JUST POLITICS
Closing The Gaps A Complete Farce - McCully
Sports Review Out Tomorrow
Give A Dog A Bone
Road Safety: Who Dropped The Ball?
Wellington Policing Inquiry Call
News From The Committee Rooms
Ideas Wanted On Violence Prevention
Hobbs To Face Youth Test
PM Reveals Her Waitangi Day Plans
Police Toilet Paper Use Comes In Under Budget

POLITICS FROM TOP SCOOPS
Davos Protest Report: “Motherly” Kiwi Trade Unionist’s Wrist Broken
Acid On Anderton To Come Up With People’s Bank Answers
Defence Policy Debate: Nats Expect Radical Changes – Burton Off To Timor
Norweigian Whaling Disappoints Clark
Willis Compensation Not Enough For Winston
Chairman of Kohuiarau Parliament Resigns

JUST POLITICS

Closing The Gaps A Complete Farce

- National MP Murray McCully says Closing the Gaps monitoring benchmarks, obtained under the Official Information Act, show that the policy “Is a complete farce and a gross offence to the notion of accountability”. See... Gaps Benchmarks A Farce, Says McCully [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00142.htm

Sports Review Out Tomorrow

- Sport Fitness and Leisure Minister Trevor Mallard will release the review into sport, fitness and leisure tomorrow. See... Release Of Review Into Sport, Fitness And Leisure [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00144.htm

Give A Dog A Bone

- Shadow Leader of the House Roger Sowry says the accommodation allowance scam involving Cabinet Ministers Phillida Bunkle and Marian Hobbs might yet see them end up facing a Police investigation. See... Bunkle, Hobbs Could Face Police Investigation [1] . See also... Auditor-General’s Inquiry Welcome - ACT [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00141.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00115.htm

Road Safety: Who Dropped The Ball?

- Roger Sowry needs to check his own party’s track record on road safety before wrongly accusing the Government of ‘dropping the ball' in terms of road safety, Transport Minister Mark Gosche said today. National MP See... Road Safety [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00139.htm

Wellington Policing Inquiry Call

- Ohariu Belmont MP and United Future leader, Hon Peter Dunne, wants an independent inquiry into Wellington policing needs, in the light of reports that a further 50 positions in the region are to go because of funding problems. See... Independent Inquiry Into Wellington Policing Needs [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00138.htm

News From The Committee Rooms

- From 22 December 2000 to 26 January 2001 Committee meetings There was one committee meeting, held in the parliamentary complex. See... Last Weeks Select Committee Business [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00136.htm

Ideas Wanted On Violence Prevention

- Four community workshops are being organised in February and March to seek the views of community-based organisations on ways to prevent family violence, Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey said today. See... Community ideas on preventing family violence [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00135.htm

Hobbs To Face Youth Test

- The way Marian Hobbs handles the imminent Cabinet battle over the proposed youth radio network will be her first real test as Broadcasting Minister, National Broadcasting spokesperson Katherine Rich said today. See... All eyes on Hobbs' handling of youth radio [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00131.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

POLITICS FROM TOP SCOOPS

Davos Protest Report: “Motherly” Kiwi Trade Unionist’s Wrist Broken

- Maxine Gay, President of the New Zealand Trade Union Federation has her arm in plaster after breaking her wrist during the anti-World Economic Forum activities in Davos Switzerland. See... Trade Union Federation Leader injured in Davos [1] and Davos Report I from Maxine Gay [2] MORE: - INDYMEDIA - INDYMEDIA: Davos Chaos Coverage [3] - AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL - Davos: Intimidation must not be tolerated [4] - SCOOP LINKS - Live Coverage - http://switzerland.indymedia.org [5] - Background - SCOOP S11-S26 FEATURE PAGE [6] and SCOOP N30-M1 FEATURE PAGE [7]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0101/S00081.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0101/S00076.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0101/S00093.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0101/S00078.htm
[5] - http://switzerland.indymedia.org/index.php3?lang=en
[6] - http://scoop.co.nz/mason/features/?s=s11
[7] - http://scoop.co.nz/mason/features/?s=mayday

Acid On Anderton To Come Up With People’s Bank Answers

- ACT Finance spokesman Rodney Hide said today that Deputy Prime Minister Jim Anderton needed to be up-front with taxpayers on the risks, costs and benefits of his “People’s Bank”. See... Jim! Please Answer These Five Questions [1] and Govt must not repeat past banking mistake - Shipley [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00132.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00130.htm

Defence Policy Debate: Nats Expect Radical Changes – Burton Off To Timor

- The next two months could see the most radical restructuring of our defence force since the end of World War Two, National Defence spokesperson Dr Wayne Mapp said today. See... Radical Option Abandons Closest Allies [1] . Meanwhile Defence Minister Mark Burton is about to depart for Timor, see... Minister Of Defence To Visit East Timor [2] . See also… Burton Must Protect Volunteer Soldiers' Jobs [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00143.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00140.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00129.htm

Norweigian Whaling Disappoints Clark

Prime Minister Helen Clark today said she was very disappointed by Norway's plans to lift its ban on exports of whale products. See... NZ disappointed with Norwegian whale export plans [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00134.htm

Willis Compensation Not Enough For Winston

- The decision of the Government today to compensate Jan and Murray Willis to the tune of $550,000 surely cannot be the end of the story, says the Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First. See... Decision To Compensate Can’t Be End Of The Story [1] . See also... Cullen welcomes Willis settlement [2] and Willis Compensation Good News For All Taxpayers - ACT [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00137.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00117.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00119.htm

Chairman of Kohuiarau Parliament Resigns

- Chris Ruka the chairman of the controversial Kohuiarau Parliment has resigned, citing dissatisfaction with “;advisors” who make decisions for the Parliament, and who have “scant knowledge of Tikanga Maori”. See... Chairman of Kohuiarau Parliament Resigns [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0101/S00084.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

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