0611 MāORI NEWS
0616 NEWS STORY: JASON MACKRELL CASE - Healthlink South defends member of senior medical staff after report into Mackrell case criticises his assessment of Mackrell, manic depressive, who later raped and killed elderly woman in CH. Report most of Mackrell's care was exemplary. Comment from mother Wendy Mackrell, CHE's managing clinical director Alfred Delario, and Dr Nick Judson, Health ministry. (Jo Palmer)
0620 RURAL NEWS PIG DISEASE, Aujesky's Disease - MAF chief vet Barry O'Neill tells WHO campaign to eradicate it in North Island has worked, is confident disease-free declaration will stand up to international scrutiny but NZ's trading partners have yet to decide if they'll accept the declaration. (Kevin Ikin) ALPACA AND LLAMA Assn suggests South Island high country provides ideal conditions to turn tiny NZ industry into major exporter. Dr Brad Smith, Oregon vet specialising in the South American natives, says high country is perfect illegible large scale farming of alpaca. (Kevin Ikin) MUSHROOMS - Invermay researchers find way of infection pinus radiata seedlings with valuable edible mushroom varieties, aim to provide forestry owners with high-earning secondary cash crop. (Kevin Ikin)
0625 SPORTS STORY AUSTRALIAN SPORT - i/v with correspondent Tim Gavel. (record breaking swim by Australian woman in Central America)
0630 NEWS/WEATHER
0636 NEWS STORY: INTEREST RATES - economists tipping fall of around 3 quarters of 1% in floating rates as early as today, as margins between what banks papy for money and what they lend it at widens. Alliance leader Jim Anderton says banks colluding t keep floating rates well above 90 day bill rate, meaning home-owners ar paying highest rates in developed world. Mr Anderton i/ved live.
0639 INTERNATIONAL PAPERS
0642 MANA NEWS
0651 BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL NEWS: BRIERLEY INVESTMENTS - latest resignation is from independent director Bryan illegible, understood to be result of review. New independent director appointed - Australian Peter Dodd, former Fay Richwhite and SBC Warburg investment banker and current dean of Australian graduate school of Management at Univ of NSW. (Rodney Joyce) FINANCE/MARKETS APPLIANCE STORES Noel Leemings and Bond and Bond improve profits. Parent of combined group, Pacific Retail, reports $5.5. million after tax annual profitm more than double last year's. New chief exec Nick Lowe puts improvement down to savings from combining previously rival retail chains into one group. (Rodney Joyce) AUSTRALIA - CURRENT ACCOUNT DEFICIT hits 3 year high after $2 billion blowout in first quarter. (Zandra Sharpe) BUSINESS BRIEFS
0700 INTRO/NEWS JASON MACKRELL CASE - report into Mackrell's treatment says Healthlink South's forensic service responded too slowly to several calls for help and that one of 4 clinical assessments was inadequate. But report says even if all problems had been rectified, offences may still have been committed. I/v with Wendy Mackrell. (Mng Rpt); live i/v with Healthlink South's clinical director Dr Alfred Dellario. INTEREST RATES - banks under pressure to drop floating rates in face of allegations that banks are making big profits at expense of customers. Live discussion with BNZ chief economist Tony Alexander AND ERGO's finance director Philip MacIntyre. BOMB - ESR scientists examine potentially lethal home-made bomb which was found outside Amway's HQ in South AK yesterday. Live i/v with Amway's marketing manager Carol Burford. SUPER 12 PARADE - inner city CH will come to standstill this afternoon as Crusaders rugby team parades through streets in victory. Up to 70,000 people expected to line streets of city. (Melita Tull)
0730 NEWS/WEATHER/SPORTS NZ PAPERS FINANCE UPDATE NUCLEAR TESTS - Conference on Disarmament sends strong message to India and Pakistan. Over 40 member states supported NZ/Australian text condemning all nuclear testing and urging India and Pakistan immediately join global arms control pacts. Live i/v with NZ Disarmament ambassador Clive Pearson. AOTEAROA RADIO, first national Māori radio station, to close at end of month after 10 years of broadcasting. Station is in financial difficulty. Live i/v illegible Māori Issues correspondent Chris Wikaira. ANZAC FRIGATES - Australian govt minister Bronwen Bishop says new frigates are "floating targets" and "incapable of defending themselves". NZ Defence minister Max Bradford declines comment at this stage. Live i/v with AK Univ defence analyst Dr Steve Hoadley. DROUGHT - HAWKES BAY - effects continue to be felt, not only farmers facing grim Winter. (Heugh Chappell)
0800 NEWS/WEATHER JASON MACKRELL CASE - live i/v with Health ministry's deputy director of mental health, Nick Judson, and Jim Crowe, Schizophrenia Fellowship and member of Mason taskforce on mental health services. INTEREST RATES - are banks charging too much to borrow money?. Live discussion with Paul Dalziel, Lincoln Univ economist, Gareth Morgan of Infometrics, and Doug Summers-edgar, director of Money Managers. INTERNATIONAL PAPERS NUCLEAR TESTS - special session of UN Conference on Disarmament comes 2 days ahead of Security Council meeting. US State Dept says Council will try to work out concerted strategy to stop nuclear arms race between India and Pakistan. Live i/v with UN correspondent Judy Lessing; live i/v with NZ's acting Foreign illegible minister Simon Upton.
0830 NEWS/SPORTS RUGBY INJURIES - ACC says Michael Jones' decision to use painkilling injection so he could play in Super 12 rugby final sets bad example. I/c with ACC spokesperson Alan Seay. (Mng Rpt) TOLL CALLS - price looks set to fall further as new competitor enters market. Deka retail chain offers Cheap Chats service, in partnership with UN toll company World-X-Change. (Karen Gregory-Hunt); TUANZ expects to see more innovative products and services develop because market so competitive. Live i/v with executive director Grant Forsyth. SEWAGE DISPOSAL - legal action threatened over smell from WN's new treatment plant at Moa Point. Under resource consent conditions, smell was meant to have gone by the time the plant was running, 3 weeks ago. (Caitlin Cherry) BOMB - hundreds of people were evacuated as area around Amway's HQ in South AK was cordoned off when potentially lethal home-made bomb found outside. Live i/v with Snr Sgt Ian Brighty. RUSSIA - FINANCIAL CRISIS - President Yeltsin holds urgent talks with country's most powerful business leaders and bankers about financial crisis. Mr Yeltsin says Kremlin will now outline recovery plan soon and indicated there will be sign from big businesses before end of week re plans to ease crisis. I/v with correspondent Alistair Wanklin.