TV3 News

Friday, 16 June 2000, 6:35 pm
Article: Alastair Thompson

Fondled Asleep – Contraceptive Risks – Budget Breakfast – No Money for APC’s – Smoker’s Programme Expansion – Fog Bound – Crooked Cricket – Police Collision

FONDLED ASLEEP: A Gisborne Anaethetist – a Canadian who has now left – is accused by nurses of throwing syringes around and melting icecubes on women’s breasts. The nurses organisation says that when staff complained no one took any notice of them. Gisborne Health bosses say their nurses are frank and open usually. The Minister is inquiring.

CONTRACEPTIVE RISKS: A study on contraceptive risks says that the risk of 3rd Generation contraceptive pills can cause blood clots. The risk is 10 times higher than thought. At present levels two women in NZ will die each year. The author of the study says that the risks are only slightly higher and there is no need to be any more concern than before. GPs do need to be thorough in their assessment of women prescribed these pills. Ring 0800 9300039 for more information.

BUDGET BREAKFAST: Business leaders spoken to in Wellington at the Budget Breakfast. The government is trying to restore business confidence but this does not impress Barry Coleman – who says so. Cullen says he thinks enormous damage has been done by one or two people who have been saying NZ does not want international investment. Punters seem impressed.

NO MONEY FOR APC’S: No extra money has been provided in the budget for new armed personnel carriers. Territorials are preparing to be deployed in East Timor. No extra money is being set aside in the budget for the Army. The radios are out of date and APC’s are also out of date. However the Minister says that most of the expense will fall in future years not this year. New radios will be bought within 2 months. APC’s will cost around $300 million but there isn’t enough money.

SMOKER’S PROGRAMMES EXPANSION: A Green Party proposal to pay for smokers patches looks likely to be widened to all smokers – say the Greens. The Greens say they would like there to be free nicotine replacement therapy to all smokers. Programmes for Maori already have subsidies. One programme says the new $18.6 million is welcome.

FOG BOUND: Flights in and out of Auckland delayed by fog.

CROOKED CRICKET: Hanse Cronje claims he took $200,000 in payments but did not throw any matches. In series against India he accepted two payments. In the rain affected fifth test against South Africa Hanse Cronje (Captain), made a sporting declaration, leading to a SA loss – he admits accepting a payment for this but says this was for future information he was going to provide. Cronje is now in fear for his life. The case has been humiliating for millions of South Africans.

POLICE COLLISION: Two police cars collide on the way to a liquor burglary. Four officers are injured and a student on work experience was also injured.

© 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.

Contact Alastair Thompson

• Linkedin
• Twitter - @althecat
• Facebook
• Email - alastair@scoop.co.nz