Checkpoint. 2003-05-28

The National Party says it's time to consider whether beneficiaries should be given food stamps instead of cash to buy groceries. The idea is included in the party's welfare discussion paper released today - it also suggests limiting the length of time people can stay on a benefit. National's welfare spokeswoman, Katherine Rich says the public has to accept there is growing welfare dependency with costs for just the Invalid's Benefit predicted to increase from 839 million dollars to one-point-two billion dollars by 2007. Ms Rich says a National Government will put a stop to this - and she joins me now. LIVE
We're joined now by our political reporter, Mark Torley. LIVE
A three month old strike at the Kinleith Pulp and Paper Mill has been settled with workers ratifying a new collective employment contract. 270 production and stores workers walked off the job at the beginning of March in a dispute which Carter Holt Harvey says has been costing it 500-thousand dollars a day in lost production. The employees return to work next Tuesday. The stoppage at the mill is the longest since 1980. The Chief Executive of the Kinleith Mill, Brice Landman says he's very relieved to have reached an agreement that gets the workers back on the job. CUT I'm joined now by the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union's general secretary, Andrew Little. LIVE
BUSINESS with TODD NIALL
A colleague of a New Zealand citizen arrested in Beijing says he planned to fly a hot air balloon over Tianenmen Square with an anti Government message. But before the flight could take place he was arrested along with an American citizen and a Chinese person. Eric Frykberg reports. PKGE
Six Indonesian crew members have been taken off a Korean vessel at Port Nelson this afternoon, after complaints of mistreatment and low wages. The removal of the men from the Wisteria - a ship which trades betwen the United States and New Zealand - was arranged by the International Transport Workers Federation. The Federation says it uncovered the mistreatment during a routine inspection where the ship docked at Napier and New Plymouth. Our Nelson reporter, Geoff Moffett has been to the port and is with me now. LIVE WITH DROPINS
The amount that gamblers are losing has more than doubled since the gambling industry was deregulated seven years ago.
Particularly at risk are Asians and part of the problem is that there's easy access to casinos and gambling bars. New Zealand has one of the highest per capita number of gambling machines in the world with one machine for every 146 people. So how is the issue reported overseas? Angie Knox went to the Hamilton casino to investigate why there's such a big attraction to gambling and filed this report for the BBC's World Service. PKGE
5.30 NEWS HEADLINES
SPORT WITH STEPHEN HEWSON
The Tongan authorities are refusing to allow the admission of two thousand copies of a newspaper flown from New Zealand - despite a Supreme Court ruling that a Government ban on the paper is unconstitutional. Hundreds of people have been waiting at distribution points in the capital, Nuku'alofa for copies of Taimi `o Tonga, the Times of Tonga. The Government banned the Auckland-published paper in February on the grounds that it was campaigning to overthrow it. The paper's owner, Kalafi Moala, joins me now. LIVE
New Zealand experts say new research into the health risks of hormone replacement therapy adds weight to the arguments against its long term use. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that HRT which combines estrogen with progestin may increase the risk of dementia. The actual increase is only small and respresents an additional 23 cases per 10-thousand women, but the researchers say the risk for women aged over 65 is doubled. Doctor Sally Shoemaker was one of the study's researchers and she says they found a strong link between HRT and an increased risk of alzheimers disease. CUT Doctor Helen Roberts is the convenor of the New Zealand group setting guidelines on the use of HRT and she says many women have already gone off the treatment. PREREC
A meeting has been underway between officials from the Māori broadcasting funding agency Te Mangai Paho and the Minister of Māori Affairs. It's been called to review the findings of a Treasury report into the agency's performance. Our Māori issues correspondent Gideon Porter joins me now. LIVE
In Northland, Ngati Wai people have held a preliminary meeting with the regional council over an illegal mussel farming venture in Whangaruru harbour. The council says the ropes, anchors and buoys which have been placed in two areas in the harbour have no resource consents, and flout the government moratorium on new marine farms. It has ordered their removal - but tangata whenua say they're not a hazard, and they're simply trying to use their ancestral waters to create work. Our regional reporter Lois Williams has been talking to both sides and she joins us now. LIVE
The Canterbury District Health Board is to consider recommending the use of fluoride in the Christchurch water supply after hearing evidence of high levels of tooth decay. An Oral Health plan put to the board has indicated fluoride has benefits for children and that the rate of dental decay is higher in Canterbury than in many other areas where there is fluoride in the water. Meanwhile the Christchurch City Council, which would have the final say on putting fluoride in the water, says it would cost an estimated 3 million dollars initially and a further 250 thousand dollars each year. Joining me now is the head of the School Community Dental Service Martin Lee and Christchurch City councillor Ron Wright, who's opposed to water fluoridation. LIVE
MANA NEWS
CLOSE & THEME