Morning Report for Thursday 3 December 2009

8:56 AM.The government's refusing to extend parental leave to fathers, saying it would be too expensive. Audio

8:53 AM.News from the Waatea team. Audio

8:50 AM.It's a statistic no one wants to claim credit for, with the 2009 road toll set to record an increase on last year. Audio

8:43 AM.One of the country's largest electricity companies is defending prices that have risen by more than twice the rate of inflation in a decade. Audio

8:40 AM.Some advocates for beneficiaries say an increasing number of people are having their ACC payments suspended. Audio

8:35 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

8:30 AM.A quick update of movements in the financial sector. Audio

8:24 AM.The Prime Minister John Key says the onus is on the Maori Party MP Hone Harawira to prove his latest apology is meaningful. Audio

8:20 AM.Champion golfer Tiger Woods has issued a statement apologising for what he called his transgressions and for letting his family down. Audio

8:15 AM.United States lawmakers have today been criticising President Barack Obama's plan to begin withdrawing troops from Afghanistan in July 2011. Audio

8:09 AM.News the cost of repairs to the Auckland Harbour bridge has almost doubled, has renewed debate about what should eventually replace it. Audio

7:58 AM.The Black Caps will go into the second and possibly deciding test against Pakistan today minus strike bowler Shane Bond. Audio

7:53 AM.The President of the Law Society has described some claims made in a government ordered report on legal aid as both wrong and outrageous. Audio

7:45 AM.A camera inside a capsule is giving medical specialists a chance to see inside a part of the body they've struggled to reach with instruments before. Audio

7:44 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

7:41 AM.A parliamentary select committee is defending its decision to help a Bay of Islands businessman legalise his use of a public reserve. Audio

7:35 AM.The Prime Minister looks likely to attend the climate change conference in Copenhagen, which begins next week. Audio

7:25 AM.That's the question following Hone Harawira's apology yesterday for skipping out on Parliamentary business in Europe, and his subsequent racially-charged email. Audio

7:22 AM.The US troop surge in Afghanistan has been welcomed by Britain which earlier this week said it would send another 500 soldiers itself. Audio

7:16 AM.The Taliban is warning it will step up its fight in Afghanistan and the US troop surge there will only lead to more American fatalities. Audio

7:12 AM.Transport Minister Steven Joyce was asked if there was now a sense of urgency in getting a decision made. Audio

7:09 AM.Debate over the future of Auckland's harbour crossing has been ramped up, following revelations that the current Harbour Bridge can only continue to carry heavy vehicles on its clip on lanes for… Read more Audio

6:47 AM.News from the business sector including a market report. Audio

6:31 AM.The Taliban are vowing to fight the United States' troop surge in Afghanistan. Audio

6:27 AM.News from the Waatea team. Audio

6:22 AM.News from the rural and farming sector. Audio

6:17 AM.The latest from the Pacific region. Audio

6:14 AM.Sports clubs are being urged to boost flagging memberships by making themselves more attractive to immigrants. Audio

6:06 AM.A survey shows that fewer people are visiting their doctor and more are delaying having an operation than a year ago and that it's due to financial pressures. Audio

6:00 AM.The search is on for a replacement for the Auckland Harbour bridge after its revealed the old one may only last another 20-years, An increase in US troops in Afghanistan leads to a warning of… Read more Audio