Morning Report for Wednesday 16 November 2011

8:54 AM.Local businesses say the re-opening of most of the beaches along Tauranga's coast this morning signals the start of the Bay of Plenty's recovery from the Rena oil spill. Audio

8:50 AM.Candidates vying for the largest electorate in the country went head to head in an at times heated debate at Victoria University yesterday. Audio

8:48 AM.A central North Island iwi has won its bid for a court hearing if all eight tribes involved in a Treaty deal can't decide how to devide up a huge forestry block; A grandson of one of two Maori… Read more Audio

8:43 AM.The Council for Civil Liberties says the National Party's plan to crack down on benefit fraud will cost more money than it saves. Audio

8:40 AM.Two Gisborne fishermen stranded after their trawler ran aground near East Cape shortly after midnight are unlikely to be rescued until this afternoon. Audio

8:35 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Audio

8:29 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Audio

8:27 AM.Teachers and principals are hoping fewer students will skip today's Level 1 English, the biggest NCEA exam, now they can earn merit and excellence endorsements in the subject. Audio

8:24 AM.The latest speculation about the discussion between John Key and John Banks centres on the elderly. Audio

8:17 AM.We're joined now by the former vice-chancellor of Waikato University, Bryan Gould, who was also a senior Labour Party MP in Britain in the 1980s and directed Labour's campaign during the 1987 British… Read more Audio

8:14 AM.The Prime Minister says there's no place in this country for what he calls News of the World-style news media coverage based on secret recordings. Audio

8:09 AM.The Cook Islands triathlete who has laid a formal complaint against Zac Guildford, says she is disappointed the All Black has been spirited out of Rarotonga and back to New Zealand. Audio

7:55 AM.For the first time in the history of the Christchurch Santa Parade, a City Council hearing will be held about objections to the parade from disgruntled members of the public. Audio

7:52 AM.A law change that removed the right of New Zealand unions to object to foreign actors and entertainers working here appears to have been made solely to keep big movie studios in the United States… Read more Audio

7:48 AM.Inspectors from the Department of Labour will return to the stand at the Royal Commission on the Pike River Coal Mine Tragedy today. Audio

7:45 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

7:39 AM.Back here, the five-week occupation of Auckland's Aotea Square looks set to cost city ratepayers more than 200-thousand dollars. Audio

7:36 AM.New York police have evicted Occupy Wall Street protesters from a park in the city's financial district, two months after they set up camp and sparked an international movement against economic… Read more Audio

7:28 AM.The Green Party says it did the right thing by naming the man who co-ordinated the defacing of National Party billboards. Audio

7:25 AM.We're joined now by the editor of the Cook Islands News, John Woods. Audio

7:20 AM.Zac Guildford, the All Black at the centre of controversy over an alcohol fuelled incident in Rarotonga, has arrived back in New Zealand, vowing to give up drinking. Audio

7:16 AM.The Labour Party's leader, Phil Goff, joins us. Audio

7:10 AM.The New Zealand First party leader, Winston Peters says John Key may have made derogatory comments about elderly voters during his cup of tea with John Banks. Audio

7:09 AM.Zac Guildford, the All Black at the centre of controversy over alcohol fuelled incidents in Rarotonga, has arrived back in New Zealand, vowing to give up drinking. Audio

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

6:35 AM.The New Zealand First leader, Winston Peters, has suggested older New Zealanders will feel insulted if details emerge of the cafe conversation between John Key and John Banks. Audio

6:27 AM.A central North Island iwi has won its bid for a court hearing if all eight tribes involved in a Treaty deal can't decide how to divide up a huge forestry block; A grandson of one of two Maori… Read more Audio

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

6:18 AM.The latest from the Pacific region. Audio

6:10 AM.The New Zealand First party leader, Winston Peters says John Key may have made derogatory comments about elderly voters during his cup of tea with John Banks. Audio

6:00 AM.Winston Peters says teapot tapes would shock older voters, Phil Goff says Key should respect older voters, Zac Guildford back in New Zealand, Cook Island News editor on Guildford return, Green Party… Read more Audio