Scoop: Top Scoops + Just Politics

Wednesday, 13 March 2002, 3:38 pm
Article: Alastair Thompson

TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS
Scoop Is In The House: Today’s Q&A
Howard's End: Mysterious Visitors Could Be CIA Kidnappers
Disarmament Minister Condemns New Nukes
Sludge Report: Where's He Hiding?
What’s The Buzz On The Net? Scoop Is
Letter From Elsewhere - Pasifika
Benefits To Increase
Cutting Workplace Accidents Could Double Growth - CTU
More Secondary Teacher Strikes Planned
Zimbabwe: AI Calls For Release Of Detained Election Workers
Midweek Fringe Moments
Katya Rivas’ Passion

OTHER NEWS (Just Politics)
Primary Health Care Package Announced
Mallard Tackling Australian Rugby
Sub-Acute Services Shortage Puts Mentally Ill In Cells
Balance Of Power ACT’s Goal
Locke Demands Govt Response To Middle East Bloodbath
Hospital Deficit Still Climbing, Says Sowry
Greens Oppose Trans-Tasman Dietary Supplement Controls
Hodgson All Words & No Action On Power Companies

Scoop Is In The House: Today’s Q&A

- Today's questions of the day concerned: Zimbabwe Elections – Ross Armstrong – Economy – Parole Reform – Vote Health And The Treaty – NCEA – Pacific Island Health – NZ Post – Turia Speech – G-Men In Queenstown – Maori Business Facilitation – Armstrong And Wilson’s “Purposeful” Relationship. See... SCP HOUSE: Questions Of The Day – 13 March. To sign up to receive the answers in your inbox as they are posted, FOR FREE!!!, CLICK HERE [1] - MORE Q&A - Tuesday's Q&A [2] .

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/myscoop/index.html
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0203/S00072.htm

Howard's End: Mysterious Visitors Could Be CIA Kidnappers

- The U.S. Government is using US-registered Gulfstream V jets to secretly transport dozens of people suspected of links to terrorists to countries other than the United States, bypassing extradition procedures and legal formalities. The same type of jets which secretly flew into Queenstown airport last Saturday putting that community in a spin over clandestine CIA activities. Maree Howard writes. See... Howard's End: Secret Visitors May Be Kidnappers [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0203/S00077.htm

Disarmament Minister Condemns New Nukes

- “Nuclear weapons must be left in the 20th century. We cannot allow them to become the weapon of choice for the 21st century,” says Disarmament minister Matt Robson. See... Robson Urges Re-Think On Nuclear Plans [1] MORE: Two Suns In The Sunset [2] LINKS: US Nuclear Weapons Hit List [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0203/S00192.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0203/S00064.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0203/S00055.htm

Sludge Report: Where's He Hiding?

- In This Edition. Where’s Rodney? - Top Ten Reasons Why Rodney Hide Is Unable To Comment This Morning See... Sludge Report #132 – Where’s Rodney? [1] Full Coverage - Yesterday's Q&A Exchange - Sludge Report #131 – Sludge Scoop Haunts Hide [2] - Scoop Archives - Sludge Report #10 - Free Money For Greedy Mystery [3] - More Evidence Emerges [4] - Rodney’s Trip To Fiji [5] - Rodney’s Speech In Fiji (1) [6] - (2) [7] - NZ First - Winston Peters on Investors International [8]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0203/S00082.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0203/S00074.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0006/S00034.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0006/S00043.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0006/S00053.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0006/S00072.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0006/S00073.htm
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0006/S00295.htm

What’s The Buzz On The Net? Scoop Is

- Two recent mentions in IDG publications for Scoop, here are the links... See... Scoop Links: Scoop Is In The News… [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0203/S00081.htm

Letter From Elsewhere - Pasifika

-Three small dark blue flowers sit round the crown of the sunhat. Thin blue cords thread through its finely latticed – what? Flax? I realise I don’t even know exactly what these graceful hats are made of, though I’ve been wearing them in some form for most of my life. See... Letter From Elsewhere: Pasifika [1] and Pasifika Festival Funding Auckland City Response [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0203/S00078.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0203/S00080.htm

Benefits To Increase

- Payments for beneficiaries and superannuitants will increase by between about $2 and $7 a week from 1 April, Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey said today. See... Benefits And Super To Increase From April 1 [1] SEE ALSO: - Steps To Implement Report On Relationship Test [2] - War Pensions And Allowances To Increase [3] - Nats - Petrol Tax Wipes Out Benefit Increases [4]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0203/S00210.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0203/S00211.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0203/S00209.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0203/S00216.htm

Cutting Workplace Accidents Could Double Growth - CTU

- “Economic growth in New Zealand could double to 5% for the 2003 year if we are able to reduce the current high incidence of occupational accidents and disease by 50%,” Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson told Parliament’s Transport and Industrial Relations Select Committee today. See... 50% Reduction In Accidents Would Double Growth [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0203/S00100.htm

More Secondary Teacher Strikes Planned

- Secondary teachers will continue their day relief ban and more intense industrial action is planned for next term in protest at the lack of settlement of their collective agreement. See... Secondary Teachers Plan More Industrial Action [1] REACTION: - Trevor Mallard - Minister Comment On PPTA Action Plan [2] - Nick Smith - Shambles Risks 58,000 Students' Qualifications [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/ED0203/S00029.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0203/S00194.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0203/S00201.htm

Zimbabwe: AI Calls For Release Of Detained Election Workers

- The government of Zimbabwe should immediately and unconditionally release more than 1400 people, most of them polling agents and civil society election observers, who were arrested nationwide, mostly on Monday 11 March, and detained in police custody following last weekend's presidential election, Amnesty International said today. See... Zimbabwe: Hundreds Detained In Crackdown [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0203/S00067.htm

Midweek Fringe Moments

– Today’s fringe festival listings from the theatres, streets and cubby-holes of Wellington. See… Fringe NZ Listings For Wednesday 13th March [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0203/S00032.htm

Katya Rivas’ Passion

- Scoop has restarted a daily serialisation of Bolivian mystic Katya Rivas’ The Passion. In her book Jesus Christ relates in his own words his experiences during the first Holy Week. The serial will continue through to the end of Lent 2002. See... Katya Rivas: Jesus Forgives Even Greatest Sinners [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0203/S00079.htm

Primary Health Care Package Announced

- Health Minister Annette King says the Government will inject more than $400 million in new funding into primary health care over the next three years as part of the nearly $3 billion health funding package she announced in December. See... Funding For Primary Health Care Strategy [1] - Phase Out Of Community Services Card Begins [2] - GMS Subsidy Adjusted For Children Under Six [3] REACTION: - NZMA - Primary Health Care Funding Welcomed [4] Govt Keeps Community Services Card [5]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0203/S00213.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0203/S00212.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0203/S00214.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0203/S00064.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0203/S00220.htm

Mallard Tackling Australian Rugby

- Sport, Fitness and Leisure Minister Trevor Mallard today confirmed that he was visiting Australia for meetings regarding the Rugby World Cup. See... Minister In Australia For Rugby Meetings [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0203/S00219.htm

Sub-Acute Services Shortage Puts Mentally Ill In Cells

- More professional collaboration and the development of community-based sub-acute services are the key to keeping mentally ill people out of prison cells, says a national provider of mental health services. See... Call For More Sub-Acute Services [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0203/S00063.htm

Balance Of Power ACT’s Goal

- The ACT Party conference this weekend will focus on the key issues the party believes the next election will be fought on - health, education, law and order, and the economy/tax. See... ACT Conference Will Set Agenda For Election [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0203/S00217.htm

Locke Demands Govt Response To Middle East Bloodbath

- The growing bloodbath in the Middle East is a tragedy that demands action from world leaders and New Zealand can't sit on the sidelines, Green Party Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Keith Locke said today. See... New Zealand Has Middle East Role To Play [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0203/S00208.htm

Hospital Deficit Still Climbing, Says Sowry

- The combined deficit for the country's 21 district health boards has continued to climb over the past three months, National Health Spokesperson Roger Sowry said today. See... Hospital Deficit Continues To Climb [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0203/S00204.htm

Greens Oppose Trans-Tasman Dietary Supplement Controls

- Green Health spokesperson Sue Kedgley is calling on the Government to abandon its plans to radically tighten controls on dietary supplements by setting up a new Trans-Tasman body to regulate them. See... Stop Draconian Plans For Dietary Supplements [1] and NZ Natural Healthcare Industry Rejects Proposals [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0203/S00203.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0203/S00102.htm

Hodgson All Words & No Action On Power Companies

- Member of Parliament for Tauranga and Leader of New Zealand First, Rt Hon Winston Peters, has today slammed the inaction of the Energy Minister, Pete Hodgson for being long on words but short on activity. See... Extortion Alive And Well In The Energy Business [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0203/S00193.htm

© Scoop Media

Alastair Thompson

Scoop Publisher

Alastair Thompson is the co-founder of Scoop. He is of Scottish and Irish extraction and from Wellington, New Zealand. Alastair has 24 years experience in the media, at the Dominion, National Business Review, North & South magazine, Straight Furrow newspaper and online since 1997. He is the winner of several journalism awards for business and investigative work.

Contact Alastair Thompson

• Linkedin
• Twitter - @althecat
• Facebook
• Email - alastair@scoop.co.nz