Checkpoint FOR WEDNESDAY 12 DECEMBER 2012
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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The retired Canadian judge who wrote the report for the Government on David Bain's bid for compensation has blasted the Justice Minister for being unfair to both him and Mr Bain and says he didn't sign up for such treatment. Ian Binnie says Judith Collins is simply wrong to publicly criticise his report as inaccurate, but still keep its contents secret. David Bain was found not guilty of murdering his family, after spending 13 years in jail for the killings, and is seeking compensation for wrongful imprisonment. Ms Collins has now sent Justice Binnie's findings to be peer reviewed, saying his report appears to contain assumptions based on factual errors, and shows a misunderstanding of New Zealand law. In this extended interview - Ian Binnie told me the Minister is wrong and that he took advice from a top lawyer in this country to avoid any such problems. PREREC
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1720 TRAILS AND BUSINESS WITH Sharon Bretkelly
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More Afghan interpreters who worked for New Zealand soldiers and police are now being given a chance to move here. An initial offer in October was made only to the 23 currently employed by the defence force which will leave Afghanistan in April next year. But after an outcry, the government has now widened the resettlement deal to include all interpreters hired since 2010 - along with their families. Some of the interpreters fear they will be at risk from the Taliban when the reconstruction team exits Bamiyan. As well, staff such as mechanics and cooks have been offered financial assistance. New Zealand troops have been in Afghanistan for more than a decade - the Defence Minister, Jonathan Coleman, explains why the deal only goes back to 2010. PREREC
North Korea has defied international warning by announcing it has successfully launched a long range rocket. The North says it was trying to put a satellite into orbit, but the US says it's simply a disguised ballistic missile test. The launch follows an attempt in April that fizzled less than two minutes after blast-off. With the latest, Steve Herman the VOA's Northeast Asia bureau chief is on the line now from Seoul. LIVE
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17. 30 HEADLINES
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Major differences between the eleven countries negotiating the TransPacific trade deal have not been resolved at the latest round of talks which concluded in Auckland today. And Business groups says progress needs to be stepped up if the deadline for the deal, recently set down by President Barack Obama and other leaders, of October next year is going to be met. Our economics correspondent, Nigel Stirling, reports PKG
A lawyer for eight Indian migrant workers stopped from boarding a plane back to New Zealand says Immigration authorities are trying to make them lose their jobs. The case is heading to the High Court, with another lawyer warning the men's treatment should raise a red flag for anyone else in the country on a work visa. Leigh McLachlan reports. PKG
The Minister of Education, Hekia Parata, has shrugged off accusations in Parliament she was prepared to put the safety of vulnerable girls at risk. And the Prime Minister has given her his support despite a High Court ruling that she had acted unlawfully in deciding to close Salisbury School in Nelson. Here's our political editor Brent Edwards. PKG
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17. 45 MANU KORIHI
Sign in: Kia ora mai.
New Zealand's largest Māori owned fishing company has posted a 25 percent drop in profit for the 2011-2012 year.
Auckland based Aotearoa Fisheries Limited, made a profit of 17 million dollars, compared with nearly 23 million in the previous year.
Heugh Chappell reports.
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AOTEAROA RESULT VCR
IN......THE COMPANY'S
OUT...IS HEUGH CHAPPELL.
DUR...43"
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A Rapanui elder from Easter Island is appealing to his Māori cousins to help save the supply of fish in the Pacific Ocean - which he says could be totally exhausted within the next 40 years because of over-fishing.
The President of the Rapanui Council of Elders, Koro Alberto Hotus [Ho- tus], recently visited Aotearoa and was invited here by the PEW Environment group to help develop strategies to combat illegal fishing by foreign fishers.
Through his translator he says there's scientific evidence that if people don't act now the supply of fish in the Pacific Ocean could completely run out.
RAPANUI-PROTECT-TP
IN: SPANISH IN WORDS...
OUT: ...FIND THE SOLUTIONS.
DUR: 23"
Koro Alberto Hotus of Rapanui.
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One of the co-claimants in the water rights case says the judiciary has highlighted the plight of tribes in being unable to enter talks with the Crown about freshwater.
The High Court yesterday dismissed a challenge to put on hold the planned sale of shares in state-owned hydro electricity generators.
But the judgement did acknowledge that iwi and hapū are frustrated - because the Government won't address water rights.
The Auckland iwi Ngāti Te Ata is one of the water co-claimants.
Its spokesperson, Roimata Minhinnick, says the judge in the case has hit the nail on the head for Treaty partners.
He says the judge has acknowledged the plight that Māori have had in trying to get recognition of its interests in water.
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The commercial arm of Ngāi Tahu has appointed its new leader.
Mike Sang has agreed to take up the role as the Chief Executive of Ngāi Tahu Group Holdings.
He already has an association with the South Island tribe and recently completed an 18-month contract with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu as its CEO.
The Chairman of Ngāi Tahu Group Holdings, Trevor Burt, says it is a terrific outcome as Mr Sang has all the knowledge of how the tribe operates plus extensive experience as one of the country's top chief financial officers.
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Sign out: and that's te manu korihi news
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Dargaville people are vowing to keep fighting the downgrading of the town's court. It's one of nine that will only be open on certain days, alongside another four regional district courts that the Government confirmed today are being closed for good. That's at the cost of 33 jobs, and disgruntled lawyers and regional leaders. Ian Telfer reports. PKG
Australia's former speaker of the House of Representatives, Peter Slipper, has won his bid to have the sexual harassment case against him thrown out. Mr Slipper stood aside from his post in April after his former staff member James Ashby made the accusations. The judge has ruled the case was an abuse of process, saying its purpose was to politically damage the speaker. Reporting from Canberra here's the ABC's Sabra Lane : PKG
A synthetic drug called 'crack' is being sold in dairies but the Associate Health Minister now promises testing to make sure it's safe. The legal high package features a picture of a glass pipe but nothing else about the product, other than a warning that says "use at your own risk". Mani Dunlop reports. PKG