0600 NEWS/WEATHER
0609 NZ NEWSPAPERS
0611 NEWS STORY LAMB EXPORTS - U.S. - Labour's Agriculture spokesman Jim Sutton calls for President Clinton to stay away from APEC talks following US decision to restrict importsof NZ and Australian lamb. Mr Sutton says although govt lobbied intensively before decision announced, it only succeeded in making matter worse - he's i/ved live. SIERRA LEONE - AMNESTY - UN Secretary General Kofi Annan visits following signing of peace agreement but UN has doubts about wide-ranging amnesty provsions in agreement, saysing they shouldn't apply to genocide and war crimes. (BBC) illegible RURAL NEWS LAMB EXPORTS - U.S. - Wairarapa sheep farmer Roger Barton says restrictions announced by US will hurt his business. He has contracts for direct supply of lamb to US market, says unless UA sheep farmers address basic inefficiencies in their industry, they'll be no better off when restrictions are lifted. (Diana Leufkens); Cathy Cummins, American Sheep Producers; Assn, says NZ sheep producers should understand American farmers had to seek protection; Hawkes Bay agricultural contractor Tom Duley expresses sympathy for US point of view, convinced NZ exporters have been undercutting American prices as they have done in other markets; Meat Industry Assn dispute undercutting claim. Exec director Brian Lynch says only 20-30% of NZ lamb sent to US competes directly with American product in supermarkets and prices vary depending on retailers' policies. (Kevin Ikin) LAmB EXPORTS - U.S. - AUSTRALIAN industry calls for transTasman action to challenge US govt's decision to restrict lamb imports. Ian Donges, president of National Farmers' Fedn, says co-ordinated effort offers best chance of reversing US position. Peter Barnard, Meat and Livestock Australia, says both countries need to work together to argue case at World Trade Orgn.
0625 SPORTS STORY illegible - ALL BLACKS/SPRINGBOKS match tomorrow in DN, first tri-nations test. Live i/v with commentator John McBeth.
0630 NEWS/WEATHER
0635 NEWS STORY NORWAY - FERRY FIRE - ammost 1200 people evacuated from blazing passenger ferry Prinsesse Ragnhilde off Swedish coast. I/v with Swedish journalist Anders Hellberg, author of book on 1994 sinking of ferry Estonia. (Mng Rpt) INTERNATIONAL PAPERS MANA MāORI: MāORI AFFAIRS - a look at Tau Henare's performance in portfolio.
0648 BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL NEWS BRIERLEY INVESTMENTS - new chief exec Greg Terry says he's betting his own future on company getting back to former success. Mr Terry currently vice chair for Pacific region of Credit Suisse First Boston, says he'll be more of strategist than a turn-around manager. (Helen Matterson) EMPOWER, independent electricity retailer, upset at United Networks bid to give up job of providing customer services for line matters to its customers, says United wants it to take over all dealings with customers and that's unnecessary and costly duplication of services. Director Andrew Hawken says Empower purely power retailer and shouldn't be forced to take role involving line services. United's customer services manager Mary Botcher responds. (Todd Niall) FINANCE/MARKETS MARKET REVIEW SPORTS SPENDING - Business Roundtable report criticises local bodies for spending public money on special sporting events and facilities such as stadia. Report's author, Tyler Cowen of George Mason Univ, in US, says benefits to wider community don't exist. BRT exec director Roger Kerr says report raises questions about consultants used by councils when they want to justify spending public money into big projects. (Bronwen Evans) ADIDAS/ALL BLACKS - new sponsorship deal between sportswear company Adidas and All Blacks seen as meeting of two of world's biggest brands. Comment from Adidas president Robert Louis-Dreyfus. (Barry Guy) Y2K - BANKING INDUSTRY reassures businesses and public it's prepared for any milennium computer glitches. Advertising campaign about to start that includes guarantee of security of savings and banking services. Y2K spokesman Colin MacDonald comments. (Helen Matterson) N.Z. SALMON plans to buy communications company. Since getting out of salmon interest in Chile, company has been little more than cashed-up shell. Deal will involve communications business ending up with controlling stake in NZ Salmon. (illegible Matterson) BUSINESS BRIEFS
0700 INTRO/NEWS LAMB EXPORTS - U.S. - trade dispute over lamb exports to US will now be thrashed out before World Trade Orgn. US imposing 9% tariff on lamb exports within existing levels and 40% tariff on shipments over current tonnage, although those tariffs will fall over time. PM Jenny Shipley says it's not acceptable, but US ambassador Josiah Beeman seesit differently; live i/v with PM Shipley. LAMB EXPORTS - U.S. - AUSTRALIAN govt announces it will give lamb producers financial helping hand. Live i/v with Mark Vaile, incoming Trade minister. LAMB EXPORTS - U.S. - live i/v with Audrae Ericson, American Farm Bureau. RUGBY - ALL BLACKS/SPRINGBOKS - DN gripped by rugby fever in lead up to Tri-Nations test. Comment from mayor Sukhi Turner, DN businessman Eion Edgar, Springboks captain Gary Teichmann, and All Blacks captain Taine Randell. (Graham McKerracher)
0730 NEWS/WEATHER NZ PAPERS FINANCE UPDATE RUGBY - ALL BLACKS/SPRINGBOKS - first Tri-Nations test tomorrow at Carisbrooke. Live i/v with All Blacks assistant coach Peter Sloane and Springboks assistant coach Alan Solomons. IRAQ - EXPULSION - NZ mine-clearing expert Ian Broughton, accused of trying to sabotage country's agriculture, has left country. UN investigated Iraq's claims he'd buried locust eggs but found he couldn't have because he wasn't in area at time alleged offence occurred. I/v with John Mill, spokesman for office of Iraq progamme at UN in New York. (Mng Rpt) NATIONAL PARTY CONFERENCE this weekend in WN, delegates expecting sneak preview of election campaign plan. Some say conference has to put National back on the front foot. Comment from Sir William Birch, Jeff Grant, John Jensen and Kate Hazlett. (Stephen Harris) U.S. - TOBACCO INDUSTRY DEFEAT - Miami court rules it was selling product it knew caused fatal illnesses. In industry's most sweeping defeat, jury decided cigarette-makers conspired to "misrepresent information relating to the health effects of cigarette smoking". Case filed on behalf of half-million Florida smokers and is firs time a class action lawsuit has got to trial. Wall St analysts predict it will eventually be overturned. Live i/v with correspondent Richard Quest.
0800 NEWS/WEATHER LAMB EXPORTS - U.S. - ambassador Josiah Beeman downplaying impact of US restrictions on lamb trade, says NZ must keep situation in perspective and NZ's lamb exports to US have more than tripled since 1992 - he's i/ved live; Prof Ralph Lattimore, Lincoln Univ international trade policy expert, says US move has no logic behind it - i/ved. (Mng Rpt) SPORTS SPENDING - Business Roundtable report says there's no economic justification for putting public money into sports stadia or special events like the Americas Cup. Comment from WN mayor Mark Blumsky, former AK mayor Les Mills, BRT's Roger Kerr, and Craig Little, Americas Cup event. (Bronwen Evans) IRAQ - EXPULSION - live i/v with Elizabeth Broughton, mother of NZer accused of burying locust eggs to sabotage Iraqi agriculture. INTERNATIONAL PAPERS CHILDREN'S RIGHTS - advocates for children and young people want all cabinet papers and legislative proposals to include statement of impact they would have on children, say children forgotten when important policy decisions made and so NZ slipping behind other OECD countries in caring for its young people. Conference in DN examining NZ's record on children's rights. Commentf rom Dr Ian Hassell, Children's Agenda, Anne Smith of Children's Issues Centre, Cindy Kiro of Massey Univ, and teenagers. (Shona Geary) illegible NEWS/WEATHER ELLIS CASE - 5 Appeal Court judges hearing Peter Ellis' second appeal, against convictions for sexually abusing children, reserve decision. Live i/v with reporter Tama Muru who's been covering the hearing. NIGERIAN FRAUD SCHEME - NZ Post says it's intercepted 100,000 letters in past year from Nigerian fraudsters asking NZers to invest in bogus "get rich quick' schemes. Australian Inst of Criminology report says scam has expanded to become vast operation with links to organised crime around world. (Mark Torley) DANGEROUS DOGS - Hamilton residents warned not to approach 2 dangerous dogs loose in areas. One believed to be pitbull cross and the other Staffordshire cross killed 7 sheep before trying to attack dog ranger. Pitbull wounded and very aggressive. Live i/v with city council spokesman Curt Christiansen. EMPOWER, one of smallest players in electricity supply market, crying foul over stance taken by United Networks, country's biggest line company. says United wants to blur separation between network and power supply markets. Comment from Enterprise and Commerce minister Max Bradford, Consumers' Inst head David Russell, Empower's Andrew Hawkins, and Mary Botcher of United Networks. (Todd Niall) WEEKEND WEATHER illegible - live i/v with Phil Kafcaloudes. (lamb exports; unemployment falls; Great Barrier Reef threatened; Papua New Guinea)