Midday Report

Midday News for Friday 6 May 2022

The government is shifting its support for people dealing with covid in the community, as the overall demand for such help drops. It's funding nearly 60-million dollars to support social service providers and food banks as New Zealand exits the Omicron peak. 500 community care workers will provide broader support to people with high and complex needs. And 5-million dollars to support people with disabilities will be ring-fenced. and will be administered by the Ministry of Social Development in consultation with disabled communities. The support will remain in place until the legal requirement to self-isolate is lifted.

The New Zealand Orthopaedic Association says we can't blame the pandemic for increasingly long waits for surgery. It says the problem has existed for a long time due to a lack of resources and Covid-19 has simply made the situation worse. The government yesterday announced a new group to help hospitals reduce surgery wait times.

News from the rural and farming sector.

Midday Sports News for Thursday 5 May 2022

Midday Business News for Thursday 5 May 2022

A one-shot attempt to eradicate the cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis appears to have worked -- there's just one property left with active infections. The disease was discovered here in 2017; and a total of 271 confirmed properties have been cleared and more than 175-thousand 176,325 cattle culled. The government's just announced 68-million dollars to continue the eradication effort over the coming year.

The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found an officer used excess force during at least two arrests.

He's since left the police force.

In one case, in September 2018, the officer pushed a man back onto the bonnet of the car, took him to the ground, and knelt on his head until the officer's partner was able to handcuff him.

And in another, in March 2019, while arresting a 14-year-old boy - the officer suddenly lunged at the boy from close range, put both his hands around his neck and slammed him into the window behind.

The Authority's chair Judge Colin Doherty spoke to Māni Dunlop.

Midday News for Thursday 5 May 2022

The last remaining member of the 28th Maori Battalion Sir Robert Gillies has just been knighted by the Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro.

Sir Robert or Bom as he is more widely known, is 97 years old, and served in B Company during World War 2 from 1942 to 1945.

Members of his whānau, dignitaries and other New Zealand Defence Force personnel were at the ceremony this morning at Government House.

Māni Dunlop reports.