Top Scoop Stories April 9th, 2009 News Summary

Thursday, 9 April 2009, 3:28 pm
Article: The Scoop Editor

LEAD STORY

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Moving On: Valedictory Speech Rt Hon Helen Clark
E te Kiingi Tuheitia, te Ariki Tumu, e nga iwi o te motu, e rau rangatira ma, teenaa koutou, teenaa koutou, teenaa koutou katoa.This speech is my last in this Parliament and that is something I view with a mix of emotions.Being a member of the New Zealand Parliament has been a big part of my adult life, and my involvement in New Zealand politics more broadly long predates my election as MP for Mt Albert in 1981. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0904/S00130.htm

ALSO:

Helen Clark's valedictory speech [2]

Helen Clark's valedictory speech [3]

Helen Clark bows out of Parliament - with one final swipe [4]

Helen Clark a Good Friend to Workers [5]

Clark To UNDP [6]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0904/S00094.htm [2]

[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/multimedia/tv/politics/20546.html [3]

[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/multimedia/tv/politics/20564.html [4]

[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0904/S00084.htm [5]

[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0903/S00325.htm [6]

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NZ POLITICS

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ALSO:

Questions For Oral Answer - 9 April 2008 [2]

Question and Answers - 8 April 2009 [3]

Today In Parliament: 08.04.09 [4]

Questions for Oral Answer - 7 April 2009 [5]

Today In Parliament: 07.04.09 [6]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0904/S00133.htm [2]

[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0904/S00132.htm [3]

[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0904/S00093.htm [4]

[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0904/S00114.htm [5]

[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0904/S00079.htm [6]

Te Tiriti: Part One Of Te Urewera Report Released
The Waitangi Tribunal has today released part one of its report into the Treay claims of the iwi and hapu of Te Urewera district. The report is being released in parts at the request of the Crown and claimants, to assist them in settlement negotiations. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0904/S00096.htm

Coziness: Greens And National Announce Shared Initiatives
The Green Party and the National Party are working together to implement a nationwide home insulation programme and to update New Zealand's energy efficiency strategy, while the Parties have also agreed to develop a New Zealand based regulatory system for natural health products. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0904/S00120.htm

ALSO:

National welcomes working relationship with Greens [2]

Memorandum of Understanding between the Green Party and National Party (PDF) [3]

Greens deal with Nats "political toxic sludge" [4]

CTU welcomes Green-Gov initiative on insulation [5]

National-Green Party press conference (+ more Auckland!) [6]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0904/S00121.htm [2]

[3] - http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/0904/Memorandum_of_Understanding_between_the_National_Party_and_the_Green_Party.pdf [3]

[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0904/S00080.htm [4]

[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0904/S00082.htm [5]

[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0904/S00091.htm [6]

Collective Responsibility: Maori Affairs Minister Opposes Government Decision
The Minister of Maori Affairs has dissociated himself from Cabinet decisions on local government reorganisation in Auckland, saying it is not good enough that tangata whenua, plus the largest Maori population in the world, will have no guaranteed voice. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0904/S00097.htm

ALSO:

National-Green Party press conference (+ more Auckland!) [2]

Sharples smoke and mirrors stance on seats [3]

Turia reacts to Government’s decisions on Auckland [4]

Hone Harawira - No to advisory status [5]

Runanga Backs Talks on Better Akld Representation [6]

Dean Knight: Dissenting views of the Minister of Māori Affairs on greater Auckland Council Māori seats - a breach of Cabinet collective responsibility? [7]

Govt at odds with Maori Party over Auckland supercity decision [8]

Maori Affairs Minister slams supercity announcement [9]

Lack of supercity Maori seats is "institutionalised racism" - Sharples [10]

Full interview with Dr Pita Sharples regarding Auckland's supercity [11]

Report Calls For Auckland Super City [12]

National-Green Party press conference (+ more Auckland!) [13]

Government backs single Auckland council [14]

The pre-ordained demise of Auckland [15]

Triangle and Stratos test Super City thinking [16]

Govt at odds with Maori Party over Auckland supercity decision [17]

Report Calls For Auckland Super City [18]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0904/S00091.htm [2]

[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0904/S00123.htm [3]

[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0904/S00094.htm [4]

[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0904/S00131.htm [5]

[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0904/S00094.htm [6]

[7] - http://www.laws179.co.nz/2009/04/dissenting-views-of-minister-of-maori.html [7]

[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/multimedia/tv/national/20508.html [8]

[9] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/multimedia/tv/national/20498.html [9]

[10] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/multimedia/tv/national/20489.html [10]

[11] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/multimedia/tv/national/20488.html [11]

[12] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0903/S00344.htm [12]

[13] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0904/S00091.htm [13]

[14] - http://business.scoop.co.nz/2009/04/07/government-backs-single-auckland-council/ [14]

[15] - http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/2009/04/07/the-pre-ordained-demise-of-auckland/ [15]

[16] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0904/S00095.htm [16]

[17] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/multimedia/tv/national/20508.html [17]

[18] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0903/S00344.htm [18]

Accidents: ACC Is A Public Good – Futures Coalition
ACC must be kept as a public good was the message from the ACC Futures Coalition at its launch this morning in Wellington. The Coalition, which is comprised of health providers, ACC consumers and unions, has been formed to provide balance and information to the debate about the future of ACC. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0904/S00078.htm

ALSO:

John Key must require his Minister to tell truth [2]

Anti-ACC Privatisation Group Launched [3]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0904/S00127.htm [2]

[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/multimedia/tv/politics/20525.html [3]

Te Tiriti o Waitangi: Ngapuhi To Conduct Nationwide Treaty settlement Hui
A series of hui for Ngapuhi hapu katoa, on their proposed comprehensive Te Tiriti o Waitangi claims settlement process, will be held throughout Aotearoa-New Zealand and Australia after Easter. Ngapuhi has the largest affiliation of any New Zealand ... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0904/S00108.htm

Environment: Forest & Bird Slates High Country Report
Forest & Bird is very disappointed that the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’s report on high-country tenure review is out of touch with recent developments, riddled with inaccuracies and poorly argued. “This is the poorest report to come out of ... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0904/S00067.htm

ALSO:

Government welcomes report on tenure review [2]

LINZ welcomes release of PCE report [3]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0904/S00100.htm [2]

[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0904/S00065.htm [3]

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BUSINESS SCIENCE & TECH

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Scoop Business: China Updates Online
China Economic Scan, a New Zealand based start-up, marks its official launch today as a global provider of daily updates on the Chinese economy. The daily China Economic Scan is a free service that delivers, via email, a summary of the top headlines from More »[1]

[1] - http://business.scoop.co.nz/2009/04/09/china-economic-scan-goes-live-free-daily-updates/

Scoop Business: NZ Property Values Drop 9.3%, Led By Auckland
New Zealand property values fell 9.3% last month, led by declines in Auckland City and Manukau, as rising unemployment and waning job security counters the benefits of lower borrowing costs. More »[1]

[1] - http://business.scoop.co.nz/2009/04/09/nz-property-values-drop-93-led-by-auckland/

ALSO:

Active autumn market but values still dropping [2]

Total electronic card spending down, core retail up [3]

Guest nights down in February [4]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0904/S00208.htm [2]

[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0904/S00193.htm [3]

[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0904/S00192.htm [4]

Peter A. Thompson: National’s Broadcasting Policy: Expedient Fictions
The government’s formal announcement of its decision to discontinue the Reviews of Regulation for Digital Broadcasting and introduce no measures to regulate competition in the television market has again demonstrated its political determination not to allow the facts to get in the way of its predetermined policy agenda. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0904/S00090.htm

ALSO:

Govt concludes broadcasting regulatory review [2]

Ministers overturn industry and official advice [3]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0904/S00099.htm [2]

[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0904/S00110.htm [3]

Biosecurity: New Regulations A Pig's Ear, Say Pork Producers
MAF’s release of provisional import health standards will allow pigmeat containing the PRRS* virus to be widely distributed in New Zealand. “It puts the New Zealand pork industry and the health and welfare of our pigs at unnecessary risk” says Chris Trengrove, New Zealand Pork chairman. More »[1]

[1] - http://scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0904/S00180.htm

ALSO:

Provisional import health standards for pig meat [2]

Sciences lecturers face redundancy at Massey [3]

[2] - http://scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0904/S00145.htm [2]

[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0904/S00021.htm [3]

Science: New Light Shed On Male & Female Brain Differences
University of Otago researchers have discovered a new mechanism which contributes to subtle differences between male and female brains and behaviours. Neurobiologists Associate Professor Ian McLennan and Dr Kyoko Koishi’s findings are published today ... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0904/S00011.htm

ALSO:

Sex & the Global Economic Crisis; Experts Visit NZ [2]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0904/S00020.htm [2]

Recession: Snap Out Of It!
Associate Professor Ananish Chaudhuri of the Department of Economics says his current research – featured in the latest edition of the British Economic Journal - shows economic recessions are often caused by widespread pessimism among businesses and individuals, rather than as a result of inherent systemic problems. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0904/S00115.htm

ALSO:

Pessimism on the wane as media talks up downturn [2]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0904/S00112.htm [2]

Scoop Business: Smellie Sniffs The Breeze: What’s Another Trillion?
If the G-20 was going to create another trillion dollars, I wanted to know how... Here, in simplistic terms, is how the world comes up with the dosh for these sorts of deals. Bear in mind that much of the money you are about to read about does not yet and may never really exist. More »[1]

[1] - http://business.scoop.co.nz/2009/04/03/smellie-sniffs-the-breeze-whats-another-trillion/

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COMMENT

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National’s Broadcasting Policy: Expedient Fictions
The government’s formal announcement of its decision to discontinue the Reviews of Regulation for Digital Broadcasting and introduce no measures to regulate competition in the television market has again demonstrated its political determination not to ... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0904/S00090.htm

Bill Berkowitz: Iowa OKs Gay Marriage, What Will California Do?
Has Iowa adhered to its long history of justice or is preventing two men from marrying each other no different than prohibiting a man from marrying his house plant. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0904/S00098.htm

John Kozy: The Flaw Of Supply And Demand
As a boy, I developed an absorbing interest in how things work, and every time a household gadget failed to work properly, I dismantled it, noting where each part went and what function it played in the device. In pursuing this interest, I discovered... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0904/S00099.htm

Up Is Down: The Military Budget
The largest military budget in the history of the world is being increased. Certain weapons are being cut back, others expanded. But the overall budget is going UP. However, you don't need me to tell you that. You've learned it from these fine news... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0904/S00100.htm

Martin LeFevre: Can Humanity End Genocide?
Probably the single greatest test of the so-called international community is whether it can prevent or stop genocide and ethnic cleansing. By that measure over the last 20 years, the states that collectively comprise the United Nations have failed miserably. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0904/S00082.htm

The Brad Blog: Court Finds Al Franken Wins in Minnesota
Tally concludes finding 312 vote victory for the Democrat, as the Republican contester prepares his final appeal(s) But does the state's former Senator have a legal leg to stand on?... Author and former radio talk show host Al Franken, the Democratic... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0904/S00085.htm

A Trillion Dollars for the Banks: How About a Second Opinion?
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner wants to have the government lend up to a trillion dollars to hedge funds, private equity, funds and the banks themselves to clear their books of toxic assets. The plan implies a substantial subsidy to the banks. It is ... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0904/S00070.htm

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LIFESTYLE

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Research: Panic Over Child Murder Nothing New
New Zealand’s history of infanticide and child homicide is being scrutinised by Waikato University PhD student Debra Powell. She says the moral panic we’re currently experiencing over child deaths is nothing new. The same debate was going on in the ... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0904/S00026.htm

Rugby World Cup: Sky Wins Hosting Rights - The Rest Of NZ Can Watch The Soccer
April 9 – Sky Network Television Ltd., the country’s largest pay-TV provider, won the rights to host the 2011 Rugby World Cup, the first time free-to-air networks have missed out on live coverage of the entire event. More »[1]

[1] - http://business.scoop.co.nz/2009/04/09/sky-tv-wins-rugby-world-cup-rights-in-pay-tv-first/

ALSO:

TVNZ Secures Rights To Screen 2009 FA Cup [2]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0904/S00202.htm [2]

French Letters: Early Pacific Missionaries' Letters Home
Described as a scholarly event of high international significance, a 10-volume work entitled Letters received from Oceania 1836-1854 will be launched at Archives New Zealand, Wellington, on April 16.This work is a body of over 1000 letters written by French missionaries of the Society of Mary (Marists) to their Founder, Fr Jean-Claude Colin in France, from their first-hand experience and observation, as they journeyed and worked in Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia. ... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0904/S00126.htm

Sport?: Cricket Fans To Take Out Frustration On Bunnies
The Beige Brigade (www.beigebrigade.co.nz) is delighted to announce that it is sponsoring a team in The Great Alexandra Easter Bunny Hunt to be held in Central Otago this weekend, starting at 8am on Good Friday. It is the first time that New Zealand's ... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0904/S00125.htm

Maori: Story Teller Performing In New York
Renowned Story Teller and Encounter Ritual Expert Joe Harawira, has been invited to perform at the American Natural History Museum in New York. A reference from the American Natural History Museum announced, ‘For thousands of years, Pacific Island peoples have lived together with the ocean, land, sky, and stars. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0904/S00112.htm

Golden Weather Ends: Watch Out For The Workers
With Daylight Saving having come to an end, the Department of Labour is reminding people to look out for workers who working in dim evening light, as this will now be more likely with increasing hours of darkness, as we move into our Winter. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0904/S00117.htm

ALSO:

Surf Lifeguards prepare to conclude beach patrols [2]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0904/S00121.htm [2]

Theatre: We Will Remember Them Also
It’s generally accepted that the majority of New Zealanders today oppose war and advocate for more peaceful resolutions to conflict. Yet on Anzac Day those conscientious objectors who made difficult stands for this position historically still get limited ... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0904/S00092.htm

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WORLD

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Separatism Movement: West Papua: Call For NZ To Speak Out
The Indonesia Human Rights Committee has appealed to the New Zealand Government to help stem growing violence in West Papua Indonesian parliamentary elections are about to take place (April 9) and so there are heightened fears of more abuses. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0904/S00133.htm

Global Warming: Progress At Bonn Climate Change Talks
(Bonn, 08 April 2009) – The latest round of UN Climate Change Talks in Bonn, Germany concluded Wednesday, capturing the essential elements of strengthened international climate change action to be reflected in first negotiating texts for the next round ... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0904/S00137.htm

GM Recovery: Segway Will Not Drive GM To Financial Recovery
Flemington, NJ, April 8, 2009 – A new study conducted among 200 viewers of a news clip featuring the new GM Segway (a battery-powered, two-passenger vehicle), revealed that the majority indicated that the car will not aid General Motors on a road to ... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0904/S00138.htm

Conspiracy: Active Thermitic Material Discovered In 9/11 Dust
We have discovered distinctive red/gray chips in all the samples we have studied of the dust produced by the destruction of the World Trade Center Examination of four of these samples, collected from separate sites, is reported in this paper. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0904/S00147.htm

Communications: Facebook Users Can Lend Refugees A Hand
New York, Apr 7 2009 4:10PM Thanks to a partnership with the United Nations refugee agency, the over two million users of the popular social networking website Facebook can now lend a hand to uprooted people around the world in need of shelter. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0904/S00121.htm

Genocide: Rwandan Dead Must Be Honoured By Ending Genocide
New York, Apr 7 2009 9:10AM Marking the 15th anniversary of the 1994 mass killings in Rwanda today, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon asserted that preventing genocide was the most important collective response to the tragedy. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0904/S00113.htm

ALSO:

15th Commemoration of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide [2]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0904/S00107.htm [2]

Justice System: Cambodia: Government's Stand Against Prosecution
In the immediate period leading to the trial of Khmer Rouge Prison Chief Kaing Guek Eav, alias Duch, on 30 March, there was a disagreement between the international and the national co-prosecutors of the Cambodian UN-assisted Khmer Rouge Tribunal ... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0904/S00130.htm

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Top Scoop Stories April 9th, 2009 News Summary