The Panel with Michelle Boag and Mike Williams (Part 1)

The Government announced today they have approved a plan to re-enter Pike River Mine, almost 8 years after the explosion that killed 29 men. Minister Andrew Little says they've chosen the simplest and safest option, of re-entry using the existing single entry access tunnel. We speak to Bernie Monk, the father of one of the victims, joins The Panel to tell us why today's decision is so important. St John Ambulance crews around the country are refusing to attend non-emergency event work while they fight for better pay and conditions. The ambulance crew pay comes as rolling teacher strikes continue across New Zealand. There has been lots of debate and we have recieved a huge amount of feedback on the subject. We talk to teacher Helen Walls, from Porirua's Windley School, about her response to claims striking teachers aren't "in it for the right reasons". A lawyer has cast doubt on whether Karel Sroubek can be deported back to the Czech Republic, following his morther's plea on Checkpoint for New Zealand to give him another chance. The drug smuggler's case continues to bring up questions, his mother revealing his ex-wife is connected to a National Party member. We aks the panelists what they think of the situation and if they believe Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway should resign over it.