Morning Report for Friday 27 January 2012

8:55 AM.Time now to cross the Tasman, where Julia Gillard has lost her slipper. Audio

8:52 AM.A revival in communal living in the Tasman district is putting pressure on the local council to change its rules over how many homes can be built on a property. Audio

8:49 AM.The Minister of Social Development has been told her focus on child-centred policies to improve the lives of vulnerable children is wrong and won't work for Pacific communities. Audio

8:45 AM.Water Safety New Zealand says it's a huge disappointment that such a high number of pre-school children, half of them Maori, drowned last year; Ngapuhi's Chief Executive is confident the tribe's… Read more Audio

8:40 AM.The Prime Minister and several ministers fly to Melbourne tonight for joint talks with their Australian counterparts as economic turmoil in Europe threatens the trans-Tasman economic recovery. Audio

8:37 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

8:31 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Audio

8:28 AM.New Zealand's cricket captain Ross Taylor got his side off to the worst possible start in the test against Zimbabwe at Napier yesterday by losing the toss and being sent in to bat on what was said to… Read more Audio

8:24 AM.A Wellington barrister who specialises in media law is so confident that publishing the so-called teapot tape is not illegal that he has posted a link to the conversation between John Key and John… Read more Audio

8:20 AM.The lawyer for South Pole adventurer Jarle Andhoy has been explaining his client's motivation for another attempt at reaching the Antarctic. Audio

8:16 AM.The latest design changes to a proposed expressway north of Wellington have added one-hundred-and-15 million dollars to the cost. Audio

8:09 AM.The prospect of the country's coffers making a healthy return to surplus in two years time is looking bleaker. Audio

7:56 AM.World tennis number two, Rafael Nadal, has booked his place in the Australian Open final after a four-set win over his great rival, Roger Federer, last night. Audio

7:51 AM.Receivers of the PIke River Coal Mine say tough new rules being brought in for the mining industry is scaring off would-be buyers. Audio

7:49 AM.A decision is expected today on whether the Crafar farms will be sold to Shanghai Pengxin. Audio

7:45 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

7:39 AM.The Prime Minister, John Key, is refusing to give authorisation for Radio New Zealand to broadcast the infamous teapot tape, despite it being available to a worldwide audience on the internet. Audio

7:28 AM.A friend of the Norwegian adventurer Jarle Andhoy says the explorer and his crew have now sailed their yacht into international waters, out of the zone where New Zealand authorities have been… Read more Audio

7:23 AM.Christchurch city councillors and the Local Government Minister, Nick Smith, meet behind closed doors today in an attempt to put an end to fractious council infighting. Audio

7:19 AM.The Red Cross says it could take several weeks to determine the extent of the damage in flood-ravaged Fiji, but for now they have major concerns about access to clean water and the potential spread of… Read more Audio

7:15 AM.Joining us is Radio New Zealand's political editor, Brent Edwards. Audio

7:09 AM.Big cuts in government spending are being tipped by the Labour Party after the government yesterday trimmed a billion dollars from its economic forecasts. Audio

6:48 AM.News from the business sector including a market report. Audio

6:39 AM.Opposition parties say the Prime Minister should have realised before the election that the promise of a return to healthy surplus in two years was too optimistic. Audio

6:28 AM.Water Safety New Zealand says it's a huge disappointment that such a high number of pre-school children, half of them Maori, drowned last year; Ngapuhi's Chief Executive is confident the tribe's… Read more Audio

6:23 AM.News from the rural and farming sector. Audio

6:19 AM.The latest from the Pacific region. Audio

6:14 AM.A woman whose brother died when the bar they were working in collapsed during the February earthquake says she had been worried about the building's safety from the time she started work there. Audio

6:10 AM.The British Prime Minister, David Cameron, has urged fellow European Union leaders to be bolder in their shaking off of economic troubles. Audio

6:00 AM.Will the government cut spending and by how much to get the books back into black as promised. Another concern for flood hit Fiji, the Red Cross is worried about the threat of disease and Nick Smith… Read more Audio