Top Scoop Stories December 23rd 2009 News Summary
LEAD STORY
Confident but Cautious, says English: NZ Economy Grows 0.2% in September Quarter
Arms Control: NZ Ratifies Ban On Cluster Munitions
Justice System: Nationwide Inquiry Into Police Handling Of Child Abuse Cases
Flip Floppery: Waterview Tunnel Option Back On
Funding, harmonised with performance: The new Tertiary Education Strategy
Climate Change: Activists Blockade NZ Stock Exchange
Mining: Coromandel Assessed As Unsuitable For Mining
1/4 vs 7/50: NIWA Stands By Its Statement On Methane Rise
3.1% of GDP: NZ Posts Smallest Current Account Gap In 6 Years
Fair Trading: Flight Centre warned over advertising and promotion
What Goes Up: NZ Dollar Extends Decline To Three-Month Low
Smellie Sniffs The Breeze: Taking Our Lumps At Copenhagen
Catherine Austin Fitts: NZ Banking System Overview
Death Of A Dissident: Hosein-Ali Montazeri
Connie Lawn’s Column: Snowed In
Martin LeFevre: Global Warming As Metaphor
Torture In Afghanistan: New UK Court Orders
Allen Roland: Are You Really Unemployed And Does Anyone Care?
Gordon Campbell: Peter Jackson, And Catching The Aussies
Ramzy Baroud: The Lobby Within
Scoop Survey: Choose Your Favourite Wellington Christmas Tree
Scoop Review Of Books: Best of the Best of Lists for 2009
10 Reasons: Why Christmas Is Not The Season To Be Sexy
Odd Combinations: Smashproof And Susan Boyle Top 2009 RIANZ Charts
Like Rugby Superphospate: Grassroots Rugby The Winner In RWC
Scoop Review Of Books: The Birth Of Suburbia
United Nations Report: Poor Weather Drives Tea Prices To Record High
Organ Theft: What If Everyone Just Kept Their Mouth's Shut?
Akanimo Sampson: Shell Accused Of Media Whitewash
Whale Protection: Sea Shepherd Ship Attacked With Water Cannons
DR Congo:Rebels Murder, Rape, Mutilate & Displace Thousands
India: Pro-Mining ‘Goons’ Harass And Intimidate
Philippines: Eruption Of Volcano Is Imminent
Organ Theft: Israel Harvested Palestinian Organs Without Permission
Copenhagen: Historic Moment, Historic Gathering And Historical Cop Out
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LEAD STORY
------------![](http://img.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/0912/6c9da5a109841142e39d.jpeg)
Confident
but Cautious, says English: NZ Economy Grows 0.2% in
September Quarter
New Zealanders can go into the
Christmas break feeling more positive after two quarters of
economic growth, but more work is needed to ensure a strong
sustainable recovery, Finance Minister Bill English says.GDP
data shows the economy grew 0.2 per cent in the September
quarter and June quarter growth was revised upwards from 0.1
to 0.2 per cent. In the September quarter household
consumption and mining were stronger than expected and
manufacturing and construction down. More
»[1]
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0912/S00366.htm
ALSO:
- NZ economy expanded just 0.2%q/q in third quarter [2]
- NZ economy expands 0.2% in 3rd-qtr, kiwi drops [3]
- GDP increase welcome, but many areas of concern [4]
- New Zealand economy grows slowly [5]
- September quarter spreadsheet [6]
- September quarter commentary [7]
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0912/S00582.htm [2]
[3] - http://business.scoop.co.nz/2009/12/23/nz-economy-expands-0-2-in-3rd-qtr-kiwi-drops/ [3]
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0912/S00580.htm [4]
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0912/S00576.htm [5]
[6] - http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/0912/gdpSep2009alltables.xls [6]
[7] - http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/0912/GrossDomesticProductSep09qtrHOTP.pdf [7]
NZ POLITICS
------------Arms
Control: NZ Ratifies Ban On Cluster
Munitions
New Zealand has ratified the Cluster
Munitions Disarmament Convention which bans the use,
development, production and stockpiling of cluster
munitions, Disarmament and Arms Control Minister Georgina te
Heuheu announced today. More
»[1]
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0912/S00365.htm
ALSO:
- New Zealand Ratifies Cluster Bomb Ban [2]
- Cluster Bomb Ban Legislation Passes [3]
- Flavell: Cluster Munitions (Prohibition) Bill [4]
- Bill bans cluster munitions [5]
- New Zealand Urged To Ratify Cluster Bomb Ban [6]
- Protection Of Civilians From Cluster Bombs [7]
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0912/S00282.htm [2]
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0912/S00151.htm [3]
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0908/S00069.htm [4]
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0912/S00183.htm [5]
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0905/S00410.htm [6]
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0911/S00430.htm [7]
Justice
System: Nationwide Inquiry Into Police Handling Of
Child Abuse Cases
The Independent Police Conduct
Authority’s inquiry into Police handling of child abuse
cases will cover all of New Zealand, the Authority said
today. The Authority was notified in June of delays in the
Police response to child abuse cases in the Wellington
District, in particular the Wairarapa. More
»[1]
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0912/S00376.htm
Flip
Floppery: Waterview Tunnel Option Back On
Transport Minister Steven Joyce’s decision to
back down from his preferred route for the new Waterview
road connection in Auckland was welcomed today by Mt Albert
Labour MP David Shearer. “National’s announcement –
dropped late yesterday in the dead news period before
Christmas – that it would now build a 2.4km tunnel east of
its preferred route takes us back near to what Labour had
originally proposed for the route,” David Shearer said. More
»[1]
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0912/S00354.htm
Funding, harmonised with performance: The new Tertiary
Education Strategy
The Tertiary Education
Strategy 2010-2015 released today will ensure the sector is
more responsive to the needs of students and employers, says
Tertiary Education Minister Anne Tolley. “The new strategy
outlines the Government’s priorities for the next... More
»[1]
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0912/S00355.htm
ALSO:
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0912/S00276.htm [2]
Climate
Change: Activists Blockade NZ Stock
Exchange
Protesters blockaded the New Zealand
Stock Exchange on Monday frustrated with global inaction on
climate change and critical of market-based systems being
proposed to tackle the problem. Activists occupied an office
on the second floor of the exchange and nine people were
arrested blockading the south entrance to the building. More
»[1]
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0912/S00188.htm
ALSO:
- NZ Stock Exchange Disrupted Following Copenhagen [2]
- Climate Activists Scale MFAT Building [3]
- Leaders Have Failed To Act To Avoid Catastrophe [4]
- Looking Back, Looking Forward [5]
- Historic Moment, Historic Cop Out [6]
- A step in right direction, but insufficient [7]
- Part I [8]
- 14yo climate change protestor arrested in Wellington [9]
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0912/S00268.htm [2]
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0912/S00269.htm [3]
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0912/S00262.htm [4]
[5] - http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2009/12/copenhagen-looking-back-looking-forward/ [5]
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0912/S00263.htm [6]
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0912/S00265.htm [7]
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0912/S00155.htm [8]
[9] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/multimedia/tv/world/30864.html [9]
Mining:
Coromandel Assessed As Unsuitable For
Mining
A peer-reviewed Landscape Assessment of
the Coromandel Peninsula completely contradicts statements
by Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee, that some
Coromandel conservation land presently close to mining has
low conservation values and could be mined for gold. More
»[1]
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0912/S00271.htm
ALSO:
- National's Holiday Theft Punishes Poor Children [2]
- Government To Cut Holiday Entitlements [3]
- Holidays Act Changes A “Lose-Lose Move” [4]
- Holidays Act up for modernisation [5]
- Hysteria over cashing holidays echoes nanny state [6]
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0912/S00274.htm [2]
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0912/S00273.htm [3]
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0912/S00505.htm [4]
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0912/S00504.htm [5]
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0912/S00527.htm [6]
BUSINESS SCIENCE & TECH
------------1/4
vs 7/50: NIWA Stands By Its Statement On Methane
Rise
The statement made by NIWA Principal
Scientist, Dr Keith Lassey in a TV3 news story last night
(22 Dec 2009) about methane is correct. Dr Lassey said
“Livestock globally account for about one-quarter of
human-caused emissions. The rest of it’s shared... More
»[1]
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0912/S00287.htm
ALSO:
- NIWA called upon to correct major error [2]
- TV3 Video: Rise in methane levels alarm NIWA scientists [3]
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0912/S00280.htm [2]
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/multimedia/tv/world/30897.html [3]
3.1% of GDP: NZ Posts Smallest Current Account Gap In 6
Years
New Zealand posted the smallest annual
current account deficit in six years as the weak domestic
economy trimmed profits at foreign-owned companies and
sapped demand for imports. The deficit shrank to $5.72... More
»[1]
[1] - http://business.scoop.co.nz/2009/12/22/nz-posts-smallest-current-account-gap-in-6-years/
ALSO:
- New Zealand: CAD fell to just 3.1% of GDP [2]
- Year ended current account deficit falls [3]
- Economists in line with Bollard on Q3 GDP growth [4]
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0912/S00543.htm [2]
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0912/S00545.htm [3]
[4] - http://business.scoop.co.nz/2009/12/22/economists-in-line-with-bollard-on-q3-gdp-growth/ [4]
Fair
Trading: Flight Centre warned over advertising and
promotion
The Commerce Commission has warned a
travel agency that some of its advertising and promotions of
travel deals risk breaching the Fair Trading Act. The
Commission has issued warnings in relation to Flight Centre
New Zealand’s advertising between ... More
»[1]
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0912/S00546.htm
What
Goes Up: NZ Dollar Extends Decline To Three-Month Low
The New Zealand dollar extended its decline for
a seventh straight day amid continued unwinding of short
positions in the U.S. dollar and as investors await data
that’s expected to show the nation’s current account
deficit... More
»[1]
[1] - http://business.scoop.co.nz/2009/12/22/nz-dollar-extends-decline-to-three-month-low/
ALSO:
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0912/S00275.htm [2]
Smellie
Sniffs The Breeze: Taking Our Lumps At
Copenhagen
Watching the Copenhagen climate change
summit from Wellington today brings to mind the Pineapple
Lumps ad where the Kiwi turns up late, hits the button, and
is delighted to receive a toothsome booby prize while other
countries make off with the riches. More
»[1]
[1] - http://business.scoop.co.nz/2009/12/18/smellie-sniffs-the-breeze-taking-our-lumps/
COMMENT
------------
Catherine Austin Fitts: NZ Banking System
Overview
New Zealand banks and non-bank
deposit-taking institutions are registered, supervised and
monitored for compliance with New Zealand banking
supervision policies by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand
(“Reserve Bank”). More
»[1]
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0912/S00207.htm
Dave
Wolland: Getting The Pip
In winter and
spring fruit prices usually rise along with tomatoes, but
over the last few years I have been pleased to see apples
and pears remain at affordable prices. Sadly, I heard in the
news that apple and pear orchardists have been suffering
to... More
»[1]
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0912/S00200.htm
Death Of A Dissident: Hosein-Ali
Montazeri
Grand Ayatollah Hosein-Ali Montazeri
has passed into the history of the Iranian Revolution as he
was, potentially at least, about to create another. Thirty
years ago, he was a vital figure in unseating the Shah, and
well placed within the circle of the Ayatollah ... More
»[1]
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0912/S00197.htm
Connie Lawn’s Column: Snowed In
A Russian
leader once said, the best way to conquer America is to dump
a few inches of snow on Washington, D.C. Then the people
panic, the city and suburbs are paralyzed and nothing gets
done. That is only partially true in this, the great
snowfall of... More
»[1]
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0912/S00196.htm
Martin
LeFevre: Global Warming As Metaphor
The
verdict is in. Copenhagen proved that national governments
and international institutions, even led by the wunderkind
Barack Obama, cannot and will not provide an adequate
response to the man-made ecological crisis. More
»[1]
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0912/S00195.htm
Torture
In Afghanistan: New UK Court Orders
Reprieve,
the legal action charity, the lawyers of which represent
dozens of prisoners still held at Guantánamo, won a court
victory in the case of the British resident Shaker Aamer,
which appears to draw on the organization's success in
securing a judicial ... More
»[1]
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0912/S00170.htm
Allen
Roland: Are You Really Unemployed And Does Anyone
Care?
It's all a game of deception in Washington
where the truth often lies buried under meaningless and
deceiving figures. No where is that more obvious than in the
bureau of labor statistics. More
»[1]
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0912/S00176.htm
Gordon
Campbell: Peter Jackson, And Catching The
Aussies
The most recent pointers we have on
Jackson’s thinking about the local film industry were
comments he made at the press conference for his recent
Lovely Bones premiere in Wellington – which, in odd
counterpoint to the recent 2025 Task Force report ... More
»[1]
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0912/S00173.htm
Ramzy
Baroud: The Lobby Within
A just and peaceful
solution to the protracted Palestinian-Israeli conflict is
only possible when the US ceases to block every attempt made
towards it. This assertion might raise many questions, for
example, just how is one to define a just and peaceful
resolution? And for what reasons would the... More
»[1]
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0912/S00175.htm
LIFESTYLE
------------Scoop
Survey: Choose Your Favourite Wellington Christmas
Tree
The Christmas tree which Telecom has
sponsored on the Wellington waterfront may be the biggest
… but there are other trees all over town. Look in any
direction, and there’s another Christmas tree. One of the
other big... More
»[1]
[1] - http://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=17576
C K Stead: Abroad 2009
I was in the UK in
May of this year, mainly to launch the Carcanet edition of
my Collected Poems 1951–2006. A mini-tour had been
organised by the publisher, the first reading to the
Wordsworth Trust in Grasmere. I had not been in the Lake...
More
»[1]
[1] - http://books.scoop.co.nz/2009/12/22/ck-stead-abroad-2009/
Scoop Review Of
Books: Best of the Best of Lists for
2009
It’s that time of year when newspapers and
magazines the world over publish their best of lists. So the
Scoop Review of Books has decided to end the year with a
best of the best of books list for 2009. Criminal - from the
NY Times best graphic novels list... More »[1]
[1] - http://books.scoop.co.nz/
10 Reasons: Why Christmas Is Not The Season To Be
Sexy
1 - Because you drink too much and Sam from
accounting and/or the uptight and difficult PA down the hall
you usually go out of your way to avoid ends up having the
opportunity to ask if they can stay for breakfast…or you
pass out in the stair well with th IT guys. More
»[1]
[1] - http://sex.scoop.co.nz/2009/12/21/10-reasons-why-christmas-is-not-the-season-to-be-sexy/
Odd
Combinations: Smashproof And Susan Boyle Top 2009 RIANZ
Charts
South Auckland trios Smashproof broke into
the record books with the longest running local number one
single this year, and the run has seen them also become the
highest selling single of the year. More
»[1]
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0912/S00243.htm
Like
Rugby Superphospate: Grassroots Rugby The Winner In
RWC
The organisers of the Rugby World Cup have
pulled out all the stops to bring the cream of international
rugby to grassroots New Zealand, Rugby World Cup Associate
Minister Gerry Brownlee said today. More
»[1]
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0912/S00338.htm
ALSO:
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0912/S00312.htm [2]
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0912/S00309.htm [3]
Scoop
Review Of Books: The Birth Of Suburbia
Like
most early New Zealand settlements, Wellington was sited on
the edge of a good harbour... By 1900 it was overcrowded,
land prices were rising, and new suburbs were urgently
needed on or beyond the hills. More
»[1]
[1] - http://books.scoop.co.nz/2009/12/15/the-birth-of-suburbia/
WORLD
------------United
Nations Report: Poor Weather Drives Tea Prices To Record
High
Tea prices reached a record high in 2009,
but should ease next year as weather improves in the main
tea-producing regions in Asia and Africa, the United Nations
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported today. More
»[1]
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0912/S00604.htm
Organ
Theft: What If Everyone Just Kept Their Mouth's
Shut?
There are things going on in this world
that are reprehensible to the degree that one hardly knows
what to say. One of these is the recent admission that a
country has been harvesting organs from those upon whom they
are practicing irrefutable genocide. More
»[1]
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0912/S00625.htm
Akanimo
Sampson: Shell Accused Of Media
Whitewash
NIGERIA's leading environmental rights
advocacy group, Environmental Rights Action (ERA) has again
indicted the Anglo-Dutch super oil and gas major, Shell, of
fuelling environmental terrorism in the volatile Niger Delta
area. The group said the oil ... More
»[1]
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0912/S00610.htm
Whale
Protection: Sea Shepherd Ship Attacked With Water
Cannons
From the Steve Irwin , 1445 Hours
December 22nd, 2009 61 Degrees 59 Minutes South, 148 Degrees
47 Minutes East More
»[1]
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0912/S00608.htm
DR
Congo:Rebels Murder, Rape, Mutilate & Displace
Thousands
In a 10-month rampage of killings, rape
and mutilation in neighbouring countries that may constitute
war crimes and crimes against humanity, the rebel Ugandan
Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), has killed some 1,300
civilians, abducted 1,400 more, including ... More
»[1]
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0912/S00565.htm
ALSO:
- Coordinator of the STWC in Israeli Jail [2]
- Four more days of interrogation [3]
- Free the anti-Wall prisoners! [4]
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0912/S00584.htm [2]
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0912/S00585.htm [3]
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0912/S00586.htm [4]
India:
Pro-Mining ‘Goons’ Harass And
Intimidate
Human rights investigators in India
have been harassed and intimidated by large gangs of men
apparently paid to stop any outsiders reaching the site of a
controversial proposed mine in India. More
»[1]
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0912/S00578.htm
Philippines:
Eruption Of Volcano Is Imminent
United Nations
humanitarian officials are working with authorities in the
Philippines to prepare for what scientists believe to be the
imminent eruption of Mount Mayon, an active volcano within
close reach of tens of thousands of people. More
»[1]
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0912/S00582.htm
Organ
Theft: Israel Harvested Palestinian Organs Without
Permission
Israel has admitted that in the 1990s,
its forensic pathologists harvested organs from dead bodies,
including Palestinians, without permission of their
families. More
»[1]
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0912/S00560.htm
Copenhagen:
Historic Moment, Historic Gathering And Historical Cop
Out
The ‘climate deal’ announced in
Copenhagen today is a triumph of spin over substance said
Oxfam International. The agreement – which was announced
by the US, India, China and South Africa - has not been
endorsed by the EU and many other countries. More
»[1]
[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0912/S00540.htm
ENDS