Scoop: Top Scoops + Just Politics

Friday, 16 June 2006, 9:29 pm
Article: Alastair Thompson

TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS:
Scoop Report: Kevin List Talks Tax Cuts & Economy With Nat John Key
AUDIO HIGHLIGHTS Of The Week:
Weather: Prepare For Big Freezy II – Metservice Predicts More Snow
International Law: Pro-Whaling Nations May Have The Numbers
Environment: DOC Report States Raoul Is. Death Not Preventable
Business: Statistics NZ Reports Manufacturing Sales Increase
Salary Negotiations: Junior Doctors Resist DHB Pressure
Economy: Kiwi Dollar & Inflationary Trends: BNZ Overview
Health: Numbers Of Abortions Performed In New Zealand Drop
MORE HEADLINES:
Technology: Future Is Now – NZ Embraces Digital Age
Kiwi Culture: Pretty Boy Participates In Preserving Precious Memories For Posterity -
Scoop Report: Cunliffe Must Answer Questions On Deportation
Nature Protection: WWF Whaling Poll Detects Turn Around Of Pacific Pro-Whaling Nations
MORE INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES:
Gaza City: Israeli Artillery Strike Probably Killed Palestinian Family

SCOOP COLUMNS:
American Coup: Michael Collins Scoop Exclusive Defence Of RFK Jnr.
Motoring: Scoop Motornet Takes A Ride In A New Jeep
Entertainment: Suzan Mazur Resurrects An Interview With Michael O'Donoghue
Media: Sam Smith On Jason Leopold's New Book
MORE SCOOP COMMENT & OPINION:

OTHER NEWS (Just Politics):
QUESTIONS OF THE DAY:
Foreign Affairs: Will The Labour PM Now Say 'Close Guantanamo'?
Power Woes: Labour-Led Govt Says Power Failures All Nats Fault!
Security: Nats Raise Concerns On Border Security
Politics: Robson Gives A Lesson In Rogernomics
MORE POLITICAL HEADLINES:
POLITICAL COLUMNS

Scoop Report: Kevin List Talks Tax Cuts & Economy With Nat John Key

Audio & Text: Despite being a beneficiary of the Kiwi welfare state and never paying a single brass razoo on tertiary study fees during his time at Canterbury University, National's finance spokesperson John Key tells Scoop's Kevin List he remains a solid convert of new-right ideology. Kevin List: "John, I see National has put out a comprehensive alternative budget in the form of a postcard that has been dropped into Kiwis' letterboxes. The postcard says that National would borrow wisely to pay for roading and infrastructure. Would you like to explain who we'll borrow the money from?" John Key: "Yeah, sure. The government borrows anyway…"See... Scoop IV Transcript: John Key Talks Tax Cuts [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00216.htm

AUDIO HIGHLIGHTS Of The Week:

RDU Audio: Scoop's Kevin List and RDU's Wammo discuss: [1] Deportation; Zarqawi's autopsy; Nats private prisons call; microchipping; energy; citizen journalism and journalism courses… Scoop Audio: Selwyn Manning and Radio Adelaide 's Peter Godfrey discuss: [2] Auckland's power-outage; the Rayed Ali deportation; and NZ wine served to the Queen at her birthday bash. bFM Audio: Top IVs of the Week from 95bFM: PM + Paul Buchanan [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00189.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00178.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00208.htm

Weather: Prepare For Big Freezy II – Metservice Predicts More Snow

- From late Friday, and at times on Saturday and Sunday, very cold southerlies are expected to bring snow to Southland and coastal Otago. The snow is currently not expected to accumulate to warning amounts over a widespread area, but significant falls could occur in brief heavy snow showers. Canterbury and inland Otago, after having warmed up for a while on Friday, will also become chilled again on Saturday, though only light snowy showers are expected there. See... MetService warns of more cold and snowy weather [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0606/S00171.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0606/S00187.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00312.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0606/S00177.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0606/S00255.htm

International Law: Pro-Whaling Nations May Have The Numbers

- The numbers at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) remain too close to call, Conservation Minister Chris Carter said today shortly after arriving at the Commission's annual meeting in St Kitts. "It appears that three new members are likely to join the Commission in support of the pro-whaling bloc this year – Cambodia, the Marshall Islands and Guatemala," Mr Carter said. "This is against the addition of one nation to the pro-conservation bloc – Israel. However, it remains unclear how many of the developing nations recruited by the pro-whalers have paid their membership dues and are actually eligible to vote in the Commission." See... Whaling Commission numbers too close to call [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00335.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00336.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0606/S00316.htm

Environment: DOC Report States Raoul Is. Death Not Preventable

- A Department of Conservation investigation into the Raoul Island eruption in March has found DOC worker Mark Kearney’s death was a work place accident that could not have been prevented. Auckland Conservator Sean Goddard said the investigation report, released today, concluded there were no Department management decisions or system failures that could have prevented the fatality. See... DOC reports on Raoul Island investigation [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0606/S00165.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0606/S00042.htm

Business: Statistics NZ Reports Manufacturing Sales Increase

- Seasonally adjusted manufacturing sales increased 1.0 percent in the March 2006 quarter compared with the December 2005 quarter, Statistics New Zealand said today. However, with the effect of price changes removed, seasonally adjusted manufacturing sales increased 0.1 percent for the March 2006 quarter. This reflects an increase in the values received for sales, rather than the volumes produced. See... Prices Lift Manufacturing Results [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0606/S00247.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0606/S00246.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0606/S00240.htm

Salary Negotiations: Junior Doctors Resist DHB Pressure

- The Lead Negotiator for the country’s 21 DHBs, Dr Nigel Murray – Interim CEO of Southland District Health Board, says despite extending the talks for a day they’ve been unable to persuade the junior doctors to lift the action. “After four days of talks this week we’ve gone backwards,” says Dr Murray. “It’s a sad day when people with a duty of care to save lives feel it’s necessary to hold thousands of patients to ransom. We have protected their existing agreement and their existing conditions and we have also offered a pay increase which for most first year trainees it will mean 3% on top of a starting package of $70,000 – their response is a nationwide strike. See... Efforts To Avert Junior Doctors’ Strike Fail [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0606/S00069.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0606/S00074.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0606/S00161.htm

Economy: Kiwi Dollar & Inflationary Trends: BNZ Overview

- The Kiwi dollar is little changed from a week ago while wholesale interest rates have also not moved by much. The central global theme at the moment is rising world inflation which is expected to produce at least one more increase in United States interest rates of 0.25% and on top of all the other domestic inflationary pressures leave monetary policy in New Zealand unchanged until perhaps well into 2007. See... June 15 edition of the BNZ Weekly Overview [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0606/S00250.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0606/S00256.htm

Health: Numbers Of Abortions Performed In New Zealand Drop

- The number of abortions performed in New Zealand has dropped for the second consecutive year, Statistics New Zealand said today. A total of 17,530 induced abortions were performed in New Zealand in the December 2005 year, 680 (3.7 percent) fewer than in 2004 (18,210). This drop follows a decrease of 1.6 percent between 2003 and 2004. The general abortion rate (abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44 years) dropped from 20.5 per 1,000 in 2004 to 19.7 per 1,000 in 2005. See... Abortion Statistics: 2005 [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0606/S00068.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0606/S00070.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0606/S00071.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0606/S00072.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0606/S00164.htm

MORE HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0606/S00167.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00302.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00300.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0606/S00160.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0606/S00139.htm

Technology: Future Is Now – NZ Embraces Digital Age

- Government decisions announced today pave the way for free-to-air digital television to begin transmission during 2007, says Broadcasting Minister Steve Maharey. Plans for the new service have been developed by Freeview, a consortium of New Zealand's free to air broadcasters, including Television New Zealand, CanWest, Maori TV, Trackside and Radio New Zealand. New Zealanders will be able to access FreeView digital TV through a set-top box, with programmes broadcast through a combination of terrestrial (land-based) and satellite services (requiring a satellite dish). See…Free-to-air digital TV to begin roll-out [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00270.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00287.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00275.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00266.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0606/S00220.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0606/S00222.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0606/S00223.htm

Kiwi Culture: Pretty Boy Participates In Preserving Precious Memories For Posterity -

Memories and experiences of Wellington zookeepers, and others who have had strong connections with the Wellington Zoo, were handed over to the Turnbull Library's Oral History Centre. Participating in the handover was Wellington Zoo pretty boy Jack the sulphur-crested cockatoo. See... 'We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo . . .' [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0606/S00128.htm

Scoop Report: Cunliffe Must Answer Questions On Deportation

- Scoop co-editor Selwyn Manning writes that Rayed Mohammad Abdullah Ali arrived in NZ in February, based himself in Auckland, attended an English language school, moved to the Manawatu, began flight training. Suddenly he was deported before his presence here in New Zealand popped above the radar. Scoop has found there are more questions than answers surrounding this whole affair... The public would appear to harbour concerns: a TVNZ web-poll asked: Do you think our national security is up to scratch? 74% of respondents said no. INCLUDES Scoop Audio of the Prime Minister answering questions on this issue. UPDATED: to include latest information. See... Scoop: Govt Must Explain Detail Behind Deportation [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00150.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00213.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00157.htm

Nature Protection: WWF Whaling Poll Detects Turn Around Of Pacific Pro-Whaling Nations

- On the eve of 58th International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting, a new WWF poll reveals that citizens from ten countries in the Pacific and Caribbean, whose governments repeatedly vote to resume commercial whaling, do not support the hunting and killing of whales. The WWF poll was carried out in Palau, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St Lucia and St Kitts and Nevis, where the IWC meeting is being held. See... Citizens of pro-whaling countries: 'No' to whaling [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0606/S00316.htm

MORE INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00212.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0606/S00320.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0606/S00319.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0606/S00318.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0606/S00317.htm

Gaza City: Israeli Artillery Strike Probably Killed Palestinian Family

- Israel should immediately launch an independent, impartial investigation of a June 9 Israeli artillery strike on a beach north of Gaza City, Human Rights Watch said today. Seven Palestinian civilians picnicking on the beach were killed that day and dozens of others were wounded. See... Israel: Investigate Gaza Beach Killings [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0606/S00287.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0606/S00296.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0606/S00305.htm

American Coup: Michael Collins Scoop Exclusive Defence Of RFK Jnr.

- The prevailing silence on election fraud 2004 was interrupted June 1 by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in his article Was the 2004 Election Stolen? He argues clearly and forcefully that the 2004 election was stolen, basing his analysis and evidence on events and outcomes in the state of Ohio. Had Kerry won the Ohio race, he would be president today. Hence, the theft of Ohio was the theft of the election. See... Salon, Mother Jones & the Tortured Dialogue [1] & Robert F. Kennedy Jr: Was the 2004 Election Stolen [2] MORE:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00193.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00030.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00196.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00211.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00209.htm

Motoring: Scoop Motornet Takes A Ride In A New Jeep

- A little travel weary, I pulled Jeep’s new Grand Cherokee into the gas station for a fill up before heading home. ‘Can anyone see a diesel pump?’ I enquired fairly innocently. I was met with initially silence, before one passenger sounding rather surprised responded, ‘A diesel? Are you sure this thing doesn’t run on petrol?’ See... MOTORNET: Grand Touring, Jeep Style [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00227.htm

Entertainment: Suzan Mazur Resurrects An Interview With Michael O'Donoghue

- As the Bush administration inches closer and closer to resembling a "cheap, sleazy" science fiction movie from the 1950s, I'm reminded of a conversation I had in New York with late Saturday Night Live comic Michael O'Donoghue about that very subject. O'Donoghue died in 1994, but he was always ahead of his time so his humor is now totally relevant. See... Comic Michael O'Donoghue on the "End of the World" [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00225.htm

Media: Sam Smith On Jason Leopold's New Book

- If I were Jason Leopold I probably wouldn't bother to tell you that we had the same publisher since, after all, Process Media (which published Leopold) and Feral House (which published me) are separate operations even if Adam Parfrey is the force behind both. It's the way you start to think after you've been reading 'News Junkie' for awhile. We have a few other differences. I, for example, have never been a drug addict, never stolen 450 CDs from a record company to feed that habit, never agreed to a plea bargain for doing so, never tried to kill myself, and never had to worry that if I went on national TV someone might recognize me and inform my editor of my felonious past. See... Sam Smith: News Junkie - Jason Leopold [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00222.htm

MORE SCOOP COMMENT & OPINION:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00224.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00207.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00223.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00226.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00202.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00221.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00220.htm
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00219.htm
[9] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00218.htm
[10] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00217.htm
[11] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00212.htm
[12] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00210.htm
[13] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00206.htm
[14] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00205.htm
[15] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00204.htm
[16] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00203.htm
[17] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00201.htm
[18] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00200.htm
[19] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00199.htm
[20] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00198.htm
[21] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00197.htm
[22] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00195.htm

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00299.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00257.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00219.htm

Foreign Affairs: Will The Labour PM Now Say 'Close Guantanamo'?

- As a "very, very, very good friend" of the United States, New Zealand should rescue President George Bush from his current bind over Guantanamo Bay, and urge him to close the facility, says Green Party Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Keith Locke. "Even President Bush now concedes that he'd like to close the facility. Even he realises that the inhuman and illegal treatment being meted out to Gitmo's inmates is damaging America's image abroad. "As a keen supporter of the UN, this is a golden chance for Helen Clark to woo President Bush back onto the path of multilateralism," Mr Locke says. See... George Bush needs a friend [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00272.htm

Power Woes: Labour-Led Govt Says Power Failures All Nats Fault!

- The Labour-led government has attacked National saying it has significantly boosted spending on the transmission grid and taken positive steps to correct the mess created by National's ideologically driven free-market approach. Acting Energy Minister Trevor Mallard said today: "Under the last National government, investment in the national grid fell as low as just $52 million per year. National's failed free-market approach resulted in massive under-investment in the national grid and created many of the problems we are still addressing today." See... Investment in the grid boosted significantly [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00254.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00298.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0606/S00235.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0606/S00261.htm

Security: Nats Raise Concerns On Border Security

- New Zealanders should be seriously concerned about the state of the nation’s counter-terrorism preparedness says National Party Foreign Affairs and Defence spokesman Murray McCully. He says statements made on Radio New Zealand by Assistant Police Commissioner John White, claiming that terrorists designated by the Australian and Canadian governments would also have been designated in New Zealand, are “completely wrong”. See... Gaping hole in defence against terrorism? [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00238.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00250.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00320.htm

Politics: Robson Gives A Lesson In Rogernomics

- Robson-on-Politics got a few disbelieving emails from younger readers after my comment last week that the sale of Telecom, Air NZ, PostBank etc. in 1989-1990 occurred after Roger Douglas had surrendered the finance portfolio. But, yes, it is true. These sales had nothing to do with the future ACT Party founder and everything to do with the then Labour leadership. Labour's fire sale famously included the Shipping Corp., the Rural Bank, the National Film Unit, Maui Gas and much more but it was the forestry cutting rights sales that have gone down in history as infamous. See... Robson-On-Politics - 10 June 2006 [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0606/S00144.htm

MORE POLITICAL HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00180.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00210.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00204.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00202.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00229.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00226.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00223.htm
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00218.htm
[9] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00207.htm
[10] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00185.htm
[11] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00205.htm
[12] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00224.htm
[13] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00201.htm
[14] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00199.htm
[15] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00221.htm
[16] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00217.htm
[17] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00179.htm
[18] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00183.htm

POLITICAL COLUMNS

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00329.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0606/S00214.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00321.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00319.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00141.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.

Contact Alastair Thompson

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