Checkpoint FOR THURSDAY 7 JULY 2011
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii is dropping the word "warning" from the alerts it sends out to countries including New Zealand because it's too alarmist and confusing. There was some confusion today over this mornings alert for north and eastern parts of the country. A seven-point-six-magnitude earthquake off the Kermadec Islands at about seven o'clock triggered a tsunami warning from the Centre in Hawaii. But Civil Defence's warning here went out later, and lasted till almost an hour longer. The Civil Defence Minister, Craig Foss, says the agency isn't responsible for confusing messages from other sources. TP For now, Civil Defence is still telling people not to go into the sea in Northland and Hawke's Bay though it says the danger should have passed by tomorrow morning. We'll hear from the American-run tsunami warning centre in a moment. But first Lorna Perry reports on what happened around the northern and eastern coastlines earlier today. PKG
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii is dropping the word "warning" from the alerts it sends out to countries including New Zealand because it's too alarmist and confusing. The Centre's assistant director Dr Stuart Weinstein says the wording of the bulletins is designed for scientists and civil defence officials who then decide what if any threat there is. But he says the system's become too confused. PRE REC
Contractors in Christchurch are due to file legal action against the Earthquake Commission tomorrow, because of thousands of dollars worth of unpaid invoices. The Commission says it has concerns - including double billing, inflated hourly rates and invoices submitted for work which hasn't been done. It says it hasn't referred the matter to the police but it's a course of action which could be taken. No-one from the Earthquake Commission was available to speak to Checkpoint, but Calvin Fisher from the Amalgamated Workers Union, which is preparing to take legal action, is on the line. LIVER B/A: The Earthquake Commission says it will release a statement shortly which, it says, will put a different complexion on the row. We'll bring you those details as soon as we can.
The families of dead soldiers have been added to the list of people whose phones may have been hacked by a private detective working for the British tabloid newspaper, News of the World. That list now includes celebrities, murdered schoolgirls, victims of the 2005 London transport bombings and now the families of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. A growing number of companies have removed their advertisements from this weekend's edition and there are also increasing calls to prevent Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation from expanding its interests in the British media. Here's Linda Duffin from the BBC's Business Unit. PKG
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1720 TRAILS AND BUSINESS WITH Naomi Mitchell
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The Auckland District Health Board may have averted a legal showdown after a frustrated father threatened to take it to court for failing to stop people lighting up outside its hospitals. Under the Smokefree Environments Act, smoking is banned inside public buildings including hospitals but that doesn't extend to hospital grounds. The board has voluntarily banned smoking in its grounds but as that has no legal teeth it is proving difficult to enforce. Our reporter Amelia Langford has more. PKG
The seven-point-six-quake which triggered today's tsunami alert was centred near the Kermadec Islands which includes Raoul Island. Jess Clark from the Conservation Department is there with a team of DOC workers. PRE REC
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17.30 HEADLINES
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NIWA is predicting New Zealand could be facing looming disaster if it does not start looking after its ocean waters. The Crown Research Institute says a national policy is urgently needed, to balance competing pressures on the sea's resources. Here's our science reporter, Will Hine. PKG
Christchurch has taken another employment hit, with 27 bakers losing their jobs. The Quality Bakers quake-damaged plant in Linwood has been closed since the February aftershock, and it may be two years before it reopens. The company's Ian Greenshields, says the bakery is going to have to be demolished. PRE REC
The Labour Party is seeking to make political capital out of the sacking of Alasdair Thompson by turning its fire on the Government over pay equity. Mr Thompson was dismissed as the chief executive officer of the northern Employers and Manufacturers Association because of his sexist stand on working women. Here's our political reporter, Chris Bramwell. PKG
It's being reported in America that airlines there are being warned about a new threat - suicide bombers with explosives surgically implanted inside them. The New York Times says that's the word from within security circles alarmed by recent intelligence from Yemen. Eric Schmitt is covering the story for the New York Times. PRE REC
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17.45 MANU KORIHI
Tēnā koutou katoa, good evening,
The Ngāpuhi rūnanga chairman, Sonny Tau, says claimant groups in a stand-off over the tribe's Treaty settlement, need to get real.
Mr Tau's the interim chair of, Tūhoronuku, the body set up by the rūnanga to seek the mandate for direct negotiations with the Crown.
But nine hapū known as "Kōtahitanga", are objecting, saying hapū and whānau should lead that process, not a rūnanga sub-committee.
They also want negotiations postponed till the tribe's land claims are heard.
Sonny Tau says that could take years, and cost the iwi millions of dollars in lost interest.
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Sonny Tau.
The two Ngāpuhi groups will put their cases to the people, in a public forum at Whitiora marae, later this month.
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The Waitangi Tribunal report on Māori culture and identity, says iwi and hapū could take a commercial stake in any deal to create pharmaceuticals using indigenous flora and fauna.
The presiding officer of the inquiry, Justice Joe Williams, says it's the people's knowledge of and their relationship with the species that would have been the trigger for a commercial operation.
And he says in balancing all interests, it would be appropriate for Māori to have a financial interest.
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Justice Joe Williams, who led the inquiry into the Wai 262 claim.
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Two Māori broadcasters - both former MPs - are acting as a bridge over troubled waters between the Māori and Mana parties.
John Tamihere and Willie Jackson are mediating with Māori Party officials in a bid to secure a peace pact between the parties.
The move follows last month's by-election which returned Hone Harawira as the MP for Te Tai Tokerau in his new role as Mana party leader.
Sources within Mana acknowledge there's a strong desire in the Māori community for the Mana and Maori parties to work together in parliament for the common good.
They say Tamihere and Jackson are seen as honest brokers, who will relay any proposed deal to Hone Harawira.
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The Māori Party whip, Te Ururoa Flavell, says there's no harm in talking to the Mana Party about working together ahead of the election, but he says there are no guarantees.
The Māori Party MP Te Ururoa Flavell says his party is willing to talk.
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Te Ururoa Flavell.
That's Te Manu Kōrihi news, I'll have further bulletin in an hour.
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A new energy-efficiency rating system for houses has been introduced, but to get a 10 star rank, you literally need a windfarm in your backyard. The government-endorsed homestar programme ranks properties from zero to ten - with zero resembling a tent, and ten being world-class - after an admission that more than half of the country's homes are too cold and inefficient. Our reporter Olivia Wix spoke to valuer Verney Ryan about the ranking system. PKG
Are New Zealanders falling out of love with the credit card? Young adults are wary of them with a survey, from AMP-Colmar Brunton, showing more than a third of people under 30 didn't have or use a credit card. AMP's Blair Vernon says it's part of a trend for people to save rather than splurge, especially following the credit crunch. PRE REC
The major banks have agreed to a Government-led deal to help out leaky home owners facing hundreds of millions of dollars of repair bills. Parliament has this evening (5-6pm) been debating the committee stages of a Bill that brings in the deal. It would see home owners pay half of repairs, the Government 25 percent and councils 25 percent. The Minister for Building and Construction Maurice Williamson joins us now. LIVER