Spouse Stoush – Home Alone – Foot In Mouth – Glenbrook Steel – Airforce Resignations – John McNutt
- SPOUSE STOUSH: Prime Minister Helen Clark has called for a truce on bringing spouses into politics, but today launched
an attack on Wyatt Creech. Trevor Mallard made three apologies in the house today regarding his mentioning of opposition
politician’s spouses in parliament. Jenny Shipley said there are people with scars all over them from Helen Clark’s
attacks, including her own daughter, after Miss Clark said she never attacked other MPs families. Mr Creech said of Miss
Clark: “You can’t talk truce and behave like that, it just doesn’t add up.” Bill English’s wife is now seeking an
apology from the Prime Minister, after receiving one from Mr Mallard.
- HOME ALONE: A West Auckland toddler is in the care of her mother’s estranged partner after Police found the 2-year-old
girl home alone, locked in a room with no toilet facilities. The child’s mother has since contacted the police and said
she had no choice and had to go to work. She has been charged with leaving a minor unaccompanied and a drug charge.
- FOOT IN MOUTH: CNN and Time magazine both ran incorrect reports that New Zealand has foot and mouth disease. CNN has
since published an apology on its website and Time magazine has said it will publish a retraction. Meanwhile, in Britain
the burning of carcasses continues day and night.
- GLENBROOK STEEL: The $60 billion merger of BHP and a British company has steel workers in small New Zealand town
Glenbrook worried that there will be no place for the mill in the new conglomerate. The merger involves the mineral and
exploration arms of the companies.
- AIRFORCE RESIGNATIONS: The air force is losing more pilots - five left for better paid jobs in commercial aviation
last week. The resignations call in the question of what impact Government defence policy may have had on people wanting
an air force career. Morale is low since the decision not to purchase F16s and reduce the combat role of the airforce.
- JOHN MCNUTT: The family of SAS Major John McNutt, who was killed in a Kuwait bombing blunder, say they were upset to
learn that he won’t be replaced in Kuwait. They said they’d taken strength in the thought that he’d beendoing a job of
value to New Zealand.