Morning Report for Wednesday 16 April 2014

8:56 AM.Less money and power for central government and more for the provinces. Audio

8:52 AM.As shops rapidly close their doors in Christchurch's New Brighton, concerned business owners have launched a company to rejuvenate the seaside suburb. Audio

8:49 AM.The Maori fisheries trust, Te Ohu Kaimoana, is disappointed the Government has dropped iwi exemptions to new laws stopping the use of foreign fishing boats; A collective of marae say its appeals for… Read more Audio

8:46 AM.Politicians have clashed on energy policy in a forerunner of expected election year debates. Audio

8:42 AM.A national campaign is being launched to encourage people across New Zealand to decide how they want to be cared for at the end of their lives. Audio

8:39 AM.The former Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, has been sentenced to a year of community service, after being found guilty of tax fraud. Audio

8:32 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Audio

8:29 AM.Staying in Auckland where the Council is considering demolishing its 1960s headquarters which heritage advocates say is a building of national significance. Audio

8:26 AM.A privately owned luxury hotel is being built in an area that Auckland ratepayers have spent hundreds of millions of dollars improving. Audio

8:22 AM.There's just one more chance to catch a glimpse of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in New Zealand, before they travel to Australia for the next leg of their tour. Audio

8:16 AM.Opposition politicians insist the Accident Compensation Corporation Minister, Judith Collins, must have known the ACC was using a controversial privacy waiver form to remove some claimants from its… Read more Audio

8:10 AM.Despite yesterday's granting of resource consent, it could be several weeks before a decision is made whether to proceed with the contentious Ruataniwha dam project in Hawke's Bay. Audio

7:55 AM.The public gets a final chance this morning to see the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, with a royal walkabout in Wellington's Civic Square. Audio

7:51 AM.A report by the influential Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, endorsing fracking, is raising eyebrows. Audio

7:44 AM.The gruelling cross-examination of the South African athlete, Oscar Pistorius, who is standing trial for the death of his girlfriend, has ended. Audio

7:40 AM.Gunfire has broken out at a military airfield, as Ukraine troops launch out a special operation against pro-Russia separatists. Audio

7:37 AM.The Maori Affairs Minister says the Government will drive iwi fishing operators out of business by banning them from using foreign boats with low-wage crews. Audio

7:35 AM.Finance into the Government's Retail Deposit Guarantee scheme has cost taxpayers more than six-hundred-million dollars. Audio

7:27 AM.The Hawke's Bay Regional Council Investment company says it could be several weeks before it knows if the Ruataniwha Dam project is still viable, following the granting of Resource Consents yesterday.

7:22 AM.New Zealand Post has told the Government it may need to act sooner than expected to further limit mail deliveries. Audio

7:13 AM.Denise Powell from the lobby group Acclaim Otago, which led the court challenge to the ACC waiver form, isn't buying into the Minister's denials either, she joins us on Morning Report. Audio

7:09 AM.Questions are being raised over how long the ACC Minister Judith Collins has known about a controversial waiver used by the Accident Compensation Corporation. Audio

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

6:44 AM.The fast growing technology sector is crying out for workers, saying it needs another 10-thousand people. Audio

6:41 AM.The Maori Party says it won't support a government bill that will bar Maori fishing companies from using foreign ships with low-wage crews. Audio

6:36 AM.The ACC Minister, Judith Collins, is coming under fire over a privacy waiver used by the corporation that has now been ruled beyond the law by the district court. Audio

6:27 AM.The Maori fisheries trust, Te Ohu Kaimoana, is disappointed the Government has dropped iwi exemptions to new laws stopping the use of foreign fishing boats; The chair of the Crown Forestry Rental… Read more Audio

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

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

6:00 AM.ACC Minister questioned over long she has known about 167 form, Acclaim Otago says ACC167 form was part of a 'non-compliance strategy', NZ Post signals more changes to mail deliveries, Question mark… Read more Audio