Latest news with #Pearse
Otago Daily Times
22-05-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Stalwart volunteer acknowledged
Twizel woman Michelle Pearse has been making a difference in the Mackenzie district for over two decades. This month's recipient of the Volunteer of the Month award has been recognised for her efforts with two community trusts. Mrs Pearse was nominated by Vicky Hayes from the Twizel Community Care Trust. She said Mrs Pearse was an invaluable asset and a conduit between the Twizel Community Care Trust community care trust and Twizel/Tekapo Community Vehicle Trust. Mrs Pearse had volunteered for the community vehicle trust since 2012 as driver co-ordinator and was also on the board of both trusts. Mrs Pearse said the award was a "very unexpected surprise". "It's great to know volunteers are appreciated, not just me, everyone." She said she did not expect anything for what she did. "I do it because I enjoy doing it." She said for her, the satisfaction came from helping others. "You have to want to do it, if you don't you won't have the right mindset." Mrs Hayes said both trusts held an awful lot of value to many members of their community. The vehicle trust provided transport for residents who were unable to transport themselves from their homes to nearby towns or cities for medical appointments or shopping visits. It relied largely on volunteers driving the vehicles; passenger fees were set to cover the operating cost of the trips. Mrs Pearse had built a relationship with all of the drivers, and worked tirelessly to ensure the safety and happiness of the drivers and board members. Mrs Hayes said, "she spends time every day to support the co-ordinators at the care centre as well as being a driver herself sometimes having to support people last minute or in emergencies". She said Mrs Pearse was often a support person for members of the community going through medical concerns. "Michelle has helped by attending appointments often knowing it will be traumatic for the person concerned and being that listening ear and company for people without family close by. "Her presence is exceptionally important. She communicates and arranges all aspects of the trips including vehicle maintenance and safety." She said without Mrs Pearse, the trust would not be able to provide as much support to so much of the community, in particularly the elderly and those without family members. "She is committed to ensuring the safety of all drivers as well as ensuring people in our isolated community are supported." As well as these current roles, she previously volunteered for Hone Hato St John for over 20 years. She had started in first aid and had moved in to an ambulance officer role.
Otago Daily Times
08-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Deer sector to mark milestone
Politicians should not expect oysters at the Deer Industry Conference in Queenstown next week. New Zealand Deer Farmers Association life member Tony Pearse said he was excited to be speaking about the 50-year anniversary of the association at the conference at Millennium Hotel on Wednesday. When the conference was launched in Queenstown in 1978, it was held across three days, rather than a single day, and he fondly remembered the inaugural event organised by late southern deer farmer Robbie Brookes. ''It was an extravaganza. Robbie never responded to a request for a budget. He just said, 'it'll happen', '' he said. About 1400 people attended that conference, a mix of deer farmers and off-farm investors including well-known business figures. Many arrived by helicopter and parked their aircraft on the roof of Rydges Lakeland Resort which was hosting the event. The event included a cruise on TSS Earnslaw. ''There were about 700 people on it and helicopters were buzzing it,'' he recalled. Three floors of the resort were themed for the conference. ''One was set out with trees, as a New Zealand bush camp and another floor was an English village with English food and then the top floor was the extravagant main banquet area with a couple of guys in a rowboat, who shucked a thousand dozen oysters. It was just an incredible conference,'' Mr Pearse said. A keynote speaker at the conference was late Labour Party politician Trevor de Cleene. ''Essentially, the conference in its grand nature gave a message to De Cleene and the Labour government that these guys are having far too much fun.'' Mr de Cleene took the conference as a signal there must be something wrong with the tax advantages available to investors in deer farms, Mr Pearse said. An investor could write off the difference between the then standard value of a hind and its market value and then claim that taxation against their other businesses. Afterwards, the government changed the standard value for deer and the deductions became ''minuscule'', which prompted many investors to cash up and leave the industry. Minister of Agriculture Todd McLay would attend the conference next week and would not be served freshly shucked oysters from a row boat. ''No, I won't be having anything like that,'' Mr Pearse laughed. The first conference was a ''wonderful'' event and its consequences had an impact including the formation of the Game Industry Board. ''The industry started to grow up beyond just the enthusiasm all the pioneers had started,'' he said. Speakers next week include motivational speaker Kevin Biggar, agribusiness lawyer Millie Morgan and economist Brad Olsen. Mr Pearse said he and The Deer Farmer magazine founder Trevor Walton would talk about sector highlights of the past 50 years and celebrate its transformation from a feral industry and deer recovery to proper farming. Delegates had the option of adding on other activities on the days either side of the conference. NZDFA executive committee chairman Mark McCoard said the association was an independent farmer-led and run organisation. ''It is the voice of our farmers, advocating for farmer interests across all levels of industry, from the local, grassroots level to the regional and national government level when the need arises. ''We have a long history, almost as long as the New Zealand deer industry itself. Deer farmers are known as a passionate bunch, and we are seeing that as interest in the annual deer industry conference — celebrating 50 years of the NZDFA — has reached the point of needing waitlists for the awards dinner and the field trip to Fairlight Station the day after. ''So yeah, we're excited for conference, which is such a great opportunity for deer farmers and industry representatives from all over the country to get together to discuss the state of the industry, the weather, and the world in general. ''This year's 50th anniversary will give us a good reason to remember and reflect on the past, while also looking forward to an exciting future that features the same proactivity and innovative thinking that has underpinned the deer industry's past successes.''
Reuters
04-03-2025
- Business
- Reuters
UK's FCA bans former Credit Suisse executives following US criminal convictions
LONDON, March 4 (Reuters) - Two former Credit Suisse managing directors have been banned from the UK financial services industry after they pleaded guilty in the United States over their role in Mozambique's "tuna bond" scandal, Britain's Financial Conduct Authority said on Tuesday. Andrew Pearse and Surjan Singh pleaded guilty in 2019 to accepting kickbacks in relation to around $1.3 billion of loans provided by Credit Suisse to Mozambique, which have prompted litigation and regulatory penalties around the world. Pearse, formerly head of Credit Suisse's Global Financing Group, received around $45 million in kickbacks while Singh received $5.7 million, the FCA said. A lawyer who represented Pearse and Singh in a separate civil lawsuit did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The loans and bonds at the centre of the scandal were provided by banks, including Credit Suisse, to Mozambican state-owned companies in 2013 and 2014. They were intended to fund boats to exploit the country's tuna-rich coastal waters and guarantee maritime security in projects backed by undisclosed state guarantees. But hundreds of millions of dollars went missing and, when the government debt came to light in 2016, donors such as the International Monetary Fund temporarily halted support, triggering a currency collapse, defaults and financial turmoil. Mozambique sued Emirati-Lebanese shipbuilder Privinvest and its now late owner Iskandar Safa in London, alleging they paid bribes to officials and Credit Suisse bankers to secure favourable terms. Last year, Mozambique substantially won its lawsuit though Privinvest is appealing against that ruling. Mozambique's lawsuit was also brought against Credit Suisse, which on the eve of the trial agreed a settlement with Mozambique which also covered Pearse and Singh. In 2021, Credit Suisse agreed to pay about $475 million to British and U.S. authorities to resolve bribery and fraud charges and pledged to forgive $200 million of debt owed by Mozambique. Get a look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets with the Morning Bid U.S. newsletter. Sign up here.
