6 Aug 2008

Morning Report: local papers

6:55 am on 6 August 2008

Primary school disciplinary actions surge by 37%; new fuel tax in Auckland; Olympic cyclists secretly testing new cycling suit they hope will shave their times in Beijing.

NZ Herald

The New Zealand Herald says billionaire Owen Glenn could be asked to give evidence to Parliament's privileges committee as it examines his $100,000 payment towards Winston Peters' legal bill and whether it should have been declared by the MP.

Auckland motorists face new fuel taxes of up to 10 cents a litre from 2011, to pay for electric trains and other public transport investments.

Dominion Post

The Dominion Post says Winston Peters' credibility is in further doubt, with new claims emerging that NZ First accepted donations from a Simunovich account.

The NZ First leader has publicly stated that the party did not receive money from Simunovich Fisheries. But a well-placed NZ First source has told The Dominion Post that the party banked at least one cheque bearing the Simunovich name.

Also on the front page: New Zealand's Olympic cyclists have been secretly testing a revolutionary new cycling suit that they hope will shave fractions of a second off their times in Beijing.

The Press

The Press says a Ministry of Education report trumpeting a fall in school suspensions has overlooked a surge of 37% in primary school disciplinary actions.

A campervan hired by visiting English family was crushed by a tree in last week's storm. The paper reports there is now a dispute with the rental company over who will pay for the damage.

[]h] ODT

The Otago Daily Times leads with a story of 'tough love in Wakatipu.'

Wakatipu High School principal Lyn Cooper supports a radical "tough love" instruction programme as a last resort for a group of troubled boys who she predicts would otherwise end up out of the school system.

The ODT also speculates who will carry the New Zealand flag at the Olympic Games opening ceremony: triathlete Bevan Docherty is tipped as a likely contender.