14 Jul 2011

Morning Report: local papers

7:00 am on 14 July 2011

Thursday's headlines: Auckland DHB looking at refusing to hire smokers; youngsters smacked at a Samoan language pre school; tourism concessions generate $51 million p/a in Fiordland National Park.

NZ Herald

The New Zealand Herald leads with further developments in the anti-smoking debate. It says Auckland District Health Board is looking at refusing to hire smokers, while Auckland Council will consider banning smoking in central city streets, and at bus stops.

The paper says Labour hopes to swing public opinion behind its capital gains tax to be announced on Thursday, by including an exemption for tradespeople and small owner-operated businesses.

Dominion Post

The Dominion Post leads with rocketing fruit and vegetable prices. It says salad prices are up because of a wet winter and Queensland's floods, pushing annual food prices up by 7.5%.

Parents of children at a Samoan language pre school in Newtown have been told the youngsters have been smacked by their teachers.

EFKS Aoga Amata is operating on a one month provisional licence after a ministry investigation.

The Press

['[The Press leads with Pike River and claims in Parliament that two Pike River survivors tried to call for help from an emergency telephone and got through to voicemail.

Life for hundreds of Christchurch pupils will return to normal next term, with tomorrow marking the end of site-sharing for Linwood College and Catholic Cathedral College.

And there's ongoing debate about the retirement age, with former Treasury Secretary John Whitehead saying an increase is "inevitable."

ODT

The Otago Daily Times leads with a study showing tourism concessions have generated $51 million per year in Fiordland National Park.

Also on the front page: some work at the Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin may be continuing even as the venue holds its first ''test'' game in August.

And the wintry blast engulfing the south looks likely to cause disruption for the rest of the week, with heavy snow down to sea level predicted on Thursday for Clutha and Southland.