Checkpoint is a drive-time news and current affairs programme on Radio New Zealand National. It broadcasts nationwide every weekday evening for two hours and covers the day’s major national and international stories, as well as business, sport and Māori news. This recording covers the first hour. The following rundown is supplied from the broadcaster’s news system:
Checkpoint FOR TUESDAY 5 NOVEMBER 2013
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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That was the Melbourne Cup, commentary courtesy of Trackside and the TAB. On the line now from across the Tasman is racing commentator Jack Petley.
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With the latest on the betting, the TAB's Racing Manager Michael Dore joins us now.
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The police are rejecting any suggestions that the involvement of an officer's son has slowed their investigation into a group of young Auckland men who've been boasting online about sex with drunk girls. The investigation into the group of 17 and 18 year olds started in 2011 after a girl came forward about what was going on but none of at least five victims have made a formal complaint. The police confirmed today that an officer's son was one of the group. The Police Minister, Anne Tolley says the force has been upfront with her.
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Mrs Tolley says she does not know where the officer in question works, and has not asked that question.
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The Waitemata district commander, is Superintendent Bill Searle.
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The Government isn't ruling out subsidising Chorus, which says the ultrafast broadband rollout is now jeopardised by the price cuts it's been ordered to comply with. The Prime Minister says the Government remains firmly committed to the roll-out and now has to consider a range of options. But the Labour Party says, either way, the taxpayer is the loser. Here's our parliamentary chief reporter, Jane Patterson.
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Legislation which would force telecommunication companies to make sure the Government's spy agency can intercept their customers emails and phone calls has just passed its third and final reading in Parliament. The Telecommunications Interception Capability and Security or TICS Bill passed by 61 to 59 with the support of National, ACT and United Future. Our political reporter, Chris Bramwell, joins us now.
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DOC is investigating after a heavy steel bucket full of 1080 poison fell off a helicopter in the Marlborough Sounds, with possum-killing pellets landing around some trampers. The trampers say it was dangerous and they're refusing to accept the Department of Conservation's apology. Alison Hossain reports
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The police in Kaitaia have arrested 20 people in a blitz on burglary, theft and drink-driving. Those caught range in age from 15 to 33, and their arrests have cleared more than 40 crimes. Senior Constable Steve Robinson says the police used bail-checks, traffic checkpoints, random vehicle stopping and foot patrols to catch the offenders. Ian Walker owns three stores in Kaitaia and has had his stores burgled and vandalised multiple times.
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1720 TRAILS AND BUSINESS with Sharon BrettKelly
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17. 30 HEADLINES
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An audit of the Earthquake Commission's quake repairs in Christchurch has found many dissatisfied home owners and others being left in the dark. The EQC up until June had repaired more than 40 thousand homes at a cost of one point five billion dollars. The Auditor General has found repairs on the homes of vulnerable people took too long and some homeowners got little information about their claim, while a fifth of people surveyed were dissatisfied with the repairs completed last year. The assistant Auditor General Mike Scott is with us now.
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Egypt's ousted Islamist president, Mohammed Mursi has told a court in Cairo that he is still the country's president, and the leaders of the military coup which toppled him should be tried for treason. Mr Mursi is on trial along with fourteen other Muslim Brotherhood members, charged with inciting violence and murdering protesters opposed to his rule last December. The BBC's Orla Guerin reports from the court in Cairo.
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Auckland's largest real estate firm says it could be at least six months before the new mortgage lending restrictions are felt on Auckland's overheated housing market. Barfoot and Thompson's latest monthly figures show, sales jumped and average prices hit another all time high in October . Our economics correspondent, Patrick O'Meara, reports.
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17. 45 MANU KORIHI with Leigh McLachlan
Thanks Mary, Tena Tatou
The Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal has reserved its decision on whether to proceed with a case against the top Maori lawyer, Donna Hall.
Ms Hall's lawyer today asked the tribunal to throw out the case, which has been taken by the Standards Committee of the Wellington District Law Society.
Leigh McLachlan reports.
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The Maori Party says the Human Rights Commission's delay in releasing its report on the 2007 Te Urewera police raids is ridiculous.
The party's co-leader, Te Ururoa Flavell, says a draft report was produced about three years ago, which was discussed with the whanau affected by Operation 8 .
He's questioning whether the human rights of Tuhoe people are important to the Commission
However, in response, the Human Rights Commission says it's the final stages of consulting on the report and is in the process of collecting feedback from Tuhoe.
Its Chief Commissioner, David Rutherford, says his office wants the document to reflect the status of ongoing discussions between Tuhoe leadership and the police.
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An organiser says about two-thousand people have attended the first day of national kapa haka primary school competition being held in Tauranga.
The bi-annual event, which got underway this morning, is being held at the ASB Arena at Mount Maunganui.
Thirty-seven schools are taking part and showcasing their talents in various arts of kapa haka such as haka, action song and poi.
An organiser of the competition, Jack Te Moana, a teacher at Tauranga Intermediate, says the atmosphere has been mostly positive.
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Jack Te Moana says organisers are expecting a total of about 15-thousand people to attend the three day event.
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The Government says a new programme to grow the primary industries in Northland will create jobs and prosperity in the region.
The Primary Industries Minister, Nathan Guy, says the Ministry will work in partnership with regions to help them develop sectors, such as agriculture, horticulture, and forestry.
Mr Guy says the Ministry chose to start the programme in Northland because it's sitting on a large asset base, such as 116-thousand hectres of Maori land.
He says if the government can assist to lift the performance and viability of that land it will create exports and jobs.
That's Te Manu Korihi news
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More now on the Donna Hall case . The Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal will decide tomorrow morning whether a hearing for the lawyer should go ahead. The case against Donna Hall has been taken by the Standards Committee of the Wellington District Law Society and is over an accusation that she acted for mor than one party in a land transaction. However Ms Hall's lawyer today asked the Tribunal to end the proceedings. Our Court reporter, Ann Marie May was at the hearing.
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Labour's plans for a state owned insurance company has been labelled crazy and stupid by the Finance Minister Bill English in Parliament today. The KiwiAssure proposal was announced at the Labour Party's annual conference at the weekend. It would a sister company to KiwiBank, and would aim to get five percent of the insurance market. Here's our political reporter, Clare Pasley.
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A British court has heard that the former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks conspired with her husband and a former head of the company's security to hide material from police investigating phone hacking. Mary Gearin reports :
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Presenter: Mary Wilson
Editor: Maree Corbett
Deputy editor: Phil Pennington
Producers: Susie Ferguson, Mei Yeoh