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KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY: $47 million of new spending in a package called Brighter Future. Money for university scholarships. Review of tertiary education. Review of tax breaks for research and development. Linda Clark Reports - The show is on the road. 10 Cabinet ministers 4 cities - video links. Max Bradford says NZ economy should perform better. NZ Internet Institute man also says changes are necessary. Ireland is doing well using a different tactic. Michael Cullen however criticises - "there are no real incentives". Mixed reaction from other observers "finally we have a strategy statement" says one. A common theme is that this is all electioneering. Other party leaders - Jim Anderton - "you have to do more" - Richard Prebble - "losers are agriculture" - Winston Peters - "it is just rejigging".
KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY - UNIVERSITY REACTION: University enrolments are down this year for the first time in a decade. Students say the problem is student loans. Vice-chancellor Michael Irving also says students are leaving too early. Students organisations say it is too little, and that students problems with loans are not being addressed.
KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY - LINDA CLARK: Linda Clark Live - It was flashy. It was bigger than the budget and the announcements were smaller. We asked how much it cost the TV, the books, the video, but the government isn't saying. We need to be upfront and say that no-one disagrees with a Knowledge Economy - the problem for the government however is that there isn't much in the pot. Everyone is cynical about the timing.
TIMBERLANDS SAGA: Jackie Mahar reporting - Today the ongoing row almost overshadowed the economic announcements. Papers released to One Network News show that the PM was meeting with Timberlands regularly. Yesterday the PM said again that she was not involved in Timberlands policy. Documents today show that Timberlands met Peter Wood and Cath Ingram lots of times after she became PM. Evidence detailed from papers. After initially denying being involved the PM today said that were staff were not "proactively" involved. Real pressure remains on the PM.
TIMBERLANDS SAGA - COAST OUTRAGE: - Members of the Coast Action Network are smarting today over the allegations in Secrets and Lies. One positive spin-off has been a surge in support for CAN following the book release.
TIMBERLANDS SAGA - PM TO COME UNDER PRESSURE: Linda Clark Live - She will come under more pressure on this. Opposition MPs smell a bit of the Kevin Roberts affair in this. A little more is being revealed in answer to each question. Next week this is expected to be top of the agenda with an attack on the PMs integrity.
TURKISH QUAKE: Up to 3000 now confirmed dead. The quake measured 7 on the Richter Scale. Victims sleeping peacefully when the quake struck. A little girl is found trapped between the crumbling concrete. People are stunned by the awesome nature. Worst hit the city of Izmit. The Turkish government cannot deal with the disaster alone. US send special team. Turks urged to donate blood. Wounded not complaining - they are lucky to be alive. A fire is now raging out of control at an oil refinery. NZ Government pledges $250,000 in aid to the international Red Cross.
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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