Politics Central

The Maori Climate Commissioner wants school students to protest for action on climate change. On March 15th, some New Zealand students will 'bunk' school to strike in a bid to push politicians to act aggressively on climate change. It follows a string of similar protests around the world, where school students have been staging regular strikes in order to fight back against climate change.  Maori...

After reports that Australian coal had been blocked at a key port in north-eastern China, officials have defended the action. A Chinese official said yesterday that the delays were a result of stepping up efforts to check the quality of imported coal, “In recent years, China Customs has found that some of the imported coal didn’t meet our environmental protection standards when it carried out insp...

A Thai political party swore loyalty to the king after its stunning decision to nominate the monarch's sister as its candidate for prime minister backfired when the king called the move inappropriate and unconstitutional. The statement of fealty comes as the country ponders a whirlwind Friday in which Princess Ubolratana Mahidol broke with tradition proscribing the monarchy's involvement with poli...

Don Brash has been invited to speak at the lower marae at Waitangi, where he was once pelted with mud by protesters. The mud was turfed in 2004, when he was National leader. It was just a few days after his infamous speech to Orewa Rotarians in which he railed against special treatment for Māori. He is now spokesman for Hobson's Pledge, a group which campaigns against racial separatism or favourit...

In Politics Central, the two Tims quiz Finance Minister Grant Robertson on his tax plans. Then political analyst Ben Thomas gives his take on how Kiwis will take the possibility of a Capital Gains Tax.  Next up medicinal cannabis, with a warning on the issue from Medical Specialist Dr Stephen Child.  Finally, Joy Reid has the latest on the Brexit debacle, straight out of London. See omnystudio.com...

A National MP believes surf life saving clubs should receive public funding, because they're providing an essential service. At the moment, surf clubs rely on grants, fundraising and private sponsorship to run patrols on New Zealand beaches. Some lifeguard services are supported by local bodies, but the clubs take care of themselves. Helensville MP Chris Penk says life saving should be recognised...

An iconic New Zealander producer does not think there is much to worry about when it comes to Lord of the Rings filming here. It has been reported that Amazon Studios held meetings with the New Zealand Government over filming the new television adaptation of the fantasy series here.  However, there are concerns that a lack of studio space could prevent the show from being filmed here. John Barnett...

Some educators say they are willing to march on Parliament in opposition to the Government's proposed Tommorrow's Schools plan. The board and headmaster of Auckland Grammar have written to parents, asking for help to fiercely oppose the notion, saying that the proposals are radical and would end the notion of the traditional secondary school in New Zealand. Auckland Grammar's headmaster Tim O'Conn...

The mother of a 15-year-old boy killed in a drunken hit and run says she started a petition calling for a longer sentence for the teenager so other families don't go through the same pain. Air force cadet Nathan Kraatskow, 15, died in May when a learner driver hit him at an intersection in Albany in north Auckland. Rouxle Le Roux, 19, had drunk wine and smoked cannabis earlier in the day before he...

The Government has announced $1.4 billion to make dangerous roads safer over three years to save lives and prevent serious injuries. The Safe Network Programme will make 870km of high-volume, high-risk State Highways safer by 2021 with improvements like median and side barriers, rumble strips, and shoulder widening, according to Transport Minister Phil Twyford and Associate Transport Minister Juli...

An Auckland school is facing criticism for making a Christmas lesson overly religious.  Katherine Hogg told Stuff that she kept her seven-year-old son at home from school after his class was asked to act out the Nativity. She told the newspaper that her son did not want to join in, but would have to move to another class if he did not participate.  Hogg said she was unhappy that Stanmore Bay Schoo...

LISTEN TO TVNZ EUROPE CORRESPONDENT JOY REID TALK WITH THE WEEKEND COLLECTIVE ABOVE The rumble of armoured police trucks and the hiss of tear gas filled central Paris on Saturday, as French riot police fought to contain thousands of yellow-vested protesters venting their anger against the government in a movement that has grown more violent by the week. A ring of steel surrounded the president's E...

A New Zealand woman has spoken out about her experience of being given a nickname by her boss. Julie Savage went to a South Australian Employment Tribunal after her boss, Vili Milisits of Vili's Cakes, kept calling her 'Kiwi' rather than by her name. The news was met with some ridicule online, but Savage has told The Weekend Collective that it was more about respect. "There was always someone maki...

The National Party have again come under fire, this time with allegations of bullying and abuse of power within Parliament.  Former MP Deborah Coddington gives us an insight into the political culture and why politicians react the way they do.  LISTEN TO THE FULL DISCUSSION WITH THE WEEKEND COLLECTIVE ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ministry of education has come out swinging at the credibility of internal exams for NCEA. They have found that students are two or three times more likely to get excellence if assessed by a teacher compared to only 11 percent of those with external exams. We talk to the President of the PPTA Jack Boyle to discuss whether or not internal exams have a place in our secondary schools? LISTEN TO T...

LISTEN TO ROBERT PATMAN TALK WITH THE WEEKEND COLLECTIVE ABOVE It's crunch time for UK Prime Minister Theresa May as she hopes the EU will sign off on a draft Brexit deal at a summit in Brussels overnight. May, who arrived in Brussels Saturday evening for preparatory talks with EU leaders, will then have the momentous task of selling the deal to a recalcitrant British Parliament and a nation still...

The future of the free fees policy is up in the air. The Government was left red-faced this week when figures revealed that the free first year of tertiary education scheme did not boost first year enrolments. It also showed that the people benefiting from the scheme the most were white and middle classed.  However, political commentator Bryce Edwards says that one year is too early to tell if the...

The Mental Health Foundation is calling on a leading retailer to drop what it says are unethical and potentially illegal recruitment practices. People applying for jobs at Kathmandu are being asked to list any prescription drugs or medications they're taking. Applicants can't proceed unless they surrender the information. Mental Health Foundation chief Shaun Robinson says people should be judged o...

National's accused the Government of being soft on crime, after 84 people caught importing drugs got off with warnings. Police carried out raids as part of an operation targeting people buying Class A and B drugs on the dark web, and shipping them in from overseas. National's Mark Mitchell says the Police Minister has questions to answer. He claims Stuart Nash and the Government is sending signals...

A tattoo removal programme may be reintroduced in prisons. The Government's considering reviving a similar programme to the one which was ditched in 2006. That was after controversy was sparked when taxpayers paid thousands for a violent offender to have a "Mongrel Mob Forever" tattoo lasered off.  The Government has now asked Corrections for advice on how a revived tattoo removal scheme might wor...

LISTEN TO TVNZ POLITICAL REPORTER JESSICA MUTCH-MCKAY TALK WITH THE WEEKEND COLLECTIVE ABOVE Over 100 vendors, mainly women, turned up to see Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern officially open Gordon's Market in an outer suburb of Port Moresby this morning. And they got a rallying cry from her to get involved in politics in PNG – where there are no women MPs. She made the 7.30 am event before official...

The teachers' strike is going ahead tomorrow because the venues for union meetings were already booked. The primary teachers' union offered that explanation when asked why the pay offer it received on Thursday wasn't enough to avert next week's action. Principals and teachers will be rallying on more than 100 street corners in Auckland at 7.30am tomorrow, and will br holding mass meetings to consi...

LISTEN TO ABC AUSTRALIA'S CHARLES CROUCHER TALK WITH THE WEEKEND COLLECTIVE ABOVE More than 30 million Americans have cast early ballots ahead of Tuesday's midterm elections, eclipsing the 2014 early totals nationally and suggesting a high overall turnout for contests that could define the final two years of President Donald Trump's term. At least 28 states have surpassed their 2014 early votes. A...

The primary teachers' union says the Government's pledge to fund 600 Learning Support Coordinators is a huge deal. The Prime Minister has announced the roles will be filled from 2020, by qualified teachers. They will be tasked with ensuring children with learning needs, such as autism, get the support they need. NZEI President Lynda Stuart told the Weekend Collective the need for more support for...

The Minister of Immigration is within his rights to grant residency to a controversial drug dealer. The National Party's Michael Woodhouse has demanded Iain Lees-Galloway explain why he used his power of "absolute discretion" to cancel deportation liability and grant residence to Karel Sroubek, also known as Jan Antolik. Immigration lawyer Richard Mcleod says that we likely will never know why Sro...