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Checkpoint is a drive-time news and current affairs programme on Radio New Zealand National. It broadcasts nationwide every weekday evening for two hours and covers the day’s major national and international stories, as well as business, sport and Māori news. This recording covers the first hour. The following rundown is supplied from the broadcaster’s news system:
Checkpoint FOR WEDNESDAY 25 SEPTEMBER 2013
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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Labour says another government department appears to have been gagged over the Ruataniwha dam project. It says documents show the Ministry of Primary Industries shared DOC's worries that the Tukituki River could be harmed. This comes as the Government in Parliament fended off accusations of political interference in the dam submissions by the Conservation Minister Nick Smith. The Greens have called for him to quit. We'll hear more from Labour shortly about the primary industries submission. But first, this report from the House from our political reporter, Demelza Leslie.
PKG
DOC's already launched an inquiry into its handling of the Rautaniwha submission, and an investigation into who leaked its internal report into the dam plan. Yesterday it confirmed a staff member who worked on its submission quit. Labour's David Cunliffe says it now appears the Ministry of Primary Industries, like DOC, did a u-turn. He's with us now
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A recently released Otago prisoner must have surgery now because he did not receive the medical treatment he needed in prison . Whenu Knight has come forward after Radio New Zealand revealed the police are investigating accusations another prisoner, Jai Davis, received sub-standard care at Otago prison before he died two years ago. The police have also reopened the file on another death four months earlier. Mr Knight's experience appears to add more weight to claims of serious problems with the Otago prison medical service. Here's our Otago reporter, Ian Telfer.
PKG
Nine houses threatened by a slow-moving slip in Picton have been evacuated. The Marlborough District Council says up to 500 cubic metres of soil and debris has been moving very slowly down a hillside above Wellington Street. Engineers say its no longer sliding but homeowners can't return until it stops raining. Tracey Davey's home is one of those evacuated - she's with us now.
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It's now "winner-takes-all" in the America's Cup after Oracle Team USA won two more races to draw level with Team New Zealand this morning. Supporters watching around the country could scarcely believe what they were seeing as New Zealand's lead, which was eight to one a week ago, ebbed away to nothing. Our reporter Kate Newton has been following the action.
PKG
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1720 TRAILS AND BUSINESS with Kate Gudsell
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Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta has announced that security forces have defeated the Islamist terrorists who stormed a shopping complex in the capital Nairobi on Saturday. During a televised address the Kenyan leader said sixty-seven people including six security officers had been killed in the gun and grenade attacks and subsequent fighting and he declared three days of national mourning. Reporting from Nairobi, Mike Wooldridge:
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17. 30 HEADLINES
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Iran's new president has taken a first step to end decades of hostility between his country and the West. Hassan Rowhani told the UN's general assembly he's prepared to engage in talks on his country's nuclear programme, which would be results based and in a specific timeframe. Mr Rowhani also condemned the sanctions against Iran as "violent". American president Obama says he's encouraged by the more moderate course. Our correspondent in the US is Simon Marks.
PKG
A 200-million dollar drilling platform has contributed to the worst trade deficit ever for an August month. Official figures out this morning show a shortfall of 1 point 2 billion dollars last month. Our economics correspondent, Patrick O'Meara, joins us now
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The death toll has risen above 200 from an earthquake in Pakistan that also appears to have caused a small island to emerge from the sea. The 7 point 7-magnitude quake toppled hundreds of mud houses in a remote area near the Iranian border. The provincial government says it's run out of space to treat injured people in the local hospitals. The BBC's correspondent in Pakistan Shahzeb Jillani has more.
PKG
Up to 135 thousand dollars worth of apples exported to China have been found with a fungus that causes the fruit to rot. The industry here has suspended any further shipments but it's the end of the export season anyway and Pipfruit New Zealand says there's nothing more to send. The apple trade to China is worth about 15 million dollars a year. The Ministry for Primary Industries says the problem affects only one percent of the orchards registered to export to China. Spokesman Stephen Butcher says quarantine officials in China discovered the problem and it was traced back to a couple of orchards in Hawkes Bay.
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Health researchers are calling for a major change in the way newborn babies with low blood sugar levels are cared for in hospitals. They want a simple dextrose gel costing two dollars a baby to be used to keep babies our of expensive neonatal intensive care. The New Zealand-led research was published today in the British medical journal The Lancet. Our Health Correspondent, Karen Brown, reports.
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17. 45 MANU KORIHI with Eru Rerekura
Kia ora mai, good evening,
Bay of Plenty iwi Te Arawa says tribal consultation to open mining tenders in the region seems tokenistic because Maori sacred sites weren't removed from the zone.
New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals spoke to 99 iwi groups before agreeing to seek tenders for exploration permits in the central North Island Volcanic Zone.
It says it didn't exclude any wahi tapu identified by iwi during consultation because their concerns would be dealt with through the Resource Management Act.
The Te Arawa Coalition - which was formed as a response to the tenders - opposed the idea altogether.
A facilitator, Te Taru White, says they're disappointed.
GOLD-TOKEN-TP
IN: THEIR ORIGINAL INTENT. . .
OUT: . . . TOKEN GESTURE.
DUR: 15"
Te Taru White says it is prepared to face the challenge within the RMA.
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The MP for Ikaroa-Rawhiti, Meka Whaitiri, says she's puzzled by the Government's decision to block her bid to welcome to Parliament a group of First Nations people from Canada.
She acknowledges, that as a new politician, she might not have followed the correct process to gain permission in the House.
But despite being denied an opportunity to welcome the guests, Meka Whaitiri says she went ahead and greeted them in the debating chamber anyway - drawing applause from the Labour benches.
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IN: INSTANTLY WHEN I. . .
OUT: . . . BE THEM ANYBODY.
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Meka Whaitiri says the manuhiri - or visitors - were blissfully unaware of the political ructions.
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A line up of experts has been selected to run an Independent Board of Inquiry to consider if a major Waikato-Tainui development should go ahead.
The tribe's commercial arm, Tainui Group Holdings, wants to build an inland port near Hamilton, called Ruakura .
The first stage would be a freight and logistics centre - providing facilities for companies which transport their goods by rail or road.
The Inquiry will be chaired by the Environment Court Judge Melanie Harland.
The other Board members are the Environment Commissioner Jim Hodges, the planning consultant Jenny Hudson and the engineer, Gerry Te Kapa Coates.
Tainui Group Holdings is welcoming the membership of the Board.
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The Treaty lawyer, Paul Majurey, is taking a seat on the Board of Te Papa Tongarewa, the Museum of New Zealand.
Mr Majurey has succesfully lead negotiations with the Crown to ensure volcanic cones, islands and reserves were returned to a group of Auckland iwi, known as the Tamaki Collective.
He's a partner in law firm Atkins Holm Majurey, and his previous work includes assisting with the Attorney-General's 2009 Ministerial Review of the Waikato River Treaty settlement.
The appoitment to Te Papa has been made by the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Chris Finlayson.
That's Te Manu Korihi news, I'll have a further bulletin in an hour.
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The father of a boy whose death in Sydney has triggered a court case is returning to New Zealand after being allowed to bring his two other young children back home. But the man, who cannot be identified, says Australian authorities should be ashamed for not protecting his son.
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The 29 year old partner of the boy's mother has been charged with 25 child abuse offences. The Department of Community Services knew about the alleged abuse but the three children were not removed. Critics say child protection services don't have enough workers, an issue that's been raised at hearings of the nationwide royal commission into child sexual abuse. The ABC's Brigid Glanville has been speaking to the New Zealand father of the boy who died in May from head injuries.
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Presenter: Mary Wilson
Editor: Maree Corbett
Deputy editor: Phil Pennington
Producers: Susie Ferguson, Mei Yeoh