Morning Report for Thursday 28 August 2014

8:57 AM.In something of an upset, the little known story of a Wellington art dealer has upstaged the high profile Man Booker Prize winner The Luminaries to claim the New Zealand Post Book of the Year title… Read more Audio

8:53 AM.Plans to expand the train service north of Wellington have come to a screeching halt, with the Regional Council finally admitting it's too expensive. Audio

8:49 AM.Further falls in the dollar from recent highs are expected, bringing more relief to hard-hit exporters. Audio

8:45 AM.The National Party is sticking to its position that learning Te Reo should be voluntary in schools; Parents who withdrew their tamariki from a Northland school at the beginning of the year are… Read more Audio

8:42 AM.The government's environmental watchdog is rejecting accusations of bias from a company that needs its permission to mine phosphorus off the coast of Canterbury. Audio

8:39 AM.In a New Zealand first, the Kaipara District Council is taking Audit New Zealand to court over a botched sewerage development. Audio

8:34 AM.The government may take a part in Auckland's big downtown rail tunnel as soon as next year despite its commitment to help fund the project only from 2020. Audio

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

8:27 AM.Dairy farmers are describing Fonterra's 615-million-dollar investment in a new joint venture with China as a "fantastic" move. Audio

8:24 AM.Half of Auckland's fresh waterways are too polluted to use and it will cost billions to clean them up. Audio

8:20 AM.The family of an Auckland teenager who died last year will consider what further action they can take, after an appeal against the sentence for one of his attackers has been ruled out. Audio

8:15 AM.Air New Zealand says its strong financial results are not down to price-gouging those living in New Zealand's regions. Audio

8:11 AM.John Key and David Cunliffe will face one another in the first televised debate of the election campaign tonight just as the latest opinion poll reveals support for both National and Labour falling. Audio

8:07 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

7:57 AM.A crucial debate begins today about what Auckland's spending priorities will be in the coming decade, and how they'll be paid for. Audio

7:55 AM.Christchurch insurance companies may be forced to pay out hundreds of thousands of dollars extra in claims. Audio

7:51 AM.A Christchurch couple wants the Earthquake Commission to review all inspections made by one of its engineers who is appearing before a Chartered Professional Engineers disciplinary hearing. Audio

7:47 AM.Fonterra's plan to invest 615 million dollars in a Chinese joint venture is being seen as a bold move that will enable the company to put the tainted infant formula in the past. Audio

7:40 AM.A string of child abuse victims in the northern English town of Rotherham are launching claims for compensation, as outrage grows in Britain that officials failed to stop 16 years of abuse which… Read more Audio

7:35 AM.Questions are being asked after a nine-year-old girl in the United States accidently killed her instructor while being taught to shoot an Uzi sub-machine gun. Audio

7:30 AM.The Commerce Commission told Morning Report that any decision about whether Air New Zealand should be compelled to declare its regional pricing model is up to the government. Audio

7:27 AM.Air New Zealand says its stunning financial results have not been achieved by price-gouging those living in the country's heartland. Audio

7:20 AM.A new political poll has tipped the balance of power in Winston Peters' favour just weeks out from the election. Audio

7:16 AM.The poll could be a watershed moment for the Conservatives, whose vote leapt 2.1 points to 4.6 percent. Audio

7:10 AM.New Zealand First would determine who governs on the results of the latest political poll and the Conservative Party is breathing down their necks as potential kingmakers. Audio

7:06 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

6:58 AM.Wall Street is flat. Audio

6:56 AM.The country's biggest energy retailer, Genesis Energy, says it will be focusing on innovation to grow its customer base in the face of strong competition. Audio

6:53 AM.Fonterra has announced more than a billion dollars worth of new investments aimed at improving its supply-chain management, increasing its profitability and reducing its exposure to volatile dairy… Read more Audio

6:50 AM.Ebos plans to continue to grow by buying other businesses and may look to expand into Asia. Audio

6:48 AM.Air New Zealand expects to lift profit again this year after establishing what its chief executive calls a virtuous circle of growing passenger numbers coupled with good cost control. Audio

6:45 AM.The government may take an early role in Auckland's downtown rail tunnel project, despite its stance of not helping to fund it before 2020. Audio

6:27 AM.The Maori Party says it wants to make Te Reo compulsorily available to all schools; Parents who withdrew their tamariki from a Northland school at the beginning of the year are praising a report into… Read more Audio

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

6:16 AM.The latest from the Pacific region. Audio

6:06 AM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

6:00 AM.New Zealand First, Conservatives big winners in latest poll; Craig delighted with poll result, believes can also win Napier seat; Winston Peters on polling and the balance of power; Air New Zealand… Read more Audio