Checkpoint. 2004-10-18

1700 to 1707 NEWS
Good evening this is Mary Wilson with Checkpoint on National Radio.
The government spells out the details of the Tamihere Inquiry.
Napier cleans up after this morning's heavy cloud burst which cut power and closed schools.
And police could face disciplinary action over the 111 call made by Iraena Asher on the night she disappeared
First Radio New Zealand News, with Nicola Wright.
The Act MP Rodney HIde is promising more allegations against the LAbour MP John Tamihere but not promising that he will hand them over to the inquiry announced today by the Government.
A Wellington Queens Counsel has been appointed to carry out a broad [illegible] allegations involving the Labour MP.
Douglas White has been asked by the acting Prime Minister, Michael Cullen, to investigate the circumstances surrounding payments made to the MP by his former employer, the Waipareira Trust, including whether the right tax was paid.
He's also been asked to look at Mr Tamihere's election expenses, and to be prepared to investigate any other matters referred to him by the Prime Minister.
Doctor Cullen says the terms of reference were signed off by Cabinet today. CUT
The Acting Prime Minister will not comment on the specific allegations against Mr Tamihere now that an inquiry is to be held.
But he's calling for anyone with further claims to make, to do so now. CUT
The QC heading the investigation, Douglas White, has a background in taxation and commercial matters.
He will need the consent of Mr Tamihere and the Waipareira Trust to access the [illegible] Inland Revenue files.
Doctor Cullen expects Mr Tamihere to co-operate fully.
He says the Labour MP was not consulted on the terms of reference before they went to Cabinet. CUT
Doctor Cullen says Douglas White is to report his findings to the Prime Minister by the 26th of November.
The MP who first spoke out about the 95-thousand dollar payout to Mr Tamihere, is the Act leader Rodney Hide,
He says he has little faith in the inquiry announced today - calling it a secret investigation which will mean any report being edited by the government before it's released publicly.
Mr HIde says he'd prefer a judical inquiry with witnesses being called and with the media present.
And he says he has more allegations about Mr Tamihere. CUT
The divisions at the Waipareira Trust and the animosity between Mr Tamihere's supporters and detractors were made clear yet again today, with a biziarre claim and counterclaim over a threatening phone call.
The trust's former chief financial officer Mike Tolich who left in 2000 says the trust's chief executive Reg Ratahi rang him this morning to tell him "you are going to jail"
Mr Ratahi told Checkpoint he did speak to Mr Tolich but denies the jail threat. He wouldn't be interviewed or give his version of the conversation.
Mike Tolich meanwhile his standing by his claim. PREREC
Emergency services and Council staff in Napier have spent most of the day in a clean up operation after a heavy cloud burst hit the city, cuttng power and closing schools.51 millimetres of rain fell in Napier between midnight and three this morning, causing stormwater drains in several suburbs to flood roads, foodpaths and sections.
The fire service evacuated about 30 people as a precautionary measure when water threatened to flood their homes, and several thousand children stayed home after nine schools closed their doors. Heugh Chappell in Napier compiled this report. PKG
Auckland police say disciplinary action could be taken against staff who [illegible] to call a taxi rather than send a patrol car to a woman who's now been missing for eight days. Iraena Asher called the police asking for help from Piha, west of Auckland, and then disappeared. Superintendent John Lyall is with us now. LIVE
The Nelson coroner has accused the kayaking industry of being difficult to deal with during investigations into a fatal accident on the Buller River.
Ian Smith says the industry had been like a closed cartel during Maritime Safety Authority inquiries into the death of a 21 year-old whose kayak became trapped between a rock and a log.
Mr Smith resumed an inquest today into the death of Tim Jamieson and our reporter Geoff Moffett was there. LIVE Q &A
1720 BUSINESS NEWS WITH PATRICK O'MEARA
With the election in the United States two weeks away, polls are showing President Bush with either a slight lead or in a virtual tie with Democratic [illegible] John Kerry.
Although the Washington Post reports that Mr Kerry has a ten point lead in 13 battleground states, many expect the race to be close.
If it is, the US could be in line for another vote-counting nightmare, with final results not known for days after the vote on November the second.
Laura Liyama reports. $$F/S LAURA LIYAMA
1730 HEADLINES
SPORTS NEWS WITH STEPHEN HEWSON
A Northland man who was shot by a farmer who caught him stealing a quad bike broke down in tears in court this afternoon as he recounted the shooting. Sam Hati was giving evidence in the trial of farmer Paul McIntryre who's charged with injuring him and with misuse of a firearm.
Our reporter Lois Williams was in court and she joins us now. LIVE
The Commerce Commission has provisionally recommended regulating part of the mobile phone industry by setting the price for calls to mobiles.
The move comes after an investigation into whether the costs of calling mobile numbers from fixed land lines are too high.
In a draft report the Commission says market competition could be improved if the charge for calling a mobile phone, known as the mobile termination rate, is regulated.
This could make the cost of calling a mobile more competitive for consumers in the future. But mobile phone network operators are disappointed.
Telecom's general manager of government and industry relations, Bruce Parkes, says mobile call charges have been reducing. CUT
But the Telecommunications Users Association chief executive Ernie Newman is convinced consumers will end up paying less for calls to mobile phones with regulation. And he joins us now: LIVE
The jury is deliberating in the trial of two Kuwaiti men charged with running in the biggest passport forgery operation ever seen in this country. The Crown alleges Fahad Ajeil (a-jeel) and Riyad (ree-yad) Sultan were forging foreign passports and other documents in an Auckland flat.
Our reporter Anna Louise Taylor has been at court today. PREREC
A [illegible] found in a creek near Arthurs Pass has today been confirmed as that of the Christchurch woman Carla Scott. The 26 year old has been missing for nearly two weeks and police searches in the area had yielded nothing.
Erina O'Donohue has the latest. PKG
A post mortem was being carried out this afternoon but police say they are satisfied there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding Carla Scott's death.
A Hamilton community group which runs before and after-school programmes for dozens of children now wants to set up an infirmary for the kids who are sent to school when they're sick.
Sue [illegible] from Pukete Neighbourhood House says she's hoping for Lotteries or Health Ministry funding to be able to have a nurse on call to staff a two-room six bed sick bay. She says although the community group may have to move out of their current accommodation she's still keen to provide care for the children whose parents tell her her they're under pressure NOT to take time off work.
Ms Ravlich says on most days at least a couple of kids will turn up at [illegible]-school programmes when they should really be at home. PREREC
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