Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Officials deny a potential freeze on hiring back-office police staff is about tight finances. That's despite one of the country's top cops warning staff of a more 'fiscally constrained' environment, in an email seen by our newsroom. It includes cuts to contractors and consultants and a pause on hiring fulltime non-constabulary staff. But Police Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming says it's about...

Do not fall into the trap of thinking these latest charges against Donald Trump, just because they’re the most serious yet , are going to change his fortunes in next year’s American election.  He is still on track to become the Republican nominee for President. In fact, if anything, we should assume right now   that this is going to only make him more popular. Because if you look back, you will se...

A handful of UK-based retailers are incorporating facial recognition technology to crack down on shoplifting.  UK police are employing pre-existing live facial recognition (LFR) technology to create a database of offenders with the aim of reducing retail crime. UK correspondent Enda Brady says between 340,000 to 8 million shoplifting incidents occurred in 2022, and this is costing companies at lea...

Tonight on The Huddle, Tim Wilson from Maxim Institute and Infrastructure NZ CEO Nick Leggett joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! New research reveals a third of Kiwis are thinking of moving overseas to Australia for more opportunities and better wages after recent changes gave Kiwis an easier pathway to Aussie citizenship. Is this concerning for New Zealand'...

A group of veteran public servants who were appointed to set up four water entities are collecting high salaries for work that no longer exists. Jon Lamonte, Vaughan Payne, Colin Crampton and Michael Brewster were commissioned to run the Government's proposed water super-entities- until they were scrapped for 10 entities in April. NZ Herald business journalist Kate McNamara says their salaries wer...

Analysts are feeling less than optimistic about tonight's GDT auction amid low Chinese demand for dairy. According to the SGX-NZX futures market, whole milk powder prices are expected to fall a further 3 percent. The Country's Jamie Mackay says it's a grim market for dairy farmers following on from environmental  disasters. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson remains under pressure, as he bats off questions about Labour's tax policy. Robertson is still refusing to confirm whether Labour will remove the GST from fruit and vegetables, amid allegations from National. BusinessDesk managing editor Pattrick Smellie says Labour's been caught flat-footed, as Robertson would have said so directly if the party weren't considering...

New research shows over a third of New Zealand's workforce are thinking of quitting their jobs and moving to Australia. A joint university study highlights those workers are 2.6 times more likely to jump the ditch - after recent changes gave Kiwis an easier pathway to Australian citizenship. Massey Business School Professor Jarrod Haar says Kiwis are struggling financially and more opportunities p...

NZ First leader Winston Peters is sticking to his guns in refusing to form a coalition Government with Labour. Peters launched his comeback last week, lambasting both the left and right sides of the aisle on the campaign trail. He says NZ First is aiming to form a 'better Government' without aid from Labour. "Having said, we're ruling out Labour, no question about that. I said we've got to form a...

The Privacy Commissioner is frustrated by the New Zealand Police’s recent serious privacy breach. Police inadvertently disclosed the email addresses of 147 firearms owners by Te Tari Pūreke on Wednesday, 26 July. Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster says that these firearms owners are in a situation where their personal information has been inadvertently released- again. "If you think about the pe...

Broadcaster and commentator Paddy Gower says the horse has already bolted on the Government's attempt to crack down on vaping. All vapes will need to have removable or replaceable batteries, there will be a ban on new vape shops near schools, and new restrictions on 'enticing' flavours. He says these new regulations won't solve the 'gigantic' problem of youth nicotine addiction- an issue he explor...

Economists are baffled over BNZ's decision to bump up the interest rates on three home loan terms. The bank will lift their six-month rate from 7.85 percent to 7.99 percent. Their four- and five-year rates will increase from 6.89 percent to 7.09 percent. Infometrics Chief Forecaster Gareth Kiernan says the six-month rate increase is at odds with BNZ's own economic forecast. "The six-month rate is...

 I don’t think it’s going to surprise you to hear the huge numbers of Kiwi workers  thinking about moving to Australia-  it's a third of us.   Researchers from Massey and Otago Universities asked workers if they would consider moving to Australia . 10 percent said yes , and 26 percent said maybe. Now, thinking about it and doing it are two different things . But I’ve never had this many  conversat...

An expert claims Lauren Dickason showed no evidence of insanity just after killing her children. She's on trial at the High Court in Christchurch, accused of murdering her three daughters in Timaru in 2021. The Crown's first expert, forensic psychiatrist Dr Erik Monasterio, carried out nine hours of interviews with Dickason after the deaths. The Herald's Anna Leask says Monasterio agrees Dickason...

The latest Roy Morgan NZ poll shows a National/ACT coalition has a clear lead over the current Government. The right-leaning coalition is up by 2.5 points to 47.5 percent, surging ahead of Labour's 26 percent and the Greens' 9 percent- a historic low for both parties. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says this is the beginning of the gap between the right and the left- with this poll...

The Reserve Bank of Australia is holding the OCR at 4.1 percent, to assess the impact of prior hikes. The RBA warns that more increases may be needed to ensure inflation drops to their target in a reasonable timeframe. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says Australian homeowners and renters will appreciate this pause, however temporary. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...

The United States are hours away from their pivotal football World Cup group clash against Portugal at Eden Park tonight. The US needs at least a draw to advance to the round of 16, with a loss putting the four-time world champions in danger of being bundled out early. Kick-off is at 7pm. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains what viewers can expect tonight. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/li...

An email containing graphic content has been sent to students at an Auckland high school on their school accounts. Parents of Rosehill College students received a message warning of the disturbing email - sent from an external source. It's been removed from all student accounts and the ability for outside agencies to contact students has been turned off. Secondary Principals' Association President...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has issued a stern warning to Russia following a recent drone attack. Zelenskyy's remarks came during his visit to  Ivano-Frankivsk in western Ukraine, as he asserted that the region was growing stronger in the face of Russian aggression.  UK correspondent Gavin Grey says this marks a major sea change in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and Zelenskyy is clearly...

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and current affairs commentator Josie Pagani joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! National have proposed a $24 billion transport plan that includes funding 13 new Roads of National Significance including Whangarei to Tauranga and Mill Road in Auckland. Let's Get Wellington Moving is also expected to b...

A $567 million push to make cyclone and flood-affected roads safer and more resilient. The Government's announced funding for immediate works on state highways in Tairāwhiti, Wairoa, Hawke’s Bay, Coromandel and Northland. NZME business commentator Fran O'Sullivan says Cyclone Recovery Minister Grant Robertson has a lot landing on his shoulders, and it's unclear how much will get done before the el...

Labour unveiled their Party list for the upcoming election- with bad news for several MPs. Leader Chris Hipkins is number one on the list, followed by Kelvin Davis, Carmel Sepuloni and Grant Robertson. Former Ministers Phil Twyford and Michael Wood have taken a nosedive and dropped to 49th and 45th, respectively. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says this list makes for a destabilised...

US economists are predicting the region will be able to get inflation under control while avoiding recession. The US Federal Reserve is no longer projecting a recession in the near term, and employment and the economy are holding strong. One Nashville-based markets analyst, Scott Shellady, still believes the region is at risk of entering a recession. "The consumer is starting to falter here in the...

The Finance Minister's staying tight lipped on how much the Government will fork out for managed retreat in Hawke's Bay. The region's councils are being asked to consider and consult on a cost-sharing agreement to buy-out cyclone-stricken homes. The package also includes Government contributions for flood protection projects - to protect houses which can still be lived in. Minister Grant Robertson...

National today confirmed they'll scrap Let's Get Wellington Moving- and the Prime Minister hasn't voiced support for the project.  The Opposition intends to gut most of the controversial transit plan, including light rail and the removal of cars from several central Wellington streets in order to fund a second Mt Vic tunnel. Greater Wellington Regional Council chair Daran Ponter is disappointed bo...