Checkpoint. 2003-04-29

New Zealanders are being urged to be cautious about using dietary supplements and alternative medicines manufactured by a company which has had its licence suspended in Australia. The Australian authorities have announced an immediate recall of more than 200 products of Pan Pharmaceuticals. The move follows evidence of ingredients being substituted, manipulation of test results, and substandard manufacturing processes. Doctor John McEwan from theTherapeutic Goods Administration says the recall list could blow out to thousands because many Pan products are marketed under different brand names. CUT
Australia's Prime Minister, John Howard says people should follow the advice of the Therapeutic Goods Administration. CUT
The New Zealand Food Safety Authority is trying to find out which of the recalled products are available in this country. Carole Inkster is the authority's director of policy and regulatory standards and she joins me now. LIVE
The [illegible] Paula Kruger has been out on the streets of the Sydney inner city suburb of Newtown. PKGE
Teacher groups are applauding a pre-Budget announcement that will mean an extra 774 teachers for the country's primary and secondary schools. The government says extra funding of almost 167 million dollars will lead to smaller class sizes at primary school and at least one extra teacher in every secondary school. There will also be a one to 20 teacher/student ratio in Māori language immersion classes. To tell us whether it really is as good as it sounds, we're joined by our education correspondent, Gael Woods. LIVE WITH DROPINS
BUSINESS with JOHN DRAPER
Asian heads of government have gathered in Thailand to agree on a plan to control an outbreak of the SARS virus that has killed hundreds, curbed travel and threatened economic growth in the region. More than 330 people worldwide have been killed by SARS, the majority of them in China and Hong Kong, and over five and a half thousand infected. But Vietnam says it has contained the outbreak, and there are hopes that a reliable SARS test could be launched by the end of July. I asked the BBC's correspondent in Bangkok Jonathan Head how Asian countries are dealing with the virus. PREREC
Meanwhile in New Zealand a young Chinese student is asking schools not to over-react to the Sars threat. Lily Chen who is 20, is one of 45 international students studying at Wellington East Girls College. Unlike some schools Wellington East has NOT asked pupils returning from risky areas to stay away for a 10 day incubation period. Lily Chen is happy her school has taken that stance saying people shouldn't be penalised if they haven't got symptoms. She hasn't been home since Christmas and says she's now decided she won't be going back to her family in Shanghai until next year. She says it was a difficult decision. PREREC
Janice Campbell is the principal of Wellington East Girls College. She says the school has sent out a letter today to all the families looking after foreign students explaining its policy on Sars and outlining the symptoms of the disease. Ms Campbell says she'd advised Chinese pupils not to go home for the holidays or travel through at risk areas, but a few students went back anyway. PREREC
Power companies could be on the verge of offering financial carrots to consumers to save electricity, as concerns mount that power shortages will worsen over the coming months. The Energy Minister, Pete Hodgson says electricity retailers are likely to start offering power saving incentives within the next couple of weeks. Patric Lane compiled this report. PKGE
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SPORT with ELMA MAUA
The Prime Minister, Helen Clark will give a speech at the OECD in Paris in a couple hours before chairing its highest level annual meeting. The focus of the two day ministerial council meeting is economic growth and trade. It follows Miss Clark's first formal meeting with the French President, Jacque Chirac a few hours ago. Our political editor Kathryn Ryan is covering the Prime Minister's visit to Europe and she joins us know. LIVE WITH DROPINS
Indonesia and Australia are hosting a two day meeting on the resort island of Bali of 32 countries from Asia and the Middle East to boost cooperation on people smuggling and trafficking. Indonesia has not yet introduced laws against people smuggling, which were on Jakarta's agenda when the last regional meeting was held on the issue in February 2002. But a string of workshops have been held across Asia aimed at tightening up controls on illegal immigration. I asked the Foreign Minister, Phil Goff who's attending the meeting whether the conference is just a talkfest. PREREC
A massive geyser spurting ash, gas and steam into the air, erupted today in a Rotorua street forcing emergency services to cordon off the area. The hydro-thermal vent exploded about 10 this morning on the banks of the Puarenga Stream, at the end of Hamiora Place. KM Motors is one of the businesses in the street which is in an industrial area, near the centre of the city. Mechanic Mark Amos was busy in the workshop when the geyser exploded. CUT
The emergency management officer for the Rotorua District Council, Malcolm Breadmore, joins us now. LIVE
The Crown has opened its case against two men accused of conspiring to kidnap a Wellington businessman for ransom last year, firmly rejecting claims by one of the accused that the unearthed plan was just a big game. John Burrett a 53 year old lawyer and his nephew, 22 year old unemployed Matthew Payne have denied conspiring to kidnap and hold the intended victim for ransom, as well as charges of unlawful possession of a shot gun.
Merle Nowland has been in the High Court in Wellington and joins me now. LIVE WITH DROPINS
A Hawke's Bay company has been sentenced to pay 16 thousand dollars in reparation costs after two workers became ill from inhaling poisonous fumes. The two affected men were working across the road from the Ravensdown Fertiliser premises at Awatoto, south of Napier in July last year when they were enveloped in a poisonous cloud of silicon tetraflouride. The chemical is a byproduct of the fertiliser process and can cause severe respiratory problems. The OSH service manager for Hawke's Bay, Murray Thomson, told me what happened. PREREC
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