Scoop: Just Politics

Thursday, 10 May 2001, 3:55 pm
Article: Alastair Thompson

JUST POLITICS
Young Nats Apologise To Oz On Behalf Of All NZ
Environmental Lawyers Says RMA Bill Fails To Deliver
Customs Staff In East Timor Get Medals
King chairs Health Minister Get-together In Geneva
Review Questions Wgtn Inner City Bypass
Carter & Gosche Quarrel Over HNZ List
Cervical Report Recommendations Being Implemented

POLITICS FROM TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS
Scoop Is In The House - Today's Q&A
Sludge Report: We Need Maori Seats & Maori Rates
Keith Rankin: Shipley Tilting At MMP
Unemployment Lowest For 13 Years
Winston Backs Gary's Campaign Against Towie Mafia
Clark Ordered Rankin Out
Increased Defence Budget Is Just Spin
TVNZ Charter Must Enshrine Editorial Independence

JUST POLITICS

Young Nats Apologise To Oz On Behalf Of All NZ

- It is my sad duty to offer the sincerest apologies of the New Zealand Young Nationals for our Country's disgraceful lack of commitment to regional security. See... An Open Letter Of Apology To John Howard [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0105/S00056.htm

Environmental Lawyers Says RMA Bill Fails To Deliver

- “After two years of extensive review, the Resource Management Amendment Bill fails to deliver what it promised”, says Chapman Tripp environmental lawyer John Hassan. See... Problems With Environmental Law Remain Unfixed [1] . Meanwhile, Forest & Bird welcome many of the changes. See… Committee’s Changes To Resource Management Bill [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0105/S00055.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0105/S00052.htm

Customs Staff In East Timor Get Medals

- Deputy Prime Minister Jim Anderton today awarded seven medals to NZ Customs staff who have restored East Timor's border controls. Six Customs staff and the father of another received the East Timor medals at a ceremony in Auckland. See... Customs Staff Receive Medals For East Timor Duty [1] and Duty In East Timor - Anderton Speech [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00240.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00241.htm

King chairs Health Minister Get-together In Geneva

- Health Minister Annette King will chair the meeting of Commonwealth Health Ministers in Geneva on Sunday prior to World Health Assembly meetings on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next week. See... Annette King To Chair Meeting In Geneva [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00238.htm

Review Questions Wgtn Inner City Bypass

- Green Transport Spokesperson and former Wellington City Councillor Sue Kedgley today welcomed the release of an independent review of the proposed inner-city 'bypass' and called on the Government to put the $25 million cost of this project into public transport improvements instead. See... Transit Must Reconsider 'Bypass' After Review [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00237.htm

Carter & Gosche Quarrel Over HNZ List

- Housing New Zealand's waiting list has dropped and National MP David Carter knows it, Housing Minister Mark Gosche said today. See... Waiting List Has Dropped And Carter Knows It [1] and HNZ Waiting List In Shambles [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00234.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00221.htm

Cervical Report Recommendations Being Implemented

- Health Minister Annette King today released the first briefing report from the Ministry of Health showing early progress in implementing the recommendations of the Gisborne Cervical Screening Inquiry Report. See... Gisborne Cervical Screening Recommendions [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00224.htm

POLITICS FROM TOP SCOOPS

Scoop Is In The House - Today's Q&A

– Today's questions of the day concerned: Budget Blow Out – Sealord Fishing Boats – Ross Armstrong And TVNZ News – Unemployment – Air Force Redundancies – Thermal Power Stations – Army Air Combat Training – Indonesia – DHB Budgets – NZ Music – Violent Crime – Modern Apprenticeships - Cannabis Inquiry. SCP HOUSE: Questions Of The Day – 10 May [1] . For yesterday's questions of the day see... SCP HOUSE: Questions Of The Day – 9 May [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0105/S00067.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0105/S00059.htm

Sludge Report: We Need Maori Seats & Maori Rates

- Sludge has long been a critic of the Treaty Settlement programme. Not because it is “separatist” or “racist” as critics from the right currently damning moves in the Bay of Plenty to establish Maori council seats would assert, but because it is fundamentally mean spirited, and because ultimately it will fail. See... Sludge #62: Tino-Rangitiratanga = Maori Rates [1] MORE ON MAORI COUNCIL SEATS: - Local Govt Commentator David Thornton - Binding Public Referendum Needed On Maori Seats [2] - ACT - Govt Moves To Separatism With BoP Decision [3] - NZ First - Electoral Apartheid Disastrous Step Backwards [4] - Nats - Nats Oppose BoP Maori Council Seats Bill [5]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0105/S00065.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0105/S00066.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00222.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00220.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00203.htm

Keith Rankin: Shipley Tilting At MMP

- Jenny Shipley's Electoral Options Referenda Bill has been drawn from the private members' ballot. Tilting at windmills, Mrs Shipley wants, or claims to want, “the people” to decide whether to fix an electoral system that ain't broke. See... Keith Rankin: The Shipley Bill [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0105/S00062.htm

Unemployment Lowest For 13 Years

- The March 2001 quarter seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.4 per cent, according to Statistics New Zealand's Household Labour Force Survey, the official measure of unemployment. The unemployment rate is the lowest recorded since June 1988. See... Unemployment Rate 5.4 Per Cent [1] REACTION: - Govt - Employment Growth Continues [2] - ACT - Time To Review Measurement Of Unemployment [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0105/S00070.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00227.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00231.htm

Winston Backs Gary's Campaign Against Towie Mafia

- New Zealand First Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters, today applauded the efforts of entertainer Gary McCormick for standing up to the Wellington Towing Company which removed and impounded his car recently, following an unfortunate mechanical breakdown on a busy Wellington thoroughfare. See... Towing Companies To Become A Target For Attention [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00235.htm

Clark Ordered Rankin Out

- The ACT Party believes the real reason the Prime Minister is refusing to answer questions on the merger of WINZ and the Ministry of Social Policy - and other Ministers are covering up for her - is because it’s the Prime Minister who ordered that Mrs Rankin not be re-appointed. See... Helen Clark Ordered Rankin’s Sacking [1] and Helen Clark Has No More Excuses To Avoid Questions [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00213.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00208.htm

Increased Defence Budget Is Just Spin

- Once again the Coalition Government has put a spin on its announcements - this time trying to dupe New Zealanders into believing that it is increasing defence spending, ACT Defence Spokesman Owen Jennings said today. See... More Spin Covering The Facts [1] and Defence Spend A Sham [2] MORE: - Jim Anderton - Defence Spending [3] - Max Bradford - PM spin misleads public [4] - Jenny Shipley - PM misleads in attempt to justify Skyhawk decision [5] Full defence debate coverage on the JUST POLITICS FEATURE PAGE [6]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00218.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00236.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00223.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00214.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00212.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/features/?s=justpolitics

TVNZ Charter Must Enshrine Editorial Independence

- The government must make it absolutely clear to the Board of TVNZ that it will not tolerate political interference in any aspect of TVNZ news and current affairs, Green Party Broadcasting spokesperson Sue Kedgley said today. See... TVNZ Charter Should Support Independent News [1] - Heavy-Handed Political Interference In TVNZ - Nats [2] - Way To Go Ross - NZ First [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00219.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00200.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00230.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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