Holiday Breakfast

The forecast isn't looking too bad for what's arguably Auckland's biggest events weekend of the summer.  Thousands are expected to descend on Eden Park over the next two nights, to see country music star Luke Combs.  The city's also placing host to Sail GP over the next two days and Auckland FC is taking on Melbourne FC at Mount Smart Stadium tomorrow night.  MetService forecaster H...

The banks are at it again.  ASB is slashing its rates this morning following a move by Westpac yesterday afternoon.  Many borrowers have been moving to floating or short-term fixed rates, anticipating further OCR cuts.  But latest forecasts show bank economists now expect the Reserve Bank to start hiking the OCR again next year.  Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen told...

There's determination from the Education Minister to continue focusing on literacy and numeracy in schools.  New data shows 70% of Level 1 students passed NCEA last year, down from 82% the previous year.  It's partly due to the new 20-credit foundational literacy and numeracy requirement.  Erica Stanford told Tim Beveridge there was a cohort of students who were getting enough credi...

The Green Party had a rough time in 2024, dealing with their fair share of scandals and tragedies.   From Darleen Tana’s dramatic exit and Golriz Ghahraman’s shoplifting scandal, to the death of Efeso Collins and Marama Davidson’s cancer diagnosis.   Co-Leader Chlöe Swarbrick told Tim Beveridge that it’s been tough.  “I do spend a lot of time reflecting on the actions that I ta...

Police officer Lyn Fleming's life will be remembered at a full police funeral today in Nelson.   She died after she was run over while carrying out patrols in the city on New Year's Day.   The funeral will be held at the Trafalgar Centre and livestreamed on the Police website and Facebook page.   Police Association President Chris Cahill says there are unique features to a police fu...

The ACT Party argues the re-election of Donald Trump is another reason for New Zealand to ramp up its Defence spend.   It's proposing an investment of at least 2% of GDP, with the current spend sitting at 0.9%.  ACT's defence spokesperson Mark Cameron says the world is becoming a less safe and predictable place, and New Zealand needs to pull its weight in traditional alliances.   He...

An overhaul of how obesity is diagnosed could be on the way.  The Global Commission on Clinical Obesity has made recommendations that diagnosis is focused on measures of total body fat, not just BMI.  The paper says current practices rely too heavily on body-mass indexes.  Endocrinologist Rinki Murphy told Tim Beveridge it won't mean people can just diagnose obesity by standing in f...

Another sign of hope on the horizon for jobseekers.  The latest quarterly Westpac-McDermott Miller Employment Confidence Index has risen for the first time in over two years, off the back of a three-and-a-half-year low.  Public sector workers are more pessimistic than private sector workers about their earning prospects.  But there's growing confidence, across the board, about the a...

Celebrations in the streets of Israel and Gaza, with reports of ceasefire being reached.  More than 46-thousand people have been killed in the region and nearly two million people have been displaced since the conflict began in October.  BBC reports the first phase of the deal will see a six-week ceasefire and 33 of the hostages held by Hamas exchanged for hundreds Palestinian prisoners....

Businesses are feeling optimistic they could be in for a better 2025.   The latest Quarterly Survey of Business Opinion from the Institute of Economic Research reveals a net 9% of firms are expecting general economic conditions to improve.   This is a jump from a net 4% feeling downbeat three months prior.  Infometrics’ Brad Olsen told Tim Beveridge that it’s definitely a good sign,...

Ziggy Alberts is as dedicated to song-writing as they come.  The Australian musician picked up the guitar when he was 17, releasing his first EP the following year in 2012.   He’s best known for his studio album ‘Laps Around the Sun’, which peaked at number 2 on the ARIA charts.   Alberts told Tim Beveridge that when it comes to creating his music, the first step is relative insanit...

A humanitarian worker says a ceasefire in Gaza is desperately needed, with negotiations reaching the final stages.  The conflict has killed more than 46-thousand people in the region since the wars began with the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7.  CNN reports the agreement would see a phased release of Israeli hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.  Doctors With...

It's thought consistency is key as the Government moves to ban all under 18s from buying all Lotto products.  Currently, only Instant Kiwi products have an age limit.  Internal Affairs Minister Brooke Van Velden says neither Lotto nor retailers want to sell its products to children, but it's a legally grey area right now.  She told Tim Beveridge she expects little resistance to the...

LA officials say the destruction caused by the deadly wildfires is "massive", "unimaginable" and unprecedented.  Firefighters are a long way off containing the largest Palisades blaze, with 86% of it thought to be burning out of control.  The death toll remains at 24, while another 23 people are still missing.  Char Miller —a Professor of Environmental Analysis at LA's Pomona Colleg...

It's likely to be an anxious morning for 160-thousand secondary school students, who soon receive their NCEA exam results.  NZQA will upload the outcomes online, with students able to check if they've passed and if they've received Course and Certificate Endorsements or University Entrance.   PPTA President Chris Abercrombie told Tim Beveridge for those disappointed with their results, i...

Intense winds are once again fanning the flames of the LA wildfires.  Newstalk ZB's California correspondent Richard Arnold told Tim Beveridge it comes as officials are ramping up the emergency response.  He says there's an "army" of about 15 thousand firefighters on the frontline and he's never seen anything quite like it.  Arnold says it’s hard to stop embers from spreading in the...

There’s a push to limit the amount of alcohol international passengers can drink before flights.  Budget airline Ryanair is asking European aviation authorities to enforce a two drink maximum.  Europe correspondent Catherine Field says passengers are limited in the amount of duty-free alcohol they can buy.  The airline argues that should apply to bars too.  Ryanair says changin...

David Seymour’s controversial Treaty Principles Bill has faced a fair bit of opposition since its introduction.  The ACT Leader says it comes from two main camps, and in his opinion, it reinforces the need for a debate around the Treaty of Waitangi and its application.  He told Tim Beveridge that the debate has shifted to the point where it’s not about race or the Treaty, but rather abou...

Almost all Kiwi children experience significant trauma before the age of 10.  That's the finding of new Auckland University research, published in the European Journal of Public Health.  The study's also found children who experienced at least one traumatic event were twice as likely to be obese by the age of eight.  Lead author Ladan Hashemi told Tim Beveridge that they were lookin...

A Kiwi classic has been scorned.  The Marmite and chip sandwich has been named the 17th worst food in the world in Taste Atlas’ annual ranking.   Although the sandwich only scored a 2.3, the top three spots were claimed by Sweden’s Blodpalt, Spain’s Bocadillo de Sardinas, and Calskrove, also from Sweden.   Food Envy Head Chef and critic Max Gnojczak told Tim Beveridge that he was ki...

The economy may be starting to turn a corner, but it could be a slow turn.  Stats NZ figures show the number of filled jobs increased 0.3% in November – the first monthly increase in eight months.  Service sector jobs increased, but the number of primary sector and goods industries jobs declined.  Westpac Senior Economist Michael Gordon told Tim Beveridge he still expects unemployme...

There are fears fire crews will see setbacks in the efforts to contain the LA wildfires, with strong winds forecast in the hours ahead.  Thousands of firefighters are battling the Palisades, Eaton, and Hurst fires, which have now burnt through an area larger than Hamilton.  At least 24 people have died and dozens are missing, with the death toll expected to rise.  Nine News correspo...

Job numbers have picked up slightly, but not everyone's benefiting.  Latest figures from Stats NZ show the number of filled jobs rose slightly in November, for the first time in eight months.  Service sector jobs rose but primary industries and goods industry jobs declined.  Infometrics’ Brad Olsen told Tim Beveridge that it’s a bit early for it to be fully sustainable, but there is...

One of the best storytellers in the comedy world is gracing New Zealand's shores in February. American comedian and actor Josh Wolf has been performing live for over 25 years and is now bringing his show 'High Life on Tour' down under.  Josh joins the show to talk about his long career and what Kiwis can expect from him next month.  LISTEN ABOVE.  See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...

Public consultation on the rewrite of the Arms Act opens today. It has been more than 40 years since the Act was enacted, with lobby groups calling the legal firearm system fractured and confused. What are firearms owners hoping to achieve with the public consultation?  Spokesperson for The Council of Licensed Firearm Owners Hugh Devereux Mack joins the show to discuss what the government nee...