Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Australia's federal budget is projected to record the region's first budget surplus since 2008. Treasurer Jim Chalmers revealed that the 2022-2023 bottom line has reached surplus, despite an earlier projected deficit of $78 billion. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says this surplus was generated by a boom in commodities, high employment figures and a surge in migration. "The revenue is going...

The fallout from One NZ's Jason Paris' Twitter outburst is still ongoing. A defamation case could be launched against Paris - who runs the club's naming rights sponsor - after accusing the referees of cheating during the loss to Penrith. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave says it won't be a good idea for the NRL referees union to follow up on this. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

Certainty there is a case for investigating whether sexism is lowering teacher's pay. The Ministry of Education is looking into whether teachers are paid badly because of gender, a claim made by the Post Primary Teachers' Association and the Educational Institute. The majority of teachers are women with a base pay scale ranging from $51,000- $90,000 annually. New Zealand Work Research Institute as...

Whanau Ora's Chair is claiming Maori women are looked down upon in leadership positions. Whanau Ora believes Maori who are in leadership positions are deemed as bossy, for standing up for their community which is often under-represented. Commissioning Agency Chair Merepeka Raukawa-Tait says it's important cultural leaders advocate for their communities. "They should be able to work at all levels a...

A damaged part of the Coromandel's State Highway 25 will be rebuilt with a bridge- but getting it right means it won't be ready until next year. The new bridge will cost about $40 million, and work will start next month. It's a key link between the peninsula's east and west, but it was closed by a major slip in January. Thames-Coromandel mayor Len Salt says it's crucial to have an enduring replace...

Transport across Auckland has been affected by today's heavy rain, with congestion after flooding closing a number of roads. The region is under a State of Emergency. Waka Kotahi Auckland Regional Manager Jacqui Hori-Hault says it could be a long commute. "To those who do still need to travel tonight, we are warning that the traffic will be heavy across the network for some time, so we're just ask...

Rescuers have suspended the search for a student missing in Whangarei's Abbey Caves. A group from Whangarei Boys High School visited the cave and reported difficulties after severe weather this morning. Police say the search is expected to resume at first light tomorrow, and a cordon will remain in place. Northern Advocate reporter Brodie Stone says it's understood visibility is too low right now,...

Tell you what I'm getting quite sick of: c onstantly being told by Government ministers and people who want to be nice to criminals that crime is tracking down.    You hear it all the time . Every time someone pitches an idea for how to crack down on crime,  like the ACT Party with the juvenile detention centre idea yesterday, up pops a critic with a piece of data to tell you that there's nothing...

Civil Defence is opening its doors to people affected by heavy rain in Auckland, which is under a regional State of Emergency. It's opened Civil Defence Centres at Albany and Massey and there are community emergency hubs at Kumeu, Warkworth, Wellsford and Waiheke Island. Roads are closed across Auckland in Albany, Wainui, Manly, Mangere, Hillsborough, Mount Wellington, Coatesville and Warkworth. A...

The King has invited Britons to mark the UK's bank holiday by supporting causes in their communities. The Big Help Out is set to conclude the coronation festivities, and tens of thousands have registered to volunteer. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says The Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess Anne and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will be among the thousands taking part. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.c...

Tonight on The Huddle, Phil O'Reilly from Iron Duke Partners and former Labour Press Secretary Kaine Thompson joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day: Labour held an emergency hui on Friday night with the Maori Caucus and there are rumours Nanaia Mahuta may be next to defect after Meka Whaitiri. Does this seem likely? Did we watch the coronation this weekend? Why/why not? W...

Following Meka Whaitiri's resignation, the Maori caucus called an emergency meeting on Friday. Political commentator Shane Te Pou says several MPs were unsettled and there was a lot of tension and negative emotions at the meeting. Finance Minister Grant Robertson says Labour have worked with the Maori caucus for a long time and says it's unlikely there will be more defections. "We've been doing a...

The Australian Government have unveiled a detail in the federal budget that will alleviate the rising cost of living. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has confirmed $14.6 billion will be allocated over four years for cost of living relief for families and businesses. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says this feels contradictory shortly after the Reserve Bank of Australia has warned households to ti...

One NZ CEO Jason Paris took to social media after the Warriors' 18-6 loss to the Penrith Panthers on Saturday night. Paris described referee decisions as “cheating of the highest order”, and the NRL has since launched a review into Paris' tweets. Weekend Sport host Jason Pine says the NRL refs aren't cheating, but Paris' comments have opened the door for a conversation.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudi...

MBIE have announced a review will be held into out of hours compliance visits carried out by Immigration NZ. The head of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment says there will be a pause on visits by immigration officers following concerns raised by the Pacific community. MBIE CEO Carolyn Tremain says the Pacific community and several ministers have voiced feedback about the recent ac...

Tourism Minister Peeni Henare has claimed prices faced by tourists in New Zealand are too steep and he is monitoring them closely. Peeni Henare appreciates that operators are making up for lost earnings after the Covid-19 pandemic, but wants to ensure travellers can enjoy what New Zealand can offer without overpaying. Haka Tourism Group general manager Eve Lawrence says New Zealand's 'harsh' immig...

Tell you what- rugby bosses can ignore us fans all they want. Just write us off as a bunch of grumpy buggers. But they should be worried when Wayne Smith, the professor, says that he turned a game off in frustration at what he was watching. The game was the Highlanders-Force match in Perth last month, where the ref handed out 5 yellow cards. Wayne Smith has vented in a podcast about it. He said: “...

The ACT Party wants to build juvenile detention centres to tackle youth crime. ACT says its Alternative Budget due out next week will include putting half a billion dollars into 200 new beds in juvenile detention. Leader David Seymour says youth offenders are currently sent to a facility they can simply walk out of. "Ultimately, I think there has to be a better way, and that is facilities that kid...

Free coffee and snacks at work may soon be a thing of the past, as businesses look to cut costs ahead of the looming recession. A Frog Recruitment survey of more than 500 workers found for a quarter, employee benefits like complimentary coffees and gym memberships were scrapped in the past six months. Frog Recruitment managing director Shannon Barlow says companies are cutting smaller perks, and s...

Frustration in Auckland as the Council rules out compensating homeowners whose properties were devastated earlier this year. Mayor Wayne Brown released a statement today saying that Auckland Council was 'not a guarantor of private property interests' and weren't responsible for compensating property owners. West Auckland Is Flooding spokesperson Morgan Allen isn't surprised by this statement, give...

A suggestion others in Labour's Maori caucus could follow Meka Whaitiri out the door. The Maori caucus called an emergency meeting on Friday. Political commentator Shane Te Pou says MPs, including Nanaia Mahuta, are unsettled, and there were a lot of hurt feelings at that meeting. He says Mahuta's dealt with a lot, but were she to leave it wouldn't necessarily be a shift to Te Pāti Māori. "She's b...

RNZ's released part of a controversial speech by Cabinet Minister Kiri Allan - at the farewell from RNZ for her partner, Mani Dunlop. Allan's comments included saying: "We are looking at these two, and we are looking at this organisation and how it treats its talent." She claimed RNZ can't keep Maori talent. Allan apologised last month. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says the commen...

The CEO of the Warriors' primary sponsor is standing by his accusations against the referees after Saturday's loss. The NRL have been made aware of One NZ's Jason Paris describing decisions against the club as “cheating of the highest order” on social media, and will review them closely. One NZ Chief Executive Jason Paris is hopeful that this review will start a debate that determines whether ther...

Excitement continues to build for the King's Coronation tomorrow night. It's the first coronation in 70 years following Queen Elizabeth's 1953 event. A group of people have already gathered at the Mall near Buckingham Palace. Newshub Reporter Lisette Reymer is there and says the crowd is stretching 100 metres down the Mall, and still growing. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

Tensions between the Maori King Movement and the Government are expected to be patched up quickly. A function at the High Commission in London for the King's Coronation didn't follow tikanga, prompting a Kingitanga spokesman to interject. High Commissioner Phil Goff started the ceremony without a karakia, and didn't acknowledge the prior coronations of Maori Kings and Queens. Professor of Indigeno...