Today's Scoop Just Politics News Summary

Thursday, 7 December 2006, 4:11 pm
Article: The Scoop Team

POLITICS HEADLINES:
Sludge Report: Will Bollard Get Mean On Pre-Christmas Spenders?
QUESTIONS OF THE DAY
The Hollow Men: Nicky Hager Responds to Don Brash
Fiji Coup: Clark Calls On Military Elements To Overthrow Bainimarama
Veteran News: Govt Reaches Agreement With Returned Vietnam Vets
Politics: Robson-on- Politics Leads To Robson At Privileges Committee -
Foreign Affairs: Mid-East Ambassadors Group Discuss Lebanon, Iran, Iraq and Israel
Disturbing Report Exposes Tonga Military/Police Abuses
Statistics: Census Results Out And Online
MORE POLITICAL HEADLINES

Sludge Report: Will Bollard Get Mean On Pre-Christmas Spenders?

Scoop's CD Sludge reports on the Monetary Policy Statement - This morning's MPS is in fact fairly encouraging for kiwi battlers - householders and consumers - and even to its farmers and exporters. Interest rates are not up yet; the inflation outlook is mildly encouraging; and – most importantly for homeowners – the Reserve Bank is no longer picking a fall in house prices in the coming year. See... Sludge Report #173: Meanwhile Down At t'Bank [1]
ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00120.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0612/S00162.htm

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0612/S00142.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0612/S00132.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0612/S00088.htm

The Hollow Men: Nicky Hager Responds to Don Brash

Yesterday Don Brash circulated a long rebuttal of my book The Hollow Men. In the interests of accuracy I should respond to his substantial points. Out of a 350 page book, with nearly 1000 detailed references, Don Brash has found two minor inaccuracies. I am happy to take his word about both of them. But neither detracts from the book. See... Nicky Hager Reply to Don Brash [1]
ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00123.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0612/S00108.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0611/S00405.htm

Fiji Coup: Clark Calls On Military Elements To Overthrow Bainimarama

Scoop's Lyndon Hood reports from Parliament - In response to Fiji's military orchestrating a coup d'etat, Helen Clark and Winston Peters announced a range of sanctions against Fiji, describing the actions of Fiji's Commodore Bainimarama and his soldiers as disgraceful and grossly illegal. She also front-footed support for any 'elements' in the Fijian military that might choose to overthrow the Commodore and return the elected government to power. See... Audio: PM, Foreign Minister on Fiji Sanctions [1]
ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00116.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0612/S00135.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00119.htm

Veteran News: Govt Reaches Agreement With Returned Vietnam Vets

Defence Minister Phil Goff and Veterans Affairs Minister Rick Barker today announced details of the government's response to the recommendations of the Joint Working Group report on the concerns of Viet Nam veterans. See... Agreement Reached by Government and Vietnam Vets [1]
ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0612/S00139.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0612/S00143.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0612/S00137.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0612/S00145.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0612/S00150.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0612/S00099.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0612/S00098.htm

Politics: Robson-on- Politics Leads To Robson At Privileges Committee -

The former Privileges Committee Chairperson Matt Robson turned up this morning to sample some of the medicine he would once have dished out. Mr Robson - the current deputy leader of the Progressive Party - was hauled before the Privileges Committee after writing some robust political commentary. See... Attack On Dunne Leads To Privileges Committee [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00098.htm

Foreign Affairs: Mid-East Ambassadors Group Discuss Lebanon, Iran, Iraq and Israel

A group of Australian based Arab Ambassadors has been on a joint visit to New Zealand over the past two days. Today they held a relatively poorly attended - but highly informative - press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Wellington. See... Scoop Audio & Images: Arab Ambassadors Talk Peace [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00094.htm

Disturbing Report Exposes Tonga Military/Police Abuses

No Right Turn writes that last month, the New Zealand government sent soldiers and police to Tonga "to help maintain law and order". At the time I was deeply uneasy about this move, as it smacked of propping up a corrupt feudal regime against its own people. But I didn't know quite how bad it was. The National Centre for Women and Children has been interviewing those detained by the police in the wake of the riots, and produced a most disturbing report. See... No Right Turn: Tonga - What We Supported [1]
ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00114.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0611/S00331.htm

Statistics: Census Results Out And Online

Results from the 2006 Census show that New Zealand's usually resident population grew faster between 2001 and 2006 than in any five-year period between censuses in the last 30 years, Statistics New Zealand said today. In the five years to 2006, the population increased by 7.8 percent (to reach 4,027,947), compared with 3.3 percent between 1996 and 2001. See... Census Shows Accelerating Growth Across Country [1]
ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0612/S00069.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0612/S00097.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0612/S00104.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0612/S00099.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0612/S00098.htm
[6] - http://www.stats.govt.nz/census/default.htm

MORE POLITICAL HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0612/S00156.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0612/S00152.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0612/S00158.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0612/S00125.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0612/S00126.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0612/S00154.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0612/S00163.htm

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