This edition of NewsRoom_Digest contains 4 media release snippets and 8 links of the day from Monday 15th June.
Top stories in the current news cycle include the situation swirling around iwi interests in Crown land in Auckland, the way that questions about people smuggling issues are unfolding in Australia and a concerns being raised in Christchurch about the selection of houses for a wider survey of the standard of post-quake repairs.
These was definitely the batting order of Monday post-Cabinet Press Conference this afternoon where Prime Minister John Key expressed confidence the Government’s legal position on land in Auckland is solid and drawing a parallel to “what we did in Christchurch”, and his comments on asylum seekers who may have wanted to make a course for New Zealand were non-committal.
The one substantive line of questioning – introduced by TVNZ’s Corin Dann – was whether the Government would be open to a review of current HASNO laws given officials expressing the likely need for a review at some point in the future.
NEWSROOM_PLUS ‘EXTRAs’
Two articles published by our roving Wellington team today were:
1. RIP Jerry Collins – http://newsroomplus.com/2015/06/15/community-1/
2. Happy Birthday Magna Carta! – http://newsroomplus.com/2015/06/15/history-today/
SNIPPETS OF THE DAY
NZ to join Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank: New Zealand has agreed to become a founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which is being established to invest in new infrastructure across Asia, Finance Minister Bill English and Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully say. The Bank is a China-led initiative aimed at addressing a significant gap in infrastructure investment in the Asian region.
Green Party: Entrenched Pay Inequality: Ten percent pay rises for CEOs are evidence of an economy based on entrenched inequality, the Green Party said today, following the release of The New Zealand Herald’s executive pay survey.
Falling Kiwi Dollar: The New Zealand dollar, which hit a five-year low at the weekend, may fall further this week amid concern prices could remain weak in the latest dairy auction and on expectations improving US data will boost the prospects for the Federal Reserve to hike interest rates.
Stop Elderly Abuse: New Zealanders need to confront the reality of elder abuse to prevent the exploitation and mistreatment of older people, Senior Citizens Minister Maggie Barry says. New research released on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day shows around one in 10 older New Zealanders have suffered some form of abuse or neglect.
LINKS OF THE DAY
PERFORMANCE OF SERVICES INDEX: New Zealand’s services sector showed further expansion in May as key indices continued to scale the heights, according to the BNZ – BusinessNZ Performance of Services Index (PSI). More details available here:
http://www.businessnz.org.nz/resources/surveys-and-statistics/psi/2015/scaling-the-heights-psi
NEW CIVIL DEFENCE RECOVERY LAW : Civil Defence Minister Nikki Kaye today announced that Cabinet has approved changes to the Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Act that will improve the way communities recover from emergencies. The new legislation is expected to be introduced into Parliament within the next few months, and is outlined in the Cabinet paper available at: www.civildefence.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/20150615ROLFCabinetPaper.pdf
HELP STOP CHILDREN FROM BEING TRAFFICKED INTO BROTHELS : TEAR Fund is encouraging Kiwi cyclists to use their bikes to stop children from being trafficked into brothels. Every 30 seconds, a child is trafficked around the world. The average age of a victim is only 12 years old. By cycling in the TEAR Fund Poverty Cycle challenge, New Zealanders can help combat this trade in lives. For more information or to register for the challenge, go to www.povertycycle.org.nz
LOCAL AUTHORITY SPENDING INCREASES : Local authorities’ seasonally adjusted operating expenditure increased 4.3 percent in the March 2015 quarter, Statistics New Zealand said today. Purchases of goods and services was the main driver of the $95.0 million increase in total operating expenditure.For more information about these statistics, click here :http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/government_finance/local_government/LocalAuthorityStatistics_HOTPMar15qtr.aspx
NZIER CONSENSUS FORECASTS FOR JUNE 2015 : The latest NZIER Consensus Forecasts shows forecasters have pared back growth expectations slightly since the March quarter survey. Activity indicators over the past quarter have been mixed, with global dairy prices continuing to fall but household spending remaining strong.Click here for more : http://nzier.org.nz/publication/growth-expectations-softening-consensus-forecasts-june-2015
UNION QUESTIONS CEO SALARIES : Far too many workers aren’t able to provide for themselves and their families and are missing out on getting ahead because wealth is being concentrated at the top, the CTU said today. For more information, click here: http://union.org.nz/news/2015/inequality-not-%E2%80%98flat-falling%E2%80%99-minister-0
NEW BIOSECURITY PUPPIES NEED NAMES : Six new home-grown biosecurity beagle puppies could soon be patrolling New Zealand’s borders, and the Ministry for Primary Industries is looking for names for two of them. The puppies can be seen on youtube –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DejiCaJi5TQ&feature=youtu.beFRUITS FOR WINTER: Seasonal produce rich in antioxidants and immune-boosting vitamin C can keep you fighting fit, and able to ward off winter infections, says 5+ A Day. Eating well and exercising regularly are two of the best ways to fortify your immune system and keep sickness at bay. For tips and recipes go to : http://www.5aday.co.nz/
And that’s our sampling of the day that was on Monday 15th June 2015
Brought to EveningReport by Newsroom Digest. –]]>
