Scoop: Top Scoops + Just Politics

Wednesday, 27 July 2005, 5:10 pm
Article: Alastair Thompson

TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS:
Brash Plans To Take Scythe To Local Govt, RMA, STV, Maori Seats...
SCOOP IS IN THE HOUSE:
Time For Brash To Come Clean On Tax Policy: Labour
Dunne Offers Olive-Branch To Brash
MORE NEW ZEALAND HEADLINES:
Hopes Raised For Cross-Nation Consensus On Nuclear Non-Proliferation
MORE INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES:

OTHER NEWS (Just Politics):
NZ To Attend Inaugural East Asia Summit
Horomia Attacks National's Plans To Abolish Maori Seats -
Students Uncharacteristically Happy At Election Year Debt Pledge
MORE POLITICS HEADLINES:
PM Defines Election Battleground

Brash Plans To Take Scythe To Local Govt, RMA, STV, Maori Seats...

[1] National leader Don Brash plans to reform the RMA, Trash STV, and abolish local government Maori seats. Brash says Labour has caused "a real sense of frustration" from councils all around New Zealand that the Government is dumping extra responsibilities on local government with little regard to the cost for the ratepayer. "We saw it with the new gaming laws, dog laws, new Treaty requirements, the introduction of STV, the new prostitution laws and the extensive new consultation and audit requirements of the Local Government Act. The latest is the poorly conceived Building Act," Don Brash said. See... Brash Speech: A New Direction for Local Government [2] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00586.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00586.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00585.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00558.htm

SCOOP IS IN THE HOUSE:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00589.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00578.htm

Time For Brash To Come Clean On Tax Policy: Labour

[1] - Finance Minister Michael Cullen today released a record of contradictory statements by National on when they will announce their tax policy. “The only constant is that the date keeps evaporating further and further into the future. This is making the dance of the seven veils look like an unseemly dash for the shower,” Dr Cullen said. See... For the record [2] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00590.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00590.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00549.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00545.htm

Dunne Offers Olive-Branch To Brash

- United Future leader Peter Dunne, in a spirit of helpful co-operation, today called on National’s leader, Dr Don Brash to “pick up the phone and give me a call, because we have the tax answers you’re looking for”. Dr Brash is reported as saying as part of National’s secret tax change proposals that “it would review the whole area of family taxation, in particular the pressures on single-income families…..” See... Dunne to Brash: Give me a call, Don [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00580.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00579.htm

MORE NEW ZEALAND HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0507/S00299.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0507/S00350.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0507/S00111.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0507/S00093.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0507/S00191.htm

Hopes Raised For Cross-Nation Consensus On Nuclear Non-Proliferation

- United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today welcomed an "encouraging" seven-nation initiative which he said could lead to General Assembly consensus on strengthening adherence to nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament agreements. See... Annan Welcomes Seven-Nation Nuclear Initiative [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0507/S00430.htm

MORE INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0507/S00426.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0507/S00423.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0507/S00422.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0507/S00414.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0507/S00413.htm

NZ To Attend Inaugural East Asia Summit

- Prime Minister Helen Clark announced today that New Zealand has been invited to participate in the inaugural East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur in December. "The EAS is an important new development in the region at a time when political and economic relationships in Asia are undergoing rapid and potentially far-reaching changes. I am delighted that New Zealand has been invited to participate in the inaugural summit at the end of the year," Helen Clark said. See... New Zealand invited to East Asia Summit [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00592.htm

Horomia Attacks National's Plans To Abolish Maori Seats -

National has made their vision for New Zealand clear. Under National, the future of New Zealand will be one where Maori will get few, if any, speaking parts according to Ikaroa-Rawhiti MP Parekura Horomia. "National seem determined should they ever become government for a New Zealand that is 'Maori' free. Their leader, Dr Brash has made it clear that abolishing the Maori seats was policy on which National could not compromise." See… Maori seats, gone by kai time? [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00558.htm

Students Uncharacteristically Happy At Election Year Debt Pledge

Prime Minister Helen Clark and Education Minister Trevor Mallard today announced the second of Labour’s key election pledges: no further interest will be charged for those with student loans who reside in New Zealand. Helen Clark said that this was a further important step in Labour’s policy to make tertiary education more affordable. See... Loan interest scrapped for students who stay in NZ [1] Tertiary Sector Reaction:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00553.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0507/S00096.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0507/S00100.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0507/S00099.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0507/S00097.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00554.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00557.htm
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00560.htm
[9] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00559.htm
[10] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00556.htm

MORE POLITICS HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00587.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00575.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00574.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00573.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00591.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00584.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00588.htm
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00582.htm
[9] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00581.htm
[10] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00579.htm
[11] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00577.htm
[12] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00583.htm
[13] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00576.htm

PM Defines Election Battleground

- Helen Clark said that this election is about leadership, credibility, and values. "It’s about who can be trusted to run a strong economy, create jobs, lift living standards, and invest back into the basics of health, education, services for older citizens and families, infrastructure, and law and order. See... Prime Minister announces Election Date [1] and PM's Statement on the 2005 General Election [2] REACTION:

United Future - United Future welcomes election date confirmation [7]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00535.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00536.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00530.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00538.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00531.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00537.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0507/S00533.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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