Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has said he won't re-appoint Chief Human Rights Commissioner Paul Hunt. Goldsmith told Heather du Plessis-Allan that he wants to see a Human Rights Commissioner "who's really focused on fundamental human rights such as free speech, freedom of expression and equal voting. All these sorts of issues that I haven't heard quite as much as I would have liked to over the p...

Boris Johnson attempted to apologise for his Covid-19 response- an apology that quickly got hijacked. Protesters swarmed the former Prime Minister and interrupted him as he began his apology for his handling of the deadly pandemic. UK correspondent Enda Brady says Johnson's apology seemed 'rehearsed', as it was more serious than expected. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

Tonight on The Huddle, Ali Jones from Red PR and Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Police Minister Mark Mitchell has released a letter of expectations for Police Commissioner Andrew Coster. The pair seem to be unified about these expectations- can Coster meet these standards?  Foreign Minister Winston Peters has tod...

Fonterra has upgraded its milk price forecast and raised their full-year earnings forecast following an 85 percent lift in their first-quarter profit. The forecast farmgate milk price midpoint for the 2023/24 season is up 25 cents to $7.50 per kgMS, and the forecast range has moved to $7.00-$8.00 per kgMS. The Country's Jamie Mackay says these predictions were boosted by a strong GDT result. LISTE...

A big gap has opened up between the market and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s views of where interest rates are heading. The two-year swap rate - which can have a bearing on home mortgage rates - is now sitting on 5.21 percent, down from 5.78 percent earlier this year. This goes against last week's hawkish vision regarding higher rates. NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann explains why...

Auckland Council has teamed up with NZ Police in a new initiative to enhance safety in the city centre. The 'Together for Tamaki Makaurau' partnership is designed to establish a more visible safety presence on Auckland streets from Karangahape Road to the waterfront. Auckland Council CityWatch and Compliance teams, police, Māori Wardens and Community Patrols NZ (CPNZ) will run co-ordinated efforts...

Kiwi households will had to find an extra $70 per week to cover their living costs, according to ASB economists. It's a smaller increase than the $115 a week lift in 2023- and and is expected to be below the increase in incomes. ASB senior economist Mark Smith says these estimates are influenced by several key factors. "Living costs really reflect what's happening with inflation, that's probably t...

Disappointment the Government hasn't gone further in its call for arms to be laid to rest in war-torn Gaza. Foreign minister Winston Peters put forward a motion calling on all parties involved in the conflict to take urgent steps towards establishing a ceasefire. It was supported by all parties. But Labour's immigration spokesman Phil Twyford says they urged the Government to agree to an immediate...

This year truly belongs to Taylor Swift. The 33-year-old's been named Time magazine's person of the year, a week after becoming Spotify's most most-played artist. Swift beat finalists including Barbie, King Charles and OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman. KTLA entertainment correspondent Sam Rubin says she's had an 'extraordinary' 2023- full of accomplishments. "The criteria is who has influenced th...

Queenstown is waiting on a final signoff before lifting the town's boil water notice. Businesses and residents have been required to boil tap water for almost three months, after a breakout of cryptosporidium. UV treatment equipment has been installed at the Two Mile water supply. Mayor Glyn Lewers says all they need now is water regulator Taumata Arowai to give the green light. "We've done our bi...

The Police Commissioner says he's aligned with the new Police Minister on the changes needed for law and order. Minister Mark Mitchell has publicly released a letter, outlining his expectations for Commissioner Andrew Coster. That includes refocusing efforts on strengthening policing in communities, removing gang patches and cracking down on youth crime. Coster says officers essentially need to sp...

Unanimous support for a Government motion calling on all parties involved in the Israel and Palestine conflict to take urgent steps towards a ceasefire. It came after the adoption of an amendment from Labour's Phil Twyford that a two-state solution must be maintained. Foreign Minister Winston Peters defended his motion, and hit out at fellow MPs. ZB political editor Jason Walls recapped the stando...

Former controversial radio personality and Wallabies coach Alan Jones has been accused of inappropriate behaviour. Jones is being accused of preying on multiple young men, engaging in indecent assaults and inappropriate behaviour without their consent while working at the radio station. The 82-year-old broadcaster firmly denies the allegations. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says there'll li...

Christchurch's largest food bank is set to close just days before Christmas. Foodbank Canterbury has been forced to introduce a service fee to meet rising costs, meaning it's become ineligible for council funding. It says they'd be putting their ability to pay staff at risk if they operated past December 22. The foodbank supports 160 charities across Christchurch. Potters Kitchen manager Robbie Dr...

The Black Caps know they've got a battle on their hands heading into day two of the second cricket test against Bangladesh. New Zealand will resume under pressure at 55 for 5 in Dhaka, but only trail by 117 runs after skittling the hosts for 172 on day one. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former UK PM Boris Johnson will have a chance to defend his handling of the pandemic in two days of questioning at the Covid inquiry. He is expected to apologise to the inquiry and admit his Government made mistakes during the pandemic.  UK correspondent Gavin Grey says sources close to Mr Johnson say he will argue he got big calls right that saved lives. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener f...

Tonight on The Huddle, current affairs commentator Josie Pagani and former National staffer Ben Thomas joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! This year's PISA results left a lot to be desired. National's Erica Stanford has since laid out plans to change these results for the better. Are they something we need to be worried about? Kiingi Tuheitia is inviting iwi...

Good news for Kiwi motorists, with a pre-Christmas fall in petrol prices. Brent Crude has fallen from $81 US dollars on Friday to $77 this morning. The average price for unleaded 91 petrol has already fallen about five percent since the start of the month. Infometrics principal economist Brad Olsen explains this sudden shift. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fourth consecutive carbon auction of 2023 failed to clear, leaving millions of units unsold. This means the Government missed out on anther $900 million worth of revenue. Milford Asset Management's Frances Sweetman says all the units built up from this year will be cancelled- but predicts an improved balance for 2024. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank is downplaying the impact of new mortgage lending rules they might impose on banks. It's given the banks until April 2024 to prepare for debt-to-income ratio restrictions to be imposed- but has indicated new changes will be too restrictive. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny says DTI restrictions are unlikely to have too much of an impact on prospective borrower...

The new Government has set out its expectations for how the Commissioner of Police should do his job. The publicly-released letter calls for frontline officers to be considered the priority when investment decisions are made. It also reminds Coster of his responsibility to deliver on the Government's law and order commitments. That includes plans to ban gang patches, give police greater powers to...

The Council of Trade Unions has fired back against Brooke van Velden, claiming she shared false information. This dispute is centred around the Government's proposed repeal of Fair Pay Agreements, a promise they campaigned on during the election. CTU President Richard Wagstaff says van Velden never had a proper consultation on repealing Fair Pay Agreements. "We had no idea she had a Cabinet paper,...

Air New Zealand's new battery-powered plane won't carry any passengers. The airline's bought an electric Alia aircraft, which is expected to join the fleet from 2026. The aircraft weighs three tonnes and its battery takes about an hour to charge. Chief sustainability officer Kiri Hannifin says they'll fly Alia on routes of about 150km and it'll be cargo only. "We just want to do smaller routes- th...

New data shows Kiwi households aren't drawn to their food scrap bins. A food waste survey of 3,000 New Zealanders revealed that two thirds of respondents found them unappealing- citing cost and smell as the key reasons. The professional engineer behind the survey, John Mackie, says he's shared this data with the new Government to find a solution.  "Putting the food waste down the insinkerator, lik...

The Māori King has called for a national hui between iwi to unify their voices in holding the new Government to account. Kiingi Tuheitia has announced he will host the meeting at Turangawaewae Marae in Waikato's Ngāruawāhia, on January 20. His chief of staff, Ngira Simmonds, says the Māori community has had grievances with every Government and unity is essential. "Some of the plans the Government...