Highlights from Radio New Zealand National's programmes for the week ending Friday 9 September. This week .... New Zealanders getting savvy about price discrimination, sorting the News from the TV programmes, studying coral reefs to save them from extinction, we remember sports braodcaster Graeme Moody, the World of Wearable Arts travels to Hong Kong, and we have a series of features and interviews from a weekend of commemorating a year of earthquakes in Canterbury.
Sixteen-year-old Sam Mackwell and his mates from St Thomas of Canterbury College have created a device that uses boiling water to charge cellphones, power a light and run a radio. They came up with the idea for the small generator after the first earthquake in Canterbury in September when electricity supplies were cut to much of the city. They call the device"The Lion"and hope to sell it in retail stores soon.
The number of speed camera tickets being issued skyrockets, police say it's about road safety, the AA's not so sure. Crisis talks in Europe over the Greek debt crisis... and its impact on the Eurozone and there were angry scenes at a Christchurch meeting last night as residents tried to stop a dump for earthquake debris being built in their suburb.
A review of the week's news including: Prosecutions against thirteen of the seventeen people arrested in police raids in the Ureweras and elsewhere are dropped, the Christchurch earthquake one year on, health officials take expert advice on containing a deadly meningitis outbreak in Northland, a group of Dunedin volunteers are making a photographic record of thousands of the city's old gravestones, more Kiwis will have their calls monitored by researchers at Victoria University and DOC and an enthusiastic Rugby World Cup welcome Tongan style.
A review of the week's news including: Accusations in a new book that the defence force misled Ministers about what it's been doing in Afganistan, the EQC more than doubles it's estimate of how much it will pay out on Christchurch earthquakes claims, more than 800 military medals worth a quarter of a million dollars revealed stolen from the Waiouru National Army Museum, strong support for a proposed coal mine on the West Coast's Denniston plateau, will the Rugby World Cup deliver a hoped for economic boost as forcast, New Zealand shotput champion Valerie Adams wins her third straight World championship and the Penquin 'Happy Feet' heads south.
Questions to Ministers
1. Hon ANNETTE KING to the Minister of Finance: When he said recently "where the Government does have some influence, we are working hard to keep prices low", which prices was he referring to?
2. DAVID BENNETT to the Minister of Finance: What are some of the likely impacts on the Government's finances of the Christchurch earthquake?
3. Hon DAVID PARKER to the Acting Minister for Economic Development: Does he stand by all his statements on economic development?
4. Dr JACKIE BLUE to the Minister for ACC: How many claims has ACC received since the tragic earthquake on 22 February and what steps has the Government taken to facilitate prompt compensation for those seriously injured?
5. Hon MARYAN STREET to the Minister of Civil Defence: What is the basis for according priority to entry of the red zone in the Christchurch central business district?
6. NIKKI KAYE to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What support is the Government giving to non-government organisations in Christchurch affected by the earthquake?
7. Hon TREVOR MALLARD to the Prime Minister: What role did he or his department play in the decision to shift the Rugby World Cup quarter finals, from AMI Stadium to Eden Park?
8. JACQUI DEAN to the Minister of Corrections: What progress has been made toward the Government's commitment to encourage private sector investment in the New Zealand corrections system?
9. Hon DARREN HUGHES to the Minister for Tertiary Education: What specific policy changes has the Government made to increase the number of apprenticeships and other building-skills training programmes since the September Canterbury earthquake?
10. SUE KEDGLEY to the Minister of Commerce: Will he use his powers under Part 4 of the Commerce Act 1986 to call for an investigation into the dairy wholesale and retail milk market, following the release of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's review of the domestic milk market in New Zealand; if not, why not?
11. CAROL BEAUMONT to the Minister of Women's Affairs: Does she support the retention of the stand-alone and independent Ministry of Women's Affairs?
12. JOHN HAYES to the Minister of Agriculture: What steps has the Government recently made to progress agricultural greenhouse gas research?
Questions to Ministers
1. RAHUI KATENE to the Associate Minister of Health: When was the Core Clinical Committee established in Kawerau and how are iwi involved in the membership and functions of this joint taskforce to tackle youth suicide?
2. DAVID BENNETT to the Minister for Infrastructure: What progress is the Government making on its infrastructure investment programme?
3. Hon ANNETTE KING to the Prime Minister: What advice did he rely on when commenting in Australia on the safety of the Pike River coal mine?
4. NICKY WAGNER to the Minister of Corrections: What support has the Corrections Department provided in Canterbury since the first earthquake struck in September last year?
5. Hon DAVID PARKER to the Minister of Finance: Does he believe that in the current economic environment kiwi companies should be considered favourably with regards to big government contracts?
6. TIM MACINDOE to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What parenting support is being made available for first-time parents?
7. Hon TREVOR MALLARD to the Prime Minister: In light of the answer given on his behalf to Oral Question No 2 on 15 June, is it his opinion that real average after-tax wages do not go up when high-income earners get tax cuts and low-income workers lose their jobs?
8. PAUL QUINN to the Minister of Customs: What recent reports has he received on developments to technology at the border?
9. GRANT ROBERTSON to the Minister of Health: Has sufficient funding been allocated in Vote Health to meet the increasing costs facing organisations working in the health sector?
10. KEVIN HAGUE to the Minister of Labour: Was she satisfied before the first explosion in the Pike River coal mine, that her Government had done all it could to ensure the workplace safety of people working in underground coal mines; if so, why?
11. COLIN KING to the Minister of Fisheries: What recent announcement has he made about the recovery of the western hoki stock?
12. DARIEN FENTON to the Minister of Labour: Does she stand by all her answers to Oral Question No 10 yesterday?
Questions to Ministers
1. AMY ADAMS to the Minister of Finance: How many claims does the Earthquake Commission expect to receive as a result of the earthquakes in Canterbury since 4 September 2010?
2. Hon PHIL GOFF to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by his statement that "rebuilding Christchurch is a key priority for the Government this year"; if so, what rebuilding plans are currently in place?
3. METIRIA TUREI to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Does she stand by her statement that state support is for "people to fall back on when they really need it"?
4. Hon ANNETTE KING to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by his statement that New Zealanders were "more than compensated" for last year's increase in GST?
5. NICKY WAGNER to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: How is her Ministry responding to support the Christchurch recovery following last month's earthquake?
6. JACINDA ARDERN to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by his answers to Oral Question number one on 8 March 2011; if not, why not?
7. AARON GILMORE to the Minister of Corrections: What support has the Department of Corrections provided to the people of Christchurch following last month's earthquake?
8. Dr KENNEDY GRAHAM to the Minister of Finance: How much has he budgeted to raise from the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal and has this figure been revised in light of the Japanese earthquake?
9. JO GOODHEW to the Minister of Internal Affairs: What work will the New Zealand Urban Search and Rescue team be carrying out in Japan?
10. Hon SHANE JONES to the Minister of Transport: Does he stand by his statement that the $300 million bill for restoring the Christchurch road network won't be causing any "dramatic issues" and what is his timeframe for the completion of this work?
11. COLIN KING to the Minister of Transport: What work has been done to repair and reopen Christchurch's roads and highways following the 22 February earthquake?
12. Hon STEVE CHADWICK to the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage: Has he had any discussions with the Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery about heritage buildings or recovering cultural artefacts from buildings damaged by the earthquake on 22 February; if so, what did he say to the Minister?
