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Checkpoint FOR THURSDAY 19 AUGUST 2010
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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The ACT party leader Rodney Hide has today defended the way he's dealt with his dumped deputy Heather Roy, saying he's no bully. The party's founder Sir Roger Douglas says the turmoil is very damaging particularly to Mr Hide. And a former ACT MP says the party won't survive the very public airing of its dirty laundry. The Prime Minister, John Key now says National will almost certainly run a candidate to contest Mr HIde's Epsom seat next election. The ACT leader has not returned our calls - and Mrs Roy is still refusing interviews. We'll talk to Sir Roger shortly - with us now to discuss today's developments is our political reporter Liz Banas. Q+A
There's still no sign of a missing four-year-old Gisborne boy after a second full day of searching. Lucas Ward disappeared from his grandmother's Graham Road home in the northern suburb of Kaiti, about three o'clock on Tuesday afternoon. Our reporter Heugh Chappell has just been at a news conference at the Gisborne police station. Q+A
Numerous agencies are gearing up for the arrival in Christchurch tomorrow morning, of the survivors of the sinking of the Oyang 70. The Korean-owned but New Zealand-chartered fishing trawler went down off the coast of Dunedin early yesterday, taking with it six of the 51 foreign fishermen. The remaining 45 are en route to Lyttelton on the New Zealand-owned Amaltal Atlantis, which rescued them from life-rafts shortly after the sinking. Our Christchurch reporter Jessica Maddock is following the story and is on the line now. Q+A
The Reserve Bank has warned it will ramp up interest rates if businesses and unions use the coming GST increase as a veil to increase prices and wages. The bank's governor Dr Alan Bollard says if they do he'll be forced to hike the cost of borrowing. Dr Bollard wouldn't be interviewed on Checkpoint.
Joining us now is BERL Chief economist - Ganesh Nana: LIVER
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1720 TRAILS AND BUSINESS WITH Naomi Mitchell
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MPs have begun debating changes to the labour laws. It comes as unions prepare for rallies to be held around the country this weekend. Our political reporter Danya Levy has more. PKG
Returning to our top story. ACT leader Rodney Hide has defended the way he's dealt with his dumped deputy Heather Roy, saying he's no bully. But the party's founder and current MP Sir Roger Douglas says the episode has damaged the party - particularly its leader. He's with us now. LIVER
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17.30 HEADLINES
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Australian federal police have swooped in a series of anti-terror raids across Melbourne. Details are still coming in, but a police spokesman confirmed they were in connection with financing a terrorism organisation. The ABC's Alison Savage joins us now from Melbourne. LIVER
Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard has given her final major speech of the election campaign. Speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra, she described the election as a cliffhanger and used the opportunity to attack the opposition leader Tony Abbott. While highlighting the differences between the two parties, she disparaged Mr Abbott's understanding of broadband policy. CUT Well both of the leaders are now into their last 48 hours of campaigning as they try to make ground in a series of marginal seats which will decide the election outcome. Our political editor Brent Edwards joins us from Melbourne. Q+A
First it was Paul the Octopus, now it's Harry the Croc. The saltwater crocodile has predicted the outcome of the Australian election. Harry previously correctly predicted that Spain would win this year's football World Cup. One of his handlers, Fiona McClean, is on the line from Darwin. LIVER
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17.45 TRAILS
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WAATEA
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Tapes have surfaced that show the questioning of Ramzi Bin al-Shibh (shayb) a chief suspect in the September the 11th attacks. United States officials say he knew crucial operational details of the 9/11 plot and now there's new information on the audio and video tapes of his interrogation. And as CNN's Brian Todd reports there are also questions about how these might help or hurt the government's case against him. PKG
Secondary principals say new regulations making schools responsible for prosecuting the parents of persistant truants are unreasonable. They say the process is too bureaucratic and the amounts parents may be fined are ridicously low. The president of the Secondary Principals Association, Patrick Walsh, joins us now. LIVER
The Football World Cup, global warming and the credit crunch have all influenced a dictionary which contains the latest words in the English language. Among the latest words listed are vuvuzela and staycation. The BBC's David Henderson reports: PKG