Top Scoop Stories September 8th, 2009 News Summary

Tuesday, 8 September 2009, 4:10 pm
Article: The Scoop Editor

LEAD STORY

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Allowances: PM Tries To Put Ministerial Housing To Bed
Prime Minister John Key today released decisions on the review he ordered into accommodation services for Ministers.
The review looked at four options based on three criteria, which were:
• Simple, easy to understand, transparent and cost effective
• Value for money to the taxpayer
• Offers suitable accommodation for Ministers and their families
More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0909/S00082.htm

ALSO:

The PM on the MMP Referendum & Ministerial Housing [2]

Key announces cuts to Ministerial housing allowances [3]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0909/S00054.htm [2]

[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/multimedia/tv/politics/26606.html [3]

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NZ POLITICS

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ALSO:

Questions for Oral Answer - 8 Sept 2009 [2]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0909/S00092.htm [2]

DHB Collaboration: Musical Appointed-Board-Members
District Health Boards are to share some appointed board members to strengthen DHB collaboration and add financial capacity. “Over the next fifteen months, the Government will increase the number of appointed District Health Board members who sit on more than one neighbouring Board. ... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0909/S00090.htm

Activism: Wellington Statues Get Plastered For The Planet
Sign On volunteers have been out after dark raising the profile of the campaign by plastering iconic Wellington statues with blue casts - a reference to when John Key broke his arm at the beginning of the year. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0909/S00088.htm

ALSO:

Global concerns over Fiji human rights abuses fueled by new Amnesty report [2]

Fiji electoral reform campaign not about racial justice [3]

Amnesty has sights on Fiji in damning new human rights report due tomorrow [4]

Smacking Panel Must See the Real Evidence [5]

87% No Vote In Smacking Referendum [6]

[2] - http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2009/09/global-concerns-over-fiji-human-rights-abuses-fueled-by-new-amnesty-report/ [2]

[3] - http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2009/09/fiji-electoral-reform-case-not-about-racial-justice/ [3]

[4] - http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2009/09/amnesty-has-sights-on-fiji-in-damning-new-human-rights-report-due-tomorrow/ [4]

[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0909/S00086.htm [5]

[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0908/S00206.htm [6]

Elections: Nats Plan MMP Referendum
MMP gives all New Zealanders a say and is fair for everyone. Voters need the full picture of its effectiveness before deciding its future, said the Green Party today. “MMP has delivered representative democracy to New Zealand. It is a modern, fair system which is under attack from small, right wing groups that want to see a return to the 1980s.” More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0909/S00079.htm

ALSO:

Referendum to be held on MMP at next election [2]

Radio Adelaide: Nat-MMP Referendum Plan [3]

KiwiFM: Manning & Wallace On Nats' MMP Referendum [4]

The PM on the MMP Referendum & Ministerial Housing [5]

No Right Turn: A pig in a poke [6]

MMP knowledge nears all time pre-election high [7]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/multimedia/tv/politics/26605.html [2]

[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0909/S00045.htm [3]

[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0909/S00053.htm [4]

[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0909/S00054.htm [5]

[6] - http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2009/09/pig-in-poke.html" target="_blank [6]

[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0810/S00087.htm [7]

Super City: Auckland Tree Protection For The Chop
The Government's plan to ban councils from using general tree protection rules would put Auckland's coastal pohutukawa at risk of a chainsaw massacre, says Labour's Auckland Issues spokesperson Phil Twyford. "The Government is determined to get rid of the tree protection rules as some kind of trophy in their war against red tape.... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0909/S00075.htm

ALSO:

Urban Tree Protection - Is The Govt Listening? [2]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0909/S00072.htm [2]

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BUSINESS SCIENCE & TECH

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Transport: Bus Strike Averted
Metrolink, North Star, Go West, Waka Pacific, LINK and City Circuit bus services will operate as normal on Wednesday September 9th and Thursday September 10th. Representatives from NZ Bus this morning attended mediation with the Auckland Combined Unions in ... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0909/S00121.htm

ALSO:

Dialogue continues between Bus Company and Unions [2]

Auckland bus services suspend from Wednesday 9th [3]

Transport chaos over 70 cents an hour [4]

Union, company in last-ditch talks to avoid bus lock-out [5]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0909/S00175.htm [2]

[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0909/S00086.htm [3]

[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0909/S00084.htm [4]

[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/multimedia/tv/business/26646.html [5]

Conservation: Rare Kokako To Sing In The Waitakere Ranges Again
The haunting melody of the endangered kokako is returning to the Waitakere Ranges after an absence of more than 60 years. Intensive pest control efforts by the Ark in the Park project has resulted in the planned release of up to 30 kokako birds into the ranges over the next two years, beginning with the first transfer of birds on Tuesday 8 September 2009. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0909/S00120.htm

ALSO:

NZ property values improve for 4th straight month [2]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0909/S00157.htm [2]

It's Official: Fonterra Will Not List On Exchange
Federated Farmers has welcomed Fonterra’s decision to scrap plans to list New Zealand’s most important company as being a major step forward for the Cooperative. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0909/S00156.htm

User Pays: Farmers Don't Want Eradication Costs
Federated Farmers strongly opposes lumping biosecurity costs onto farmers as laid out in the Joint Decision Making and Cost Sharing Master Deed released by Government today. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0909/S00054.htm

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COMMENT

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Glen Johnson: Brewing Beer in the West Bank
They live under military occupation, stateless, in one of the most unstable areas of the world, but that hasn’t stopped a Palestinian family from building a successful beer brewing company – and with production at record levels, 2009 is set to be... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0909/S00057.htm

Being Deaf to Serpents: Australia’s Salvos and the Devil’s Brew
‘2.3 million Australians had their first alcoholic sip or drink when they were just 10 years of age or under.’ So starts a brief from the Salvation Army (7 September) in its launch of the Alcohol Awareness Campaign for this year, fronted by a meaty ... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0909/S00064.htm

Rosalea Barker: One Or Two Or Three For The Road
I confess to being very puzzled about the news on television that “Samoa” has switched to driving on the left-hand side of the road. Even local TV news bulletins carried the story, which must have been a shock for an American audience. The only ... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0909/S00062.htm

Martin LeFevre: Sentient Life in the Universe
The last full rays of a setting sun stream over my left shoulder as I stand on the edge of town looking out over the fields toward the foothills. Over a mile away, something flashes in the sunlight. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0909/S00058.htm

Jose Barbosa: Portugal makes the de-criminalisation of drugs work
Earlier this year a white paper pulling together data on Portugal’s drug policy caused a minor sensation among those interested in such things. Written by author and Salon.com columnist Glenn Greenwald for the Cato Institute... More »[1]

[1] - http://werewolf.co.nz/2009/09/living-sensibly-with-drugs/

‘Mad Dog’ Qaddafi: The Eternal Trickster
Colonel Muammar Qaddafi’s rule has matured to a ripe 40 years, sealed by blood and firm revolutionary credentials. The ‘mad dog’ continues to bark from Tripoli, though noises of aggression are muzzled these days by concessions to the West and ... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0909/S00030.htm

February 2013: New Zealand Prime Minister Arrested For Aggression?
12 February 2013 (Reuters) In a dramatic first test of landmark legislation, New Zealand’s Prime Minister was arrested this morning by New Zealand’s Attorney-General and charged with aggression... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0909/S00029.htm

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LIFESTYLE

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Sport And Politics: The Beehive Plans To Go Cycling In November
“Get on your bike,” has a new meaning in the corridors of the Beehive as Members of Parliament start training for the iconic 2009 Wattyl Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge on November 28th. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0909/S00114.htm

Retail: Consumer's Supermarket Price Survey
Pak'n Save is once again the country's cheapest supermarket and in the North Island well ahead of it nearest rivals New World and Countdown, Consumer NZ said today. This is the 10th year in a row that Pak'n Save has come out cheapest, Consumer NZ Deputy Chief Executive David Naulls says. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0909/S00154.htm

Karim Sahai Images: Wellington Phoenix Vs Adelaide United
The Wellington Phoenix battle Adelaide United during the 5th round of the Hyundai A-League championship, at Westpac Stadium in Wellington. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0909/S00043.htm

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WORLD

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Education: Make Like Dickens On International Literacy Day
The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers is providing the world¹s newspapers with an eight-part serialized story for publication around International Literacy Day, 8 September, to help parents and teachers instil a love of reading. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0909/S00111.htm

Atomic Watchdog: 'Stalemate' With Iran Over Nuclear Programme
The head of the United Nations atomic watchdog warned today that the agency has reached a deadlock with Iran over most aspects of its nuclear programme as he urged the country to credibly answer the international community's concerns. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0909/S00110.htm

Liberia: Human Rights Must Be Paramount In Policing
Respect for human rights must be central to police work, a senior United Nations official in Liberia has told the new members of an elite unit within the West African country's police force as she warned them never to misuse their strength and power. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0909/S00109.htm

BWS: Economic Turmoil Has Exacerbated Violence
The scourge of violence against women has worsened as a result of the global financial downturn over the past year, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro said today as she urged some of the world's richest countries to lead the way. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0909/S00108.htm

Swine Flu: Nearly 2,840 Deaths Attributed To H1N1 Virus
There are now at least 2,837 deaths attributable to the pandemic H1N1 which continues to be the predominant circulating virus of influenza both in the northern and southern hemispheres, the United Nations health agency reported today. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0909/S00078.htm

West Bank: Israeli Forces Shoot Demonstrator With Live Rounds
5pm, 4 September 2009: Israeli forces shoot Israeli and Palestinian demonstrator with live ammunition in the West Bank village of Ni’lin. Palestinian residents, alongside Israeli and international supporters. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0909/S00088.htm

Cultural Genocide: 64th West Papua Report
Papuan sources are reporting Indonesian military attacks on civilians in remote regions of West Papua. These include continued attacks in the long-troubled Puncak Jaya region and reports of new attacks on Yapen island. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0909/S00097.htm

ALSO:

Indonesian Military Burn Villages Around Wamena [2]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0909/S00095.htm [2]

ENDS

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Top Scoop Stories September 8th, 2009 News Summary