JUST POLITICS
NZ Cops To Help With Speight Trial
Nats Parental Leave U-Turns Please Harre
Telecomms Inquiry Papers Released
Hodgson On Climate Change Announcements
Violent Crime Stance Wins ACT Friends
Green Party Sticks Up For Impoverished Students
TVNZ Lack Confidence Of Their Minister
Work For Dole Axing No Use
ACC Does It Again - ACT
Tussock Parks Planned
New Pacific High Commissioners

POLITICS FROM TOP SCOOPS
Kiwi Bank Announcement - Anderton Greets It Quietly
NZ Post Announcement
Final Dioxin Report Released In Full
Scoop Is In The House
Airways UK National Air Traffic Services Bid Fails
PM’s Presser: Phil Goff Has Con On Iraq
Only Platinum Good Enough For MAF Vets, Say Federated Farmers
Latest TV3 Poll

JUST POLITICS

NZ Cops To Help With Speight Trial

- Foreign Minister Phil Goff has announced that New Zealand police will assist Fiji with the treason case against George Speight and his associates. See... NZ Police Assistance In Speight Trial [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00295.htm

Nats Parental Leave U-Turns Please Harre

- Women's Affairs Minister Laila Harré has welcomed as “rather surprising” the National Party's newfound interest in Paid Parental Leave and policies that support family friendly workplaces. See... Harré Welcomes Turnaround On Paid Parental Leave [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00294.htm

Telecomms Inquiry Papers Released

- Communications Minister Paul Swain today released Cabinet papers relating to the Ministerial Inqiury into Telecommunications. See... Telecommunications Inquiry Cabinet Papers Released [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00288.htm

Hodgson On Climate Change Announcements

Climate change is one of the biggest items on the global political and environmental agenda. It isn't going to go away. It is going to influence human development and behaviour, forever. See... Climate Change: The Hague and Beyond - Speech [1] and See... Effects of climate change will be far reaching [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00287.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00286.htm

Violent Crime Stance Wins ACT Friends

The recent call for a tougher approach to violent crime has struck a chord. It should come as no surprise to politicians, since 92% of New Zealanders told us at the election that they wanted government to get tough on crime and the causes of crime. See... Approach to Violent Crime has Struck a Chord [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00303.htm

Green Party Sticks Up For Impoverished Students

- Green Party MP Sue Bradford will today move amendments to the Government's Social Security Amendment Bill which the majority of members on the select committee agree need addressing. See... Govt. likely to reject Green youth initiatives [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00302.htm

TVNZ Lack Confidence Of Their Minister

- Broadcasting Minister Marion Hobbs has no confidence in TVNZ's senior management, according to United Future leader, Hon Peter Dunne. See... Hobbs Lacks Confidence In TVNZ Management [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00299.htm

Work For Dole Axing No Use

- The official axing of the work-for-the-dole scheme will do nothing to lift the sights of a group of long-term unemployed who can work but won't, National's Social Services spokesperson Bob Simcock said today. See... Axing scheme won't help anyone get ahead [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00298.htm

ACC Does It Again - ACT

- ACT New Zealand Deputy Leader Ken Shirley is calling on Michael Cullen to explain why thousands of self-employed New Zealanders are again being overcharged by ACC. See... ACC’s Day That Wasn’t [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00297.htm

Tussock Parks Planned

- Conservation Minister Sandra Lee says the government is redressing the imbalance in New Zealand's parks and reserves system by adding more tussock grasslands to the steepland forests and mountain tops already under protection. See... "Outstanding" Tussock Grassland [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00291.htm

New Pacific High Commissioners

New Zealand's next High Commissioner to Samoa and Papua New Guinea announced. See... New High Commissioner To Samoa [1] and New High Commissioner To Papua New Guinea [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00290.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00289.htm

TOP SCOOPS

Kiwi Bank Announcement - Anderton Greets It Quietly

- Jim Anderton will celebrate quietly, if at all. See... The road to the bank - Anderton [1] . “New Zealanders want some of our strategic assets to be owned in New Zealand. They are tired of branch closures and rising fees,” Deputy Prime Minister Jim Anderton said today. See... NZ Post gets go-ahead for bank - Anderton [2] and - THE ANNOUNCEMENT ITSELF - The Government has approved New Zealand Post Ltd's plan to establish a new publicly owned bank. See... NZPO Ltd gets Government go-ahead for new bank [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00306.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00305.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00304.htm

NZ Post Announcement

- New Zealand Post welcomed Shareholder approval today for the provision of equity to establish banking services within the New Zealand Post retail network. See... Post To Establish Low-Fee Personal Banking Service [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0102/S00136.htm

Scoop Is In The House

– Today's questions of the day concerned: ACC Overcharging – Kiwi Bank x 2 – Sports Scholarships – Phillida Bunkle – New Baby Boom – TVNZ Charter Costings – Climate Change – Employment Relations Bill – Special Education Services – Health Reform Costs – Airways UK Contract Bid – Arms Amendment Bill. See... SCP HOUSE: Questions Of The Day - 20 February [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0102/S00102.htm

Final Dioxin Report Released In Full

- A Ministry for the Environment report that assesses the health risks that dioxins pose to the New Zealand public will be published on the Ministry’s website today at 3pm. Two cabinet papers on the report will also be published. See... Final Dioxins Report Public Today At 3pm [2] . See also... Scoop Publishes "Leaked" MFE Dioxin Report [3] and Dioxin report not secret – MFE [4]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/SC0102/S00074.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0102/S00092.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/GE0102/S00024.htm

Airways UK National Air Traffic Services Bid Fails

- Reports from London confirm that the consortium formed by Airways and Lockheed Martin has failed in its bid for the partial privatisation of the UK National Air Traffic Services (NATS). (WARNING NOTE: THIS REPORT HAS BEEN DENIED VIGOROUSLY BY AIRWAYS CORPORATION AND IN PARLIAMENT BY THE SOE MINISTER.) See... Airways Fails In Uk Bid - Early exit shocks SOE [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0102/S00100.htm

PM’s Presser: Phil Goff Has Con On Iraq

- “I’ve made it quite clear Phil Goff makes statements on Foreign policy,” Prime Minister Helen Clark said today, after Minister for Disarmament Matt Robson released a statement strongly criticising the air strikes against Iraqi military command, control and communication sites outside Bagdhad by the United States and Great Britain. See... Leave Foreign Policy To Phil, Robson Told [1] FULL COVERAGE: - MATT ROBSON - Attack On Iraq Sets Back World Peace Initiatives [2] - KEITH LOCKE - Locke Supports Robson's Criticism Of Raid On Iraq [3] - PHIL GOFF - Air Strike Against Iraq [4] - AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE - U.S./British Warplanes Hit Iraqi Military Sites [5] - BACKGROUND 1998 - The Security Situation In Iraq (2) [6] - The Security Situation In Iraq (1) [7]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0102/S00096.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00274.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00275.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00272.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0102/S00127.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/archive/scoop/stories/c4/3a/199812170916.478582.html
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/archive/scoop/stories/65/55/199812170913.32cb08.html

Only Platinum Good Enough For MAF Vets, Say Federated Farmers

- Federated Farmers NZ Meat and Fibre Producers Chairman Chris Lester is astounded that Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) Verification Authority (VA) veterinarians have turned down the latest pay offer put on the negotiating table by MAF. See... FF Say MAF VA Vets Need To "Get Real" [1] . EARLIER: If MAF Vets serious they should return to work [2] More on the Just Politics page. [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0102/S00134.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0102/S00133.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/features/?s=justpolitics

Latest TV3 Poll

- Labour is soaring in the latest TV3 poll receiving 49% of the vote in the crucial Party Vote race. For more details see… TV3 News [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/NM0102/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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