Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

We've got a new Government package aiming to tackle youth crime. It's aiming to get more young people back into education, training, or work, and will better fund existing initiatives to do so. All children in Counties Manakau and West Auckland under 14 caught ram raiding will now be referred to the social wellbeing board. Police and Education Minister Chris Hipkins explains it all. LISTEN ABOVE S...

The Government's cracking down on the ram raiders, but will they take any notice? Political editor Barry Soper is unconvinced the current approach is effective. “The toerags, the ram raiders, there’s been more that 130 ram raids since May. The Government says it’s investing heavily in programs that break the cycle of crime.” LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Interest rates in Australia have hit a historic 7 year high. Correspondent Murray Olds confirms"rates haven't been this high since Christmas 2014." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than 100 early childhood education services are facing licensing action from the Ministry of Education this year. The Ministry steps in if a provider is failing to meet its minimum standards , but only investigates and responds to complaints. The Office of Early Childhood Education’s Chief Advisor, Dr Sarah Alexander, is in the studio to explain further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listen...

I’ve suspected something for a while, and now that I’ve watched the Sunday programme on the emergency housing disaster in Roturua, I’m convinced.  Rotorua will not recover from this.  It will not go back to being the city it was.  It’s just not possible.  This has gone too far now. 50 motels on or near Fenton Street are housing the homeless. There are about 1100 people in Rotorua in these motels o...

I was going to vote for Paul Eagle in the Wellington Mayoral race, but then I read a story in the paper today and now I’m not going to.   Because he broke his word and no politician who breaks their word deserves my vote.  It wasn’t for the media. This is what’s happened. Everyone in Wellington has known for years that Paul Eagle was considering running for Wellington Mayor. So at the last governm...

The Government's u-turn on a proposal to tax fees on Kiwisaver funds was quite spectacular. Prime minister Jacinda Ardern says fund managers expressing they didn't want it caused the backtrack. Finance Minister Grant Robertson talks us through it. ”The decision was made as levelling the playing field around the treatment of GST. It was bout, in this case, the fees that Kiwisaver schemes charge. Bu...

The Helen Clark Foundation and the Drug Foundation say a health based meth addiction scheme is working well to reduce harm. It's called Te Ara Oranga, and it's a trial programme for meth addiction. It's currently just in Northland and Murapara - and now there are calls for it to be rolled out nationwide. Ian Mckenzie, General Manager of mental and health and addiction services at Te Whatu Ora Nort...

Three and a half thousand people per month are walking out of our emergency departments due to wait times. That doesn't even count those who signed the paperwork confirming it was their choice to go. Sarah Dalton, the executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists definitely reckons the numbers could be way higher too, once all the other people who arrive in ambulances later...

More power for police to seize assets of gang members and other organised criminals. Police will now be able to target associates of organised crime groups who hold assets that likely weren't obtained legally. It'll also allow police to keep some seized assets for longer. Justice Minister Kiri Allan explains “The amendments we are introducing this week give police the power to say- were you an ass...

At least one part of the country is making progress when it comes to our school attendance crisis. Principals across the Northland region say the "let's get to school - tai tokerau" campaign is working and classrooms are filling back up. Pat Newman is the president of Te Tai Tokerau principals association, which is behind the campaign. He notes that the it’s still early days, but there’s been posi...

Renters United have launched a petition to stop property owners from casting multiple votes in local body elections. Currently, people who own property in multiple areas can cast votes in each city or district where they pay rates.  This petition is set to counteract that. Geordie Rodgers, president of Renters United says “We know that a fundamental part of democracy is that everyone has an equal...

Almost a hundred police staff are taking a personal grievance over their treatment for refusing to get the Covid vaccine. The vaccine mandate for Police was overturned in the High Court in February - and 91 people are now complaining about what's happened since they got back to work. Employment lawyer Chris Scarrott told Heather du Plessis-Allan there needs to be good rationale for any vaccine pol...

Clearer expectations are needed of what's required from off-duty police officers. The independent police conduct authority has looked into four incidents, including one where an off-duty cop exposed himself to other officers while drunk on a Waitangi deployment. The IPCA say this negatively affected police's reputation. Investigations manager for the IPCA, Stu Graham, told Newstalk ZB “Generally,...

Ardern out and about in the South Island today but the Kiwisaver about face continues to plague her wherever she goes. The Government will be trying to deflect attention over the next week to make us forget the past two, which has been a disaster for them. Barry Soper observed “There’s no doubt it’s a shell-shocked government, they’ve all attempted to go to ground, but the prime minister couldn’t...

Controversial pastor and would-be politician Brian Tamaki claims his umbrella party will get into Parliament. Tamaki and his supporters copped flak for holding a mock trial of politicians outside Parliament last week. Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson's described Tamaki as extreme, and National's Chris Luxon has called the new party crazy. But Tamaki told Heather du Plessis-Allan he's confiden...

There are media outlets running stories almost daily unmasking these people as conspiracy theorists, warning that they’re threatening to make the country “ungovernable” and telling us these people are ‘very’ dangerous. What’s the harm these conspiracy theorists can actually do if they get elected?  Yes some of them say they want to make New Zealand ungovernable and I don’t like the sound of that b...

Badly behaved customers have forced a Rotorua McDonald's to hire security guards. The Fenton Street branch says customers and staff have been copping abuse. Owner Rob Parry says the last straw was when a person kicked their windows in last week. He says the security guards have already made a difference. Parry says he's noticed a very quick change in behaviour towards staff and customers. “We didn...

A West Auckland Farmer is outraged that Auckland Council has given the green light to a cell phone mast being built in the middle of his driveway. Greg Jonkers came home from feeding his cows last week to find a hole had been dug through the gravel at the centre of his driveway. Greg Jonkers relies on that driveway to access that particular section of the farm. “It’s not an everyday use, but we ce...

Yet more unhappiness and action from our health sector. After 7 years of failed negotiations - more than 1300 self employed midwives have filed a class action against the ministry of health in the high court. The main complaints include  poor working conditions, fair pay and the breach of contracts. Health minister Andrew Little says he sympathises with their position. “My jaw literally dropped wh...

More numbers today showing just how prevalent ram raids have become. Police have revealed since 2017 - there's been more than a thousand ram raids and 770 prosecutions. One business that seems to keep getting hit is Michael Hill. Its Queen Street store was hit again this week - but today police have made an arrest. Chair of the company’s board, Rob Fyfe says “I guess we feature as a consequence, b...

Another push for New Zealanders to change their attitudes to apartment and vertical living. Businessman and brand developer Brian Richards reckons we need to do more to actually promote apartment and vertical living. His argument centres around "affordable apartments" that bring young people into CBDs and build a healthier central city community. “If you look at cities like Neom and other cities l...

It is a good day in New Zealand. The Government has backed down on their plans to tax your Kiwisaver.  Is this the fastest back down in the history of backdowns in this country?  Somebody needs to check David Parker for whiplash, such is the force with which he slammed the brakes on his own tax plan. It’s amazing what the team of five million can do if we work together.  From the tax experts to th...

Calls for New Zealand to emulate a US student debt write off. President Joe Biden is planning to forgive some student debt for workers earning less than $125,000. Kiwi Student Union Association President, Andrew Lessells told Heather du Plessis-Allan there's merit in doing it here. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Claims the Government can't back up claims systemic racism is to blame for poor Māori health outcomes. Think tank the New Zealand Initiative's, latest report argues health funding should be assigned regardless of race. Author, Bryce Wilkinson told Heather du Plessis-Allan he believes poor Māori health can be attributed more to socio-economic factors. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...