Scoop: Top Scoops + Just Politics

Monday, 20 December 2004, 6:09 pm
Article: Alastair Thompson

TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS
LEAD STORY: BREAKING: PM Announces Cabinet Reshuffle
GPJA Investigation Urges Govt To Act Against 'Loan Sharks'
MORE NEW ZEALAND HEADLINES:
United Nations' Geneva Office Bugged
INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES:
American Coup II: Yet More New Evidence Of Fraud In Ohio Recount

SCOOP COLUMNS:
Stateside: What's That In Bush's Brain's Aura?
Letter From Elsewhere: Christmas Spirit Challenges
Hard News Is There!
Uri Avnery: The Mountain and the Mouse
Evelyn Pringle's Once A Time In The Bush Family Series Continues
Sam Smith On Why We Should Bother
Kamala Sarup: The Struggle Of Asia's Female Farmers
Sol Salbe On Christmas And Child Killing
Green Left Weekly Considers Kyoto
Carolyn Baker Takes On The Dominionists Version Of Christianity
Is Michael Crichton Shilling For Big Oil?
Kidd Millennium Cartoon
Mary Pitt On What Is Meant By Family Values
Israeli Settlement Seizes Palestinian Farmland
Paul Levy Contemplates The Evil Of George W. Bush
Dhar Jamail's Latest Eyewitness Report From Iraq

OTHER NEWS (Just Politics)
Brash Says Crown Has Paid For Lakes Twice
PM Announces New Super Spook Agency
Expelled PNG Logger Involved In Coromandel Forestry
Cabinet Reshuffle Upstages Heartland
New Money For Residential Care Warmly Welcomed
Nuked Mangoes Arriving At A Store Near You
Te Roroa Treaty Agreement Signed
Ron Mark Wants Crossbow's Regulated Like Firearms
At Risk Education Programme Funding Announced
Police Assoc. Make Submission To Communications Review
NZ And Australia Sign Emissions/Border Deals
Energy Efficiency Progress Slow But Steady
Drug Education And Research Funding Announced

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...TODAY'S PHOTO STORY...

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0412/S00224.htm
Putting Your Neck On The Line For Principle

LEAD STORY:
BREAKING: PM Announces Cabinet Reshuffle

- Rt. Hon Helen Clark 20 December 2004 Changes to Cabinet portfolios Prime Minister Helen Clark today announced changes to ministerial portfolio allocations affecting all but four Cabinet ministers. See... Changes to Cabinet portfolios [1] and Ministerial List 20th December 2004 [2] REACTION: - Scoop - NEWSFLASH: Cabinet Reshuffle Main Changes [3] - National - More of the same from the same 'tired old faces' [4] - NZ First - Same Old Faces, Faded Labels - Peters [5] - National - Families will be horrified [6] - ACT - Shuffling the same sheep solves nothing [7] - Progressives - Progressive leader comments on responsibilities [8]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0412/S00498.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0412/S00500.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0412/S00225.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0412/S00495.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0412/S00497.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0412/S00504.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0412/S00503.htm
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0412/S00502.htm

‘Tis the Season to be Jolly' Yeah Right!

GPJA Investigation Exposes Christmas 'Loan Sharks'.

GPJA Investigation Urges Govt To Act Against 'Loan Sharks'

- Global Peace and Justice Auckland (GPJA) has written to the Minister of Finance Michael Cullen urging him to step in and curb the activities of loan sharks operating in low income communities of New Zealand. ‘Tis the Season to be Jolly – Yeah Right! See... Urgent Action Needed on Loan Sharking! [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0412/S00206.htm

MORE NEW ZEALAND HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/GE0412/S00068.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0412/S00291.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0412/S00483.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0412/S00480.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0412/S00208.htm

United Nations' Geneva Office Bugged

- A sophisticated bugging device has been found in a room used for high-level meetings at the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), the world body’s largest duty station outside its New York Headquarters, but it is not known who was responsible for this ... See... UN Geneva Office Bugged [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0412/S00273.htm

INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0412/S00269.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0412/S00279.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0412/S00276.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0412/S00272.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0412/S00270.htm

STORY OF THE WEEK & SCOOP SPECIAL REPORT - American Coup II:
Yet More New Evidence Of Fraud In Ohio Recount

- The epic legal battle over Ohio's presidential vote count is back in the state Supreme Court, with an election challenge claiming George W. Bush was wrongly declared the winner on Nov. 2 and seeking a court-ordered reversal of that victory. See... Ohio Vote Count Battles Escalate - New Evidence [1] MORE NEWS FROM OHIO: - Data On Associated Press Tally Of "New" Votes [2] - Statewide Hand Recount Would Result in + 50k Votes [3] - Ohio's Perfectly Paranormal Recount Results [4] See also...Full Coverage of American Coup II [5]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0412/S00213.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0412/S00207.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0412/S00206.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0412/S00205.htm
[5] - http://scoop.co.nz/mason/features/?s=usacoup

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0412/S00192.htm
Pacific Ecologist Out Now!
including... Peak Oil Redux

SCOOP COLUMNS:
Stateside: What's That In Bush's Brain's Aura?

- Eewww! Did I detect a tinge of green in the aura of White House chief of staff Andrew Card this morning when he was asked on ABC's This Week how he felt about presidential adviser Karl Rove having been considered for Time magazine's Person of the Year award? ... See... Stateside With Rosalea: Superstars On Sunday [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0412/S00223.htm

Letter From Elsewhere: Christmas Spirit Challenges

- I’m having trouble getting into the Christmas spirit this year – and I don’t mean the brandy. It’s partly the weather. A cold Christmas in the European winter is really enjoyable. A cold Christmas in what’s supposed to be the New Zealand summer is not. See... Anne Else : Don’t Buy That, Buy This - Now [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0412/S00221.htm

Hard News Is There!

- The Sunday Star Times quietly retreated yet further from its SIS story yesterday, with a page four story noting that "Peter" - the man who claimed to have bugged iwi computers while masquerading as a maintenance man - had been "challenged to explain ... See... Public Address 20/12/04 - Spinning And Speedway [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0412/S00220.htm

Uri Avnery: The Mountain and the Mouse

- Ariel Sharon's speech at the ''Herzliya Conference'', an annual gathering of Israel's financial, political and academic aristocracy, proved again his wondrous ability to conjure up an imaginary world and divert attention away from the real one. See... Uri Avnery: The Mountain and the Mouse [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0412/S00219.htm

Evelyn Pringle's Once A Time In The Bush Family Series Continues

- Once upon a time Prince Neil Bush was making money hand-over-fist over in China and Taiwan and nobody even seemed to notice. See... Asian $$ - Prince Neil Bush Gets Media Protection [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0412/S00222.htm

Sam Smith On Why We Should Bother

- THE ELECTION has spread discouragement and despair among many decent and thoughtful people. And for those in the business of pursuing the truth journalistically, there has been another blow: the suicide of investigative reporter Gary Webb, the victim ... See... Sam Smith: Politics & Despair [1] MORE ON THE GARY WEBB SUICIDE: - Sam Smith - Sam Smith: The Gary Webb Case [2] - Robert Parry - America's Debt to Journalist Gary Webb [3] - Dog Skin Report - The Death Of A True Journalist [4]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0412/S00218.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0412/S00181.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0412/S00160.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0412/S00162.htm

Kamala Sarup: The Struggle Of Asia's Female Farmers

- Sunita Thapa a local farmer, is one of million women in South Asia who live in desperate poverty with an income of less than a dollar a day and no access to food, basic health or drinking water. See... Women Farmers Are Still Struggling For Survival [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0412/S00217.htm

Sol Salbe On Christmas And Child Killing

- This is an unusual media commentary as it conducted to a large degree ex ante rather than ex post. It involves one of the most horrific, objectionable incidents of the four-year Intifada. See... Sol Salbe: No Excuses For Killing Children [1] and Christmas Wars: Who Stole Christmas? [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0412/S00216.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0412/S00215.htm

Green Left Weekly Considers Kyoto

- Thousands of delegates from almost 200 governments around the world converged on Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, on December 6-17 for the latest in the seemingly interminable rounds of talks aimed at implementing the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, the international ... See... Global Warming: Is Kyoto Accord The Answer? [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0412/S00214.htm

Carolyn Baker Takes On The Dominionists Version Of Christianity

- As we navigate the religious holiday season and attempt to psychologically and spiritually prepare ourselves for the ''second'' (or third or fourth or fifth) term of the current regime, I thought it might be appropriate to examine this fellow Jesus whom the Dominionists ... See... Dominionist Dementia: What's JC Got To Do With It? [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0412/S00212.htm

Is Michael Crichton Shilling For Big Oil?

- Global warming isn’t happening, but evil environmentalists are making it look as if it is. That’s the story in Michael Crichton’s new thriller, State of Fear, already a huge best seller. See... Gene Coyle: Michael Crichton's Deep Oil Lobbying [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0412/S00211.htm

Kidd Millennium Cartoon

- Cartoon by kiddmillennium.com… See... Kidd Millennium Cartoon: 28th Ah-mendment [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0412/S00210.htm

Mary Pitt On What Is Meant By Family Values

- The ''Religious Right'' made a lot of noise about ''family values'' and sold the Republican agenda to 53% of the Americans who voted in the last election. Of what are they speaking when they talk about ''family values'' and ''morality''? See... Family Values? I've Gotcher Family Values [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0412/S00209.htm

Israeli Settlement Seizes Palestinian Farmland

- On Nov. 29, Jayyous residents awoke to find yet a new disaster befalling their already beleaguered Palestinian farming village of 3,000, in the form of a massive new land confiscation. See... Israeli Settlement Seizes Palestinian Farmland [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0412/S00208.htm

Paul Levy Contemplates The Evil Of George W. Bush

- Whether we see evil in the terrorists or in George W. Bush, I simply cannot imagine anyone would dispute that the face of evil has emerged in this world of ours. See... Paul Levy: Shedding Light On Evil [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0412/S00204.htm

Dhar Jamail's Latest Eyewitness Report From Iraq

- ''My list is now 32,'' says Salam as he arrives at the hotel, ''Now 32 of my friends have been killed.'' He still has tears in his eyes, even though he’s being stoic. Another of his friends has been shot and killed. See... Dahr Jamail: Respite [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0412/S00203.htm

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0412/S00215.htm
Police Warn Retailers Of Counterfeit $50 Bills.

Brash Says Crown Has Paid For Lakes Twice

- National Party Leader Don Brash has released the details of a letter which proves the 13 Rotorua lakes being signed over to local Maori were legitimately sold to the Crown in 1922. See... A deal’s a deal – except with Labour [1] ALSO: Te Arawa lakes Deed of Settlement signed [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0412/S00482.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0412/S00481.htm

PM Announces New Super Spook Agency

- Prime Minister Helen Clark says a combined threat assessment group, CTAG, has been established to strengthen New Zealand’s threat assessment capabilities. See... Threat assessment group established [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0412/S00496.htm

Expelled PNG Logger Involved In Coromandel Forestry

- Green Party Conservation Spokesperson Jeanette Fitzsimons is warning that the owner of LumberBank, the timber importer expelled from the New Zealand Timber Importers Association for illegally logging Papua New Guinea forests, is actively involved in forestry in the Coromandel. See... Illegal logger active on Coromandel [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0412/S00483.htm

Cabinet Reshuffle Upstages Heartland

- ACT Rural Affairs spokesman Gerry Eckhoff today said rural New Zealand deserved better than to have its future discussed at the tail end of a Cabinet end-of-year wrap-up. See... NZ's backbone deserves better [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0412/S00488.htm

New Money For Residential Care Warmly Welcomed

- The government has given district health boards an additional $18m to fund residential care for older people, Associate Health Minister Ruth Dyson said today. See... Government increases aged care funding [1] MORE:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0412/S00491.htm

Nuked Mangoes Arriving At A Store Near You

- The Green Party has learned that the first container load of irradiated mangoes, zapped with the equivalent of three million chest x-rays, were air freighted to New Zealand over the weekend. See... Nuked mangoes arrive in New Zealand [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0412/S00487.htm

Te Roroa Treaty Agreement Signed

- Te Roroa and the Crown agreed in principle today to a redress package settling all of Te Roroa’s historical Treaty of Waitangi claims, Treaty Negotiations Minister Margaret Wilson said today. See... Te Roroa Agreement in Principle signed [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0412/S00499.htm

Ron Mark Wants Crossbow's Regulated Like Firearms

- New Zealand law and order spokesperson Ron Mark today called for an urgent law change to bring crossbow ownership under the same regulations as firearms. See... Control Needed On Crossbows [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0412/S00494.htm

At Risk Education Programme Funding Announced

- Education Minister Trevor Mallard today announced the six schools that will run trial innovative programmes in 2005 to improve educational outcomes for students at risk. See... Innovative programmes for at risk students [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0412/S00492.htm

Police Assoc. Make Submission To Communications Review

- Police Minister George Hawkins welcomed news today that the Police Association had finally made a submission to the independent review of police communications centres. See... Minister confident Police will make submissions [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0412/S00490.htm

NZ And Australia Sign Emissions/Border Deals

- The governments of New Zealand and Austria have signed a co-operation arrangement on the implementation of emission reduction projects and for the trading of Kyoto Protocol emissions units. See... Emissions deal signed with Austria [1] and NZ, Australia sign border security arrangement [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0412/S00486.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0412/S00501.htm

Energy Efficiency Progress Slow But Steady

- The second year results for the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy (NEECS) are released today. See... Steady progress on energy targets [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0412/S00485.htm

Drug Education And Research Funding Announced

- Six projects relating to drug education and research are to receive funding from the recently-established National Drug Policy Discretionary Fund, says Associate Health Minister Jim Anderton. See... New drug education, research receive funding [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0412/S00479.htm

ENDS

© 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.

Contact Alastair Thompson

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