Checkpoint FOR MONDAY 14 NOVEMBER 2011
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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The National Party leader John Key says he's taking a stand against what he calls tabloid style, covert media tactics, and has laid a formal complaint with the police. It's over a recording of him and the ACT Party's John Banks at their meeting over the teacups last Friday. The Herald on Sunday has the recording, and says it's not releasing the material for legal and ethical reasons. However, if made public, the newspaper says the contents could influence the election result. In a moment who made the recording, but first here's our parliamentary chief reporter, Jane Patterson. PKG
The cameraman at the centre of the controversy, who does not want to be named, spoke to Checkpoint a short time ago. I asked him for his response to John Key laying a complaint with the police. PREREC
The families of Pike River victims shook their heads in amazement as they heard evidence today from a Labour Department mines inspector at the Royal Commission of inquiry.
A families spokesperson Bernie Monks said later that what the inspector had to say about the mine's safety system was "laughable". The inspector came under steady attack at the hearing, as the commission began its third phase at the Greymouth District Court. Eric Frykberg is there. Q&A
Two former directors of the failed finance company Bridgecorp have been forced to listen to the stories of loss suffered by investors. The evidence of 15 investors was heard at the High Court in Auckland, where earlier in the day, the defendants denied any wrongdoing. Rod Petricevic, Rob Roest and Peter Steigrad are on trial after the company collapsed in 2007, owing more than 450 million dollars. Our reporter, Will Hine, was there. PKG
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1720 TRAILS AND BUSINESS WITH Amy Williams
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The Māori Party says expanding Whanau Ora will be a key part of its post-election negotiations. The flagship programme - delivering social services to at-risk families - was launched last year with start up funding of 134-million dollars. But in an election debate on Radio New Zealand this morning, the National Party's social development spokesperson, Paula Bennett, said Whanau Ora's expansion isn't guaranteed. CUT The Māori Party co-leader, Tariana Turia, has been responsible for Whanau Ora. PREREC
South African police have confirmed they're investigating the death of a former cricketer and media commentator Peter Roebuck. Police have confirmed that they spoke to Mr Roebuck shortly before he fell from his Cape Town hotel window. Reports suggest he was questioned about an alleged sexual assault. Peter Roebuck was in the country to cover the cricket tests between South Africa and Australia for the ABC. Adam Harvey filed this report. PKG
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17.30 HEADLINES
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The Rugby World Cup is getting the credit for the biggest jump in retail spending in almost five years. In the three months to the end of September shoppers spent more than 17 billion dollars - 2.1 percent more than the previous quarter. It took most commentators by surprise - here's the BNZ's Chief Economist Tony Alexander. PREREC
The National Party's campaign billboard with the slogan "building a brighter future" has been given a makeover. Extra words like "The Rich Deserve More" and "Drill it! Mine it! Sell it!" are now plastered over a number of the signs. An un-named group claims to have defaced 700 of the billboards around the country. National has just been holding a conference to decide whether to report the damage to the police or Electoral Commission. The party president, Peter Goodfellow, joins us now. LIVE
The All Black, Zac Guildford looks likely to escape charges in the Cook Islands and instead will make an apology after allegedly assaulting two people at a Rarotonga bar.
The managing editor of the Cook Island News John Woods says the police who arrested Guildford late last week (Fri night NZT) had charges ready to lay, but then let him go. And Mr Woods says he's been asked by the New Zealand Rugby Union to set up a private meeting where the young winger can apologise to people from the bar. We expect to hear from John Woods a little later in the programme. But first Georgina Ball reports on how rugby officials have been rallying around the 22 year old All Black. PKG
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17.45 MANU KORIHI
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Nau mai haere mai,
A Bay of Plenty tribe has led a hikoi against plans for the Port of Tauranga to deepen and widen the harbour channel.
Te Runanga o Ngai Te Rangi says about 200 of its members marched on a hot morning to the city's Armitage Hotel - where the Environment Court is hearing appeals against the project to allow access to bigger ships.
Tangata whenua are opposed to the dredging consent, saying damage will be done to kaimoana and the cultural relationship with the Mauao, or Mount Maunganui.
The manager of the tribe's Resource Management Unit, Reon Tuanau, says although the grounding of the cargo vessel, Rena, has highlighted the dredging plan - it won't influence the court's ruling.
DREDGE-REON-TP
IN I DON'T THINK...
OUT ...THEY'RE ASKING FOR.
DUR 19
Reon Tuanau.
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Meanwhile, the iwi says the removal of containers from the crippled ship, Rena, may pose another potential pollution risk to the environment.
The Chair of Te Runanga o Ngai Te Rangi, Charlie Tawhiao, fears contents of some of the containers will seep into the water.
OIL-WORRY-TP
IN THERE ARE SOME CONTAINERS...
OUT ...FROM THE CONTAINERS.
DUR 18
Charlie Tawhiao of Ngai Te Rangi.
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A poll of 400 Māori voters in Waiariki puts the Māori Party MP and candidate, Te Ururoa Flavell, in front of the Labour and Mana candidates - with 56 per cent of the electorate supporting him.
The Te Karere DigiPoll survey shows Labour's Louis Te Kani and Mana's Annette Sykes with 22 per cent support each.
Sixty per cent of respondents believe the Government is heading in the wrong direction.
While forty-four per cent also think their whanau is worse off under the current Government, while only 21 per cent believe they are better off.
The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus four-point-nine per cent.
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A major business hui has been told Māori export enterprises need to work together if they want to make more money.
The chief economist at economics consultancy, Berl, Ganesh Nana addressed the annual meeting of the Federation of Māori Authorities in Tauranga at the weekend.
He told delegates that greater collaboration between iwi in their export sector would ensure products are produced, processed and marketed - which would add value to tribal businesses and improve returns.
Mr Nana suggests Māori could improve earnings from farming.
EXPORT-FOMA-TP
IN WITHIN THE AGRICULTURE...
OUT ...ECONOMICALLY VIABLE LEVEL.
DUR 22
The economist, Ganesh Nana.
That's Te manu Korihi news, I'llhave a further bulletin in an hour.
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Italy's new prime minister Mario Monti now has the tough job of pulling the country's economy back from the brink of default. He takes over from Silvio Berlusconi who resigned at the weekend. And as the ABC's David Taylor reports there's still enormous political and financial uncertainty: PKG
The All Black, Zac Guilford looks likely to escape charges in the Cook Islands and instead will make a private apology over allegedly assaulting two people at a Rarotonga bar. The bar owner Jack Cooper says Guildford turned up naked and bleeding and hit two patrons, and it wasn't until he'd got up on a stage that he realised he was naked and began apologising. The 22 year old All Black and Crusaders winger publicly admitted two months ago to drinking too much and promised to cut back. The managing editor of the Cook Island News John Woods is following the story and joins us now. LIVE
Thirteen thousand police officers have seized control of Rio de Janeiro's largest slum which for decades has been controlled by drug gangs. The whole area has been secured and troops are searching houses for drugs, weapons and wanted criminals. Authorities want to impose order in the slum, and others like it, before Brazil hosts the World Cup in 2014. The BBC's correspondent in Rio is Paolo Cabral: PKG
Germany is facing "a new form of far-right terrorism". That's the stark warning from the German Interior Minister as the BBC's Tristana Moore reports. PKG