TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS
Scoop Is In The House
Susan Bathgate Overpaid $16,759.39
Reserve Bank Drops OCR Half A Percent - Mortgage Rates Follow
WTO DOHA: NZ Officials To The Rescue
WTO DOHA: Trade Negotiation No Place For Ideological Rigidity
Rush For LOTR Tickets Begins Thursday
Greggs Urged To Get Real On Coffee
The Vatican (and Matt Robson) On Nuclear Weapons
Katya Rivas
AMERICAN STRIKES - FULL COVERAGE
Muqtedar Khan: Why The US Should Hold Fire For Ramadan
Images: Variations On The Theme Of “Subversive”
Goff Addresses UN Security Council On Afghanistan
…Meanwhile Also At The UN….
National’s SAS Threat A National Disgrace
Feedback: Avoiding Foreign Policy Trainwrecks
THE RECEIVED VERSION - OFFICIAL US COMMENTS
OTHER NEWS (JUST POLITICS)
NZ Opens Diplomatic Relations With Castro
More Money For Preschool Education
Government GM Responses Finalised
What Skills Does NZ Need
George Hawkins Accused Of Police Interference
Mallard Insulting On Phonics Report
NZ Sticks Up For Children At UN
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...TODAY'S PHOTO STORY...
Itchin' for a burnoff
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TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS------------
Scoop Is In The House
– Today's questions of the day concerned: Tariana Turia – Phonics Report – Skill Shortages – Tariana Turia – Opposition
Health Policy – Police Interference – Susan Bathgate – New Medical Official – RTLBs – Health And Safety Bill –
Communications Trumps – Mosquito Imports – Hamilton School Picket. See... SCP HOUSE: Questions Of The Day – 14 November [1] . For earlier Q see... Tuesday [2] -To receive Questions of the Day (and answers) by email when they are posted on Scoop CLICK HERE [3]
Susan Bathgate Overpaid $16,759.39
The Auditor-General has reported to the Labour Minister Margaret Wilson on remuneration issues involving Employment
Relations Authority member Ms Susan Bathgate. See... Auditor-General Report On Ms Susan Bathgate’s Pay [1] and Ms Susan Bathgate Statement On AG Report [2]
Reserve Bank Drops OCR Half A Percent - Mortgage Rates Follow
- The Reserve Bank today cut the Official Cash Rate by half a per cent from 5.25 per cent to 4.75 per cent. See... Official Cash Rate cut to 4.75 per cent [1] MORE: - ANZ – ANZ Announce A Decrease In Home Loan Interest Rate [2] - BankDirect - BankDirect Cuts Interest Rates Again [3] - ACT - Tax Cuts Should Follow Interest Rate Drop [4] - EMA - Interest Rates Cut On The Right Track [5] - Deutsche Bank - RBNZ cuts OCR by 50 bps to 4.75% [6] & RBNZ cuts OCR by 50 bps - but 'hawkish' statement [7] - ASB - ASB Bank Reduces Variable Home Loan Interest Rate [8] - WestpacTrust - Westpactrust Announces Interest Rate Triple Dip [9] - NZ First - Bank's Governor Needs To Provide Leadership [10]
WTO DOHA: NZ Officials To The Rescue
- The break-through deal on Trade Related aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS) and public health was a brilliant
achievement by New Zealand officials, Trade Negotiations Minister Jim Sutton said today. See... NZ Offered The Way Through TRIPS Stand-Off [1]
WTO DOHA: Trade Negotiation No Place For Ideological Rigidity
- Business NZ has revealed its ideological rigidity with its criticism of the New Zealand delegation at the World Trade
Organisation ministerial meeting in Doha, Qatar, Trade Negotiations Minister Jim Sutton said today. See... Minister Disappointed By Business NZ Ignorance [1] and Business NZ's release... 'Leading the world' in pushing a flawed idea [2] MORE: - Arena - Paying For Trade Privileges With Body Bags [3] & Doha Meeting Ends With NZ Public Services Threat [4] - WTO - WTO DOHA: Draft Ministerial Declaration (Revised) [5] - Trade Ministers Long Night Of Negotiations 13/11 [6] & WTO DOHA: Meeting Summary Novermber 12th [7] For full coverage of WTO Doha Meeting see WTO MEETING/PROTESTS FEATURE PAGE [8]
Rush For LOTR Tickets Begins Thursday
- Fans hoping to purchase tickets to the first public showing of The Lord of the Rings will have to be early birds, as
tickets go on sale at 7.30am on Thursday, 15th November and demand is expected to be extremely high. See... 'Lord Of The Rings' Tickets On Sale Nov 15th [1]
Greggs Urged To Get Real On Coffee
- Trade Aid Campaigns Manager, Simon Gerathy today called on Cerebos Greggs to take a more meaningful step to address
the issues facing poverty stricken coffee farmers who are in a desperate situation due to the collapse in world coffee
prices. See... "Wake Up And Smell The Coffee Crisis" - Trade Aid [1]
Vatican (and Matt Robson) On Nuclear Weapons
The Holy See, convinced that the time has come for the world to end all nuclear weapons testing for all time, wishes to
add its voice of support to all efforts to ensure the entry into force of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).
See... Holy See´s Address on Nuclear Test Ban Treaty [1] . See also Matt Robson… US, Russian cuts in nuclear weapons welcomed [2]
Katya Rivas
- Salvation does not depend on today, tomorrow, or yesterday, but on the last moment. That is why, you should repent
and go to confession frequently. See... Katya Rivas: Become Holy So You Can Be My Apostles [1]
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AMERICAN STRIKES - FULL COVERAGE------------
Muqtedar Khan: Why The US Should Hold Fire For Ramadan
- Bush administration’s decision to continue its present attacks on Afghanistan during the holy month of Ramadan will
have a significant impact on two fundamental components in the war on terrorism – propaganda and alliance building.
See... Muqtedar Khan: To War Or Not To War In Ramadan [1]
Images: Variations On The Theme Of “Subversive”
- All images originally published on Indymedia.org. See... Images: More Indymedia Anti-War Pictures [1]
Goff Addresses UN Security Council On Afghanistan
- Mr President, resolving the crisis in Afghanistan is the most important challenge before the United Nations today.
The campaign against terrorism and also that against drug trafficking depend heavily upon the restoration of legitimate
government in Afghanistan which observes the norms of international behaviour. See... Goff Statement On Afghanistan To UN Security Cn [1]
…Meanwhile Also At The UN….
HEADLINES: - Challenge of Afghanistan at ‘most urgent stage,’ Annan tells Security Council - Brahimi lays out plan for
political transition in Afghanistan - Welcoming Kabul's release from 'oppressive' Taliban, Annan urges respect for law -
UN officials ... See... Afghanistan’s Future Discussed In UN Security Cn. [1] , UNSG Kofi Annan Address To UNSC On Afghanistan [2] and Briefing to the UN Security Council On Afghanistan [3]
National’s SAS Threat A National Disgrace
- “It is a deplorable decision by National to reconsider its support of the Government’s anti-terrorist position and
therefore of our elite soldiers who may at this moment be engaged in this war,” according to New Zealand First leader
Winston Peters. See... National Disgrace [1] MORE: - Alliance - Democrats Support Caucus Decision [2] - ACT - ACT Party Totally Supports War Against Terrorism [3] - NATS - National Committed To War On Terrorism [4] - Peter Dunne - Campaign Too Important For Silly Political Games [5]
Feedback: Avoiding Foreign Policy Trainwrecks
- Now as Alliance Party members seem to be into head-on collision with their leadership and parliamentary members, and
therefore the Labour Government too, I wonder if anyone will take a longer view of this sort of foreign policy problem
so it will not keep coming up? See... Scoop Feedback: Demilitarising Aotearoa [1]
THE RECEIVED VERSION - OFFICIAL US COMMENTS
- DoD News Briefing 13/11- Rumsfeld and Gen. Myers [1] - Secretary Rumsfeld Media Stakeouts at Fox and CBS [2] - Reserve Forces Called To Active Duty - Nov. 13 [3] - Powell TV IVs - NBC, CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, CNN [4] - Powell Remarks to the UN Security Council [5] - State Dept. On-the-Record Briefing November 11 [6] - State Dept. On-The-Record Briefing November 9, '01 [7]
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OTHER NEWS (JUST POLITICS)------------
NZ Opens Diplomatic Relations With Castro
- The New Zealand Government is appointing its first Ambassador to Cuba and El Salvador as part of its Latin America
Strategy, Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff announced today. See... Diplomatic Ties With Cuba And El Salvador [1] and Mexican Foreign Trade Organisation - PM Speech [2]
More Money For Preschool Education
Education Minister Trevor Mallard today announced the allocation of $8.241 million in funding for early childhood
education buildings. See... 1000 more places in Early Childhood Education [1] , One Thousand more places in Early Childhood Ed. [2] and 350 more places in Pacific Early Childhood Ed. [3]
Government GM Responses Finalised
- The government has completed its response to the 49 recommendations from the Royal Commission on Genetic
Modification, Environment Minister, Marian Hobbs said today. See... Government completes response to GM Royal Com. [1] and Summary Of Government’s RCGM Decisions [2]
What Skills Does NZ Need
- A package of skills forecasting initiatives were announced by Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey
today. See... Government to introduce skills forecasting [1]
George Hawkins Accused Of Police Interference
- This Government is building up a track record of meddling in departmental operational matters that should send alarm
bells to all of New Zealand. See... Another Case of Ministerial Interference [1]
Mallard Insulting On Phonics Report
- ‘Remarks by the Minister of Education are not only insulting to the MPs who worked on the review of the teaching of
reading in NZ, it is also a denunciation of his own Ministry employees’, NZ First education spokesperson Brian Donnelly
said today. See... Mallard’s Remarks Insulting - says Donnelly [1] . See also... Donna’s Right, Says Prebble [2] FULL COVERAGE: - ACT - My Personal Interest [3] and Mallard Says: Lets All Give Up [4] - Govt - Govt. Response To Select Committee Reading Report [5]
NZ Sticks Up For Children At UN
- New Zealand has been the catalyst for the United Nations ‘child soldiers’ treaty gaining enough support for it to
come into force, said Foreign Minister Phil Goff. See... NZ triggers UN Treaty to ban child soldiers [1]