Morning Report for Friday 5 August 2016

8:57 AM.And it's Friday so we have all the latest political news from cross the Ditch. We talk to our correspondent Kerry-Anne Walsh in Canberra. Audio

8:48 AM.Could it be third time lucky for the Hurricanes this weekend? Audio

8:44 AM.Iwi leaders are supporting and signing a Covenant for New Zealand's children today. The Covenant, or Kawenata, was written by Judge Carolyn Henwood and is a promise to the children of New Zealand to… Read more Audio

8:40 AM.A UK child abuse support group hopes the inquiry into child sexual abuse won't be derailed by Lowell Goddard's sudden resignation. He says she's been hounded by the press and that hasn't helped. Audio

8:36 AM.Defending Olympic single sculls champion Mahe Drysdale will be the first New Zealander to compete in Rio when he rows in the heats tomorrow night. He tells Stephen Hewson he got a few things wrong in… Read more Audio

8:30 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Audio

8:26 AM.New Zealand pathologists are warning the service is on the brink of collapse, with one of the six so exhausted, she may not last much longer. The Government's been warned it could be hugely embarassed… Read more Audio

8:23 AM.The Cancer Society says people with serious illnesses should be treated the same as ACC patients - not as unemployed. Audio

8:20 AM.Southland authorities are scrambling to deal with tens of thousands of tonnes of toxic waste after a company responsible for dealing with it has liquidated Audio

8:15 AM.While Pharmac's decision to fund the hotly-debated melanoma drug Keytruda is being welcomed, cash-strapped district health boards face costs of more than a million dollars to deliver the long-awaited… Read more Audio

8:09 AM.Dame Lowell Goddard has quit as the head of UK independent inquiry into child sexual abuse. She's been criticised for her high salary - and her holidays. Audio

8:06 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

7:56 AM.A flood of optimism reaches Wellington this weekend, as the Hurricanes prepare for tomorrow night's Super Rugby final at home. If the side wins, it'll be Wellington's first Super Rugby title. Audio

7:49 AM.The latest twist in how many Russians will goto Rio. Now there are 271 Russian athletes have been cleared to take part in the Rio Olympics. We talk to our correspondent in Russia for the latest. Audio

7:46 AM.We bring you the latest on the weather. Snow's closed schools or delayed the opening of some Dunedin schools. Audio

7:35 AM.The Minister responsible for Housing New Zealand, Bill English, says the tests for meth-contamination in state houses will have to be used until something better comes along. Audio

7:27 AM.Rob Nichol, the chief executive of the New Zealand Rugby Players' Association says Chiefs players unlikely to lose their jobs over the stripper scandal. Audio

7:25 AM.Dame Lowell Goddard releases a statement about her resignation from the UK independent inquiry into child sexual abuse. Audio

7:18 AM.The Minister of Transport, Simon Bridges, promises more consultation on roads after fiery Katikati meeting. Audio

7:16 AM.Katikati residents jeered transport officials when they tried to tell a public meeting last night a bypass for the town isn't necessary. Residents say they've been demanding a bypass for more than 40… Read more Audio

7:08 AM.New Zealand Judge Lowell Goddard has just quit as head of UK independent inquiry into child sexual abuse. Audio

7:06 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

6:59 AM.Wall Street is fairly flat - Dow Jones down a handful of points. Audio

6:58 AM.Meanwhile, the guidelines to finance sector companies on the standards of behaviour expected of them which the FMA released last week, have been described by a lawyer as fuzzy and without proper… Read more Audio

6:58 AM.The country's largest bus operator, Go Bus, says its new purchase is important as it rides the booming tourism wave. Audio

6:56 AM.The Financial Markets Authority says there are many easy steps companies can take to improve the quality of information disclosed to investors. Audio

6:55 AM.Listed healthcare and animal products company Ebos is out to maximise the value of its group assets and boost earnings of its latest target, Australian pharmacy chain the Ted White Group. Audio

6:52 AM.Insurance company Suncorp is banking on 12 percent growth in operating earnings in the coming year. Audio

6:47 AM.Pacific Islands tipped to win first ever Olympic gold - with Fiji sevens team hot favourites. Audio

6:46 AM.Clint Eastwood calls Americans weak and overly sensitive, says "we're a pussy generation" and backs Donald Trump. Audio

6:43 AM.A rowdy meeting in Katikati demand a bypass of State Highway 2. The deaths of five Tongan men on Tuesday in a crash on that stretch of road have just added to locals' anger. Audio

6:26 AM.News from the rural and farming sector Audio

6:23 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Audio

6:20 AM.South Africa expecting dramatic change as ANC receives worst electoral result since end of apartheid. Audio

6:16 AM.An Auckland pathologist says the service is in danger of collapse from chronic understaffing. She says it can now take several days before bodies are returned to families for funerals. Audio

6:08 AM.Rio-based correspondent surprised at sheer number of Russians allowed to compete and expresses concern that olympic protests could escalate. Audio

6:06 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

6:00 AM.NZ judge quits as head of child sexual abuse inquiry, Official booed at meeting over Katikati roads, Bridges promises more consultation after Katikati meeting, NZ judge releases statement about why… Read more Audio