Retiring Doone – Job Is Bigger - Jibes From Japan – Contact Mistake – Holmes’s Delays – Nevin & Petrie – Te Papa

RETIRING DOONE: The front page of the Dominion reports that Police Commissioner Peter Doone took a platinum handshake from the Government yesterday, despite its professed distaste for doing deals with disgraced public servants.

The front page photo is of Mr Doone with the caption – “I didn’t think people would think the worst of me and my partner.”

Also on the front page:

-JIBES FROM JAPAN: Prime Minister Helen Clark risked a diplomatic showdown yesterday by dismissing Japan’s reaction to her anti-whaling stance as coming “from well down the pecking order.”

-JOB IS BIGGER: Police Commissioner Peter Doone is surprised at the speed with which people suspected the worst after reports intimated he had intervened to stop partner Robyn Johnstone being breath-tested.

-CONTACT’S MISTAKE: Contact Energy directors were left red-faced yesterday when a resolution to give them a 111 per cent fees increase did not comply with the company’s constitution.

-HOLMES DELAYS: Broadcaster Paul Holmes is to delay his return to radio and television till late March to give him time to complete treatment for his prostate cancer.

-NEVIN & PETRIE: Wellington captain Chris Nevin and teammate Richard Petrie will be avaliable for Friday’s Shell Cup cricket semifinal should the Firebirds qualify, even though they were cited to attend a code of conduct hearing.

-TE PAPA: The Dominion editorial advanced the idea that New Zealanders should pay to enter Te Papa to help it out of its financial trouble.