0600 News/Sport
0615 Good Morning "Rural" NZ: See Rural Report Rundown
0630 News/Weather/Macri News
0640 Report from our Mana News team
0645 Pacific Regional News: Ex RNZ International
0650 Business and financial news. David Jones
0700 NEWS BENEFITS - govt expected to announce special pre-Christmas bonus for some beneficiaries which it hopes will ease pressure on foodbanks. Comment from beneficiary and Salvation Army's Raewyn Fridd. (Karlum Lattimore) BENEFITS - live i/v with Labour leader Helen Clark. RESERVE BANK releases policy statement later today, expected to indicate underlying inflation will come close to top of targetted
0-2% range by next year. Live i/v with Business reporter David Hargreaves. MORTGAGE INTEREST RATES may rise after Reserve Bank anouncement but not as illegible as predicted, according to Real Estate Inst. Comment from president Kent Pried. (Corinne Ambler) COOK ISLANDS may be headed for currency crisis over demand for NZ dollars, although PM Sir Geoffrey Henry is downplaying situation. Two international banks in Rarotonga rationing NZ currency in conversion transaction to prevent potential run on currency. I/v with Sir Geoffrey Henry. (Elam Maua, Te Red) COOK ISLANDS - live i/v with Barbara Dreaver, acting editor of "Cook Islands News" about claims that Cooks are on verge of bankruptcy. POWER COMPANIES - Commerce Commission to spend next year keeping close watch on any anti-competitive behaviour between power companies, clears way for Mercury Energy to continue hostile take-over bid against Power New Zealand. Live i/v with Energy reporter Stephen Parker.
0730 NEWS/WEATHER/SPORT PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION - govt expected to announce its abolition today after only 18 months' existence, work to be taken over by Health ministry. Labour's Health spokesperson Lianne Dalziel comments. (Kathryn Street) PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION - live i/v with Prof Laurence Malcolm, WN School of Medicine. SCOTLAND - worst flooding in memory causing chaos. 3 people reported dead and more than 600 have to leave homes in worst affected areas around Glasgow. (Keith Chalkley) ASPAC/PAPERS
0800 NEWS/WEATHER RUSSIA - reports that Russian troops backed by helicopter gunships and planes have fought with Chechenya's separatist forces, in first direct clash between two sides. I/v with Moscow correspondent Tracy Sutherland. ENGLISH CURRICULUM released which Education ministry says addresses concerns of right and left wing alike. Earlier draft criticised on one hand for not paying enough attention to reading, writing and grammar, and on the other for not dealing with recism and sexism. Live i/v with Stuart Middleton, president of Assn for the Teaching of English. MāORI LANGUAGE YEAR to be launched at Beehive today. Live i/v with Māori Language Commissioner, Prof Timoti Karetu, about the status of the langugae and its future. ACC LEVIES - govt announces increases employers will be paying next year, up to 6%. ACC says it needs to increase revenue to cope with growing numbers and amounts of claims and to build up reserves. Treasury manager Darrin Goulding comments. (Peter Brittenden) FAST FERRY - Sea Shuttle crosses to Lyttelton to be put in dry dock so crack round jet intake can be repaired. Spokesperson Brooke McKenzie says it's more a warranty than marine safety issue and hopes vessel will return to WN later in week to complete Maritime Safety Authority requirements. (Lualemana Tino Pereira) UNITED STATES - FBI searching for serial bomber who posted parcel bomb to advertising exec who was killed by the explosion. FBI says signature on bomb fragments show at least 14 parcel bomb incidents over past 15 years are work of one person. (Judy Lessing) REGIONAL NEWS KIM HILL PREVIEW
0830 NEWS/SPORT GENERAL GRANT SHIPWRECK - live i/v with Cdr John Grattan, British salvage expert preparing expedition to retrieve gold from the wreck. AUSTRALIA - man accused of murdering 7 backpackers ordered to stand trial in Supreme Court. Lawyer claims client will be unable to get fair trial because of publicity case has attracted. (Phil Kafcaloudes) TELECOM claims customer services are better than ever despite rebuke from Consumer Affairs minister Katherine O'Regan that it shows disappointing performance for customers. (Mark Torley) COMMENT INDIA - live i/v with correspondent Ranjan Gupta about pressures facing govt of P V Narasimha Rao after ruling Congress party defeated in 3 of 4 states holding elections. OBITUARY - Frederick Turnovsky, Czech-born manufacturer and music patron.