TV1 6pm News
1. MILLENNIUM CONCERT - The Government looks set to bail out the cash strapped millennium concert in Gisborne and will pay for Kiri Te Kanawa and the NZSO to perform at the dawn beach concert. The Government has already given a million dollars for the dawn concert and TVNZ estimates it would cost $800,000 to a million dollars more the two acts, the money would come from the Millennium Board and the Tourism Board. The Government thinking is that Gisborne is a showpiece for NZ and the country needs it to be a success. Those originally organising the Te Kanawa et al concert are set to announce they were folding tomorrow, bar a miracle overnight. In this case Bowie and Split Enz would transfer to Auckland.
2. INCIS - The Prime Minister says IBM are to blame for the collapse of the INCIS project. TVNZ says she is talking tough. Mrs Shipley says IBM are a major international company and they should honour their contract. IBM pulled out after offering a compromise new contract of a less complex system. Sir William Birch says it was substantially less than originally agreed. Chasing IBM will cost money, but Mrs Shipley says court is an option. Government now says only $104 million spent so far. Peter Doone says he expects a review of the project will be done.
3. WHAT WENT WRONG WITH INCIS? - In the 1970's the Wanganui computer was built on time, to cost and on schedule, this didn't happen with INCIS, experts say public sector is bad at project management of IT. National Library cost $8.5 million more, LINZ $35 million over budget and now INCIS. It happens in the private sector as well, but there is less publicity.
4. LATEST POLL - Latest TV1 poll shows that Winston Peters could hold the balance of power The latest poll shows Labour down four points to 40, National steady on 38, the Alliance up one to seven points, Act up two to seven and New Zealand First up two to four percent.
5. SHARK FRIGHT - Three Foxton fisherman got a
fright when they hauled up a four metre shark alive and
thrashing in their nets, they landed it eventually with the
help of another
boat.