Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Disappointment with NZQA after major disruptions for Year 11 students sitting an online exam. More than 20,000 tried to sit the NCEA Level 1 English exam today. But the system buckled under the pressure after about 18-thousand pupils had logged on - and access was cut. Avonside College Principal, Catherine Laws told Heather du Plessis-Allan a number of students were distressed. She says those with...

I don’t Karl Le Quesne the guy who runs the Electoral Commission.    He seems like a serious sort of man who takes his job seriously w hich is the kind of person I quite like.   So I have nothing against him, b ut he has to lose his job over the stuff ups this election.   There have been too many stuff ups:    The problem getting getting the Easy Vote cards out before the election.   The computers...

Boris Johnson warned that the Tories were 'drifting to defeat' under Rishi Sunak's leadership. The former Prime Minister claimed Sunak was offering voters 'nothing to rally behind' and that they needed a 'positive agenda for change'. UK correspondent Enda Brady says the Opposition party is currently leading by 45 percent in the polls and they're in with a good chance ahead of next year's election....

Tonight on The Huddle, Nick Mills from ZB's Wellington Mornings and BRG director Georgina Stylianou joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Winston Peters held an impromptu press conference about the ongoing coalition discussions, and claimed 'speed is of the essence'. Is Winston getting impatient?  Labour's Helen White is under pressure to defend her campaign, a...

Industry experts are 'cautiously optimistic' about Fonterra's plan to reduce on-farm emissions by 30 percent by 2030. The dairy co-op has promised to utilise new technology, changes to farming practice and existing and new vegetation to remove carbon. The Country's Jamie Mackay says a 30 percent reduction in 7 years is unlikely, based on current projections. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listene...

More eyes are on the Commerce Commission, as Foodstuffs seeks their approval for a merger. The retail giant hopes to merge its North Island and South Island operations into one business, but needs the Government agency to sign off. NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann says these businesses have to see some threats of legislation or disruption before they get too big. LISTEN ABOVE See omnys...

Fifteen voting places have been found to have data entry errors causing changes for electorate candidate results. The Electoral Commission has just released amended official results after doing a full check of party, electorate and special votes. Errors include one electorate where some special votes were entered incorrectly, and 620 votes in the East Coast that were included in the preliminary co...

Creditors of failed online grocery business Supie today voted in favour of liquidation at a watershed meeting. A report from BusinessDesk counted 14 people in multiple meetings held about the company, despite 100 seats being laid out at PwC's Auckland office. Neat Meat founder and former Supie creditor Simon Eriksen doesn't think there's a lot of money left over. "The money has gone, and knowing e...

Global logistics company Mainfreight has reported a significant slump in net profit and revenue. Their result shows profits declined 42 percent, to $124 million- after a successful 2022. CEO Don Braid says the company managed to have two really good years, as the company took advantage of unprecedented demand.   "We're now heading towards a more normalised trading environment, freight volumes are...

The head of the under-pressure Electoral Commission has apologised once again, for yet another voting day error. Earlier this week, the Herald revealed 3 voting places where the data entry was incorrect. But after an investigation, the Commission revealed that number was actually 15. Chief Electoral Officer Karl Le Quesne says this was a regrettable error. "It appears the quality assurance checks...

Fonterra says their emissions reduction scheme will work for the benefit of its farmers. The dairying giant plans to slash on-farm greenhouse gases 30 percent by 2030 through new tech, farming practices and carbon removal. There's no punishment for farmers not complying- the company instead hopes demand from customers to go green will be incentive enough. Director of Sustainability Charlotte Ruthe...

Pharmac is reconsidering whether or not it will continue to fund the RSV drug Palivizumab. It planned to stop funding, but it's now rethinking that after new information. Auckland University Associate Professor Jane Alsweiler says the drug is highly effective at keeping babies out of hospital. Pharmac Chief Medical Officer David Hughes says the past source of funding has dried up. "Additional Covi...

An obscured view might be just the ticket for some Taylor Swift fans. Frontier Touring is releasing additional tickets to her Melbourne and Sydney shows, including partially-obstructed side view seats, starting from $80. Promoters Association President Brent Eccles says there might be some small thing that might restrict your view. But he says often it is just a precautionary note. "Part of the sh...

The Australian Government's launching a review into the nationwide Optus outage affecting millions. Customers started to report an inability to access both mobile and home internet services around 6am yesterday - with emergency services unable to communicate and trains in Melbourne brought to a halt. Services are gradually being restored. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says millions of A...

11 new faces feature in the Moana Pasifika squad for the next Super Rugby Pacific season. They include English lock Tom Savage, who has earned 179 caps for Premiership team Gloucester. Former All Blacks wing Julian Savea has joined from the Hurricanes, while flanker Sione Havili Talitui  comes in from the Crusaders. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave recaps today's picks. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudi...

Actors are likely to get back in front of the cameras as early as tomorrow, with the SAG-AFTRA actors' union reaching a tentative agreement with Hollywood studios. The 118-day strike was sparked by demands for increased minimum salaries, a share of streaming service revenue and protection from being replaced by digital replicas generated by AI. KTLA entertainment correspondent Sam Rubin says Holly...

King Charles III delivered the British government's agenda for the first time on the throne. The monarch laid out the Government's plans to tackle crime, boost growth and reduce Britain's climate change targets. UK correspondent Gail Downey says law and order is the primary focus of the current Government over the next 12 months. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A and Phil O'Reilly from Iron Duke partners joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! The Electoral Commission is under pressure to recheck the voting results after the Herald uncovered wrong vote counts at three polling booths. Is this going to lead to a crisis in confidence in future election...

Economists are wracking their brains over how negotiations are set to shape the incoming Government's economic polices. ANZ's latest economic outlook examined the fiscal outlook for the incoming National-led Government, and noted that the addition of ACT and NZ First could lead to more significant changes. Infometrics principal economist Brad Olsen says National will face potential roadblocks in i...

Sky TV has terminated discussions about a potential takeover with an unnamed third party. Last month, the company reportedly received an expression of interest from a prospective bidder hoping to buy the company out. Earlier today, Sky revealed they had received a non-binding offer from the third party that didn't meet their expectations. Milford Asset Management's Sam Trethewey explains why Sky r...

Lobbying efforts are already underway to prevent the incoming Government from implementing a new tax on commercial and industrial building owners. National campaigned on removing the ability of commercial and industrial building owners to deduct depreciation as an expense when paying tax. This extra tax would bring in an extra $2 billion over four years and help cover National's proposed tax cuts....

New Zealand First and ACT have made their first contact in coalition negotiations since the election wrapped up. ACT’s chief of staff Andrew Ketels and NZ First’s Darroch Ball met in Wellington today to establish 'lines of communication'. As of yet, Winston Peters has not responded to David Seymour's invitation for a conversation.  NZ Herald deputy political editor Thomas Coughlan says there's sti...

The US is experiencing a shortage of essential over-the-counter drugs and prescription medications. A dwindling supply of ADHD, cancer and diabetes medication is disrupting hospitals and pharmacies- and creating widespread concern. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says even animals are being impacted by this shortage, as medications for pets has also gotten harder to find. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystud...

World Rugby is set to implement smart mouthguard technology to detect head injuries suffered on the field. From January 1, these mouthguards will be mandated into all professional rugby competitions. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains the implications of this technology, and whether players will benefit or suffer from this practice. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...

Some University of Auckland managers were uncomfortable with Dr Siouxsie Wiles’ 'celebrity' status during Covid-19 and gave her the nickname 'Brand Siouxsie', a court heard today. Wiles is taking on the university in Employment Court, on the grounds that they should have done more to protect her from threats directed at her during the pandemic. NZ Herald reporter Isaac Davison says the university'...