National Radio Midday Bulletin
US Elections – Postal Failure – Scooter Recall – Car Race Charges – East Timor Charges Laid – Tertiary Education Crisis
– GE Diabetes Cures – Welfare – Homelessness – Abortion Records – Lily-Bing Homicide – Auckland Roading
US ELECTIONS: The US Supreme Court is yet to rule in the Bush Vs Gore Presidency race case. The case could decide
whether Al Gore or George Bush will be declared President. The justices retired to consider their ruling this morning.
At issue is a Florida Supreme Court decision on Saturday that ordered recounts of thousands of Florida votes.
Vice-President Gore says Florida’s courts were simply trying to act fairly. CNN Reporter. The judges may decide not to
have a recount or they could make a victory for Al Gore. They could also try to determine whether it was fair by some
other method.
POSTAL FAILURE: Pete’s Post think they will survive even though National Mail another NZ Post competitor has failed. NZ
Post reported a loss of $3.8 million this year.
SCOOTER RECALL: The Warehouse is withdrawing some Kickin’ Scooters sold earlier this year. The Ministry of Consumer
Affairs says owners of the Scooters, which have a steering defect, should get them replaced immediately.
CAR RACE CHARGES: Motorsport NZ says it will raise a levy on members to pay for the defence of three race officials
charged over the deaths of two spectators at a Queenstown. The levy of $5 will apply each time the license of a member
is used.
EAST TIMOR CHARGES LAID: 11 suspects including an army officer and nine militia members have been charged with torture
and murder in East Timor. 9 members of Team Alpha stand accused of committing at least 13 murders. The UN is seeking to
extradite the accused.
EAST TIMOR: The East Timor/Australian national command says an Australian soldier has been injured in an explosion. He
was treated at the site and flown to Dili. He is in a stable condition.
TERTIARY EDUCATION CRISIS: A report on the beleaguered Tertiary Sector is thought unlikely to allay fears about the
sector. New appointments have been made to TEAC. One, Marshall says it is not the job of TEAC to address funding issues.
Funding levels are ultimately a matter for the Minister and the Minister of Finance, he says. Meanwhile businessman Hugh
Fletcher has also been appointed to the commission.
GE DIABETES CURES: A researcher into diabetes says GM research must be allowed to enable life saving treatments for
diabetics. She says diabetics have been using GM products for 20 years.
WELFARE: The PM says new welfare rules for NZers in Australia will not affect health and education. Under the new rules
welfare benefits won’t be available for single NZers unless they first gain permanent residency.
HOMELESSNESS: City Mission says homelessness is not simply a matter of providing housing. An author of a report says
most of the interviewees had experienced abuse as children and drugs and gambling also featured in the testimony of
homeless interviewees.
ABORTION RECORDS: The Minister of Health says she is concerned about abortion related documentation being left in an
unlocked room in an abandoned hospital. Annette King says she thinks the Privacy Commissioner is the appropriate person
to look at it.
LILY-BING HOMICIDE: The suppression of all evidence in the depositions phase of the Lily-Bing homicide trial may be
lifted later this afternoon. The number of journalists at the depositions hearing has risen following the unusual
suppression order granted yesterday.
AUCKLAND ROADING: A list of traffic projects for Auckland has been outlined by Transit New Zealand including a
contentious road through Mt Roskill.