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 TUESDAY 20 JANUARY 2015
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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Parched farmers are agitating for Government action over freeing up water from Lake Tekapo, saying if they had alpine water they wouldn't be in such dire straits. They met the Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy inland from Ashburton today. But economic analysis has already dismissed irrigation from Tekapo as unfeasibly expensive. The eastern parts of the country are dry but, says Mr Guy, not yet to the point that the Government will declare a drought - which triggers financial relief measures. Some are questioning the delay. And one bank, ANZ today announced it will begin waiving some fees and freeing up short-term funding for farmers under duress. South Canterbury dry stock farmer Ivon Hurst, one of those who met with Mr Guy, says Opuha Dam is fast running out of water and tapping Lake Tekapo could prevent that. CUT Lake Tekapo is higher up than Opuha, and Federated Farmers' national President, William Rolleston, says an irrigation scheme for the lake has had resource consent in the past. CUT The Minister, Nathan Guy, told farmers this morning the Government wants more irrigation. Mr Guy is with us now. i/v
A Whanganui man who admits helping murderer and paedophile Phillip Smith get the passport he used to flee to Brazil, ended up having a meltdown and threatened to kill a police officer. Christopher Ryan Clifton appeared in the Whanganui District Court today charged with making a false representation under the Passports Act. But he's denied knowing anything about Smith's plot to flee while on temporary release from prison late last year. Our reporter Robin Martin has more. PKG
Frontline police officers are worried that they're not receiving enough training with their guns - with live fire training being replaced by video simulator exercises. Figures released to Radio New Zealand show the number of police firing their weapons in training each year has plummeted since the video simulators were introduced in 2012. And the organisation which represents police officers says it has serious concerns. Our political reporter Benedict Collins has more. PKG
Four children are lucky to be alive after trying to cross Nelson harbour in a blow-up boat, triggering a major rescue. All four ended up in hospital with hypothermia last night. None were wearing lifejackets. The Search and Rescue Coordinator, Constable Dave Cogger is with us now. i/v
In Kenya, riot police have used tear gas on children as young as eight, who were protesting about the sale of their playground to a private developer. Several children were hurt and had to be taken to hospital. The pupils had returned to their school after a two-week break to find the play area fenced off. The ABC's Sarah Sedghi reports. PKG
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17.30 HEADLINES
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17.35 MARKET UPDATE
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A police chase turned into a police escort for a speeding midwife taking a woman in heavy labour, to a Far North hospital yesterday morning. Naomi Waldron had refused to pull over for an unmarked police car as she reached speeds of 140 kilometres per hour on the open road, rushing the mother to Kaitaia Hospital. Mongonui woman Rachael Tau had called her because she had no way to get to hospital. But there was little time as Ms Waldron arrived at Ms Tau's house to find she had rapidly gone into heavy labour. i/v
Businesses are hiring more staff as they continue to feel upbeat about 2015. The New Zealand Institute of Economic Research's December quarterly survey has found a net 21 percent of firms expect economic conditions to improve in the next six months. Principal Economist Shamubeel Eaqub says those confidence levels are unchanged from the previous quarter. But he says looking underneath that, there's been a lift in trading activity. i/v
There are conflicting accounts of how a stand off between guards and asylum seekers on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island came to an end. A PNG official says the chief migration officer went into the facility's Delta compound where detainees were protesting against refugees being resettled in PNG. He's said to have negotiated an end to the action without any serious injuries. But that's not what happened according to refugee advocates. The head of the refugee action coaliation, Ian Rintoul says security guards forcibly entered the compound and detained a number of people. CUT The ABC's Papua New Guinea correspondent Liam Cochrane is with us. i/v
The Prime Minister says the Government will make a decision in the next month or so about whether to send forces to Iraq to train troops there in the fight against Islamic insurgents. John Key has met with his British counterpart David Cameron and the British opposition leader, Ed Miliband while in London. Here's our political reporter, Chris Bramwell. PKG
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Plant and Food Research is focussing on recruiting Maori students to fulfil a growing need for specialist skills in horticulture and food science.
It's also working with Maori communities around the country to get rangatahi interested in the industry.
From Te Manu Korihi News - Mani Dunlop reports.
PLAY AUDIO: cnn SCIENCE-PKG
IN WE WILL GO UP TO THE...
OUT FOR CHECKPOINT, MANI DUNLOP.
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Pope Francis has supported the right of parents to choose the size of their families, saying good Roman Catholics don't have to - ' be like rabbits'. Speaking to reporters on his flight home from the Philippines the Pope says there are plenty of church-approved ways to regulate births and the church supports safe, responsible parenthood. He's suggested three children would be a good number to have. But despite the pontiff's characteristicly frank language , he also strongly defended the 1968 Humanae Vitae, teaching which clearly states the Church's opposition to artificial birth control. Dennis Doyle is a religious studies professor at the University of Dayton. i/v
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Presenter: Liz Banas, Jim Mora
Editor: Phil Pennington
Deputy editor: Jo Leavesley
Producers: Mei Heron, Sharon Brettkelly, Kim Savage