Scoop is delighted today to welcome Jonah Lomu to Wellington...we bring you photos of the announcement, the girlfriend and the awesome stadium... we also bring you the latest from the campaign trail....

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Jonah Lomu Picks Wellington - FULL COVERAGE AND PICS - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL9911/S00168.htm

TOP SCOOPS

Lomu Signs For Wellington Hurricanes

- Giant All Black winger Jonah Lomu has signed for two years with the Wellington Hurricanes. The amount of money involved is undisclosed but the transfer fee is a maximum of $125,000. The announcement was made at 10.15am at the new Wellington Stadium - Lomu's new home ground. Scoop's Alastair Thompson was at the conference, camera in hand, and will post the historic pictures and story as soon as is physically possible.

ELECTION 1999: Voting In The Dark

- The state of democracy in New Zealand looks shot to bits as, only four days out from a general election, nearly half of all voters do not understand how our electoral system works and forty per cent are unaware they will also be required to vote on changing our democracy and our justice system. What kind of election is this if not the most ignorant in this country's history? Jonathan Hill writes. See... ELECTION 1999: Voting In The Dark [1] in the Headlines wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL9911/S00169.htm

Australia Levies New Tax On Rich To Pay For Timor Troops

- While Jenny and Helen argue over what increased taxes on higher income earners might do to the economy, Australia has simply gone out and done it - a tax to pay for peace. John Howard reports. See... Australia Levies New Tax To Pay For Timor Troops [1] in the Headlines wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL9911/S00166.htm

No Winners, Only Losers in TV Leaders Debate

- Tuesday night, with four days to go, a much promoted - mano-a-mano - Shipley vs Clark TV special was the centerpiece of the campaign for both major parties on state TV's leading serious channel Television One. See... Short And Sweet: Shipley Vs Clark - Both Lose [1] in the Headlines wire. Simon Upton, surprisingly, says Shipley won hands down. See Upton On Line… The old pragmatism versus ideology debate [2] in the Parliament wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL9911/S00165.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9911/S00554.htm

Oil Prices Continue Up and Up

- Don't say Scoop didn't warn you. World oil prices have today hit US$28 per barrel, up from US$25.80 last Thursday. John Howard reports. See... Oil Prices Hit Record Post Cold-War Highs [1] in the Headlines wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL9911/S00163.htm

MORE SCOOPS

Govt Too Late Over Genetically Engineered Salmon – Greens

- Green Party Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons today criticised the National Government for years of "doing nothing" on genetically engineered salmon research, after news today that GE eggs may have escaped from King Salmon's research site. See... Government too late over GE salmon - Greens [1] . Fitzsimons also says ERMA have kicked for touch over an application to insert human genes into cows. See... Authority kicks for touch over human genes in cows [2] . The Alliance say the King Salmon trial could be over by Christmas. See... GE salmon trial could be stopped by Christmas [3] . The Alliance also say they would stop human genes goimg into cows. See... Humans genes in cows would be stopped by Alliance [4] . Environment Minister Simon Upton says he is disappointed with Jeanette Fitzsimons and that he supports ERMA. See... Upton supports ERMA's salmon decision [5] . All in the Parliament wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9911/S00556.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9911/S00558.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9911/S00559.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9911/S00563.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9911/S00572.htm

Prebble Welcomes Lomu To Wellington

- Wellington Central MP Richard Prebble has welcomed Jonah Lomu's signing for the Wellington RFU. See... Prebble welcomes Jonah's move to Wellington [1] in the Parliament wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9911/S00570.htm

Families Will Pay Either way – English

- Families would pay for the left's big spending plans either through higher interest rates, higher taxes, or both, Treasurer Bill English said. See... Families will pay for spend-up one way or another [1] in the Parliament wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9911/S00569.htm

Labour Means More For Mental Health / Education

- Labour Leader Helen Clark said today that a strong mandate for Labour would see the new government begin to reinvest in mental health and education. See... Labour means more for health, education [1] in the Parliament wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9911/S00566.htm

Slim Jim's Christmas list

- Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas is: 1. A strong and stable new government working well by Christmas. National and New Zealand First took an interminable nine weeks after the last election to come to a working relationship which didn't work. See... Slim Jim's Christmas list [1] in the Parliament wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9911/S00562.htm

Future of NZPost on the line this election

- “Only the election of a Labour-led Government will guarantee that New Zealand Post is not sold to foreign interests,” Labour spokesperson on state owned enterprises Paul Swain says. See... Future of NZPost on the line this election [1] in the Parliament wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9911/S00561.htm

Hager Attacks Advertising By Timberlands Front Group

- Author Nicky Hager has called for a parliamentary inquiry into links between Timberlands West Coast and the pro-logging pressure group Coast Action Network, which paid for a full-page advertisement in Coromandel today attacking the Green, Labour and Alliance parties. See... Election Advertising By Timberlands Front Group [1] in the Politics wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO9911/S00155.htm

Christian Heritage Objects To Labour’s Gay Pamphlet

- Gael Donoghue, Whanganui Christian Heritage Party Candidate, and Party Health Spokesperson expressed concern today about the Gay Pamphlet published by the Labour Party which pictures their six Gay, Lesbian and Transgender candidates. See... CHP Candidate Objects To Labour’s Gay Pamphlet [1] in the Politics wire. in the wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO9911/S00154.htm

Auckland Students To Challenge Tuition Fees In Court

- A group of students from Auckland University are lodging a claim in the High Court within the next several weeks to seek judicial review of the process by which the University sets its fees. See... Students To Challenge Tuition Fees In Court [1] in the Education wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED9911/S00046.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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