*** Checkpoint FOR WEDS 14 OCT 2009
****************************
1700 to 1707 NEWS
****************************
It's going to cost you more to register and run your car as the Government moves to raise more money for Accident Compensation and cut entitlements. Workers are heading for a cut in pay - the Government wants them to pay an extra 16 cents per one hundred dollars of earnings for work injuries, taking the rate to 1 dollar 47. Registering a car looks set to rise by 69 dollars to around 237 dollars - and the petrol levy could go up by around 3cents a litre.
And non-work injury rates paid by employers and the self employed would rise 67 cents for every one hundred dollars earned to 2 dollars 17. The new rates are much lower than those recommended by ACC but the Minister Nick Smith insists some change is needed to reduce the scheme's ballooning costs. Labour's ACC spokesperson, David Parker there's a lot of scaremongering.
CLIP The increases along with a reduction in entitlements particularly for criminals are open for consultation and Government has confirmed its pushing back the date for full funding of the scheme from 2014 to 2019 With us now is the ACC Minister Nick Smith LIVE
In a major u-turn today the Prime Minister has intervened in the Rugby World Cup free-to-air rights row. Mr Key wants Māori TV to become the lead bidder to stop a bidding war waged with taxpayers money. The twist follows yesterday's revelation that the Government was putting up money to help Television New Zealand secure the rights over Māori TV's bid. Our political reporter Liz Banas has more .
PKG
Māori Television , TV 3 and TVNZ are meeting in Auckland at the moment. We hope to speak to them after the meeting Joining us now is our political editor Brent Edwards. LIVE
In Auckland buses will be back on the roads tomorrow after seven days of disrupted service that's crippled public transport, causing headaches for 80,000 commuters. These Aucklanders say it's a massive relief CLIP Earlier today about 500 bus drivers passed a resolution to suspend their work-to-rule notice if NZ Bus ended their lock-out. That has been confimed by NZ Bus in the past hour.
Meanwhile it is also understood the company made a revised offer to those involved in the dispute, but that was rejected by 95 per cent of voters. Karl Andersen is the spokesperson for the four unions representing bus drivers and he joins us now. LIVE
Listening to that Zane Fulljames, the operations general manager of NZ Bus LIVE
***********************
1720 TRAILS AND BUSINESS WITH Naomi Mitchell
************************
A Wellington schoolgirl who ran along a beach in Samoa warning people that a tsunami was about to hit has been recognised for her bravery. 10-year-old Abby Wutzler was awarded a Certificate of Commendation in front of her primary school class this morning.
Ben Robinson went to Karori West Normal School and spoke to the young hero. PKG
***********************
17.30 HEADLINES
***********************
A group of Sri Lankan asylum seekers heading for Australia are threatening to blow up their vessel after it was intercepted by the Indonesian authorities following a tip-off from Canberra. The 260 strong contingent left Sri Lanka two and a half months ago.
The boat is now in a port in West Java. Our correspondent Adam Gartrell joins us now from Indonesia. LIVE
President Obama's ambitious healthcare reform plans to guarantee the millions of Americans without health insurance, cheaper care has moved a crucial step closer. A key Senate committee has backed his ideas - albeit watered down. Significantly, for the first time, a Republican member of the senate voted in favour. Senator Olympia Snow, a moderate from Maine CLIP Mr Obama took pains to stress the bi-partisan approach of the committee. CLIP Brent Budowsky collumist from "The Hill" Congressional newspaper says it's a significant victory. LIVE
In a sign the housing market is on the road to recovery, figures from the Real Estate Institute show house prices rose 1 point 9 per cent between August and September. Overall, prices are up 5 point 3 percent on levels a year ago, and are just 4 point 4 percent below their November 2007 peak. Properties are also selling more quickly with the figures once again comparable to 2007. Questions are now being raised about whether or not the Reserve Bank will hike interest rates sooner than expected, if the demand for houses continues to outstrip supply. Gareth Kiernan from Infometrics joins us now. LIVE
***************
17.45 TRAILS
****************
WAATEA
****************
The government appears to be taking a more conciliatory approach over its controversial national standards policy. After a meeting with school sector groups yesterday, the Minister of Education, Anne Tolley, told the Dominion Post it had been a momentous occasion.
However, the primary teachers union, the NZEI, is emphatic that contrary to the newspaper report, no deal has been struck with the government over national standards and league tables. Our education correspondent, Gael Woods, joins us now. LIVE
The Government expects to have to borrow 250 million dollars a week for at least the next four years to cover its cash which has crashed ten and half billion dollars into the red. The Finance Minister, Bill English. PREREC