WINZ CEO Censured - Ballot Looms For East Timor - New Zealand Give $1.5m To Support Korean Anti-Nuclear Move - SCOOP
ADVISORY: Top 20 Ratings System Launched - What Next In Lyprinol Saga? - Terrible News For Mushroom Lovers and much much
more…
Today's Scoops
WINZ CEO Censured
- The State Services Commissioner Michael Wintringham has censured WINZ chief executive Christine Rankin over her
department chartering an aircraft to take staff to a training conference at a cost of $165,000. Mr Wintringham said the
case illustrated a lack of financial discipline at WINZ and had impacted on the credibility of the organisation. He said
it also reflected badly on all other government departments, however it was not a sackable offence. Mr Wintringham said
the charter will cost Ms Rankin money in terms of the $37,000 performance bonus she might otherwise have been entitled
to but he still had confidence in her ability to lead the department. Scoop will bring you reaction to the decision as
it comes to hand.
Ballot Looms For East Timor
- The United Nations says it has almost completed registering voters in East Timor for the August 30 ballot on East
Timor. Meanwhile NZ MPs are readying to leave to observe, as Indonesia predicts chaos if the province votes for
independence. Scoop's Ian Llewelyn takes a detailed look. See... East Timor, NZ MPs & Indonesia Prepare For Ballot [1] in the Headlines wire.
New Zealand Give $1.5m To Support Korean Anti-Nuclear Move
- Support New Zealand has pledged an additional $1.5 million to stop the spread of nuclear weapons on the Korean
peninsula, Foreign Affairs Minister Don McKinnon announced today. See... NZ Continue Support For Korean Anti-nuclear Move [1] in the Parliament wire.
New Service
- The Scoop Team has expanded and improved the popular rating service. See SCOOP ADVISORY: Top 20 Ratings System Launched [1] in the headlines wire. If you want to know what everyone else is reading, then this is the place to look.
What Next In Lyprinol Saga?
- The Ministry of Health explains what next [1] in the short and much publicised life of the food supplement/cancer cure. Yesterday the New Zealand distributor of
the green-lipped mussel extract halted distribution after recognising that claims made in promotional material far
outstrip any evidence from research. See... Media Hype No Cure For Cancer [2] in the General wire.
Terrible News For Mushroom Lovers
- Don't be surprised if you've been finding your favorite mushrooms a little hard to find lately. Some of New Zealand's
estimated 20,000 species of fungi are in danger of becoming extinct, even before they are recognised, yet they are an
important resource we cannot do without. See... A Plea For Our Fungi [1] in the Science wire.
Labour Better For Local Content - Hobbs
- The admission from New Zealand on Air that it may be forced to drop the number of hours of funded local programmes
was a bad omen for the preservation of New Zealand's culture and national identity, Labour broadcasting spokesperson
Marian Hobbs said. See... Local content future more stable under Labour [1] in the Parliament wire. The NZ On Air [2] press release that describes the allocation of funds as a "juggling act" is in the general wire.
Announcement On Genetic Engineering Expected This Evening
- An announcement is expected some time this evening on labelling of genetically engineered foods. Health Minister
Wyatt Creech is currently in Australia attending a crucial ANZFA meeting which is expected to decide which foods and
ingredients will require labelling and which will not. Scoop will keep you posted.
Human Waste To Boost Forests
- Scientists at Rotorua and Christchurch are looking at how human waste can be spread in plantations as a means of
disposal and as a way of boosting forest production. See... Human Waste May Boost Forest Production [1] in the Science wire.
Sadness At Last Conservation Week Of Millennium
- Alliance MP Sandra Lee today said the last Conservation Week of this millennium was tinged with sadness after seeing
DOC and Maori at loggerheads over the last few years. It doesn't have to be this way. It shouldn't be this way," she
said. See... 'Conservation Week' - a time to reassess prioritie [1] s in the Parliament wire.
Mallard Challenges Fire Service Head - 'Put Up Or Shut Up'
- Labour's internal affairs spokesperson Trevor Mallard has expressed his sorrow at the approach used by the chair of
the Fire Service Commission Dame Margaret Bazley. See... Put up or shut up - Dame Margaret [1] in the Parliament wire.
Country Women Reject Genetic Engineering
- The New Zealand Country Women's Institute passed motions at last weeks annual general meeting calling for compulsory
labelling of all genetically engineered food ingredients and a ban on imports of engineered seeds and produce. See... Country Women Reject Genetic Engineering [1] in the Headlines wire.
Tax Not An Election Issue For Labour... But Is For Everyone Else
- In a speech on Monday to KPMG, Labour Finance Spokesperson Michael Cullen articulated Labour's tax policy and says
tax has not emerged as one of the two or three leading issues of the 1999 election. See... Labour and Tax [1] in the Parliament wire. However National certainly disagree. List MP Annabel Young says Labour has mis-read the mood of the country on
tax and are running scared from the issue. See... Cullen Wrong On Tax, Again - Young [2] in the Parliament wire. ACTs Rodney Hide says Cullen's statement show his level of desperation on the issue. See... More Desperate Defence From Cullen on Tax - ACT [3] , also in the Parliament wire.
A Quick Summary Of The News From Auckland -
- Dominion Road: Chairperson of the council's Transport and Roading Committee, Catherine Harland, says the decision to remove a
road-widening designation confirms Dominion Road's future as a public transport route, rather than a multi-laned
thoroughfare for cars. See... Dominion Road to Stay 'As Is' [1] . - RMA Amendments: Auckland City's Planning and Regulatory Committee has expressed 'considerable dismay' at proposed changes to the
Resource Management Act being considered by Parliament. See... 'Dismay' at Proposed RMA Changes [2] . - America's Cup Village Update: More challenger teams are arriving at the Cup Village in preparation for the America's Cup challenger series. See... Americas Cup Village Update [3] . - One Tree Hill: Proposals to upgr
ade access and facilities in the lower section of One Tree Hill Domain - in the area of the observatory - are outlined
in a new landscape development plan presented to Auckland City's Parks and Recreation Committee. See... One Tree Hill Landscape Development Plan [4] . All and more in the Auckland wire.
Kids Missing Crucial Meal
- An alarming third of New Zealand teenagers are going to school without the most important meal of the day with the
worst offenders being girls. See... 1/3 Of Teenagers Skip Breakfast [1] in the General wire.
Winston Complicates Electricity Reforms - Again
- The future of electricity amendments remains a murky issue following yesterday's New Zealand First party leader's
press conference in Tauranga. "I was dismayed to learn last Friday afternoon that Mr Bradford was going to progress the
bill in the House regardless of our support or otherwise. Such an approach simply represents a breach of good faith."
Winston Peters back to what he does best - confusing things. Peters appears to be saying that he conditionally supports
the proposed legislation, however in many respects his statement comes across more like a challenge. See... Power Price Negotiations Presser - Winston Peters [1] in the Parliament wire. Also in the Parliament wire ACT's Rodney Hide says yesterdays developments show Peters still cannot be trusted. See... Winston Proves Again He Can't Be Trusted - ACT [2] . And, not surpris
ingly, Max Bradford agrees wholeheartedly. See... Bradford Dismayed At Peters' Wearisome Tactics [3] in the Parliament wire. Mr Bradford says as for the legislation itself, its future has yet to be decided. [4]