Politics Central

Auckland University professor of medicine Des Gorman tells Tim Roxborogh and Tim Beveridge why we need to be concerned about the recent revelation that 3800 border workers are yet to receive their first COVID-19 jab. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police Association president Chris Cahill explains to Tim Roxborogh and Tim Beveridge why manslaughter charges weren't the appropriate way to hold the police accountable in the case of the death of Allen Ball. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Heart of the City chief executive Viv Beck says it's time the government started showing a bit more urgency in compensating Auckland businesses affected by the City Rail Link. She spoke to Tim Roxborogh and Tim Beveridge on the Weekend Collective. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Authorities are prepared for the swollen Ashburton river to breach its banks. The region's one of three - along with Timaru and Selwyn - to declare a state of local emergency after hours of heavy rainfall. District Mayor Neil Brown says he's never seen the river this high. But he says the region has planned for a one-in-200-year weather event, and stopbanks are holding the river back. Acting Minis...

Opposition parties want the Government to look at our DHBs cyber security. The Waikato DHB's computer system crashed last week after a ransomware attack from overseas. Critics are now pointing fingers at the Ministry of Health, for ditching an effort to secure all DHB computer systems and a lack of funding. National Party Deputy Leader Dr Shane Reti told The Weekend Collective this is a wake-up ca...

Samoa was plunged into a constitutional crisis when the woman who won an election last month was locked out of Parliament and the previous leader claimed he remained in charge. The fast-moving events marked the latest twist in a bitter power struggle that has been playing out in the small Pacific nation since it elected its first female leader. Not only is Samoa's peace and stability at stake, but...

The Act party wants to give school principals the power to award high-performing teachers potentially thousands of dollars for their work. Under Act's policy, a $250 million fund would be divvied up annually, giving schools roughly $5000 for every full-time teacher it employs. Act leader David Seymour said the school's principal would then award that money to high-performing teachers or use it to...

British broadcaster BBC, seen as a respected source of news and information around the world, is facing questions at home about its integrity following a scathing report on its explosive 1995 interview with Princess Diana. Britain's justice secretary said Friday that the government would review the rules governing oversight of the BBC after an investigation found that one of its journalists used "...

Act Party leader David Seymour is concerned the Government is using race at the centre of education. He's taking aim at Ministry of Education's programmes, including Te Hurihanganui, addressing racism in the education system and improving outcomes for Māori learners and their whānau. Seymour says he wants to know why it's teaching primary school children about white privilege. "The Ministry of Edu...

National's claiming South Island water assets are set to be co-owned by Ngai Tahu. Party leader Judith Collins says the Government is proposing to transfer 50-per cent of publicly-owned water assets, to the iwi. It's the latest in a series of questions raised by the Opposition Leader, over Labour's interpretation of honouring the Treaty. Collins says the plan was presented to 23 mayors, and would...

A former Republican Party congressman says that he lost everything by turning against Donald Trump. Joe Walsh served one term as a congressman for Illinois, and after leaving office began hosting a talk radio show. He initially supported Trump, but during the former President's term he started to turn against him, even launching a short-lived run for the Republican presidency. Speaking to The Week...

Labour Party supporters are upset by the Government's pay freeze for public sector workers.  The Government revealed public sector workers earning more than $60,000 could only expect pay increases in "exceptional circumstances". The move also means those on more than $100,000 won't get a cent more over the next three years. The decision appeared to blindside many in the public sector. Left-leaning...

A leading epidemiologist has said it is morally wrong for New Zealand to take part in the Olympics. The 2020 Olympics - delayed by one year due to the Covid-19 - are due to take place in Tokyo in July. Many countries are planning to take part and will prioritise vaccine access to their athletes, including New Zealand and Australia. However, many countries are struggling with slow vaccine rollouts,...

Her comments have been labelled desperate - but Judith Collins maintains we're going down a dangerous path on race relations. The National leader is under fire for a speech at the party's Northern Convention, where she claimed Labour's trying to create a 'two system' New Zealand. She also went on the attack over the freshly-announced Māori Health Authority. Collins told the Weekend Collective the...

In hopes of taming a monstrous spike in COVID-19 infections, India opened vaccinations to all adults Saturday, launching a huge inoculation effort that was sure to tax the limits of the federal government, the country's vaccine factories and the patience of its 1.4 billion people. The world's largest maker of vaccines was still short of critical supplies — the result of lagging manufacturing and r...

A former Minister says New Zealand's position in Five Eyes is not likely to be under threat.  The Government has come under fire from Australian and UK commentators over our stance on China and our place in Five Eyes, after New Zealand declined to sign several statements criticising China. However, Peter Dunne told The Weekend Collective that our position in the security alliance is unlikely to be...

50,000 people packed into Auckland's Eden Park to see Six60 headline the first major concert at the venue. The band's promoter Brent Eccles told The Weekend Collective acts like The Eagles or Billy Joel would be great there, but he wants to bring Six60 back. "None of us realised until last night when the crowd was in there what a cauldron it is, and what an exciting live venue it is, it's just phe...

One of the advisors on the new local version of The Apprentice has defended taking part in a show linked to former US President Donald Trump. Trump, who had been well known internationally in the 80s and 90s for his business dealings, found new fame after starring in the original Apprentice which he hosted for 15 seasons, plus seven of the celebrity-centric spinoff.  TVNZ is bringing back the loca...

Australians are looking forward to the trans-Tasman travel bubble. The bubble starts at 11.59 tonight, meaning travellers won't have to quarantine when they travel between Australia and New Zealand. Queensland Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchcliffe told the Weekend Collective Australians are excited about the bubble. "Huge anticipation. People are really looking forward to seeing our Kiwi friends a...

Australians are looking forward to the trans-Tasman travel bubble. The bubble starts at 11.59 tonight, meaning travellers won't have to quarantine when they travel between Australia and New Zealand. Queensland Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchcliffe told the Weekend Collective Australians are excited about the bubble. "Huge anticipation. People are really looking forward to seeing our Kiwi friends a...

Queenstown's mayor predicts an influx of Australian visitors will bring a bumper ski season for the tourist town. The first quarantine-free flight lands into Queenstown at 2.30pm Monday from Sydney after the trans-Tasman bubble officially opens at 11.59 Sunday night.  Mayor Jim Boult told the Weekend Collective there's been good bookings in hotels. "Late April, May, early June are usually the quie...

An Auckland University vaccinologist is concerned about the speed at which people here are being vaccinated. Many have accused the government of a lack of transparency regarding the number of people who have had shots. It comes amid reports that a new Covid-19 vaccination clinic in Ōtara, South Auckland, could be vaccinating five times the number of people that are booked in. South Seas vaccinatio...

A former ACT leader says it's possible that National could no longer be the main opposition party sometime in the future.  Richard Prebble, who was one of the founding MPs of the ACT Party and leader from 1996-2004, this week cast doubt on National's leader Judith Collins to stay in the position - calling her a dead leader walking over a failed attempt by her and her deputy Dr Shane Reti to get th...

Prince Philip, the late husband to the UK's Queen Elizabeth II, will be laid to rest on Saturday local time (Sunday early morning NZT) next week, in a ceremony that will be colourful and steeped in tradition, but low key by royal standards. Philip, who was officially the Duke of Edinburgh, died peacefully at Windsor Castle on Friday morning at the age of 99. He was the nation's longest-serving con...

Hopes we'll know this week exactly when to get our passports ready for quarantine-free travel to Australia. An update on the possibility of a trans-Tasman bubble will be given on Tuesday. Epidemiologist Michael Baker told The Weekend Collective he is expecting a solid timetable to be announced. But, he says travellers must proceed with caution. "People travelling across the Tasman will have to go...