TV3 News

Friday, 31 March 2000, 6:20 pm
Article: Alastair Thompson

Naval Harassment Apology - Team NZ - Lisa Blakie - Gavin Dash - John Tamihere - Abortion Offer - Children's Exercise - Cuban Boy

NAVAL HARASSMENT APOLOGY: A female sailor who complained of harrassment has received an undisclosed sum in compensation and an apology from the Navy. She claimed she was harassed aboard the HMNZS Wellington in the Persian Gulf in 1995-1996. No charges were upheld but complaints led to a crackdown inside the navy. Ross Robertson MP has paid tribute to the young woman - Lorissa Turner. "She has paved the way for others." The compensation money may be used to put a deposit on a home. The Human Rights Commission which took Turner's case wants other people who have problems to ring them.

TEAM NZ: Team New Zealand sail into uncertainty. Contracts for the team and backup team have expired with no transitional arrangements. 85 workers and yachtsmen no longer contracted from today. Lucrative offers from elsewhere abound. A disagreement over assets and sponsorship is simmering between camps led by Peter Blake and Russell Coutts. Sir Peter Blake has suggested he take over again but Dean Phipps a team member thinks that won't necessarily help.

LISA BLAKIE: Police have taken over a Darfield house in connection with the Lisa Blakie homicide inquiry. Police yesterday announced they had seized a Cortina car. The occupier of the house is presently in custody on remand on a drugs charge. Inspector Pope says they are a long way away from an arrest and charges at this stage.

GAVIN DASH: Wellington police are going door to door in Wellington's western suburbs looking for information in the Gavin Dash missing student/homicide inquiry.

JOHN TAMIHERE: MP John Tamihere fronted up to an Auckland Marae today but his critics were absent. Dover Samuels says he would stack the record of Tamihere against that of Richard Prebble at any time. Titewhai Harawira wanted an apology.

ABORTION OFFER: Auckland Catholic Bishop Patrick Dunne says he is willing to offer help to persuade women not to have abortions. Chrisanne Devlin says that without help from her family she might have had an abortion. The Bishop says that people are available to help. The offer is being welcomed by Dr Margaret Sparrow and says that assistance cannot be tokenism and that children and mothers need support for several years.

CHILDRENS EXERCISE: Auckland city of sloths. Auckland's 5-17 year olds are the laziest in the country according to a survey. Trevor Mallard plays netball at Hutt Valley High School. The plan is to keep kids in sport beyond high school. Most active students are in Tasman, Hawkes Bay and Northland. Auckland youth are the least active.

CUBAN BOY: The dispute over where a ship wrecked Cuban boy will live is turning into President Bill Clinton's Cuban crisis. 10,000 Cuban exciles take to the streets of Miami. Yesterday the authorities racked up the pressure threatening to take the boy. The Mayor of Miami warned that civil unrest would follow any attempt to remove the boy. The boy at 6 is unable to speak for himself. Though he does say he believes his mother is still alive. There is talk if his father coming to Miami to get him.

© 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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