JUST POLITICS
Ministerial Allowances Inquiry Welcomed
Nick Smith Joins Educators Against Laila Harre Cannabis Speech
Youth Drug Problem Demands A Plan
Pondering The $65,000,000,000 Question With Rodney Hide
New Consul General To Hong Kong
Investment Loss Highlights RMA Problems Again
Touch Wood, Govt Committed To Wood Industry

POLITICS FROM TOP SCOOPS
Hard News Is Here!
Howard’s End: Pakeha Should Learn Own History To Understand Maori
PM Reveals Her Waitangi Day Plans
Police Toilet Paper Use Comes In Under Budget
NZ Trade Unionist Protests WEF In Switzerland
Settlement On Willis Tax Dispute Case

JUST POLITICS

Ministerial Allowances Inquiry Welcomed

- ACT New Zealand’s Acting Leader Ken Shirley welcomed the Auditor-General’s announcement that his office would be looking into the payment of accommodation allowances to Wellington MPs. See... Auditor-General’s Inquiry Welcome - ACT [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00115.htm

Nick Smith Joins Educators Against Laila Harre Cannabis Speech

- National’s Education spokesperson Nick Smith today joined concerned teachers, principals and parents in condemning the Youth Affairs Minister’s comments over softening cannabis laws. See... Youth Minister’s cannabis talk unwise and untimely [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00124.htm

Youth Drug Problem Demands A Plan

- ACT Youth Affairs Spokesman Dr Muriel Newman is urging the Government to outline a plan to deal with the growing problems associated with drug use by young people – particularly in relation to the disruption they cause at school. See... Government Needs Answers for Youth Drug Problems [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00114.htm

Pondering The $65,000,000,000 Question With Rodney Hide

- Finance Minister Michael Cullen has a simple solution to the fiscal problem posed by the number of elderly more than doubling over the next 30 years. His plan is to take $65,000,000,000 of taxpayers’ money over the next 25 years, put it into a monster state-run pension fund, and then pay it out, plus interest, over the next 75 years. See... Super Policy : The $65,000,000,000 Question [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00116.htm

New Consul General To Hong Kong

- New Zealand's next Consul General in Hong Kong would be Frank Wilson, Acting Foreign Minister Jim Sutton announced today. See... New Consul General To Hong Kong [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00122.htm

Investment Loss Highlights RMA Problems Again

- The shock announcement that Olivine NZ is relocating to Australia to build a $500m waste-to-energy plant is grim news for New Zealand, ACT Environment Spokesman Owen Jennings said. See... Investment Loss Highlights RMA Problems Again [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00118.htm

Touch Wood, Govt Committed To Wood Industry

- To The wood industry is one of the ripest opportunities for New Zealand's economic development, Deputy Prime Minister Jim Anderton said today. See... Govt committed to boosting wood industry [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00113.htm

POLITICS FROM TOP SCOOPS

Hard News Is Here!

- GOOD DAY MEDIAPHILES ... and a Happy New Year. Since we last communed over the ether I've circumnavigated the South Island - well, the bottom half anyway.See... HARD NEWS 26/1/01 - Gobsmacked All Over Again [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0101/S00070.htm

Howard’s End: Pakeha Should Learn Own History To Understand Maori

- If pakeha New Zealander's took the time to learn their own history and what happened to their ancestors, they might better understand where Maori are coming from and the Waitangi Day celebrations might not be the fiasco that it has become. See… Howard's End: Maori And Pakeha History Parallels [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0101/S00071.htm

PM Reveals Her Waitangi Day Plans

- Prime Minister Helen Clark said today she would spend Waitangi Day in Wellington and Auckland. See... PM's Waitangi Day Plans [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00120.htm

Police Toilet Paper Use Comes In Under Budget

- Minister of Police Hon George Hawkins said claims that toilet paper shortages have occurred because of Police budget cuts is totally false. See... Toilet Paper Claims - Budget Cuts - Not Accurate [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00121.htm

NZ Trade Unionist Protests WEF In Switzerland

- Trade Union Federation President Maxine Gay will be marking the last few days of the Federation by continuing to fight for those issues that have become her hallmark. See… Trade Union Leader Attends WEF Protests In Davos [1] . SCOOP LINK: http://switzerland.indymedia.org [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0101/S00067.htm
[2] - http://switzerland.indymedia.org/index.php3?lang=en

Settlement On Willis Tax Dispute Case

- A $550,000 settlement has been reached between the Inland Revenue Department and Jan and Murray Willis over their long running dispute with IRD. See… Cullen welcomes Willis settlement [1] and Willis Compensation Good News For All Taxpayers - ACT [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00117.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00119.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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