RNZ: The Week In Review

A review of the week's news, including... full coverage of the Hobbit movie premiere event in Wellington, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment's interim report on fracking, the chair of the Waikato-Tainui Parliament is stood down, a former Catholic brother convicted of abusing schoolboys leaves New Zealand at the same time the Australian police issue a warrant for his arrest, the New Zealand sharemarket's hit its highest level in five years, the New Zealand Rugby Union fends off criticism it is not doing enough to promote women to senior management positions and a chapter in the history of the 28th Maori Battalion draws to a close with the official winding up of the Battalion Association in Wellington.

A review of the week's news, including... The Australian company behind the new school payroll system has breaks it's silence, Ross Asset Management receivers talk with the company's owner and say there is no hope of finding any more money to return to investors, David Shearer is in moving-on mode, following his confirmation as leader of the Labour Party and the demotion of his leadership rival, David Cunliffe, New Zealand businesses are hoping to take advantage of the political and economic change taking place in Myanmar, also known as Burma, a notorious stretch of road from Huntly to Hamilton is the most dangerous state highway in the country, the deal to sell the heart of Dunedin's Hillside railway workshops could yet be scuttled by its own workers, Mt Tongariro has erupts again, new research showing beneficiaries committing welfare fraud are punished much more harshly than white collar criminals evading tax, Yvonne Mackay the managing director and chief producer of ProductionShed.TV and previously a co-owner of the Gibson Group from Nine to Noon and the boys from down on the farm, Ches and Dale and the famous Chesdale Cheese jingle has taken pride of place on a new CD called 'Kiwiana Goes Pop'.

A review of the week's news, including... Problems continue with the new school payroll system Novopay, victims of a pedophile Far north teacher James Parker stared at him in court as a judge heard arguments about what sentence he will face, The Catholic Church in New Zealand says it can't find any record of Australian Bishops warning about a late pedophile priest sent here in the 80s, hundreds of millions of dollars still can't be accounted for, as fears grow that a Wellington - based investment firm was the front for a ponzi scheme, angry workers at Kiwirail's Hillside workshops in Dunedin are blaming the government for the loss of up to 90 jobs announced Thursday, the owners of the Wellington Phoenix, a consortium of local businessmen, have bought a stake in the Hurricanes rugby team, Thousands of New Zealanders took a break this week to watch the moon make it's way across the sun, and the most famous drummer in rock music is on the way back to New Zealand.

A review of the week's news, including... a rise in unemployment rate to a 13-year high, the Government's response to the Pike River Mine disaster report's findings will determine how well the victim's families can move on according to Greymouth's Anglican minister, a moment's silence in court in memory of the high profile defence lawyer, Greg King, The Government appears to be facing an uphill struggle to achieve cross party consensus on proposed changes to MMP, an unseasonal frost has hit Central Otago vineyards which could affect Pinot Noir prices, a poisons expert considers the recent mysterious deaths of young western women in South East Asia and scientists have been able to glean a unique insight into a rare species of whale, after two washed up on a New Zealand beach.

A review of the week's news, including... A man describes leading the charge to save people from the rubble of the CTV building because fire and police crews were too indecisive, Canterbury's young job-seekers will be first in line for nine-hundred guaranteed new jobs as part of the Christchurch rebuild, Customs officials say there's no way a large haul of drugs Algerian police have found in shipment of Fonterra milk powder was put there in New Zealand, the outgoing head of the family court wants domestic violence made a criminal offense in its own right, new proposals for Wellington's local government future, discussions in Whangarei about the spike in Northland's suicide rate, revelations that a Far North man charged with child sex abuse was a caregiver for Child Youth and Family, Picton locals are uneasy about Government support for moving the Cook Strait ferry terminal from their town to Clifford Bay, New Zealand volcanologists investigate what's thought to be the largest ever eruption in New Zealand waters and Toy Love are inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame.

A review of the week's news, including... a judge throws out serious charges against 21 Nelson gang members because the police faked the arrest and prosecution of an undercover officer, Northland's hit with the vine-killing disease PSA, a depressing income forecast for farmers next year could result in some already cash-tight dairy farming businesses collapsing, the Secondary Principals Association says the Government is going soft on drugs by proposing law changes that would stop schools drug-testing students, or using dogs to search for drugs, a water quality scientist says New Zealand is a decade behind Europe in cleaning up our waterways, New Zealand veterans of the North Africa Campaign during the second World War are on their way home after attending the 70th anniversary of the Battle of El Alamein in Egypt and a mystery Sir Ed signature is re discovered.

A review of the week's news, including... accusations the Government is using bully boy tactics to get poor iwi to agree to low-level treaty deals and make them complicit in their asset sales plan, the Maori Council decides to mount a legal challenge to the Government's planned partial sale of hydro power generators, the parents of Christie Marceau, who was killed by Akshay Chand say they do not accept the court's ruling that he was insane when he stabbed her to death and we hear from the forensic psychiatrist who assessed Chand, IT experts say incompetence is to blame for a massive security breach at the Ministry of Social Development, the Civil Aviation Authority has launched an investigation into an incident in which the Air Force put explosive gas canisters on an international Air New Zealand passenger jet, is the Kohanga Reo movement in crisis because of the way it has been treated by the Government?, how clean are the rivers we use for swimming and other recreational activities? and some of the last whisky ever distilled in New Zealand more than 20 years ago has been snapped up by the Scottish.

A review of the week's news, including... a White Paper presenting a new way of working with the country's most vulnerable children, a major shift in monetary policy proposed by the Green Party, teenagers entering the workforce will be paid less for longer, the Mana Party MP Hone Harawira has been arrested at a protest in Auckland, more details on when the Prime Minister knew about Kim Dotcom's failed application to buy a Coatsville mansion, a new regime for party pill manufacturers is on the way, The union representing public servants criticises public sector chief executives pay hikes, national security questions about Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei and New Zealanders are using anti depressants more than ever before.

A review of the week's news, including... More revelations in the Kim Dotcom spying controversy, John Key pays a personal visit to Hollywood movie bosses, what controversial new search and surveillance laws mean in practice, boxing champion and convicted rapist Mike Tyson's on off visit to New Zealand, the wreck of the Rena one year on, latest statistics show the crime rate is continuing to fall, the fiancee of an African keeper fatally mauled by a tiger at Zion Wildlife Gardens speaks at the inquest in to his death, our Foreign Minister criticises the use of the veto in his speech to the United Nations and legendary punk rockers Toy Love are to be inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame.

A review of the week's news: Prime Minister apologises to Kim Dotcom over spying debacle; police asked to investigate CTV building construction manager; senior member of Taliban network that killed two NZers captured in Afghanistan; miners fail to convince Government to save their jobs; teachers rail against publication of National Standards data; Government forced to defend jobs record; Dunedin businesses throw weight behind proposed oil and gas drilling; Palmerston North ratepayers to pay $130,000 for river pollution report offering few new details; All Blacks' McCaw taking six months off; more than a million NZers take part in first national earthquake drill.

A review of the week's news including... the strongest economic growth at any time since 2007, the country's biggest insurance company offers cover for new homes for the first time since the September quake in 2010, a former mayor of Christchurch accuses the Government of turning local governance in the quake-hit city into a eunuch, a lawyer for Kim Dotcom says this country's judiciary should stand strong against a legal appeal by the United States Government, only 15 people show up to a hui into discuss Maori water rights, paying only the most needy families who care for their disabled adult children at home, a 45 million dollar pay boost for defence force personnel, and New Zealanders can have a crack at buying a piece of Second World War aviation history.

A review of the week's news, including... Maori across the country accepting a challenge set by the Maori King to battle the Government over water rights, the Government says Labour's new education policies are flawed, expensive and unnecessary while it's being accused of exploiting the Christchurch earthquakes to force through sweeping changes to schools in the city, Tuhoe is to get 170-million dollars in compensation and more control over Te Urewera National Park in its settlement with the Crown for historical grievances, hundreds of angry and stunned paper mill workers in Kawerau are in limbo over how many will lose their jobs with Norske Skog announcing its halving production, the shotputter Valerie Adams will receive her gold medal in a public ceremony in Auckland on Wednesday, details from of the police investigation into John Bank's mayoral campaign donations have been made public, a man who helped his chronically ill wife commit suicide has broken down in tears after being discharged without conviction and Invercargill has rolled out the red carpet in style, hosting the world premiere of New Zealand's latest feature film.

A review of the week's news, including... A Government decision not to back a national hui on water rights is dismissed as irrelevant by its organisers and do precedent setting legal cases involving large settlements such as the Sealords Fisheries deal apply in this case of fresh water?, scores of jobs are being axed at the Tiwai Point Aluminum Smelter, opposition parties and unions are continuing to pound the Government with criticism about it's jobs creation record and the Government's response from the Finance Minister, the country's medical laboratories are being called on to make urgent changes after biopsy sample mix-ups which led to four women having breasts removed when they didn't have cancer, it's two years since a magnitude 7.1 earthquake shook Canterbury, children take antibiotics after the frightening death of a 12 year Wellington girl from meningococcal disease and a statue of Christ is returning from the wilderness, as a twelve-year mystery surrounding its fate is solved.

A review of the week's news including... the continuing inquest in to a Fox Glacier aircrash that killed nine, more than eight million dollars spent on public relations and consultation for the Government's Roads of National Significance, smaller political parties divided over the proposed removal of the one seat threshold to enter Parliament, Whanganui councilors unanimously oppose the release of Stewart Murray Wilson into their community, nearly half of New Zealand's nurses think about quitting, because they are morally uncomfortable with patient care, a father speaks out over the repeated drink driving of his former partner, when will Valerie Adams get her shot put gold medal and our Olympians arrive home.

A review of the week's news including... The return home of the bodies of two New Zealand soldiers killed in Afghanistan, two teenagers and their rock climbing instructor who disappeared in rough seas while climbing on Mt Paritutu in New Plymouth are presumed dead, New Zealand's most notorious sexual predator will be released to live near Whanganui, the man in charge of the raid of Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom's home has defended his use of the police's elite strike force and the involvement of the FBI, the New Zealand Olympic Committee has vowed to get to the bottom of problems with documents that saw at least four athletes left off final confirmation start lists, hundreds of Blue Chip investors have escaped being forced to sell their homes to cover the failed company's losses, a week of volcanic eruptions, and Sir Peter Snell is to become one of the inaugural members of the International Association of Athletics Federations' hall of fame.