National Radio Midday Report

Power Crisis – GE Crops – Maternity Services – Skyhawk Crash – Paragliding Accident – Dangerous Offender Release – Social & Economic Advice – Literacy Tests – Bluff Oysters – Trade Talks

POWER CRISIS: The Government and private sector are taking new steps to avoid a power crisis. After a meeting between the Government, Major Electricity Users Group and power energy producers and retailers eight key steps have been settled on.

GE CROPS: The Chair of the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification Sir Thomas Eichelbaum has moved to allay fears about how different crops could be protected if field trials of GE crops are introduced.

MATERNITY SERVICES: The Ministry of Health is pushing ahead with a plan to standardise maternity services by putting all GPs, Midwives and specialists on a standard contract.

SKYHAWK CRASH: An air force inquiry into a fatal Skyhawk crash in New South Wales has found it was caused by pilot error through over-work and chronic fatigue.

PARAGLIDING ACCIDENT: 12-year-old girl Nicola Collins, who was injured when she fell from a paraglider, has been transferred to hospital in Christchurch. She is described as being in a serious but stable condition. Investigators will be looking at the equipment and procedures of the paraglider operator.

DANGEROUS OFFENDER RELEASE: Justice Minister Phil Goff has welcomed a Court of Appeal decision about the holding dangerous offenders in jail beyond the usual two thirds of the sentence release date. The court declared that a convicted rapist known only as “S” is being held lawfully.

SOCIAL & ECONOMIC ADVICE: A fundamental rethink on how economic and social advice affects government spending is signalled two reports, one to be released this afternoon and one next week. The Treasury and Ministry of Social Policy are both advocating a shift in focus.

LITERACY TESTS: New tests are being developed to show more accurately how children are doing at primary school. The Government is committing $28 million dollars to the literacy tests.

BLUFF OYSTERS: The Bluff oyster season is drawing to a close, and is being described as successful despite the late start.

TRADE TALKS: The head of the World Trade Organisation, Mike Moore, has expressed doubt that proposed talks on global trade will have any success.

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