JUST POLITICS
Let The Public Decide The Future Of MMP
Campaign Finance Restrictions A Free Speech Issue
Booklet Gives Doctor Tools To Fight Abuse
Nandor Fights For Hemp’s Honour
Destroy GE Calves Humanely – Greens
Fiscal Cap To Be Loosened Slightly
Wellingtonians Get Transmission Gully brush-off
School Zoning Hiccups A Terminal Condition
Disability Strategy A Positive Step
Hobbs Calls For Environmental Debate

POLITICS FROM TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS
Scoop Is In The House
Keith Rankin: Taxing Gift & Household Economies
Howard’s End: An Environment For Environmentalism
CEO Appointment Won’t Jeopardise Dairy Merger – Roadley
Linday Perigo: No Place For Mother Theresa In Ayn Rand's Gospel
Small Business Tax Simplification Discussion Document Released
Prebble Talks Tax Freedom - Today Is Tax Freedom Day Too
Why Won’t Clark Answer My Christine Rankin Question? – Newman

JUST POLITICS

Let The Public Decide The Future Of MMP

- New Zealanders will have a chance to vote again on our electoral system if parliamentary parties agree to allow this to occur, Opposition Leader Jenny Shipley said today. See... Public Need Say On MMP [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00082.htm

Campaign Finance Restrictions A Free Speech Issue

- The select committee report just released on the Local Electoral Bill shows a Government cynically presenting itself as tough on political campaign finance – when it is just window dressing to leave its own rorts in place, ACT Justice Spokesman Stephen Franks said. See... Government Demonstrates Cynicism On Party Funding [1] and Select Committee Tries To Subvert Democracy [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00080.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00081.htm

Booklet Gives Doctor Tools To Fight Abuse

- A new booklet giving doctors clear information on how to spot and deal with child abuse has been officially launched at the Beehive today by Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey and Health Minister Annette King. See... Doctors Better Armed To Help Fight Child Abuse [1] and Health And Wellbeing - Maharey Speech [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00078.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00077.htm

Nandor Fights For Hemp’s Honour

- Green Party MP Nandor Tanczos today welcomed the passing of the first reading of his private members bill which seeks to remove industrial hemp from the Misuse of Drugs Act. See... First Step Towards Freeing The Hemp Plant [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00076.htm

Destroy GE Calves Humanely – Greens

- The Green Party is calling for cows pregnant with genetically engineered embryos to be humanely euthanised after a landmark High Court decision set aside approval for the experiment. See... GE Calves Illegal After High Court Decision [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00075.htm

Fiscal Cap To Be Loosened Slightly

- “The 2001 Budget will include a modest adjustment to the $5.9 billion spending cap to allow for necessary and unanticipated expenses to maintain national and regional security,” Finance Minister Michael Cullen announced today. See... Modest Adjustment To Fiscal Cap In Budget [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00072.htm

Wellingtonians Get Transmission Gully brush-off

- Wellington's six Labour MPs have effectively told their constituents to “get lost” over Transmission Gully, says United Future leader and Ohariu Belmont MP, Hon Peter Dunne. See... Labour's Message: "Get Lost, Wellington" [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00063.htm

School Zoning Hiccups A Terminal Condition

- ACT Education Spokesman MP Donna Awatere Huata today slated Education Minister Trevor Mallard for punishing parents who want the best deal for their children. See... These ‘Hiccups’ Are Fatal [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00068.htm

Disability Strategy A Positive Step

- IHC congratulates the Government on The New Zealand Disability Strategy, which was released last night. See... IHC Welcomes Strategy [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/GE0105/S00011.htm

Hobbs Calls For Environmental Debate

- The Minister for the Environment, Marian Hobbs, is calling for public debate and community feedback on New Zealand’s environmental problems and priorities. See... Rio+10 Programme Calls For Debate On Environment [1] and Launch of Rio+10 - Hobbs Speech [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00064.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00062.htm

TOP SCOOPS

Scoop Is In The House

– Today's questions of the day concerned: Mandeville Youth Justice Facility – Community Services Card – E-Government - Hospital Deficits – Tourism – Rest Home And Geriatric Care Funding – Human Genes In Cows – PM And Christine Rankin – Tax Simplification – Virgin Blue – Green NZ Myth – Police Crime Fighting Capacity – Cannabis Health Select Committee Hearings. See..SCP HOUSE: Questions Of The Day – 3 May [1] . For yesterday's questions and paraphraed answers see... SCP HOUSE: Questions Of The Day – 2 May [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0105/S00027.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0105/S00018.htm

Keith Rankin: Taxing Gift & Household Economies

- National's revenue spokesperson Annabel Young has taken it upon herself to condemn 'green dollars', and to label 'green markets' as “black markets”. She could be opening a Pandora's Box. It only requires enough people to take the bait. See... Keith Rankin: Taxing Green Dollar Communities [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0105/S00022.htm

Howard’s End: An Environment For Environmentalism

- Environmental law often punishes bad things but rarely does it promote the good with clamour and conflict often accompanying environmental news. Shouldn't we all be concentrating on a habitat of hope, not hype? See... Howard's End: Habitat Of Hope, Not Hype [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0105/S00021.htm

CEO Appointment Won’t Jeopardise Dairy Merger – Roadley

- The dairy industry merger will not be jeopardised by the appointment of a Chief Executive, John Roadley, Chairman of Global Dairy Company, said this morning. See... Appointment Of Global Dairy Company CEO [1] and Dairy Infighting Comes As No Surprise To Farmers - ACT [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0105/S00019.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00067.htm

Linday Perigo: No Place For Mother Theresa In Ayn Rand's Gospel

- I'm delighted to report that Ayn Rand’s philosophy, Objectivism, is an underground stream flowing through New Zealand. It has shot to the surface in several places, most recently a new web site for the Centre for Objectivist Studies, at http://www.objectivism.org.nz. See... Lindsay Perigo: Diabolical Works Of Mother Teresa [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0105/S00025.htm

Small Business Tax Simplification Discussion Document Released

- The government has released a discussion document aimed at simplifying the tax system and helping reduce stress on small business. See... Tax Simplification Proposals For Small Business [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00070.htm

Prebble Talks Tax Freedom - Today Is Tax Freedom Day Too

- Today, the 3rd of May, is Tax Freedom Day - the day we stopped working for the government and began working for ourselves. See... Tax Freedom Day - Richard Prebble Speech [1] and ACT Declares May 3 Tax Freedom Day [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00069.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00032.htm

Why Won’t Clark Answer My Christine Rankin Question? – Newman

- Helen Clark is deliberately dodging questions aimed at revealing her key role in the Christine Rankin affair and the proposed merger of the Department of Work and Income and the Ministry of Social Policy, ACT Social Welfare Spokesman Dr Muriel Newman said today. See... PM Ducks For Cover Over Welfare Merger & Rankin [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00059.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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