Holiday Breakfast

One of Newstalk ZB's most familiar voices has been recognised in the King's Birthday Honours, two decades after first being sounded out. Barry Soper's been named an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to journalism, recognising 43 years in the parliamentary press gallery. He says he considered the honour 20 years ago while serving as political editor, on the advice of senior colleagues. "And asked their opinion on whether it would be seen, or I could be seen as politically biased - and I think the conclusion was: that was a possibility. So I didn't want to compromise my independence." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More people are wanting to give up vaping, for a variety of reasons. Almost 16,000 people reached out to Quitline last year, with a quarter enrolled in the Quit Vaping programme. Māori make up 23 percent of those seeking support. Auckland University Public Health Professor Chris Bullen says vaping is less harmful than smoking, but also has negative impacts. He explained people are considering costs, potential long-term health effects and if they want to be addicted to something. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suzie Bates intends to distance herself from the White Ferns once she retires from the international game following the upcoming women's T20 Cricket World Cup in England. Bates has been awarded a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to cricket and basketball, following a two-decade career where she also played for the Tall Ferns at the 2008 Olympics. The 38-year-old Bates has ruled out staying on with the White Ferns in a coaching or advisory role. She says this award has taken her by surprise, but she's thrilled to be acknowledged. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Caution's being urged as automated decision-making moves a step closer to use in welfare services. A bill aimed at improving efficiencies passed its third reading under urgency in Parliament on Friday. Social Development Minister Louise Upston says it will modernise the system and reduce unnecessary manual processing, but won't use generative AI. Gorilla Technology's Paul Spain says it will do exactly what it's asked. "This really comes down to the human oversight, how well this is put together, and that it's monitored appropriately." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some of the key architects of our education system are being recognised in the 2026 King's Birthday Honours. Elizabeth Rata has been made a Dame for her services to education, including her work on the senior English curriculum over a career spanning five decades. She's among three education leaders to receive the top honour, alongside Susan Hassall and Professor Emeritus James Chapman. Rata says she was thrilled to see other educators celebrated. "Because the country has really turned the corner, I think, with education. And I look forward to the next few generations of New Zealand children being really successful." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former Defence Minister says our geographical separation should negate the need to up our defence spending. US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's accused New Zealand of freeloading off the US military by spending 2 percent of GDP on defence. He's revealed expectations that US allies spend 3.5 percent of GDP, at a global security summit in Singapore. But Wayne Mapp says the Pacific isn't facing threats of invasion, the same way NATO countries are. "Everything that comes to New Zealand costs more. Every place we go to costs more, but there is one advantage we get out of it, and that's security." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A star-studded musical celebration is in the works for the United States' 250th birthday, but more big acts have been backing away. Trump's administration had publicised multiple headliners for a 'Freedom 250' concert series between 25 June and 10 July, but Bret Michaels, Martina McBride, Young MC and the Commodores all confirmed they were pulling out. This leaves Vanilla Ice, Milli Vanilli, and Flo Rida in the lineup, but Trump is reportedly considering cancelling the musical performances altogether. US correspondent Richard Arnold says Trump is considering hosting a 'Make America Great Again rally' instead. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New polling data shows One Nation is gaining more of a political foothold in Australia. The latest The Australian Financial Review/Redbridge Group/Accent Research poll says that support for One Nation has jumped four percentage points to 31, while Labor's vote is on 28 percent. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says leader Pauline Hanson is proving popular among prospective voters, with many dissatisfied with the Labor party. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oil prices fell significantly throughout last week as discussions regarding an Iran deal continued to take place. Prices are down around 8 percent for the week with Brent crude around $91 a barrel. Westpac Chief Economist Kelly Eckhold says rumours regarding an imminent Hormuz opening agreement caused prices to drop on Friday, but things aren't fully stable. "Mediators had sent a proposal to Trump for an agreement and then noted on his Truth Social account that he was going to make what he called a 'final determination' on the Iran issue. He was in this meeting, but we weren't that lucky." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A group of four women and nine children have secured flights to Australia from Damascus over the weekend, re-sparking conversations about ISIS brides returning to their home countries. Additionally, associates of a recently disbanded neo-Nazi group were removed from an ANZAC ceremony for booing and heckling the speaker. Despite the group officially disbanding in January due to hate speech laws, Australian correspondent Murray Olds says the individuals are still active. "They still hang out together with secret handshakes and, you know, code words and whatnot, because they've all got IQs of about room temperature," he told Andrew Dickens. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In an effort to make newborn hearing checks a more comfortable process for babies and parents Christchurch Hospital has developed an innovation to replace cool gels. "Exhausted mothers after breastfeeding all night would be anxious that we'd wake the baby up when we were screening in the maternity units," Christchurch Hospital's Newborn Hearing Screening Programme co-ordinator Angela Deken told Andrew Dickens. "And so, the kudos really goes to one of the screeners, Pam Spark, who just kept pushing and trying to find solutions." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian comedian Elouise Eftos fights against the culture of self-deprecation with her tongue-in-cheek self-dubbed title of Australia's first attractive comedian. Eftos spoke to Dickens about the discomfort people display when someone is outwardly confident and secure. "Why is being a confident woman that knows she's funny and attractive and smart, why is that so confronting to people?", she asked. Eftos is performing 'Aphrodite' at the New Zealand Comedy Festival on May 15-16 where she will explore complicated feeling towards the collective man, dating, and sexual liberation. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Todd McClay will sign the free trade deal with India in Delhi today following uncertainty as New Zealand First pulled support and Labour held out until the last minute. Earlier this month some of New Zealand's top exporters and business associations signed an open letter calling on all political parties to back the agreement. India New Zealand Business Council deputy chair Tony Martin told Andrew Dickens, "I think deep down, you know, there's a very strong sense from both sides of the political spectrum that this is the right thing for New Zealand to do." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch's new One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha officially opened this weekend with a sold out match between the Crusaders and Waratahs on Friday night. The All Blacks' first test at the venue on July 4, and the Warriors' first NRL match at the stadium in June both quickly sold out, while Robbie Williams and the Foo Fighters are set to perform in late 2026 / early 2027. Crusaders CEO Colin Mansbridge says the One New Zealand Stadium is ready to replace Eden Park as New Zealand's national stadium, despite being half the size. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government is putting funds towards repairs needed on New Zealand's great bike trails due to storm damage. It is expected that the Hauraki Rail Trail, that's been shut since January, the Waikato River Trail, and a connecting track on the Tasman Great Taste Trail will need approximately $800,000 to fix. "If you think about the Hauraki Rail Trail, it is absolutely spectacular, but it does mean that it is vulnerable to weather events, so there's a bit of a balance," Tourism Minister Louise Upston told Andrew Dickens. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The annual White House Correspondents' Dinner took place in Washington last night, but was cancelled part way through after a shooter with multiple weapons charged through a security checkpoint. Washington Bureau Chief for the Guardian, David Smith, was present at the dinner. He told Andrew Dickens, "I heard some shouting and people diving under tables, and that kind of rippled like a wave through the room, and all of us, including me and guests at our table, we dived under." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A nationwide survey by the Combined Building Supplies Co-operative has found that 84% of members have felt moderate to significant impact from fuel price increases. CEO Carl Taylor said some builders can't even afford to get to their work sites. "So, clients are obviously starting to look at pausing their projects, pricing becomes harder to lock in, and the confidence drops, and that's when the activity slows," he told Andrew Dickens. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pop-duo Foley has just spent four weeks on the Hot 20 singles chart, peaking at number 1, following their EP release 'Like an Actress'. The duo is made up of Ash Wallace and Gabriel Everett. Ash Wallace joined Andrew Dickens to chat defining genre, the New Zealand music community, and aspirations. "I think it's always hard to narrow your own music down," Wallace said. "You know, you think of all your different influences and tastes, and it's always hard to really pin it down to something." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a Truth Social post Donald Trump announced the successful rescue of a missing crew member of a fighter jet that was shot down over Iran. Although Iran's military claims the US operation was "completely foiled." Meanwhile, the historic Artemis 2 mission enters it's fifth day. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Far-right political party One Nation, led by Pauline Hanson, has surpassed Labor and the Coalition in Queensland in the latest poll. "Once upon a time, Pauline Hanson was the fringe lunatic way out on the lunar right, and now, in South Australia, she smashed the conservative vote down there," Australian correspondent Murray Olds said. Olds chats to Andrew Dickens about One Nation's unprecedented rise, and solutions to the fuel crisis. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Endurance swimmer Jono Ridler has completed a 1367km journey, swimming the length of the North Island, in an effort to raise awareness against bottom trawling. After getting out of the water on Saturday, Ridler led a convoy of people to the steps of Parliament, where multiple ministers waited, and he was presented with a taonga. Ridler spoke to Andrew Dickens about the difficult journey, "a good percentage of the time it was very tough," he said. "The further we got south, the tougher it got as well with the cold water, jellyfish, and, and long sessions, spending a lot of time in my own head trying to battle through all of that." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's 2034 tourism target is to lift arrivals to 4.78 million, but a report for MBIE shows that this could require up to $3.5 billion in extra infrastructure. Regions like Queenstown are already facing pressure on their infrastructure with Destination Queenstown and Lake Wanaka Tourism CEO Mat Woods saying they are 'bursting at the seams'. He told Andrew Dickens, "we're having to actually release treated wastewater into the Shotover River, which is far from ideal when you consider a 100% pure sort of image that we like to give our international visitors about New Zealand." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Actors Cliff Curtis and Jason Momoa, and director Taika Waititi, have purchased Auckland-based Studio West with the goal to bring more jobs and Polynesian storytelling to the country. "It's still a pretty tough time for the screen industry, but it is some positive news in the middle of all of that," Screen Production and Development Association President, Irene Gardiner said. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US President Donald Trump has issued threats to Iran in an R-rated speech as his ultimatum to open the Strait of Hormuz comes to an end. He has said he will target Iran's critical infrastructure if the strait is not reopened before Monday. Jeffrey Price, senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute, John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, joined Andrew Dickens to chat about what to expect as this deadline rolls around. "President Trump is, known to be unpredictable - he's advertised, that his staff has advertised that as a virtue," Price said. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia's new hate speech laws have hit a speedbump. Parliament was recalled early to pass reform that would create serious offences for hate in the wake of the Bondi terror attack. However, the Opposition and the Greens are refusing to accept the laws in their current form. Australia Correspondent Murray Olds told Andrew Dickens the Opposition is saying the timeline is ridiculous, and that the bill is unsalvageable in its current form. He says everyone was in favour of fighting antisemitism as hard as they could, but it's now dissolved into a political bunfight. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For many, Six60 is an undeniable part of the New Zealand summer soundscape. Their classics such as ‘Don't Forget Your Roots', ‘The Greatest', and ‘Please Don't Go' are a staple of every backyard barbeque summer get together, and soon a few new songs will be joining the playlists. Their fifth studio album ‘Right Here Right Now' is set to be released in February, but two new singles are already available. Frontman Matiu Walters told Andrew Dickens that hands down, it's their best music ever. “Quite often music can get quite tedious and boring if you're just trying to plough through it all.” “But the time feels right and we have some stories to tell, and it's all captured in this new album and this new music.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A tourism leader in Kaikoura says they're having their busiest summer season since a major earthquake almost a decade ago. Visitor numbers reached about 220 thousand in November, up nearly 30 thousand on the year before. Destination Kaikoura Chair Chris Sturgeon told Andrew Dickens tourism and hospitality players says things are booming. He says there's a positive feeling throughout the town, and says Kaikoura's beautiful landscape offers tourists a true New Zealand location. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Donald Trump is threatening to deploy troops to Minnesota, with heated clashes on the streets over the presence of ICE. US Homeland Security says a federal officer has shot a man in the leg in Minneapolis after being attacked with a shovel as he tried to make an arrest. Protests have erupted in the city since an anti-immigration officer shot a woman dead last week. US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Andrew Dickens things are very intense. He says Minneapolis' Mayor, Jacob Frey, says the city's being put in an impossible situation. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Online hate speech in New Zealand is becoming more targeted and our system can't keep pace. Netsafe's latest survey shows since 2018, the proportion of ethnicity-based hate speech has risen from 18% to 36%, becoming the most common reason people are targeted. Political-based hate has also increased to 25%. Netsafe Chief Online Safety Officer Sean Lyons told Andrew Dickens regulation is a really important part of dealing with it. He says that when people clearly understand where the laws sit and there's a framework to deal with that harmful content, then the platforms can better deal with it. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Calls for the Government to force streaming giants to invest in New Zealand content as local productions struggle. The Screen Producers' Association says Netflix, Disney, Apple and Amazon should be forced to commission local programmes or pay into a fund from their local revenue President Irene Gardiner says declining ad revenue means TVNZ and Three have cut local productions by $50 million dollars, and Kiwis are missing out on their own stories. She told Andrew Dickens that streaming services have completely broken the traditional business model, so they're looking to them to be part of the solution. Gardiner says they're not asking for charity, just fairness and a level playing ground. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions continue to swirl over Scott Robertson's departure as All Blacks coach. He's left halfway through his four-year deal after player frustration simmered and boiled over in a scathing internal review late last year. NZ Rugby Chair David Kirk denies a player revolt forced Robertson out. But former Chief Executive David Moffett told Andrew Dickens the organisation's a bit of a mess. He says you're going to get bigger problems if players get to determine who their boss is. Moffett says told Dickens he's given up trying to understand the organisation's strategy or purpose. He says they currently don't have a chief executive, a coach, and are missing some senior leaders. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fonterra's boss says farmers are used to volatility in prices and payouts. Its midpoint forecast farmgate milk price for this season now sits at $9 after a string of falls in global dairy prices. That's more than 10% lower than last season's final payout. Chief Executive Miles Hurrell told Andrew Dickens most farms are intergenerational, so farmers understand the ups and downs of the commodity cycle. He says the pace of the northern hemisphere increase in supply may have caught some people out. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another tourism announcement is set to come – another round in the Regional Tourism Boost plan. The goal is to get international travellers out of the main centres to explore all that New Zealand has to offer. Round two will focus on the April to June season, when there's typically fewer travellers and less activity. Tourism Minister Louise Upston told Andrew Dickens it's about spreading visitors throughout the country, making sure they stay in different places and sample our amazing food and wine. It's part of the $10 million fund they announced last year as part of the overall $70 million major events and tourism boost, she said, to the tune of $3.69 million. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you haven't heard the name Gianmarco Soresi, you may have seen his clips. The American stand up comedian is a staple of shortform video platforms, with over two million follows across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. He's become known for his crowd work and his distinctive physicality, clambering over chairs and folding himself up as he performs. And he's bringing it to New Zealand, performing two shows at the Sky City Theatre in Auckland tomorrow night. Soresi's style leans towards “wholesome boundary-pushing", which he told Andrew Dickens he plans to push as many as he can whilst performing in New Zealand. “Some of it's traditional, the edgy, the political, but some of it's emotional, some of it's like, oh you, you don't talk about people's dads like that.” These days you'll see plenty of comedians complaining they can't joke about anything anymore, but Soresi is among those proving otherwise. “I honestly think it's what I talk about,” he told Dickens. “Even when it's about edgy things or whatever, it's usually like me, it's making fun of myself or using myself as the ruler to examine other things.” You have to bring your own humanity into it, Soresi explains. “I find that if you're honest about how you fit into the world, you find people aren't necessarily mad, they might disagree with you, but as long as you're like, taking in your own foibles as you discuss the topic, you can talk about anything you want.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An All Blacks bombshell to start the New Year. The Herald has detailed elements of a 'scathing' internal review into the side's 2025 season, with critical feedback on the coaching, culture, and environment. Head coach Scott Robertson and his lead assistant Scott Hansen are believed to be at the centre of the critical feedback. All Blacks player of the year for the 2025 season Ardie Savea is reported to be seriously unhappy. Former All Black Justin Marshall told Andrew Dickens what we want out of the All Blacks is consistency, and everyone can see that there are too many fluctuations, and the results are reflective of that. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Don Brash says everyone should be concerned about political interference regarding matters at America's central bank. US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell says he's now embroiled in a criminal investigation because he didn't cut interest rates as much as Donald Trump wanted. Trump denies involvement but is standing by calls for Powell to be replaced. RBNZ Governor Anna Breman signed a joint statement in support of Powell, saying he's highly respected, with an unwavering commitment to the public interest. But Winston Peters rebuked her for it, saying she needs to stay in her New Zealand lane and stick to domestic monetary policy. But Brash, a former New Zealand Reserve Bank Governor, strongly backs Breman, saying that Peters is in the wrong in this situation. He told Andrew Dickens it's in everyone's interests for the Federal Reserve to be able to make its own independent decisions, free from interference. Brash says the US dollar is the backbone of the world economy and the world monetary policy system, and anything that jeopardises that affects everyone. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK will be deciding this week whether or not to allow the construction of a Chinese ‘mega' embassy in London. The project has been debated for years, with concerns over the potential security risks it could pose for the UK. Critics fear the embassy, which would be located close to London's financial district and crucial data cables, would be used as a base for espionage. UK Correspondent Rod Liddle told Andrew Dickens he doesn't think the embassy will get the go ahead in the end. The argument in favour, he says, is that the UK needs a good relationship with China to get money and investment, but this is a bridge too far. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At least 500 buildings have been destroyed as wildfires continue to tear through Victoria. Multiple fires have ravaged 404,000 hectares of land – an area more than five times the size of Singapore. Thousands of properties remain without power, and television and radio services to areas like Bendigo and Castlemaine have been knocked out. Australian Correspondent Murray Olds told Andrew Dickens it's unknown how long transmission services will be down, and how big the damage bill will be. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Winston Peters says sticking to the basics has led to NZ First's position in the polls. Based on current polling, the party is set for another term in government, one of the first times it will have a consecutive run. Peters told Andrew Dickens that there's a whole lot of things going on in New Zealand that New Zealanders do not like, and they've sought a voice to express their concerns – NZ First. He their position has been on the rise in other parties' internal polls is because they've stuck to the basics and the essentials. Peters says they're focusing on trying to get the economy turned around while still remembering that the country is comprised of all sorts of workers, all of whom need to have a future in New Zealand. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK is introducing a law making it illegal to create non-consensual intimate images following growing concern over Elon Musk's AI chatbot. Officials in countless countries are condemning the lack of regulation of sexualised content on the app X, formerly known as Twitter, including depictions of children. ACT MP Laura McClure, author of the Deepfake Digital Harm and Exploitation Bill, told Andrew Dickens she's glad to see some action being taken, but the problem is far wider than X and Grok. She says there's hundreds of websites that can do this, so the first thing we need to do as a government or society is make this behaviour illegal. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump is risking further inflaming matters in Iran, urging anti-government demonstrators to keep protesting, adding "help is on its way". The US President has raised the possibility of intervention in Iran, and his national security team meets today to discuss its options. Thousands are feared dead, as the country's regime violently cracks down on anti-government protests. US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Andrew Dickens military operations are being considered, including a strike on Iran's missile programme, or strikes against security services or directly against Iranian leadership. He says Iran is publicly threatening retaliation for any military action, which the White House has called laughable. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tougher penalties for energy companies caught breaking the rules. From next year the Electricity Authority will be able to order fines of up to $10 million, or 10% of a company's turnover – up from the current $2 million. The fines can be issued if companies distort the market or take advantage of customers. Octopus Energy CEO Margaret Cooney told Andrew Dickens one of the issues with lower fines is that players decide whether or not to comply since they could meet the low-level fine. She says it's a high value sector, so it's totally appropriate that fines have increased. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.