Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has locked in a coveted confab with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Hipkins heads to China on Sunday, alongside a large delegation of high-flying New Zealand businesspeople. He'll be travelling to Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin. NZME business commentator Fran O'Sullivan says Chris Hipkins will use the trip to boost the New Zealand-China trade relationship. LISTEN ABOVE Se...

The Blues were defeated by the Crusaders 52- 15 on Friday's Super Rugby semifinal. The Crusaders are now set to go up against the Chiefs next week in Hamilton for an all-New Zealand Super Rugby final. Sportstalk host Jason Pine recaps the loss here. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is seeking to fix the Emissions Trading Scheme to stop it going bust down the line. The Climate Change Commission warns it's not working as intended, and four new options are now on the table. One includes taking forestry out of the scheme altogether to stop businesses planting trees rather than cutting carbon. Climate Change Minister James Shaw says there's a risk of creating a glu...

The Government says the fundamentals of our economy are really strong. When asked how he rates the chances of a credit rating downgrade, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says we're still in a good spot. "The IMF here recently and others, they've had long term concerns about aspects of the New Zealand economy like the current account balance, but they also weigh that up against things like levels o...

Australians will soon vote on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum, with the Senate concluding months of parliamentary procedures. The vote requires Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to set a referendum date before the end of the year- the first held since 1999. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says the polls aren't in favour of the referendum, with 60 percent of voters voicing disa...

The Police Minister is applauding officers' management of a gang tangi in Ōpōtiki. Hundreds of Mongrel Mob members descended on the Bay of Plenty town last week for the funeral of a gang boss. Police closed public roads for two hours for the Whakatane funeral procession. Minister Ginny Andersen says it's unacceptable people's daily lives were disrupted - but police used the opportunity to enact ne...

Anaesthetists have come out in support of moves to consider ethnicity when prioritising people on medical waitlists. Ethnicity is a factor in a new medical wait list criteria Te Whatu Ora's rolled out in Auckland, alongside clinical priority, time already spent on the waitlist, location and deprivation level. NZSA Auckland President Dr Morgan Edwards supports this tool, as anaesthetists are well-p...

Meng Foon is still yet to formally resign as Race Relations Commissioner, despite previously saying he intended to give his notice yesterday. Associate Justice Minister Deborah Russell claims he didn't "adequately declare" a company he directs received more than $2 million from Government payments. Foon says he intended to resign, but when it was announced he already had - he thought: "bugger them...

The Prime Minister has asked Health Minister Ayesha Verrall to investigate whether ethnicity should inform decisions on medical waitlists. Te Whatu Ora now includes ethnicity in the criteria, alongside clinical priority, time already spent on the waitlist, location and deprivation level - to address longstanding inequity. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Chris Hipkins acknowledge...

All Blacks coach Ian Foster surprised rugby fans with some unexpected picks for the first All Blacks squad of 2023.  Crusaders back Dallas McLeod was among the 5 uncapped players named for the 36-man squad, joining Tamaiti Williams, Samipeni Finau, Emoni Narawa, and Cameron Roigard. McLeod was very surprised to hear this news on the day, as he had his sights set towards the All Blacks XV team. "Wh...

A former manager of Harvard Medical School's morgue is facing federal charges for allegedly stealing, selling, and shipping human remains. Ex-employee Cedric Lodge and his wife Denise worked together to sell heads, brains, skin, and bones as part of an underground network. US Correspondent Dan Mitchinson says that the parts were sold online, including body parts of two stillborn infants. He says s...

The Associate Transport Minister's chalking the Puhoi to Warkworth motorway up as a "job well done". The much-anticipated 18.5 kilometre stretch of road was officially opened by the Prime Minister this morning, and will open to motorists in the coming days. Kiri Allan told Heather du-Plessis Allan that it was wrong that Labour MPs once called it a "holiday highway", as it's a critical piece of inf...

Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon has resigned from his role this afternoon over a failure to disclose a conflict of interest. Foon has conceded he made a mistake but says he personally received no money from the business deal involving a company he directed and the Government. And his departure has been welcomed by Act leader David Seymour who claimed Foon was too attached to the “left side o...

Students are calling on the Government to end teacher strikes. A group of Waikato school leaders have signed an open letter to the Education Minister. Secondary teachers are currently refusing to teach two year levels each day, four days a week for the rest for term. It comes after they refused their latest collective agreement offer. Hillcrest High Head Student Nico Bhula told Heather du Plessis...

Well, very good news today that the Puhoi to Warkworth highway has finally officially been opened. Only about a year and a half late, but we’ll take what we can get . You can’t drive on it yet — you have to wait until early next week, and they won’t tell us exactly when  because it’ll cause disruptions with everyone flocking to use the road all at once . That is how much we love a new road in this...

Students joined the families of the 19-year-old Nottingham victims at a vigil a day after the attack. The fathers of deceased students Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar delivered emotional tributes and asked the Nottingham University student body to 'take care of each other'. UK correspondent Enda Brady says 2,000 students also attended the vigil to pay tribute. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio...

Tonight on The Huddle, Georgina Stylianou, Director of Government Relations firm BRG and Sam Johnson, Projects Director at Still joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! New Zealand has officially entered a 'technical recession' according to the GDP figures from Stats NZ. How grim is it out there? Will the economic climate get worse? After speaking up about her “n...

Corporate profits were expected to fall further in the United States, but expectations are being surpassed. Over the past year, consumers have grappled with persistent inflation, while companies reap record-breaking profits. Fisher Funds senior portfolio manager Sam Dickie says companies have been quicker to cut costs and consumer demand is still present. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener f...

The ACT Party enjoyed a positive reception at Fieldays 2023. The Party's Standing up for Rural New Zealand policy document included scrapping the Zero Carbon Bill and Three Waters, and tying emissions prices to that of New Zealand’s five main trading partners. The Country's Jamie Mackay says his initial prediction was right, after ACT and David Seymour walked away to 'rapturous applause'. LISTEN A...

The data is in, and New Zealand is officially into a technical recession. New figures from Stats NZ show GDP fell 0.1 percent in the March quarter- the second consecutive quarter of negative growth.  NZ Herald business editor Liam Dann says there could be another bump that puts pressure on the Reserve Bank, but the GDP figure make it likely the bank won't increase rates. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudi...

Don't expect any changes to the Rugby Championship format anytime soon. SANZAAR has ruled out any changes to the Rugby Championship format to better suit South Africa and Argentina. The governing body has been forced to clear up claims made by Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan on Newstalk ZB's Rugby Direct podcast. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnys...

ACT have unveiled their plan for the primary industries- and promise to give the sector the "respect it deserves". The policy would see the Zero Carbon Act scrapped, emissions pricing tied to New Zealand's five main trading partners and regional councils having more  control. ACT's Agriculture spokesperson Mark Cameron says it must be reconciled that New Zealand's farmers are the most emissions-fr...

Several worried parents have banded together to call for stronger action from the Government to curb youth vaping. Their Facebook group, Vape-Free Kids NZ, already has over 1000 members. Christchurch mother Anna is a member and says her son became addicted at 14- and they're still battling the ongoing consequences. "At 16 now, we're still battling with him giving up the addiction, but also the ong...

Criticism of the police's handling of a gang funeral procession in Ōpōtiki yesterday. Traffic was held back for two hours as Mongrel Mob members flooded State Highway 2. Former police negotiator Lance Burdett says police had a hands-off approach and could've done more. "Yes, they were in the community, there were liaison officers there, there were senior police officers out in the community. Howev...

A neighbour to troublesome Kāinga Ora tenants fears retaliation after their removal.  Hamilton woman Katelyn Park says she's endured years of abuse and threats directed at her, her family and pets, and suffers ongoing health effects from the stress. She's been informed that her “neighbours from hell" will be moved- and she's worried they'll come for revenge. "Because of how volatile and dangerous...