The New Zealand Herald

Helen’s Shocking Trip- Three Charged For Toddler- Mana Whenua- Doctor Suspension- Cervical Cancer Inquiry- Bad Olympic Attitude- Murder Verdict- Fee Free Invercargill- - Shrink Shortage - Road Toll Options

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HELEN’S SHOCKING TRIP: It was a bad 24 hours in Sydney for Helen Clark. First the Prime Minister watched our women's hockey team roasted by Argentina. Then Opposition Leader Jenny Shipley slapped her on the grill over relations with Australia, just as she was about to meet Aussie counterpart John Howard.

- THREE CHARGED FOR TODDLER: Three people were arrested last night over the death of 23-month-old Hinewaoriki Karaitiana-Matiaha and charged with a variety of offences, including manslaughter The Carterton toddler, known as Lillybing, was already dead when her bashed, scalded and sexually violated body was taken to Masterton Hospital by family members late on July 23.

- MANA WHENUA: Maori groups are pushing to remove the term "mana whenua" from new health legislation because of fears about legal battles and access to health funding. The Public Health and Disability Bill provides that each of the 21 new district health boards must forge partnership relationships with the mana whenua of its geographical area.

- DOCTOR SUSPENSION: Northland gynaecologist Dr Graham Parry has failed to have his interim suspension reversed, and will remain suspended until he faces a charge of disgraceful conduct next month. A Medical Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal has dismissed Dr Parry's application to have the suspension revoked, but will not gives its reasons until next week.

- CERVICAL CANCER INQUIRY: The Herald has successfully fought to name five laboratories with smear reporting-rates comparable to those of disgraced Gisborne pathologist Dr Michael Bottrill. The chairwoman of the Gisborne cervical cancer inquiry, Ailsa Duffy, QC, yesterday lifted an order suppressing the names of the laboratories after the Herald appealed to the Ombudsman.

- BAD OLYMPIC ATTITUDE: Running legend John Walker blames our athletes' failure at the Olympics on their attitude. They were happy to go to Sydney to compete rather than to win, he said yesterday. Many had not been exposed to the sort of competition found in Europe and could not handle the pressure of Sydney. They believed that if they made the

- MURDER VERDICT: The grandmother of two children killed by their father sank to her knees in tears yesterday as a jury convicted her only son of murder. As Robert Han was led from the High Court at Auckland to begin his three terms of life imprisonment, his mother and sister sobbed loudly, and his father look stunned.

- FEE FREE INVERCARGILL: The offer seems too good to be true - free tertiary education. Every student's dream comes with just one catch: you have to study in Invercargill. The Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) is trying to boost student numbers by offering education without fees from 2001.

- SHRINK SHORTAGE: A shortage of psychologists at one of the country's top mental health facilities contributed to a young man's death, a coroner's report has found. Christopher George Burks, aged 25, was found dead at his Thames home after he committed suicide on June 3 last year.

- ROAD TOLL OPTIONS: Government ministers say a legal crackdown and a major road-building scheme are options for slashing the road toll more than 40 per cent in the next decade. Transport Minister Mark Gosche and Associate Transport Minister Judith Tizard say that cutting the road toll to 280 is a realistic target by world standards.

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