Transtasman Political Letter – 22 March Digest

22nd March 2007

Helen Clark earns a place alongside other Labour leaders for her foreign policy achievement in Washington....
Will it help revive Labour’s poll ratings?....
Budget with its tax breaks for business may not be all that popular with Labour punters....
Blood testing contract debacle another blow to Govt credibility, though it waves away responsibility....
And Winston Peters goes on safari in South America.

High Point In International Diplomacy

The Govt will be looking to revive its popularity ratings, first with the success of the PM’s visit to the White House, and then with the budget next month.

Clark’s White House Visit Signals Major Victory

Helen Clark’s call on President George W Bush marks an historic shift in NZ’s foreign relations and a personal triumph for the former lecturer once in the van of anti Vietnam demonstrations.

Health Board Fiasco Points To Flawed Ideology

The Health Board fiasco in Auckland where a High Court judgement ruled three Boards had not conducted a fair tender process over a new blood testing contract left the Govt lamenting a “regrettable” situation.

Peters’ South American Trek

Foreign Minister Winston Peters has set himself the task of expanding economic and political relationships with South American countries, and is due to meet Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva, Uruguay’s President Dr Tabare Vazquez and Argentine Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana on his current mission.

CAPITAL TALK

How much is $20bn if you stacked it up? ACT’s Rodney Hide worked it out and told his party’s South Island Conference if $100 bills were stacked in a pile it would be 20km high.
Play Of The Week: Basic Stuff

Even the smallest Community Board in the country’s most remote areas – the sort of places some high paid Aucklanders like to look down on – know the basics of conflict of interest. If you stand to gain materially from a decision being made, you absent yourself from the decision making process.

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