Newstalk ZB Headlines - 9am

The Prime Minister is infuriated by the WINZ saga. Mrs Shipley says reports of lavish spending at conferences are eroding confidence in the public sector. She says some “unwise” things have been done and she expects the State Sector Commissioner to address those issues. However, Mrs Shipley is blaming part of the problem on the opposition. She says it was a Labour Government which passed a law which prevents Ministers from hiring and firing public service chief executives.

Auckland police are appealing for witnesses aboard the Waiheke ferry who may have seen a teenage girl fall overboard. A major police search is underway after reports that a girl of about 14 fell off the ferry around 8pm last night. Police initially reported that the girl had jumped, but she is now believed to have fallen. Witnesses to the accident are being reinterviewed today. A police launch, helicopter and coastguard are all searching the area.

The lawyer for a man hurt while in police custody says damages awarded to him reflect the extent of his injuries. The injuries were inflicted when police ushered the man from the Masterton District Court and to a holding cell. The lawyer says his client’s jaw was broken, and his tongue was partially severed. $30,000 have been awarded in exemplary damages and $25,000 in costs.

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