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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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The government has told Fiji's acting High Commissioner here to get out of the country. The move's in direct response to Fiji's military leader giving New Zealand and Australia's top diplomats 24 hours to leave claiming they were harrassing and interfering with the country's judiciary.New Zealand's acting Head of Mission in Fiji Todd Cleaver and Australia's High Commissioner James Batley were told to go last night at seven o'clock.Commodore Frank Bainimarama told Radio Tarana in Auckland he had no regrets. CLIP This afternoon Fiji's head diplomat in Wellington Kuliniasi (ko-loony-ahssi) Savu was told to leave. Here's Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully
PRE-REC Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully
Australia's Foreign Minister, has announced Fiji's top envoy there will also be sent back to Suva.In making the announcement Stephen Smith called Fiji's conduct 'deeply regrettable'.Radio Australia's Linda Mottram joins us live from Canberra. LIVE
Auckland's bus drivers have refused a pay offer by NZ Bus - opening up the possiblity of more commuter chaos.
The Auckland Combined Unions had recommended its members accept an increase of 11-point-5 percent over three years.But the drivers rejected the offer, saying it's still not enough. CLIP NZ Bus and the union representing drivers have been in neogiations for several months - and last month's industrial action saw the drivers locked out for a week. This lead to financial strife for some - who unsuccessfully pushed for the pay offer to be accepted today.
CLIP NZ Bus refused to come on this evening's programme - but in a statement General Operations Manager Zane Fulljames says the decision by union members "completely beggars belief." Joining us now is a spokesperson for Auckland Combined Unions, Karl Andersen.
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1720 TRAILS AND BUSINESS WITH
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The Government's ailing finances have fallen further into the red with an operating deficit for the first three months of the financial year almost double what was forecast.The Treasury says the Government accounts posted a two billion dollar operating deficit in the three months to the end of September.In the May Budget the deficit for the quarter was forecast to be one-point-one billion dollars.I spoke to our political editor Brent Edwards about why the deficit was worse than expected. PRE-REC
Three Lower Hutt women with Mongrel Mob connections who are fighting eviction from their state homes are fast running out of legal options.The Tenancy Tribunal alonng with the District and High Courts have all found the eviction notices to be lawful.However, the High Court has given the women one final opportunity to have the decision overturned. Our Court reporter Ann Marie May attended today's hearing and joins us now. LIVE
An air safety investigation's been launched in Australia after a Qantas jet made its approach to land at the country's busiest airport without its landing gear down.The airline's stood down the two pilots pending the investigation's outcome.The ABC's Shane McLeod reports from Sydney : PKG
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17.30 HEADLINES
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The Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee is trying to play down off-the-cuff comments he made about a controversial West Coast hydro dam project.Mr Brownlee has delighted conservationists with his remarks that the Mokihinui scheme is a no-go - even though a resource consent decision has still to be made. Others are accusing the Minister of a foot-in-mouth gaffe. Geoff Moffett reports. PKG
Auckland house prices are almost at a two year high. According to real estate agents Barfoot & Thompson, the average house price rose nearly 6 percent in October, to a 22 month record.The average sale price last month was just over 5-hundred-and-44 thousand dollars. (544,745)Weekly rent has also seen the highest monthly increase in seven years. Joinging us now is the Managing Director of Barfoot and Thompson, Peter Thompson. LIVE
A person has been killed in a house fire near the remote settlement of Little Akaloa on Banks Peninsula.
It was one of two serious blazes in Canterbury today, as strong, hot north-westerly winds ripped through the province, creating the perfect environment for fires. Our Christchurch reporter Jessica Maddock joins us now. LIVE
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17.45 TRAILS
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WAATEA
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Returning to our top story.The Foreign Affairs Minister has announced that Fiji's acting High Commissioner to New Zealand has been declared persona-non-grata and will be expelled.The move's in direct response to Fiji's military leader giving New Zealand and Australia's top diplomats 24 hours to leave claiming they were harrassing and interfering with the country's judiciary which had to be protected from bullying.The President of the Fiji Law Society Dorsami Naidu says that's rubbish. PRE-REC
There's growing confidence in the dairy industry following another rise in the whole milk powder price, which has shot up a masive 88-percent in the past four months.In Fonterra's on-line auction this morning, the average price rose 13-point-7 percent, to more than 3-thousand-400 US dollars a tonne.It points to a likely increase in Fonterra's forecast payout to farmers.Andrew McRae filed this report. PKG
Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt says he is standing by his comments that his attempts to oust the deputy mayor could leave "blood on the floor". The mayor left councilors aghast last night, telling them at a full council meeting he'd "completely lost confidence" in Neil Boniface and would be seeking to replace him. This was further fueled when the councilor that the Mayor had asked to take the deputy's position; declined to do so, sparking Tim Shadbolt to say he had also lost confidence in him. That Councilor, Geoff Piercy says he thinks Shadbolt is jealous of Boniface CLIP Councilor Geoff Piercy. Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt joins us now