Scoop: Top Scoops + Just Politics

Thursday, 11 December 2003, 2:48 pm
Article: Alastair Thompson

TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS
Scoop Is In The House
LEAD STORY:
NZ Is Not On The U.S. Iraq Contracts Blacklist
NZer To Be Acting UN Chief In Iraq
NZ NEWS HEADLINES:
Stateside: The Rise Of The Greens St Francis's City
INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES:

SCOOP COLUMNS:
Mingus Casey: Who Is Ahmed Zaoui?
Hard News Is There!
Green Left Weekly: Is It Vietnam Yet?
The Night Miami Became Part Of A Police State
How Getting Tough Creates A Rod For The GIs Back
A Clintonian Political Strategist Talks Election 2004
Daily Katya Rivas

OTHER NEWS (Just Politics)
Iraq: Robson Cites U.S. Bush Admin Self Interest
Are Lax Laws Partly To Blame For Murder?
Western Teens Fattest, Sickest, And Least Fertile
Australia/NZ Climate Bilateral Details Announced
Serious Questions Raised Over AG’s Social Development Report
Bobo’s RMA Muse A Joke Says ACT
King Cosies Up To Aussies On Health
Franks’ Been Thinking: Nats and Labour Too Similar On Business!
RNZ Board Appointments Announced
Wilson Appoints High Court Judges

TO CHANGE MY SCOOP OPTIONS OR UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS LIST
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/myscoop/signin.html
IF YOU HAVE LOST YOUR PASSWORD
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/myscoop/newpass.html

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

...TODAY'S PHOTO STORY...

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/CU0312/S00074.htm
Tumbleweeds Tumble, Lizards Slither And Flowers Blossom
Momix's Opus Cactus – Early 2004 @ The Edge

-----------

TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS

------------

Scoop Is In The House

– For today's questions see... Questions for Oral Answer - Thursday, 11 December [1] . Earlier Q&A: Questions & Answers for Oral Answer - 10 December [2] & Questions & Answers for Oral Answer - 9 December [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0312/S00269.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0312/S00268.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0312/S00211.htm

LEAD STORY:
NZ Is Not On The U.S. Iraq Contracts Blacklist

- A U.S. Department of Defence memo is making waves in the diplomatic community, it includes a list of countries that are entitled to bid for $18 Billion in Iraqi Reconstruction contracts, and somewhat surprisingly the list includes New Zealand. See... Scoop Link: U.S. DoD Iraq Contracts Blacklist Memo [1] MORE: - Greens - Blood money should be refused [2] - Peace Action Wellington - Clark already cashing in on Iraq War [3] - Matt Robson - How serious is Bush in the war against terrorism? [4] - National - Government must rope in Matt Robson [5]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0312/S00109.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0312/S00276.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0312/S00098.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0312/S00280.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0312/S00283.htm

NZer To Be Acting UN Chief In Iraq

- Foreign Minister Phil Goff today welcomed the appointment of New Zealander Ross Mountain as the Acting Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General to Iraq. See... Goff welcomes Mountain's appointment [1] and Annan names acting Special Representative for Iraq [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0312/S00277.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0312/S00074.htm

NZ NEWS HEADLINES:

NZ falling behind EU on Legal liability for GM [1]

Parents Fail In Child Car Seat Fitment Check [2]

Appeal On French Sex-Violence Film – ''Baise-Moi'' [3]

GE Action Update 41 - Day Of Action Next Week! [4]

First Time Investiture on Christchurch Marae [5]

Urgent Thar Cull Needed On Pastoral Lease Lands [6]

Food Prices Rise in November [7]

Crisco Is Expensive [8]

Long-Running UK Butter And Cheese Cases Settled [9]

$25 Million Interest-Free Loan To ARC For Trains [10]

Stateside: The Rise Of The Greens St Francis's City

- The San Francisco election results put the two folks supported by the outgoing mayor into office. Kamala Harris won 56 percent of the vote against incumbent Terence Hallinan, who was seeking his third term as District Attorney. See... Stateside With Rosalea: Da Results [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0312/S00106.htm

INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES:

State Dept. Daily Press Briefing December 10, 2003 [1]

White House Briefing December 10, 2003 [2]

USA: More State Killing On Human Rights Day [3]

HR Day Sees World Support For Arms Trade Treaty [4]

Belgium: The death of Semira Adamu [5]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0312/S00073.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0312/S00072.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0312/S00071.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0312/S00070.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0312/S00069.htm

://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/features/?s=fc
IMAGE: Scoop's Selwyn Manning reports from Abuja, Nigeria

SCOOP COLUMNS:
Mingus Casey: Who Is Ahmed Zaoui?

- Ahmed Zaoui is an Algerian national, who is currently in prison in New Zealand, after arriving on a false passport. At the immigration desk, he openly told New Zealand officials who he was, and was promptly arrested. See... Mingus Casey: Is Ahmed Zaoui A Terrorist? [1] and Factsheet – Ahmed Zaoui [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0312/S00108.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0312/S00096.htm

Hard News Is There!

- Much of the Opposition to the new trans-Tasman regime on dietary supplements has been, frankly, quite self-serving - and it has come from people not normally noted for their sympathy towards businesses struggling with regulatory burden... See... Public Address 11/12/03 - Supplementary Questions [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0312/S00107.htm

Green Left Weekly: Is It Vietnam Yet?

- ''It is not Vietnam, and there is no way you can make the comparison'', Lieutenant-General Ricardo Sanchez, the top US general in Iraq, snapped at a reporter during a November 11 Pentagon press briefing in Baghdad. See... Green Left Weekly: Iraq - Vietnam Replayed [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0312/S00105.htm

The Night Miami Became Part Of A Police State

- Last night was a jolt into a reality that I never thought could exist in this country. What I describe below is the experience of a middle-class woman, a wife and mother who is simply a citizen of the U.S. concerned about the state of her nation. See... Barbara Villela: A Sad Day for Miami [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0312/S00104.htm

How Getting Tough Creates A Rod For The GIs Back

- The Bush administration’s recent ''get tough'' approach to the chaos in Iraq is predictable and will likely make things worse there in the long-term. See... Winning Over Arabs Using Israeli Tactics [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0312/S00103.htm

A Clintonian Political Strategist Talks Election 2004

- "My editor and I had a series of discussions about this interview. He believes, as I do, that this administration will succeed in the upcoming election if they are allowed to use the divide-and-conquer tactics that were so successful in the 2002 mid terms." See... Sidney Blumenthal IV with William Rivers Pitt [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0312/S00102.htm

Daily Katya Rivas

- My daughter, My beloved little one, your visit pleases Me and fills Me with joy. See... Katya Rivas: Enter the Sanctuary of My Heart [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0312/S00101.htm

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/CU0312/S00071.htm
IMAGE: Impact World Tours – Xtreme Skating On Stage

-----------

OTHER NEWS (JUST POLITICS)

------------

Iraq: Robson Cites U.S. Bush Admin Self Interest

- It is disturbing that companies domiciled in countries contributing to the rebuilding of Iraq's infrastructure may be banned from competing in tenders for some reconstruction projects, Progressive MP Matt Robson said today. See... How serious is Bush in the war against terrorism? [1] ALSO: Nats: Government must rope in Matt Robson [2] - United: Dunne Questions US Double Standards [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0312/S00280.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0312/S00283.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0312/S00274.htm

Are Lax Laws Partly To Blame For Murder?

- Public outrage at the soft criminal justice system that allowed Steven Williams freedom to murder Coral Burrows, is completely justified - but parole, not bail, should be the target, ACT New Zealand Justice Spokesman Stephen Franks said today. See... Parole, Not Bail, The Main Issue [1] ALSO: P, Lax Bail Laws, Thugs Detained With Children ... [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0312/S00272.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0312/S00254.htm

Western Teens Fattest, Sickest, And Least Fertile

- New Zealand First is repeating its call for immediate Government action following predictions from New Zealand and British specialists that today’s Western teenagers could become the fattest, sickest and least fertile in history. See... Sex Education A Matter Of Urgency [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0312/S00284.htm

Australia/NZ Climate Bilateral Details Announced

- The Convenor of the Ministerial Group on Climate Change, Pete Hodgson, and the Australian Minister for the Environment and Heritage, David Kemp, today announced details of the first projects to be undertaken under the Australia-New Zealand Bilateral Climate ... See... Trans-Tasman action on climate change [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0312/S00263.htm

Serious Questions Raised Over AG’s Social Development Report

- The Controller and Auditor-General's report into the accuracy of social security benefit administration, released to Parliament today, raises serious concerns about the Social Development Ministry's administration of benefits... See... Report Highlights Serious Welfare Flaws [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0312/S00257.htm

Bobo’s RMA Muse A Joke Says ACT

- Environment Minister Marion Hobbs has described the RMA as `beautifully written and beautifully balanced' - what a joke, ACT New Zealand Deputy Leader Ken Shirley said today. See... RMA Hindering New Zealand's Development [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0312/S00285.htm

King Cosies Up To Aussies On Health

- New Zealand First is saddened but not surprised that the Minister of Health is more concerned about cosying up to the Australians than paying heed to democratic processes at home. See... King Puts Australia First [1] Maori Achievements Lifted - A research project, Te Kotahitanga, has shown significant evidence of improvements in Maori students’ achievement through a new approach to teaching, Education Minister Trevor Mallard and Associate Education Minister Parekura Horomia said today. See... New approach lifts Maori students' achievement [2] ALSO: ACT: Labour Patronising Maori Education [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0312/S00281.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0312/S00278.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0312/S00266.htm

Franks’ Been Thinking: Nats and Labour Too Similar On Business!

- It is a pity that National thinks like Labour on business law issues, ACT New Zealand Justice Spokesman Stephen Franks said today, commenting on National's joining in the complaints after Fletcher Forests received court approval to a 50 percent majority ... See... Courts Right, Exchange and Politicians Wrong [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0312/S00271.htm

RNZ Board Appointments Announced

- Appointments to the Board of Radio New Zealand have been announced today by Broadcasting Minister Steve Maharey. See... Radio New Zealand Board appointments [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0312/S00265.htm

Wilson Appoints High Court Judges

- Attorney-General Margaret Wilson today announced the appointment of Alan Donald MacKenzie and Forrest Miller as Judges of the High Court. Both judges will sit in Wellington. See... High Court judges appointed [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0312/S00264.htm

ENDS

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.

Contact Alastair Thompson

Top Scoops Headlines

COMMENT

Ian Powell: Fishing Exploitation And The Origins Of Capitalism

Powell levers off revelations of harmful ocean fishing in New Zealand to discuss the relationship between fishing and the origins of capitalism. Fishing for sale rather than consumption developed along with the emergence of class-divided societies about five thousand years ago. Incrementally this led to early environmental and fish supply damage.

Gordon Campbell: On The Psychological Horror Film Possession

You don’t need to have gone through a horrible breakup to relate to the 1981 film Possession, but it would help. Arguably, this is cinema’s most accurate portrayal of the lunacy of heartbreak. As one critic advised, don’t get divorced before you’ve seen this film.

Gordon Campbell: On Why Anti-Zionism Is Not Anti-Semitic

The term “anti- Zionism” refers to criticism of the political movement that created a modern Jewish state on the historical land of Israel, and “anti-Semitism” is bigotry and racism directed at Jewish people, per se.

Peter Dunne: Wannabe Labour MPs Making The Running

It is no coincidence that two Labour should-have-been MPs are making the most noise about public sector cuts. Political parties have long memories when it comes to electoral failures, especially if that failure contributed to the defeat of a government. But behind this, a bigger picture is playing out.

Ian Powell: When Health Bosses Operate In An Isolated Bubble

Ian Powell discusses the claim that telehealth could reduce up to 50% of GPs work in the context of a leadership bubble created by New Zealand’s highly centralised and vertical health system. Telehealth is when patients have appointments with their GP via video or phone calls rather than face-to-face.

Gordon Campbell: On Miserly School Lunches, And The Banning Of TikTok’s Gaza Coverage

The school lunches programme is to be downgraded by $107 million, and women need bother their heads no longer about pay equity, let alone expect ACC to provide adequate sexual violence prevention services. Meanwhile, the government is keeping up its campaign to make Maori invisible again, while Shane Jones wants us all to go back to living in denial about climate change.

Join Scoop Pro

Submit News

Become a Member

Community Scoop

More RSS News Alerts

Wellington Scoop