Checkpoint FOR TUESDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 2011
****************************
1700 to 1707 NEWS
****************************
After almost four years of legal arguments, 13 of the people arrested in police raids in the Urewera and elsewhere in 2007 found out today they will not be prosecuted. The Crown has dropped all firearms charges against them because there is no longer sufficient evidence. This is because of a Supreme Court judgement which is suppressed. However four of the group, including the activist Tame Iti, are still charged with firearms offences and with being part of an organised criminal group. Their trial is in February. Ross Burns is the Crown Prosecutor explains what weapons the 13 were charged over. PRE REC
Valerie Morse is one of the defendants. PRE REC
The safety of school buses is under scrutiny following the crash with a logging truck that injured dozens of children yesterday. An eight-year-old girl remains in a critical condition at Starship Hospital following the crash on a rural road near Ruatoki in the eastern Bay of Plenty. Another eight children and the truck driver are also in hospital with less serious injuries. The Police are investigating, including interviewing children who were on the bus, and witnesses to the crash, and say it could take up to a month. Stacey Waaka, who's 15 was halfway to her home in Ruatoki from Whakatane High School when the truck hit. She had her shins cut through to the bone and is still unable to walk. PRE REC Her mother Raewyn Waaka, says Stacey's fears of riding the bus should fade over time, and they have few other options apart from taxiing her to school in the car, but it's a half hour ride each way. The key she says is to make the bus ride safer. CUT The police say it's too early to speculate about the cause of the crash. Many of the injured children were from Taneatua school. The school's principal Rob Shaw, says it's difficult to know what to do about the trucks, for instance, whether to try to keep them off the road during the hours school buses are running. PRE REC
The logging truck that rear ended the bus near Ruatoki was operated by Autahi Transport of Taneatua. Autahi subcontracts to another transport company owned by forestry firm PF Olsen. PF Olsen's chief executive Peter Clark is with us now. LIVE
The Pike River Coal company general manager has defended his decision not to let rescuers go underground straight after last November's explosion. Doug White was giving evidence to the Royal Commission inquiring into the mine disaster in which 29 men died. Geoff Moffett is covering the hearing. Q&A
***********************
1720 TRAILS AND BUSINESS WITH Naomi Mitchell
************************
IHC workers have agreed to a compromise deal on sleepover payments heading off a move by the employers to appeal the controversial case to the Supreme Court next week. The Government, unions and the employers have been in negotiations since March after the Court of Appeal ruled workers should be paid the minimum wage rate for every hour spent on overnight shifts instead of just the hours they were awake looking after disabled patients. The ruling involved backpay and opponents said the costs ran into hundreds of millions of dollars. Unions rejected an offer back in July but Richard Wagstaff from one of the unions involved, the PSA, says a new offer is a big improvement. PRE REC
***********************
17.30 HEADLINES
***********************
The Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has arrived at the Pacific Islands Forum, and was immediately bombarded with questions about her popularity and performance back home. Regional leaders are gathering in Auckland for the annual summit, where what to do about Fiji remains a talking point. Our parliamentary chief reporter, Jane Patterson, is covering the forum and joins us now. Q&A
Allegations MI6 was involved in the rendition of Libyan terror suspects is to be examined by an inquiry already underway in Britain. Documents found in Tripoli appear to suggest the UK traded information about Libyan dissidents in Britain with Colonel Gaddafi's government in return for intelligence extracted from detainees under interrogation in Libyan prisons. The BBC's Jeremy Bowen has this report from Tripoli: PKG
The Icepak Coolstore Company has laid the blame for the fatal explosion at its plant at Tamahere in 2008 at the feet of outside experts saying it was totally reliant on their advice. The coolstore exploded killing 48 year old Derek Lovell and seriously injuring seven other fire fighters. Andrew McRae has been at the inquest today. PKG
***************
17.45 MANU KORIHI
Tēnā koutou katoa,
The lawyer Annette Sykes, says she'll apply for the lifting of suppression on a court judgement that's prompted police to drop charges against 13 people arrested in the Urewera police raids.
The Crown says a Supreme Court decision last week has affected the case, and there's no longer sufficient evidence to charge most of the group with firearms offences.
Ms Sykes - who represents the defendant Maraki Teepa, says she's ecstatic that he's free after four years of difficult bail conditions.
She says the Supreme Court order prevents her from discussing why the charges have been dropped - but the court has asked for submissions on suppression.
RAIDS -SYKES TP
IN AND MY INSTRUCTIONS...
OUT ...AT THIS TIME.
DUR 17
Annette Sykes.
Four people including the Tuhoe activist Tame Iti, still face charges related to the Urewera raids in 2007.
--------
The Auditor General has found the Crown has failed to break down barriers to allow Māori to build housing on their own whenua.
It's published a report that examines Government planning and support for housing on Māori land.
Gareth Thomas reports:
HOUSING-AG-VCR
IN THE AUDITOR GENERAL...
OUT ...IS GARETH THOMAS.
DUR 45
--------
The regional director for Māori health at the Bay of Plenty District Health Board says whanau of tamariki injured in the crash between a school bus and a logging truck have swamped into Whakatane Hospital to be with the children.
Nine pupils, or tauira, and the bus driver are still in hospital, in Whakatane, Auckland, Rotorua and Tauranga, as a result of the crash near Ruatoki yesterday.
The DHB's director of Māori health, Amohaere Tangitu, says most of the children are related, and many family members have gone to visit them in Whakatane Hospital.
Ms Tangitu says the children have coped well but were deeply affected.
LOG EASE TP
IN SOME OF THEM DID...
OUT ...THE PAIN THAT THEY HAD.
DUR 16
Amohaere Tangitu.
That's Te Manu Korihi news, I'll have a further bulletin in an hour.
****************
Hundreds of supporters turned out in Auckland today to formally welcome the Tongan Rugby World Cup team to the tournament. The colourful ceremony was held at Papakura Marae, and our reporter Georgina Ball was there. PKG
Rugby fans have gathered in central Auckland to greet the Australian Team at their official welcome ceremony at Aotea Square. The Wallabies arrived in the country today. Our reporter Amelia Langford joins us live from Aotea Square now. Q&A
The Labour Party says it's time the Government considered becoming an insurer of last resort in Canterbury, to speed up construction in the city. The Government says it is working with insurance companies to encourage them to get back into the Christchurch market. But Labour says not enough is being done. Here's our political reporter, Clare Pasley. PKG
To Sydney now where a man has been holding his young daughter hostage in a barrister chambers. Television footage has shown the man, who was topless, taunting police from an office window, while wearing a barristers wig. With the latest, the ABC's Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop is on the line now. LIVE
A huge wildfire in the American State of Texas has forced hundreds of people from their homes south-east of the state capital Austin. It's destroyed more than seven thousand hectares of land and is the largest of scores of fires burning throughout the state. The BBC's Alastair Leithead reports: PKG