National Radio Midday Bulletin

National Radio Midday Bulletin

Unemployment Drops - Brash On Wages - Maharey Disagrees - Cervical Cancer - Maori Oppose Legislation - Nurses’ Pay - Tertiary Think-tank - Transrail Safety - Pinochet Verdict

UNEMPLOYMENT DROPS: A sharp drop in Maori unemployment leads the overall unemployment rate to its lowest in three-and-a-half years.

- BRASH ON WAGES: The Governor of the Reserve Bank agrees with Deputy Prime Minister Jim Anderton that all segments of society should absorb the rising costs of living and not seek salary, wage or fee increases.

- MAHAREY DISAGREES: The Employment Minister, Steve Maharey, has taken a swipe at the Reserve Bank Governor over his predictions of a tightening Labour market saying the latest employment figures show otherwise.

- CERVICAL CANCER: The Gisborne cervical cancer inquiry is asking that confidential information about woman tested for the cancer be made known to it, to ensure misreading of slides did not occur in other areas.

- MAORI OPPOSE LEGISLATION: Two of the Government’s Maori MPs, John Tamihere and Willie Jackson, say they oppose Government legislation which could exclude urban Maori from public initiatives.

- NURSES’ PAY: Nurses in Wellington Hospital will demand a seven per cent pay rise in the next month after learning Capital Coast Health has granted an equal payrise to all Intensive Care nurses.

- TERTIARY THINK-TANK: The first interim report of the Government’s tertiary education think-tank says there must be more Government co-ordination of the tertiary sector.

- TRANSRAIL SAFETY: Budgetary constraints on Transrail’s risk management procedures have been criticised at an inquiry into the company’s safety record.

- FIJI DELEGATION: A delegation of chiefs from one of Fiji’s major trouble spots, Vanua Levu, is vowing an end to widespread protests and looting in the district.

- FIJI IMMIGRATION: The Immigration Minister, Lianne Dalziel, is refusing to give information to a Select Committee on whether banned supporters of the Fiji coup are being let into the country.

- SOLOMONS’ PEACE: Peace talks will begin in Solomon Islands next week following the signing of a peace agreement between the two warring ethnic camps today.

- PINOCHET VERDICT: Chilean newspapers are reporting sources who claim the Supreme Court has voted 11 to nine to strip immunity from prosecution for former President General Augusto Pinochet.