Checkpoint FOR WEDNESDAY 21 MARCH 2012
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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Senior National MP Nick Smith has quit all his ministerial portfolios over the help he gave a friend with her ACC claim, while he was the ACC Minister. Yesterday the Prime Minister accepted an apology from Dr Smith after it was revealed he wrote a reference on a ministerial letterhead for ACC claimant Bronwyn Pullar, who was his close friend and a National Party activist. But in Parliament this afternoon Dr Smith said he had discovered a second error; a conflict of interest he hadn't declared, and had handed in his resignation to John Key. Our political reporter, Liz Banas has more. PKG
We asked the Prime Minister to talk to us about the resignation of his senior Minister but were told he has no time. Bronwyn Pullar did not return our calls. Michelle Boag, a former National Party president who supported Bronwyn Pullar in the meeting she had with ACC managers, said the resignation was sad for Dr Smith and sad for the National Party. She declined to be interviewed. We asked ACC to comment on the Labour Party's claim that Nick Smith wrote the letter in a clear attempt to influence the woman's claim, and questioning how Ms Pullar came to secure a meeting with two ACC senior managers. ACC chief executive Ralph Stewart would not give us an interview. ACC said it has four letters on file, three of them from Nick Smith responding to Ms Pullar, either directly or through her representative., and the other is the character reference Dr Smith wrote. It says that reference has had no bearing on its management Ms Pullar's claim. Our political editor Brent Edwards joins us now. Q&A
Official documents reveal the Government has spent more than 3-and-a-half million dollars investigating and prosecuting people in Te Urewera trial, making it the most expensive in New Zealand's history. Tame Iti, Te Rangikaiwhiria Kemara, Urs Signer (oars SIG-nuh) and Emily Bailey were found guilty of a number of firearms charges at the High Court in Auckland yesterday. But the jury was unable to reach a verdict on the lead charge, of participation in a criminal group. Bridget Mills has been looking at the figures. Q&A
The Minister of Foreign Affairs is waving a stick at his own department for cost cutting measures he does not like. The measures were unveiled a month ago but parts of it look set to be changed when public sector unions and ministerial chiefs meet tomorrow afternoon. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is hoping to save 25 million dollars a year from its cost cutting measures. One idea was to outsource a lot of the work currently done by ministerial staff. Murray McCully says that's not going to happen. PREREC
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1720 TRAILS AND BUSINESS WITH Jonathan Mitchell
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Mitt Romney's cruised to victory over his rivals in the Illinois primary - moving him a step closer to clinching the Republican presidential nomination. With over 60 per cent of the votes counted, Mr Romney had almost half, with Rick Santorum sitting on 35 per cent and other contenders, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul, lagging behind. The win's giving Mr Romney new ammunition for Republicans to rally around his campaign and end the increasingly bitter battle for the nomination. Speaking after the win, Mr Romney spoke of his vision for the future of America. CUT Our US correspondent, Simon Marks, says this was an easy - and important - win for Mitt Romney. PREREC
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17.30 HEADLINES
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French police are engaged in a shootout with a suspect in the Jewish school killings of three children and a teacher, and two other attacks in Toulouse. There are reports two officers have been hurt. The raid comes amid an unprecedented terror alert in southwest France as police hunt the suspected serial killer. Our correspondent in France Hugh Schofield joins us now. LIVE
Nick Smith says he accepts that he has not lived up to the standards required of a Cabinet Minister. An emotional Dr Smith announced in Parliament that he was resigning his portfolios because he made two errors of judgement relating to a friend who was battling the ACC. Dr Smith yesterday admitted he made an error of judgement when he provided a reference for his friend Bronwyn Pullar for her medical assessors. But he says he also should not have signed a second letter, which emerged today. He spoke with reporters at Parliament shortly after his resignation. CUT John Sandston, Nick Smith's electorate chairperson in Nelson, joins us now. LIVE
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17.45 MANU KORIHI
Mokori anō kia rere ngā mihi a Te Manu Korihi,
Future decisions on the management of Mauao, or Mount Maunganui, are to be split 50-50 between Tauranga City Council and three local iwi.
They're setting up a new joint decision-making body - to address such issues as the allowing of any commercial activities on the historic reserve.
The body, which is yet to named, will include four iwi representatives from the Mauao Trust Board and four from the council.
The Mayor of Tauranga, Stuart Crosby, says this type of partnership isn't new to the council, but was inspired by the iwi-council co-governance arrangement for the Waikato River.
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The Tauranga Mayor, Stuart Crosby.
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An independent witness has told the Waitangi Tribunal that her local Kōhanga Reo operates well with teachers who mainly have a teaching qualification.
The teachers' qualifications are recognised by the Teachers Council, but the kōhanga qualification, Tohu Whakapakari, is not.
Rosemary Rangitauira reports:
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A Te Arawa environmental group says it's there to help deal with iwi and hapū on matters such as the accidental desecration of sacred trees.
Last year, the Rotorua District Council aimed to improve its relationship with a Ngāti Pikiao hapū, Ngāti Hinerangi after a contractor cut down a native Mangeao tree.
The tree was named after a Ngāti Pikiao chief, Taranui.
The sub-tribe, which has strong ties to Taranui was considering setting up an advisory board to work with the council.
But now it's looking at joining the wider tribe's Ngāti Pikiao Environmental Society.
The society's secretary, Joe Tahana, says rather than each hapū setting up its own body, it make more sense having one organisation to deal with environmental issues facing the Iwi.
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The head judge of the Māori stage at last week's Auckland's Polyfest says the use of weaponry in kapa haka performances was 'awesome'.
Forty-two Māori groups competed in the 37th Māori and Pacific secondary schools cultural festival.
Paora Sharples says the display of weaponry, or mau rākau improves every year.
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Paora Sharples.
That's Te Manu Korihi news, I'll have a further bulletin in an hour.
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Fifty people have died in a wave of bomb attacks across Iraq, just days before Baghdad will host a landmark Arab summit. Two-hundred-and-fifty-five people were wounded in the bombings which coincided with the anniversary of the American lead invasion in 2003. The Iraqi government is blaming terrorists who it says came to Iraq during the US occupation. The ABC's Meredith Griffith reports. PKG
The Minister of Foreign Affairs is waving a stick at his own department for cost cutting measures he does not like. The measures were unveiled a month ago but some of them look set to be changed when public sector unions and ministerial chiefs meet tomorrow afternoon. Eric Frykberg reports. PKG
The US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, is officially backing a new search for the American aviator, Amelia Earhart, who went missing without a trace over the south Pacific 75 years ago. The investigation of Nikumaroro, starting in July, will be privately funded, but the US State Department has helped negotiate with Kiribati. The BBC's Bernadette Carol reports. PKG