***** CKPT RUNDOWN MONDAY JANUARY 23 *******
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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Investigators and insurance assessors have spent the afternoon picking through the pieces at the scene of a huge blaze at a plastics recycling plant Pacific Plastics Recycling in Otaki, north of Wellington. Claire Crawford reports. PKGE
Interview with Peter Thorne - an executive member of Recycling Operators New Zealand.
LIVE
A leading Crown Research Institute, Industrial Research Limited, is denying its debt is set to escalate. Briefing papers to the government show IRL continued to make losses last year, and warn the company risks being unable to pay interest on its debt - which stood at around 25 million dollars. But IRL says recent redundancies mean it WILL be able to meet the interest payments. And it expects to significantly reduce its debt this year through asset sales and increased revenue from companies it has helped set up. IRL's chairperson Liz Coutts, AUDIO CUT. Interview with Paul Callaghan, a professor of physical sciences at Victoria University. LIVE
The Iranian Ambassador to New Zealand says imposing sanctions against Iran over its nuclear activities would harm the international community. The US is demanding the United Nations Security Council, which has the power to impose sanctions, promptly confront Iran over its nuclear ambitions. The Iranian Ambassador, Kambiz Sheikh-Hassani (pron: com-beez
shay kah-sah-knee) talks to Checkpoint's Helen Vaughan. PREREC
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1720 BUSINESS NEWS WITH PATRICK O'MEARA
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Staying with money... An international housing affordability survey has confirmed houses in New Zealand's main centres are extremely unaffordable. The survey rates the affordability of one hundred urban property markets in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Ireland. It shows affordability by working out how many years it would take, with the median household income, to buy a house at the median price. The co-author of the survey, Hugh Pavletich joins me now. LIVE
CUT Advance Australia Fair....The New South Wales government wants the National Anthem sung by schools every day as an antidote to the Cronulla riots. The New South Wales premier, Morris Iemma, has announced the creation of Australian Values units in public primary schools in a bid he says to teach respect and responsibility to the state's youth. But Australian teachers are pouring scorn on the idea. Joining us now is the deputy president of the New South Wales Teachers Federation, Angelo Gavrielatos. LIVE
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1730 HEADLINES
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SPORTS NEWS WITH STEPHEN HEWSON
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New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns has announced his retirement from international cricket. Cairns retired from Test cricket in 2004 but has continued to represent the Black Caps in the one-day arena, making 215 appearances. I asked him whether it was an emotional move, deciding to leave international cricket. PREREC
Canada is on the eve of an election expected to hand power to Conservative opposition leader Stephen Harper after 12 years of Liberal rule. Polls have consistently put the Conservatives ahead of Prime Minister Paul Martin's Liberals. CBC's Tedd Poppe (poppy) says the polls are showing that Canadians are finally ready to make a change. PREREC
There's a new approach to book and DVD loan in Christchurch. Upper Riccarton residents are flocking to a New Zealand first - a library in a school that's open to everyone...students and locals alike And it even has a cafe. It's been built by the Christchurch City Council in
partnership with Riccarton High School. Our reporter Kelly Johnston was one of around a hundred people gathered outside the library at 9 o'clock this morning, waiting for the doors to open. PKGE
Still to come on Checkpoint....we talk to the New Zealand director who's wowing audiences at Robert Redford's Sundance film festival. But first with the latest Māori news - here's Eru Rerekura. BULLETIN
A New Zealand director's debut film has received standing ovations at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah. Toa Frasers' "No. 2", is the story of a woman who - inspired by her
childhood in Fiji - demands that her grandchildren put on a feast, at which she plans to name her successor. he film was one of 16 selected to play at the Sundance festival which began over the weekend. Toa Fraser says he's blown away by the reaction the film has been getting.
PREREC
It's enough to make a good southern man gasp. The newly opened Speights Ale House in Wanaka failed to get its liquour license on time - so despite the name, it has had to serve water and coca cola instead of the usual pint. I spoke to the bars' owner Michael
Cates who told me what went wrong. PREREC