TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS
Reserve Bank Cuts Interest Rate
Nonexistent Air Safety Control While Airways Chases Rainbows
More Petrol Price Rises
Defence Pay Rise Won’t Fix Recruitment & Retention Crisis
The ‘Squeeze Rankin Out’ Merger Theory Gathers Steam
Vodafone Forced To Deliver A Little Textual Healing
Lindsay Perigo: Freedom Violations Around The World
Squawking Turkey A Hideous GE Experiment
Positive Feeling About Hong Kong CER
0800 Number For Cervical Cancer Support Services
Fire Fighters Reject Offer, Prepare For Industrial Action
Scoop World: No Progress In Spy Plane Meetings

TOP SCOOPS

Reserve Bank Cuts Interest Rate

- Reserve Bank Governor Don Brash today cut the Official Cash Rate from 6.25 per cent to 6 per cent, but in doing so he indicated that there were strong grounds for being cautious about further cuts. See... Reserve Bank cuts OCR to 6 per cent [1] . His move followed a 0.5 per cent cut in the Federal Funds Rate in the US overnight. The US interest rate cut led to huge rallies on the US share market. See also... Interest rate cut shows growing concern - Nats [2] REACTION: - Deutsche Bank - Data Flash (New Zealand) RBNZ reduces OCR to 6.00% [3] - Employers And Manufacturers - High interest rates place exports, growth at risk [4] - ASB BANK - ASB Bank Reduces Variable Home Loan Interest Rate [5] - ANZ - ANZ Decreases Variable Home Loan Interest Rate [6]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0104/S00116.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0104/S00284.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0104/S00117.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0104/S00123.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0104/S00118.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0104/S00130.htm

Nonexistent Air Safety Control While Airways Chases Rainbows

- “The revelation that Auckland Airport air traffic control tower was unmanned for a period of time yesterday comes as no surprise, said New Zealand First Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters today. See... No Fears About Safety! What Are They - Nuts? [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0104/S00283.htm

More Petrol Price Rises

- Shell has taken just 24 hours to match yesterday’s petrol price rises from Caltex. See... Shell Raises Petrol Prices 5 Cents A Litre [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0104/S00121.htm

Defence Pay Rise Won’t Fix Recruitment & Retention Crisis

- New Zealand First has welcomed the announcement of a pay rise for Defence Force personnel but doubts that it will significantly deal with recruitment and retention problems. See... Mark On Pay Rise: But Why Did It Take So Long [1] MORE: - Nats - Miserly pay rise for defence staff [2] - Govt - Pay rises for New Zealand Defence Force personnel [3] - United Future - Pay Rises Only One Part Of The Picture [4]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0104/S00274.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0104/S00270.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0104/S00264.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0104/S00288.htm

The ‘Squeeze Rankin Out’ Merger Theory Gathers Steam

- “Trevor Mallard's admission today that he ignored his officials' advice to consult several agencies on a merger of state services further indicates the whole thing is designed around getting rid of Christine Rankin,” National's State Services spokesman Roger Sowry said today. See… Govt caught out over rush-job merger [1] FULLCOVERAGE: - United Future - Christine Rankin Saga Just Goes On And On [2] - ACT - Newman Seeks Breach of Privilege Ruling on Mallard [3] - Clark and Maharey Will Rue Public Vilification [4] - Government Should Have Heeded ACT Warnings [5] - National - Weak Minister Should Step Aside [6] - Rankin decision slap for Government [7] - Government contemptuous of advisors [8]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0104/S00286.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0104/S00289.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0104/S00291.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0104/S00278.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0104/S00254.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0104/S00279.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0104/S00253.htm
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0104/S00234.htm

Vodafone Forced To Deliver A Little Textual Healing

- Responding to a Commerce Commission investigation, Vodafone New Zealand Limited has refunded a total of $35,000 to customers that it had overcharged for cellphone text messages. See... Vodafone refunds $35,000 [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0104/S00122.htm

Lindsay Perigo: Freedom Violations Around The World

- Every day I receive by e-mail a digest of news compiled by an organisation called the Freedom Foundation. This digest has links to freedom-related stories from all over the globe. See... Lindsay Perigo: No Dancing! [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0104/S00100.htm

Squawking Turkey A Hideous GE Experiment

- “The Corrective Party is aghast that a certain badly feathered example of Christian Haemorrhoid Poultry, an aesthetically challenged Capon, somehow took advantage of the plight of the battered hens rescued by Wellington Animal Action!!!” droned Hydroponica SM, Agro-spokesnun today. See... Correctives: Capon Traumatises Battered Hens!!! [1] and Easter Escape For Egg Layer [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0104/S00051.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0104/S00046.htm

Positive Feeling About Hong Kong CER

- The Government is correct to portray negotiations with HongKong for a free trade agreement as breaking new ground. HongKong has no tariffs and few other barriers to New Zealand trade in either goods or services while strategic benefits are a bit hard to quantify, said Simon Carlaw, Chief Executive of the New Zealand Manufacturers Federation. See... Hongkong Free Trade Agreement: Some Real Bullets [1] and Wellington Chamber Welcomes Hong Kong Talks [2] FULL COVERAGE: - ACT - Prebble Urges Fast Action on Hong Kong Agreement [3] - Jim Sutton - Hong Kong CEP proposal report published [4] - PM’s Speech in Hong Kong - Helen Clark Speech - NZ and Hong Kong, Partners [5]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0104/S00049.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0104/S00047.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0104/S00262.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0104/S00258.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0104/S00247.htm

0800 Number For Cervical Cancer Support Services

- Director-General of Health Dr Karen Poutasi today encouraged women living in the Gisborne region who had not accessed additional support services since 1999 to contact a free phone 0800 number (0800 444 633) to discuss the options available. See... Ministry offers support services for Gisborne women [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/GE0104/S00037.htm

Fire Fighters Reject Offer, Prepare For Industrial Action

- “Firefighters have overwhelmingly rejected the Fire Service Commission’s offer to settle a renewed Collective Agreement, by a 94% margin”, Derek Best, Secretary of the Firefighters Union announced. See... Fire Service's Offer Overwhelmingly Rejected [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0104/S00129.htm

Scoop World: No Progress In Spy Plane Meetings

- Before questions were asked, he told reporters that last night's U.S.-PRC talks in Beijing were "not productive." Asked if that meant that the Chinese had not offered to return the U.S. aircraft, he said: "That's correct." See... White House Says U.S.-PRC Meeting "Not Productive" [1] . See also ... New Zealand Should Remain In US Camp On China [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0104/S00044.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0104/S00050.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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