Checkpoint FOR WEDNESDAY 28 NOVEMBER 2012
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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Thousands of Hobbit fans are lining the red carpet outside the Embassy Theatre in Wellington to catch a glimpse of the stars. The world premiere of the first movie of the trilogy "An Unexpected Journey" is due to start in just under two hours. All up the Hobbit has cost taxpayers 100 million dollars and led to labour laws being changed overnight at the request of Warner Brothers which threatened to make the movie elsewhere.2000 New Zealanders got jobs on the movie. When the stars spoke to the media this afternoon, Sir Peter Jackson talked about why Australia's Barry Humphries (alias Dame Edna) was chosen to play the Great Goblin and whether the character was in any way based on Sir Robert Muldoon. CUT Barry Humphries took that in good part .CUT Cate Blanchett, who plays the elf queen, said she would take her children to see the film, but would cover their eyes, as she did, when Humphries appears naked. CUT And for Sylvester McCoy, who plays a wizard called Radagast the Brown, things sometimes got a little too much during filming. CUT And there were more strange props for McCoy to deal with. CUT
Our reporter Cushla Norman is with the media scrum outside the Embassy Theatre. IV
The double-murderer, Mark Lundy, has applied to the Privy Council for permission to appeal against his conviction. Lundy is serving a life sentence for bludgeoning his wife, Christine, and daughter Amber, to death in the family's Palmerston North home 12 years ago. In 2002, the Court of Appeal threw out his case and increased his minimum non-parole period to 20 years. The Privy Council says although Lundy has no automatic right to appeal against that ruling, he has sought permission to do so. A decision is not expected until next year. Lundy supporters say the case against him has too many inconsistencies - their spokesperson Geoff Levick didn't want to be interviewed but did tell us that U.K lawyers are working mostly for free on the case. Glenn Weggery is Christine Lundy's brother - I asked him what he thought of the Privy Council move. IV
The Labour Party is trying to pin the blame for a Defence Force helicopter crash two years ago which killed three airmen on the Government's cost-cutting. The Iroquois crashed into a hillside at Pukerua Bay, north of Wellington, while flying in low cloud to an ANZAC-day dawn ceremony. A court of inquiry report released earlier this year shows one reason the crew flew down early instead of staying overnight in a Wellington hotel was to save on accommodation costs. Here’s our political reporter, Liz Banas. PKG
America's ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice has conceded that an early account she gave about the terrorist attack on the US consulate in Benghazi was inaccurate. She's been accused of misleading the public with her initial comments describing the September 11th attack as a spontaneous strike triggered by protests - rather than a premeditated advance. Susan Rice has now met with Republican senators, who are threatening to block her nomination for Secretary of State, to explain her comments. But as our Washington correspondent Simon Marks explains the Republicans are still not convinced. IV
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1720 TRAILS AND BUSINESS WITH
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Back now to the Hobbit party outside the Embassy Theatre in Wellington. Our reporter Teresa Cowie is with fans............ IV
A large mystery donation has been given to help rebuild Lyttelton’s earthquake-damaged Timeball Station. It’s likely to go towards building a replica of the 136-year-old ruined tower in what had been one of just five working Timeball stations left in the world. Marcus Irvine reports. PKG
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17.30 HEADLINES
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Our reporter Cushla Norman is with the media scrum outside the Embassy Theatre. IV
The Prime Minister has accused the Labour Party of doing nothing to improve the quality of housing when it last led the Government. John Key has told the Parliament that Labour leader, David Shearer, should be ashamed to raise questions about the quality of the country's rental housing. Here’s our political editor Brent Edwards. PKG
One person has died and another 10 have been hospitalised in Canterbury this month after catching Legionnaires disease, almost certainly from using compost or potting mix. A twelfth (12th) person has also become sick though their Legionnaires is a different type. The Canterbury medical officer of health Alistair Humphrey joins us now. IV
Tens of thousands of Egyptians have spent another night in Tahrir Square in Cairo, demonstrating their anger at the decree issued by the President Mohamed Mursi giving himself extensive new powers. More and more protestors have streamed into the square, marching and chanting slogans denouncing the president and his ruling Muslim Brotherhood. His supporters cancelled their rival rally, to avoid pushing the political temperature even higher. The protests come despite President Mursi meeting senior judges yesterday. The BBC's Jon Lyne reports. PKG
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17.45 MANU KORIHI
E ngā iwi o te motu kia ora mai,
Politicians have questioned the Ministry of Māori Development about the monitoring of the social welfare policy, Whānau Ora.
The department, known as Te Puni Kōkiri, has been asked how it plans to monitor and review the scheme after a funding assessment found money was being handed out without proper checks.
The deputy secretary of Whānau Ora, Herewini Te Koha, gave a strong defence of the policy.
He told the Māori Affairs Select Committee to dispel the idea that Whānau Ora is being rolled out without adequate and strong monitoring.
WHANAU-NEXT-TP
IN: I KNOW THERE'S...
OUT: THE EVIDENCE BASE.
DUR: 23"
Herewini Te Koha says Te Puni Kōkiri has teamed up with a research group, to set up a website to provide evidence about Whānau Ora - as well as stories from families in the programme.
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Meanwhile, the outgoing chief executive of the Ministry of Māori Development has delivered his final report to politicians.
Leith Comer ends his term on Sunday.
TPK-OUT-TP
IN: IT'S BEEN A REAL...
OUT: OF MĀORI PEOPLE.
DUR: 28"
Leith Comer of Te Puni Kōkiri.
Te Papa Museum's Māori leader, Michelle Hippolite, takes over as Te Puni Kōkiri chief executive next month.
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The people of Ngāti Hikairo in Waikato have warmly welcomed home two ancestral heads that have been held at Stanford University in San Francisco since 1952.
The university made contact with Te Papa museum to repatriate a Māori skull and a cranium that were housed in their human remains collection.
The Karanga Aotearoa Repatriation team manager, Te Herekiekie Herewini, says the two ūpoko or heads arrived in Wellington this morning.
And they were driven straight to Kāwhia in Waikato - where they were given a pōwhiri ceremony this afternoon.
REPAT-TEPAPA-TP
IN: THESE TWO TUPUNA...
OUT: KAWHIA WAIPAPA MARAE.
DUR: 27"
Te Herekiekie Herewini of Te Papa Museum.
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The Waka Tapu expedition heading to Rapanui or Easter Island is sailing on calm waters as they get nearer to their destination.
Two doubled hulled canoes Te Aurere and Ngahiraka Mai Tawhiti are retracing the journey of their ancient Pacific ancestors by sailing the last leg of the Polynesian triangle.
The crew says the two waka have perfect winds blowing 10 to 12 knots with moderate seas.
The Waka Tapu expedition reports that everybody on board both waka are buzzing and can't wait to get to Rapanui, and are expecting to arrive there within the next five days.
That's Te Manu Korihi news; I'll have a further bulletin in an hour.
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The owner of a cruise ship hit by at least three outbreaks of Norovirus this year is defending the company's health and safety standards. Five passengers on a Royal Caribbean cruise that docked in Auckland this morning had to stay on-board because of the stomach bug. In February 200 people on a cruise to New Orleans became ill. Then last week 135 passengers caught the virus while sailing between Wellington and Sydney. Now five tourists on a cruise to New Zealand have become sick. These passengers who came ashore in Auckland this morning thought the latest outbreak has been handled well. CUT Adam Thompson is a spokesperson for the ship’s owner Royal Caribbean International. IV
Whangārei police are on the hunt for the person who could have killed someone with a pipe bomb they put in skip in a car park behind some shops. The army bomb squad was called in on Monday morning after the bomb was discovered behind the Para Rubber building in Porowini Avenue. Senior Constable Paul Nicholas says he thinks the home made device had been lit but had gone out after it was put in the bin. IV
A man with a passion for vintage motorcycles has come forward to claim the 20-point -5 million Lotto Powerball prize from last weekend. Karen Jones from New Zealand Lotteries says he bought the ticket, at the Windsor Lotto shop in Invercargill on a whim. IV
Back now to the Hobbit party outside the Embassy Theatre in Wellington. Our reporter Cushla Norman is with fans............ IV