HEADLINES
A New Road Safety Package
All The Pre-Budget Info We Need And More
Biodiversity & Biosecurity Strategy
Tariff Removal Will Support Women
Timor Troops Speech - Coming Home
Labour Scraps Alliance Policies
Warning Over Breast Implants
Money For Jobs Advice
The New Shape Of Pharmac
Pot-heads Skin Up In Schools
Goff Goes To The Solomons
Scoop Opinion: Being “Business Friendly” – 1 - Bruce Simpson
Scoop Opinion: Being “Business Friendly” - 2 - Keith Rankin
Scoop Opinion: Being “Business Friendly” – 3 - Simon Upton
JUST POLITICS
A New Road Safety Package
- A $152 million plus road package announced today will see greater emphasis on driver education and a dedicated
traffic patrol on New Zealand’s highways. See... Road Safety Package Announced [1] . Any moves to continue to reduce the road toll will be welcomed by New Zealanders but we should not be throwing
money away on cosmetic changes, says National. See... Hawkins toying with police cars [2] . ACT meanwhile has applauded the Government’s “CHiPs” initiative to reintroduce a dedicated highway patrol for New
Zealand roads. See... ACT Welcomes “CHiPs” Initiative [3] all in the Parliament wire.
All The Pre-Budget Info We Need And More
- United New Zealand leader, Peter Dunne, has lashed out at the rash of pre-Budget Government policy announcements,
saying they are completely missing the point. See... Pre-Budget Game Playing Missing The Point [1] in the Parliament wire.
Biodiversity & Biosecurity Strategy
- The Government has launched a multimillion Biodiversity package as part of a raft of pre-budget announcements. For the
most recent releases and reaction on biosecurity and biodiversity see below.
- GOVT - Biodiversity Strategy Funding [1]
- GOVT - Biodiversity Fact Sheet [2] .
- GOVT - Biodiversity Funding Private Land Fact Sheet [3] .
- GOVT - New Maori Fund - Pre-Budget Announcement [4] .
- GOVT -Maori Biodiversity Strategy Fact Sheet [5] .
- GREENS - Conservation Budget Justifies Green's Govt Support [6] .
- GOVT - Pre-Budget Biosecurity Strategy [7] .
- GREENS - Action As Well As Talk Needed On Biosecurity [8] .
- GOVT - Major investment in NZ's marine environment [9] .
- GREENS - Greens delighted at advancement of ocean policy [10] .
Tariff Removal Will Support Women
- The government says it intends to remove the import tariff on bras because of a lack of locally made bras on the New
Zealand market. See... Tariff Removal On Bras [1] in the Parliament wire.
Coming Home
– Over 500 Soldiers paraded through the streets of Palmerston North today after their tour of duty through East Timor.
Defence Minister Mark Burton was there and spoke to the parade. See... Welcome Home from Timor Parade - Speech [1] in the Parliament wire.
Labour Scraps Alliance Policies
- In a speech in Auckland last night Associate Finance Minister Trevor Mallard has renewed the assault on the Alliance,
saying Labour would not adopt anti-business policies that only Alliance supporters wanted. For a full text of Mr
Mallard’s Speech see... Mallard: Opening of the ABN AMRO new premises [1] in the Parliament wire.
Warning Over Breast Implants
- The Ministry of Health is recommending women with Trilucent breast implants discuss with their plastic surgeons
having them removed, following new information on possible side effects. See... New Soya Bean Oil Breast Implant Recommendation [1] in the General wire.
Money For Jobs Advice
- The Government is investing an additional $6.2 million over four years to improve and make more accessible quality
careers advice, Associate Education Minister Steve Maharey said today. See... Expanding careers advice and planning [1] in the Parliament wire.
The New Shape Of Pharmac
- Health Minister Annette King today released a Cabinet paper outlining the final shape of Pharmac, the Government's
drug negotiating agency, and the New Zealand Blood Service. See... Final Shape of Pharmac and NZ Blood Service [1] in the Parliament wire.
Pot-heads Skin Up In Schools
- The debate on cannabis decriminalisation is sending all the wrong signals to young people about the dangers of the
drug, says Opposition Education spokesman Nick Smith. See... Schools in a haze over dope debate [1] . For more background on this issue see below.
- NANDOR TANCZOS - Justice Select Committee place for cannabis debate [2] .
- JENNY SHIPLEY - Cannabis select committee rejected [3] .
- ACT - ACT Says No To Another Review Of Cannabis [4] .
- ACT - Will Organic Dope Be OK For Our Kids? [5] all in the Parliament wire.
Goff Goes To The Solomons
- The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Phil Goff, has said he will continue to go with a ministerial team to the Solomon
Island capital Honiara despite the resumption of heavy fighting in the city. See... Goff Off To The Solomons [1] in the Headlines wire.
Scoop Opinion: Being “Business Friendly” – 1 - Bruce Simpson
- According to our Finance Minister, Michael Cullen, I, and the many thousands of other New Zealand entrepreneurs and
businessmen, are a bunch of scheming, plotting would-be criminals who, if given half a chance, would enjoy nothing more
than to rip off the taxpayer. See... Cullen Insult Final Straw - Aardvark To Depart [1] in the Headlines wire.
Scoop Opinion: Being “Business Friendly” - 2 - Keith Rankin
- Business interests in New Zealand have been lobbying hard to make the Labour-led government more “business friendly”
The Parliamentary Labour Party seems to be acquiescing to this pressure. See... Keith Rankin: The Business of Government [1] in the Headlines wire.
Scoop Opinion: Being “Business Friendly” – 3 - Simon Upton
- Upton-on-line has been hunkered down on the farm this week. Perhaps there really is some truth in the old belief that
rural virtue is pitted against city vice. Perhaps it’s just having to rely on the media. But from the depths of the
provinces, the gyrations of the Government’s confidence-building offensive appear truly facile. See... Upton-on-line: Confidence Tricks [1] in the Parliament wire.