DUE TO THE LIVE NATURE OF TONIGHT, WE APOLOGISE FOR THE LACK OF CAPTIONS FOR SOME ITEMS. JERRY COLLINS IS OUT OF A JAPANESE JAIL AFTER ADMITTING TO CARRYING KNIVES. WHY THE POLICE ARE NOW INVOLVED IN THE MASSIVE PRIVACY BREACH BY THE EQC. AND HOW MUCH DID THIS PIECE OF ART FETCH UNDER THE HAMMER? FORMER ALL BLACK JERRY COLLINS HAS BEEN FREED FROM A JAPANESE JAIL AFTER 10 DAYS IN CUSTODY. HIS LAWYER, TIM CASTLE, SAYS COLLINS HAS AGREED TO PAY A FINE OF ALMOST $2000 FOR CARRYING TWO KNIVES LONGER THAN 6CM IN A DEPARTMENT STORE. ACCORDING TO MR CASTLE, AUTHORITIES IN JAPAN ACCEPT IT WAS A MINOR INDISCRETION WITH EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES FOR HAVING THE KNIVES. IT'S BEEN REPORTED THE RUGBY PLAYER WAS CARRYING THEM FOR SELF DEFENCE. THE MAN WHO MISTAKENLY RECEIVED AN EMAIL WITH PRIVATE DETAILS OF 80,000 CLAIMANTS COULD NOW BE THE SUBJECT OF A POLICE INVESTIGATION. THE EARTHQUAKE COMMISSION ANNOUNCED LATE TODAY THEY HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT HIS ACTIONS SINCE RECEIVING THE FILE, AND THEY WANT POLICE TO LOOK INTO THE MATTER. LISA DAVIES HAS MORE. WHEN BRYAN STAPLES SAID HE WAS THE WORST PERSON POSSIBLE TO RECEIVE THE EQC EMAIL IN ERROR, HE MEANT IT. I'M NOT GOING AWAY. IN FACT, HE'S TAKING HIS FIGHT TO COURT, WHERE HE'LL SEEK PERMISSION TO RETRIEVE THE DELETED DATABASE. THE INFORMATION THAT I SAW ON THAT SPREADSHEET IS VERY DAMNING. HE SAYS IN THE 40 MINUTES BETWEEN RECEIVING AND DELETING THE EMAIL, HE FOUND CONCERNING FIGURES ABOUT 10 QUAKE-DAMAGED PROPERTIES HE'S CARRIED OUT REPAIRS ON FOR HOMEOWNERS WHO OPTED OUT. HE TOOK NOTES ON ONE SUCH ADDRESS. THE EQC DAMAGE ESTIMATE WAS $59,000. BRYAN STAPLES' INVOICE FOR REPAIR WAS $52,000. BUT THE CASH SETTLEMENT TO THE OWNER WAS ONLY $30,000. SO I'M ASKING THE QUESTION 'WHY DID THEY CASH SETTLE FOR HALF?' EQC EMAILED HIM IN FEBRUARY SAYING IT HADN'T PRE-APPROVED ANY OF HIS WORK, SO COULDN'T PAY WITHOUT FURTHER INVESTIGATION. HE ARGUES THE SPREADSHEET PROVES EQC ALREADY HAS THE INFORMATION IT NEEDS. PEOPLE WILL QUESTION WHY YOU WOULD PROCEED WITH WORK WHEN IT HADN'T BEEN APPROVED. YEAH, BECAUSE THIS WAS GOING ON FOR MORE THAN 12 MONTHS, AND WE TOOK LEGAL ADVICE. THIS MORNING BRYAN STAPLES SENT THIS EMAIL TO EQC ` AN ULTIMATUM, REALLY ` THAT IF THEY DIDN'T PAY UP THE $700,000 HE CLAIMS HE IS OWED, HE'D GO TO COURT. EQC'S REPLY DEEMING HIS DEMAND FOR PAYMENT 'ENTIRELY INAPPROPRIATE AND UNPROFESSIONAL' AND ADDS... IT SEEMS THE NEXT TIME EQC HEARS FROM BRYAN STAPLES, IT'LL BE THROUGH THE COURTS. LATE THIS AFTERNOON, EQC ACTED ON THAT, LAYING A COMPLAINT WITH POLICE SAYING THAT BRYAN STAPLES HAS GONE BACK ON HIS WORD, AND IN DOING SO, MAY HAVE BROKEN THE LAW. BUT BRYAN STAPLES SAYS THIS IS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF EQC BULLYING TACTICS, AND HE'S READY FOR A FIGHT. LISA DAVIES, ONE NEWS. THE GOVERNMENT'S NEW ROAD SAFETY PLAN'S ALREADY BEING CRITICISED FOR NOT PROMISING TO LOWER THE BLOOD ALCOHOL LIMIT FOR ALL DRIVERS. THE SAFER JOURNEYS ACTION PLAN INCLUDES MEASURES FOR REDUCING DEATH AND SERIOUS INJURY ON OUR ROADS. GEORGINA BALL HAS THE STORY. IF LABOUR'S TRANSPORT SPOKESPERSON HAD HIS WAY, JUST TWO STANDARD ALCOHOLIC DRINKS WOULD BE THE LIMIT FOR EVERYONE BEFORE THEY HIT THE ROAD. WHAT WE SHOULD DO IS REDUCE THE BLOOD ALCOHOL LIMIT FROM 0.08MG TO 0.05MG TO ELIMINATE LEGAL DRUNK-DRIVING. INSTEAD OF THAT, THE GOVERNMENT'S NEW SAFER JOURNEYS PLAN IS CONSIDERING LOWERING ALCOHOL LIMITS ONLY FOR SO-CALLED HIGH RISK DRIVERS. THE GOVERNMENT IS CLUTCHING AT STRAWS HERE TO FIND A WAY OF AVOIDING LOWERING THE BLOOD ALCOHOL LIMIT. THAT IS THE THING THAT THE EVIDENCE TELLS US WILL REDUCE HARM ON OUR ROADS. THE GOVERNMENT CLAIMS IT DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO CONVINCE IT THAT LOWERING THE ALCOHOL LIMIT FOR ALL IS WORTHWHILE. WHAT WE DON'T KNOW YET IS WHETHER PEOPLE DRIVING WITH BETWEEN 0.05MG AND 0.08MG ARE CAUSING DEATH AND INJURY BY HAVING THAT ALCOHOL IN THEIR SYSTEM. BUT IT SAYS IT'S WAITING ON THE OUTCOME OF NEW RESEARCH AND IS KEEPING AN OPEN MIND. WE'RE GOING TO ACT ON THE EVIDENCE, AND I CAN'T PRE-EMPT THE OUTCOME OF THAT, BUT I CERTAINLY WOULDN'T RULE IT OUT. OTHER MEASURES IN THE ROAD SAFETY PLAN INCLUDE MAKING SPEED LIMITS BETTER SUITED TO DIFFERENT TYPES OF ROADS, IDENTIFYING THE 100 HIGHEST-RISK INTERSECTIONS, AND CREATING A PLAN TO GET OLDER VEHICLES OFF THE ROADS. GOVERNMENT AGENCIES WILL NOW INVESTIGATE THE PLANS FURTHER, WITH IMPLEMENTATION STARTING IN DIFFERENT STAGES OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS. GEORGINA BALL, ONE NEWS. HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE GATHERED IN FRONT OF PARLIAMENT THIS EVENING TO VOICE THEIR OPINION ON THE MARRIAGE EQUALITY BILL. INSIDE THE BEEHIVE THE FINAL DEBATE ON THE BILL HAS JUST WRAPPED UP. DANIELLE STANBURY HAS THE DETAILS. OH, LORD GOD OF OUR PEOPLE... HUNDREDS GATHERED OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT ` THOSE AGAINST... LORD, TO OUR PRIME MINISTER; LORD, TO LOUISA WALL AND THE MEMBERS OF OUR PARLIAMENT; GOD, WE ASK YOU FOR MERCY. ...AND THOSE FOR IT. ALL CHANT: TWO, FOUR, SIX, EIGHT ` LEARN TO LOVE AND NOT TO HATE. JUST METRES AWAY, INSIDE THE CHAMBER, MPS ARE AGAIN DEBATING THE CONTROVERSIAL BILL THAT WOULD LEGALISE SAME-SEX MARRIAGE. IT'S THEIR LAST CHANCE TO MAKE CHANGES TO LOUISA WALL'S MARRIAGE AMENDMENT BILL BEFORE ITS FINAL FORM IS LOCKED IN. AND AGAIN MPS ARE DIVIDED. WHEN IT COMES TO WHETHER OR NOT THAT RIGHT SHOULD BE GRANTED FOR ME, THERE IS NO QUESTION; THE ANSWER HAS ALWAYS BEEN YES. ALL THE CHANGES PROPOSED IN THE COURSE OF THIS LEGISLATIVE CHANGE COULD BE DONE THROUGH STRENGTHENING THE CIVIL UNION BILL. IT WAS AGAIN ARGUED THE PUBLIC SHOULD MAKE THE FINAL DECISION. IF WE HAVE A REFERENDUM, AND WE GO TO THE PEOPLE OF NZ, THERE IS A FAR GREATER LIKELIHOOD OF BROAD ACCEPTANCE OF THE OUTCOME AND CONSEQUENTLY HARMONY IN NZ. THE BILL'S LIKELY TO HAVE ITS THIRD AND FINAL READING IN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS WHEN MPS WILL BE ABLE TO VOTE ACCORDING TO THEIR CONSCIENCE. DANIELLE STANBURY, ONE NEWS. NZERS THINKING THEY'LL BE BETTER OFF ACROSS THE TASMAN NOW HAVE MORE AMMUNITION. NEW RESEARCH SUGGESTS THE AVERAGE INCOME OF AUSTRALIANS IS RISING AT A FASTER RATE. THIS FROM SIMON BRADWELL. OUR NEIGHBOURS CALL AUSTRALIA THE LUCKY COUNTRY. NOW NEW RESEARCH SUGGESTS AUSSIE WORKERS ARE LUCKY TOO ` POCKETING A QUARTER MORE INCOME A YEAR THAN THEIR KIWI COUNTERPARTS. ACCORDING TO THE RESEARCH COMPANY, SINCE 2001, THE AVERAGE PERSONAL INCOME OF NZERS HAS RISEN FROM $35,000 TO NEARLY $50,000 A YEAR. BUT IN THE SAME TIME, AUSTRALIAN AVERAGE INCOME HAS RISEN FROM NEARLY $40,000 TO MORE THAN $60,000. BUT WHAT WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT IS A LONG-TERM TREND. UH, THERE'S A LONG-TERM WIDENING GAP BETWEEN AUSTRALIA, OTHER ADVANCED ECONOMIES AND NZ. SUPPORTERS OF THAT THEORY BLAME THE SIZE OF OUR TWO ECONOMIES, OUR DISTANCE FROM OVERSEAS MARKETS, AND MORE RECENTLY, THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS. BUT THE GOVERNMENT REJECTS THE NUMBERS. IT SAYS WHEN ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION, NZERS' EARNINGS HAVE ACTUALLY RISEN MORE THAN AUSTRALIANS'. SO THE INCOME GAP HAS NARROWED. THE GOVERNMENT ALSO SAYS STATISTICS NZ FIGURES ARE VERY DIFFERENT TO THOSE OF THE RESEARCH COMPANY. BUT THE OPPOSITION SAYS THE FIGURES ARE ON THE MONEY. DEFINITELY WIDENING. UM, IT'S WIDENED MOST RAPIDLY IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. IT'S NO SURPRISE WHY A THOUSAND KIWIS A WEEK ARE GOING ACROSS TO AUSTRALIA. LIKE ONE WE FOUND GETTING READY TO FLY OUT THIS AFTERNOON. MORE MONEY TO BE MADE OVER IN AUSTRALIA. ALTHOUGH THE NUMBER OF KIWIS LOOKING TO FEATHER THEIR NESTS IN AUSTRALIA IS ACTUALLY DOWN SLIGHTLY ON LAST YEAR. SIMON BRADWELL, ONE NEWS. FONTERRA'S DELIVERED SOME MUCH-NEEDED RELIEF TO DROUGHT-HIT DAIRY FARMERS. IT'S MADE NEARLY $460M FOR THE HALF YEAR TO JANUARY, WHICH MEANS A HIGHER PAYOUT TO FARMERS. BUT ALTHOUGH IT MIGHT BENEFIT RURAL COMMUNITIES, IT WON'T NECESSARILY LEAD TO CHEAPER MILK. NICOLE BREMNER REPORTS. FEED'S AN EXPENSIVE NECESSITY ON NIGEL ANDERSON'S PARCHED WAIKATO FARM. HE'S PLEASED HE'LL SOON BE GETTING MORE MONEY FROM FONTERRA TO BUY IT. CASHFLOWS ARE A BIG PROBLEM THIS YEAR. THE COWS BEING DRY ALREADY IS AFFECTING EVERYBODY. SO FARMERS ARE RELIEVED FONTERRA'S HAD A STRONG HALF YEAR, WHICH HAS BOOSTED MILK SOLID PAYOUTS TO $6.12 A KILO, UP 32C ON LAST YEAR. FARMING COMMUNITIES WILL HOPEFULLY FEEL THE BENEFITS TOO. IT'S GONNA BE VERY IMPORTANT TO GET THAT INCREASE NOW JUST TO HELP THE CASHFLOWS. THIS STEEPLY DECLINING LINE, IN ORANGE, SHOWS THE DRASTIC CUT IN MILK SUPPLY FROM DROUGHT-PLAGUED FARMERS WHO'VE BEEN FORCED TO DRY COWS OFF EARLIER THAN THEY DID A YEAR AGO. FONTERRA'S MOVED TO ACCELERATE MONTHLY PAYOUTS TO COMPENSATE THEM FOR THAT LOST INCOME. A STRONG RECOVERY IN GLOBAL DAIRY PRICES IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE LATEST PAYOUT, WHICH IS WORTH AROUND $100,000 TO THE AVERAGE FONTERRA FARMER. BUT THE COOPERATIVE SAYS THAT'S NOT A LOT OF MONEY GIVEN THE TOUGH TIMES FARMERS ARE FACING. IT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR OUR FARMERS, BECAUSE FRANKLY, MOST OF OUR FARMERS WILL HAVE SPENT THAT MONEY BEFORE THEY GET, AND THEY'RE SPENDING IT TO FEED THEIR COWS. FONTERRA SAYS INTERNATIONAL DEMAND FOR NZ MILK AND SKIM MILK POWDER WILL HELP SUSTAIN FARMERS' LONG-TERM BUT CAN'T RULE OUT PRICE HIKES FOR KIWI CONSUMERS. FOR THE NZ CONSUMER IT IS JUST TOO EARLY TO SAY. WE'VE SEEN WHOLE MILK POWDER PRICES MOVE UP 43% IN THE LAST THREE WEEKS, SO IT WILL DEPEND ON WHAT HAPPENS OVER THE COMING FEW MONTHS. AT LEAST DOWN ON THE FARM, THERE'S AN IMPROVING FINANCIAL OUTLOOK; THE FORECAST FOR RAIN IS NOT SO ENCOURAGING. NICOLE BREMNER, ONE NEWS. THE MAN ACCUSED OF KILLING HAMILTON WOMAN RAE PORTMAN HAS PLEADED NOT GUILTY. PARAIRE TE AWA ` ALSO KNOWN AS FRIDAY ` APPEARED AT THE HIGH COURT IN AUCKLAND TODAY. HE'S CHARGED WITH MURDERING THE 33-YEAR-OLD, WHO WAS FOUR-MONTHS PREGNANT WHEN SHE DISAPPEARED LAST YEAR. HE'LL STAND TRIAL IN LATE OCTOBER. ANOTHER MAN HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH KIDNAPPING. THERE ARE RENEWED CALLS FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO DUMP ITS CONTROVERSIAL SKY CITY CONVENTION CENTRE DEAL. LABOUR AND THE GREENS SAY TESTIMONY FROM THE AUDITOR-GENERAL TO A SELECT COMMITTEE CONTRADICTS THE PRIME MINISTER'S CLAIM THAT HER REPORT CLEARED THE GOVERNMENT. POLITICAL EDITOR CORIN DANN HAS MORE. WHEN THE PROBE INTO THE SKY CITY CONVENTION CENTRE DEAL CAME OUT LAST MONTH, JOHN KEY SAW IT AS A CLEAR VINDICATION. AS THE AUDITOR GENERAL SAYS, NOTHING TO SEE THERE. NOTHING TO SEE THERE. NOTHING TO SEE, AND NOTHING TO SEE THERE. THERE IS NOTHING TO SEE IN TERMS OF MY INVOLVEMENT. BUT THE OPPOSITION READ IT DIFFERENTLY, INSISTING A COSY DEAL HAD BEEN DONE WITH THE CASINO. TODAY AT A SELECT COMMITTEE HEARING, IT GOT THE CHANCE TO PUSH THE REPORT'S AUTHOR ON WHO WAS RIGHT. NOTHING WAS ENTIRELY CLEAR CUT. WE HAVE SAID THAT WE HAVE FOUND PROBLEMS WITH THE PROCESS THAT WAS ADOPTED, AND SO I THINK THE REPORT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. WHILE PHILLIPPA SMITH FOUND FLAWS IN THE TENDERING PROCESS, SHE AGAIN STRESSED TODAY THAT SHE FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF ANY INAPPROPRIATE POLITICAL INFLUENCE. THAT WASN'T THE BASIS OF THE POLITICAL ALLEGATIONS MADE BY THE LABOUR PARTY AND THE GREENS. THEY WERE THAT MY ACTIONS WERE INAPPROPRIATE, AND MY ACTIONS WERE TOTALLY VINDICATED BY THE AUDITOR GENERAL. HOWEVER, MR KEY AND PHILLIPPA SMITH ARE AT ODDS WHEN IT COMES TO WHETHER OTHER MINISTERS INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS SHOULD SHOULDER SOME BLAME. WE HAVE ESTABLISHED DEFICIENCIES ON THE PART OF BOTH OFFICIALS AND MINISTERS. DO YOU ACCEPT THAT SHE IS ALSO SAYING THAT IT WASN'T JUST OFFICIALS IN THE GUN HERE BUT ALSO MINISTERS? NO. I DON'T ACCEPT THAT, NO. THE GREENS SAYS THE SKY CITY DEAL SHOULD NOW BE SCRAPPED. GERRY BROWNLEE MET WITH SKY CITY WITH HIS OFFICIALS TO TRY TO CHANGE THEIR PROPOSAL AND AMEND IT SO THAT IT CAME FIRST A YEAR LATER. IT WAS A VERY DIRECT INTERVENTION IN THE PROCESS. THE WHOLE PROCESS WAS A JACK-UP SKY CITY WAS ALWAYS GONNA WIN. JOHN KEY STILL REMAINS HOPEFUL A DEAL TO BUILD A CONVENTION CENTRE IN EXCHANGE FOR MORE POKER MACHINES WILL EVENTUALLY BE DONE. CORIN DANN, ONE NEWS. JUST AHEAD ` THE RADIO STATION AT THE CENTRE OF THE ROYAL RADIO HOAX WILL SPEAK AT THE VICTIM'S INQUEST. AND NEW RESEARCH AIMS TO BOOST THE NUMBERS OF THE BIGGEST CREATURE ON EARTH. , THE AUSTRALIAN RADIO STATION AT THE CENTRE OF LAST YEAR'S ROYAL PRANK CALL WILL BE ABLE TO SPEAK AT THE INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF A BRITISH NURSE. JACINTHA SALDANHA TOOK HER OWN LIFE JUST DAYS AFTER TWO DJ'S RANG THE HOSPITAL TREATING KATE MIDDLETON, PRETENDING TO BE MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY. ABC'S BARBARA MILLER REPORTS. LOOKING SCARED AND SAD, JACINTHA SALDANHA'S HUSBAND AND TWO CHILDREN ARRIVED AT A CENTRAL LONDON COURT FOR A PRE-INQUEST HEARING INTO HER DEATH. THESE HAVE BEEN DREADFUL, DREADFUL WEEKS AND MONTHS FOR THEM. THEY WILL NEVER EVER COME TO TERMS WITH THE DEATH OF JACINTHA, WHO THEY LOVE SO MUCH, BUT THEY HOPE THAT THIS PROCESS WILL BEGIN THE HEALING PROCESS. JACINTHA SALDANHA WAS FOUND DEAD IN HER NURSE'S QUARTERS LAST DECEMBER, DAYS AFTER TAKING A CALL FROM TWO 2DAY FM PRESENTERS PRETENDING TO BE THE QUEEN AND PRINCE CHARLES. ENQUIRING ABOUT THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE, WHO'D BEEN ADMITTED FOR SEVERE MORNING SICKNESS. JACINTHA WAS A MUCH-LOVED COLLEAGUE AND A FIRST-CLASS NURSING SISTER. SHE IS SORELY MISSED. A LAWYER FOR THE FAMILY TOLD THE CORONER THEY WANT TO KNOW IF JACINTHA SALDANHA WAS PROPERLY TRAINED AND PLACED TO BE ANSWERING CALLS IN THE FIRST PLACE. THE COURT ALSO HEARD THAT THE HOSPITAL IS LIKELY TO DISPUTE AT THE INQUEST A CLAIM BY 2DAY FM THAT THEY TRIED TO CONTACT THE HOSPITAL BEFORE AIRING THE HOAX CALL. SOUTHERN CROSS MEDIA, THE STATION'S OWNER, WAS GRANTED THE RIGHT TO BE OFFICIALLY REPRESENTED AT THE INQUEST. THAT WILL GIVE THE GROUP'S LAWYER THE RIGHT TO QUESTION WITNESSES, WHO WILL INCLUDE THE DUTY NURSE, WHO GAVE INFORMATION ABOUT THE DUCHESS' CONDITION TO THE TWO DJS. IN A WORLD FIRST, SCIENTISTS HAVE USED ACOUSTIC TECHNOLOGY TO FIND, TRACK AND STUDY THE ANTARCTIC BLUE WHALE. THEY HOPE THE NEW INFORMATION THEY'VE GATHERED WILL HELP TO BOOST THE WHALE'S NUMBERS. HERE'S THE ABC'S TAMARA GLUMAC. THE ANTARCTIC BLUE WHALE IS THE BIGGEST CREATURE ON EARTH, SOMETIMES GROWING AS LONG AS THREE BUSES. DESPITE ITS SIZE, THE GIANT MAMMAL HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO FIND UNTIL NOW. WHAT WE'RE DOING, REALLY, IS A LOT LIKE LISTENING FOR A NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK. AN INTERNATIONAL TEAM OF RESEARCHERS SPENT SEVEN WEEKS IN THE SOUTHERN OCEAN STUDYING THE SPECIES. USING ACOUSTIC BUOYS, THEY WERE ABLE TO DETECT THE WHALE'S RESONATING SONG. DEEP THRUMMING BECAUSE YOU CAN HEAR THE WHALES FROM DISTANCES MUCH GREATER THAN YOU CAN SEE THEM, IT'S TURNED OUT TO BE AN INCREDIBLY EFFICIENT TECHNIQUE FOR FINDING WHALES. DURING THE VOYAGE, 86 ANTARCTIC BLUE WHALES WERE SPOTTED, 26,000 CALLS RECORDED, AND TWO MAMMALS TAGGED. CERTAINLY BLUE WHALES IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD HAVE BEEN TAGGED BEFORE, BUT WE BELIEVE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT ANTARCTIC BLUE WHALES HAVE BEEN TAGGED. BEFORE INDUSTRIAL WHALING IN THE 1900S, THE SOUTHERN OCEAN WAS HOME TO 200,000 BLUE WHALES. YES! NOW NUMBERS ARE DOWN TO AROUND 2000. WE DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY'RE NOT RECOVERING QUICKLY. I THINK IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO UNDERSTAND THEM BETTER, TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT MIGHT BE IMPEDING THEIR RECOVERY AND WHERE POSSIBLE, TO TRY AND MITIGATE A RATE OF RECOVERY. SCIENTISTS SAY THE SUCCESS OF THE VOYAGE IS MORE PROOF WHALES CAN BE STUDIED WITHOUT BEING KILLED. A FAMOUS BILL HAMMOND PAINTING HAS SOLD FOR A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS. THE 3M-WIDE ARTWORK WENT UNDER THE HAMMER IN AUCKLAND, ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHER HIGH-PROFILE PIECES FROM TOP NZ ARTISTS. WELL, THERE WERE SEVERAL BEAUTIFUL PIECES. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF REALLY EXCEPTIONAL BILL HAMMOND WORKS, AND ALSO ONE VERY BEAUTIFUL RALPH HOTERE PIECE. SEVERAL RAPH HOTERE PAINTINGS WERE SOLD, INCLUDING THIS ONE, WHICH FETCHED NEARLY $200,000. JUST AHEAD ` THAT BLACKCAPS CAPTAINCY SAGA JUST WON'T GO AWAY. ALSO ` OUR SETTLED RUN OF WEATHER CONTINUES; DETAILS AS WE HEAD TOWARDS THE LONG WEEKEND. TO SPORT NOW, d AND THE BLACKCAPS CAPTAINC A DAY AFTER DRAWING AGAINST ENGLAND, FORMER CAPTAIN ROSS TAYLOR HAS MADE COMMENTS WHICH HAVE ANGERED HIS BOSSES AND TEAMMATES. ABBY SCOTT HAS THE STORY. JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT THAT SUBJECT HAD BEEN HIT FOR SIX. THERE'S A LOT OF` A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE` THAT HAVE HAPPENED. MAYBE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS O-OR MONTHS, THINGS MIGHT GET TOLD. UM, BUT AS of NOW, UM, NOW PROBABLY NOT A` NOT A GREAT TIME TO TALK. THE FORMER BLACKCAPS SKIPPER REIGNITING THE CAPTAINCY SAGA THAT'S DOMINATED CRICKET HEADLINES ALL SUMMER, SUGGESTING THERE'S MORE TO EMERGE FROM HIS CONFLICT WITH COACH MIKE HESSON. I'VE GOT NO IDEA WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT. TAYLOR'S COMMENTS HAVE COME JUST THE MORNING AFTER NZ'S CAPTIVATING DRAW AGAINST THE WORLD NUMBER TWO SIDE. ONE NEWS UNDERSTANDS HIS TEAMMATES ARE ANGRY HE'S CHOSEN NOW TO SPEAK OUT; MANAGEMENT DISAPPOINTED. IT'S THE LAST THING ANYONE WANTS TO HEAR, I THINK. I MEAN, WE HAD SUCH A FANTASTIC TEST MATCH. GREAT DAY YESTERDAY. IT STOPPED THE NATION, AND, UM THAT'S ALL WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT AT THE MOMENT. BUT, APPARENTLY, TAYLOR DIDN'T GET THE MEMO. HIS FORM FROM THE TEST SERIES HINTED THAT THINGS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SITTING RIGHT. OF HIS FIVE INNINGS AGAINST ENGLAND, HE AVERAGED JUST OVER 23, WITH A TOP SCORE OF 41 NOT-OUT IN WELLINGTON. THAT'S FAR BELOW HIS OVERALL AVERAGE OF NEARLY 43. YEAH, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT TOUR. I WOULDN'T SAY I'M COMFORTABLE, UH, AS COMFORTABLE I'D LIKE TO BE, BUT, UM, YEAH, I GUESS IT'S... OVER TIME, TIME WILL TELL. I'M SURPRISED, REALLY, BECAUSE MANAGEMENT AND THE PLAYERS HAVE MADE HIM VERY WELCOMING. SO I GUESS IT'S A PROCESS THAT WE NEED TO WORK THROUGH, BUT I'D LIKE TO TALK TO HIM TO DISCUSS THAT AND HIS MOTIVATIONS FOR COMING OUT THE DAY AFTER THE TEST MATCH. WHILE DAVID WHITE SAYS TAYLOR'S COMMENTS WON'T AFFECT HIS SELECTION FOR THE UPCOMING TOUR, YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY HE'S KEEN TO PUT AN END TO THE OFF-FIELD SIDESHOW THAT CONTINUES TO UPSTAGE THE ON-FIELD ACTION. ABBY SCOTT, ONE NEWS. THE CANTERBURY WIZARDS WILL TAKE ON THE AUCKLAND ACES TO DECIDE THE FORD TROPHY ONE-DAY CRICKET CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER BRUSHING ASIDE THE WELLINGTON FIREBIRDS IN CHRISTCHURCH. DESPITE A HARD-FOUGHT 63 FROM BLACKCAPS ALL-ROUNDER GRANT ELLIOTT, THE FIREBIRDS FELL 63 RUNS SHORT OF THE WIZARDS' MODEST TOTAL OF 198. THE FIREBIRDS LOST THREE QUICK WICKETS EARLY ON IN THE CHASE, INCLUDING JESSE RYDER, WHO FELL FOR A FIRST-BALL DUCK. CANTERBURY QUICK MATT HENRY WAS THE CHIEF DESTROYER, TAKING 4/14. THE FINAL WILL BE PLAYED AT EDEN PARK'S OUTER OVAL ON SUNDAY. WEATHER TIME NOW, WITH RENEE. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. THE HIGH DOMINATES OUR PART OF THE WORLD FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS, CONTINUING THE SETTLED SPELL. NOTE THE LACK OF ISOBARS OVER NZ INDICATING LIGHT WINDS. FOR WEATHER, SEE ONENEWS.CO.NZ AND THAT'S YOUR WEATHER. SEE YOU TOMORROW. THAT'S IT FROM US HERE ON TONIGHT. THANKS FOR WATCHING. GOODNIGHT. CAPTIONS BY HUGO SNELL AND CONOR WHITTEN. CAPTIONS WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM NZ ON AIR.