Sex Change – Not Guilty – Waitangi Day – Police Budget – Sex Change – ER Facility – Overturned Yacht
- SEX CHARGES: 19 new sex charges have been laid against a North Shore teacher who has tested HIV positive. The
unidentified teacher has been banned from being within a two kilometre radius of the school where he taught and has been
banned from speaking to staff or students while he awaits trial.
- NOT GUILTY: William Haanstra has been found not guilty of the Murder of Terri King in the Tararua ranges last year.
- WAITANGI DAY: The Government has cut special funding for Waitangi Day celebrations at the Waitangi grounds. The money
has been allocated to community groups around the country. The Maori of Waitangi will have to stand in line with every
other community group for funding. Annual celebrations began at the grounds in 1940, but have been marred in recent
years. Prime Minister Helen Clark did not attend celebrations at the grounds this year, after she was reduced to tears
by Titiwhai Harawera at the grounds the previous year.
- POLICE BUDGET: Government plans to make police recruits pay for some of their training drew repeated attacks from the
opposition during question time today. The budget constraints on the police are preventing police in many regions from
providing adequate service.
- SEX CHANGE: A tax payer funded sex change operation is still in doubt, while the Health Funding Authority decides what
to do. The operation had been approved, but when the HFA took over responsibility it reversed the decision. Joanne
Procter, waiting for the operation, took her case to the Ombudsman, who agreed the HFA should fund the operation.
- ER FACILITY: Staff at Middlemore moved patients into what could be the most up to date ER facility of it’s type in the
world.
- OVERTURNED YACHT: The Oracle America’s Cup syndicate had Kiwi skipper Chris Diskcon at the helm of it’s yacht when the
keel snapped off yesterday. Mr Dickson said the incident was a setback, but not a fatal blow to the syndicate’s
America’s Cup challenge.