JUST POLITICS
GE Free Dairy Commitment Welcomed
Greater Powers For Local Government
Tax & Charities Discussion Document
Alternative Health Advice
Maori Boarding Schools Below Par
Relief For The Environment Court
Green Budget Post-Mortem

POLITICS FROM TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS
Scoop Is In The House – Today’s Q&A
Keith Rankin: Messing With The UK Election Figures
Sludge: Alternative Prostitution Law Reform Plan
Lindsay Perigo: Global Warming News You Don’t hear
Time For Politicking On Super Passed – Peters
King Abuses Power With Effective Gagging Order
“Death Squad” Accusation Inappropriate & Disproportionate

JUST POLITICS

GE Free Dairy Commitment Welcomed

- Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said today that NZ Dairy Foods' commitment to go GE-Free raised the stakes in the dairy industry. See... NZ Dairy Foods Butter Up Consumers With Stand [1] and Dairy Foods GE Free Status Welcomed By Greenpeace [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0106/S00193.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0106/S00128.htm

Greater Powers For Local Government

- Prime Minister Helen Clark and Minister of Local Government Sandra Lee today said that a review of the Local Government Act would allow local authorities to better serve their communities. See... Proposals Put The 'Local' Back In Local Government [1] - New Members For Local Government Commission [2] - Review Is About 'Clarity - Not Clout' [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0106/S00191.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0106/S00192.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0106/S00057.htm

Tax & Charities Discussion Document

- The Government is to consult on proposals to better target assistance to charities through the tax system. See... Discussion Document On Tax And Charities Released [1] and Charities Tax Review Ducks Point [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0106/S00184.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0106/S00194.htm

Alternative Health Advice

- HEALTH Minister Annette King today named the members of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Complementary and Alternative Health, which will be chaired by Professor Peggy Koopman-Boyden, who is also dean of the faculty of arts and social sciences at Waikato University. See... Committee On Complementary And Alternative Health [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0106/S00189.htm

Maori Boarding Schools Below Par

- Maori boarding schools are robbing our brightest youths of their potential, ACT Maori Affairs and Education Spokesman Donna Awatere Huata said today. See... Maori Boarding Schools Rob Youths of Potential [1] and Memorandum With Mäori Boarding Schools Signed [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0106/S00188.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0106/S00183.htm

Relief For The Environment Court

- The Environment Court is to get an additional judge and extra funding of $2.1 million over three years to alleviate pressures on the caseload, Courts Minister Matt Robson and Environment Minister Marian Hobbs announced today. See... Increased Resources For The Environment Court [1] and More Resources For Environment Court Encouraging [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0106/S00187.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0106/S00056.htm

Green Budget Post-Mortem

- I am delighted that one of the Green Party's budget initiatives from last year - the establishment of a Ministerial Advisory Committee on Complementary Healthcare, will finally be gazetted tomorrow and the membership of the committee announced. See... Budget Speech Notes - Sue Kedgley [1] and Budget Speech - Sue Bradford [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0106/S00186.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0106/S00185.htm

TOP SCOOPS

Scoop Is In The House – Today’s Q&A

- Today's questions of the day concerned: CYFS New Directions – NCEA Training – Early Childhood Education – Uni Fee Freeze – Technology NZ – Hospital Funding – Australia’s Hijacking Of ANZFA – Student Loan Abuse – Dental Health – Ruapehu Lahar Protection – New Prison – Electricity Prices. See... SCP HOUSE: Questions Of The Day – 14 June [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0106/S00081.htm

Keith Rankin: Messing With The UK Election Figures

- Last week I suggested that the result of the British election would be closer than most people expected. I was right, the gap between Labour and the Conservatives was only nine percentage points. What I did not realise, however, is just how much the first-past-the-post system distorts British elections. So I did some sums, tried out the BBC's "Virtual Vote" tool, and made some comparisons with New Zealand. See... Keith Rankin: A Minuscule Landslide [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0106/S00077.htm

Sludge: Alternative Prostitution Law Reform Plan

- When prostitution is considered as a human rights issue, involved primarily with emancipation, as opposed to an issue of commercial regulation, then the path law reform ought to take becomes far clearer. See... Sludge Report #87 – Human Rights And Selling Sex [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0106/S00079.htm

Lindsay Perigo: Global Warming News You Don’t hear

- The American president is in Europe, being demonstrated against by sundry statist scum, foot-soldiers in the “anti-industrial revolution” as Ayn Rand called it. See... Lindsay Perigo: Warming Up The Kyoto Science [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0106/S00080.htm

Time For Politicking On Super Passed – Peters

- The Rt Hon Winston Peters MP, Leader of New Zealand First, today said the continued politicking of Bill English and the National Party on superannuation only serves to highlight the type of destructive political games that the public have had to put up with for years on this issue. See... National Shows True Colours with Super Politicking [1] and Winston throws in the towel in fight for accounts [2] MORE: - Green - NZ First, Alliance back National, sell out support [3] - NZ First - Super Meeting Positive And Constructive--Peters [4]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0106/S00182.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0106/S00180.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0106/S00178.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0106/S00175.htm

King Abuses Power With Effective Gagging Order

- Health Minister Annette King’s decree that only Health Board Chairs may speak to the public is a dictatorial move to tighten political domination of health news, ACT Health Spokesman Ken Shirley said today. See... Health Minister Abuses Power [1] MORE: - Sowry - King can't define her censorship [2] - Stand over tactics to gag boards [3] - King - Sowry talking through hole in his leak [4]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0106/S00179.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0106/S00176.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0106/S00148.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0106/S00152.htm

“Death Squad” Accusation Inappropriate & Disproportionate

- "It appears that the Christian Heritage Party has no sense of shame, irony or proportion, given its recent accusation that our President, Doctor Margaret Sparrow, is leader of a "death squad." Craig Young, Research Officer of the Abortion Law Reform Association of New Zealand said today. See... "Christian" Hypocrites Party? [1] and More Aid For Death Squad - CHP [2] EARLIER: - ALRANZ - Reproductive Choice is the Mark of A Civil Society [3] - CHP - Cries In Support Of A Civilised Society [4] - ALRANZ - More Sex Education and Contraceptive Subsidies [5] and More Abortions in 2000 [6]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0106/S00055.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0106/S00050.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0106/S00047.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0106/S00039.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/ma son/stories/PO0106/S00035.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0106/S00085.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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