The Prime Minister Jenny Shipley sprang a surprise today, revealing that she's come close to calling a general election in the last week. She made it clear her tolerance levels have been pushed to the limit and laid down conditions for remaining in the coalition. LIVE IV WITH DROPINS WITH our political editor Al Morrison.
In Papua New Guinea the threat of disease from thousands of rotting corpses is endangering the survivors of the deadly tsunami that devastated villages on the northern coast. More than 12 hundred people are officially confirmed dead, but another six thousand villagers are missing and feared dead, their bodies hidden in the impenetrable mangrove swamps. Teams of Australian and New Zealand medical personal are battling to save the injured at a mobile hospital at Vanimo, a town 70 kilometres from the area worst hit by the tsunami. IV WITH [illegible] WITH Our reporter there Bruce Hill
1715 BUSINESS HEADLINE
Problems at Auckland's Paremoremo prison have been highlighted in a Corrections Department report on the March riot at the jail. In March, prisoners in the maximum security A and B blocks in the prison's east division rioted and lit fires over a proposed toughening up of cell standards, longer lockup hours and reduced access to visitors. LIVE IV WITH Corrine Ambler
LIVE IV WITH Phil McCarthy, General Manager of the Public Prisons Service.
1730 HEADLINES
The government has shelved a proposal to allow workers to sell their 11 [illegible] holidays. The Labour Minister, Max Bradford, says that after a review of the Holidays Act the majority of submissions were in favour of the status quo. Three weeks annual leave, 11 public holidays and 5 days special leave will remain, and wont be able to be traded for cash. LIVE IV WITH Max Bradford
Back to our lead story - and leaders of the opposition parties in Parliament are expressing surprise at the Prime Minister Jenny Shipley's comments that she's considered calling an early election in the past few days. Mrs Shipley's comments were made after learning today that one of her MPs, Epsom's Christine Fletcher, will contest the Auckland mayoralty in October. The remarks also follow a week of turmoil within the junior coalition partner, New Zealand First. PACKAGE FROM Stephen Harris
A group specialising in therapy programmes for sexual offenders is backing the Commissioner for Children's call for foster parents to receive training in how to manage such offenders. The Commissioner, Roger McClay, made the recommendation in a report into the case of a teenager who sexually abused children at his Pukekohe foster home. While the Children and Young persons service is considering his advice, the SAFE Network says it's vital that caregivers receive training in how to help young sexual offenders. PACKAGE FROM Kiri Coughlan
1745 SPORTS
A new study shows the gap between rich and poor in New Zealand is one of the widest in the world's developed economies. The study by Srikanta Chatterjee - a professor of economics at Massey University - shows that four out of five New Zealand households dont have the same slice of the economic pie they had in 1983. PACKAGE FROM Sharon Brettkelly
1750 MANA NEWS
A Government move to cut funding to community groups with gang links is winning support from police and others, who say there's ample evidence that gangs have abused public funds. The Associate Minister of Social Welfare, Nick Smith, [illegible] the cut, saying any community group with gang links will no longer [illegible] money from the Community Funding Agency. PACKAGE FROM Tama Muru