JUST POLITICS
ERA Responsible For MAF Vets Situation
Private Members Bill To Fix Up IRD
Sutton Needs To Stick Around And Sort Out MAF Vets
Nats To Support Newman’s Family Court Bill
Damning Review Of Pilot Medical Certification
Swain Outlines Business Programme For The Year
Cullen Finds Shirley’s School Skills Lacking
Govt Of High Falutin’ Academics Ignoring The Salt Of The Earth
Final Dioxin Report Released In Full

POLITICS FROM TOP SCOOPS
Scoop Is In The House: Today’s Questions & Answers
KIWIBANK: John Howard Commentary
KIWIBANK: Eco-Economy’s View
KIWIBANK: Bring Back That Kiwi Banking Feeling
KIWIBANK: Scoop Images: The Faces Of The Kiwi Bank
KIWIBANK: Kiwi Bank Announcement - Anderton Greets It Quietly
Today Is National Bike To Work Day

JUST POLITICS

ERA Responsible For MAF Vets Situation

- If the Labour-Alliance Government can't get its Employment Relations Act to work for negotiations with its own employees, the MAF Vets, it doesn't bode well for private sector employers, National's Industrial Relations Spokesperson Lockwood Smith said. See... Clark's 'preposterous demands' ring hollow [1] and Labour must accept responsibility for strife [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00308.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00307.htm

Private Members Bill To Fix Up IRD

- ACT Finance Spokesman Rodney Hide said today that his ‘Access to Official Information Bill’ coming up for debate tonight would test Parliament’s Commitment to fixing up IRD. See... Bill To Test Commitment To Fixing Up IRD [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00324.htm

Sutton Needs To Stick Around And Sort Out MAF Vets

- “Jim Sutton's first priority must be to get his MAF employed vets back to work. If that means postponing his week-long trip abroad, then so be it. The immediate needs of New Zealand farmers and provincial New Zealand must come first,” National Agriculture spokesperson Gavan Herlihy said today. See... Jim Sutton Can Run But He Can't Hide [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00321.htm

Nats To Support Newman’s Family Court Bill

- National's Justice spokesperson Wayne Mapp today announced that National will support Muriel Newman's Family Courts (Openness of Proceedings) Bill to select committee for consideration. See... Let The Select Committee Hear The Evidence [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00319.htm

Damning Review Of Pilot Medical Certification

- The public needs reassurance that New Zealand will have a robust medical certification process for pilots after a damming review released today, National's Transport spokesperson Belinda Vernon said. See... Public confidence in pilot certification paramount [1] and Aviation medical system to be rebuilt [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00317.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00311.htm

Swain Outlines Business Programme For The Year

- I intend to pursue a close relationship with chambers of commerce this year as part of the ongoing partnership between government and business, and I look forward to working with Philip on issues relevant to the Chamber. See... Swain sets out business programme for the year [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00314.htm

Cullen Finds Shirley’s School Skills Lacking

- Accident Insurance Minister Michael Cullen says ACT deputy leader Ken Shirley needs to go back to school to improve his reading and arithmetic skills. See... Shirley needs to go back to school - Cullen [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00312.htm

Govt Of High Falutin’ Academics Ignoring The Salt Of The Earth

- Government policies, driven by a party of university lecturers and unionists are ignoring the rural community, National Rural Affairs spokesperson Shane Ardern said in the House today. See... Government destroying rural economy [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00309.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 [1] . See also... Scoop Publishes "Leaked" MFE Dioxin Report [2] and Dioxin report not secret – MFE [3]

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

TOP SCOOPS

Scoop Is In The House: Today’s Questions & Answers

- Today's questions of the day concerned: Kiwi Bank – Tax Changes – Vet Strike – Urban Rail Ownership - Kiwi Bank – ACC Overcharging – Vet Strike – Unemployment Rate – Auckland Health Board Resignation – Income Related Rents – Bunkle And Closing The Gaps – Family Court Openness. See... SCP HOUSE: Questions Of The Day - 21 February [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0102/S00114.htm

KIWI BANK: John Howard Commentary

- Either modern-day Kiwi's are as thick as two short planks or they've lost their institutional memory. Remember the State Advances Corporation fixed mortgages which gave a whole heap of New Zealanders a hand-up? John Howard writes. See... Howard's End: Taking Control Of Our Wealth [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0102/S00113.htm

KIWI BANK: Eco-Economy’s View

- Jim’s new bank has the enthusiastic support of NZ Post and that’s about it. Even Finance Minister Michael Cullen looked quietly dismissive as the bank was announced yesterday in the Beehive. See... Eco-Economy: What’s Wrong With Jim’s New Bank [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0102/S00110.htm

KIWIBANK: Bring Back That Kiwi Banking Feeling

- Today’s announcement of Government approval of New Zealand Post’s plan to establish a new publicly owned bank, and briefing by New Zealand Post Chairman Ross Armstrong and Chief Executive Elmar Toime, came with an emphasis on feel-good factor. See... Feel-Good Factor To Be Kiwi Bank's Advantage [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0102/S00105.htm

KIWIBANK: Scoop Images: The Faces Of The Kiwi Bank

- Images from the Government’s announcement of the Kiwi bank go-ahead, NZ Post bank briefing and Jim Anderton's press conference.. Photographs by Mark Graham. See... Scoop Images: Govt & NZ Post Present A New Bank [1] and Scoop Images: Jim's Big Day [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0102/S00109.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0102/S00107.htm

KIWIBANK: 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] REACTION: - ACT - Richard Prebble Reveals Fresh Bank Information [4] - ACT - Richard Prebble To Fight Gagging Attempt [5] - NATS - Anderton still keeping kiwis in the dark [6] - LIBZ - How To Offset Jim’s Bank Losses [7] - BCAC - Peoples Bank / Kiwi Bank [8] - NZ POST - Post To Establish Low-Fee Personal Banking Service [9] - UNITED FUTURE - Anderton's $80 Million Taxpayer Overseas Handout [10] Earlier Kiwi Bank news on the Just Politics page. [11]

[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
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00326.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00320.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00310.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0102/S00070.htm
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0102/S00069.htm
[9] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0102/S00136.htm
[10] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00300.htm
[11] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/features/?s=justpolitics

Today Is National Bike To Work Day

- Rod Donald, Jeanette Fitzsimons, Sue Kedgley and Keith Locke will ride the four-seater bike from Oriental Bay to Civic Square tomorrow (Wed 21st Feb) morning. (Nandor Tanczos is expected to accompany them on his skateboard.) See... Green MPs mark bike to work day [1] and Scoop Images: Green MPs Bike To Work [2] . See also… LTSA wants a crash-free bike to work day [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00315.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0102/S00318.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/GE0102/S00031.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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