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New Zealand introducing a capital gains tax is back in the spotlight following the release of the bombshell IRD report. Sir Ian Taylor has voiced support for a capital gains tax and reckons other business people he knows would be happy to pay one. He explained that a capital gains tax would help cover the significant costs New Zealand faces in terms of health, education and infrastructure. "That's...

A biosecurity scare has put the brakes on car imports. In December, Australian authorities found a large number of new cars being imported that were contaminated with seeds and other organic material. Autohub Managing Director, Frank Willett says it's resulted in wait times for cars here rising to as long as five months. "I've been involved in the shipping side of things and the used import trade...

The Health Minister's unveiled a 24-point-plan to help reduce pressure on hospitals this winter. Led by Te Whatu Ora, the plan includes letting pharmacists treat minor ailments, having increased access to community radiology - and extending hospital care given at home. Health Minister Ayesha Verrall says this winter plan will empower clinicians to do more in the community and keep people out of ho...

Sharesies' new offering to their Kiwisaver scheme is designed to give members more control and choice in their investments. The Kiwi investing platform is introducing a 'self-select’ option that allows members to self-select up to 50 per cent of their investment plan in individual exchange-traded funds and stocks. Matt Macpherson, head of KiwiSaver at Sharesies says it's important that users get m...

The National Party says Meka Whaitiri's situation raises serious questions. Speaker Adrian Rurawhe made Whaitiri an Independent MP after she changed parties and he didn't invoke the waka jumping legislation. National Shadow Speaker of the House, Michael Woodhouse, says the Speaker's correspondence with Whaitiri, which led to his decision, should be released. Woodhouse says Whaitiri has no moral au...

Indigenous Commonwealth leaders are demanding an apology from King Charles III over colonisation. Representatives from 12 countries have jointly written calling for reparation, acknowledgement of slavery's impacts, and the return of indigenous remains and cultural artefacts. Independent Australian senator Lidia Thorpe says as the monarch, if King Charles has any decency - he'll do the right thing....

Questions remain over Meka Whaitiri's correspondence with Speaker Adrian Rurawhe, before she defected from Labour. The Speaker isn't budging on making Whaitiri an Independent MP - and not invoking the waka jumping legislation. He won't release his correspondence with Whaitiri, saying it's privileged. ZB's senior political correspondent Barry Soper says that doesn't pass the sniff test. "He's hidin...

An updated proposal for a stadium on Auckland's waterfront is due to be released shortly. A day after Eden Park announced a new multi-million dollar rebuild, the Auckland Waterfront Consortium announced plans to construct a new stadium. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave will be speaking to the AWC later tonight, and explained what to expect from the upcoming interview. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudi...

Endurance athlete Jono Ridler has spent a night in hospital, recovering from a 33 hour, record-breaking swim. The 33-year-old swam almost 100 kilometres from Great Barrier Island to Campbells Bay, raising awareness of damage to the Hauraki Gulf. He also beat New Zealand's open water swimming record by about 20 kilometres. Ridler says he's surprised how his body feels after his ordeal. "My eyes are...

Russian ships able to perform underwater operations were present near where explosions on the Nord Stream pipelines took place, a report confirms. Last September, underwater explosions knocked out the two Nord Stream pipelines built to carry gas from Russia to Europe. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says finding evidence was a difficult task because the Russian ships turn their transmitters off, but a...

Tonight on The Huddle, David Farrar from Kiwiblog and Curia and Jack Tame, host of ZB's Saturday morning and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Meka Whaitiri abruptly resigned from Labour and will cross the floor to run under the Maori Party's banner. Why did she do this? What does this mean for Labour?  The expected recession isn't making a dent in...

The expected economic downturn has yet to make a dent in the labour market, with unemployment holding steady at 3.4 percent. Other factors are at record highs, including the labour participation rate and the employment rate increased by 72 percent and 69.5 percent. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen says this indicates the incoming recession may be different, as several businesses are stil...

The Reserve Bank says New Zealand's house prices are still 'somewhat overvalued', but conceded they were closer to 'sustainable levels'. The RBNZ is expected to hike the OCR one more time on May 24th, to 5.5 percent. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny says the RBNZ looks at a range of metrics and measures to define 'sustainable' house prices. "It was quite interesting that it su...

Thousands of Hollywood TV and movie screenwriters have begun a mass walkout after planned discussions over wages broke down. Late-night programs including the Tonight Show and The Late Show will be the first to shut down, with incoming films and shows expecting delays. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says the last high-profile writers' strike was over 15 years ago- and the media landscape has expa...

Former Labour MP and Minister Meka Whaitiri abruptly resigned and jumped ship to the Maori Party. Many of her former Labour colleagues were caught off guard by the announcement, including Acting Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni and Chris Hipkins. Speaker Adrian Rurawhe rules she'll now be an independent MP, for Parliamentary purposes. ZB's senior political correspondent Barry Soper was also surprise...

The Black Caps remain optimistic about their chances in the ODI series against Pakistan, despite being down 2-nil. In both one-dayers, the hosts have chased down New Zealand's set total, winning by five and seven wickets respectively. First ball in the third ODI is at 10:30pm this evening. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...

The US corporate earnings season is still underway- and AI may be impacting investments. Companies across America have been dropping more references and concepts relating to the widespread use of AI, particularly within the tech sector.  Milford Asset Management Portfolio Manager Felix Fok says Google, Meta, Microsoft and Amazon are investing more into AI-generated advertising and assistance aimed...

KiwiRail's boss has admitted to dropping the ball in their handling of Wellington track maintenance. Over the past three days, a 70 kilometre speed limit has been slapped on Wellington train lines, roughly cutting the frequency of services in half. It's due to issues in scheduling maintenance outside of the track's compliance period and their only specialist track evaluation car breaking down last...

Air New Zealand has received a bad batch of aviation fuel for the third time since the Marsden Point refinery shut down. It arrived in Wellington from overseas and meant airlines had to tanker in more fuel to get flights completed. Board of Airline Representatives New Zealand Executive Director Cath O'Brien says we are highly reliant on oil being properly checked. She says this wasn't as much a pr...

NZME and The Warehouse Group have joined forces to create a unique online shopping experience. The new online channel- Selection Live Shopping- will host live shopping events with radio host Mike Puru every Tuesday at 12:30pm, showcasing a wide range of products. NZME Chief Digital and Publishing Officer Carolyn Luey says this channel is designed to be an immersive new shopping experience combinin...

New Zealand's unemployment rate has remained at 3.4 percent, a near record low. In the March 2023 quarter,  the employment rate increased to 69.5 percent and labour force participation rate increased to 72 per cent- both the highest recorded since the survey began. EMA Head of Advocacy and Strategy Alan McDonald says the market is still tight, as reflected by the inflation rate, wages and EMA surv...

A constitutional law expert has explained why Meka Whaitiri remains a sitting MP, despite legislation stopping party waka-jumping. She's crossing the floor to run as Te Pāti Māori's candidate in her Ikaroa-Rawhiti seat this October, quitting Labour. Speaker Adrian Rurawhe has ruled she'll now be an independent MP, for Parliamentary purposes. Otago University law professor Andrew Geddis says how th...

One of the country's top church officials is looking for a new job, so he can afford a house. Christchurch's Anglican Dean, Lawrence Kimberley lives rent-free in a clergy house - with a stipend of $50,000 a year. He's held the job since 2015, but has now decided to pursue a new career, aged 61, so he can earn enough before he retires. "We've got good retirement income coming up with the pension fr...

Former President Donald Trump said it was 'great to be home' as he touched down in Scotland. Trump visited his golf properties and attended a ceremony at his at his Aberdeenshire resort to break ground on a new course. UK correspondent Enda Brady says Trump's Scottish connection comes from his mother's side of the family and notes Joe Biden addressed the Irish Parliament the same way. Enda Brady s...

Tonight on The Huddle, current affairs commentator Josie Pagani and independent journalist Clare de Lore joined in on a discussion about the following issues- and more! Who's going to swear allegiance to King Charles this weekend? Is this out of touch? Immigration NZ has admitted to using dawn raid tactics- in 2023. How is this acceptable, especially after the public apology from two years ago?  T...