HEADLINES & NEWS
LOCAL GOVT ROW HEADS FOR CRISIS MTG
Members of the Local Government New Zealand National Council are gathering for a crunch meeting in Wellington tonight amid calls for the President, Louise Rosson, and her vice presidents, to stand down. This follows the forced resignation of the local body lobby group's Chief Executive, Carol Stigley, who received a payment of at least 120 thousand dollars in compensation. Mrs Rosson, who authorised the payout, has admitted she mislead member councils and the public earlier in the week, when she said Ms Stigley had left of her own accord without any compensation. The chair of the Wellington Regional Council, Stewart Macaskill, and former president of Local Government New Zealand, says [illegible] [illegible] credibility has been damaged by the saga, and members are questioning Ms Rosson's ability to lead. He says tonight's meeting is critical. AUDIO. However, Ms Rosson is not without support, with several fellow national council members coming to her defence today. One of them, the Southland Mayor, Frana Cardno, says the payout to Ms Stigley was known about by all the national council members, and she and nine councils in her region support Louise Rosson. And Mrs Cardno joins me now. LIVE
Our political editor Al Morrison has been closely following developments - he joins me now.
KIWIS COULD BECOME OCKERS WHO COULD BECOME KIWIS
Australia has reacted sharply to suggestions from the New Zealand finance minister Michael Cullen for the two countries to establish reciprocal citizenship rights. Dr Cullen thinks the time is right to look at treating New Zealanders in Australia as Australian citizens and vice versa. But his comments have been met with a sharp reaction from Australia's immigration minister and criticism in New Zealand. Clare Pasley compiled this report. PKG
BUSINESS NEWS with GILES BECKFORD
NZ FIREYS GO TO AMERICA TO HELP DURING CRISIS
New Zealand firefighters are being sent to the United States to help fight the bushfires raging through several states. The fires are being described as the worst in 50 years - already 25 thousand firefighters are battling the blazes across eleven states. Ten experienced fire officers from New Zealand are heading off to help -
Joining us now is the groups team leader, John Rasmussen. LIVE
CROWN SUMS UP IN BURNS CASE
To the Travis Burns trial in the High Court in Auckland - and the crown has begun summing up its case against the 32 year old, who is charged with murdering Joanne McCarthy in her home. The prosecution has told the jury that 19 seperate pieces of circumstantial evidence including DNA material link Burns to the killing. Julian Robins was at the High Court in Auckland and he joins us now. LIVE
5.30 NEWS HEADLINES
SPORT with RICHARD CROWLEY
ERB DEBATE HEATS UP
Parliament's debate of the Employment Relations Bill is heating up, as MPs enter the contentious area of the role of unions under the new law. Parliament is sitting under extended hours to pass the legislation, and the marathon session is expected to last till late tomorrow, and possibly into Saturday. Our political reporter Kathryn Ryan has been following the debate and joins me now. LIVE
GOFF TRAVELS TO SPECIAL MINISTERS MTG ON VIOLENCE
The South Pacific Forum's Foreign Ministers are holding a special meeting in Samoa to disucss the Fiji coup crisis and the continuing bloodshed in Solomon Islands. The two day meeting is the first of its kind ever called by the Forum's members. The New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff is due to leave for Apia about now - I asked him if he's concerned at the time it's taken to organise the special meeting, given that the Fiji coup began back in May. [illegible]
CONFERENCE PRESENTS GOVT STRATEGIES
A conference which began in Wellington today is giving the government's most senior ministers the opportunity to explain their policies to leading business people.
The Economist magazine's policy directions conference is attracting business delgates from New Zealand and Australia. Government ministers are trying to convince them that the Beehive is listening and understands their needs. But not all the participants are easily convinced, as our Economics Correspondent, Stephen Harris, reports. PKG
BREAST CANCER STUDY TO LOOK AT RESULTS
Hundreds of Auckland breast cancer patients have agreed to take part in a central register, in a new study to find out how to effectively treat the disease. The Gisborne Inquiry into Cervical Screening has recently highlighted apparant gaps in statistical information about cancer. The register has been established with funding from the Breast Cancer Foundation, and will provide a data base so doctors can share information and compare data about their [illegible]. It will cover the region from Wellsford to Pukekohe, but the team leader, Auckland radiation oncologist Benji Benjamin, hopes it will eventually be publicly funded, and extended nationally. I asked him why it is needed at all. PREREC
NEW NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR TOURISM
The tourism industry has unveiled plans for a new national strategy, with the announcement of a nine member group to plan the future direction for what is one of New Zealand's biggest income earners. The announcement came at the start of the Tourism Conference in Wellington - our tourism reporter Blair McLaren was there and compiled this report. PKG
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