Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Plug-in hybrid owners look to be trying to swerve new Government Road User Charges. The exemption for electric vehicles ends from April, and light EV owners will pay $76 for every 1000 kilometres travelled. Owners of plug-in hybrids will pay $53, because they also pay tax on fuel. One plug-in owner, Peter Garlick, says he wants to remove its electric plug to avoid paying double taxes. "So, an abou...

ACT leader David Seymour says the overwhelming majority of people at Waitangi were respectful during his address. The National Trust chair has apologised to Seymour, MP Nicole McKee and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters. All three were drowned out by jeers - and Pita Tipene says more effort should have been made to ensure they could express their views. Seymour says many were listening politely...

A 15-year-old has been arrested and three other teenagers are on the run following the brutal stabbing of a 70-year-old woman. The woman, identified as Vyleen White, was attacked in a Queensland car park- and died shortly after the encounter. She had been shopping at the Town Square Redbank Plains shopping centre in Ipswich with her grandchild, who was unharmed. Australian correspondent Oliver Pet...

New Zealand have been dismissed on the second day of the first cricket test against South Africa at Mount Maunganui. Rachin Ravindra top-scored with 240, but the last five wickets fell for 38 runs. Sportstalk host Jason Pine recaps the day's events. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's growing concerns younger teens are being targeted by vape marketing. An Auckland University study shows people aged 14-to-17 are more likely to see vaping ads than 18-to-20-year olds. Half of the 3500 in the study had been exposed through social media. Marketing professor, Bodo Lang, says more needs to be done to control messaging around vape products. "It's really been shown to be a very...

Hotels in Queenstown are building their own staff accommodation to combat the housing shortage in the area. They say it is a gamechanger for recruiting staff in the industry. Board Member for Tourism Industry Aotearoa James Doolan told Heather Du Plessis-Allan that although it is a good idea, it is not sustainable across the whole industry.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) has announced the new National Concussion Guidelines for community sport. These include when a player suffers a concussion, they must have a minimum period of 21 days away from full competition. Sports Injury Research Expert Dr Doug King has said that people need to understand the severity of some head knocks that take place.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.co...

John Aiken is one of the relationship experts on Married At First Sight, one of the people pairing up the brides and grooms and trying to help them build up a partnership.  The desire to find a match and be in a romantic relationship is common, spawning a variety of reality shows based entirely on the premise, MAFS being one of many.  The reason behind this, Aiken told Newstalk ZB’s Heather du Ple...

Greens co-leader hopeful Chloe Swarbrick is vowing to grow the party's caucus until it's big enough to lead the Government. The Auckland Central MP has announced her candidacy to replace James Shaw - who resigned this week - and will step back in March. Swarbrick told Heather du Plessis-Allan she sees herself contributing to a movement which turns the Greens into the major left party.   LISTEN ABO...

The Government's asking for input as it looks to expand the Covid-19 Inquiry. It wants the panel to look into the use of lockdowns, socio-economic impacts and how much disruption was caused for business, education and healthcare. Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden told Heather du Plessis-Allan that they want to hear from people about the terms of reference. Engagement will begin in Feb...

I’ve been surprised by the number of people who still underestimate her  I've had texts and in person conversations with people who don’t think she's got what it takes    Yes she does  Her winning Auckland central back in 2020 was a big deal. Even Jacinda Ardern, the darling of the left internationally, couldn't do it. She Tried twice and eventually pulled the pin.  Not only Chloe win it, But she...

The former First Minister of Scotland broke down in tears during the UK Covid-19 inquiry. Nicola Sturgeon told the Inquiry that she wished she wasn't in the role as the pandemic struck, amid the ongoing investigation into the Covid response. UK correspondent Enda Brady says the response to Sturgeon's statement has been mixed, with several labelling her address as 'crocodile tears'. LISTEN ABOVE  ...

Tonight on The Huddle, Kiwiblog editor and Curia pollster David Farrar and Ali Jones from Red PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Foreign Minister Winston Peters has expressed interest in joining up with AUKUS, and sharing defence technology with Australia, US and UK. Will this be good for New Zealand- or jeopardise relations with China?  Some former polic...

The streaming wars have kicked up a notch, as sports have become the newest area for companies to stake their claims. Disney has struck an exclusive deal with the NFL, and Netflix has formed a partnership with the WWE. Sam Dickie with Fisher Funds says this is just the beginning, as more companies will look towards streaming their sport-based output. "It's going to be primarily on these streaming...

New Zealand's two biggest farming-focused groups appear to be teaming up. Federated Farmers and noted protest group Groundswell are making conciliatory statements- and speculation indicates they could join together to be 'one voice' for rural New Zealand.  The Country's Jamie Mackay explains this partnership. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The minimum wage is set to go up by 45 cents to $23.15, starting April 1. This two percent increase will affect between 80,000 and 140,000 Kiwi workers. NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann says a reduced increase is the best circuit-breaker for the economy, as the fight to bring down inflation drags on. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A first combined Defence and Foreign Affairs Ministerial summit for New Zealand, across the Tasman. Winston Peters and Judith Collins have top-level meetings with their Australian counterparts, Penny Wong and Richard Marles, in Government buildings in Melbourne. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Winston Peters has a history of building international relationships and connections....

There's growing hope across the ditch that the RBA will cut interest rates soon. Australia's Official Cash Rate is currently at 4.35 percent, with reduced inflation data holding it in place. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says Australia's Reserve Bank meets next week- and there's a high chance they'll reel the OCR back. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Minister-in-charge says the Government is striking the right balance on lifting the minimum wage. It's rising two percent from April to $23.15 an hour from $22.70- affecting up to 145,000 workers. Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden says it's about protecting the incomes of the lowest paid New Zealanders. "We're striking a balance between protecting the incomes of our lowest-paid wo...

Woolworths have recently launched their Everyday Rewards scheme set to replace Onecards. This development comes as consumer advocates have voiced concerns about the returns on loyalty programs, encouraging consumers to shop around for deals. Woolworths Director of Digital and Loyalty, Mark Wolfenden, disagrees, claiming Everyday Rewards is 'very generous'. "It's part of our commitment to offering...

There's an exploratory Government mission across the ditch to find out more about AUKUS. Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins have met with their Australian counterparts, Penny Wong and Richard Marles, in Melbourne. ZB political editor Jason Walls says they're specifically looking at pillar two of the Australia-UK-US security pact. "Pillar two is a sort of mi...

The All Blacks’ 2024 schedule has been revealed, with 14 tests set for the upcoming season under new coach Scott Robertson. It opens with matches against England in Auckland and Dunedin, followed by a highly-anticipated clash clash against Fiji in San Diego. NZ Rugby boss Mark Robinson says the newly released schedule is part of a long-term plan to increase global interest in the sport. "We need t...

The All Blacks are expected to cover a wide array of venues in the coming months. Five home All Blacks tests in 2024 will be played at three venues - Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin - with a test against Fiji to be played in San Diego. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An ex-cop says the police need to be more flexible about mandatory fitness if they're to attract more people. The Government is committed to training 500 new officers within two years. Former policeman Gavin Benney says the Physical Competency Test isn't fit for purpose. He says some people who'd make great cops may not be able to do some aspects - such as the wall climb. "Police are struggling to...

If you listen to what Winston Peters is saying today, it sounds a hell of a lot like he’s keen to get us involved in AUKUS- the alliance between Australia, the UK and the US, which involves the Aussies buying those nuclear subs. Clearly, AUKUS is coming up in the discussions that he and Judith Collins are having with their counterparts over in Australia today. Now he was on Sky News this morning,...