Morning Report for Friday 21 December 2012

8:57 AM.Let's have a chat to our Canberra correspondent Kerry-Anne Walsh. Audio

8:53 AM.If your Christmas shopping list this year includes a gift for your pet, you've become part of a growing trend. Audio

8:50 AM.The Ngati Koata iwi and the Crown have just gathered on the Whakatu Marae in Nelson, for the signing of a Treaty settlement; The Human Rights Commission says the vision which a kura kaupapa in Wairoa… Read more Audio

8:45 AM.While the Government's partial asset sales programme and the fiascos in education have been two of the biggest political issues this year, it has also been a year of highs and lows for the leaders of… Read more Audio

8:42 AM.Provincial areas are being warned that some need to take action in the face of projections of worrying levels of population aging and decline. Audio

8:39 AM.Kiwirail workers around the country will stop work for two minutes at 11 o'clock this morning to mark the end of 130 years of engineering history at KiwiRail's Dunedin Hillside workshops. Audio

8:35 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

8:29 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Audio

8:24 AM.As we said, that interview with Brent Edwards was recorded before the resignation of the Education Secretary, Lesley Longstone, on Wednesday. Mr Key refused interviews on the matter, but he did have… Read more Audio

8:19 AM.The Prime Minister, John Key, has had a tough political year as the National-led Government has lurched from one political crisis to the next. Audio

8:13 AM.It's the payday before Christmas for teachers, and the problems with the Novopay system seem set to continue. Audio

8:09 AM.The man whose partner was killed when his 13 year-old step grandson shot her in the head says Child Youth and Family didn't do enough to stop it from happening. Audio

7:54 AM.Contrary to the internet's swirl of silly claims of imminent apocalypse, today is unlikely to be earth's last day. Audio

7:51 AM.New Zealand Cricket bosses have sent out an SOS call to their former captains as administrators seek to repair the damage caused by the dumping of Ross Taylor. Audio

7:46 AM.An English executive with a reputation for cost-cutting and outsourcing has been picked to head the Wellington City Council. Audio

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

7:35 AM.The New Zealand mother battling to prevent her son from having radiotherapy has been refused more time to seek alternative treatments for his brain tumour. Audio

7:26 AM.There are calls for the Remuneration Authority to set MPs salaries in the middle of the year, rather in the days leading up to Christmas. Audio

7:23 AM.Our education correspondent John Gerritsen has been listening to that. Audio

7:17 AM.It's the final payday for teachers before Christmas, and the troubles with the new Novopay system have continued. Audio

7:09 AM.One of New Zealand's youngest ever murderers, 13-year-old Jordan Nelson, has been sentenced to 18-years in jail for shooting his step grandfather's partner Rosemaree Kurth in the back of the head with… Read more Audio

6:47 AM.News from the business sector including a market report. Audio

6:41 AM.In case you're already looking forward to tucking into a hearty Christmas feast - it may be worth thinking again. Audio

6:38 AM.The family of a 13-year-old boy who shot dead his step grandfather's partner says Child Youth and Family need to take responsibility for its role in the tragedy. Audio

6:27 AM.Hundreds of members of the Ngati Koata iwi are expected on the Whakatu Marae in Nelson this morning 8.30, to witness the signing of a Treaty settlement with the Crown; The Human Rights Commission has… Read more Audio

6:21 AM.News from the rural and farming sector. Audio

6:17 AM.The latest from the Pacific region. Audio

6:13 AM.The Black Caps are now in South Africa and will play their first of threeT20 matches tomorrow under the captaincy of Brendon McCullum without Ross Taylor and without Tim Southee. Audio

6:10 AM.The Public Service Association says it's hypocritical of MPs to accept back-dated pay increases, when it's not allowed for civil servants. Audio

6:00 AM.A claim that CYFS didn't do enough to help the 13 year old who's now New Zealand's youngest convicted murderer. We'll hear from schools which say Novopay's fallen short again on the final pay day of… Read more Audio