The Weekend Collective

The Government has announced 140 new hospital beds across the country to ease pressure on emergency departments.  These beds will be part of new wards in Middlemore, Waikato, Wellington, and Nelson hospitals, alongside the new Hawke's Bay ward announced earlier in the year.  Health Minister Simeon Brown says operational funding for the 350 extra staff that will be needed, has already bee...

Christopher Luxon is wrapping up his trip to APEC and ASEAN today.  The Prime Minister met with a range of world leaders, even having his hair complimented by Donald Trump, and having dinner with the Canadian and Australian Prime Ministers and the South Korean president.  APEC and ASEAN represent about 60 to 70% of the world's economy, so even casual meeting would have been significant f...

We all know the dangers of tech these days, but it's unavoidable.  Our kids need a laptop for school, an iPad to pass the time, and a phone for parents to reach them on.  There are positives to technology, we just need to teach our children to take advantage of the good things their devices have to offer.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour has introduced their Capital Gains Tax policy after it was leaked to the media last week.  If implemented, it would mean a 28% tax on any profits made from house sales excluding the family home.  So what would a tax like this do to the property and rental markets?  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on The Panel, Tim Beveridge is joined by real estate agent Luke Dallow, and Taxpayers' Union Executive Director Jordan Williams, to discuss the biggest stories from the week that was.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trusts are hardly mentioned outside of when wealth tax is in the news, or when someone mentions their accountant told them to get one. One side of the political aisle seems to have a good list of reasons as to why someone would need a trust, while the other side seems to be convinced that essentially the only reason anyone would have one would be to hide assets.  So what is the real purpose o...

Injuries are one of those things that most of us only think about after it's too late.  There are many obvious and common causes for injuries, and often, all it takes to avoid these injuries is a bit of a stretch or more focus on your core strength.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last Thursday was the largest protest New Zealand has had for decades, a combined strike across multiple public sector groups including PSA members and PPTA members.  It certainly sent a message, but that message depends on who you ask. While many sympathise with the issues the public sector is facing, many have also dubbed it 'the start of a five day weekend' for teachers.  LISTEN ABOVE...

The Prime Minister is off to the East Asia Summit in Malaysia today, before he heads to South Korea to attend the APEC summit.  Xi Jinping will be in attendence, and he's due to meet with President Donald Trump on the 30th of October.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Should you stay together for the kids?  A lot of the time it does more harm than good - and countless adults will tell you they wished their parent had split when they were children.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most prospective buyers know how much they can borrow, but how much should you borrow?  Banks will often be happy to lend buyers an eye-watering amount of money, right at the top of what they can afford, but that doesn't mean buyers will be happy once those repayments kick in.  Not mention five years down the line, when interest rates aren't as low as they once were, and wages...

This week on The Panel, Tim Beveridge is joined by Resident Builder Pete Wolfkamp and journalist Wilhelmina Shrimpton, to discuss the biggest stories from the week that was.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tech stocks have been leading the charge recently, and with the way AI is headed, it's unlikely it will slow down any time soon.  So if you're a KiwiSaver investor, now would be a good time to start asking yourself what your long-term strategy is, and how you're thinking about risk.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some stage in their life, and it kills 600 men each year.  Whether you're approaching screening age, or just getting to that stage where you start taking your health more seriously, Tim Beveridge and Dr Bryan Betty discuss steps to take and changes to make to avoid serious health issues in the future.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/l...

More strike action from teachers this week, with a full national strike planned for Thursday.  Minister for Public Service Judith Collins says that the number one item on the agenda for the PPTA at a recent meeting with the Government was Palestine, not pay or education.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From tomorrow, beneficiaries will need to comply with two more obligations to continue receiving welfare.  They will need to provide evidence of at least three job searches a week for four weeks, and attend employment-related training courses for at least five hours a week for four weeks.  The sanctions are aimed at increasing employability, but critics think it's punishing beneficiaries...

Many parents wrestle with the balance of keeping their kids involved with extracurriculars, while also teaching them the value of rest in a world that prioritises the daily hustle.  We're signing them up to every opportunity possible to help them develop as people, but are our kids just too busy?  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After yet another OCR cut, economists and mortgage holders alike are holding their breath for December - the last announcement of the year.  A new report from Infometrics suggests the Reserve Bank may be taking the cuts too far, and risking an overstimulated economy.  Most forecasts have predicted more cuts coming, but it's possible that Dr Anna Breman may have a different way of handlin...

This week on The Panel, Tim Beveridge is joined by Professor Emeritus of Sociology Paul Spoonley, and NZ Herald Senior Writer Simon Wilson, to discuss the biggest stories from the week that was.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An interesting report came out this week about budgets: the average household spending has only gone up two dollars a week since 2023. 50-percent of respondents said they're actively seeking out discounts and promotions - and 30-percent downgrade brands. It's one thing to be spending less on non-essentials, eating less, or wearing cheaper clothes, but sometimes that can chip away at our mental hea...

It's no secret that as we get older, our metabolism slows down a bit, and staying in shape just gets harder to do - from keeping lean, maintaining muscle, and removing stubborn fat. Ricky Gervais had a tweet about how he's working out everyday now - playing tennis, lifting weights and running. His heart's good, and he trains at a good intensity - but he wonders why he's stil overweight and exhaust...

42 councils have held referendums on Māori wards - 17 areas have voted to keep them, while 25 have voted to remove. The wards have been a flashpoint for debate - there were protesters in Kaipara last year when council voted to remove it. Te Pāti Māori has described the decision to remove the wards as “racist, targeted attack on Māori, for being Māori” and that it's "an assault on Te Tiriti" Last y...

We hear lots of horror stories about parenting - from the accidents that cost us a hefty bill, the arguments and bickering we bump into as they get older, the worries about our what they're doing when we're away, and the concerns of how social media's affecting their mental health. But we do it because we love them - unconditionally. And part of that is having to embrace the numerous versions of p...

A few weeks ago, a developer pre-sold most of its eight planned heritage-style weatherboard townhouses in two Auckland projects. They plan to bring more of their cookie-cutter housing designs to Auckland, and aims to revive the styles of homes prevalent in many older suburbs. But having a suburb full of similarly designed houses seems like it'd make neighbourhood dull, especially if they're bunche...

This week on The Panel, Tim Beveridge is joined by Chemistry Professor Allan Blackman, and Menswear Designer Murray Crane to discuss the biggest stories from the week that was. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.