Checkpoint FOR MONDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2012
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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An Auckland family is in hospital tonight as police investigate how they poisoned themselves using a portable generator in their unfinished west Auckland house.
A boy aged nine and a 14 year old girl, and three adults are in a stable condition in North Shore Hospital. A family friend found them all semi-conscious and vomiting from the carbon monoxide fumes late last night. The police say charges could follow. Mani Dunlop reports. PKG
Detective Sergeant Peter Litherland is heading the investigation into what happened. IV
The Defence Force says a Taliban commander who targeted New Zealanders was killed to prevent another attack he was planning that was imminent. Details are emerging today about the coalition air strike last Wednesday that killed Abdullah Kalta (COL-tuh) in north-east Bamiyan province in Afghanistan. Officials say Kalta planned and led the attacks which killed three New Zealand soldiers in August and another a year earlier. The Prime Minister, John Key, says the SAS most likely helped gather the intelligence which led to the air strike. CUT John Key says he hasn't been advised there were any civilian casualties in the air strike, and the Defence Force says there weren't any. Mr Key says the troops in Bamyan are now safer. CUT Ian Telfer has the details. PKG
Jetstar has bowed to public pressure and reversed its decision to cancel a flight just before Christmas from Melbourne to Auckland. The budget airline had scrapped the December the 23rd flight and offered the 80 passengers one that wouldn't arrive till Boxing Day. Craig McCulloch reports. PKG
An employment advocate says the law needs to change to stop migrant workers being ripped off by their employers and left thousands of dollars out of pocket. The Employment Relations Authority has ordered a Glen Eden Chinese restaurant to pay one of its former workers the 30-thousand dollars he's owed. Alex Zhou (joe), an international student, was illegally charged 13-thousand dollars by Harbit International just to get the job as a chef and was underpaid by 15 thousand dollars. But advocate May Moncur says the company no longer exists and the directors can't be held personally liable. IV
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1720 TRAILS AND BUSINESS WITH Patrick O'Meara
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Violent protests continue in the Egypt as the row deepens over President Mohammad Mursi's moor-see decision to award himself full control of the country. Mr Mursi says his new powers are only temporary and is to start talks with the other political parties to explain his move. But his new powers are dividing the country. Already a teenage member of the Muslim Brotherhood movement has been killed and sixty other people injured in an attack at its headquarters. The BBC's James Kelly has this report : PKG
Part of the Tongariro Alpine crossing could reopen as early as Thursday following last week's eruption on the mountain. The Department of Conservation has finished a risk assessment and wants to get approval from the Minister tomorrow for the reopening. Jonathan Maxwell, DOC’s Ruapehu area manager is with us now. IV
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17.30 HEADLINES
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The police are keeping tight lipped about the part they played in a convicted sex offender leaving New Zealand even as the Australians were moving to extradite him. Bernard Kevin McGrath, who's already done prison time in this country, is facing 252 charges of sexual abuse laid in a Newcastle court. But it's reported he's now in Sri Lanka. Marcus Irvine reports. PKG
The Air Force Orion is returning to New Zealand after failing to find three fishermen missing off the coast of Kiribati. The men, aged 33, 41 and 30, went out fishing last Wednesday in their six-metre wooden boat. The Search and Rescue Co-ordinator, Dave Wilson, is with us now. IV
Australia's Defence Minister has delivered a parliamentary apology to victims of abuse within the Australian Defence Force describing the behaviour as unacceptable and a betrayal of trust. Stephen Smith's apology is part of the Government's response to the hundreds of allegations of abuse detailed in a lengthy report. It has stopped short of setting up a royal commission into the wide-ranging claims of abuse, instead opting for an independent taskforce. From Canberra here's Sabra Lane: PKG
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17.45 MANU KORIHI
Kia ora mai, good evening,
An aide to the Māori King says the demotion of a senior Waikato-Tainui leader has kick-started the King's aims to change the way the tribe's governed.
Tania Martin was stood down as the chair of the tribal parliament at a lengthy meeting of the iwi parliament and executive yesterday.
Ms Martin was accused of bringing the parliament into disrepute.
In a statement today, Kingi Tuheitia, says her removal was the right one and congratulates the tribal parliament for taking what he calls a difficult step.
The King's representative, a member of the tribal executive, Greg Miller, says the demotion is a step towards the King's ambition.
He says Kingi Tuheitia wants to revamp the tribe's constitution, which is a western policy that doesn't encompass tikanga Māori.
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Greg Miller.
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A Māori health service at the top of the South Island is shutting down.
Te Rapuora o te Waiharakeke has been running for 26 years in the Nelson Marlborough area.
It's closing because it's run out of money.
However, funding for the service is secure and arrangements are being made for new providers to take over the work - which includes mental health support and rongoā mirimiri - or gentle massage.
The manager of the Te Rapuora, Aroha Metcalf, says they needed a capital injection.
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Aroha Metcalf says it's hoped her 31 staff will get new jobs with the new providers.
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Ngāi Tahu has decided to take the Treaty settlement top-up money being offered by the Government.
The tribe will collect close to 70 million dollars [68.5] under a special agreement called the Relativity Clause - but says there are still some areas of dispute with the interpretation of the mechanism.
The Crown agreed to pay the money when the value of all settlements tipped over one billion dollars, as valued in 1994.
Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu has previously said it's confident that any disagreements over calculation of the final figure can be resolved quickly.
When the tribe entered Treaty negotiations, the Crown's policy was to conclude all historical settlements within the fiscal envelope of one billion dollars.
But Ngāi Tahu didn't believe the envelope would hold, so it secured an agreement to get extra payments.
That's Te Manu Korihi news; I'll have a further bulletin in an hour.
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The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union says Carter Holt Harvey has told its staff it plans to cut about 70 jobs in Rotorua and Tokoroa before Christmas.
The union says the timber giant is putting the job losses down to a fall in demand from export markets in Australia and a lack of new builds in New Zealand. Ron Angel is the EPMU's timber industry organiser. IV
A High Court judge has grilled point by point the lawyer for the Māori claimants challenging the partial privatisation of three state owned power companies. A judicial review sought by the Māori Council and Waikato iwi began today in the High Court in Wellington. Justice Ronald Young challenged the whole basis for their case, telling their lawyer Helen Cull that the Government has only ruled out special shares for Māori in the power companies, not any other water right options. CUT Ruth Hill was in court today and she joints us now. IV
The Invercargill shopkeeper who sold a winning 20-million dollar lottery ticket has no idea who won it. The weekend's Powerball winner hasn't been in touch yet with Betty Sinclair of Windsor Stationery and Lotto. It’s the sixth biggest lottery prize in New Zealand, and the biggest ever in the South Island. She joins us now. IV