Embryos left over from fertility treatment 'should be used for research'; tens of thousands of people forecast to lose their jobs over the next 15 months; judges get 4.8% pay rise.
NZ Herald
The paper says the Treasury is forecasting that 68,000 New Zealanders will lose their jobs in the next 15 months as the economic slump continues to bite. But if the international recession worsens, it says that figure could eventually reach 87,000.
The Herald says top-level health advisers have urged the Government to let "surplus" embryos, left over from fertility treatment, be used for research. One source describes the recommendation as a 'grenade.'
It reports that Paul Holmes presents his last breakfast show for Newstalk ZB in a farewell broadcast on Friday morning.
Dominion Post
The Dominion Post runs a headline saying 'Not so tough for some,' along with the lead story that judges are getting a pay rise of 4.8%, putting hundreds of dollars more in their pockets each week as the Government warns of tough times for workers and their families.
The former Shelley Bay air force base on the Miramar peninsula will be bought as part of a Waitangi Treaty settlement deal. The 4.5-hectare block is understood to be valued at more than $10 million but the purchase price has not been revealed.
The Press
The paper's political editor urges readers to enjoy this Christmas after the government's books showed 2009 shaping up to be the bleakest year in a decade.
The Press reports that Sally Rossiter has supported findings commending the police response to an out-of-control party where her 16-year-old daughter was killed. An Independent Police Conduct Authority report says the police response was "timely and appropriate", and did not contribute to the deaths of Hannah Rossiter and Jane Young.
Otago Daily Times
In the ODT, Education Minister Anne Tolley says funding of $17.3 million for a new school at Frankton - and the possibility of building another in Queenstown - are part of the Government's plan to "kick-start" post-election education spending.
