Checkpoint is a drive-time news and current affairs programme on Radio New Zealand National. It broadcasts nationwide every weekday evening for two hours and covers the day’s major national and international stories, as well as business, sport and Māori news. This recording covers the first hour. The following rundown is supplied from the broadcaster’s news system:
Checkpoint FOR THURS 5 JUNE 2014
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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John Banks has been found guilty over the campaign donation he declared anonymous when he knew it came from Kim Dotcom. But his lawyer asked for the conviction NOT to be entered so he holds on to his seat in Parliament in the meantime. He'll be sentenced in August the day after the House rises before the election and if convicted he'll automatically lose the Epsom seat. He's already said he's getting out of politics. As he entered the High Court in Auckland this afternoon he told reporters he was feeling strong. Afterwards he said he was surprised at the verdict and repeated that from day one he's said he would never knowingly file a false return. Justice Wylie though was in no doubt over Mr Dotcom's 50 thousand dollar donation to Banks' 2010 Auckland mayoralty campaign.
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The judge rejected the defence suggestion the case was a conspiracy against the veteran politician.
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The judge said it was possible John Banks didn't know about Sky City's 15 thousand dollar donation being recorded as anonymous in the electoral return. But that wasn't the case with Mr Dotcom's 50 thousand dollar donation.
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After the verdict, John Banks spoke to reporters outside the court.
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He faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison or a fine of 10 thousand dollars.
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Banks did not return our calls. His lawyer David Jones refused to make any comment to Checkpoint, including on whether he would appeal. The Crown prosecutor also wouldn't come on the programme and nor would the police who earlier chose not to prosecute Banks. We'll hear shortly from the retired accountant who took the prosecution. But first, our reporter Edward Gay was in court for the verdict and is with us now.
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The ACT Party says it's very disappointed with the guilty verdict in the Banks' case . We'll hear from the party president later. Graham McCready who took the private prosecution against John Banks says the guilty verdict was no suprise to him.
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The former directors of Strategic Finance have escaped all legal action over the company's collapse after signing a deal with receivers and the industry regulator. Along with the company's former auditor, BDO Spicers, they've agreed to pay 22 million dollars to investors - that's just 5 cents for every dollar invested. In return, the Financial Markets Authority and receivers, PWC, have signed the agreement which states there is no admission of liability by any party involved, and that all civil action being taken against the former directors will be dropped. The company went into receivership four years ago owing almost 400 million dollars to about 11 thousand investors. Ryan Bridge reports.
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1720 TRAILS AND BUSINESS with Jenny Ruth
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Netball's most capped international player, Irene van Dyk, has announced her retirement.
She's played 217 tests over 20 years, including 145 matches for New Zealand. She helped the Silver Ferns win the World Championships in 2003 and the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2006 and 2010. The Silver Ferns coach Waimarama Taumaunu says she understands and respects van Dyk's decision to quit which has come just seven weeks out from the Silver Ferns bid to win a third Commonwealth gold . Van Dyk says its been an agonising time .
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17. 30 HEADLINES
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The ACT Party is backing John Banks despite him being found guilty of knowingly filing a false electoral return over a 50 thousand dollar donation he got from Kim Dotcom. Today's verdict does not remove him from Parliament, because any conviction won't take place till sentencing on August the first, the day after the House rises before the election. The Government says the former ACT party leader can remain in Parliament and exercise his vote until then. Banks faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison or a fine of 10 thousand dollars. The ACT Party president John Thompson says the guilty verdict is very disappointing.
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The Christchurch City Council says it has broken the back of the flood problems that have afflicted the city this year. Today it has outlined a range of responses to help relieve vulnerable residents including a pump station that will be up and running in the Flockton Basin area within eight weeks. The council's land drainage manager, Mike Gillooly, is with us now.
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Team New Zealand is accepting the rule changes to the America's Cup and says it's time to get on with the job. At the next contest in 2017 - the 72-foot catamarans with crews of 11 sailors will be replaced with 62-footers and crews of eight. The current holders of the Cup, Oracle, will also be able to have a second boat and the challengers will not. Team New Zealand's Managing Director is Grant Dalton.
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17. 45 MANU KORIHI with Eru Rerekura
Kia ora mai, good evening,
A former board member claims people aren't being adequately cared for at the country's only kaupapa Māori intellectually disabled trust.
An independent auditor's been appointed to Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau after accusations by New Zealand First's Winston Peters that the organisation has misused its funding.
Shane Te Pou, who previously served on the trust's board, says the problems are affecting people being cared for.
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Shane Te Pou says he's been told a client couldn't leave the residential centre to visit relatives, unless the whānau provided gas money.
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A central plateau trust's planning to send some of its people to to study at the University of California, Berkeley.
Tuaropaki Trust represents several Mōkai subtribes, which affiliate to Ngāti Raukawa and Ngāti Tūwharetoa.
Its business portfolio includes geothermal power generation, dairy farming and horticulture.
The trust is interested in expertise on Agricultural and Resource Economics as well as the University's Food Institute.
It says it's oworking on developing a partnership with Berkeley, which would help it develop a food project.
The trust says it wants to create a fair and sustainable food system and feed struggling families.
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A kaupapa Māori teacher says a lot of indigenous peoples around the world are emulating what Māori are doing in education.
Raina Ferris was one of several representatives from Aotearoa to attend the World Indigenous Peoples' Conference on Education in Hawai'i last month.
About 400 people gave presentations over the week, with people attending from 14 different nations.
She says Maori are leading the way in indigeous education systems from Kōhanga Reo to tertiary education and are a beacon for other native peoples.
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A Rangitīkei based iwi, a Māori incorporation and local Pākehā farmers will be working together to run the historic Flock House farm near Bulls.
AgResearch has completed the sale of its Flock House farm to Ngā Waiāriki - Ngāti Apa for an undisclosed sum.
The farm was brought by Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Apa, in partnership with Ātihau-Whanganui Incorporation and Waitatapia Station Limited and farming will be carried out by Te Hou Farms Limited Partnership.
The Ngāti Apa Developments Chairman, Toko Kapea, says he looks forward to proving that a partnership of Māori and non-Māori interests can work together successfully to create value and growth for themselves and for the region.
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Toko Kapea of Ngāti Apa.
And that's Te Manu Korihi news.
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Some of the worst and best performing regional economies in the country have been detailed in a new report out today. The Minister of Economic Development Steven Joyce launched the 2014 Regional Economic Activity Report in Tauranga this afternoon. Natalie Mankelow reports .
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Presenter: Mary Wilson
Editor: Maree Corbett
Deputy editor: Phil Pennington
Producers: Mei Yeoh, Michael Allan