Scoop: Top Scoops + Just Politics

Scoop: Top Scoops + Just Politics

TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS:
Sport: Games Queen's Baton Heads From NZ To Sydney
RECOMMENDED AUDIO:
Building Woes (Part II): Shaky Buildings Set To Drain Economy
Employment: Community Leaders To Demand End To Low Wages Wednesday
Rock'n'Roll: Iggy Gladdens The Hearts Of Today's Fickle Youth -
Justice: Jailed Innocents Drive Call For Miscarriage Of Justice Body
MORE HEADLINES:

SCOOP COLUMNS:
Voting: Electoral Integrity Scrutinised In South Pacific -
Astronomy: February Night Sky Excellent Viewing From New Zealand
US Politics: Al Gore Defends the Intent of the Framers of the Constitution
MORE SCOOP COMMENTARY:

OTHER NEWS (Just Politics):
Environment: Green Co-Leader Issues Her State Of The Planet Speech
Education: School Cert/Bursary Scaling Used To Set NCEA Marks
Nats Say Private Prisons Would Avoid Budget Blowout
Foreign Affairs: NZ Joins 16 Nations Urging Japan To Stop Whaling
MORE POLITICAL HEADLINES:

Sport: Games Queen's Baton Heads From NZ To Sydney

The New Zealand leg of the Queen's Baton Relay for the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games is concluding today with Sport and Recreation Minister Trevor Mallard and young Auckland athlete Sophie Healey (14) delivering the baton to Australian Prime Minister John Howard in Sydney. "It has been on an inspiring journey - through towns across New Zealand but also through communities in all the other Commonwealth countries. I wish everyone well who is participating in the Queen's Baton Relay on its final journey through Australia." Image: Esme Scott from Sulby School carries the Queen's Baton through her school in the Isle of Man. See... NZ hands Queens Baton to Australia for final leg [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0601/S00094.htm

RECOMMENDED AUDIO:

Scoop Audio: RadioLive's media pack with Tony Amos, Selwyn Manning, and Ben Thomas. [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0601/S00174.htm

NEW ZEALAND LEAD:

Building Woes (Part II): Shaky Buildings Set To Drain Economy [1] - In recent years many property owners have suffered much stress and had to spend tens of thousands of dollars to repair leaky buildings. But now the ‘shaky building’ syndrome has emerged and looks set to cause similar levels of stress and costs in particular to the owners of earthquake-prone buildings including some 1,100 multi-storey buildings in Wellington alone. With estimated strengthening costs of up to $100,000 per storey the overall costs to pre 1965 multi-storey building owners across New Zealand could be as high as $500 Million dollars or more. See... ‘Shaky Building’ Syndrome May Cost $500 Million+ [2] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0601/S00144.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0601/S00144.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0601/S00145.htm

Employment: Community Leaders To Demand End To Low Wages Wednesday

- A diverse panel of community representatives is calling on all New Zealanders to make poverty wages history in 2006 at a press conference this Wednesday January 25, 12 noon at the Mercure Hotel, 8 Customs St. “The panel recognises low pay and a substandard minimum wage as being at the heart of poverty in New Zealand. It supports the fast food workers and their SuperSizeMyPay.Com campaign as a step towards winning a reasonable standard of living and making poverty wages history for all New Zealanders,” said John Minto, spokesperson for Global Peace and Justice Auckland. See... Community Urged to Make Poverty Wages History [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0601/S00060.htm

Rock'n'Roll: Iggy Gladdens The Hearts Of Today's Fickle Youth -

Vintage wine both improves with age, and also becomes inexorably rarer. Much the same is true of a set from Iggy and the Stooges, who have a collective age of approximately six thousand. Eschewing the traditional tactic of resorting to a best-of parade, Iggy Pop and his crew wisely stretched out their stage show to make the most of the rock ‘n roll spectacle. See... ET's Big Day Out Wrap Up [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0601/S00186.htm

Justice: Jailed Innocents Drive Call For Miscarriage Of Justice Body

- National Party Leader Don Brash says he supports a call for the establishment of an independent body to identify miscarriages of justice. He is commenting on a report by retired High Court judge Sir Thomas Thorp, which suggests that as many as 20 people may wrongly be incarcerated in New Zealand prisons. Dr Brash and National MP Katherine Rich supported the call for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Peter Ellis Christchurch Civic Creche case in 2003, and attracted support from 11 law professors and two former Prime Ministers for the inquiry. “It is cases like the Peter Ellis case that highlight the need for an independent body with the resources and authority to investigate possible miscarriages of justice.” See... Brash supports call for independent authority [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0601/S00090.htm

MORE HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0601/S00062.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0601/S00036.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0601/S00084.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0601/S00096.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0601/S00095.htm

SCOOP REPORTS:

TransTasman: Australian Racism Deeper Than Cronulla Riots - Scoop Report: Yasmine Ryan reports on her observations of Australia [1] - In a quiet West Australian suburban town that I visited shortly before Christmas, residents were appalled by a particularly vicious and shocking incident. A local woman had returned to her home to find her Christmas lights savagely vandalised. Most had been stolen, and in a particularly callous act, her blow-up Santa had been brutally punctured. What kind of monster could do such a thing? they asked. Conversation was also dominated by anger at the growing 'politically-correct' aversion to Christmas. See... And the Mob Sang Waltzing Matilda [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0601/S00145.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0601/S00145.htm

Satire Lyndon Hood: News You May Have Missed During The Holiday Break

- NEWS BRIEFS:Whales May Be Developing Nuclear Weapons: Japan - National Party Press Secretaries Chained to Desks Over Holidays, Writing Press Releases for Food - No Unprecedented Natural Disasters in 2006 So Far - Wayne Mapp Accidentally Eradicates Self - Next Census to Allow Wholly Uninformative Ethnicity Response - Prison Construction Growth Industry of 2006. See... Lyndon Hood: News We Missed Because of the Holiday [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0601/S00164.htm

MORE Scoop Reports:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0601/S00125.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0601/S00083.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0601/S00049.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0512/S00229.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0512/S00191.htm

Voting: Electoral Integrity Scrutinised In South Pacific -

The United Nations Development Program out of Suva is seriously working on setting up a domestic monitors scheme to support our nation's March elections. In 2001, for instance, dozens of foreigners monitored our last election. They called it a free and fair one. Thailand Seeks Aung San Suu Kyi Release [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0601/S00172.htm

Astronomy: February Night Sky Excellent Viewing From New Zealand

- February is a good month for viewing the planets. Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will be visible for the whole of the month. Only Mercury will not be seen in February. Mars will be visible for the first third of the night. At the start of the month it sets at 00:43 and at 23:37 by month’s end. Mars starts the month in the constellation of Aries, moving into Taurus on February 7. Its magnitude fades from 0.2 to 0.7 during the month. Saturn will be visible for the first three quarters of the night. At the start of February it sets at 06:11 and at 04:15 by month’s end. See... Brian Carter's February Night Sky [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0601/S00144.htm

US Politics: Al Gore Defends the Intent of the Framers of the Constitution

- Congressman Barr and I have disagreed many times over the years, but we have joined together today with thousands of our fellow citizens-Democrats and Republicans alike-to express our shared concern that America's Constitution is in grave danger. In spite of our differences over ideology and politics, we are in strong agreement that the American values we hold most dear have been placed at serious risk by the unprecedented claims of the Administration to a truly breathtaking expansion of executive power. See... Al Gore: America's Constitution is in Grave Danger [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0601/S00121.htm

MORE SCOOP COMMENTARY:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0601/S00146.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0601/S00136.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0601/S00123.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0601/S00120.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0601/S00133.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0601/S00114.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0601/S00117.htm
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0601/S00119.htm
[9] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0601/S00118.htm
[10] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0601/S00116.htm
[11] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0601/S00128.htm

Environment: Green Co-Leader Issues Her State Of The Planet Speech

- "There has been no concrete action to limit the extreme ecological damage caused by bottom trawling. NZ is willing to support other nations who might propose a moratorium but when it comes to action is not willing to take the lead. It has been left to the Green Party and NGOs like Greenpeace and Forest & Bird to educate the public about deadly fishing practices and to advocate for action." See... Jeanette Fitzsimons State of the Planet Speech [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0601/S00086.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0601/S00085.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0601/S00060.htm

Education: School Cert/Bursary Scaling Used To Set NCEA Marks

- Education Minister Steve Maharey has admitted that old School Certificate and Bursary results have been used to scale this year’s NCEA marks, says National Party Education spokesman Bill English. "Education authorities have for years criticised School Certificate and Bursary as out of date and unfair,” says Mr English. “Yet, in answers to Parliamentary questions the Minister of Education has revealed that old School Certificate and Bursary results have been used to scale this year’s NCEA marks. See... School Cert and Bursary used to scale NCEA results [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0601/S00091.htm

Nats Say Private Prisons Would Avoid Budget Blowout

- The new prisons’ budget blow-out shows why more private sector funding of major government projects is needed, says National Finance spokesman John Key. He says the multi-million dollar blow-out in the cost of the Waikato and Otago prisons illustrates why the Government urgently needs to change its ideological objection to private sector involvement in major infrastructure projects. See... Blowout highlights need for PPPs [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0601/S00069.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0601/S00076.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0601/S00067.htm

Foreign Affairs: NZ Joins 16 Nations Urging Japan To Stop Whaling

- New Zealand has joined 16 other countries in urging Japan's government to stop killing whales in the Southern Ocean in the name of scientific research. Two Brazil-led demarches in Tokyo have also asked Japan to recall its whaling fleet from the Southern Ocean. Duty Minister Jim Anderton said New Zealand had joined with other countries to denounce the Japanese Whale Research Programme (JARPA II) which is expected to take up to 935 minke whales from the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary this season. See... New Zealand joins diplomatic protest on whaling [1] ALSO: Scoop Video: Greenpeace Gets Kiwi Support... [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0601/S00062.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0601/S00126.htm

MORE POLITICAL HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0601/S00095.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0601/S00093.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0601/S00092.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0601/S00091.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0601/S00089.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0601/S00088.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0601/S00087.htm

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