Lotto Brings Christmas Cheer to Two Winners in North and South
 
With Christmas just a few days away, two winners from Taupo and Rangiora will be celebrating early after winning $500,000 with Lotto First Division, says NZ Lotteries’ Chief Executive Wayne Pickup.
 
Their winning Lotto tickets were sold at Whitcoulls Taupo and the Gift And Lotto Shop in Rangiora.
 
Meanwhile, Powerball was not struck and has jackpotted to $8 million, and Strike has jackpotted to $700,000.
 
Janice, a retired widow from Whangarei, won $200,000 on the Winning Wheel at the live draw at Wellington’s Avalon studios this evening. 
 
Tonight’s Winning Wheel ticket was bought by MyLotto player from Christchurch. The serial number is 667-65163019-20xx.
 
Anyone who bought a ticket from any of the above winning stores should write their name on the back of the ticket and check it immediately at any Lotto outlet or online at MyLotto.co.nz.
 
Lotto’s holiday promotion is also underway, giving Lotto Triple Dip players the chance to win one of 200 extra prizes worth over $5 million.
 
Every Triple Dip purchased during the three-week promotion period, from 16 December 2012 to 5 January 2013, will generate a special promotional voucher with a unique number. The 200 winning voucher numbers will be drawn on Saturday 5 January 2013.
 
Thanks to Lotto players, thousands of community groups benefit each year from millions in lottery grants.  From your local Plunket to national groups, such as Surf Life Saving and the Coast Guard, lottery grants provide badly needed funding and support.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On The 2013 Budget

Among Thursday’s main talking points:

We are apparently on track for a margin-of-error $75 million surplus, now in sight for 2014/15. But this sickly creature is hobbling out of the lab on the basis of all kinds of facilitative conjuring: such as trimming by $200 million the amount of new spending next time around.

With this strictly nominal surplus in sight, the 1984-ish justification for eternal austerity will have a news talisman: namely, getting Crown debt down to 20% of GDP by 2020. More>>

Budget Report, Lockup Audio & Images: Budget Day 2013 As always and especially after the managerial mishaps of the past few weeks and months, (e.g. Aaron Gilmore, the Mighty River Power share float, the GCSB mishaps) Budget Day 2013 was always going to be a pageant of reassurance... More>>

Budget 2013 Comment: Plain Sailing, But It's No America's Cup Pattrick Smellie: Compared to the last four budgets, this year's reflects an economy moving out of recession and into calmer waters... Yet if the fastest annual growth rate we can expect over the next two years is 3 percent - with the Christchurch rebuild in full swing - then you'd have to say New Zealand's underlying low-growth problem is far from fixed. More>>

Auckland Discord: Govt’s Power Hungry Housing Approach A Threat - Labour

Last week the Government said this, ‘The Government commits not to use any proposed or existing powers ... to override the council's planning and consenting processes’. But its housing Bill says this; ‘If an accord cannot be reached in an area of severe housing unaffordability, the Government can intervene by establishing special housing areas and issuing consents for developers’. More>>

ALSO:

• NZ Govt - Housing accords legislation passes first reading - Legislation For Housing Accords, Land Supply - Housing package improves affordability, access
• Greens - Budget numbers show National’s failure on home affordability
• Auckland Chamber of Commerce - Budget 2013: Housing intervention needed
• Out-Link - Gareth Morgan: Response to housing problem limp-wristed
• Earlier, Pre-Budget - Auckland Accord announced

Extending Protest Ban, Relaxing Permit Rules: Govt Abuses Urgency To Extend Anadarko Amendment

The Government is trying to pass legislation under urgency which would make the Anadarko Amendment – which limits protest at sea – apply to an additional 1.7 million square kilometres, the Green Party said today. More>>

ALSO:

• Parliament Today - Parliament Resumes To Pass Budget Bills
• Labour - Government to extend protest ban
• Greenpeace NZ - Oil Companies Lacking ‘Expertise’ and ‘Financial Ability’ Set to Be Handed Drilling Permits
• 2010 image via: Pacific.Scoop - Media watcher gives NZ press nil score card for China oil spill coverage