National Radio Midday Bulletin

Children’s Rights – Chest Tapping – TVNZ Board – Parliament Resumes – Tainui Restructuring X2 – Afghan Hijack – Yugoslav Shooting – Variation 17 Support – Drug Billionaire – Broadcast Corruption – Kiwi Tomatoes

CHILDREN’S RIGHTS: The Commissioner for Children Roger McClay says parents don’t have the right to refuse medical treatment for their children when a child’s life is at stake. The commissioner says the state must protect the child’s interests when parents can’t or wont do this so and advocates court intervention early on if authorities and parents disagree. His comments follow the Liam Williams-Holloway case where parents removed a boy from cancer therapy against the wishes of the medical profession.

CHEST TAPPING: The father of a baby who died after receiving a type of chest “tapping” therapy says he will sue National Women’s hospital if he does not receive compensation. He says that if the state is prepared to initiate an inquiry that compensation is

TVNZ BOARD: Broadcasting Minister Marian Hobbs says she will be talking to the Television New Zealand’s board about the general direction and timetable it would take next week. Ms Hobbs said she was astounded at $6.25 million payout former broadcaster John Hawkesby received in arbitration and said she could not express complete confidence in the current TVNZ board.

PARLIAMENT RESUMES: Parliament resumes for the first time at 2pm since the general election. New Minister’s will get a chance to speak for the first time in their maiden speeches. Opposition Leader Jenny Shipley is likely to start

TAINUI RESTRUCTURING: Tainui restructuring of the tribes assets of $245 million could see across the board staff reductions. A report shows the tribe’s assets, including a Waikato Rugby Team have been under-performing. ,

TAINUI RESTRUCTURING: The Maori Affairs Minister Dover Samuels says there is no need to investigate the tribes assets at this time. Mr Samuels says that if the company was not a Maori one there would be little public interest in the affair.

AFGHAN HIJACK: British Authorities say negotiations with the hijackers of the Afghan airliners at Stanstead airport are going smoothly without incident. Three more hostages have been released including a couple with two small children. All on board are believed to be from Afghanistan. So far there are no details of the amount of hijackers or their demands.

YUGOSLAV SHOOTING: A Belgrade journalist reports that a senior Yugoslav Government Minister and two others were shot dead by attackers in a restaurant. The killing is believed to be political.

VARIATION 17 SUPPORT: The Wellington City Councils controversial waterfront proposal Variation 17, which would revamp[ the city’s harbour is being supported by a Wellington Architect Ian Athfield who says buildings are necessary to the cities development.

DRUG BILLIONAIRE: A district Judge says he sees no reasons to overturn his name suppression order on the billionaire caught importing cannabis into the country because the appeal did not affect the substantive legal matters

BROADCAST CORRUPTION: A government inquiry has revealed that Tasman a broadcaster John Laws is in hot water after being secretly paid big money to promote banks

KIWI TOMATOES: The state of New Zealand’s tomatoes is under debate after the Kim Hill show featured a discussion about the taste and consistency of the hard, red, shiny fruit.

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