JUST POLITICS
Ormond To Contest ACT Presidency
Wellington Issues Overshadowed By Allowance Row
Blame Trade Deficit On Import Dependence
Goff Pledges $500,000 To Indian Earthquake Aid
Maori Prison Population Makes Corrections Dept TOW Policy Essential
Grants For Sustainable Agriculture
Primary Health Strategy On The Way
Orchard Aid For Wairarapa

POLITICS FROM TOP SCOOPS
Howard’s End: Astonishing NZ Child Killing Statistics
ACT Press Secretary Mike Lorigan Killed In Aus Plane Crash
One4B: Govt Drug Dealer Protecting Own Turf, Say Libz
PM’s Waitangi Comments A Welcome U-Turn, Says Dunne
PM’s Presser: Waitangi Day And People’s Bank
Barbie At Phil’s, PM Welcome
Scoop Images: More Giant Chickens With A Message

JUST POLITICS

Ormond To Contest ACT Presidency

- Long time Party Activist and board member John Ormond has announced this afternoon that he will be contesting the ACT Presidency as a result of the announcement that Sir Roger Douglas will be standing down from the ACT Presidency and the board. See... John Ormond Running For ACT Presidency [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00152.htm

Wellington Issues Overshadowed By Allowance Row

- United Future leader and Ohariu Belmont MP, Hon Peter Dunne, says the Wellington region is the major loser in the ongoing row over allowances paid to Ministers Marion Hobbs and Phillida Bunkle. See... Wellington The Big Loser In Bunkle/Hobbs Fiasco [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00150.htm

Blame Trade Deficit On Import Dependence

- The Green Party says the free market policies of successful governments are responsible for New Zealand’s latest trade deficit. See... Free Market Policies Fuel Trade Deficit [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00149.htm

Goff Pledges $500,000 To Indian Earthquake Aid

- Cabinet today agreed that New Zealand will make a contribution of $500,000 towards relief efforts following the catastrophic weekend earthquake in India, Prime Minister Helen Clark and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Phil Goff announced. See... NZ to give $500,000 towards India earthquake [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00148.htm

Maori Prison Population Makes Corrections Dept TOW Policy Essential

- It is interesting that Murray McCully would be so critical of work his party instigated when in government, says Associate Minister of Corrections Tariana Turia. See... Turia - Mccully Has Memory Loss [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00156.htm

Grants For Sustainable Agriculture

- The first grants from the Sustainable Farming Fund have been allocated, Rural Affairs Minister Jim Sutton said today. See... Sustainable Farming Fund Grants Allocated [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00155.htm

Primary Health Strategy On The Way

- The New Zealand Primary Health Care Strategy will be launched on Thursday, February 1, at 1.30pm. The Strategy looks at the first level of health care, including keeping people healthy, preventing illness, advice on managing illness, and services provided ... See... Launch Of Primary Health Care Strategy [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00154.htm

Orchard Aid For Wairarapa

- The Government has given Wairarapa orchardists hit by severe hailstorms a grant of up to $48,000, including the provision of Taskforce Green workers to pick hail-damaged fruit from trees in the affected orchards, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Minister Jim Sutton said. See... Government aid to stricken Wairarapa orchardists [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00147.htm

TOP SCOOPS

Howard’s End: Astonishing NZ Child Killing Statistics

- If Steve Maharey is right that there have been an average of 7 child homicides a year over the last 30 years, then that makes New Zealand bigger killers of children than the UK and the whole of Europe over the same period. See... Howard's End: Killing Children In Godzone [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0101/S00094.htm

ACT Press Secretary Mike Lorigan Killed In Aus Plane Crash

- Mike Lorigan the Press Secretary to ACT Leader Hon Richard Prebble and editor of Mr Prebble’s weekly ‘Letter from Wellington’ was tragically killed in an aeroplane crash near Canberra on the weekend. See... Mike Lorigan [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00151.htm

One4B: Govt Drug Dealer Protecting Own Turf, Say Libz

- “The Medical Association's call for a ban on the substance known as One4b is further evidence of their desire to retain a government-enforced monopoly as the only legal drug dealers in the country,” said Libertarianz Health Deregulation Richard McGrath today. See... One4B Ban Call Shows Docs Want Drug Monopoly [1] More - MOH - Warning On Outerspace Medicine One4b [2] - NZMA - Action over party drug welcomed - NZMA [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0101/S00050.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/CU0101/S00026.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/CU0101/S00027.htm

PM’s Waitangi Comments A Welcome U-Turn, Says Dunne

- Prime Minister Helen Clark's latest comments about Waitangi Day almost complete her somersault on the issue, according to United Future leader, Hon Peter Dunne. See... Clark's Waitangi Day Somersault Almost Complete [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0101/S00153.htm

PM’s Presser: Waitangi Day And People’s Bank

- Prime Minister Helen Clark today wouldn't back calls from some quarters for Waitangi Day to be renamed and more broadly focused as a national “New Zealand Day,” despite her refusal to attend celebrations at Waitangi. See... Waitangi Day Is Not New Zealand Day - PM [1] and People's Bank Has To Be Done Right - PM [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0101/S00091.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0101/S00092.htm

Barbie At Phil’s, PM Welcome

Prime Minister Helen Clark has finally received an official Waitangi Day invitation. The Young Nationals have invited her to a “BBQ and a few beers” in Wellington. Young Nationals Chair Daniel Gordon said that as a compassionate conservative, he felt obliged to invite Ms Clark to the party at “my mate Phil’s place.” See... PM Receives Waitangi Day Invitation [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0101/S00047.htm

Scoop Images: More Giant Chickens With A Message

- Greenpeace images from an anti-GE protest held outside KFC Nelson today. See... Greenpeace Images: Col. Franken Saunders In Nelson [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0101/S00044.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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