Scoop: Top Scoops + Just Politics

Wednesday, 29 June 2005, 4:56 pm
Article: Alastair Thompson

TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS:
Govt Highlights OECD Report's Praise Of Employment Policies
Russell Brown Publishes The Great NZ Argument
Goff Supports Law Commission Push For Courts Reform
Labour Backs Off Waterways Access Agenda… For Now
Union Head Tells Workers Nats Have Declared War
MORE NEW ZEALAND HEADLINES:
Bush Delivers State Of War Speech At Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Greenpeace Cites France's Nuclear Fusion Experiments As Senseless
MORE INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES:

SCOOP COLUMNS:
William Rivers Pitt On Bush’s Address To The Nation
Bernard Weiner: 15 Reasons To Impeach Bush
MORE SCOOP COMMENTARY:
Washington Post Leads With Downing Street Memo Feature

OTHER NEWS (Just Politics):
Brash Launches SuperBlues Site Targeting The Over 60s Voter
Scoop Poll Watch: National/NZ First Coalition Would Have The Numbers
MORE POLITICS HEADLINES:

Govt Highlights OECD Report's Praise Of Employment Policies

An OECD report released today confirms that government policies including Jobs Jolt and Work for You have contributed significantly to New Zealand's world-leading unemployment rates. Employment Minister Steve Maharey said the OECD report is an endorsement of the Labour-led government's strategy of training, intensive case management and job seeking assistance. See... OECD confirms policy spurred unemployment drop [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0506/S00682.htm
[2] - http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/0506/OECD.pdf
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0506/S00678.htm

Russell Brown Publishes The Great NZ Argument

- This is a very big day for me. My first book, Great New Zealand Argument: Ideas about ourselves is officially on the shelves. Some of the material will be familiar to Public Address readers, from the web feature that started it all. The online versions of the works by David Lange, Keith Sinclair, Bill Pearson, Robin Hyde, Bob Gormack and Jim Traue have been tidied up and checked against originals for print, and new introductions have been written. See... Public Address 29/06/05 - A Very Big Day For Me [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0506/S00404.htm

Goff Supports Law Commission Push For Courts Reform

- Justice Minister Phil Goff says revolutionary changes are needed in court procedures to end delays in hearing cases and to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the Courts. Mr Goff today welcomed recommendations for reform in pre-trial processes made in a Law Commission report released today. "A tendency to do things in Court the way they have always been done has left too much of our court procedures in the 19th Century. They need to come into the 21st Century," Mr Goff said. See... Goff calls for major reform of Court system [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0506/S00693.htm

Labour Backs Off Waterways Access Agenda… For Now

- The Government remains committed to improving public access to waterways, Associate Rural Affairs Minister Jim Sutton said today. "We are still committed to achieving free, practical, and certain access to the publicly owned rivers, lakes and beaches for all New Zealanders. However, because of complications around drafting, we are running out of time to initiate the Parliamentary process to make this law. See... Government committed to improving access [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0506/S00688.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0506/S00687.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0506/S00685.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0506/S00694.htm

Union Head Tells Workers Nats Have Declared War

- The National Party has declared war on workers and unions with its industrial relations policy, Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson said today. The CTU has taken out radio advertising to encourage workers to get on the electoral roll and be aware of parties' workplace policies. It has also produced a leaflet which outlined getting on the roll, how MMP works, and parties' voting track records on employment legislation. See... National Declares War on Workers [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0506/S00309.htm

MORE NEW ZEALAND HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0506/S00690.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0506/S00439.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0506/S00134.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0506/S00432.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0506/S00248.htm

Bush Delivers State Of War Speech At Fort Bragg, North Carolina

- Our mission in Iraq is clear. We're hunting down the terrorists. We're helping Iraqis build a free nation that is an ally in the war on terror. We're advancing freedom in the broader Middle East. We are removing a source of violence and instability, and laying the foundation of peace for our children and our grandchildren. The work in Iraq is difficult and it is dangerous. Like most Americans, I see the images of violence and bloodshed. Every picture is horrifying, and the suffering is real. Amid all this violence, I know Americans ask the question: Is the sacrifice worth it? It is worth it, and it is vital to the future security of our country. And tonight I will explain the reasons why. See... Bush Discusses Iraq, War on Terror At Fort Bragg [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0506/S00509.htm

Greenpeace Cites France's Nuclear Fusion Experiments As Senseless

- Greenpeace deplores the agreement by the Representatives of the Parties to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) (1) to construct one of the world's largest nuclear fusion experiments in Cadarache, Southern France. The project, estimated to cost 10bn euros, will not generate any electricity, instead it will need massive amounts of energy to heat up. See… France: Nuclear Fusion Project Senseless Stupidity [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0506/S00487.htm

MORE INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0506/S00500.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0506/S00496.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0506/S00491.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0506/S00490.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0506/S00489.htm

William Rivers Pitt On Bush’s Address To The Nation

- "We," eh? "We"? That's interesting. I'm not seeing a lot of "we" in the 1,743 dead American soldiers from Iraq, the ones who bore the sacrifice Rice used as a talking point back in March. I'm not seeing a lot of "we" in the story of Pfc. Diane Cardile, the 23-year-old troop who is sitting in a German hospital with extensive burns. See... William Rivers Pitt: The Bush Speech Drinking Game [1] MORE:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0506/S00401.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0506/S00405.htm

Bernard Weiner: 15 Reasons To Impeach Bush

- Though my degrees are in government and international relations, I hadn't been part of the political arena in an activist way since "The Sixties" -- roughly the Civil Rights Movement late-'50s through the anti-Vietnam War mid-'70s. Instead, after years ... See... 15 Things About Bush&Co.: An Impeachment List [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0506/S00400.htm

MORE SCOOP COMMENTARY:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0506/S00394.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0506/S00393.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0506/S00403.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0506/S00402.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0506/S00399.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0506/S00398.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0506/S00396.htm

Washington Post Leads With Downing Street Memo Feature

- LONDON -- In the spring of 2002, two weeks before British Prime Minister Tony Blair journeyed to Crawford, Tex., to meet with President Bush at his ranch about the escalating confrontation with Iraq, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw sounded a prescient warning. See... Scoop Link: Wash. Post Downing St Memo Feature [1] MORE:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0506/S00406.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0506/S00395.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0506/S00359.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0506/S00452.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0506/S00371.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0506/S00250.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0506/S00228.htm
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0506/S00127.htm

Brash Launches SuperBlues Site Targeting The Over 60s Voter

- National Party leader Don Brash today launched the party's SuperBlues website, aimed at ensuring a strong voice in the National Party for those aged 60-plus. The SuperBlues believe the National Party under Don Brash has the values and policies that are most aligned with the interests of over-60 voters. See... SuperBlues ensure strong voice for 60-plus [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0506/S00697.htm

Scoop Poll Watch: National/NZ First Coalition Would Have The Numbers

- The latest Herald-DigiPoll has shown support for the Labour Party continuing to erode with party list support for National rising, placing it in the box-seat to fight the General Election in September. The Herald reported: "Today's poll puts National ahead of Labour by almost four points, with no more than 13 weeks to an election." New Zealand First continues to gain favour with party list voters. It registers at 11.8 percent in this poll. If this result was matched on election night, then neither National nor Labour would be able to form a government without New Zealand First. See... Labour Slips Further As Poll-Trend Begins To Bite [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0506/S00375.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0506/S00376.htm

MORE POLITICS HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0506/S00690.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0506/S00681.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0506/S00696.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0506/S00683.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0506/S00679.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0506/S00678.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0506/S00695.htm
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0506/S00684.htm
[9] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0506/S00694.htm
[10] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0506/S00691.htm
[11] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0506/S00680.htm
[12] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0506/S00692.htm
[13] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0506/S00686.htm
[14] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0506/S00689.htm
[15] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0506/S00698.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.

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