Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Belief our poor PISA results stem from our high child poverty. Scores from 2022 in the international OECD test of student achievement show a big fall in Kiwi maths ability since 2018 - a continuing trend. Average reading and science scores aren't significantly different, but have also declined over time. NZEI President Mark Potter says what goes on at home has a huge impact on children's learning....

Nearly two months on from polling day, Chris Luxon and Chris Hipkins went head-to-head in their first Parliament debate. Hipkins had strong words for the Prime Minister, and labelled the new Government  'pathetic' and a 'disgrace' that lacked a vision for the country. He also accused Luxon of being beholden to Winston Peters and criticised National's decision to roll back Labour's smokefree policy...

Ex-Republican congresswoman and vocal Trump critic Liz Cheney is contemplating a third-party presidential run. She's said she plans to do 'whatever it takes' to thwart Trump from taking office for another term. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says Cheney runs the risk of dividing her party's loyalties ahead of the 2024 election. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand have lost the toss and will bowl first in the second cricket test against Bangladesh. Coming in the wake of the Black Caps 150-run loss in test number one - the second game is getting set to start in Dhaka. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains what can be expected. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sky Television is putting up the price of its Neon streaming platform next year. From January 11, a standard monthly plan will go up $2 - to $20 - and ads will now show during pauses. Sky Sport Now prices will also rise for the second time this year. Gorilla Technology commentator Paul Spain says it's not a sweet deal. "Any time you mount these sorts of changes, there will be some people that will...

Rishi Sunak's popularity amongst his party has sunk to an all time low, according to new data. The Prime Minister's approval rating from his fellow Tories has dropped to -25.4, according to Conservative Home.   UK correspondent Enda Brady says this score is among the lowest on record, and he's faring worse than Liz Truss. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Neale Jones from Capital and Infrastructure NZ CEO Nick Leggett joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more!  The National Māori Action Day Protest happened today- did it achieve anything of note? Will Luxon and National feel the pressure? What comes next? The MBIE has begun an investigation into how a confidential Cabinet paper made it into the...

Kiwi lamb prices are expected to remain under pressure, as Australia's output floods through overseas markets. Over the past few years, Australian farmers have been able to build up their flocks and take advantage of favourable conditions. Sheep numbers across the Tasman are at the highest they've been since 2007. The Country's Jamie Mackay explains the additional factors impacting the current mar...

A recent real estate survey has revealed fewer agents have observed a notable increase in house prices. Of the 324 respondents, a net 28 percent of agents said prices were rising in their locations in November- down from 34 percent in October. Independent economist Tony Alexander says this indicates a lack of 'frenzy' in the current housing market. "I get the feeling for over summer, a lot of peop...

Eyebrow were raised as the Te Pati Māori MPs stuck to the political swearing-in requirements on the same day organised protests and marches kicked off. MPs are legally required to swear an oath or affirmation of allegiance to King Charles, to sit and vote in the House. Te Pati's MPs first pledged allegiance to their mokopuna and Te Tiriti, then the King. ZB political editor Jason Walls says the MP...

Passenger train services in Wellington are at risk of being scaled back if more funding isn't found for maintenance.   The Greater Wellington Regional Council revealed there was a multi-million dollar shortfall in funding for the capital's rail network. Council chair Daran Ponter says services could be cut in under a year's time if this shortfall isn't addressed. "We're talking about the wholesale...

There's growing evidence Kiwi supermarkets may not be drawing in as much profit as expected. Woolworths New Zealand’s profits have dropped 52 percent in the last full year- down to $76 million from over $158 million. First Retail managing director Chris Wilkinson says this is proof customers aren't being fleeced at the checkout. "There is a limit to what consumers will pay. Retailers have to try a...

Kiwi company Goodair has developed a drug-free solution to fighting nasal congestion. Nosebuds promise to enhance diaphragmatic nasal breathing in order to reduce the impact of pressure and drainage while providing pain relief. Inventor and designer Dr David White says the buds emit a humming sound that applies mechanical stress to the affected area. "A third of the population suffers from nasal c...

The Workplace Relations Minister says she's disappointed unions are mis-characterising plans on Fair Pay Agreements. Elements of the Government's moves to repeal the policy were leaked to media last night. CTU President Richard Wagstaff subsequently told press he was upset unions had not been consulted about the plans. But Brooke Van Velden says his comments are not true. "Look, I was sworn into G...

Protesters in Whanganui are celebrating shutting down the courthouse during a national day of Māori action. Te Pati Māori led a march on Parliament this morning and car convoys disrupted traffic across the North Island. It's calling the Government's approach to Te Tiriti - and other initiatives affecting Māori - an assault. Whanganui iwi leader Ken Mair says they'll act again on December 20, and a...

The new Māori Development Minister says today's protests were lawful - but he believes his Government will deliver for Māori. As many as 800 people marched on Parliament this morning to protest policies they consider racist, and other marches and action were held around the country. Tama Potaka says the Government isn't planning to change its policy agenda. He says they're following commitments ma...

The Reserve Bank of Australia has opted to keep the OCR on hold for the time being. The cash rate is set to stay at 4.35 percent, with economists citing moderating inflation as the main factor behind the decision. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says inflation is reducing at a positive pace- but time will tell what the market looks like in January. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for...

There's growing claims local Government needs reform. A number of councils are proposing double-digit rate rises for the next financial year, or face cuts to essential services. They're grappling with high interest rates, inflation and looming infrastructure costs. Future of Local Government Review Chair Jim Palmer says a new operating model is badly needed. "That includes some form of re-organisa...

So we had the National Māori Action Day protest today. The protests took place across the North Island this morning and they were big, impressively so. There were an estimated 300 cars at the Auckland protest, there were about 50 on the Southern Motorway- which created a 3km backlog- and there were over 100 people at each of the Hamilton, Whakatane, Rotorua, Tokoroa, Taupo and Palmerston North gat...

The White Ferns have lost their first ever twenty20 series to Pakistan at home, after conceding game two by ten runs in Dunedin. Chasing 138 for victory, New Zealand were 29 for four in the sixth over with Suzie Bates the only top four batter to make double digits. Georgia Plimmer and Hannah Rowe rallied late with 28 and 33 runs respectively but both were dismissed at the death. Sportstalk host D'...

More information has come to light about the slip that brought Omid Scobie's book into the public eye. It was revealed that his agent sent a draft manuscript of Endgame to be translated into Dutch- a version that named the royals who expressed concern about Archie's skin colour. Omid Scobie himself has remained adamant that he never put the names of the royals involved into print. UK correspondent...

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and former Labour Chief of Staff Mike Munro joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Te Pati Māori has called for people to come together to protest the Government’s “assault on tangata whenua and Te Tiriti o Waitangi”. Is this setting up another bad week for the new Government? How big will the turnout b...

Finance Minister Nicola Willis has expressed concern with the scale of financial challenges left behind by the former Government, which she is still uncovering. She's accused her predecessors of leaving the books in a much worse state than they appeared in the pre-election unveil. NZME business commentator Fran O'Sullivan says a lot of Government projects were funded on a short-term basis- and Wil...

Police and Waka Kotahi are working together to prepare for possible disruptions from protests planned by Te Pāti Māori. The party has proposed a nationwide day of action tomorrow against the Government's Māori policy and are rallying people to protest across the North Island. ZB political editor Jason Walls says it would be difficult for Te Pāti Māori to bring people together on a national scale,...

Experts claim New Zealand's ongoing failure to deal with bad debt is costing the country over $2 billion per year. Debt management firm DebtManagers says a human-centred and customer-led approach to debt will reduce the issue- as the current one-size-fits all approach isn't helpful. Executive director Charles Whiting says adding interest and collection fees is counter-intuitive to getting debt rep...