Scoop: Just Politics

Monday, 14 August 2000, 3:53 pm
Article: Alastair Thompson

JUST POLITICS
Pokies Claims Unfocussed Say Pub Charities
ACC Premiums Rising – Or Are They?
Wellington Nursing Shortage
Rodney Vs The IRD
Beware Low Flying Broadcaster
Defence Spending Concerns
Warning On Coastal Green Extremism
Top Horses Get Tax Break
The Truth On NZ’s Approach To Fijian Refugees
Early Childhood Education Equity Working Group Established
Nandor Disappointed About Water Pipeline Decision
High Expectations From Cullen On Super Unrealistic - ACT

POLITICS FROM TOP SCOOPS
PM Rejects Samuels Lawyer’s Scurrilous Allegations
Cannabis Coalition Launched
GE INQUIRY FULL COVERAGE: Are Green Scientists Turning Yellow?
Scoop Opinion: Richard Prebble’s Letter
Scoop Opinion: Surrealism Under Urgency
ERB WARS ROUND NINE: Urgency Continues

JUST POLITICS

Pokies Claims Unfocussed Say Pub Charities

- The Compulsive Gambling Society’s call for a moratorium on gaming machines seemed to be an unfocused response to a much more complex issue, Pub Charity Inc Chief Executive Ian Bray said today. See... Call For Gaming Machine Moratorium ‘Unfocused’ [1] in the Politics wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0008/S00083.htm

ACC Premiums Rising – Or Are They?

- Employers and the self employed are paying $50 million dollars less this year for workplace accident insurance than they did under the private scheme and further reductions are likely with good safety management programmes says Michael Cullen. See... ACC – cheaper and safer than private insurers [1] in the Parliament wire. The statement followed reports that premium levels were rising… See... ACC premium rethink needed [2] , also in the Parliament wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0008/S00246.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0008/S00238.htm

Wellington Nursing Shortage

- ACT is hailing as a “victory for common sense,” the decision by the Health Funding Authority to pay for people to have operations in Wellington’s Wakefield Hospital in an effort to overcome chronic staff shortages in Wellington. See... HFA Decision “Victory for Common Sense” – ACT [1] in the Parliament wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0008/S00245.htm

Rodney Vs The IRD

- “The Minister of Revenue must accept responsibility for his Department following another damning report from the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee,” said ACT Finance spokesman Rodney Hide today. See... IRD Still Acting Contempuously - Hide [1] in the Parliament wire. See also National MP Annabel Young's statement...Wakey wakey John and Mickey [2] .

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0008/S00244.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0008/S00249.htm

Beware Low Flying Broadcaster

- “CAA should ‘throw the book’ at Paul Holmes for allegedly flying low over Ardmore Airport without getting permission,” said New Zealand First Deputy Leader, Peter Brown.”See... ‘Throw Book At Low Flying Holmes’ - Brown [1] in the Parliament wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0008/S00243.htm

Defence Spending Concerns

- New Zealand First has called on the Prime Minister to defer tomorrow's Cabinet discussions on Defence spending and to initiate an independent inquiry into all current Defence Force procurement projects. See... Prime Minister Asked To Defer Defence Decision [1] in the Parliament wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0008/S00240.htm

Warning On Coastal Green Extremism

- “I am very concerned that the Labour/Alliance Government is about to buckle further to ‘Green extremists’ and close down even more enterprises on the West Coast,” said ACT Deputy Leader, Hon Ken Shirley. See... Government Buckling To Green Extremists on Coast [1] in the Parliament wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0008/S00230.htm

Top Horses Get Tax Break

- Racing Minister Annette King says race stakes won overseas will become exempt from income tax. See... Ministers will remove unfair racing tax [1] in the Parliament wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0008/S00224.htm

The Truth On NZ’s Approach To Fijian Refugees

- United New Zealand leader, Hon Peter Dunne, says the Government is misleading people over its approach to refugees from Fiji. See... Government Misleading People Over Fiji Refugees [1] in the Parliament wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0008/S00229.htm

Early Childhood Education Equity Working Group Established

- Equity funding for the early childhood sector moved a step closer today with the establishment of the Equity Funding Working Group. See... Early childhood education equity funding group [1] in the Parliament wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0008/S00232.htm

Nandor Disappointed About Water Pipeline Decision

- Aucklander and Green MP Nandor Tanczos said today he was outraged that the Auckland City Council was pushing ahead on the water pipeline from the Waikato River, without properly looking at alternatives. See... Aucklanders let down by council decision [1] in the Parliament wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0008/S00225.htm

High Expectations From Cullen On Super Unrealistic - ACT

- “Dr Cullen’s plan isn’t credible because he is expecting successive Governments to achieve what he himself cannot achieve. See... "Do As I Say Not As I Do" - Cullen [1] in the Parliament wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0008/S00223.htm

POLIICS FROM TOP SCOOPS

PM Rejects Samuels Lawyer’s Scurrilous Allegations

- At today’s Post Cabinet Press conference the PM made a statement on what she says are “scurrilous allegations" made by the Leader of the Opposition and Mr Peter Williams QC concerning attempts by the party to obtain information concerning Former Maori Affair’s minister Dover Samuels’ past. See... PM statement on scurrilous allegations [1] in the Parliament wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0008/S00251.htm

Cannabis Coalition Launched

- A new Coalition for Cannabis Law Reform (CCLR) brings together a range of groups and individuals with an interest in progressing cannabis law reform through parliament. See... Coalition for Cannabis Law Reform launched [1] . See also… ACCL Supports Cannabis Law Reform [2] and Civil Liberties group praised for cannabis insight [3] .

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0008/S00085.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0008/S00086.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0008/S00077.htm

GE INQUIRY FULL COVERAGE: Are Green Scientists Turning Yellow?

- MP Sue Kedgley told Christchurch scientists today that some New Zealand scientists had concerns about genetic engineering but were scared to speak out. See... Kedgley Concerned About Gagging Of Scientists [1] in the Parliament wire.
- Context.co.nz and Greenpeace launch GE Website - The participatory democracy advocate web site www.context.co.nz today launched a new webpage to provide the public with an opportunity to directly take part in the discussion on genetic engineering. See… http://www.context.co.nz/submissions/ [2] and the press release… Mass submissions on GE pine trees expected [3] in the Science wire.
- SCOOP - God, justice, medicine and science gather [4]
- GREEN - Green Statement On GE Inquiry Application [5]
- CHURCHES - Churches To Scrutinize Genetic Engineering [6]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0008/S00218.htm
[2] - http://www.context.co.nz/submissions/
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0008/S00018.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0008/S00053.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0008/S00191.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0008/S00058.htm

Scoop Opinion: Richard Prebble’s Letter

- ACT Leader Richard Prebble’s latest Letter From Wellington [1] is in the Parliament wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0008/S00242.htm

Scoop Opinion: Surrealism Under Urgency

- Politics is often a surreal occupation, where issues are dealt with as symbols more than realities. Writes United NZ’s Peter Dunne. See... Employment Relations Bill Surreal Politics - Dunne [1] in the Parliament wire.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0008/S00241.htm

ERB WARS ROUND NINE: Urgency Continues

- This morning the house has resumed consideration of the committee stages of the Employment Relations Bill under urgency. The sniping continues in the house and in Scoop’s wires. This morning the Minister of Labour, Margaret Wilson has released an analysis of the National Party's apparent policy for employment relations. The analysis is based on the many National amendments put forward during debate. See... National's Employment Law policy unveiled [1] in the Parliament wire. MORE - NATIONAL - Law must include Parliamentary Review of ERA [2] - GREEN - The Green Party Advocates Continuity of Employment [3] - NATIONAL - National wants annual check-up on ERB's impact [4] - NATIONAL - . Anti-business policies scaring overseas investors [5] ... SEE ALSO SPECIAL ERB WARS [6]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0008/S00231.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0008/S00247.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0008/S00239.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0008/S00228.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0008/S00227.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/erb.html

© Scoop Media

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.

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