06 December 2012 Coming up on Te Karere... In developing news... Three are dead after a tornado hit West Auckland this afternoon. We have the latest information and will cross live to Hobsonville. Hone Harawira appeared in Auckland District Court again today. It's been two months since the Waitangi Tribunal released their report on the Kohanga Reo, and the Kohanga Reo Trust is calling for the Government to make their decision. Due to the live nature of Te Karere, some segments will not be subtitled. Tena koutou katoa, and welcome to Te Karere. Three people are dead and seven have been taken to hospital following this afternoon's West Auckland tornado. Three people are confirmed dead after a wall collapsed at a construction site. And there are seven people confirmed injured. There are a number of reports of damage to power cables, trees and property, and the fire service is inundated with calls. There have also been reports of windows blown out of houses, tiles flying off roof tops, and trees lying on roads. Traffic on the North Western Motorway is heavy and slow. Police are asking motorists to be wary of flash flooding... And several roads are closed. And we have reports from Auckland Airport... Full flights are sitting on the tarmac... Passengers have been asked to stay inside for fear of lightning strikes. Shortly we'll bring you Irena Smith live at the scene. But first here's Raiha Johns with the latest. The tornado in Hobsonville was a big shock for Maori in the area. Cars were thrown, and roofs collapsed. An employee at the Open Polytechnic in Hobsonville feels for the mortal victims. The polytech buildings are close to where the victims died when a limestone wall collapsed and fell on them. Airplanes have been grounded in Auckland, and none are being allowed to land. Streets have been closed off until the weather settles. MetService is warning people to stay vigilant during the storm. Raiha Johns, Te Karere. Our reporter Irena Smith joins us now from Hobsonville. Irena what can you tell us? We're unable to provide subtitles. Irena Smith, live from Hobsonville, West Auckland To re-cap the main points... The death toll has risen to three. The deaths occurred when concrete slabs fell on workers at a building site. At least seven people are believed injured. Four have been taken to North Shore Hospital. Their injuries are still being assessed. There's a plea from Auckland Police to stay off the road if you can. Motorists caught in transit are being told to slow down, use their headlights and increase following distances. Hone Harawira appeared in Auckland District Court again today and only spoke Maori which proved difficult for the JPs who were presiding over the case. He was arrested last month at a protest in Glen Innes charged with failing to comply with police direction, after he locked himself in his car. His not guilty plea was translated by a reporter for the two JPs. He still believes his support for the protesters in Glen Innes was right. He was supporting Glen Innes residents who are being evicted by the government for development purposes. It's only a fineable offence. Harawira is also representing himself. He heads back to court on March 19. Anzac Pikia, Te Karere. Mana Party Leader Hone Harawira joins me now in studio. Tena koe Hone. We're unable to provide subtitles. Hone Harawira, thank you for joining us. After the break, it's been two months since the Waitangi Tribunal released their report on the Kohanga Reo, and the Kohanga Reo Trust is calling for the Government to make their decision. It's been two months since the Waitangi Tribunal released their report on the Kohanga Reo, and the Kohanga Reo Trust is calling for the Government to make their decision. They've already spoken with the Minister and the Crown, and when they appeared before Parliament's Select Committee yesterday, there was a sense of urgency. A report from the Waitangi Tribunal recently showed there were areas in the education system that put Kohanga Reo at risk. Now their Trust wants that put back in to the spotlight. And the Kohanga Reo whanau can't afford to wait around much longer For the Trust, having another 3,000 Mokopuna without Te Reo Maori is a major concern, one that is shared with the Governments coalition party Currently, there are a number of Govt policies that are being designed in the absence of a Kohanga voice that are expected to be rolled out in the coming terms. Their fear is that Kohanga will continue to suffer prejudice by virtue of omission of Kohanga having an say in those policies. The Trust remain optimistic that the Government will act in good faith, at least for now. Peata Melbourne, Te Karere. It's your fault. No, it's your fault. That's the mood of discussions between National and Labour about people leaving the country in search of work. John Key was in Waikato today to talk about his employment schemes, but Labour blames National for chasing people overseas. Potaka Maipi says Maori are divided on the issue. John Key holding on to workers in NZ. Maori workers are standing tough at Perry's steel works, saying that this is where the greener pastures. Labour are accusing John Key of pushing 170,000 NZers overseas. Packing for Australia. Labour says that today, the 50,000 person will depart the country this year to live, never to return. Factories like Perry's are like steel in their determination to keep NZers in NZ. Potaka Maipi, Te Karere. Indigenous universities are equal to mainstream universities, world-wide. This from Professor Margaret Maaka of the University of Hawaii, who is in NZ to celebrate the opening of Awanuiarangi's new school buildings tomorrow. Some last minute tidying up, ahead of tomorrow's ceremony. Wananga Maori may be the only way to get Maori into good jobs. This year the first Doctoral degrees were conferred at Awanuiarangi. Most of aren't achieving well in education. There are currently 7,000 students There are currently 7,000 students registered with Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi, and they've spent around $20,000 on renovations. The gaps are being filled, and once they are, we can start to achieve our goals in tertiary studies. There will be a 4am dawn ceremony for the opening tomorrow. Ngahuia Wade, Te Karere. After the break, the weather. To the weather now. For weather, see tvnz.co.nz. To re-cap the main points of the tornado... The death toll is at three. The deaths occurred when concrete slabs fell on workers at a building site. At least seven people are believed to be injured. Four have been taken to North Shore Hospital. Their injuries are still being assessed. There's a plea from Auckland Police to stay off the road if you can. Motorists caught in transit are being told to slow down, use their headlights and increase following distances. That's all we have for today. Turou Hawaiki. Captions were made possible with funding from NZ on Air. Copyright TVNZ Access Services 2012.