Christine Rankin – Post Board – Murder Charge – Fiji Murders – Maj McNutt – Lotto Winner – Crane Crash
CHRISTINE RANKIN: Social Services Minister Steve Maharey defended himself in the Christine Rankin case at the Employment
Court. He denied criticising the outgoing Work and Income Department CEO’s clothes and said he had no view on her dress
sense. He said the Government did not set out to destroy Mrs Rankin. He denies saying she looked like a cocktail
waitress. He said his attacks in opposition were about extravagent spending. He said Mrs Rankin personalised issues and
couldn’t see the wider issues. He said that even if the State Services Commissioner recommended she keep her job he
wouldn’t approve it as he didn’t feel she was the right person for the job.
POST BOARD: The future of NZ Post’s board remains uncertain tonight. One News understands a compromise isn’t being ruled
out. SOEs Minister Mark Burton said work was continuing towards a solution, but he wouldn’t appear on camera today.
Neither Post board chair Ross Armstrong nor his deputy Syd Bradley, whose conflict is at the centre of the board row,
would talk today.
MURDER CHARGE: A 14 year old boy is facing a murder charge after a shooting in the far north last night.
FIJI MURDERS: Police in Fiji say they’re confident of an arrest within a few days for the murder of Fiji Red Cross
director John Scott and his New Zealand partner.
MAJ MCNUTT: The inside story has today emerged in the botched bombing exercise in Kuwait that killed kiwi pilot Major
John McNutt. It appears the US bomber pilot dropped bombs before being given the go-ahead.
LOTTO WINNER: NZ’s biggest ever lotto prize has finally been claimed. The winner took his $8.2 million ticket, strapped
to his chest, to the lotteries commission. He wanted to remain anonymous.
CRANE CRASH: A large crane crashed down on Cambridge Trce in Wellington today, amazingly not injuring anyone. Traffic
was disrupted. OSH is now investigating why the crane toppled over.