Top Scoops

Contact

Scoop

Network

Scoop Top Scoops

Scoop: Top Scoops + Just Politics

Monday, 24 July 2006, 4:32 pm
Article: Alastair Thompson

***Check Out Scoop's Audio and Video Podcast Feed***
http://www.scoop.co.nz/feeds/podcast/index.rss

TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS:
Politics: Brash Suggests NZers 'Under The Influence' of Labour
Foreign Affairs: Will NZ's US Trade Obsession Get In The Way Of Ceasefire Call?
Employment: Film Festival Doco Looks At OSH Free Environments -
Foreign Affairs: Asia Artists Party in Auckland
Families: Kiro's Plans For Reducing Child Abuse Get Greens Support -
Religion: Part Of NZ's Transport System Safely In God's Hands -
Employment: Supporters of Probationary Periods Split Over Universality
Scoop IV: Maryan Street Talks About Turbulent Times -
Employment: Umbrellas Dominate Union Rally
MORE HEADLINES:

LEBANON WAR:
LEBANON WAR - BREAKING NEWS LINKS:
Henri Bou Saab in Beirut Reports On His War & COMMENT DIGEST
Uri Avnery Reflects On Hizbullah's Motivation For Arousing Israel's Ire
ISRAEL AGAINST LEBANON AND GAZA - FIRST-SOURCE COVERAGE

SCOOP COLUMNS:
Rosalea Barker: Burn The Butter!
Greg Palast: They Don't Call It The "White" House For Nothing
"I Believe David Kelly Did Not Commit Suicide - And I Will Prove It"
MORE SCOOP COMMENT & OPINION:

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

OTHER NEWS (Just Politics):
POLITICAL NEWSLETTERS:
SCOOP WAS IN THE HOUSE:
Foreign Affairs: Mr Peters Goes To Washington -
Politics: Making National Cool - The Powerpoint Slides
MORE POLITICAL HEADLINES:
POLITICAL COLUMNS

TO CHANGE MY SCOOP OPTIONS OR UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS LIST
http://www.scoop.co.nz/myscoop/signin.html
IF YOU HAVE LOST YOUR PASSWORD
http://www.scoop.co.nz/myscoop/newpass.html

-----------

TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS

------------

Politics: Brash Suggests NZers 'Under The Influence' of Labour

[1] Somewhere in the second half of 2008, New Zealanders will go to the polls. After nine long years of Labour Governments, boosted by the most buoyant international conditions in decades, the party will be over, the hangover setting in, the scale of the headache becoming throbbingly apparent. After nine long years, New Zealanders will have to confront the reality that the average after-tax wage across the Tasman, which in 1999 was 20% ahead of the average after-tax wage in New Zealand, will be around 40% ahead. See... Brash: Address to the National Party Conference [2] ALSO:

Simon Power - A future with choices [3]

David Carter - Keeping agriculture competitive [4]

Gerry Brownlee - Opening comments to National Conference [5]

John Key - The pathway to prosperity [6]

Judy Kirk - Address to National70th Conference [7]

Nick Smith - Fixing New Zealand's Infrastructure: [8]

Katherine Rich - The 'economic transformation' illusion [9]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0607/S00363.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0607/S00363.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0607/S00362.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0607/S00361.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0607/S00357.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0607/S00360.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0607/S00359.htm
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0607/S00356.htm
[9] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0607/S00358.htm

Foreign Affairs: Will NZ's US Trade Obsession Get In The Way Of Ceasefire Call?

Green MP Keith Locke is challenging Prime Minister Helen Clark to support European and United Nations calls for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon. "NZ must distance itself from the Bush administration's heartless opposition to a ceasefire that has been promoted by UN officials, France and some other European countries. After so much destruction, and the killing of so many innocent civilians, we should be urging the parties to end their military actions, unconditionally." See... Government must support Lebanon ceasefire now [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0607/S00372.htm

Employment: Film Festival Doco Looks At OSH Free Environments -

The world's most horrible, life-endangering jobs are the subject of Austrian Michael Glawogger's superbly cinematic, confrontingly aestheticised documentary. The immensity of its abjection appals. And yet, always, he insists on demonstrating the will to survive of these wretched of the earth. In Nigeria, blood and the stench of burning flesh are routine for workers at a vast open-air abattoir. In Pakistan men use little more than their bare hands to dismantle beached oil tankers for scrap metal. See... Labour Law Free Work Explored In International Doc [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0607/S00193.htm

Foreign Affairs: Asia Artists Party in Auckland

- East meets West in downtown Auckland for a sensational night of visual arts and music at Tiger Translate 06. Tiger Translate 06 brought some of Asia's most progressive and cutting edge art and music to Auckland on Friday night. International and local artists and musicians translated their vision of contemporary Asia through a series of stunning collaborative and interactive artworks. See... East meets West in downtown Auckland [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0607/S00196.htm

Families: Kiro's Plans For Reducing Child Abuse Get Greens Support -

Children's Commissioner Cindy Kiro's toolbox of solutions to tackle New Zealand's appalling child abuse record has the full support of the Green Party. The framework, entitled Te Ara Tukutuku, will provide a solid foundation for building healthy and happy future generations and lessen the chances of tragedies such as the Kahui case occurring, Green's Social Development Spokesperson Sue Bradford says. See... Kiro's plan to cement cracks has Greens support [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0607/S00370.htm

Religion: Part Of NZ's Transport System Safely In God's Hands -

Rahu Katene, who has just been announced as the Anglican Bishop of Manawa o Te Wheke, has come down a road that few bishops have traveled. But he's always made sure that his transport was reliable. Because for the first 35 years of his working life, before he became a full-time vicar, Ngarahu Katene was a bus mechanic, for New Zealand Railway Road Services. See... The bus mechanic who became a bishop [1] ALSO:

Blessing of Nelson's Fishing Fleet [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0607/S00209.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0607/S00212.htm

Employment: Supporters of Probationary Periods Split Over Universality

- United Future's finance spokesperson Gordon Copeland recently explained his concerns to Scoop regarding Dr Wayne Mapp's Probationary Employment Bill. At last year's Business NZ conference United Future had proposed a period of six months probationary employment rather than Dr Mapp's three months. An important point of difference however was that United Future's policy was only targetting those employees seeking their first job rather than all employees as proposed by Dr Mapp's legislation. See... Chewing The Fat With UF's Gordon Copeland [1] ALSO:

Scoop Full Coverage - 90 Day Bill Campaign [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0607/S00320.htm
[2] - #90day

Scoop IV: Maryan Street Talks About Turbulent Times -

Once upon a time Maryan Street was out in all weather delivering pamphlets on behalf of Labour's new right economic hardman Richard Prebble. Nowadays thanks to MMP, as Ms Street is glad to point out, Labour has lost the "lunatic fringe" that once congregated on the extreme right and extreme left of the party. This suits the self described "pathologically Labour" backbench MP just fine. Scoop caught up with Ms Street recently to trawl back over the turbulent times of the Labour Party in the 1980s See... IV: Coffee And No Cigarettes With Maryan Street [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0607/S00324.htm

Employment: Umbrellas Dominate Union Rally

- Members of many unions today rallied at Parliament, protesting against Wayne Mapp's 90 day probationary employment bill. The crowd seemed smaller than the several thousand predicted by the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union - probably due to the steady rain falling during Wellington's lunchtime. See... Scoop Images: Unionists Brave Rain For Rights [1] ALSO:

Reader Feedback - Rain Fails To Deter Workers Venting Over Bill [2]

National - Mapp: Shedding light on union distortion [3]

National - 90-Days: Mapp invites unions to meeting [4]

National - 90-days: Unions should get a grip [5]

Greens - Cleaners should wipe the floor with Mapp Bill [6]

SFWU - Cleaners stand up and speak out for workers rights [7]

CTU - CTU Accuses Mapp of Misrepresentation [8]

PSA - Public service workers to rally against bill [9]

AWU - AWU calls Rich out [10]

finsec - Bank customer service will be hurt by 90 Day bill [11]

EPMU - Most people fear Nats' workplace bill - survey [12]

SFWU - Cleaners defend workers rights [13]

MORE HEADLINES:

Agent Orange: Nats want to be consulted [1]

Arrest in Trentham Sexual Assault Case [2]

Prisoner Mothers [3]

Blessing of Nelson's Fishing Fleet [4]

Baristas Flaunt Their Espresso Talent In Napier [5]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0607/S00366.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0607/S00252.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0607/S00247.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0607/S00212.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0607/S00189.htm

-----------

LEBANON WAR

------------

LEBANON WAR - BREAKING NEWS LINKS:

London - Britain dramatically broke ranks with George Bush last night over the Lebanon crisis, publicly criticising Israel's military tactics and urging America to 'understand' the price being paid by ordinary Lebanese civilians. See... British Split With Bush As Israeli Tanks Roll In [1] Jerusalem - Israeli officials believe they have approval from the United States to keep up attacks on Hizbollah guerrillas in Lebanon for at least another week, an Israeli newspaper said on Sunday. See... Link: US to Give Israel Another Week for Attacks [2] Beirut - Israel today called up reserve troops as it appeared to prepare for a ground offensive in southern Lebanon, warning residents to evacuate the border zone, as its jets continued their relentless pounding of the country from the air in the face ... See... Scoop Link: Israel Gearing Up for Ground Offensive [3] Washington - The Bush administration is rushing a delivery of precision-guided bombs to Israel, which requested the expedited shipment last week after beginning its air campaign against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, American officials said Friday. See... Link: US Speeds Up Bomb Delivery for the Israelis [4]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0607/S00355.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0607/S00354.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0607/S00334.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0607/S00329.htm

Henri Bou Saab in Beirut Reports On His War & COMMENT DIGEST

- It is now the middle of summer in my village in Mount Lebanon, Dhour el-Choueir. It is beautiful here, high up above the Sea, the heavy heat of Beirut on the coast cannot reach us It is Friday afternoon. Normally I would be down in that heat at my business, trying to find some customers to buy the beautiful Brazilian bathroom accessories that I sell. But not today. Not yesterday, either. See... Christian town opens arms to Moslem refugees [1] MORE LATEST COMMENT & OPINION:

Xymphora - Blogwatch: Reassessing The Hariri Assassination [2]

Mike Whitney - Wild Dogs Are Devouring The Victims Of Israel [3]

Michel Chossudovsky - Israeli Crimes Against Humanity? [4]

Tel Aviv Notes - Syria's Role In The Israel-Hizbullah Confrontation [5]

Democracy Now - Nader IV: US Responsible For Israeli War Crimes [6]

Michael Hammerschlag - Why They Hate Us [7]

Sonia Nettnin- All Are Equal, Middle East Included [8]

Sol Salbe - Middle East Round-Up [9]

Sol Salbe - While Beirut Burns [10]

Paul Levy- Middle East Madness [11]

William Blum - The Anti-Empire Report - July 22, 2006 [12]

Translation by Sol Salbe - Translation: Zionist Call For Ceasefire Effort [13]

Syed Atiq ul Hassan - Attacks On Lebanon Condemned By 1000s In Sydney [14]

William Rivers Pitt - The Ballad of Dumb George [15]

Mike Whitney- Lebanon's Expendable People [16]

Uri Avnery Reflects On Hizbullah's Motivation For Arousing Israel's Ire

- A WOMAN, an immigrant from Russia, throws herself on the ground in total despair in front of her home that has been hit by a missile, crying in broken Hebrew: "My son! My son!" believing him dead. In fact he was only wounded and sent to the hospital. Lebanese children, covered with wounds, in Beirut hospitals. The funeral of the victims of a missile in Haifa. The ruins of a whole devastated quarter in Beirut. Inhabitants of the north of Israel fleeing south from the Katyushas. Inhabitants of the south of Lebanon fleeing north from the Israeli Air Force. Death, destruction. Unimaginable human suffering. See... Uri Avnery: "Stop That Shit!" [1] LATEST MIDDLE EAST CRISIS OPINION:

Dahr Jamail - "Open War" in the Middle East [2]

Remi Kanazi - The Politics of Proportionality [3]

Genevieve Cora Fraser - Israeli & US Barbarians on the March [4]

Aesha Lorenz Al-Saeed - SF Protest Against Israel's Gaza & Lebanon Action [5]

Ramzy Baroud - Why is Israel Back in Gaza? [6]

John Chuckman When Terror Is Just Fine [7]

Tel Aviv Notes - Hizbullah (Again) At A Crossroads [8]

Firas Al-Atraqchi - IV: 'Lebanon Crisis An International Conspiracy' [9]

Kathleen Christison - Atrocities in the Promised Land [10]

Tanveer Jafri - No World Peace Without Central Asia Truce [11]

LATEST REPORTS ON THE CRISIS:

Sam Smith - Undernews: The Middle East Crisis [12]

Scoop Link - In a Hezbollah Stronghold Children Pay the Price [13]

Scoop Link - Blair, Annan Want Peacekeepers in Lebanon [14]

See also... Full Coverage: Israel Attacks Lebanon (Part II) [15] & (Part I) [16]

ISRAEL AGAINST LEBANON AND GAZA - FIRST-SOURCE COVERAGE

World Watches Lebanon As Noose Tightens On Palestine [1] - Since around 5am this morning the Israeli army has surrounded the Mukatah (local government building) in Nablus with close to 100 military vehicles. Israeli soldiers have occupied buildings nearby and they are shooting into the Mukatah. This comes on the same day that the Israelis stormed a government building in Ramallah, arresting five people. They also stormed the office of the Palestinian Wafa News Agency in a pre-dawn raid. The Israeli military has bombed refugee camps, civillian infastructure and government buildings in Gaza in the last few days, killing many civllians. See... World Watches Lebanon, Noose Tightens On Palestine [2] United Nations Releases On Lebanon:

US & UN Share Broad Long-Range Objectives On ME [3]

UN Emergency Chief To Travel To Lebanon [4]

UN Force In South Lebanon Maintains Activities [5]

UN Middle East Envoy Calls For United Effort [6]

UNSG Briefing To UNSC On Middle East Crisis [7]

Annan Proposes Package Of Actions For Lebanon [8]

Probe Urged Into Power Plant Destruction In Gaza [9]

MORE:

Australian Jewish Democratic Society - AJDS: This Is No Time To Be Silent! [10]

Gush Shalom - "Stop The Killing!" - Tel Aviv Anti-War Demo, Sat [11]

ISM - Bil'in Mourns Hundreds of Cilivian Deaths [12] & Mourners Procession to Raise Black Flag at Bil'in! [13]

-----------

SCOOP COLUMNS

------------

Rosalea Barker: Burn The Butter!

- Hmmm. You guys seem to be having a bit of a problem with the yummy stuff, I see. Well, let me revive an idea I first had back in the 70s for NZ's famed "butter mountain"--melt the stuff down and sell it as biofuel! (Only back then, there there was no such word; I just thought we could run the Silver Streak railcar on it and not have to do away with the service.) See... Stateside With Rosalea: Melting Moments [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0607/S00359.htm

Greg Palast: They Don't Call It The "White" House For Nothing

- God lost this time. I counted: Bush mentioned God only six times in his speech to the NAACP yesterday. The winner was 'faith' - which got seven mentions, though if you count "The Creator" as God, well, then the Lord tied it. Coming in right behind God and Faith, other big mentions in the First Home Boy's rap included: The Voting Rights Act, his family's "commitment to civil rights," the "death tax," rebuilding New Orleans, "public school choice"and "soft bigotry." See... Greg Palast: Bush at the NAACP Convention [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0607/S00347.htm

"I Believe David Kelly Did Not Commit Suicide - And I Will Prove It"

- The weapons inspector's death, three years ago this month, caused a firestorm of controversy. Now this MP - using parliamentary questions, privileged access and forensic analysis - has mounted his own investigation, and it casts a devastating new light on what really happened. See... "I Believe David Kelly Did Not Commit Suicide" [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0607/S00346.htm

MORE SCOOP COMMENT & OPINION:

Bill Grigsby - Bill Grigsby: Electile Dysfunction [1]

Graham Reid - Public Address 24/7/6 - Go Ahead, Make My Charter [2]

John Gideon - Daily Voting News For July 23, 2006 [3] , July 22, 2006 [4] & July 21, 2006 [5]

Eric Shackle - Tom Shufflebotham Charmed 511 Earthworms [6]

Rajat KC - : The Background of Maoist Strategy [7]

Kamala Sarup - Internally Displaced People Are Facing Insecurity [8] & Kamala Sarup: When Khmer Rouge Butcher Ta Mok Died [9]

Tlaxcala Translation - Colombia's Integration Into Plan Puebla Panama [10]

Tlaxcala Translation - The World Bank Vs Bio-Security [11]

Evelyn Pringle - TeenScreen - Prescription Drug Pusher In Schools [12]

-----------

OTHER NEWS (JUST POLITICS)

------------

POLITICAL NEWSLETTERS:

Molesworth & Featherston (Weekend) - July 23 2006 [1] Transtasman Political Letter - 20 July Digest [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0607/S00358.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0607/S00318.htm

SCOOP WAS IN THE HOUSE:

Questions and Answers - Thursday, 20 July 2006 [1]

Questions And Answers - Wednesday 19 July 2006 [2]

Questions And Answers - Tuesday, 18 July 2006 [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0607/S00331.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0607/S00300.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0607/S00274.htm

Foreign Affairs: Mr Peters Goes To Washington -

The bilateral relationship and a wide range of pressing international issues were discussed when Foreign Minister Winston Peters met United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Washington this afternoon. "Clearly events in the Middle East were uppermost in the Secretary's mind, but we also talked at some length about our bilateral relationship," Mr Peters said. "I took the opportunity to underline to the Secretary my personal commitment to doing everything I can to strengthen links with the US." See... Minister holds forward-looking discussions with Rice [1] ALSO:

NZ Govt - Productive trip to Washington for Peters [2]

NZ Govt - McCain meeting wonderful, NZ media disgraceful [3]

National - Winston Peters is not up to Foreign Affairs role [4]

NZ Govt - Peters, Downer to meet in Adelaide [5]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0607/S00312.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0607/S00313.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0607/S00295.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0607/S00296.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0607/S00330.htm

Politics: Making National Cool - The Powerpoint Slides

- Images of the Microsoft Powerpoint slides from a National Party Address made by National Party General Manager Greg Sheehan to the Northen Regional Party Conference in April this year. The Powerpoint presentation was the subject of a speech in the house general debate this afternoon from Labour Minister Trevor Mallard. Mr Mallard also issued a press release about it. See... "Cool" National Party PowerPoint Presentation [1] and Mallard: Nats plan to use charities to gain party publicity [2] ALSO:

Public Service Association - Advice to National: Fair employment laws are cool [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0607/S00288.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0607/S00293.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0607/S00219.htm

MORE POLITICAL HEADLINES:

NZ Govt - Kiwi workers and employers want more flexible work [1]

NZ Govt - Mussel Beds To Remain Closed [2]

NZ Govt - Quality Flexible Work Summit - Ruth Dyson Speech [3]

NZ Govt - Hodgson: Intellectual Disability Providers [4]

NZ Govt - NZ, Argentina face similar farming challenges [5]

NZ Govt - $9 million to help kids into early education [6]

NZ Govt - Cullen: Role and functions of the Attorney-General [7]

NZ Govt - Five rural Broadband Challenge bids selected [8]

National - Early intervention needed in mental health [9]

National - 'Forgetful' chair on notice [10]

National - PATHS helps just 0.1% off welfare [11]

National - Agent Orange: Nats want to be consulted [12]

National - Urgent cases waiting at CYF [13]

National - Pharmac budget announcement offers little [14]

National - Handling of Field inquiry besmirches all MPs [15]

Green Party - Cleaners should wipe the floor with Mapp Bill [16]

The Maori Party - Flavell: Estimates Debate speech [17]

POLITICAL COLUMNS

Murray McCully - www.mccully.co.nz 21 July 2006 [1]

Wayne Mapp - Shedding light on union distortion [2]

Bill English - Bill English National Education - 19 July 2006 [3]

Heather Roy - Heather Roy's Diary - 21 July 2006 [4]

Richard Worth - News Worthy - 21 July 2006 [5]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0607/S00342.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0607/S00345.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0607/S00346.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0607/S00340.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0607/S00234.htm

ENDS

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

Top Scoops Headlines

COMMENT

Peter Dunne: Luxon Gets Out His Butcher's Knife - Briefly

The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became known as the Night of the Long Knives.

Binoy Kampmark: Warring Against Encryption, Australia Is Coming For Your Communications

Another sign of gathering storm clouds against the free sharing of information on technology platforms is the appearance of Australia’s domestic espionage agency, ASIO. Alongside Kershaw at the National Press Club, the agency’s chief, Mike Burgess, is also full of grave words about the dangerous imperium of encrypted chatter.