Matt Heath & Tyler Adams Afternoons

Hot on the heels of claiming double honours at the New Zealand Cricket Awards for the 2020-21 season Black Caps sensation Devon Conway joined Phil Gifford and Tyler Adams for this week's Six & A Song. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gareth Abdinor is an Employment Lawyer and Partner with Malley & Co solicitors. He regularly joins Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford to answer all listeners' employment related questions. Today, he joined the show to answer questions about border workers and vaccinations, guaranteed hours contracts & company cars among other things. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than 25 health and social service organisations have banded together to call on the Government to repeal the country's drug laws, to drop penalties for use and to treat the use of drugs as a health issue. The groups, including the New Zealand Medical Association, the Mental Health Foundation, the Public Health Association, the Maori Law Society, the Drug Foundation, Hapai te Hauora, and JustS...

"This is the saviour." Those were the words of Queenstown Lakes Mayor Jim Boult who could not wipe the smile from his face late yesterday afternoon after learning quarantine-free travel between New Zealand and Australia will start in less than a fortnight. "I could not be happier." He said he had done "umpteen" interviews with Australian media organisations yesterday before the announcement, "and...

The lack of rainy day savings is coming back to haunt some mortgage holders. The mortgage deferral scheme ended this week, after a year's relief for some home owners hit by the Covid crunch. Mortgage broker Sue Tierney says many felt forced to take up the offer, with no savings to fall back on. She says on average, New Zealand families save just over $400 a year -- so there's little to cushion whe...

Gareth Abdinor is an Employment Lawyer and Partner with Malley & Co solicitors. He regularly joins Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford to answer all listeners' employment related questions. Today, he joined the show to answer questions about an employee being overpaid, public holidays, and leave for mental health troubles among other things. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...

The Climate Change Commission recently proposed a ban on petrol and diesel powered vehicles by 2035. The boss of Toyota New Zealand Neeraj Lala says that just won't work in New Zealand. He says Electric Vehicles are in short supply worldwide and that they don't offer the versatility New Zealanders want. He says the policy may backfire and we might end up with even more vehicles on the road. Neeraj...

Salvage teams have finally freed the colossal container ship stuck for nearly a week in the Suez Canal, ending a crisis that had clogged one of the world’s most vital waterways and halted billions of dollars a day in maritime commerce. A flotilla of tugboats, helped by the tides, wrenched the bulbous bow of the skyscraper-sized Ever Given from the canal’s sandy bank, where it had been firmly lodge...

Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis has been accused of being soft on prisoners and not having the backs of prison guards. The Corrections Union has consistently raised the issue of prisoners assaulting guards, and they say nothing is ever done about it. On top of that they are annoyed that Davis is seen to be advocating on behalf of the prisoners - so much so that a vote of no confidence was consid...

People in Huntly will soon be able to commute to Auckland by train. Te Huia passenger rail service opens to the public just after Easter. It travels from Frankton in Hamilton to Papakura, stopping in Huntly along the way. It could potentially replace up to 73 thousand return car trips annually. There has however been some criticism of the fact that it will take longer in the train than in a car. J...

The stranding of a massive cargo ship in the Suez Canal is likely to have ripple effects across the global economy. Experts say it could take weeks to remove the ship and clear the canal. Officials have closed the key trading route between Asia and Europe -- forcing ships to detour around the African continent to deliver goods. Chris Edwards is the President of the Customs Brokers and Freight Forw...

Dr Siouxsie Wiles has become a household name in New Zealand since the emergence of COVID-19 in her role as a microbiologist and science communicator.  Among her many accolades, she was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to microbiology and science communication in the 2019, and is a finalist for this years’ New Zealander of the Year awards.   She was Simon Barnett a...

Uber's new delivery service is being labelled irresponsible and out of touch. It's launched an alcohol delivery service in Auckland this week - through UberEats. It plans to expand to Christchurch and Wellington in coming weeks. But Hapai Te Hauora chief executive, Selah Hart, says Uber's ignoring our unsafe drinking culture. She joined Simon Barnett & Phil Gifford to put her case. LISTEN ABOVE Se...

A renters' advocate is worried about tenants being asked to pay more which he said would hurt the more vulnerable.  The Government’s new housing policy will see new investors being stung under the bright line test if they sell an existing home within 10 years.  They also won't be able to claim home loan interest repayments as a business expense.  Renters United spokesperson Ashok Jacob told Simon...

Hasbro is turning to fans for help modernising its classic board game Monopoly. The toy company announced last week that it is changing all 16 of the game's Community Chest cards to better reflect what community means to fans today. "Covering topics like beauty contests, holiday funds, and life insurance, there is no denying the Monopoly game's Community Chest Cards are long overdue for a refresh,...

The Government will pour close to $4 billion into a scheme to accelerate the pace of new house builds, which is expected to help see "tens of thousands" of new properties built. It is also doubling the capital gains tax-esque bright-line test from five, to ten years - meaning any gains on a residential property that is not a family home will be taxed if the property is sold within ten years of pur...

Suzanne Paul first made a splash on Kiwi television screens in the 90’s thanks to her wildly successful infomercials and infectious personality.   She went on to become one of the country’s much loved figures, starring in several TV shows such as Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner?, Garage Sale and Dancing with the Stars which she won in 2007.   She’s also a bestselling author, motivational speaker, and...

Honours are always controversial so with Team New Zealand's America's Cup Victory fresh in our minds Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford asked 'should it be Sir Grant Dalton?' To answer the question - and talk about the win - yachting great and commentator Peter Lester joined the show. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Green Party has unveiled its plan to stop the "runaway housing crisis" as the Government gears up to announce the first of its much-anticipated steps to address the overheated market. But the plan does not come from Marama Davidson – who is an Associate Minister of Housing (Homelessness). Rather, the party's finance spokeswoman Julie Anne Genter has outlined what the Greens want to be done in...

It's a huge day for Emirates Team New Zealand who are within touching distance of retaining the America's Cup. The defender needs one more win - their 30 second victory in race nine has them leading the best of 13 race series 6-3. Yachting great Dean Barker joined Simon Barnett & Phil Gifford. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Team New Zealand is taking it one race at a time in retaining the America's Cup. The defender leads the best of 13 race series 5-3 heading into race nine and 10 this afternoon. Light winds are forecast which could make it tricky for racing, with race director Iain Murray admitting they're taking a gamble by selecting course C. Brad Butterworth is one of this country’s finest ever sailors.   He joi...

Ryan Fox is one of our finest professional golfers.   After turning pro in 2012 he went on to win the Western Australian Open in 2014, and the Queensland PGA Championship the following year.   In 2017 he had a run of success in the important summer Rolex Series events, before going on to win his first European Tour event in 2019, being the first New Zealander to win on the European Tour in 10 year...

Brad Butterworth is one of this country’s finest ever sailors.   He was tactician to Russell Coutts for New Zealand’s breakthrough Cup victory in San Diego in 1995, was there for the successful defence in Auckland in 2000 and went on to win another 2 America's Cups   He told Simon and Phil he's hoping it will be a tight race from a spectator's point of view.  But says he believes Peter Burling has...

Gareth Abdinor is an Employment Lawyer and Partner with Malley & Co solicitors. He regularly joins Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford to answer all listeners' employment related questions. Today, he discussed a boss who told a worker to come into the office rather than work from home during Lockdown because he would be distracted by his newborn baby, working for a foreign company while based in New Ze...

At a time when Tourism is hurting badly, Air New Zealand's chief environmental advisor Sir Jonathon Porritt has suggested price of international flights should rise to pay for greenhouse gas emissions. Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford spent an hour discussing the issue with listeners and sought the opinion of Otago University Professor of Tourism James Higham. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listene...