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An employment court has vindicated six former Gloriavale women - who today won their employment court battle. These women claimed they were exploited and treated like slaves while they worked on domestic tasks for the community, including preparing food, cooking, cleaning and doing laundry. Their lawyer, Brian Henry, says there was a clear recipe for suppression and enslavement of women within the...

Free school lunches are in the firing line, with documents showing Treasury isn't keen. A report to the Finance Minister says the programme doesn't affect attendance, and gives little benefit to Māori students. Each day, 10,000 meals are left over, either because kids aren't at school, or don't like what's on offer. KidsCan Chief Executive Julie Chapman says there's no doubt waste is an issue that...

A Budget document shows Treasury is less than enthusiastic about the free school lunch program, Ka Ora, Ka Ako. A report to the Finance Minister claims the scheme did not impact attendance and provided little benefit to Māori students. The document also revealed funding for the program ran out at the end of 2023, with permanent funding dependent on proof the scheme was effective. ZB senior politic...

Australia and the EU have failed to resolve negotiations on a planned free trade agreement worth almost $100 billion. After two days of negotiations, both sides failed to reach a compromise and will now have to reconvene in August. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says Trade Minister Don Farrell even travelled to Brussels this week to break the five-year deadlock. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.c...

The Warriors have secured the services of veteran halfback Shaun Johnson for another year. The 32-year-old has decided to return for his 14th NRL season, days after becoming the fifth Warrior to record 200 games for the club. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All Blacks coach Ian Foster has named the team set to go up against the Springboks in Auckland. Richie Mo'unga is back at 10, Brodie Retallick and Will Jordan will make their debut as All Blacks- and Damian McKenzie is absent from the lineup. Former All Black Josh Kronfeld says this has all the makings of a big game. He says the fact that both teams are evenly matched and that both teams have just...

BBC broadcaster Jeremy Vine is urging the presenter accused of soliciting explicit photos to come forward publicly. Vine was among several broadcasters forced to deny their role at the centre of this scandal, as people speculate the identity of the accused. This follows a second person coming forward with a complaint about the unnamed presenter.  UK correspondent Gavin Grey says rumours have been...

Tonight on The Huddle, Georgina Stylianou from Government Relations firm BRG and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion on the following issues of the day- and more! Labour has decided against introducing a capital gains or wealth tax if they get re-elected. New documents show the Government was looking into it, as part of Budget 2023, before the PM dumped the...

The Prime Minister today ruled out introducing a capital gains or wealth tax if Labour is re-elected come October. Hipkins also confirmed that a capital gains tax had been considered for the 2023 Budget, but ultimately scrapped. Infometrics principal economist Brad Olsen is surprised the Government considered this significant change to the tax system in the first place. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystud...

Net migration figures have experienced a significant resurgence in the last 12 months. Recent data shows New Zealand gained over 72,000 new people in the year to April, in a return to pre-pandemic figures. Milford Asset Management's Mark Riggall says migration is in a catch-up dynamic following a sharp decline, and it's unclear if this growth will stick. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener fo...

The Reserve Bank has left the OCR unchanged at 5.5 percent- and will keep it in place for the foreseeable future. Economists predict the RBNZ will hold the rate at its current level until early to mid 2024. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny says the Reserve Bank now faces a difficult challenge of making the call as to how long they keep rates up. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.c...

Doubt today's latest political poll will be reflected in the election. The Taxpayers' Union- Curia poll has National just ahead at 33.3 percent - with Labour on 31. Support for Act is at 13.2 percent; the Greens, 8.9; and Te Pati Māori on 5 percent. On those figures, neither the left nor the right bloc could form a Government. But ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says on election nig...

Trade Me data shows the average salary for jobs listed has reached $70,000, a 6 percent increase on last year. Job listing have also declined significantly in the second quarter- they're down 15 percent from the first. Trade Me Jobs sales director Matt Tolich says this is down to an 'uncertain' economic environment. "We are in a recession, we've got an election coming up. With that causes some unc...

KiwiRail's CEO says they've taken all the necessary steps to prevent future safety issues. Waikato regional councillor Angela Strange hasn't ruled out seeking financial compensation following KiwiRail prohibiting Te Huia from operating in Auckland. CEO Peter Reidy says the train's failure to obey red signals on two occasions is a safety issue that needs correcting. "Because rails are connected to...

Yesterday, as Matt Heath was leaving this studio after The Huddle, I asked him if he was going to any FIFA Women’s World Cup games . He turned around and laughed and made an observation along the lines of - you can force people to do a lot of diversity stuff, but you can’t force them to buy tickets to entertainment . Isn’t that exactly right . The Government can force their agencies to fill half t...

US President Joe Biden raised some eyebrows by skipping dinner with the NATO leaders and returning to his hotel early. The White House later issued a statement saying the President was instead preparing for his upcoming speech to NATO. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says Biden's had a mixed experience at the summit so far. "I think his reputation was bolstered a little by expanding the NATO block...

Hopes the Official Cash Rate has peaked for good. The Reserve Bank has today chosen to keep the OCR at 5.5 percent, the first time it hasn't risen since 2021. But the Monetary Policy Committee agrees it needs to remain restrictive to ensure inflation is driven down. Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr says they expect the OCR to remain at 5.5 percent into next year. "We're hopeful that inflation...

Survivors of the fatal Whakaari White Island eruption in 2019 have given evidence in court today. 22 people died and 25 were injured. WorkSafe has accused six parties of health and safety failures before the disaster. ZB justice reporter Chelsea Daniels is covering the trial. She says US honeymooners Matthew and Lauren Urey told their story today. "Lauren remembers hiding behind a rock where she k...

A former Greens senior staffer says the party should look to mop up votes from the the left-of centre who are disenfranchised by Labour's tax policy. The Greens unveiled a plan to tax assets last month but the Prime Minister today ruled out introducing a wealth tax while in office. David Cormack says Labour appears to want power for power's sake. He reckons this move could get them closer. "There...

The Springboks have made 10 changes for Saturday's test against the All Blacks at Auckland's Mt Smart stadium. Fit-again lock Eben Etzebeth is captain as the Springboks tap into the resources of the advance party sent over. Fullback Willie le Roux, centre Lukhanyo Am, props Steven Kitshoff and Frans Malherbe and hooker Bongi Mbonambi retain their places. ZB sport news director Clay Wilson explains...

The head of the Principals Association's backing the Ministry of Education's million dollar campaign that aimed to get kids back to school. Last August, Education Minister Jan Tinetti launched the million-dollar Every School Day Is a Big Day campaign. But documents released under the official information act show it wasn't "expected to have a direct, quantifiable impact on attendance rates in itse...

The lawyer for a young person at the centre of claims a BBC presenter paid them for sexual pictures is rubbishing the allegations. The Sun reported claims made by the person's mother that an un-named presenter paid the person over three years from when they were 17 - for sexual pictures. The lawyer says nothing inappropriate happened and the allegations in the Sun are rubbish. UK correspondent End...

Tonight on The Huddle, Tim Wilson from Maxim Institute and Radio Hauraki's Matt Heath joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! The latest Talbot Mills corporate poll has the Labour Government down five percentage points to 31, and National up one point on 36. Is this the beginning of the end for Labour, or a one-off? The Dairy and Business Owners Group chair has s...

The Te Huia rail service that runs from Hamilton to Auckland has been banned from travelling north of Papakura. This follows multiple incidents of Kiwirail train drivers failing to obey signals, putting the train at risk of collision.  The Public Transport Users Association's Jon Reeves says this move will just encourage more commuters back into cars. "Who wants to get on a bus in a traffic jam in...

The Country's Jamie Mackay has given the Free Trade Agreement with the EU a middling mark. The agreement will eventually remove tariffs on 97 percent of goods exported - including onions, manuka honey, kiwifruit and wine. Jamie Mackay says it's not a flash agreement for meat and dairy farmers, as only small amounts can be exported before tariffs kick in. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener fo...