Housing Tax Proposals – Baby Girl Burnt – Food Safety – Air New Zealand – Manchester Serial Killer Inquiry – Pakistan – Health Pay Double Standard – Northland Rail Link – Lottery Grants

HOUSING TAX PROPOSALS: The Real Estate Institute has described a proposed tax on home ownership as outrageous. It says it will lobby strongly against the idea. “It stands against everything that we stand for in NZ,” says a spokesman. But the CEO of Business NZ says the proposal should be seriously considered. Simon Carlaw says that NZ has been importing overseas savings to realise gains on house prices.

BABY GIRL BURNT: A person will appear in court today in relation to serious burns sustained by a baby girl in Auckland this morning.

FOOD SAFETY: A food industry training organisation says the government is dragging its feet over legislation that would help to stop the spread of food borne disease.

AIR NEW ZEALAND: Air New Zealand executives meet the Government today to flesh out proposals for Singapore Airlines to invest more in the national carrier. Meanwhile Qantas is lobbying hard against the Singapore Airlines option.

MANCHESTER SERIAL KILLER INQUIRY: A public inquiry has opened in Manchester into Britain’s worst ever serial killer. Dr Harold Shipman has been jailed already for the killing of 12 of his patients, the inquiry will investigate hundreds more deaths.

PAKISTAN: The Commonwealth Secretary General Don McKinnon has harshly criticised Pakistan’s General Pervez Musharraf for assuming the role of President of Pakistan. General Musharraf has promised to hold elections next year.

HEALTH PAY DOUBLE STANDARD: The Nurses Organisation says news that DHB CEOs have received big pay rises has steeled their resolve in upcoming pay negotiations. They have been told that there is no money for pay rises, and think the pay rises for executives indicates a double standard.

NORTHLAND RAIL LINK: The Transport Minister Mark Gosche has asked for more research into the benefits of a proposed rail link to Marsden Point. Transfund has turned the project down, but Mr Gosche has told Northland councils to reapply after research is done.

LOTTERY GRANTS: The Lottery Grants Board is using its reserves to ensure that organisations funded by it will not receive cuts this year. The future outlook is brighter now as the introduction of Power Ball has increased sales.

© 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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