Scoop Headlines

Urgency Time - Following a rowdy Question Time on Tuesday, the Speaker granted an urgent debate on the 'dirty blood' crisis at Christchurch Hospital. The House went into urgency after the tea break and completed changes to the bail laws with amendments to the Crimes Act. It rose last evening while debating the second reading of the Fisheries Amendment Bill and has resumed this morning. Details are in the headlines wire. Currently tempers are flaring as NZ First and Mauri Pacific MPs use the Maori Purposes Bill to attack each other actions over the past three years.

Special Education Spending - In the Parliament wire, the Governmentcommits $34.5 Million to Special Education spending.

Referendum Date Confirmed - The Justice Minister has confirmed that the Justice referendum will be held with the General Election. See the Parliament wire.

The Silna Problem - In the Parliament wire, the Government has announced a new approach for the resolution of the long standing problem of sustainable forest management on lands held under the 1906 South Island Landless Natives Act. The Scoop backgrounds The Silna Legislation And Late Night Meetings in the headlines wire. Reaction from environmental groups in the politics and general wire is mixed. Mauri Pacific MPs say they are reserving judgment.

Regulation Hiccup - In other legislative matters, the Government's has been handed a headache with its attempts to introduce regulation on the electricity sector as Labour has announced it is withdrawing support and announces price freeze. The Government will now have to rely on persuading others to support its proposed legislation, an unlikely prospect. See the Parliament wire for Labour's decision. In the same wire, ACT says the Government has no one to blame but itself for another electric shock for Bradford. However, Mr Bradford says Labour are playing politics and consumers lose. The battle of words has continued between Labour and the Government over the issue, Helen Clark said the episode shows more bullheadedness from Mr Bradford, while the Minister believes Labour has been conned by monopoly lines companies.

Smoking Stats - The Ministry of Health releases a survey, in the general wire that youth smoking increase may have stopped.

Thoughts On The RMA In the Parliament wire, Simon Upton's speech to the Local Govt. Conference outlines his views on what's right and wrong with the Resource Management Act. On Tuesday night, the Government introduced amendments to the RMA.

Ghosts Ships In The Night - GilbertMyles accuses the Immigration Minister of looking for ghost ships in the Pacific. See the Parliament wire.

Bad Blood Fears - Christchurch Hospital is advising more than a thousand patient that they should take precautionary blood screening tests because of dirty equipment. The patients all underwent an endoscopy during stomach or colon investigations earlier this year. Health Health Minister, Wyatt Creech says he is concerned . See the Parliament wire and he has now confirmed there will be inquiries into Canterbury Health

Getting On TV - In the headlines wire, there is coverage of the Electoral Commission's decision on splitting up the advertising dollars for political parties.

Politics, Politics, Everywhere - In the headlines wire, there is coverage of a student leader surviving a rolling by ex-colleagues

Offenders With Guns Deserve to be Shot - Waipareira Trust head, John Tamihere has warned Maori, if offenders use a gun during a crime they deserve to get shot. See the Auckland wire.

New Lord Of The Spooks The Government has announced that a New SIS Director is to be appointed. See the Parliament wire.

Pacific People's Problems - Attention on a withering report on the status of Pacific Island people has become somewhat obscured by a suggestion on how to solve their problems. Pacific Island Affairs Minister Tuariki Delamere is proposing pay packages for public sector chief executives should be tied to an employment quota system for Maori and Pacific Islanders. His speech is in the Parliament wire.Mr Delamere's suggestion gets short shrift from Winston Peters and Richard Prebble in the Parliament wire.

Talking Of Work - Rod Donald says "Let's get New Zealand working again" in the Parliament wire.

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