National Radio Midday Bulletin

PARLIAMENT CALLED BACK: Parliament will be called back next week, two weeks early, to debate the sending of NZ troops as part of a peacekeeping force to East Timor.

McKINNON: Foreign Minister Don McKinnon says the first task of peacekeepers would be to secure the UN Compound in Dili.

UN WELCOME INVITATION: UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has welcomed the Indonesian invitation for peacekeeping troops to enter East Timor, acknowledging it would have been a difficult decision to make.

DUTIES: Australia says it would be at least 48 hours before their troops could leave for East Timor.

CLINTON: Bill Clinton said his country could provide logistical and intelligence support for a peacekeeping mission and expects Indonesia would not be able to veto any participating nations.

DILI QUIET: Dili is much quieter today according to Kiwi Andrew Ladley.

AID: Kiwi aid agencies are gearing up to send food, medicine and building supplies to East Timor when the peacekeeping force arrives in Timor.

APEC: The APEC leaders are expected to break now from their leaders retreat at the Auckland museum before their official photo and delivery of the formal communique at around 4pm. At 6pm Bill Clinton hosts a media conference.

PROTEST: The last formal APEC protest is underway. Two hundred people are out in the pouring rain. It is peaceful but noisy. The Maori sovereignty movement is well represented as are the trade unions.

MOTORING: Traffic into Auckland was extremely light to avoid the traffic disruptions – down by around 80 per cent on normal flow.

SCHOOL: The school that Tau Henare and Tukoroirangi Morgan’s children attend in Auckland is in trouble again with the ERO. ERO say there are serious management and governance issues at the school and that competence concerns remain.

WATSON: Scott Watson will appeal his conviction for the murder of Ben Smart and Olivia Hope. Papers will be filed today.

LOTTERY BOSS: The departing CEO of the Lottery Commission said his job became untenable after his salary was publicised and criticised. David Bale said he was not a public servant and his salary was not funded through taxation and should therefore not have been publicised.

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