School's out but still another week to go in the house on the hill. At least now we have an election result, and the Shadow Cabinet list has been announced. No rest for the wicked....

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School's Out! - Karori Normal School's Final Day Is Today

TOP SCOOPS

Shadow Cabinet List Announced

- Jenny Shipley has assigned the responsibilities for her team. They look like they will be a busy bunch. The list begins….1 Rt Hon Jenny Shipley Leader 2 Rt Hon Wyatt Creech Deputy Leader Health 3 Hon Bill English Finance 4 Hon Roger Sowry Leader of the House, State Services,Transport & Civil Aviation 5 Hon Max Bradford Economic Development, Labour, Industrial Relations ... See... Opposition Teams And Responsibilities List [1] in the Parliament wire for the full list of 39. National members have been divided into five teams. For a full list of the teams, and each members responsibilities within the groups. See... Shadow Cabinet List - Leader Of Opposition [2] also in the Parliament wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9912/S00058.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9912/S00057.htm

Finally! And Winston Is Delighted

- the result for the November 27th General election appears to finally be about to be concluded with the recount completed in Tauranga. Radio New Zealand is reporting that Winston Peters has raised his majority by one at the recount - completed in quick time - in the Tauranga seat. The official announcement of the result is expected shortly. Winston Peters is - as you might expect - delighted. "After being confirmed as the MP for Tauranga for the third time since Election Day the Rt Hon Winston Peters MP, Leader of New Zealand First and MP for Tauranga, again thanked the people of Tauranga for their support but said that the re-count in the Tauranga Electorate had been a waste of taxpayers' money." See... Tauranga Re-Count - Unnecessary Cost To Taxpayers [1] in the Headlines wire EARLIER: Tauranga Re-Count Result This Afternoon - The result from the Tauranga vote re-count is expected to be known this afternoon - sooner than many expected. The future of Winston Peters and his five MPs hinges on the result.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9912/S00056.htm

Things Break Down All The Time – White House On Y2K

- Lights go out, computers crash, flights are delayed, baggage is lost, ATM's run out of cash, cellular phone calls won't go through - that's on a normal day. The White House wants you to know that. John Howard reports. See... How Often Things Break Down - Y2K Defence [1] in the Headlines wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL9912/S00071.htm

Morgan Fahey Resigns From Christchurch City Council

- The Christchurch City Councillor Morgan Fahey, who is facing trial on a number of sex charges, has resigned from Christchurch City Council. The resignation takes effect immediately. The resignation was in a letter faxed by Councillor Fahey and received today. The Council issued a three line statement announcing the resignation. Council will now have to decide how to replace him, either through a by-election or taking the next person on the list from the election. The Mayor may comment later this afternoon.

Dr Michael Cullen's First Speech As Treasurer

- Finance Minister Dr Michael Cullen's first speech on the status of the New Zealand economy, the possibility of a credit downgrade and market reaction to the Greens. Made to an Ericsson product launch. See... Dr Michael Cullen's First Speech As Treasurer [1] in the Business wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU9912/S00062.htm

$2 Million Survey Released On Women and Work

- New Zealand's first national Time Use Survey provides new and valuable information about the way New Zealanders spend their time. Initial results from the survey were released today by Judy Lawrence, Chief Executive of the Ministry of Women's Affairs. The survey involves 8,500 people and has cost $2 million. See... Woman's Work takes Twice As Long - Survey [1] in the General wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE9912/S00070.htm

MORE SCOOPS

Local Bodies Lose $47 Million – Spending Up, Revenue Down

- Figures released by Statistics New Zealand show that local authorities generated a seasonally adjusted deficit of $47.2 million from their non-trading activities for the September 1999 quarter. See... Local Bodies Lose $47 Million on Non-Trading [1] in the Politics wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO9912/S00027.htm

Sounds On-Line Says Business Better Than Planned

- Sounds Online may have hit the music e-commerce market just at the right time if a recent report out of the US is anything to go by. Sounds reports a large number of page accesses and sales ahead of projections. See... Sounds On-Line Says Business Better Than Planned [1] in the Business wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU9912/S00063.htm

Rimu contracts should be cancelled like beech – NFA

- Native Forest Action has welcomed the release of details about Timberlands' rimu supply contracts. It appears they are just as dodgy and politically motivated as the soon to be cancelled beech contracts. See... Rimu contracts should be cancelled like beech [1] in the Politics wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO9912/S00026.htm

Tanczos A Poor Role Model – Christian Heritage

- Gael Donoghue, Christian Heritage Health Spokesperson says, "Continuing revelations of using cannabis, and a determination to continue to do so, by Nandor Tanczos now Green MP brings the integrity of the law into question". See... Cannabis-Using MP - Integrity Of Law in Question [1] in the Politics wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO9912/S00025.htm

IRD Commissioner Resigns

– The IRD Commissioner Graham Holland has announced he will not seek to renew his $290,000 per year contract when it expires next year. United New Zealand Party leader, Peter Dunne, says the decision by Graham Holland not to renew his contract as Commissioner of Inland Revenue is a matter of regret, although not altogether surprising in the circumstances. See... Resignation Of IRD Commissioner Graham Holland [1] . ACT Finance Spokesman Rodney Hide today said that the resignation of Graham Holland was the first step towards a new direction for the Inland Revenue Department. See... Time To Set New Direction for IRD - ACT [2] . National MP Annabel Young says the best person available should head the IRD. See... IRD should be run by best person for the Job [3] . All in the Parliament wire. “The Inland Revenue Commissioner's head should have rolled months ago,” said Libertarianz deputy leader Richard McGrath, as he drank to the demise of Graham Holland. “Perhaps now there will be a wrecking ball swung through his entire department…” See... Good Riddance Mr Holland - Libertarianz [4] in the Politics wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9912/S00052.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9912/S00053.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9912/S00054.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO9912/S00028.htm

Peters Threatens To Renew Winebox

- The New Zealand First Leader, Winston Peters, has warned the coalition Government that he would renew his Winebox campaign if it tried to sweep the issue of unpaid corporate taxes ‘under the carpet’. See... Winebox Warning To New Government [1] in the Parliament wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9912/S00051.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.

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