Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

It’s hard to believe it’s possible, but Labour’s week just got even worse- because their tax policy just got leaked. National's Nicola Willis says she’s got a source who told her Labour is planning to announce it’ll take the GST off fresh fruit and veges, which immediately got headlines because her sources have proved pretty solid. Remember, she got the tip-off that Labour was working on a wealth...

The resumption of train services between Auckland and Hamilton is being marked as an 'excellent outcome'. Waka Kotahi has lifted its ban on Te Huia trains entering metro Auckland, accepting Kiwirail's alternative safety proposals. Trains will again be able to continue into The Strand in Parnell from August 7. Waikato Regional Councillor Angela Strange says there'll be free fares for a week when it...

Over 40 people have been killed in the wildfires threatening villages and holiday resorts across the Mediterranean. Greece is preparing for more evacuation flights from Rhodes, as fires also rage on the islands of Corfu and Evia. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says temperatures are expected to rise above 44C in parts of Greece and the heatwave shows no signs of letting up. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio...

Tonight on The Huddle, STILL Director of Projects Sam Johnson and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! The Post is reporting one first-term MP allegedly told colleagues they had been bullied and yelled at by Kiri Allan. Meanwhile, David Parker says he didn't want to be Revenue Minister anymore because he didn't...

Chris Hipkins and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will explore ways to simplify travel across the ditch. The two leaders met in Wellington today, and they agreed to put together a joint expert group to make the journey across the Tasman more seamless. Infometrics principal economist Brad Olsen says his concern is that New Zealand isn't taking their connection with Australia seriously an...

Former Reserve Bank governor Don Brash believes the RBNZ should be empowered to lift fuel taxes to fight inflation. He stated in a blog post that increased fuel taxes would encourage people to to reduce their spending elsewhere- meaning inflation would fall. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny says Don Brash's proposed solution is 'messy', and it would impact people differently....

New research shows consumers are gravitating towards home brand products due to the rising cost of living. EY data indicates that 65 percent of people believe these home brand products satisfy their needs as much as branded products. The data also shows Gen Z are less willing to buy private label products than Baby Boomers, Gen Xers and Millennials. Massey University marketing professor Bodo Lang...

The Government has boosted the Emissions Trading Scheme’s auction reserve price- and increased the overall price of carbon by 44 percent. It's also raising trigger prices for the cost containment reserve in the scheme, meaning there will be 17.6 million fewer units to be auctioned. ACT Environment spokesperson Simon Court says this change is a sign James Shaw is failing to take what's important to...

Lauren Dickason’s mother has taken the stand to give evidence at her triple murder trial. She's accused of murdering her three young daughters in Timaru in 2021. Her defence opened its case today - painting Dickason as a mentally disturbed woman in the depths of postpartum depression. The Herald's Anna Leask says her mother Wendy Fawkes told the court Dickason loved her kids, but she was concerned...

A combination of factors are being blamed for increasing rents. Trade Me data for June shows the median weekly rent has increased by $50 since last year. That means the average renter is paying is paying $2600 more. Economist Cameron Bagrie says landlord costs including interest rates and insurance are rising. He says there are other factors contributing-  an inflow of migrants, foreign students a...

Searchers have been scouring areas of interest for missing Christchurch woman Yanfei Bao. The real estate agent was last seen in Wigram last Wednesday, and police are now treating the disappearance as a homicide investigation. Efforts are focused on the Halswell River, Greenpark, Lake Terrace Road and near New Brighton and Palmers Road intersection. NZ Herald senior crime reporter Sam Sherwood say...

University course completion rates are at their lowest since 2014. Ministry of Education figures show completion rates dropped from a high of 89 percent in 2020, to 86 percent last year. Universities New Zealand Chief Executive Chris Whelan says it's been a difficult period with Covid-19. "There are student who have spent- in some cases- three years at university with their studies disrupted, and...

Signs of a divided Labour Caucus, with confidential information leaked to the media. The Post reports remarks made by a first-term MP in a caucus discussion, in the wake of Kiri Allan's arrest and resignation. They allegedly told colleagues they'd been aware of allegations against Allan for years and they themselves had been bullied. Newstalk ZB Political Editor Jason Walls says this is a sign of...

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has touched down for his first official visit to New Zealand. He's one of several foreign politicians travelling to New Zealand as part of the Fifa Women’s World Cup 2023. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson suspects Blinken plans to use this visit to shore up international relations between the regions following Hipkins' relations with China. "The US has its own a...

The Football Ferns are desperate to keep their World Cup future in their own hands. The surprise 1-0 loss to the Philippines leaves them needing to beat Switzerland in their final Group match on Sunday to progress into the play-off stage. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave says the Football Ferns have a slim chance of making it through. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati...

Big changes could be on the cards for New Zealand's weather forecasting system. The Government's commissioned a review to begin in September, with a final report due in February. It follows increased bad blood between the two agencies- most recently, MetService alleging NIWA's forecasts may be harmful to public safety when used by DOC. State Owned Enterprises Minister, Duncan Webb says they have d...

Relentless wildfires are forcing more travellers to abandon their Greek holidays and evacuate. Thousands of British tourists are struggling to depart from the region, with the emergency conditions stranding people at airports and makeshift shelters. UK correspondent Enda Brady says thousands more prospective travellers can expect to have their bookings cancelled as the wildfires damage hotels. LIS...

Tonight on The Huddle, independent journalist Clare de Lore and Kiwiblog contributor and Curia pollster joined in on a discussion about the issues of the day- and more!  David Parker has given up his tax portfolio because he didn't get his way on the wealth tax. How bad does this look? Kiri Allan has confirmed she won't be seeking re-election. Is this the right call? Where does her political caree...

Rampant inflation and rising interest rates may create difficult times for dairy farmers in the coming months. Higher farming costs, fast-rising interest rates, and lower prices mean some farmers could struggle to break even- or wind up in debt. The Country's Jamie Mackay says the debt servicing has gone up from $0.50/kgMS to $1.20/kgMS, creating extra struggle for dairy farmers. LISTEN ABOVE See...

House prices have been falling, but the tide may turn soon enough. HSBC predicts house prices will rise again by 5 percent in 2024, with a strong rebound in migration supporting demand. Chief Economist Paul Bloxham says the increased number of migrants will drive prices up again, as this has already happened in Australia. "Now you're seeing really strong inward migration and we think that will sta...

According to recent political polls, both major parties are struggling to connect with middle voters. BusinessDesk’s poll of polls shows combined support for National and Labour is at 67 percent, a historic low.  BusinessDesk senior correspondent Dileepa Fonseka says the changing demographic of voters is creating a fractured political climate. "That basically makes the centre more meaningless than...

Auckland Council has explained what's causing the sinkhole on College Hill Road. The metre-by-three-metre hole opened up yesterday afternoon, disrupting traffic between Ponsonby and the CBD. Head of Healthy Waters Andrew Chin says there's a clay stormwater pipe over a hundred years old which has a hole in it. He says the surrounding fill is being washed into that hole. "Once the road seal breaks,...

New research reveals excessive screentime for kids may lead to metabolic syndrome developing later in life. A study has confirmed that those who watch more television between the ages of 5 and 15 were more likely to suffer adverse medical conditions by age 45. Otago University preventive and social medicine researcher Bob Hancox explained the syndrome refers to a cluster of conditions, including h...

The Philippines lead the Football Ferns 1-nil into the second half of their FIFA Women's World Cup contest in Wellington. New Zealand's had 56 per cent of possession compared to the Filipinas' 24 per cent and they've had seven attempts on goal compared to their opponents' two. Former All White David Chote says the Philippines are playing well, but there's still time for the Football Ferns to turn...

I don’t buy this debate about Chris Hipkins’ judgement as a leader and whether he made a mistake bringing Kiri Allan back to work from mental health leave too early. That wasn’t the mistake that he made. His mistake was that he didn’t fire her last month when he should've. I'm not convinced mental pressure is the sole explanation for what happened on Sunday night. I'm sure Kiri Allan is under a lo...