0600 NEWS/SPORTS/WEATHER
0609 NZ NEWSPAPERS
0611 MāORI NEWS
0616 NEWS STORY: PAPUA NEW GUINEA - CRISIS - 4 cabinet ministers quit, Governor General calls for PM Sir Julius Chan to step down until inquiry held into mercenary deal. At least 2 protests planned in Port Moresby today. I/v with AAP correspondent Pau Ruffini.(Eric Frykberg)
0621 RURAL NEWS
0626 SPORTS STORY: CRICKET - one-day match between Sri Lanka and NZ to be played today in CH, one planned last weekend in AK called off because of bad weather. Live i/v with commentator Bryan Waddle.
0630 NEWS/WEATHER
0636 NEWS STORY: WATER - Papakura District Council votes to give permission for Anglo-French consortium to lease district's water services for next 50 years. Several members of public ejected from meeting after protesting loudly. Mayor David Hawkins comments, also opposing councillor Glen Archibald. (Andrew Fleming)
0640 OVERSEAS NEWSPAPERS
0642 MANA NEWS
0651 BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL NEWS: MARKETS/FINANCE WIND POWER - AK-based Vortec Energy plans to have public share offer in May after which it will list on Stock Exchange. Company has designed wind turbine capable of producing electrcity 6-8 times more efficiently than conventional turbines. (Gyles Beckford) JAPAN - INVESTMENT - Natwest Gartmore investment manager based in Tokyo, Andrew Hasegawa, optimistic about prospects, but it seem ordinary investors like what they see in NZ. (Gyles Beckford) FINANCIAL POLICING - issue of how long world markets can continue with ill-defined and light supervision raised in wake of more financial scandals. Kenneth Curtis, Deutsche Morgan Grenfell in Tokyo, says regulation last thing that's needed, and transparency is a better approach. SCOTCH WHISKY - British Serious Fraud Office investigating companies which have been persuading investors to part with large sums of money for barrels or cask of whisky. Campbell Evans, Scotch Whisky Assn, says investors being charged prices well in excess of market rate. WALLIS INQUIRY report into Australia's financial sector expected to be released next week, will recommend ways of enhancing competition and improving regulation. BUSINESS BRIEFS
0700 INTRO/NEWS EUTHANASIA - Australian federal Senate passes Bill overturning Northern Territory legislation allowing voluntary euthanasia. (Zandra Sharpe); live i/v with Jack Jones, spokesman for NZ's Voluntary Euthanasia Society. CANNABIS - police swoop on remote site in Whanganui National Park, cracking "biggest and most sophisticated" operation ever found in NZ, say gang syndicate behind operation. Live i/v with officer in charge of operation, Insp Jeff Holloway. PAPUA NEW GUINEA - CRISIS - military demand for PM Sir Julius Chan to resign expires today. Police will be an alert in Port Moresby to try to prevent repeat of last week's riots. Comment from Brig Gen Singirok, Mark Lillman of PM's office, AAP's Paul Ruffini. (Eric Frykberg) WATER - privatisation in NZ moves closer with Papakura Council voting to hand over water supply management to British-French consortium United. Live i/v with head of Papakura Residents' Assn, Ross Vickery, against the deal. NORTHERN IRELAND - Maze prison officials discover escape tunnel running from block housing IRA members. (Keith Chalkley)
0730 NEWS/WEATHER/SPORTS FINANCE update with Gyles Beckford. TAXATION - report showing that upper income households, rather than the poor would be beneficiaries of coalition spending plans sparks debate on tax system. Comment from Alliance leader Jim Anderton, ACT MP Rodney Hide and Simon Arnold ManFed. (Bronwen Evans); live i/v Treasurer Winston Peters. INTERNATIONAL PAPERS OSCARS ceremony in Los Angeles tonight. Fans have been camping out at Shrine Auditorium since weekend. Live i/v with correspondent Richard Arnold.
0800 NEWS/WEATHER EUTHANASIA - overturning of Northern Territory legislation raises possibility of one of Australia's states (rather than a territory) passing its own legislation which would be more difficult for federal govt to overturn. I/v with Dr Rodney Syme, Victoria's Voluntary Euthanasia Society, re why federal Bill went through. CANNABIS bust in Whanaganui National Park - police say they were faced with armed guards carrying hand guns and semi-automatic weapons, with their own helicopter. Health experts and police say there's growing, incidence of cannabi use, leading to more sophisticated profession production of drug. (Mark Henderson) PAPUA NEW GUINEA - CRISIS - PM Sir Julius Chan adamant he won't step down. Liv i/v with Prof Ted Wolfers, Univ of Woolongong. WATER - Papakura District mayor David Hawkins defends deal handing over illegible of water supply to foreign multinational. SPREADABLE BUTTER - NZ launching second campaign in bid to resolve row with European Union. Trade minister Lockwood Smith confirms NZ to lodge formal complaint with World Trade Orgn, following earlier move by Dairy Board to take case to European Court of Justice. (Stephen Hewson); live i/v with Nigel Mitchell, Dairy Board.
0830 NEWS/SPORTS TEEN DRINKING - calls for govt to put more money into programmes for young people with drinking problems. Comment from Gerry Bunn, Queen Mary Centre, illegible Rudd WN Hospital A&E, Graeme Marshall, PPTA Principals' Cl, and college student Danja Sanovic. (Clare Sziranyi); live i/v with Youth Affairs minister Deborah Morris. SHOP HOURS - ACT calls for end to all restrictions. Justice spokesperson Patricia Schnauer announces party's campaign to repeal current laws. Comment also from Alliance industrial relations spokesperson Laila Harre and Labour minister Max Bradford. (Stephen Parker) ENVIRONMENT - 4 US senators in NZ to look at how NZ manages natural resources and environment. I/v with leader, Republican Senator Frank Mukowski. (Mng Rpt) TEACHERS' PAY - govt refuses immediate salary increase for primary teachers. Last year's rise for secondary teachers mean primary teachers with same experience and qualifications now earning up to $7,000 less. Why did govt say no? Comment from NZEI president Bill Noble, PPTA president Martin Cooney, Education minister Wyatt Creech. (Al Morrison) BRITAIN - MIDDLE CLASS attitudes revealed in fly-on-wall documentary screened on Channel 4 tonight. I/v with producer Paul Watson. (Mng Rpt)