WELLINGTON CENTRAL POLL: The Evening Post leads with a report that ACT leader Richard Prebble is facing defeat in Wellington Central later this year and needs National's help if he is to survive. An opinion poll of the electorate shows Labour with 40% of party vote and National 37%. In the electorate vote Marion Hobbs is on 34%, Richard Prebble is on 30% and "the National candidate" - as yet unpicked - has 15%.

SHEEP: The front-page photo shows a flock of sheep being caught in Ngauranga Gorge.

Also on the front page:

- FREE PHONE SEX: a report that Free R18 telephone chat lines are being used by gangs to recruit teenagers, police say.

- BOY HERO: a report that an eight-year-old Dunedin boy has been hailed a hero by police after he steered his mother's car at 120kmh as she lay unconscious in the driver's seat;

- HAWKESBY: a report that the PM is backing off allegations TVNZ paid $1 million to its former newsreader John Hawkesby.

Inside:

- ECONOMY: Treasury says we are better off
- TRADE: Storm gathers as WTO battle moves to APEC talks;
- NZQA: Former NZQA chief defends payout and expenses;
- TOURISM BOARD: Former Tourism Board directors Michael Wall and Bryan Mogridge will get to keep some of their payments;
- POLL SHOCK:Opinion polls show contradictory results;
- WINEBOX: Winston Peters Wine-box legal aid is already $1.45 million;
- WELLINGTON CITY: Wellington City staff face sack for leaks

CAPITAL COAST HEALTH: The editorial discusses Leo Mercer and Capital Coast Health

© Scoop Media

Alastair Thompson

Scoop Publisher

Alastair Thompson is the co-founder of Scoop. He is of Scottish and Irish extraction and from Wellington, New Zealand. Alastair has 24 years experience in the media, at the Dominion, National Business Review, North & South magazine, Straight Furrow newspaper and online since 1997. He is the winner of several journalism awards for business and investigative work.

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