24 Jan 2013

Morning Report: local papers

7:03 am on 24 January 2013

Thursday's papers: Sir Paul Holmes admitted to hospital; enforced drug tests under new welfare rules seen as potentially illegal; management of the Dunedin Chinese Garden is to be merged with the Toitu Otago Settlers Museum.

NZ Herald

The New Zealand Herald leads with a plea from patients desperate to receive a 'miracle drug'.

The group say their lives could be saved by Soliris and the Government should fund it at a cost of four million dollars for eight people.

Waikato Times

The Waikato Times says the days of shabby teens are said to be numbered with the start of the school year fast approaching and some colleges moving to formalise their uniforms with blazers and ties.

However, those dealing with parents struggling to pay the bills, say households will have to make some hard decisions over priorities when it comes to paying other school costs.

Sir Paul Holmes has been admitted to hospital for what the paper says are likely to be his final days.

Dominion Post

The Dominion Post reports the Privacy Commissioner says forcing beneficiaries to take drug tests under new welfare rules is potentially illegal.

Two Wellington men avoided arrest for several years after 220g of drugs were hidding in a secure area at Auckland airport.

A study of multi - tasking conducted by Victoria University shows that those who consider themselves capable multi - taskers, are actually less able to block out distractions and focus on a single activity.

The Press

The Press says Canterbury's fiery summer is tipped continue as tinderbox-dry conditions not seen in years, encourage more fires.

But a spell of southerly rain and cooler temperatures are expected to bring only brief respite to crews battling the latest fire at West Melton - triggered by an army shooting exercise.

Aranui High principal John Rohs says schools in Christchurch's west need to stop enrolling so many pupils from struggling schools in the east.

He is calling on the Ministry of Education to intervene before rolls in the east fall further.

ODT

The Otago Daily Times says management of the Dunedin Chinese Garden is to be merged with the Toitu Otago Settlers Museum as part of a shake-up designed to minimise the garden's cost to ratepayers.

And the paper talks to Andrea Murphy, a Dunedin mother of three who is one of the group wanting Pharmac to fund the drug Soliris.