Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Safety first, is the justification for using KFC to coax five young people off a youth justice facility roof. The group spent almost 24 hours on top of Te Puna Wai o Tuhinapo in Rolleston near Christchurch last Saturday. Former police negotiator Lance Burdett says negotiators see people as people, not for what they've done. "The idea is to de-escalate as quickly as possible. Certainly if people ar...

The Prime Minister’s got a call to make on Kiri Allan , which is to back or cut her . And if history is anything to go by , he's going to make the wrong call, because he’s already made this call twice before and got it wrong. The first time with Stuart Nash, he backed him . Then more stuff came out and he had to get rid of him. The second time with Michael Wood- he backed him , and then more stuff...

Australia's anti-corruption Commission isn't recommending charges against former New South Wales Premier, Gladys Berejiklian. It's today said it found the former Premier was corrupt in her secret relationship with lover and former MP, Daryl Maguire. But the watchdog says Maguire should be charged. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says the one-time Wagga Wagga MP was reportedly running a cash-f...

The Local Government Minister is standing by the cost of water reforms. It's now estimated creating 10 new Water Services Entities will cost between $2 billion and $3 billion. The original estimate was about $1 billion lower - because it was for four entities, which later changed. Minister Kieran McAnulty says this will still save New Zealanders money. "We can demonstrate that these reforms will s...

Let's Get Wellington Moving has survived another day. Councillors have voted nine to seven against a No Confidence motion, panning the $7.4 billion plan. It includes scrapping cars in some CBD streets in favour of more green transit. Changes to the Golden Mile - from Lambton Quay to Courtney Place - will also go ahead. NZ Herald reporter Georgina Campbell says mayor Tory Whanau was vocal in today'...

An international survey on work-life balance has placed New Zealand on top. Remote - a human resources services agency - assessed 60 countries, and scored New Zealand a shade under 80 out of 100. It weighed up issues like minimum wage, sick-leave, average working hours and the strength of the economy. Chief Revenue Officer Chris McNamara says New Zealand is a fantastic place to live. "Some of the...

Protests and unrest have erupted over Paris after local police shot a teenager dead during a traffic stop. The 17-year-old was reportedly shot after failing to comply with an order to stop his car, according to the local prosecutor's office. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says barricades and bins have been set on fire, a bus stop has been smashed and 20 people have been arrested.  LISTEN ABOVE See om...

Tonight on The Huddle, Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A and ZB host Tim Beveridge joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more!  Kiri Allan has taken leave from her role for mental health reasons and Stuff has reported concerns about "working relationships" in her office, after a staffer seconded there chose to leave early. How does this make Labour lo...

Filled jobs have lifted by 0.2 percent in May, well below the 0.6 monthly average from the first third of 2023. Healthcare, accommodation and food services, public administration and education have all reported significant growth.  Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen says it's too soon to tell if this is a trend, but some momentum appears to be coming out of monthly jobs growth. LISTEN ABOV...

China is reporting a rising dominance in electric vehicles, having overtaken Japan last quarter. More than a decade of Government subsidies and increased production in EV batteries have given the region an advantage in developing a domestic market. Milford Asset Management analyst Deborah Lambie says 50 percent of all EVs on the road worldwide are based in China. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/li...

First-home buyers accounted for a record-high portion of banks’ new mortgage lending last month. In May, first-home buyers 24.3 per cent of the $5.9 billion of new mortgages written- the highest portion since RBNZ began keeping records. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny says first-home buyers entering the market comes at the expense of investors- who have pulled back from a slu...

Wildfire smoke seeping into America's Midwest has made Chicago's air quality the worst in the world. Many US cities have issued air quality alerts this month, urging residents to limit time outdoors. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says these wildfires are bad for businesses and people's health, especially when combined with the pollution from factories.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener f...

Justice Minister Kiri Allan's revealed she's taken some time off work, to focus on mental health and wellness. Concerns about "working relationships" in Kiri Allan's office have come to light after a staffer seconded there chose to leave early.  ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Kiri Allan held an important portfolio within Parliament and other staffers could also voice concerns....

New Zealand universities are rising up on the world leader board for the top universities. Auckland University's leading the charge, taking the 68th spot in the QS World Rankings out of nearly 1500 participants. Vice-Chancellor Dawn Freshwater says the university has always been focused on maintaining their international and academic reputation.  "What we've been working on, of course, is our rese...

Dame Karen Poutasi will replace Rob Campbell as Te Whatu Ora board's chair by the end of the week. The medically trained doctor has held several high-profile public service roles, including Director-General of Health until 2006. She was also chair of the Covid-19 Immunisation Programme Governance Group, and commissioner of Waikato DHB. She says she's taking over a system that will eventually give...

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins had his high-powered meeting with Xi Jinping and experts noticed some hesitation. The Chinese President describing New Zealand as a friend and partner, and Hipkins stressed the importance of our ties with China- but didn't return the praise. NZ Contemporary China Research Centre director Jason Young says it's not standard for New Zealand diplomats to label other nation...

New Transport Minister David Parker is backing up his predecessor's decision to toll Auckland's Penlink road. Work on the $830 million highway started last December, and is expected to be completed in 2026. Official documents show former Minister Michael Wood used his power to go ahead with charges for motorists, against the advice of the Ministry of Transport. Parker says the Ministry of Transpor...

A stressful day for Taylor Swift fans. Pre-sale tickets for the Australian leg of the pop star's tour went on sale today. At one point, nearly 800,000 people were queuing online for the three Sydney shows. Kiwi fan Breanna Shaw survived the frenzy, and says she scored ticket and is over the moon. Swift's Melbourne show presale tickets became available this afternoon. General sales tickets can be b...

The Police Commissioner says trust in police is declining internationally. The Public Perceptions Survey - part of the Justice Ministry's Crime and Victims review - shows trust and confidence is at 69 percent. It was at 79 percent four years ago. Andrew Coster says trust in institutions is falling generally, driven by factors including social media and Covid-19. He says locally, a focus on law and...

Chiefs co-captain Sam Cane has moved to clear up his failure to front media after the Super Rugby final loss to the Crusaders. He's revealed that coach Clayton McMillan chose to do the honours and shield his players instead. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A popular Wellington retailer is among the businesses and organisations slamming proposals for the city's Golden Mile. The council will vote tomorrow on a key aspect of Let's Get Wellington Moving - getting rid of cars along Lambton Quay, up through Willis and Manners Streets, to Courtenay Place. Several business owners signed a letter to the mayor, stating the removal of cars from Wellington's ke...

I’ll tell you what was clear from Chris Hipkins’ meeting with Xi Jinping last night and the Chinese media coverage afterwards. And that was that China actually needs us more than perhaps many Kiwis realise . Of all the countries visiting Beijing at the moment , and there were quite a few, Barbados, Mongolia, and Vietnam- it was New Zealand that was singled out in the local press for special  menti...

The full story of Boris Johnson's 14-year friendship with press baron Evgeny Lebedev will be revealed in a new documentary. 'Boris, the Lord and the Russian Spy' is expected to provide insight into the security concerns surrounding this relationship. UK correspondent Enda Brady says the Italian Secret Service had been monitoring the Lebedev's villa and Boris Johnson's 2018 visit didn't pass the sn...

Tonight on The Huddle, NZ Herald senior writer Simon Wilson and Ben Thomas from Ben Thomas PR joined in on a discussion about the following issue of the day- and more! Waka Kotahi are determined to reconnect Coromandel Peninsula's State Highway 25A by March next year. Up to 100 workers will work extended hours, seven days a week on a new bridge. Is it worth Waka Kotahi pulling out all the stops to...

There are growing fears Australia will follow New Zealand into a recession next. Commonwealth Bank and AMP suggest there's a 50-50 chance the Australian economy enters recession within the coming months. HSBC Chief Economist Paul Bloxham says it's getting harder for the RBA to bring inflation down without a recession- but there's a narrow path the bank could tread. "If it were to lift too much mor...