JUST POLITICS
Race Relations Conciliator To Merge With HRC
Govt Makes Offer On Rotorua Lakes Claim
New Youth Unit At Chch Prison
Raising Tobacco Tax For Health
Govt Makes Smokefree Day A Drag
Making Safer Smokes Standard
Sowry Welcomes Acceptance Of Rankin’s Case
English Weighs The Superfund Evidence

TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS
Keith Rankin: Before Christine, There Was Carruthers
Timberlands West Coast Forests Transferred To DoC
The European Parliament’s ECHELON Report
Former Parry Patients Call For Full Inquiry
Elective Surgery Waiting Lists Shorter
Launching NZ Back Into The First World
Knowledge Wave: Making Smarter, More Successful Kiwis

JUST POLITICS

Race Relations Conciliator To Merge With HRC

- Associate Justice Minister Margaret Wilson has announced in-principle decisions by the government to establish a new Human Rights Commission and to address the issue of government compliance under the Human Rights Act. See... New Human Rights Law Later This Year [1] and Commission Welcomes Change [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00683.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0105/S00151.htm

Govt Makes Offer On Rotorua Lakes Claim

- Treaty Negotiations Minister Margaret Wilson and Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia have made offers to Te Arawa that, if accepted, will settle all claims over 14 lakes in the Rotorua area. See... Offer To Te Arawa On Lakes Claim Final [1] - Te Arawa Lakes Settlement Offer [2] - He kaupapa hou hei whakaea [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00677.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00678.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00679.htm

New Youth Unit At Chch Prison

- A new youth unit at Christchurch Prison will mean that fewer young prison inmates will go on to a life of crime, Corrections Minister Matt Robson predicted at the opening of the unit today. See... Youth Unit Makes Public Safer [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00685.htm

Raising Tobacco Tax For Health

- Tobacco consumption in New Zealand fell dramatically over the past year, particularly in the months following last May's tobacco tax increase, Minister of Health Annette King announced today (Thursday, 31 May), marking World Smokefree Day. See... New Zealanders smoking less [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00661.htm

Govt Makes Smokefree Day A Drag

- The Government has turned Smokefree Day into Anti-Business and Anti-Enjoyment Day, ACT MP Penny Webster said. See... Anti Business And Anti Enjoyment Day [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00684.htm

Making Safer Smokes Standard

- “Adopting a standard of fire-safer cigarettes and consulting with the public to make this mandatory, under the Fair Trading Act, is likely to make safer burning cigarettes a reality faster than legislation, and ultimately this will save lives,” said Jim Anderton, Acting Consumer Affairs Minister today. See... Safer Burning Smokes To Be Developed As A Standard [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00686.htm

Sowry Welcomes Acceptance Of Rankin’s Case

- National's State Services spokesman Roger Sowry has welcomed a judge's decision which means the Christine Rankin case will be considered by the Employment Court. See... Court Decision On Rankin Welcomed [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00680.htm

English Weighs The Superfund Evidence

- Today I want to question the cosy consensus about economic growth, which has built up between the Government and the business community. I also want to talk about the fiscal situation and the superfund proposed by the Government. See... The Economy & The Superfund: Weighing The Evidence [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00673.htm

TOP SCOOPS

Keith Rankin: Before Christine, There Was Carruthers

- The experience of Christine Rankin in having her job disestablished via an underhand political manoeuvre reminds me of another senior public servant - John Carruthers - who suffered a similar experience in 1878. See... Keith Rankin: John Carruthers [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0105/S00185.htm

Timberlands West Coast Forests Transferred To DoC

- The government announced the transfer of all West Coast indigenous forests currently managed by Timberlands West Coast to conservation lands to be managed by the Department of Conservation. See... Indigenous West Coast forests transferred to DOC [1] - A landmark decision in rainforest conservation [2] - Minister's speech - West Coast indigenous forests [3] - Timberlands' future in exotic forestry [4] REACTION: - Greens - Sustainable Economic Future For Coasters [5] - ECO - Protection Of Timberland's Forests Welcomed [6] - Nats - Announcement Exposes Govt Double Standard - ACT - Removal Of Forests From Timberlands A Disgrace [7] - Native Forest Action - Announcement pleases forest activists [8] - Forest & Bird - Forests’ Announcement – A Momentous Decision [9]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00649.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00651.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00652.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00650.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00676.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0105/S00148.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00666.htm
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0105/S00146.htm
[9] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0105/S00145.htm

The European Parliament’s ECHELON Report

- Possible threats to privacy and to businesses posed by a system of the ECHELON type arise not only from the fact that is a particularly powerful monitoring system, but also that it operates in a largely legislation-free area. See... ECHELON Interception System - Euro. Parlt. Report [1] . See also... Locke calls for encryption software for MPs [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0105/S00046.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00654.htm

Former Parry Patients Call For Full Inquiry

- Alliance MP Phillida Bunkle today met with a group of Graham Parry’s former patients and their partners from Keri Keri in the far North. Every one of these women, all of whom have suffered at the hands of Parry, are deeply concerned that, following a decision in Auckland District Court yesterday, he is allowed to continue to practice in obstetrics and ultra scan. See... Graham Parry’s Former Patients Outraged [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00681.htm

Elective Surgery Waiting Lists Shorter

- Health Minister Annette King today welcomed the fact that the Elective Services Second Quarterly Report for 2000/2001 shows New Zealanders are spending less time waiting for care. See... Progress On Waiting Times [1] MORE: - MoH - Faster Access To Elective Services [2] - Nats - Surgery Delays Unacceptable [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00687.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/GE0105/S00066.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00672.htm

Launching NZ Back Into The First World

- Prime Minister, Ministers of the Crown, Members of Parliament, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen: It is my privilege to welcome you and to express our very great pleasure that you are able this evening to share with us a special occasion: the formal opening of the offices of New Zealand's newest, biggest, and most representative business organisation, Business New Zealand. See... Partnership In Prosperity - Doug Marsh [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0105/S00274.htm

Knowledge Wave: Making Smarter, More Successful Kiwis

- Finding practical new ways to make New Zealand a smarter, more successful country is the challenge of the Catching the Knowledge Wave conference, whose programme and line-up of keynote speakers were unveiled today by Prime Minister Helen Clark and the Vice-Chancellor of The University of Auckland, Dr John Hood. See... Line-Up To Focus On Creating New Kiwi Prosperity [1] MORE: - Knowledge Wave - Selected Speaker Biographies [2] - Committee Represents Broad Cross Section Of NZ [3] - Key Themes Of The Knowledge Wave Conference [4] - World Class NZers invited to have an input [5]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0105/S00141.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0105/S00144.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0105/S00143.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0105/S00142.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00665.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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