Maori Lease Land Tax Bill – Greymouth Tornado – Easter Shopping – Monteith’s – Israel – Arab Summit – Dover Samuels – Spouse House Stoush – Train Crash

MAORI LEASE LAND TAX BILL: The Minister of Finance says the government wants more time to sort out a tax problem on Maori Lease land compensation. The government has introduced legislation to collect $15 million in tax. A lessee spokesman says he would be happy for compensation hearings to be delayed to sort out the problem.

GREYMOUTH TORNADO: A tornado has swept through Greymouth pulling roofs off and smashing glass houses and garages. Residents say the swathe of destruction is 300m wide.

EASTER SHOPPING: The Government is to introduce legislation today to allow garden centres to open on Easter Sunday. Some MPs are disappointed that other shops are not included.

MONTEITH’S: Redundant workers from the Monteith’s brewery in Greymouth are hopeful that their brewery will be expanded. DB and workers are meeting tomorrow.

ISRAEL: Two bomb blasts have rocked Jerusalem killing a suicide bomber and injuring many. A suicide attack took place in a former Palestinian part of the city. The Israeli Government insists that the Palestinian Authority must be held responsible, but says it plans to exercise its “policy of restraint”.

ARAB SUMMIT: The violence coincides with an Arab summit in Amman Jordan. Meanwhile an 11-year-old Palestinian boy has been killed on the West Bank.

DOVER SAMUELS: There is elation in Northland over Labour MP Dover Samuels’ new job as Undersecretary for Economic Development to Jim Anderton.

SPOUSE HOUSE STOUSH: The Speaker will hold a meeting his morning calling a truce in the spouse house stoush. The speaker says standing orders are due for review this year, but says it would be hard to write a rule about families.

TRAIN CRASH: At least 8 have been killed and dozens injured in a Belgium train crash.

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Alastair Thompson

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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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