More Scandal In The House – Drowned Teenagers – Drivers Licenses – Balloon Escapes – Ansett Fire – Mark Todd – Northland Health – Complainer Banned By BSA
MORE SCANDAL IN HOUSE: John Tamihere has just made an emotional statement in the house over allegations made anonymously against him. The statement was made in response to an anonymous fax. Before the statement from Tamihere ACT asked that Tamihere not make the claims against ACT. Prebble says he is not involved at all in the allegations. This is the sort of stuff that a lot of people have been talking about lately. This is dirty politics. Tamihere says he is the only person who has a clean bill of health. The big concern of the speaker is that there will be more of this.
DROWNED TEENAGERS: One of the families of the teenagers killed when their car went into the Oreti River says they do not blame the farmer who owned the land the teenagers were on. Allan Hill, Marc Hill’s father, said that they assured the farmer that they did not blame him. The farmer will not be interviewed and claims he has done nothing wrong. Police say they will continue their investigations however. Police say privately that if they were to prosecute it would lead to lots of roads being closed off.
DRIVERS LICENSES: A small hole in your drivers license could put a big hole in your pocket. The MOT says that punching a hole in your license is mutilation and could lead to a $400 fine. A spokesman says that people will take advantage of being allowed to put a hole in their license
BALLOON ESCAPES: Balloonist collides with transmission lines but avoids injury.
ANSETT FIRE: An Ansett flight this morning was aborted minutes before takeoff after smoke was seen coming out of an engine.
MARK TODD: Mark Todd Olympics funding decision. Sports Foundation decided today who to fund for the coming year. No announcement has been made yet. Taxpayers provide $10 million of the foundations $15 million budget. The Todd scandal looks likely to continue with photos from a video sold to a NZ magazine. Annette King says most NZers would like the story to go away.
NORTHLAND HEALTH: An elderly Northland woman’s care-givers claim the woman has been denied an operation because complaints have been taken to the media against Northland Health. A clinician did not want to be involved in a trial by media, said a Northland Health spokesman. The hospital says that the family disagrees with anything doctors tell them. The family now plans to complain to the Minister.
COMPLAINER BANNED: An anti-porn
anti-bad-language campaigner has been charged with faxing an
obscene letter to the Broadcasting Standards Authority. The
BSA complaints officer complained she was offended by a fax
she received. The campaigner has been banned from sending
any more faxes to the BSA. He says that if it is good enough
for the TV then why isn’t it good enough for a complaint
letter. The judge has reserved his decision.