomi’s coming off a long-term injury and this has given him a chance to really recover properly,” he said. “He’ll be raring to go, as will Shinji.”

The rotation policy is also something of a dry run for how Popovic will manage his squad through the Asian Champions League, which begins in late February.

It has been confirmed the Wanderers will face Kawasaki Frontale in the group stage after the Japanese side won their Emperors’ Cup semi-final against FC Tokyo on Monday.

“[Rotating players] is a bit of a run out in that regard because from the end of February we’ll pretty much be playing three games per week,” Popovic said. “This [scheduling] is a good test, we’ve got another one soon when we play three times in a week and you’ve got to have confidence in the players you have and the players need to know the staff have belief in each and every one of them that, if called upon, they can do a job.”

Wellington go into the match having put together back-to-back victories for the first time this season, providing hope for a late finals charge.

“They’ve won a couple of games now but overall they’ve been playing some good football throughout,” said Popovic. “We’ve played them twice and had two draws so we know it’s a difficult game. We certainly won’t take them lightly but if we can build on the performances that we’ve had in recent weeks, we have to the confidence and belief to get three points.”

In the two prior matches between the sides this season the Phoenix threatened to steal all three points and Popovic believes it is because his side failed to put together complete performances.

“There are a few things to work on but I think we’ve just got to concentrate on our game,” he said. “I don’t think we played particularly well, certainly not for 90, against the Phoenix. We’ve played in patches.”

While the Wanderers have put their November slump well behind them, the coach feels they could up the ante when they move the ball from defence to attack.

“We want to build on the speed at which we’ve been playing in the last three weeks,” he said. “In and out of possession, we’ve been very good, our play has been getting better and we want to continue on with that.”

Despite the January transfer window about to fly open, Popovic is content to keep his squad as is and isn’t planning any changes.

“Our roster is full, we’ve got 23 players,” he said. “That’s what we’ve got, what we’re happy with and it’s what will see us through.”

The Sydney Morning Herald