HEADLINES & NEWS
The Government's move to increase the number of skilled immigrants coming here has met with the approval of the business community. The government is aiming to increase the number of skilled and business migrants to around 27-thousand a year - an increase of 60 percent on present levels. To bring in the extra migrants, some rules have been relaxed - work permits will now be granted to the spouses and partners of immigrants and the english language test is now easier to pass. Claire Silvester has this report. PKGE
The government's new Immigration policy was announced at today's Forum between Government Ministers and Business leaders in Christchurch. Our economics corrrespondent Stephen Harris was there and joins me now. LIVE
The Chief Fire Officer in Hamilton has resigned over a report into alleged financial mismanagement in the Hamilton office and the treatment of an office worker who first raised concerns about what was going on. The independent report by Helen Cull QC was ordered by the Fire Service - it highlights the poor treatment given to office assistant Anita Garratt who blew the whistle on her boss, Grant Olsen. And it found the disciplinary process involving Mr Olsen was seriously flawed. I asked the Fire Service Commission's chairperson Dame Margaret Bazley if she was concerned that the initial investigation did not follow the rules. PREREC
BUSINESS NEWS WITH CATHERINE WALBRIDGE
The first state funeral in New Zealand in 16 years was held in Wellington's St Paul's Cathedral this afternoon to honour the former governor general Sir David Beattie.
Hundreds of digniatories, colleagues, friends and family filled St Paul's and [illegible] a funeral cortege marching through the city. Our reporter Leigh-Anne Wiig was there. PKGE
The Employment Court is not expected to make a decision until early next week on MAF's request for an injunction to stop a pending strike by vets who certify export meat. The three week strike, now scheduled to begin on Tuesday would bring export meat processing to a halt. For most of today the Court has been hearing agrument about whether the union representing the vets is legally registered. Our court reporter Merle Nowland joins me now. LIVE
The two largest Opposition parties have taken the first step towards a potential coalition deal after the next election. Almost fifty MPs from National and ACT have met in Napier for their first ever joint caucus session, with common political strategies on the agenda. Our Parliamentary Chief Reporter Kathryn Street was there. PKGE
5.30 NEWS HEADLINES
SPORT with RICHARD CROWLEY
Food banks are blaming tight-fisted welfare officials for the continued high use of their services, but hope that the government's Closing the Gaps policy will work and put them out of business. 300 food banks are represented at a conference in Wellington aimed at reducing the need for food parcels. Our social issues correspondent Shona Geary has this report. PKGE
The Indonesian president Abdurrahman Wahid is visiting East Java to try and calm the situation there following a week of violent protests by his supporters. Thousands of protestors angry at attempts to oust the President over two financial scandals, yesterday rioted in three East Java towns, attacking the offices of the former ruling Golkar Party. I asked the ABC's Indonesia correspondent, Mark Bowling, who is in East Java, why there is so much support for Abdurrahman Wahid. PREREC
Aucklanders want a pohutukawa to replace the landmark lone pine removed from One Tree Hill in October. The Auckland City Council asked for public submissions on what should replace it, asking people to choose from among a totara, a pine, a puriri or a pohutukawa. Submission have just closed as Julian Robins reports. PKGE
The International Rugby Sevens tournament has begun in Wellington this afternoon as controversy continues over the inclusion of Fiji. The Government has been criticised for allowing Fiji to attend although it maintains it was not in a position to stop them. Sports Minister Trevor Mallard was expected to leave the Wellington stadium before Fiji took the field for their match against the United States today. Joining us now with the latest is our sports reporter Chris Reid. LIVE
New Zealand is well placed to develop a new industry based on nanotechnology or niniature electronic devices, according to the organisers of this week's nanotechnology conference in Queenstown. The conference has attracted 120 mostly international engineers and scientists, but Simon Brown, a senior [illegible] at the University of Canterbury, says nanotechnology research is also being done here. PREREC
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