Scoop: Top Scoops + Just Politics

Friday, 30 May 2003, 4:47 pm
Article: Alastair Thompson

TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS
LEAD STORY:
Friday Funnies With Babylon Express
NEW ZEALAND HEADLINES:
INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES:
Paul Wolfowitz Gets Bitten By A Truth Snake
SCOOP COLUMNS:
Hard News And Much More Is There!
Between The Lines On War Profiteering
John Laughland: Beltway Seeks To Expand Across The Atlantic
Imad Khadduri: Nuclear Idiocy In And Over Iraq
Katya Daily

OTHER NEWS (Just Politics)
Goff Issues More Aid To Palestinians
Breakthrough: Meth Class A From Today
Govt Issues Package For Himalayan Trust
Week Round-up From The Hive
Maori Broadcasting On The Ropes?
Cut The Baccy Market To Pacific Nations: Greens
Heather Roy’s Diary
Paid Parental Dosh Rises
Marc’s On The Case
Robson Amused By ACT and Nats Lib-Take
Govt Ill-Advised To Pursue GE WTO Case
John T Says NZ Justice Ought To Grow Up
One Hundred Grand For BOP Development
Positives Of A Rising Pacific Culture
Gimme Cops n More Cops: NZ First
Coddington Sounds Forth From Cambridge

LEAD STORY:

Friday Funnies With Babylon Express

- The National Party has come out fiercely denying rumors that former conservation minister Nick Smith is about to be traded in for a late-model Japanese import. See... Scoop Satire: Nats Deny Smith To Be Traded In [1] ALSO: - St Molesworth - Top 10 things overheard when Goff met Arafat [2] - John Chuckman - George Bush The Laughing Monkey [3] - Kidd Millennium - Deja Who? [4]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0305/S00204.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0305/S00203.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0305/S00202.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0305/S00201.htm

NEW ZEALAND NEWS:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0305/S00753.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0305/S00748.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0305/S00744.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/CU0305/S00145.htm

INTERNATIONAL NEWS:

G8

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0305/S00302.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0305/S00301.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0305/S00304.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0305/S00305.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0305/S00299.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0305/S00303.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0305/S00296.htm
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0305/S00294.htm
[9] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0305/S00295.htm
[10] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0305/S00297.htm
[11] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0305/S00306.htm

Paul Wolfowitz Gets Bitten By A Truth Snake

- "…The truth is that for reasons that have a lot to do with the U.S. government bureaucracy we settled on the one issue that everyone could agree on which was weapons of mass destruction as the core reason…" See... Wolfowitz Interview with Vanity Fair's Tannenhaus [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0305/S00308.htm

SCOOP COLUMNS:

Hard News And Much More Is There!

- While Murray McCully is loudly declaring that "separate funding for Maori [broadcasting] should stop", it might be worth recalling that not only was he part of the National government that established Te Mangai Paho in 1994, he was a member of the Cabinet that agreed in 1997 "that TMP should be strengthened in its present form rather than abolished or merged with another organisation." See... Hard News: Do The Right Thing [1] and for more from public address see... Hard News 30/05/03 - Friday Afternoon Infotainment [2]

[1] - http://publicaddress.net/default,hardnews.sm#post462
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0305/S00206.htm

Between The Lines On War Profiteering

- Well before the Bush administration launched its war against Baghdad, U.S. corporations were lining up to win lucrative contracts for the rebuilding of Iraq, a nation devastated by war and 12 years of economic sanctions. Between The Lines: War Profiteering &Halliburton [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0305/S00200.htm

John Laughland: Beltway Seeks To Expand Across The Atlantic

- It beggars belief, but it is true. Last week, a group of influential politicians who inhabit the rarefied but influential world of Washington DC think-tanks proposed that US government officials be given the right to sit in on the European Union's inter-governmental conference and on meetings of its other executive bodies so that the USA can keep an eye on the direction Europe is taking. See... All News Is Lies: Becoming The 51st State [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0305/S00199.htm

Imad Khadduri: Nuclear Idiocy In And Over Iraq

- There are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. This apparently became the case a few months after the end of the 1991 war when Hussain Kamel, the man in charge of the nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs, ordered the destruction of the chemical and biological materials and their warheads. See... Imad Khadduri: Iraq's Free Fall [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0305/S00198.htm

Katya Daily

- Enemies who rage against My beloved Church have insulted Me in the same way as when they insulted Me in front of Pilate. Today they accuse My Church of the corruption of temporal power. See... Katya Rivas: Light Will Shine over the Darkness [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0305/S00196.htm

Goff Issues More Aid To Palestinians

- New Zealand will give $400,000 to the United Nations agency providing food aid and other humanitarian relief to Palestinians refugees, Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff announced in Ramallah overnight (NZT). See... More support for Palestinian refugees [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0305/S00748.htm

Breakthrough: Meth Class A From Today

- Associate Health Minister and Progressive leader Jim Anderton warned Methamphetamine importers, manufacturers and suppliers that from today they will be risking life imprisonment as Methamphetamine changes from Class B2 to Class A under the Misuse ... See... Methamphetamines Class A from today [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0305/S00751.htm

Govt Issues Package For Himalayan Trust

- Prime Minister Helen Clark today marked Summit Day and the fiftieth anniversary of the conquest of Everest by announcing a significant increase in the government’s annual grant to Sir Edmund Hillary’s Himalayan Trust. See... Govt boosts contribution to Himalayan Trust [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0305/S00745.htm

Week Round-up From The Hive

- Te Mangai Paho chairperson Toby Curtis resigned from the TMP board this week. Mäori Affairs Minister, Parekura Horomia, met the board and received the report into matters surrounding former TMP employee, Tame Te Rangi. Parekura Horomia says in reading ... See... Beehive Bulletin For Week Ending Friday 30 May [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0305/S00772.htm

Maori Broadcasting On The Ropes?

- Associate Maori Affairs Minister Tariana Turia has called on Maori broadcasters to move forward steadily through turbulent times. See... Turia defends Maori broadcasting [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0305/S00771.htm

Cut The Baccy Market To Pacific Nations: Greens

- The Greens are urging the Government to ban the export of all tobacco products to the Pacific Islands, to mark World Smoke-free Day tomorrow. See... Stop NZ's $4.8 million tobacco trade to the Pacific [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0305/S00770.htm

Heather Roy’s Diary

- New Zealand is in the midst of a power crisis, and the prospect of losing water heating looms for many people. The Prime Minister isn't worried for herself, as she recently explained that she uses gas for heating. See... Heather Roy's Diary: The Generation Gap [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0305/S00769.htm

Paid Parental Dosh Rises

- The maximum paid parental leave payment will increase from $325 per week to $334.75 per week from 1 July, Labour Minister Margaret Wilson said today. See... Adjustment to paid parental leave rate [1] ALSO: - Progressives - Paid parental leave increase good news [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0305/S00760.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0305/S00765.htm

Marc’s On The Case

- Solitaire Angelique Palmer has been sentenced to 18 months jail on a series of drug related charges. Good! It's about time that those who sold drugs and eked out a financial benefit on the backs of the drug dependant be brought to account. See... Marc My Words: Solitaire Palmer's Bunkum Defence [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0305/S00764.htm

Robson Amused By ACT and Nats Lib-Take

- Richard Prebble's funny speech yesterday had a serious undertone because it highlighted the extent to which National and ACT are locked into a bitter contest for the small and diminishing illiberal vote, Progressive deputy leader Matt Robson said. See... Nats & ACT Locked In Contest For Illiberal Vote [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0305/S00762.htm

Govt Ill-Advised To Pursue GE WTO Case

- The Greens are calling on the New Zealand Government to follow Egypt's lead, and pull out of the wrong-headed United States world trade case against Europe over Genetic Engineering. See... NZ should follow Egypt and pull out of GE WTO case [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0305/S00761.htm

John T Says NZ Justice Ought To Grow Up

- Responding to suggestions that the replacement of the Privy Council as New Zealand's final court of appeal with a New Zealand-based Supreme Court should be delayed, Mr Tamihere said it was time New Zealand stood on its own feet in terms of its legal ... See... If not now, when? [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0305/S00759.htm

One Hundred Grand For BOP Development

- Economic, Industry and Regional Development Minister Jim Anderton announced today that Industry New Zealand has provided $100,000 so that the Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty new regional development strategy and implementation plan can be completed. ... See... Bay of Plenty to develop business plan for region [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0305/S00758.htm

Positives Of A Rising Pacific Culture

- News that Pacific Islanders will make up nine per cent of the population by 2021 is a great opportunity for New Zealand, Progressive MP Matt Robson says. See... PI population growth offers huge job opportunities [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0305/S00756.htm

Gimme Cops n More Cops: NZ First

- New Zealand First has announced a policy of doubling the number of police officers and a system of monitoring police performance by local communities. See... NZ First Pledges To Double Police Numbers [1] ALSO: - ACT - Crime Policy Means More Than Just Police Numbers [2] - Nats - National's call for more police picked up [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0305/S00753.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0305/S00757.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0305/S00768.htm

Coddington Sounds Forth From Cambridge

- It's a rare day New Zealand makes it to a news story in the British papers, so it's been nice this week to see Sir Edmund Hillary feted as a New Zealand icon and the conqueror of Everest. One article talked of his being bullied at school… See... Deborah Coddington's Liberty Belle [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0305/S00750.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.

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