NewsRoom_Digest for 9 March 2016

NewsroomPlus.com Today’s edition of NewsRoom_Digest features 5 resourceful links of the day and the politics pulse from Wednesday 9th of March. It is best viewed on a desktop screen. NEWSROOM_MONITOR Noteworthy stories in the current news cycle include: the real estate sector saying dairy land prices have held steady, but that a drop is anticipated following Fonterra’s second cut to the forecast milk pay-out this year; adoption law being labelled as outdated and discriminatory by the Human Rights Review Tribunal; and a review of New Zealand’s two intelligence and security agencies recommending they be governed by a single law. POLITICS PULSE Media releases issued from Parliament by political parties today included: Government: Support for Volunteering Fund now open; PM welcomes Security and Intelligence Review; Final meeting of Community Forum; Faster accurate patient enrolment data; NZ ratifies Maritime Labour Convention; Sir Graham Henry joins education panel; New product recalls website welcomed; Speech: Peter Dunne – The National Library: Its place in New Zealand’s information society; Opportunity and protection for Māori under TPP; New primary cervical screening test in 2018; Consulting on TPP’s intellectual property implementation Greens: Government mismanagement threatens “double disaster”; Case for expanded spy powers not made Labour: Shocking falls in regional growth needs Govt action; Intelligence review must lead to public debate;Tribunal adds to calls for adoption reform; Police districts’ $24.5m underspend while burglaries unsolved; English admits dairy in ‘severe scenario’; Time for Fonterra to front up to media; Nats should have fixed payroll in 2010; Labour Supports Early Access Scheme For Pharmac New Zealand First: Voting Papers Flawed; Referendum Should End Now – Peters; PM’s Voluntary Catch Reporting ‘A Joke’ LINKS OF THE DAY GDP INCREASE: Eleven of 15 regional economies in New Zealand increased in the latest regional GDP figures from Statistics New Zealand. Read more: http://bit.ly/1QKjq3C MARITIME LABOUR CONVENTION: New Zealand has ratified the International Labour Organisation’s Maritime Labour Convention. The Convention will come into force 8 March 2017. It will apply to about 890 foreign commercial cargo and cruise ships visiting New Zealand annually, and approximately 30 New Zealand ships. For more information: http//www.transport.govt.nz/mlc2006 PRODUCT RECALLS WEBSITE: Today saw the launch of a new product recall web tool, a first-stop-shop for consumer product recall information. The product recall web tool can be accessed here: www.recalls.govt.nz. RETAIL SPENDING UP: Retail spending using electronic cards was $4.6 billion in February 2016, up $393 million (9.3 percent) from February 2015, according to Statistics New Zealand. More details at: http://bit.ly/21XFCSC SECURITY & INTELLIGENCE REPORT: The report of the Independent Review of Intelligence and Security was launched today. The report is available at: http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/pb/presented/papers/51DBHOH_PAP68536_1/report-of-the-first-independent-review-of-intelligence And that’s our sampling of “news you can use” for Wednesday 9th March. –]]>