0600 NEWS/SPORTS/WEATHER
0609 NZ NEWSPAPERS
0611 MāORI NEWS
0616 NEWS STORY: BUDGET POLICY STATEMENT - social policy researcher Charles Waldegrave critical of statement for lack of information about social policy, govt has yet to spell out what it's doing in areas of health, education, and poverty. (Bronwen Evans)
0621 RURAL NEWS
0626 SPORTS STORY: AUSTRALIAN SPORTS - i/v with correspondent Tim Gable. (controversy over TV coverage of Super League start last weekend) (Mng Rpt)
0630 NEWS/WEATHER
0636 NEWS STORY: BUDGET POLICY STATEMENT - Labour, Alliance, ACT all claim Treasurer Winston Peters has become new face of National Party. Mr Peters has announced smaller spending programme in next financial year, with some coalition initaitives being delayed. Comment from Winston Peters, Michael Cullen, Jim Anderton. (Stephen Parker)
0640 OVERSEAS NEWSPAPERS
0642 MANA NEWS
0651 BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL NEWS: FINANCE BUDGET POLICY STATEMENT essentially reshuffling of expenditure. No discernible reaction from markets, but some lively discussion. (Bronwen Evans) NZ POST - ERGO home finance company using Post Shops to conduct business. ERGO managing director Graham Meyer says some customers don't want purely telephone-based system and using Post Shops is also way of having branch network without cost of setting it up; NZ Post's group manager of consumer services says it's first stage of move into agency banking. (Mark Crysell) TRADERS' BONUSES - Bank of England worried about size of bonuses paid to British financial traders, feels some may see them as perverse incentive to gamble more of employers' money. (Gyles Beckford) BUSINESS BRIEFS TOURISM KICKBACKS - NZ Tourism Board calls on industry to get tough on kickbacks, says they have potential to damage industry and operators should report any secret commission deals to police. (Claire Silvester)
0700 INTRO/NEWS BUDGET POLICY STATEMENT confims $5 billion of new spending during coalition govt's term but bulk of it pushed back to election year. Superannuation surcharge to go and more money available for health in June budget. Live i/v with Labour's Michael Cullen and ACT's Rodney Hide. CRICKET - NZ captain Lee Germon dropped from team, first captain to be axed since Jeff Crowe in 1988. Live i/v with Cricket NZ chief exec Chris Doig. PHARMAC accused on not doing enough for AIDS sufferers despite announcing deal to fully subsidise new drug from next month, will also subsidise cystic fibrosis drug but sufferers upset at how long it's taken. (Paul Irons) GERMANY - ANTI NUCLEAR CAMPAIGNERS defy ban on demonstration and try to stop controversial cargo of nuclear waste, using road blocks and digging under rails and roads. Authorities launch biggest security operation since WWII. I/v with correpondent Geoff Rodoreda. (Mng Rpt) COOK ISLANDS TAX INQUIRY - unexpected outburst from European Pacific lawyer Richard Craddock who says Inquiry Commission staff have already decided his client committed fraud and closed their minds to other side of story. Maria Slade reports live.
0730 NEWS/WEATHER/SPORTS FINANCE update with Gyles Beckford. BUDGET POLICY STATEMENT pleases farmers and employer groups but is criticised by Opposition parties, who've dubbed Treasurer Winston Peters the "new face of the National Party". Live i/v with Winston Peters. TOURISM KICKBACKS - NZ Tourism Board believes some tourists may find cost of trip through NZ doubled because of illegal commissions. Comment from Board deputy chief exec Chris Ryan and exec director Inbound Tourism Organisations Council, Peter Lowry. (Claire Silvester); Rotorua mayor Grahame Hall says it's become widespread practice for some tourists, especially Koreans, to face bogus entry charges to tourist attractions in city. He's i/ved live. INTERNATIONAL PAPERS ALBANIA - EMERGENCY RULE - troops attempting to enforce rule in effort to stamp out violent unrest that has sent southern part of country out of control. President Sali Berisha re-elected for another 2 years. (BBC)
0800 NEWS/WEATHER BUDGET POLICY STATEMENT - Winston Peters message of fiscal prudence pleases exprters worried about inflation and the dollar althogh still concerned about spending "blow-out". Live i/v with Michael Barnett, chairof Chambers of Commerce and Industry; Grey Power welcomes confirmation that superannuation surcharge will go but superannuitants demanding more evidence that NZ First will live up to campaign promises. Live i/v with chair and super spokesman Ron Robertson. PARLIAMENT gets down to business after maiden speeches completed and heads into row over control of select committees. Comment from Jim Anderton, Wyatt Creech, Ken Shirley, Michael Cullen. (Kathryn Street) CRICKET - dumping of Lee Germon. I/v with commentator Bryan Waddle. (Mng Rpt) PUBLIC SERVICE - 5 new heads of dept sought - SSC, Justice, Youth Affairs, and Govt Superannuation Fund, Pacific Islands ministry - as govt economy drive gives notice that extra costs, including wage rises, won't be met by govt. Speculation top candidates might be hard to find as pressures build. Comment from former chair of Waitemata Health CHE, Lin Stoddart, policy analyst John Martin, and PSA secretary David Thorpe. (Karen Gregory-Hunt) DAVID LANGE involved in Australian High Court challege testing limits of free speech. Case relates to ABC "Four Corners" programme screened in 1990 which Mr Lange says protrayed him as corrupt politician unfit to hold public office. Live i/v with Lucy York, solicitor with Communications Law Centre in Sydney.
0830 NEWS/SPORTS CRICKET - series against England has been hard fought with 2-nil loss in test series and a drawn one-day competition. Live i/v with BBC commentator Jonathan Agnew. PUBLIC SERVICE - Don Hunn retiring as State Services Commissioner, i/ved live. PRIMARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS - NZ Council for Educational Research report shows teaching principals are burnt out and want to move on. (Al Morrison) SOCCER - jury in British match-rigging trial discharged after foreman tells judge it was unlikely to reach majority verdict. Former Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobelaar, former Winbledon keeper Hans Segers, former Aston Villa striker John Fashanu, and Malaysian businessman Heng Suan Lim all pleaded not guilty to conspiring to influence English premier league soccer matches. I/v with BBC journalist Jeremy Cook. (Mng Rpt) U.S. VICE PRESIDENT Al Gore defending role in fundraising for President Clinton's re-election, insists he broke no laws in pressing for political contributions. I/v with correspondent Martin Walker.