HEADLINES & NEWS
FIJI SWEEPS CLOSER TO CHAOS
Fiji's been plunged back into political turmoil after the swearing in of the new government was called off when the coup rebels warned members of the new administration that they weren't happy with the line-up. President Josefa Iloilo was to have sworn in 20 new ministers and 12 assistant ministers including acting Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase. The ceremony was supposed to end the country's political crisis which erupted in May when George Speight and his rebels took over parliament and held the prime minister and dozens of MPs hostage. The new, interim Prime Minister told the assembled crowd the ceremony [illegible] off because the President was ill - he refused to talk to reporters, [illegible] the scene looking angry and dejected.
His private secretary George Kotubalavu was left to explain. AUDIO
Meanwhile the rebels have told Checkpoint they contacted most of the incumbent ministers today before the ceremony telling them how unhappy George Speight was with the new government line up. Spokesman Joe Nata says they also talked to the President who was apparently annoyed that the cabinet list had not been discussed with Speight as promised. I asked him what the rebels had said to the cabinet members. PREREC
The Government's stepping up its sanctions against Fiji. The sanctions are aimed at those specifically connected to the coup or those who have supported it, and the Fiji military is also being targetted as a signal it hasn't done enough. Our Parliamentary Chief Reporter Kathryn Street put together this report on the Government announcement. PKG
CERVICAL SMEAR EXPERT SAYS RESULTS ASTONISHING
The Australian pathologist responsible for rereading Gisborne's cervical smears says she was astonished by what she found, saying the city's cervical cancer [illegible] were worse than third world countries. Dr Annabelle Farnsworth has told [illegible] cervical cancer inquiry that they read more than 20 thousand slides and found 573 cancers or high grade lesions. She says they were well advanced and would only expect to see that sort of tumour in a population without a cervical screening programme. Our health correspondent Rae Lamb is at the inquiry and joins me now. LIVE
NURSE HOSPITALISED BY PATIENT ATTACK
An investigation is underway into a series of patient assaults on nurses at Sunnyside Psychiatric Hospital in Christchurch - the most recent of which has left a nurse in Hospital for more than a week with head injuries. She's the fourth nurse to be attacked during the last few months. Now an Occupational Safety and Health taskforce is to look at the incidents and determine how to improve safety at Sunnyside. Last week Sunnyside Hospital management told Radio New Zealand that the latest attack was not serious and was a one off. Shortly I'll be talking to the Hospital but first I'm joined by a union representative for the nurses, Ivan Finlayson. LIVE
Joining me now is a consumer advisor at Sunnyside Hospital - Linda Simson LIVE
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FIJI IN CRISIS
Returning to our lead story - and Fiji's military has taken over the parliamentary complex where George Speight's rebels held the prime minister and dozens of MPs hostage for nearly two months. The rebels abandoned the complex today and soldiers moved in shortly after to secure the grounds - our reporter Shona Geary was there as the rebels left. She joins me now. LIVE
FINAL INVESTIGATION INTO WAIPARERA
The last of the investigations into the West Auckland based Waipareira Trust has cleared it of any criminal wrong doing, but the Prime Minister has blamed the previous Government for poor management and accountability. Earlier this year the ACT party leader, Richard Prebble, made a series of allegations of serious financial mismangement at the trust while it was under the control of [illegible] Tamihere, who is now the Labour MP for Hauraki. The Serious Fraud Office, [illegible] Police, the Auditor Generals office and the Department for Work and Income have all investigated different allegations and all have cleared the trust of any criminal wrong doing.
The investigation ordered by the Prime Ministers office found that poor administrative and management practices led to problems between Waipareira Trust and Government agencies. John Tamihere joins us now LIVE
FOCUS ON FUND FOR RETIREMENT
The Government's plans for a fund to meet the future costs of retirement pensions has come into sharper focus - but so have the political obstacles confronting it.
The Finance Minister Michael Cullen told a superannuation conference in Wellington the fund will eventually build up to the equivalent of 50-billion of today's dollars. But he says it will not be funded by a dedicated income tax as Labour had proposed. And it won't be introduced by next April, as originally scheduled. Our Economics Correspondent, Stephen Harris, has been following the debate and joins me now. LIVE Q&A
[illegible] ESTIMATES FOR WINZ RELEASED
[illegible] Social Services Minister, Steve Maharey and the chief executive of Work and Income, Christine Rankin, appeared side-by-side before a select commitee today, to brief MPs on the department's plans for change. Mr Maharey has released the government's purchase agreement with the department for the next year, which includes the changes to be made in the wake of the highly-critical Hunn review. Our political reporter Kathryn Ryan was at the committee. PKG
CORONER ACCUSES GOVT OF NEGLECT
A week before the expected release of the long-awaited Law Commission report on Coroners, the Wellington Coroner has publically lashed out at what he describes as years of neglect of the coronial service by successive government. Gary Evans made his strong comments before opening the inquests of three young babies who died in the Wellington region last year. Our Court Reporter Merle Nowland was there and joins me now. LIVE
CLOSE & THEME