The Latest Scoop On INCIS - Top Scoops - Petrol Up Across Board - Internal Affairs Bites Back - A Poodle For Aussie President? - Shipley Confirms Changes To Student Loan Scheme - ERMA Decide To Reassess Transgenic Salmon / Canola Trials and much more..
TODAY'S SCOOPS
The Latest Scoop On INCIS
: Scoop has made some Friday afternoon discoveries about the ill-fated INCIS project. See... INCIS ONLINE [1] , you may find it as amusing as we did. Then again...
[1] - http://209.75.7.8/incis/
Top Scoops
- The latest ratings reports are in the News Monitor wire. See... Scoop Ratings - The Week's Top 20 [1] and Scoop Ratings - Today's Top 20 [2] .
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/NM9908/S00088.htm
[2]
- http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/NM9908/S00087.htm
Petrol
Up Across Board
- All petrol companies have announced price increases of three cents per litre across the board. BP say they will increase three cents in the North Island and only two cents per litre in the South Island. Challenge says they will match them.
Internal Affairs Bites
Back
- The Department of Internal Affairs has hit back at the National Business Review over a "mischevious piece of writing" concerning some restructuring within the Department. See... Internal Affairs Bites Back At NBR [1] in the Politics wire.
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO9908/S00027.htm
A
Poodle For Aussie President?
- The Australian Democrats yesterday backed down over the republic referendum question, leaving voters with the prospect of choosing between the present constitutional monarchy, or a republic that few favour - a politicians' republic. Scoop's Simon Orme reports from Sydney in the Headlines wire. See... Will Australia's President be a Poodle? [1]
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL9908/S00055.htm
Shipley
Confirms Changes To Student Loan Scheme
- In a speech
titled Good Policy Good Government today, Prime Minister
Jenny Shipley confirmed two changes to the student loan
scheme - for 2001. The extract of her speech outlining these
changes can be seen in the Parliament wire. See... Changes To Loan Scheme Announced By
Shipley [1] . See Shipleys entire speech there too... Shipley Speech - Good Policy Good
Government [2] . However the Aotearoa Polytech Student
Union points out that the changes were announced in December
and fail to address student concerns. See... Nothing New From Shipley [3] in the
Education wire. The New Zealand University Students'
Association is calling for progressive taxation to fund
social services. See... Progressive Taxati
on to Fund Health and
Education [4] in the Education wire. The Prime
Minister's office provided a student loan fact sheet which
documents the loan scheme as well as the changes scheduled
for the scheme. See... Fact Sheet On Student Loan Scheme With
Amendments [5] in the Parliament wire.
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9908/S00231.htm
[2]
- http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9908/S00229.htm
[3]
- http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED9908/S00010.htm
[4]
- http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED9908/S00011.htm
[5]
- http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9908/S00233.htm
ERMA
Decide To Reassess Transgenic Salmon / Canola Trials
- The Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) has
decided that the King Salmon trial to produce genetically
engineered fish and an engineered canola trial need to be
reassessed. See... GM Salmon and Canola warrant further check -
ERMA [1] . The decisions are also included. See... ERMA Decision On Reassessment of New
Organisms [2] . King Salmon say the decision is
welcomed. See... ERMA Decision Welcomed By King Salmon
[3] . King Salmon have included a question and answer sheet
on their salmon programme. See... Background From King Salmon On Engineered
Fish [4] . All in the Science wire. The Green Party, who
publicised the abnormalities of the King Salmon fish earlier
this year, are calling for
the programme to stop
immediately. See... King Salmon Must Stop Its GE Programme
[5] in the Parliament wire. Jeanette Fitzsimons also said
she is very disappointed with the ERMA decision on canola,
saying it is so weak it is meaningless. See... Green Party Says ERMA Canola Decision Is
Weak [6] , also in the Parliament wire.
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC9908/S00008.htm
[2]
- http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC9908/S00009.htm
[3]
- http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC9908/S00010.htm
[4]
- http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC9908/S00007.htm
[5]
- http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9908/S00226.htm
[6]
- http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9908/S00232.htm
Donald
And Bradford At Loggerheads
- You would probably be right in thinking Green Party Co-leader Rod Donald and Defence Minister Max Bradford have very little in common, but now they seem to be at each others throats. Yesterday Max Bradford slammed Rod Donald, alleging he got his facts wrong and demanded an apology over Donald's comments about the military spending $40,000 at a business seminar. See... Donald Wrong Again [1] in the Parliament wire. Today Rod Donald refused, saying bringing attention to wasting money didn't warrant any apology. See... No Need For Apology Over Revealing Wasted Money [2] , also in the Parliament wire.
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9908/S00218.htm
[2]
- http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9908/S00227.htm
Get
Them Out
- The Dental Association say there are risks to teeth through wearing tongue piercings and some dentists will not operate on people who have them due to increased risks of infection.
Another Meat Merger?
- Directors of Wanganui-based Waitotara Meat Company are recommending a merger with major North Island meat industry player Richmond Limited. See... Waitotara Directors Recommend Merger With Richmond [1] in the Business wire.
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU9908/S00057.htm
Smoking
Bad For Teeth
- The Dental Association say smoking is not only dangerous for the heart and lungs. It can lead to shrinking gums, oral cancer, peridontis, stained teeth, bad breath, .... You get the picture. If, by any chance, you want to read more, see... Dentists Warn On Smoking Hazards [1] in the General wire.
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE9908/S00080.htm
NZ
Purchase $30m Helicopter For Navy
- The New Zealand government has authorised the purchase of a $30 million helicopter which will operate from the New Zealand Navy's two new ANZAC frigates and the Leander class frigate HMNZS Canterbury. See... NZ Approves Purchase Of $30m Helicopter For Navy [1] in the Business wire.
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU9908/S00056.htm
Local Govt. To Review Water / Waste Water Industries -
Bradford
- Local government is to take on the review of the water, wastewater and stormwater industry, the Ministers of Local Government and Enterprise and Commerce announced today. See... Local Govt. Takes On Water / Waste Water Review [1] in the Parliament wire. However ACT do not like the idea saying the Water Review Shouldn't Be Left To Local Government [2] , also in the Parliament wire.
[1]
- http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9908/S00236.htm
[2]
- http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9908/S00237.htm
Investment And Funds Alliance Launched
- An alliance between two leaders in the investment administration and managed funds worlds has been announced. TOWER and DST International say their alliance will provide a unique service to New Zealand investors and offer benefits to the wider economy. See... Major Fund Services Alliance Announced [1] in the Business wire.
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU9908/S00055.htm
Three
Year Old Gets Credit Card
- A quick story to lighten up your Friday... A New York bank has launched an investigation after they issued a three year old with a $5,000 platinum credit card. The girls parents applied for her as a joke. For the application form they filled in 'pre-schooler' as an occupation and said she wanted the card to 'buy more toys'. The girls mother tested the card by buying groceries but resisted calls from her daughter for ballet shoes and a pet dog. Who said banks weren't anxious to give them out?
Government Watching Rising
Petrol Prices
- The government is continuing to keep a close eye on petrol price rises which have increased by nine cents in under a month. There is talk these hikes could impact on inflation and home mortgage rates. See... Government Monitoring Rising Petrol Prices [1] in the Parliament wire.
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9908/S00219.htm
Closer Economic Relations With Australia
- CER continues to be a tremendous success for Australia and New Zealand, according to Trade Minister Lockwood Smith. See... CER A Template For Successful Trade Relationships [1] in the Parliament wire.
[1] -
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9908/S00223.htm
The
Quality Of News - RNZ Staff Face Management
- Scoop would like to be a fly on the wall at today's meeting in Wellington between representatives of Radio New Zealand's board and its staff. See... Scoop's Questions For Tomorrow's RNZ Staff Meeting [1] in the Headlines wire.
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL9908/S00054.htm
Family Planning Threatens Legal Action Against Christian
Heritage
- The Family Planning Association is furious over claims by Christian Heritage leader Graeme Capill regarding a booklet on the options for pregnant women. The FPA refused to distribute the government funded booklets as they considered them biased and say Capill is trying to create conflict between the government and the FPA. See Capill's release... Family Planning Against Informed Consent [1] in the Parliament wire and the FPA response... FPA Slams Capill Over Abortion Booklet [2] in the General wire.
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA9908/S00211.htm
[2]
- http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE9908/S00073.htm
The Scoop On Scoop
- The discerning people at Lava magazine have published an article about us and we have republished it with their permission, see... Lava Magazine: The Scoop On Scoop [1] in the Headlines wire.
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL9908/S00052.htm