Checkpoint FOR FRIDAY 11 NOVEMBER 2011
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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The three parties charged by the Department of Labour in connection with the Pike River coal mining tragedy have been named.They are two companies, Pike River Coal, which is in receivership, and VLI Drilling, and the one individual is the chief executive of Pike River Coal, Peter Whittall. All are declining to be interviewed. Our reporter Cushla Norman has been following this breaking story. Q&A
The leader of the National Party John Key has given public support for the ACT party's Epsom candidate, saying he'd not be unhappy if John Banks won. Mr Key has met Mr Banks for a symbolic cup of tea in the electorate, leaving open the possibility of ministerial posts outside cabinet for ACT MPs. Our report Todd Niall joined a large media scrum outside a Newmarket cafe. PKG
Our political editor Brent Edwards joins us now. Q&A
Pacific rim leaders meeting in Honolulu have told Europe to get on with its plan to quell the debt crisis that could infect the world economy. Finance ministers at the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation summit are alarmed at the threatened spill over from the Eurozone. The US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner says its crucial for everyone that Europe moves quickly to restore financial stability and the 21 APEC members have been talking about how to protect their economies from any damage. CUT Our economics correspondent Nigel Stirling is in Honolulu and he's with us now. Q&A
CUT That's U.S Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry losing his way in a major political debate and according to a number of commentators losing any chance of making it to the White House. His advisors insist the blunder makes him human and although damaging is not fatal. The BBC's North American editor Mark Mardell says it's the end for Mr Perry. PREREC
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1720 TRAILS AND BUSINESS WITH Naomi Mitchell
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17.30 HEADLINES
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Head-on crashes on the country's busiest and riskiest roads could be eliminated for less than the cost of a new motorway. New figures show wire rope median barriers could be installed for at most just over a billion dollars - and road safety lobbyists are calling for urgent action. Here's our transport reporter, Clint Owens. PKG
The police in Christchurch are now treating the death of a teenage girl in a house fire yesterday as a homicide. They say a post mortem has indicated the 13-year old died in unnatural circumstances, but more work has to be done to confirm the cause of death. Detective Inspector Virginia Le Bas Le Bah joins us now: LIVE
The three parties facing charges in court over the Pike River coal mining disaster have been named. They are two companies, Pike River Coal, which is in receivership, and VLI Drilling, and the one individual , Peter Whittall, who finishes up as the chief executive of Pike River Coal at the end of this month. Yesterday, the Department of Labour laid 25 charges against the three, alleging health and safety failures at the West Coast mine where 29 men died last November. All three parties and their lawyers are declining to be interviewed, as is the receiver for Pike River Coal. Ged (jed) O'Connell , the Assistant national secretary of the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union joins us now. LIVE VLI Drilling which is based in Sydney is refusing to be interviewed but has released a statement. It says the Department of Labour is yet to disclose to VLI the basis for its allegations but once it does the company will be able to consider its response to the charges.
The first New Zealander to be convicted of setting up a child sex tour, has been warned by a High Court judge that he's likely to go to prison. The 47 year old Aucklander was found guilty today, following a two week trial. Olivia Wix was at the High Court in Auckland for the verdict. PKG
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17.45 MANU KORIHI
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Tena koutou katoa, good evening,
A Government department says it's leaving it to Māori to select what sort of homes they want to live in - instead of decisions being made by what it says are "officials stuck in ivory towers."
The Social Housing Unit fund of almost 40 million dollars is available to all types of housing providers - with 3 million of that guaranteed for Māori.
The interim director of the Unit, Michael Pead, says they won't be prescriptive about the types of houses the department will approve funding for.
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Michael Pead.
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The fishing company, Sealord, says the negative publicity surrounding foreign charter vessels prompted it to employ company observers aboard some of its trawlers.
Foreign charter vessels are under investigation because of widespread allegations of physical and mental abuse aboard some ships operating in New Zealand waters.
Sealord is half owned by Māori interests and now has a company representative aboard each of its three Ukranian vessels.
The Sealord general manager of fishing, Doug Paulin, says it is case of reassuring consumers that fish caught aboard its foreign charter vessels is being done so according to New Zealand fishing and labour laws.
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Doug Paulin says the Sealord employee works independently from the Ministry of Fisheries observers also aboard the fishing boats.
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People living in the Lower Hutt suburb of Pomare say their situation is a warning for all other New Zealanders living in state housing.
Pomare residents are holding a barbecue on a demolition site tomorrow in protest at Housing New Zealand's decision to demolish state houses in the area.
A spokesperson for the community, Dina Awarau, says residents want the option to move back to Pomare after the reconstruction is complete so they can remain in their community.
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Dina Awarau.
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A researcher into Māori tourism says there is more to indigenous tour guiding than most people would realise.
Trisha Dwyer [D-WIRE] is A Masters Student in Tourism Management from Victoria University who has conducted in-depth interviews with guides who cater for tourists who want to learn more about Māori heritage and customs.
Ms Dwyer says tour guides have to balance their presentation so they can communicate their message in a way tourists can understand while avoiding undermining that message by being too simplistic.
That's Te Manu Korihi news, I'll have a final bulletin in an hour.
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Papua New Guinea's Supreme Court has ordered the arrests of the country's deputy prime minister and attorney general, after they suspended the chief justice. The top judge has been presiding over a case into the legitimacy of the current government, led by Peter O'Neill. With the latest, the ABC's Liam Fox joins us now from Port Moresby.
The managers of Queenstown ski fields say the past season was one of the most challenging in 50 years. Late snow, the Christchurch earthquakes, the Chilean volcanic ash cloud and floods in Queensland combined to slash profits by a quarter and almost scuttle the season. Steve Wilde reports. PKG
After 36 years, testimony by the former US president Richard Nixon to a special grand jury set up to investigate the 1972 Watergate break-in has been made public. Paul Adams reports. PKG