Child Placement Review – Current Account – Pope – Bougainville – Child Support Advertising – Iceberg – John Tamihere –
Delerium – Invasive Seaweed
CHILD PLACEMENT REVIEW: The government says an independent review is necessary to strengthen public confidence in the
Children and Young Persons and their Families service. Recent events and mistakes have undermined confidence says the
Minister.
CURRENT ACCOUNT: Official figures due out this morning are expected to show the biggest Current Account Deficit ever in
NZ of around 8% of GDP. The figure will reflect the purchase of a frigate and the high cost of oil.
POPE: Israelis have praised the Pope for his apology for Chirstian anti-semiticism, However some Israelis would have
preferred if he had been more explicit about the holocaust. This was not the apology for the church’s silence during the
holocaust.
BOUGAINVILLE: The PNG Government has agreed to a process which will allow for a referendum on autonomy to be held on the
island of Bougainville. Independence for Bougainville is not a foregone conclusion under the process.
CHILD SUPPORT ADVERTISING: A watchdog says millions of dollars is being squandered on a advertising campaign for child
support which is not working. The advert shows a boy missing soccer because his father fails to make child support
payments.
ICEBERG: Possibly the biggest iceberg ever recorded has broken off the Ross Ice Shelf and could take 10 years to break
up and melt. The Iceberg could fill lake Taupo more than 100 times.
JOHN TAMIHERE: Labour MP John Tamihere says he fears nothing from two investigations into the Te Waipareira Trust.
DELERIUM: The head of a project detecting a potentially fatal mental health condition has found an alarming level among
elderly patients. 31% of patients in a survey showed symptoms of delirium.
INVASIVE SEAWEED: Scientists have confirmed that an invasive seaweed has been found on the fishing vessel Seafresh 1
which has sunk near the Chatham Islands. The Ministry of Fisheries says it is taking the seaweed threat very seriously.