MANU A TIMEBOMB WAITING TO EXPLODE
A report into the mental health care given to a man who stabbed an ACC worker to death last year, says there are a number of "time bombs" like him in the community and nothing can be done about them until they explode. Johnny Manu is serving a 12-and-a-half year sentence for killing ACC case worker Janet Pike at her Henderson office last June, following an argument over money he thought he was entitled to. Manu is a schizophrenic with a history of violent offending, but the report commissioned by the Ministry of Health says his mental disorder was not the reason for him being a danger, and locking him up under the Mental [illegible] Act would have been difficult. However the report says despite money [illegible] being a known trigger for his violence, his full history did not follow him as he moved from one mental health service to another. Joining us now is Deputy Director of Mental Health Dr Anthony Duncan. LIVE
SPECIALIST SAYS MISREADING AS BAD AS POSSIBLE
There has been more damning evidence given at the cervical cancer inquiry in Gisborne today. An Australian specialist in gynaecological cancer has told the inquiry that the under-reporting of abnormal cervical smears by former pathologist Michael Bottrill is as bad as it gets. Dr Gerrard Wain says that women have missed out on early treatment, and developed advanced and fatal cervical cancer as a result of the misread smears. This includes two women who have died. Our health correspondant Rae Lamb is at the inquiry and joins me now. LIVE
TAMIHERE ADMITS MORE CONVICTIONS
The drink-drive convictions against the Labour MP, John Tamihere, have come under scrutiny again today with more details published in the National Business Review.
[illegible] MP disclosed earlier this month that he had three drink drive convictions [illegible] 1979, 1984 and 1993. But the court records reported in the NBR give a different account of the number of convictions, and the years they were entered. Our political reporter Clare Pasley joins us now. LIVE
BUSINESS NEWS with CATHERINE WALLBRIDGE
BID FOR MORE HIGHWAY FUNDING
Transit New Zealand has changed its tune and decided it is time to do something to prevent more serious accidents on State Highway One north of Wellington. Yesterday five people were killed in two separate crashes on the road between Pukerua Bay and Paekakariki - an area where there have been many fatal crashes in the past. Only hours after saying there was no point in lowering the speed limit or banning overtaking Transit is now suggesting just that. Meanwhile the Wellington Coroner Garry Evans announced this afternoon that he will hold his own inquiry into the fatal crashes. He says he will not only look at [illegible], but [illegible] some of the [illegible] deaths on [illegible] stretch [illegible]
5.30 NEWS HEADLINES
SPORT with CHRIS REID
ELITE FUNDING ANNOUNCED
The Sports Foundation has today announced about 12 and a half million dollars of funding to over 50 sports, with a major emphaisis on the high performance sports and the individual athletes seen as potential medal winners. Rowing, where Rob Waddell is a Sydney gold medal contender, receives the biggest grant of 707 thousand dollars, cycling 688 thousand, yachting 622 thousand, equestrian 559 thousand and hockey 554 thousand. It is up to each sport how the funds are distributed, but it's expected the money will be used to build up for the Olympics. The New Zealand Equestrian Federation says some of its grant of half a million dollars will go to Mark Todd, irrespective of the cocaine use allegations against him. Sports Foundation Chief Executive Chris Inneson joins us now. 'LIVE
TOURISM OPERATIONS WORRY ABOUT FIJI
[illegible] operators from the South Pacific are worried that unrest in Fiji and [illegible] Islands will deter tourists from visiting the region as a whole. The South Pacific Tourism Organisation, which represents 13 countries, met in Auckland today to begin drawing up a strategy to cope with the fall-out from the ongoing political uncertainty in the area. The meeting was scheduled to be held in Fiji - but not even the people working to rescue Fiji's stricken tourism industry are keen to visit given the current situation. Julian Robins reports. PKG
MONSOONS LASH INDIA
Months of drought have come to an end in India where the western states have been lashed by heavy monsoon rains that have unleashed destruction. At least 200 people have died in the torrential rains after landslides hit slum areas in the city of Mumbai. Tons of sewage, mud and debris buried their homes and rescue attempts are still continuing. Our reporter in India, Ranjan Gupta, joins us now. LIVE
G8 SUMMIT REVIEW DEBT
In Japan - the richest countries in the world are being told they must move [illegible] relieving the crippling burden of debt on the worlds' poorest nations. [illegible] relief campaigners and developing countries have been meeting in Okinawa in the lead-up to the G8 summitt which began today, and are calling for rhetoric to be turned into action. Robert Reid is the New Zealand co-ordinator of the International Jubilee campaign to reduce third world debt - he says there's a lot of anger that G8 promises last year to cancel a hundred billion dollars of debt have come to nothing. He says today they're meeting the Japanese Prime Minister who'll be given a statement drawn up over the last few days. AUDIO. Robert Reid - New Zealand co-ordinator for the international campaign to reduce third world debt. He was talking to us from Okinawa. PREREC
GRIZZLES AS MILK GOES UP
Plunket says it's not happy to hear that the price of milk is going up. One of the largest dairy companies in the country, the New Zealand Dairy Goup which makes Anchor Milk products, is putting up the price of its popular one and two litre blue top products by ten cents. A two litre bottle will now cost $3.10c and [illegible] litre $1.60 [illegible] is blaming [illegible] increase [illegible] for [illegible] I asked [illegible] from [illegible] likely to have on children's health. PREREC
DEAD RAT IN HOSPITAL CAUSES HEALTH SCARE
A private Whangerei Hospital has been given a clean bill of health today after closing its operating theatres earlier this week, when maggots were discovered falling through the ceiling in an adjacent storeroom. The region's Medical Officer of health Jonathan Jarman inspected the Onerahi Hospital formerly the Mercy Hospital this afternoon and says the threatres are now back in action. I asked him what had happened. LIVE
CLOSE & THEME