New Zealand First's former associate health minister - and now maverick backbench MP - has today drawn a bead on his leader, Winston Peters, blaming him for the party's slumping popularity. In a speech in Hamilton, Mr Kirton says the reason for the falling polls is the public's belief the party has let down its supporters and not stuck to its principles. IV WITH Neil Kirton
LIVE IV WITH New Zealand First MP and associate minister of education Brian Donnelly.
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1.30 BUSINESS NEWS
Hundreds of tertiary students protested in Wellington, Auckland and Otago to voice their fears that education will be privatised. LIVE IV WITH Education correspondent Cushla Managh
A major government environmental report has been released today - and it points out that New Zealanders have a lot to do to clean up their act if the country is to earn its clean, green image. The 650 page report - entitled The State of the New Zealand Environment - was officially launched at the Beehive at lunchtime. PACKAGE FROM Karen Gregory-Hunt
LIVE IV WITH David Grinlinton - senior lecturer in environmental law at Auckland University.
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The second round of Bougainville peace talks began at the Burnham army camp near Christchurch today. Attending the New Zealand brokered talks this time is the Papua New Guinea government - and there are hopes that a ceasfire in the nine year long civil war can be worked out. LIVE IV WITH Bruce Hill.
The trout fishing season begins today for tens of thousands of keen freshwater anglers - but a shadow continues to hang over their sport. An appeal has still to be heard on the controversial district court decision earlier this year that Māori can fish without a licence in certain circumstances. PACKAGE FROM Caitlin Cherry
Critics of the government's accident compensation policy say ACC wouldnt be in its present dire financial predicament if its funding base hadnt been changed in the 1980s. The criticism comes after ACC introduced new policies to get SOME accident victims back into work. PACKAGE FROM Eric Frykberg
The Ophua Dam company is defending its handling of compensation for farmers affected by the torrent of water which burst from the dam when it collapsed in South Canterbury earlier this year. Farmers are upset most of them still havent been compensated and are warning that if they're not compensated within a month, they'll fight efforts to rebuild the dam. PACKAGE FROM Catherine Harris
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1.30 SPORTS
Organic food produced without chemical fertilisers and pesticides is becoming one of the world's big growth industries. World wide demand is growing at up to 20 percent a year and far outstrips supply but will organics ever overtake intensively produced food in popularity. PACKAGE FROM Guy Schizan
1750 .30 WORLD HEADS
6.00 MANA NEWS
The first stage of a ban on fishing at the Poor Knights Islands takes effect today - 18 years after the waters around them were declared a marine reserve. The islands - 24 kilometres off Northland's east coast - have long been a favourite playground for divers and anglers. It has been the country's only marine reserve where some recreational fishing's allowed but that's about to change. PACKAGE FROM Lois Williams