Scoop: Top Scoops + Just Politics

Tuesday, 2 April 2002, 4:45 pm
Article: Alastair Thompson

TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS
Fortuin Won’t Seek Reappointment
PM To London For Queen Mother's Funeral
Sharon Defies UN Call For Complete Withdrawal
BTL: Mid East Conflict & War On Iraq
A ‘Human Shield’ Writes From Palestine
Stateside: We Can’t Get By Without Our Mums
LINK: Queen Mother Memorial Website
Scoop Oscar Fashions!
Schumacher Formula One Dominance
David Miller: An Easter Trading Compromise
Images: Wholly Holy Easter In Rome

OTHER NEWS (Just Politics)
Prebble’s Letter From Wellington
Doctor, Doctor, I’ve Had An Attack On My Freedom
Stamp Out Weed – Greens
Funding Abuse By PETC Students Confirmed
Easter News From The Chicken Liberation Front
Sentencing & Reform Bill Edges Towards Law
Not In Your Wildest Fantasies

Fortuin Won’t Seek Reappointment

- Associate Minister of Justice Hon Margaret Wilson said this afternoon it is with much regret she has accepted Gregory Fortuin’s decision to withdraw his name for the position of Race Relations Commissioner. See... Fortuin Withdraws Application [1] MORE: - Nats - Fortuin Had To Go [2] - HRC - Fortuin Withdraws Application [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0204/S00016.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0204/S00020.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0204/S00008.htm

PM To London For Queen Mother's Funeral

- Prime Minister Helen Clark will travel to London to represent New Zealand for Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. See... PM to attend funeral [1] and PM's tribute [2] MORE: - Tony Blair’s Statement [3] - Funeral Arrangements [4] - Greens farewell Queen Mother [5] - ACT Party Pays Tribute To Queen Mother [6] - Bill English pays Tribute to Queen Mother [7]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0204/S00004.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0203/S00578.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0204/S00004.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0204/S00005.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0204/S00002.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0204/S00001.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0204/S00011.htm

Sharon Defies UN Call For Complete Withdrawal

- Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has defied a United Nations call for a complete withdrawal from occupied Palestinian territory - continuing an illegal occupation of Palestinian territory and an armed siege surrounding Yasser Arafat's compound. See... Israel's "Disproportionate Lethal Force" - Annan [1] INSIGHT ON THE MIDDLE EAST: - Israel Declares War - Insight Into The Aggressors [2] - Insight - Behind the Scenes of the Hamas [3] Meanwhile, New Zealand Foreign Minister Phil Goff has condemned the perpetrators of violence on both sides of the Middle East conflict. [4]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0203/S00188.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0204/S00002.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0204/S00004.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0204/S00021.htm

BTL: Mid East Conflict & War On Iraq

- Hussein Ibish of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee says that there is a profound recklessness at work in some elements of the Bush administration who want to push forward with a war against Iraq. See... BTL: Conflict Stymies Bush Plan Against Iraq [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0204/S00007.htm

A ‘Human Shield’ Writes From Palestine

- Last night, 30 March 2002, 20 of us stayed in Al Azzeh refugee camp of 5,000 inside of Bethlehem with several families expecting an invasion by the Israeli military. See… The Popping Of F-16s - An Observer In Palestine [1] MORE MID-EAST STORIES - Israeli Activist At Arafat's Besieged Headquarters [2] - New Yorker Shot Defending Human Rights [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0204/S00003.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0204/S00003.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0204/S00002.htm

Stateside: We Can’t Get By Without Our Mums

- Here's a cartoon I'd like to see: the Queen Mum is leaning down out of her cloud in heaven, grabbing two young whippersnappers by the ears and banging their daft heads together. See... Stateside: The Mum is dead, long live the Mum [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0204/S00005.htm

LINK: Queen Mother Memorial Website

- Keep up-to-date on the funeral arrangements or submit a letter of condolence on-line. See… HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother

Scoop Oscar Fashions!

- When I first called Paul Badali of Badali Jewelry with the idea of making a pin for the Oscar nominees, I never thought in my wildest dreams we'd see them wearing the pins live on television. See... Lord Of The Pins [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0204/S00010.htm

Schumacher Formula One Dominance

- Not to be confused by the results, the Brazilian Grand Prix could have easily belonged to the younger Schumacher. See... Brazilian Grand Prix - Or Schumacher Grand Prix? [1] and Sun and Snow For Race To Sky [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0204/S00008.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0204/S00009.htm

David Miller: An Easter Trading Compromise

- The increased number of businesses that have been charged with flouting Easter trading laws this year demonstrates that more businesses are prepared to open over the holiday and incur the one thousand dollar fine. See... David Miller Online: Why Not Open At Easter? [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0204/S00006.htm

Images: Wholly Holy Easter In Rome

- Below is a panoramic image of the Easter Sunday Mass in Piazza San. Pietro Roma held this morning local time and presided over by Il Santa Padre John Paul II. See... Scoop Images: Easter Sunday At San Pietro [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0204/S00001.htm

Prebble’s Letter From Wellington

- Yesterday, new frontal impact regulations for imported cars came into effect. Officials told Transport Minister Mark Gosche the regulations will push up the cost of imported Japanese cars by $4000 and won't save lives. See... Prebble's Letter From Wellington: Re-regulation NZ [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0204/S00019.htm

Doctor, Doctor, I’ve Had An Attack On My Freedom

- Saying he could "no longer remain a member of an organisation hellbent on becoming an arm of Big Government," Libertarianz health deregulation spokesman Dr Richard McGrath labelled the NZ Medical Association's new Code of Ethics a "manifesto for socialised medicine designed to make doctors unpaid advocates for state control on the supply of health care." See... Doctor Resigns in Ethics Attack [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0204/S00006.htm

Stamp Out Weed – Greens

- Green Party Biosecurity spokesperson, Ian Ewen-Street is calling on MAF to act immediately to prevent the noxious weed Kudzu from becoming established in NZ. See... 'Giant' Weed Takes Root In BOP [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0204/S00007.htm

Funding Abuse By PETC Students Confirmed

- Initial investigations into the Practical Education Training Centre (PETC) and its enrolled students have confirmed misuse of government funding, says Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education) Steve Maharey. See... Investigation Into Abuse Of Government Funding [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0204/S00003.htm

Easter News From The Chicken Liberation Front

- An anonymous group of animal rights activists broke into a Dunedin battery hen farm under the cover of darkness over the weekend. Animal Watch Aotearoa received the following communiqué along with videotape and photos of the rescued animals. See... Five Battery Hens Liberated During Nighttime Raid [1] MORE: - Battery Hen Liberated From Mainland Poultry [2] - Animal Rights Protesters Invade Poultry Farm [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0204/S00004.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0204/S00005.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0204/S00003.htm

Sentencing & Reform Bill Edges Towards Law

- The Sentencing and Parole Reform Bill has taken another step towards becoming law, passing through its second reading in Parliament. See... Sentencing And Parole Reform Bill Moves Forward [1] SPEECHES - Robson Speech: Sentencing And Parole Bill [2] - Goff Speech: Sentencing And Parole Reform Bill [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0203/S00583.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0203/S00580.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0203/S00579.htm

Not In Your Wildest Fantasies

- Parliament introduced an order to classify the Fantasy range of drugs as Class B under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975, Associate Health Minister Hon Tariana Turia announced. See... Parliament Faces Fantasy [1] - Misuse Of Drugs (Classification Of Fantasy) Speech [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0203/S00586.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0203/S00587.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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