Checkpoint FOR WEDNESDAY 26 JANUARY 2011
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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The election year battlelines have now been clearly drawn, with the Prime Minister's announcement that National is considering the partial sell-off of state owned energy companies In his State of the Nation address, John Key said the Government is looking at selling minority stakes in Mighty River Power, Meridian, Genesis and Solid Energy and also reducing its shareholding in Air New Zealand. He says that could help the Government avoid having to borrow as much as ten-billion dollars. The announcement has been swiftly condemned as a recipe for disaster by the Labour Party, which yesterday unveiled its own major new policy, a tax free band for up to the first five-thousand dollars earned. And John Key joins us now. LIVE
Listening to that is our political editor Brent Edwards. Q&A
To the United States now, where President Obama has just finished delivering his State of the Union address. His goal, to reassure Americans tired of a high unemployment rate and worried about rising debt. In this spirit he called for a sputnik moment to kick start the job market. CUT And although some political battle lines were drawn as the President positions himself for a 2012 re-election bid, he tried to appeal to Republicans by proposing a five-year freeze on domestic spending. And he gave a nod to business by calling for the corporate tax rate to be lowered. CUT He also used the speech to emphasis progress in Iraq and Afghanistan, while promising to stay tough on others. CUT
Our correspondent in Washington is Kate Moody, who is with us now. LIVE
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1720 TRAILS AND BUSINESS WITH NAOMI MITCHELL
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To Melbourne now where the quarter final action continues at the Australian Open. Dave Luddy's on the line now. LIVE
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17.30 HEADLINES
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New Zealand police officers are in Fiji investigating the death of a woman who was burned alive. Ranjeeta Sharma, who was 28, was found alight on a rural road near Huntly last Thursday. Her husband and four year old son left for Fiji the following day. Our reporter Ben Brown has been a police news conference and filed this report. PKG
Returning now to our lead story.The Labour Party says National's plan to sell-off minority stakes in state-owned energy companies is a recipe for disaster. In his State of the Nation address, John Key said the Government is looking at selling minority stakes in Mighty River Power, Meridian, Genesis and Solid Energy and reducing its shareholding in Air New Zealand. The Prime Minister says the Government would retain control of the companies, but the partial sell-offs would be good for investors and reduce Government borrowing. But the Labour leader, Phil Goff, says the Government doesn't have an economic plan, so it is re-hashing the failed policies of the past. PRE-REC
Three people are dead after angry nationwide riots in Egypt. Two protestors were killed in Suez and a police officer died after being hit on the head by a rock in Cairo, where security forces struggled to control unhappy crowds outside the parliament building. Inspired by the popular uprising in Tunisia thousands of people chanted slogans against President Hosni Mubarak who's been in power for 30 years. Tear gas and water cannons were used to break up the large anti-government demonstrations. CNN's Ben Wederman (WEED-uh-muhn) sent this report from the protests in Cairo. PKG
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17.45 WAATEA
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The Green MP, Keith Locke, has announced he will retire as an MP at the next election, after 12 years in Parliament. The party's co-leader, Russel Norman, says he'll will be remembered for his dogged determination to stand up for those who others were not willing to stand up for. CUT Keith Locke is with us now. LIVE
The lawyer for families of the Pike River Miners says newly released footage from inside the mine does not necessarily suggest there could still be bodies intact. The families have seen two videos taken two months ago, showing conditions inside the mine. At least one area appears unscathed by explosions and fire. But while the Grey District mayor, Tony Kokshoorn says footage has given the families of the 29 miners renewed hope, their lawyer Nicholas Davidson says it can only be taken at face value. PRE-REC The lawyer for the Pike River Miners families, Nicholas Davidson.
This year's nominations for the most coveted awards in the movie business - the Oscars have been announced in California. With this report here's Peter Bowes in Los Angeles: PKG
It's not every day that a presenter on a popular television show calls a prime minister an "ignorant lout" in a live screaming match - but then again - this is Silvio Berlusconi's Italy. It all started when a furious Mr Berlusconi phoned into a TV talk show about the prostitution investigation that has targeted him. Duncan Kennedy reports from Rome: PKG