Scoop: Top Scoops + Just Politics
TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS:
Industry News: Unemployment Dropped 22 Percent In 2005
Foreign Affairs: Goff Supports Strong Security Council Message To Iran
Politics: Brash Delivers Orewa-III Speech On The Economy
Health: Counties Manukau Health Opens New $8m Neonatal Unit
Media: Critic "Date-Rape" Issue Banned By Censor
Scoop Audio: PM's Post-Cabinet Press Conference
MORE HEADLINES
US, EU threaten cut-off of funds to Palestinian Authority following Hamas victory
Iraq: Saddam Hussein Trial At Risk
MORE INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES
SCOOP COLUMNS:
State of the Union: Other Perspectives
MORE COMMENTARY
OTHER NEWS (Just Politics):
Defence: Kiwi soldiers To Remain In Bosnia For Another 14 Months
Electricity Sector: Price Controls Looming for Transpower
MORE POLITICS NEWS
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TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS
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Industry News: Unemployment Dropped 22 Percent In 2005
New statistics show that the number of people receiving an Unemployment Benefit fell by a further 14,543, or 22 percent over the year to December 2005. Social Development and Employment Minister David Benson-Pope says the latest quarterly benefit statistics prepared by the Ministry for Social Development highlight the strong gains the Labour-led government has made in moving New Zealanders off benefits and into work. The latest figures show that overall the total number of people receiving any kind of benefit decreased by a further 17,616, or six percent in the 12 months to December. See... Unemployment benefit numbers drop by 22% in 2005 [1]
Foreign Affairs: Goff Supports Strong Security Council Message To Iran
- Disarmament and Arms Control Minister Phil Goff expressed New Zealand's support for the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) extraordinary meeting in Vienna on February 2 and 3 to report Iran’s nuclear programme to the United
Nations Security Council. "The unanimity of the concerns expressed by Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China and the
United States should send a strong and clear message to Iran," Mr Goff said. See... NZ supports decision on Iran nuclear programme [1]
Politics: Brash Delivers Orewa-III Speech On The Economy
- National Party leader Don Brash says the chickens have come home to roost with the slowing economy: “Labour’s legacy is a faltering economy. We have
the unedifying spectacle of a Prime Minister who is supposed to be leading the country, instead frozen like an opossum
in the headlights of an oncoming Aussie truck… The collapse in business confidence is like the warning light on your
petrol tank – ignore it at your peril. Well, it is flashing, and the Government is asleep at the wheel.” See... Economy suffers as Labour fails to act [1] ALSO:Brash Speech: Labour’s Legacy: A Faltering Economy [2] Brash - Govt fails to heed economic warnings [3] Cullen on Brash: Is that all? [4] Revenue Minister Dunne confirms tax reform well on track [5] Greens - Dream on Don! [6]
Health: Counties Manukau Health Opens New $8m Neonatal Unit
- A new $8 million neonatal unit will be a huge asset for families in Counties Manukau and the wider Auckland region,
Health Minister Pete Hodgson said today. The unit – which had its official opening today at Middlemore Hospital – was
developed following a national review of neonatal capacity in 2004. "Having a newborn baby with a serious illness is a
tremendously difficult situation for any family to deal with," Pete Hodgson said. "The government has been determined to
do all we can to ensure quality neonatal services exist for all New Zealand families. See... New neonatal unit to provide care for 600 newborns [1]
Media: Critic "Date-Rape" Issue Banned By Censor
- The Office of Film and Literature Classification has banned an issue of the Otago University student magazine Critic
Te Arohi because it tends to promote sexual violence and criminal activity. The New Zealand Police submitted the
magazine for classification after it was published primarily because it contained an article on how to drug and rape
women written from a drug-rapist’s perspective. The Classification Office also received submissions from the magazine’s
publisher, the New Zealand Drug Rape Trust, Rape Crisis Dunedin, and the Society for the Promotion of Community
Standards. See... Otago University Students’ Magazine Critic Banned [1]
Scoop Audio: PM's Post-Cabinet Press Conference
- The Prime Minister Helen Clark enjoyed a rather relaxed post cabinet press conference today, with a good many gallery
journalists having headed northwards in order to receive National Leader Don Brash's Orewa speech firsthand. Those in
the gallery that remained wished to know what the PM thought about Dr Brash's speech to the residents of Orewa. Other
topics canvassed on a hot, muggy Wellington day included a possible visit by British PM Tony Blair and whether PMs (both
past and present) are kept in the dark by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB).
Scoop Audio: PM Has Presser, While Brash Rarks Up Orewa [1]
Scoop Audio: PM Has Presser, While Brash Rarks Up Orewa [1]
MORE HEADLINES:
Makara Guardians Appeal Wind Farm Ruling [1] Fast Food Workers Reject Final Pay Offer [2] NZ Under Threat Over Terminator Technology [3] Flying to Europe More Comfortable for lucky NZers [4] Cliff Curtis Heads ‘A-List’ Cast In Holy Sinner [5]
US, EU threaten cut-off of funds to Palestinian Authority following Hamas victory
- The election of Hamas has been met with threats by the United States, Europe and Israel to cut off funds to the
Palestinian Authority (PA). The US, the United Nations, the European Union (EU) and Russia—which make up the quartet
backing President Bush’s so-called “Road Map to Peace in the Middle East”—issued a statement calling on Hamas to
renounce violence and accept Israel’s right to exist. The Arab League has also insisted that Hamas recognise Israel.
See... US, EU threaten cut-off of funds to Palestine [1] ALSO:Hamas Must Order Permanent End to Civilian Attacks [2] Aid to Palestinian government will be reviewed [3] Scoop Link:Guardian: US urges Arab states to fund Palestinians after Hamas victory [4]
Iraq: Saddam Hussein Trial At Risk
- Government interference with the independence of the judges in the trial of Saddam Hussein and seven co-defendants
threatens the fairness of the proceedings, Human Rights Watch said today. The trial is scheduled to resume in Baghdad on
Sunday. “The demand for Presiding Judge Rizgar Amin’s dismissal, which contributed to his resignation, was nothing less
than an attack on judicial independence,” said Richard Dicker, director of the International Justice Program at Human
Rights Watch. See... Iraq: Saddam Hussein Trial At Risk [1]
MORE INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES:
Sri Lankan government and LTTE agree to hold talks [1] Saudi Arabia: End Juvenile Death Penalty [2] USA: Too slow to help, too eager to kill [3] New Clashes in Darfur Signal Continuing Tensions [4] New Development Strategy for Afghanistan Unveiled [5]
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SCOOP COLUMNS
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State of the Union: Other Perspectives
- This is an unpatriotic government. This is a government that deals openly in illegalities, whether it is attacking a
country which has done us no harm, two countries -- Iraq and Afghanistan -- because we now believe, not in declaring war
through Congress as the Constitution requires, but through the President. ‘Well, I think there are some terrorists over
there, and I think we got to bomb them, huh? We'll bomb them.’ See... Gore Vidal Delivers State of the Union [1] ALSO:William Rivers Pitt: The State of the Union [2]
More Commentary:
Public Address 01/02/06 - Cheese [1] Jason Leopold: Bush Ignored 9/11 Warnings [2] Weiner: Reform the Democrats - Or a Third Party? [3]
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OTHER NEWS (JUST POLITICS)
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Defence: Kiwi soldiers To Remain In Bosnia For Another 14 Months
- New Zealand will extend its deployment of Defence Force staff officers serving in Bosnia and Herzegovina for another
14 months from March 1, Defence Minister Phil Goff said today. "New Zealand currently has a Liaison and Observation Team
of up to ten personnel, and three staff officers serving alongside British counterparts as part of the European
Union-led EUFOR mission," said Mr Goff, who made the announcement after meeting British Defence Secretary John Reid in
London. See... NZ extends Bosnia commitment [1] MORE DEFENCE NEWS:Goff welcomes latest Solomons deployment [2] Government positive about Afghanistan commitment [3]
Electricity Sector: Price Controls Looming for Transpower
- The Commerce Commission today published its reasons for its intention to declare control of the electricity
transmission services supplied by Transpower New Zealand Limited, the owner and operator of the national grid.
Transpower is a monopoly and is subject to Government regulation administered by the Commerce Commission and Electricity
Commission. See... Reasons: intent to declare control of Transpower [1] ALSO:Transpower response to price control paper [2] United Future wants fundamental rethink of Transpower's role [3] Grey Power On Electricity Refunds [4] Alliance calls for public control of power [5]
MORE POLITICS NEWS:
Govt - Spotlight on "salary sacrifice" for tax purposes [1] Greens - Controls on Transpower welcomed [2] Maori Party - Who will Pay for Downstream Costs of Clumsy Counci [3]