RNZ: Checkpoint

In Australia the political storm continues to engulf the Albanese government as it attempts to reform the nation's tax laws to remove what it calls "distortions' in the way Aussies pay tax. Our correspondent Nick Grimm joins us with more.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

A blockbuster boxing was announced in Auckland. David Nyika will headline a card on August 8 on the North Shore, in an IBF cruiserweight world title eliminator with New Zealand-born Australian Floyd Masson. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

Minimum income related rent contributions for social housing will rise from 25 to 30 percent. That means 84,000 households will be paying an average of $31 more a week in rent. The flip side; more than 100,000 other families will get higher accommodation supplement rates; an average of $15 a week. The assessment for social housing is being redesigned - so its " more tightly prioritised" for those who need it. Housing Minister Chris Bishop spoke to Lisa Owen.

The price of plastic continues to climb because of ongoing disruption to oil supplies out of the Middle East. The use of petrochemicals and plastics is vast, they're used in manufacturing, health care including pharmaceuticals, the construction industry, packaging and recycle bins. New Zealand imports most of the raw ingredients used by the plastics manufacturing sector. CEO of Plastics New Zealand Rachel Barker spoke to Lisa Owen.

The government is shaking up the social housing system - to bring in more stringent criteria about who gets a state house and possibly, new tenancy duration limits. It's boosting support for more than 100,000 families by an average of $15 a week - but leaving another 80,000 worse off by an average of $30 a week. The opposition said the changes are "cruel" and will lead to more evictions of public housing tenants, who will be "driven deeper into poverty." Political reporter Lillian Hanly has more.

Twenty people have been charged in an organised crime sting across several jails following an almost year-long investigation. Fifteen prison staff and five members of the public connected to inmates were among those arrested. It's alleged the Corrections' officers working at Mount Eden jail were smuggling contraband like cellphones and meth into the prison. Staff employed by the prison operator Serco have also been arrested. Police believe the mobile phones were being used by prisoners to run their drug importation and distribution operations while locked up. Corrections' chief Executive Rachel Leota spoke to Lisa Owen.

Too much admin and not enough pay. Principal Sam Mortimer from Greymouth High says both are barriers stopping foreign born or foreign qualified teachers coming to our schools. He said newly-qualified teachers aren't paid enough to meet minimum pay rates for work visas, and the paper work is excessive. Meanwhile, a New Zealander with Australian teaching qualifications says she nearly gave up because of the admin and fees. Education correspondent John Gerritsen has more. 

Australian and New Zealand police will fund a strike force in Colombia to fight the Pacific drug trade. The announcement comes as Pacific leaders and police chiefs gather in Suva this week to discuss transnational organised crime. RNZ Pacific reporter Kaya Selby has more. 

Netball New Zealand is the latest national sporting organisation to fill its Chief Executive vacancy. Experienced sports and major events leader Jennah Wootten has been put in charge of the country's largest women's sport.

A new study has found women working in sectors with an obvious gender pay gap are not just broke, but broken. Researchers at AUT spoke with 47 Lead Maternity Care midwives and their families about their wellbeing and family life. They say what they found was "confronting" Being on 24/7 call with high caseloads led to foregoing sleep, healthy eating, and exercise - contributing to illness and injury. Lead author of the study, James Greenslade-Yeats, a research fellow at AUT Business School spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Trump administration has filed murder charges against Cuba's former president Raúl Castro. The 94 year old is accused of playing a key role in the shooting down of two American planes which killed three US citizens and one resident 30 years ago. It comes amid heightened tensions between the two countries brought on by US sanctions and a push for regime change in the communist nation. Washington DC Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen. 

The Citizens Advice Bureau is facing significant funding challenges. Wellington City Council decided yesterday to effectively halve its funding for the local bureau, leaving the free independent service reeling. Citizen Advice Bureau CEO, Kerry Dalton spoke to Lisa Owen. 

Evening business for 20 May 2026.

The Chiefs are encouraging their fans to flout the ban, but the Crusaders have fired back by threatening to melt any they manage to confiscate.

The funding feud between Nicola Willis and Winston Peters is continuing, amid revelations the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will not have to find savings in this year's Budget.

In April, there was a ten percent increase in bus trips in Canterbury compared to the same time last year. That's 120,000 extra journeys. Even before the fuel crisis the regional council, Environment Canterbury said the network was under strain. Environment Canterbury, Public Transport General manager Stewart Gibson spoke to Lisa Owen.

David Seymour has unveiled a report that's made extensive use of AI to reveal a messy maze of regulations that suck up people's time. The regulations minister's report into regulatory duplication and inefficiency comes just a day after the bombshell announcement of deep cuts to the public service. It was followed up with confirmation the New Zealand government logo would feature English first, ahead of Te Reo Maori. Political reporter Russell Palmer has the story.

Nine prison staff have been arrested in a police operation at Mount Eden jail and five more at the Auckland South Corrections Facility. Senior corrections officers are among those arrested in the police sting that's part of a wider investigation in Auckland. Corrections employ about 11,000 staff. Corrections minister Mark Mitchell spoke to Lisa Owen.

A landmark moment, that's how Christchurch Airport is describing the launch of three new direct international flights from the city. Air New Zealand announced the new routes from Christchurch to Singapore, Tokyo and Perth at tourism event TRENZ in Auckland this morning. Tourism reporter Tess Brunton has more.

Too little, too late. That's the view of some frustrated Wellington residents on the city's south coast, who are facing a long wait for the failing Moa Point wastewater treatment plant to be completely fixed.

Arsenal have won their first English Premier League football title for 22 years.

The lightweight traps are easier to carry into remote locations, cutting time and costs. About two hundred of the NestGard boxes are being used in Aotearoa. But they're now being deployed to Scotland's remote Orkney Islands as part of a stoat erradicaiton programme .

Americas correspondnet Adam Hancock spoke to Lisa Owen about efforts to trap and test rodents from southern Argentina for the hantavirus strain which killed three cruise ship passengers

The Finance Minister on Tuesday announced more than 9,000 public service jobs will go over three years, with savings of almost $2.5 billion. It has public servants holding their breaths. The government says new tech and AI will help streamline departments, but details are sparse. Either way some people are going to be looking for work. Bruce Pilbrow, the chief executive of New Zealand owned recruitment agency Tribe spoke to Lisa Owen.

Australia correspondent Nick Grimm with the latest from across the ditch.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

Caleb Tangitau was struck down with a ruptured achilles after the siren in his side's loss to the Chiefs on Friday night. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

DNA samples are generally matched using a minimum of 6 genetic markers that are present in both samples. One sample for example may be taken from crime scene evidence and matched to samples in a data base. Now, a team of scientists has been working on a mathematical algorithm that can match DNA with just half the makers. So, three instead of six. That means it can match partial or degraded DNA samples. Dr Francois-Xavier Laurent, from the Interpol DNA unit in France spoke to Lisa Owen.

Nearly nine-thousand public servants are in line to lose their jobs over the next three years - as a result of cuts to the public service in the coming Budget. The seismic shake-up - outlined in a pre-Budget speech today - will come as a result of merging a suite of ministries - yet to be determined - with the goal of saving an average 600 million dollars a year. But the coalition parties aren't all aligned. Craig McCulloch reports.

The worst piece of legislation I've ever seen. That's an advocate's verdict on legislation supposed to clarify the purpose of Disability Support Services. The bill introduced yesterday makes it clear the crown is the not the employer of family carers. It follows a Supreme Court ruling last year, that two parents who care full-time for their disabled children should be considered government employees. Disability advocate Jane Carrigan spoke to Lisa Owen.

After several false starts, The Enhanced Games, a sporting event that allows athletes to dope, will get under way in Las Vegas. But days out from the start of competition, little is known about the details of the event and the athletes taking part. Sports editor Dana Johannsen spoke to Lisa Owen.

A property investment expert says councils could crack down on short term holiday rentals right now if they wanted to and there's no need for a bed register. Checkpoint spoke to a Christchurch councillor who is campaigning for a nations wide bed register; to make it easier to track Airbnb's and other short-term rentals. The register would force platforms to share data, like addresses and the number of nights it's being rented. Economist Ed McKnight from property investment company Opes Partners spoke to Lisa Owen.

A shooting at San Diego's largest mosque has left 5 people dead. Three victims, including a security guard, were shot and killed when two teenage shooters opened fire on the mosque. Both suspects were found dead in a car nearby soon after the incident. The shooting is being investigated as a hate crime. US correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen.

More than 8,500 public service jobs are being axed as part of a government overhaul. AI and digital technology are a big part of the plan. The cuts are forecast to save $2.4 billion dollars over four years. Andrew Lensen, senior lecturer in AI at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington spoke to Lisa Owen.

United Kingdom correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen about how another Labour MP has weighed in on Keir Starmer's leadership and how the Metropolitan police have revealed the scale of efforts to deescalate two rival protests held in London. She also spoke about how England is preparing for the annual Watercress Festival.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

The Wellington Phoenix women fell just short of the ultimate prize in the A-League but the club is predicting bigger things to come. The Phoenix lost the grand final to Melbourne City 3-1 on Saturday night and a couple of hours later were already planning for the next season. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

A warning that the following story discusses suicide. An inquest has heard that a Christchurch man who died after a police stand-off was planning to carry out a mass shooting in the weeks following the mosque terror attack. Artemiy Dubovskiy, who was known as Troy, is suspected of taking his own life early on March the 27th, 2019 after police negotiated with him for hours. Timothy Brown was in the Coroners' Court and filed this report.

More than one hundred and thirty million dollars. That's how much the government's investing in literacy and maths support for budget 2026 .. as part of its "Teaching the Basics Brilliantly" policy.

A cat rescuer who tames, desexes and rehomes stray felines is worried a bureaucratic battle could put his operation on pause. Tony Hitchcock has run Feral No More from the small Rangitikei town of Marton for the past three years with no issue. But a move to Eketahuna in Tararua is proving problematic for continuing his rescue work. Jimmy Ellingham reports.

The Queenstown experience could be elevated even further, if a futuristic transport project gets off the ground. Whoosh is a system of autonmous electric passenger pods that move along a static overhead network of cables and rails. Queenstown business consortium spokesperson Matthew Day spoke to Lisa Owen.