JUST POLITICS
Low Income Families Losers Under Labour, Says English
Greens Support National Action Day For EUB
School Staffing Review Recommendations Released
Greens Want Power Pylons Away From Schools
Ministry To Lead Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy
CYF Get Help For Child Abuse And Neglect Cases
Cullen Could Learn A Thing Or Two At GE Hearings
Foreign Minister Outraged By Taliban Vandalism

POLITICS FROM TOP SCOOPS
NEWSFLASH: US Bomb Kills Kiwi SAS Major In Kuwait
NEWSFLASH: Attention All Defacto Couples - Prepare To Be Married
Scoop Is In The House: Today’s Questions & Answers
David Miller: Reduced Defence Capability Risky
Sutton Wants Meat Industry To Keep It Clean, Despite Scrapie Smear
PM'S PRESSER: Foot And Mouth Biosecurity Tightening Confirmed
CRAP: A Deengo In The Kiwi House
Wilson Introduces Electoral Amendment Bill

JUST POLITICS

Low Income Families Losers Under Labour, Says English

- The latest food price figures, showing an almost 6% increase in the past year, provide convincing evidence that those on low and fixed incomes are suffering the most under this Labour Government, National's Finance spokesman Bill English said today. See... Big Food Price Rises Hit Low-Income Families Hard [1] and Food Prices Rise 0.5 Per Cent [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0103/S00191.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0103/S00075.htm

Greens Support National Action Day For EUB

- Green Party MP Sue Bradford said the Greens fully supported a national day of action by students to put more pressure on the Government to reintroduce the Emergency Unemployment Benefit over the summer. See... Greens Support More Pressure Over EUB [1] and Greens urge students to look at records on EUB [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0103/S00188.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0103/S00178.htm

School Staffing Review Recommendations Released

- * The reduction of the primary school Maximum Average Class Size from 28 to 25 with a change in the qualifying roll from 160 to 175. * The introduction of a new staffing component in primary schools called Professional Leadership that would have the effect See... Release Of Staffing Review Report [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0103/S00187.htm

Greens Want Power Pylons Away From Schools

- Green Party Health spokesperson Sue Kedgley is calling for the prohibition of pylons or high voltage transmission wires near schools. See... No More Schools Near Pylons [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0103/S00185.htm

Ministry To Lead Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy

- The Ministry of Youth Affairs will now be responsible for leading and coordinating the New Zealand Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy, Youth Affairs Minister Laila Harré announced today. See... Leadership of Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0103/S00179.htm

CYF Get Help For Child Abuse And Neglect Cases

- Six new social workers are to be taken on in Hamilton to assist Child, Youth and Family to tackle its backlog of unallocated cases, Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey announced today. See... Extra social workers to reduce unallocated cases [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0103/S00177.htm

Cullen Could Learn A Thing Or Two At GE Hearings

- Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons is inviting Deputy Leader Michael Cullen to attend her closing presentation to the commission into genetic engineering on Thursday, so that he can get a better grasp on the risks of the technology. See... GE hearings would educate Cullen [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0103/S00170.htm

Foreign Minister Outraged By Taliban Vandalism

- Foreign Minister Phil Goff has condemned as “barbaric vandalism” the destruction of relics and monuments in Afghanistan by the Taliban movement. See... Goff Slams Acts Of Vandalism By Taliban [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0103/S00169.htm

TOP SCOOPS

NEWSFLASH: US Bomb Kills Kiwi SAS Major In Kuwait

- New Zealand Army officer acting Major John McNutt was killed in Kuwait this morning (5:55am NZT) during a training exercise. See... New Zealand Officer Killed In Kuwait [1] - Scoop Images: Acting Major John McNutt [2] - NEWSFLASH: Kiwi Serviceman Killed In Kuwait [3] REACTION: - NATS - Tragic Death Of SAS Officer Major John McNutt [4] - GOVT - Govt Shocked At Kuwait Bombing Accident [5] BACKGROUND ON THE SAS IN THE GULF: - November 1998 - Claims SAS Involved In Covert Ops "For Many Years" [6] - TV REVIEW: Assignment Is Almost Inside The SAS [7] - What Were Our SAS Doing In The Gulf This Year? [8] - March 1998 - Most Troops Coming Home, SAS Stay [9]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0103/S00076.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0103/S00081.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0103/S00079.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0103/S00184.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0103/S00183.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/archive/scoop/stories/61/bf/199811301011.068521.html
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/archive/scoop/stories/24/ec/199811270718.16191b.html
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/archive/scoop/stories/cc/43/199811270719.368778.html
[9] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/archive/scoop/stories/1b/ac/199803170818.44820f.html

NEWSFLASH: Attention All Defacto Couples - Prepare To Be Married

- Following question time today Parliament moved on to the committee stages of the Property Relations Bill. See... NEWSFLASH: Prepare To Be Married [1] . For background and analysis of the little known, but hugely important Property Relations Bill , see… Sludge Report #41 - A Festering Scab Of A Bill [2] and Upton-on-line November 3rd [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0103/S00085.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/archive/scoop/stories/a6/dc/200011150050.b074a345.html
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/archive/scoop/stories/b9/e4/200011031000.ed9dc7d8.html

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

- Economic Performance - Biosecurity Fines – Foot and Mouth Concerns – PM Husband's Friendship With Pharmac Reviewer – Biosecurity Measures – People’s Bank Popularity – Brian Neeson's Missing Prisoner – Brain Drain – Christine Rankin Suing Sue Bradford. See... SCP HOUSE: Questions Of The Day - 13th March [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0103/S00083.htm

David Miller: Reduced Defence Capability Risky

- The announcement last week that the government does not intend to modernise New Zealand’s airborne anti- submarine capability is another blow to the defence forces of this country and adds to the growing uncertainty about the future role and combat effectiveness of the military. See... David Miller: Can NZ Afford Non-Combat Forces? [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0103/S00077.htm

Sutton Wants Meat Industry To Keep It Clean, Despite Scrapie Smear

- Despite being furious over the incorrect claim alleging New Zealand sheep have scrapie in a pamphlet distributed to all 33.5 million German homes, Agriculture Minister Jim Sutton says New Zealand should not take advantage of the European meat crisis by aggressively marketing its meat exports as disease free. See... Scrapie Smear Shouldn't Change Style - Sutton [1] and New Zealand furious at German scrapie allegations [2] REACTION: - NATS - Govt must help Meat Board fight Germans [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0103/S00074.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0103/S00167.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0103/S00175.htm

PM'S PRESSER: Foot And Mouth Biosecurity Tightening Confirmed

- Cabinet has approved extra measures to tighten New Zealand's border control, Prime Minister Helen Clark and Acting Biosecurity Minister Jim Sutton said today. See... Biosecurity measures announced - PM and Sutton [1] REACTION: - NATS - Where is the immediate protection? [2] - FEDERATED FARMERS - Foot and Mouth Border Protection Package Welcomed [3] - GREENS - Greens welcome more dollars for biosecurity [4]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0103/S00168.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0103/S00174.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0103/S00173.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0103/S00171.htm

CRAP: A Deengo In The Kiwi House

- “At the Destruction of Government party's annual conference, an imported Australian deengo scientist argued that kiwi should be raised as a food source.” See... CRAP: Sinister "Taste of Kiwi" Plans from DOG [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0103/S00055.htm

Wilson Introduces Electoral Amendment Bill

- The Associate Minister of Justice Margaret Wilson today introduced a bill to improve and modernise election procedures. The changes are in line with the Government’s commitment to ensure the 2002 general election avoids the problems experienced in 1999. See... Electoral Amendment Bill introduced - Wilson [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0103/S00172.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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