Checkpoint for THURS 12 MARCH 2009
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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The Governor of the Reserve Bank Alan Bollard has cut the Official Cash Rate by half a percentage point this morning to a new record low of 3 per cent. In response the dollar leapt by almost a cent to 51.4 US cents and banks cut a number of rates. Dr Bollard says interest rates need to stay high enough to attract foreign investors and he's mindful of the impact further cuts would have on savers here. CLIP
The Bank of New Zealand immediately passed on the full 50 basis points to businesses and farmers, Westpac focussed on householders while the ANZ National bank chose to pass the benefit to all three groups. David Reid reports. PKG
And our economics correspondent Nigel Stirling is with us now .... LIVE
Thirteen centres spanning the length of the country will play host to Rugby World Cup Games, with Auckland hosting more than double the games of any other centre.Rugby New Zealand 2011 announced the tournament's game schedules today. Rowan Quinn was at Eden Park for the announcement, and filed this report. PKG
The High Court in Chch has been told by a former top ambulance officer that David Bain did not display the classic signs of someone having suffered a fit or seizure.Today was the fifth day of the retrial of David Bain for the murders of his parents and three siblings in 1994. The jury has heard from emergency services staff who were first on the scene, on the morning of the killings.Monique Devereux is covering the trial, she joins me now...LIVE
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BUSINESS NEWS
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The ACC Minister Nick Smith has rejected accusations he has gagged the corporation, after turning up unexpectedly to a select committee hearing to stand in for the new board chairman who was off cycling. At the financial review of ACC this morning, Dr Smith answered a number of questions put to the corporation's chief executive Jan White, prompting a series of testy exchanges with Labour MPs.Here's our political editor Brent Edwards. PKG
The Māori Party MP Hone Harawira may try to broker a meeting between the Prime Minister and the two men charged with assaulting him at Waitangi this year.The scuffle happened outside the Waitangi marae as John Key arrived for his first welcome as Prime MInister on the fifth of February. John and Wikitana Popata are relatives of Mr Harawira.The pair appeared in court today in Kaitaia and pleaded not guilty. Our reporter Lois Williams was there. PRE-REC
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17.30 HEADLINES
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A Central Otago midwife has told a Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal how she felt like 'piggie in the middle' as she tried to broker a private adoption deal.The woman, who has name suppression, is facing charges of professional misconduct over plans for her client's unborn child to be adopted by members of her own family.The three day hearing has just wound up in Alexandra - our reporter Steve Wilde is there. LIVE
All contracts being considered by an Auckland City Council committee have been put on hold, after a council officer accepted a Christmas ham.The gift was from a company which had a tender in for a Council paving contract. 10 contracts, totaling more than a-hundred-million dollars are now under review.Ben Brown reports. PKG
The father of a New Zealand woman killed in Fiji in a snorkelling accident has condemned the lack of safety standards at tourist resorts and is applauding a move to hold resort owners criminally responsible.A Blenhem woman Rebecca Stockwell died after a boat propeller struck her on the head while she was swimming at Matamanoa Island Resort in Fiji in November 2007.The driver of the boat today received a suspended sentence of one year imprisonment for manslaughter. Ms Stockwell's father is Mark Crawley. PRE-REC
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WAATEA NEWS
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The Government says polluting dairy farmers are testing the patience of New Zealanders - but it's refusing to take action to get cows out of streams.This year's assessment of the Dairying and Clean Streams Accord between government, Fonterra and regional councils shows barely any gains.Environmental groups want a crack-down on offending cow cockies - but the agriculture minister says he'll leave it to the industry.Craig Ashworth has more. PKG
The police in Germany say they have no clues as to the motive behind a teenager's rampage through his former school and two small towns.The 17 year old killed 15 people before being gunned down by police, who later found a large cache of guns in the young man's home.The ABC's Barbara Miller reports. PKG
The police say they've made a large dent in the drugs trade south of Auckland, after the arrests of nine gang associates who've been charged with methamphetamine offences.But officers can't say where the drugs came from, and how those arrested came across them.Kim Baker Wilson reports.PKG
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