Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Kiwi software accounting firm Xero has announced plans to cut up to 800 jobs to improve profits. Xero stated that these mass layoffs were needed to enable Xero's next phase of growth. Jarden's Director of Equity Research Elise Kennedy says this decision may be more than simple recession-proofing, as Xero needed to find new ways to grow. "Xero actually stood out against its tech global peers with n...

Federated Farmers estimates the costs to farmers from Cyclone Gabrielle could begin at $1 billion. This estimate covers income disruption, infrastructure repair and crop or orchard restoration bills. The overall costs to the nation in terms of public infrastructure, food shortages and inflation will bring this total up much higher. The Country's Jamie Mackay says it's likely that these repair cost...

Higher interest rates haven't stopped Kiwi shoppers from spending up a storm. Retail spending has remained steady at $6.6 billion in February 2023, when compared with Stats NZ data from January. The Reserve Bank is looking for signs that demand is easing in the economy, but this data indicates this is yet to happen. NZ Herald business editor Liam Dann says the current spending rates are a mystery...

National has launched their latest build-to-rent strategy to address the housing crisis. Housing spokesperson Chris Bishop expects that build-to-rent developments will take the pressure off when it comes to housing Kiwis. Property Council CEO Leonie Freeman explained that build-to-rent refers to large scale housing owned by one owner to provide long-term renting. Leonie Freeman says National's str...

Labour is leading in the latest Taxpayers’ Union-Curia poll for the first time since March 2022. The results are close, with Labour reaching 35.5 percent and National on 34.8 per cent. With ACT's support, National would be in Government, according to the poll. The Greens are close to the 5 percent threshold, having fallen 2.1 points to 5.7 percent. ZB's senior political correspondent Barry Soper s...

More than a dozen students have fallen ill after being fed raw chicken at Kaitaia College yesterday. School lunch provider Bells Produce has been stood down while authorities investigate. The Education Ministry says the school's principal acted immediately by contacting the local hospital and collecting food samples for testing. Principal Louise Anaru says three children had to be taken for medica...

Te Whatu Ora's Chief Executive has fronted up over a website data botch up. The agency has today apologised after posting the wrong information, falsely recording near-perfect wait time figures for some areas in November and December. The department maintains the underlying data collection is robust and the mistake was made during the publication process. Chief Executive Margie Apa says the error...

Calls for ANZ to fully compensate an elderly woman after bank staff handed over personal information to scammers. The victim was tricked into spending nearly $40,000 on gaming vouchers. The country's biggest bank has offered her a $19,000 settlement but refuses to go any higher. Massey University Banking Expert Claire Matthews says it depends on what information was given. "You know, it's nearly 5...

The United Nations has voiced their concerns about the UK's new proposed asylum laws. Yesterday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak outline a new law that would effectively ban anyone who arrived illegally from claiming asylum in the UK. This measure is part of a strategy to crack down on the increase of migrants entering the UK via the Channel crossing, which rose to over 45,000 in 2022. UK correspondent...

Tonight on The Huddle, Ben Thomas from Capital NZ and Jack Tame, host of ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day:  The TVNZ/RNZ merger board are still getting paid thousands of dollars a day to meet after the project got shelved- in what world is this ok? Ruth Dyson is under fire after posting negative comments about National on social med...

The number of jobs being advertised online continues to grow for another month. New Seek data shows the amount of jobs being advertised nationwide is up by a further 1 percent, following a rise of 2.2 percent in January. The report shows that the average number of applications received per job has declined. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen says this doesn't mean the labour market has bou...

The predicted recession may be biting consumers in a matter of months.  Economists have been forecasting a recession to strike the New Zealand economy in 2023, aided by rising interest rates and predictions from the Reserve Bank. Milford Asset Management Portfolio Manager Sam Trethewey predicts the worst of the recession will hit in the back half of this year. Sam Trethewey says many households wi...

National's Nicola Willis is weighing in on the ongoing banking profit saga. The opposition's finance spokesperson is suggesting a select committee run a 'short, sharp' inquiry into the increased bank profits. Nicola Willis has proposed this select committee keep the scope of the inquiry focussed, hearing evidence from a narrow group of stakeholders. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibsh...

A group of Mount Albert-based activists are blaming a lack of trees for Auckland flood damage.  Honour the Maunga aims to keep the 345 exotic trees in Mount Albert in place while slowly growing native trees around the area.  Honour the Maunga spokesperson Anna Radford says there have been dozens of slips in the region after the Auckland floods hit and they all fell on tree-less areas. Anna Radford...

Broadcasting Minister Willie Jackson has stepped up to defend spending $16.1 million on a now-scrapped media merger. National MP Melissa Lee claimed the whole exercise was a waste of money. Jackson said the TVNZ/RNZ merger would f uture-proof NZ media, and hopes it will go ahead one day when the nation isn't addressing Cyclone Gabrielle and extreme floods. ZB senior political correspondent Barry S...

The National Party has come out swinging over the ongoing spending of the scrapped TVNZ/RNZ merger. Broadcasting Minister Willie Jackson says board members have since met for about a day and a half, costing $10,300 dollars. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has defended it, saying he made clear there would be wind-down costs. But the National Party's Broadcasting spokesperson, Melissa Lee says there's...

There are concerns for the future of several Northland big cats after a sanctuary's latest statement. Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary has been placed into involuntary liquidation after facing a tax bill they couldn't pay off. Janette Vallance, Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary director says she wants to make sure that the big cats are taken care of, and she won't let anything happen to them. "To be honest, there's...

I am very happy to report I have manged to avoid participating in anything to do with International Women’s Day all day long. Because it is a sham isn’t it? It’s just an opportunity for a whole bunch of corporates, media, Government departments and other organisations to hold some sort of hui or do a little video, write an opinion piece and tick the box for the year that tells the world they’re ni...

Could former First Lady Michelle Obama be on the ballot in the next US election?  Several Democratic leaders certainly think so, with Former White House and Pentagon official Douglas MacKinnon saying she has the 'it' factor to succeed in the polls. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says Michelle Obama doesn't have much of a track record as a politician and people could project their ideas onto her w...

Ardie Savea has been handed a one-week ban for Friday's throat-slitting gesture. The Hurricanes captain was sent before a SANZAAR judicial committee, where he was handed a short suspension sentence for 'persistent offending'. The committee said the controversial gesture came close, but didn't warrant a red card. Because the warning was issued along with a yellow card for the gesture, Ardie Savea w...

Yet another high-ranking public servant is under pressure for taking jabs at the National Party. Ruth Dyson, deputy chair of Fire and Emergency New Zealand, disparaged Chris Luxon's Waitangi address on social media last month. Earlier today, the Prime Minister forgave the ACC and Pharmac board chair for penning politically-charged columns online. Just last week, the board chair of Te Whatu Ora, Ro...

Issues at Auckland Hospital's emergency department are being described as symptoms of a bigger disease. Ambulance workers stepped in to care for patients on Sunday and Monday because ED beds were not available. Visitors say several dozen patients had been placed in a café on the same floor while they waited for treatment. Chair of Australasian College for Emergency Medicine Kate Allan says it's ev...

A litigation lawyer says there's no question a tenant that's forced a Wellington council flat into 24 hour surveillance should be evicted. Two security guards have been monitoring the Central Park Flats since February 20 after residents raised issues about a neighbour with gang ties. Adina Thorn says the council needs to get rid of the tenant. "I've never heard of two human security guards 24/7 ov...

Sarah Everard's killer has been sentenced a further 19 months for prior indecent exposure. Prior to the murder, Wayne Couzens was found to have exposed himself to three women, with the latest happening three days before his encounter with Sarah Everard. UK correspondent Enda Brady says it's appalling that this wasn't dealt with before Sarah Everard's murder. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listene...

On tonight's edition of The Huddle, former Labour Chief of Staff and current director at Mike Munroe Communications and ZB host Tim Beveridge joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day: Chair of ACC and Pharmac, Steve Maharey has been writing articles criticising The National Party, drawing comparisons to sacked Te Whatu Ora board chair, Rob Campbell. Should the same rules be...