Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

The Education Minister has blamed her predecessor over school project cost overruns. The Government promised to launch a Ministerial Inquiry to investigate the problems with the school property system. Minister Erica Stanford says the previous Government has created a 'pipeline' of projects they were unable to deliver on. "Here I am, as a new Minister trying to get on with curriculum, and pedagogy...

Over in Australia, NSW police have laid out a timeline relating to the disappearance of Sydney couple, Jesse Baird and Luke Davies. Police have accused 28-year-old constable, Beau Lamarre-Condon, of murdering them in Baird's home, then making multiple trips to a rural property. It's now being scoured for the missing pair. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says police have had to widen their sea...

World Rugby insist they've set the correct threshold in the men's game for a head acceleration event that requires an off-field assessment. Triggers set off via newly sanctioned smart mouthguards saw Chiefs midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown and Crusaders lock Quinten Strange undergo an HIA in the opening Super Rugby match of the season. Both players appeared to question the need for them to leave the...

Student accommodation costs have never been higher, as first year students struggle to make ends meet. Auckland University Student Association president, Alan Shaker, says he knows many students who need to work full-time, on top of studying full-time. He says their most expensive room is $510, up from $470 last year- a significant increase in their accommodation fees. The weekly student allowance...

I'm finding it quite amusing listening to the critics line up to tell us all the reasons why the Government's ban on gang patches won’t work. Clearly, they don't remember what happened in Whanganui. Ultimately, the Whanganui gang patch ban hit the same trouble that this Government's gang patch ban might also hit, which is the Bill of Rights Act. But before it hit that trouble, it actually worked....

A Tauranga commissioner says they've been given a mandate to make Long Term Plan decisions. The city's commissioner's have been criticised for doing that, before a council election in July. Proposals include rent increases of 240 percent for charities and not-for-profit organisations. This has come under fire. Commissioner Anne Tolley told Heather du Plessis Allan making Long Term Plan decisions w...

All three IVF providers in the US state of Alabama have now suspended their services after the Alabama Supreme Court ruling that an embryo is a child with all the rights of a child. IVF providers who are now worried they're going to be in legal trouble for discarding these embryos. Andrew Murray is group medical director of Fertility Associates. He told Heather Du Plessis-Allan that this is the be...

Taylor Swift fans all over Australia and New Zealand are getting ready to enjoy the Sydney leg of the Eras tour, including those hard of hearing. Marni Van Vliet is a sign language interrupter for concerts all over Australia. She says Told Heather Du Plessis-Allan that there are so many reasons to go to concerts, even when you are hard of hearing. Saying deaf people want to experience a historical...

The Union for the Public Service worker says that our border security is at risk of customs, goes ahead with staff cuts. Customs are seeking voluntary redundancies and early retirements in an effort to save money. National Secretary for the Public Service Association Duane Leo told Heather Du Plessis-Allan that ironic because this government has talked about being tough on crime in terms of organi...

A real estate agent who's refused to take a compulsory Māori culture training believes she has support from the public. Janet Dickson is facing a five-year ban for not completing a short course on te ao Māori and tikanga -- and she's now seeking a judicial review. Dickson told Heather du Plessis-Allan the course has nothing to do with her real estate work, and contradicts her religion. She says sh...

The Chief Operating officer for Air Chatams is concerned by the potential for rising costs for airfares. This comes as the cost of Auckland Airport’s $8 billion 10-year redevelopment plan is being passed on in airport fees and passenger levies. COO of Air Chathams told Heather Du Plessis-Allan that the they had already seen a 20% drop in domestic flights and that number is likely to rise if things...

The case of the real estate agent being forced to do a Māori culture and tikanga course or lose her job is a case of bad judgment by the Real Estate Authority. Estate agents have to do courses to retain their licenses.  10 hours of training a year... mostly they can pick which topics they do   But a couple are compulsory for everyone.   And one of them – there's only two compulsory - and one of th...

Over in the UK, research shows more drug-drivers have been arrested than drunk drivers by some forces. Data shows over 48 percent of roadside arrests were for drug-diving, with drink-driving figures reduced. UK correspondent Enda Brady says younger generations were more likely to consume cocaine and cannabis than drink before getting behind the wheel. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

Tonight on The Huddle, Nick Mills from ZB's Wellington Mornings and Ali Jones from Red PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! It's been revealed that fees-free uni isn't getting more low-decile students into tertiary education. Should we scrap it if it doesn't make a difference? Health NZ has removed the person that leaked the documents that led to Casey Cost...

Researchers have today welcomed a clarification by the Environmental Protection Authority that allows them to enhance their research. The EPA has ruled organisms known as null segregants are not considered GMOs- meaning they aren't subject to the same restrictions. The Country's Jamie Mackay explains the impact of this announcement. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NZ Herald's Liam Dann has been won over by a new set of AI developments. Spark has rolled out some new technology designed to improve the world of construction and identify areas that need fixing- speeding up the process. The Herald's business editor at large was impressed by the practical applications of this technology. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's Ginny Andersen has so far avoided a formal reprimand over her comments about Police Minister Mark Mitchell.  The Labour MP accused him of of being paid to kill people in his role as a military contractor overseas in the 2000s. ZB senior political correspondent says Andersen needs to issue an in-person apology for her 'defamatory' remarks.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...

Google maps have led a pair of German tourists stuck Queensland bush for a week. The pair rented a four-wheel drive vehicle to drive through wilderness in Cape-York - but the map app sent them into a bog. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says Google Maps work differently in such isolated places. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Controversial cricket player David Warner was booed by a Wellington crowd ahead of his T20 match. The Australian opener's no stranger to a hostile New Zealand crowd given his brash on-field chatter and 2018 cheating scandal against South Africa in the test format. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sky TV has made a strong start to the financial year, with a 10 percent rise in net profit for the half-year to December. The broadcaster experienced a 3 percent dip in customers to 1.02 million- but a 4 percent rise in revenue to $393 million. Chief executive Sophie Moloney says she's excited about these results, despite the 2023 entertainment strikes impacting content. "We haven't had those key...

Air New Zealand's half-year earnings have taken a dive, according to today's report. The airline has announced earnings before taxation of $185 million for the first half of the 2024 financial year- down 39 percent on the same period last year. CEO Greg Foran says these earnings reflect a 'normalisation' following a huge surge in demand. "Last year, we made, based on the amount of kilometres we fl...

Some Auckland parents have been left outraged after a visit to the New Lynn community centre. A 36-page booklet detailing graphic sex acts featuring male dolls caught the attention of several children- and Auckland Council has since apologised and pulled it. Body Positive Executive Director Mark Fisher has labelled the removal an 'overreaction'. "I know they have a lot of rainbow groups at the com...

The Black Caps will look to make a mindset shift in the field after a messy display contributed to going down 1-nil in their T20 series against Australia. Several dropped catches and uncharacteristic mis-fields in Wellington helped the Aussie batters reel in New Zealand's large total with the bat. Top-scoring batsman Rachin Ravindra says he's been doing what he can for the team. "You take it, you...

ACT's Tertiary Education and Skills spokesperson says the last Government's first-year fees-free university policy failed by every measure. The Tertiary Education Commission has acknowledged there's no discernible evidence it changed the distribution of low-decile school students going to university. It was one of the policy's key goals. But Parmjeet Parmar says it didn't improve other issues. "It...

A political commentator says it's telling only one person's been held accountable after multiple leaks from the public service. Casey Costello had to apologise in the House this week, after claiming she hadn't sought advice on freezing tobacco excise tax, despite notes leaked to RNZ showing she did. The Health Ministry's confirmed the person responsible for the leak is no longer employed. Former M...