Brad Mills brings you the latest Shine TV news headlines including an investigation into fradulent student visas, the latest regarding the urgent Waitangi Tribunal hearing, and we hear from ECPAT about vulnerable children in NZ.

Shine TV's news bulletins are produced by RBG News and are broadcast on Shine at 6.30, 7.30, 8.30 and 9.30pm each weekday evening.

RBG News

Eighty non-government organisations are joining together to urge the Government to get it right for children in its upcoming White Paper.

The briefing paper, released by Unicef today, entitled “What Will it Take” summarises common themes from the organisations' submissions to the Government's Green Paper on Vulnerable Children.

It wants the Government to clearly identify who the country's vulnerable children are, and construct an action plan for how they'll be helped.

ECPAT Child Alert Director, Alan Bell, says we need to recognise that all children are vulnerable – but it isn’t just a Government responsibility.

Listen below for the story.

A child protection agency is welcoming the jail sentence handed down to a man for possession and distribution of child pornography.

Aaron Potter has been sentenced to 25 months' imprisonment on a number of charges relating to objectionable publications.  The search of his property and equipment at the end of 2010 uncovered a total of over 80,000 picture files and 1,200 movies depicting the sexual exploitation of children.

ECPAT Child ALERT says, while they're technically referred to as ‘objectionable material’, in reality they are crime scenes.  Director Alan Bell was pleased to see the Department of Internal Affairs' Censorship Unit was able to stop the man's activities.

- Newstalk ZB

Bike Wise month

February is “Bike Wise month”, and the AA is reminding motorists and cyclists they need to work together to safely share the roads.

This morning in several parts of the country today it’s also “Go-By-Bike Day!” 

The AA wants to see more people to get out of their cars or public transport and onto a bicycle and this morning to encourage people they set up five free breakfast food stations in Auckland.
The food stations were located in Takapuna, central Auckland, Orewa, Mangere Bridge and New Lynn.

AA’s Motoring Affairs spokesman, Dylan Thomsen talked about the Go-By-Bike day, and let us in on how the free food stations went. 

Listen below for more.

Online Foetal Alcohol Help Site
There’s a new online tool helping GPs inform expectant mothers about the dangers of drinking alcohol while pregnant. It’s a welcome resource in a country that has a high rate of babies born with alcohol-related problems.

National Addiction Centre director Professor Doug Sellman discusses more below.

Sentencing and Sex Offenders
The director of child protection agency ECPAT Child ALERT, Allan Bell says the 3 year prison sentence given to the New Zealand man for organising child sex tourism to Asia, is seen as ground breaking, and hopes the “sentence” will deter others involved in or considering this illegal practise.

However, the Law Commission is seeking the public's view on criminal trials, which comes after the Government asked the commission to review the trial process, particularly cases involving sexual offending.

Gareth McVicar, national spokesman for the Sensible Sentencing Trust, shared his view on the issue.

Mojo Mather's Hearing 
The Greens are asking Parliament's Speaker to bring forward a meeting to resolve the issue of who will pay for electronic note taking for deaf MP Mojo Mathers.

The meeting is scheduled for March the 7th but Greens co-leader Metiria Turei believes the issue needs to be sorted before then.

The equipment needed will cost $30,000 a year, and John Key says he thinks the party's grandstanding on the issue and it's not being harsh to argue the Greens should foot some of the bill for that.

Ms Mathers also delivers her maiden speech to Parliament this afternoon.

CEO of Deaf Aotearoa, Rachel Noble, discusses the issues of funding for Mojo Mathers needs in parliament.
Rachel is in Wellington to watch Mojo Mathers maiden speech to Parliament.

Listen below for the full story.
(Note to listener: The interview was done over the phone with a sign translator, hence the quality of the interview.)

CONTRIBUTORS

Dan Wooding - Assist News
Dan discusses the situation in Iran where Christians, who hold meetings in house churches, are being arrested by the secret police.

Barry Soper
Barry talks about government finance and the different treatment between consultants and public servants.

Go to Assist News' story.

Darren Ward - CBM 
Darren discusses Mojo Mathers and accomplishments she has made by getting into parliament. He also talks about the issues surrounding her note-taking and how new Zealand society is responding.

A child protection advocate says the sentence handed down in a sex tourism case sends a strong signal.

In a landmark case in Auckland, a 46-year-old man has been sentenced to three years in prison for facilitating child sex tours to Thailand.

Child Alert director Allan Bell says it is disturbing this case took 18 months to come to a conclusion.  He is grimly satisfied with the three-year prison sentence, and feels it will deter others from committing a similar crime.

Mr Bell says it's a groundbreaking case for New Zealand.

- Newstalk ZB