JUST POLITICS
Govt Not Telling Beneficiaries their Entitlements
Resource Management Amendment Bill Report Presented
Govt To Open Up Pipfruit Export Options
ACT Policy In Action In Transpower Sponsorship
Come Clean On Sponsorship Before Telecommunications Bill Reading - Greens
Anderton Disappointed At Prebble Booklet
Maori & Pacific Islanders Dominate Lowest Decile Schools
Economic Development Newsletter

POLITICS FROM TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS
Scoop Is In the House: Today’s Q&A
Future Of NZ Defence Decided
Fitzsimons Is Wrong, Says MS New Zealand
Wallace Shooter Identification Prompts Law Review
Future Lefts Epistle
Govt Courts Punishment For Cannabis Law Inaction

JUST POLITICS

Govt Not Telling Beneficiaries their Entitlements

- Green Party MP Sue Bradford says she's saddened but not surprised to learn from Wellington's Downtown Community Ministry that 95 percent of households eligible for the Government's special benefit are not receiving it. See... DWI Fails To Promote Special Benefits [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00169.htm

Resource Management Amendment Bill Report Presented

- The Local Government and Environment Committee has presented its report on the Resource Management Amendment Bill. The committee recommends, by majority, that the bill be passed with amendments. See... Resource Management Amendment Bill [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00168.htm

Govt To Open Up Pipfruit Export Options

- The Government has decided in principle to open up export opportunities for pipfruit growers, Agriculture Minister Jim Sutton said today. See... Changes To Apple And Pear Export Regime [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00167.htm

ACT Policy In Action In Transpower Sponsorship

- ACT Conservation Spokesman MP Gerry Eckhoff today lauded the partnership of Transpower and Landcare Trust. See... Thanks A Million, ACT [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00154.htm

Come Clean On Sponsorship Before Telecommunications Bill Reading - Greens

- The Green Party is challenging National, Labour, ACT and New Zealand First to come clean on any donations they have received from Telecom and other phone companies prior to Wednesday's first reading of the Telecommunications Bill. See... Nats & Labour Should Come Clean On Donations [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00153.htm

Anderton Disappointed At Prebble Booklet

- I have been sent a copy of your booklet Closing the Gaps with an invitation to respond to it. I am glad to take the opportunity to do so. See... Anderton Letter To Richard Prebble On Funding [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00151.htm

Maori & Pacific Islanders Dominate Lowest Decile Schools

- One out of five Maori and four out of ten Pacific Islanders attend the poorest schools, according to figures obtained by ACT Education Spokesman Donna Awatere Huata today. See... Maori & Pacific Islanders Dominate Poorest Schools [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00150.htm

Economic Development Newsletter

- A regular newsletter from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Jim Anderton, Minister for Economic, Regional and Industry Development, summarising Government economic development activities. See... Economic Development Newsletter 8 May / Issue 3 [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00149.htm

POLITICS FROM TOP SCOOPS

Scoop Is In the House: Today’s Q&A

- Today's questions of the day concerned: Budget Blow Out – Special Benefits – GE Cow Research – NCEA –Budget Blow Out – Cell Phones In Prisons – Community Services Card – Employment In Fishing – Violent Crime Statistics - Rural Policy – West Coast DHB Equity Injection – Adult Literacy. See... SCP HOUSE: Questions Of The Day – 8 May [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0105/S00049.htm

Future Of NZ Defence Decided

- The government today announced a comprehensive plan to build a modern, efficient and high quality defence force to meet New Zealand's strategic needs and enable New Zealand to contribute usefully to international operations in which it engages. See... A Modern Defence Force For New Zealand's Needs [1] MORE: - Defence Report Questions And Answers [2] - Significant Increases To Defence Funding [3] - PM's Statement On Rebuilding The NZ Defence Force [4] - Government Defence Statement [5] REACTION: - Greens - Skyhawks Scrapping Step Towards More Independence [6] - United Future - Arrogant Government Knows Best On Defence Policy [7] - ACT - Lack Of Consultation On Defence Deplorable [8]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00160.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00164.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00163.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00162.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00161.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00166.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00165.htm
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00158.htm

Fitzsimons Is Wrong, Says MS New Zealand

- Dr Tom Miller, Research Director of MS New Zealand today refuted Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimon’s claim that the real purpose of genetically modified cattle research has nothing to do with MS. See... MS New Zealand Refutes Greens [1] - ACT - Greens Must Back Up ERMA Rhetoric With Facts [2] - Greens - Agresearch's MS Claims Embarrassing Nonsense [3] - NZ Life Sciences - Resignation Sends Warning Signal [4] For full coverage of the GE Cow Debate see SCOOP JUST POLITICS [5]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/SC0105/S00025.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00152.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00128.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/SC0105/S00024.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/features/?s=justpolitics

Wallace Shooter Identification Prompts Law Review

- The Government is considering making it illegal to identify police officers involved in shootings, following the publication of the name and photograph of the officer who killed Waitara man Steven Wallace on the web site www.advantageadvocacy.co.nz over the weekend. See... Goff Looks At Law Change After Shooter Identified [1] FULL COVERAGE: - Scoop Links - Steven Wallace Shooter Net Naming [2] - Phil Goff - Goff Looks At Issue Of Police Name Suppression [3] - Wayne Mapp - Bill To Protect Police In Parliament Tomorrow [4] - Steven Franks - ACT Would Defend Rights to Free Speech [5]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0105/S00045.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0105/S00040.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00141.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00134.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00135.htm

Future Lefts Epistle

- I've entitled this edition "Red Pride" because of a couple of events that I have taken part in recently. The first was the Anzac day dawn service. As always it was moving, and at 5.15AM in the morning, it takes a good deal to "move" me. See... Future Lefts - Red Pride [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0105/S00041.htm

Govt Courts Punishment For Cannabis Law Inaction

- The Mild Green faction of the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party is losing patience with unaccounted delays in NZ’s promised cannabis law review. They say the Labour-led government is courting punishment in the polls for chickening out on the marijuana issue. See... MPs “Chicken” Over Cannabis Law Review [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0105/S00040.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

• Mobile - 021707044
• Twitter - @althecat
• Google+

• Linkedin
• Facebook
• Email - alastair@scoop.co.nz