Podcasts about Commerce Commission

The Commerce Commission draft finding has asked major supermarket players to loosen their grip on the market. Changes are proposed to the Grocery Supply Code. In response, the Grocery Action Group says the plans aren't enough and shoppers deserve much better. Grocery Action Group chairperson Sue Chetwin spoke to Corin Dann.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday 5th June 2025, The Māori Party's Privileges Committee decision finally comes to a vote. Political commentator Bryce Edwards speaks to Heather. Matthew Lane, the general manager of Night 'n Day reacts to the Commerce Commission's latest attempt to crack down on anti-competitive practices from the supermarkets. Former trade negotiator Stephen Jacobi says the Government is making good strides in its effort to avoid further tariffs from Donald Trump. Plus, the Huddle talks about Westgold raising their prices in response to butter raffles being held at schools around the country. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Commerce Commission is proposing to give grocery suppliers a leg up in their dealings with the supermarket giants. The commission has proposed updates to the Grocery Supply Code, including stopping retailers charging suppliers for stocking shelves and requiring retailers to keep records on how they're complying with certain parts of the code. Night 'n Day general manager Matthew Lane says this crackdown comes with encouraging implications for the sector. "What's most encouraging for us is that the CommComm's cracking down on the fact that other retailers are being charged more for their wholesale than what the supermarkets are actually retailing the same products for." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Commerce Commission is proposing to give grocery suppliers a leg up in their dealings with the supermarket giants. The commission has proposed updates to the Grocery Supply Code, including stopping retailers charging suppliers for stocking shelves and requiring retailers to keep records on how they're complying with certain parts of the code. Night 'n Day general manager Matthew Lane says this crackdown comes with encouraging implications for the sector. "What's most encouraging for us is that the CommComm's cracking down on the fact that other retailers are being charged more for their wholesale than what the supermarkets are actually retailing the same products for." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I love this idea the Commerce Commission and the Grocery Commissioner have come up with, of supermarkets giving us everyday low prices instead of the ever-changing, so-called “special prices”. The supermarket specials that really brass me off are the ones where you might see meat in one of the fridges, and they'll have a sign showing the price per kilo. That means absolutely nothing to me. Maybe there are some shoppers who know all the ins-and-outs of prices per kilo, but I'm not one of them. The other thing about specials is that, most of the time, it feels like the supermarkets are yelling “special special special” at me, but it doesn't look like much of a special. I'll be the first to say that I'm in the lucky position of not having to rely on supermarket specials. That's a financial thing, but it's also because I'm no longer at a stage of life where there are three kids at home and where it's not unusual to kiss goodbye to $400+ a week at the check-out. But I've never been one of those people who buy their bananas at one place because they're cheap and my mandarins somewhere else because their cheaper. And, when I see and hear the ads about specials, they pretty much don't register with me. And it's not just because I can afford to pay what I have to pay. And it's not just because the supermarket shops are cheaper these days because there aren't three kids living at home. It's also because I see supermarket specials in the same way I see cafes with signs outside saying “great coffee”. They can tell me what they want as much as they like, but whether I believe it or not is another thing. The other week I went into Pak 'n Save and when I hit the fruit and veg section there was a sign telling me that the 99 cent broccoli heads were an amazing special. I wasn't that convinced because they seemed pretty small to me, but I grabbed a couple anyway. But as I kept moving around the fruit and veg section, I saw another bin of broccoli heads —again with the sign saying 99 cents a head and “amazing special”— but these things were about twice the size of the smaller ones at the start of the fruit and veg section. What was that all about? And it's little examples like that —as well as the one I mentioned earlier about specials being based on price per kilo— that demonstrate how much of a rort this whole “special” thing is. So I agree with Grocery Commissioner Pierre van Heerden who is saying that doing away with specials and having everyday low prices instead would be more straightforward and transparent. He also thinks it would allow any new operators coming into the market to put real pressure on the existing supermarkets. I'm not as sold on that bit, because I don't think there are any foreign supermarket companies interested in coming here. But if he thinks that, that's fine. The only problem I've got with this idea is that it's going to be voluntary —for now, anyway— whereas I think it should be compulsory. The Commissioner says they'll give the supermarkets a year or so to get with the programme, but I want to see this happening ASAP. So does Consumer NZ. Its boss, Jon Duffy, says: “We know New Zealanders love a special. We also know there's not much that's special about supermarket specials.” He's spot on there. He says: “Everyday low prices would benefit all shoppers, so would price transparency. Right now, it's so hard to know what's a fair price because the prices of certain goods fluctuate so much.” And that's the nub of it right there. If you go to the supermarket today and see all these signs saying special here, special there, all you can do is take their word that it somehow is a special. And like the sheep most of us are, we think ‘aww, on special…I'll get a few of those”. But how do we know we are actually getting the best deal? We don't. Which is why the Grocery Commissioner and the Commerce Commission think the days of the supermarket special should be numbered. I think so too.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Commerce Commission is proposing changes to the Grocery Supply Code but Consumer NZ chief executive Jon Duffy believes the changes don't go far enough. Duffy spoke to Corin Dann.

The Commerce Commission's making moves to level the playing field in the grocery sector. It's found the big supermarket players are shovelling in billions of dollars a year through supplier charges and promotional pricing, which largely isn't reaching consumers. It's proposed a simplified grocery code that limits the range of payments supermarkets can charge suppliers. Grocery Commissioner Pierre van Heerden told Mike Hosking it's about taking away all the carve-outs. He says smaller suppliers currently have difficulty pushing back against large supermarkets because of the power imbalance. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Commerce Commission reckons we need fewer items 'on sale' at the supermarket. That would mean less yoghurt on special at $4.99, fewer $1.99 chocolate bars at the checkout, and just less price yo-yo-ing in general. This is counterintuitive. The job of Commerce Commission, through the Grocery Commissioner, is meant to score us cheaper prices and boost competition, right? So, what the hell is going on here? This morning, they announced they want to change the rules around what the supermarkets can charge suppliers. Foodstuffs and Woolworths purchase $15 billion of goods from suppliers each year and control 82% of the retail market. When they do this, suppliers will discount prices by about $5 billion a year through rebates, discounts, and promotional payments. This ensures their stock is on sale. If they need to move a boat load of it, they can do on special and quickly, because we all love a bargain. The Supermarket tsar says if you're a new, smaller supermarket chain opening up, you can't compete with that cause you don't have the buying power and economies of scale. Now this is where I think the tsar takes one of many leaps of faith. They reckon we consumers are overall worse off because of these specials and discounts. The tsar says: "Consumers lose out because prices jump around more. This can mean the average price is more expensive and it's harder for consumers to assess the value of products.” They don't offer any evidence this is actually happening, and that a change would make things cheaper. Leap of faith #2 is that this saving will be passed on to the consumer via the supermarket. Is there not a floor in this logic? Does essentially banning discounts actually make prices cheaper? If so, by how much? $5 billion? Remember the industry's revenue is $25 billion a year. If all of the discounts were handed down the chain of command to us shoppers, we're expected to believe general prices would fall a whopping 20%? Remember when the Grocery Commission was set up under Labour, we were told the supermarkets were making excess profits of $365m a year. There's a bunch of other changes, too. Some of this stuff is just proposed. Suggestions. Voluntary. Some stuff needs consultation. Then further review. Others need 12 months. Others form part of a new report aiming for 2026. By the time this is finished I will have not only lost the will to shop, but also to live.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Commerce Commission is ramping up efforts to disrupt the supermarket monopoly. It says supplier charges and promotional pricing are reinforcing the dominance of Foodstuffs and Woolworths. It's proposing a simplified grocery code, reducing the range of payments that supermarkets can charge suppliers. Grocery expert Ernie Newman told Ryan Bridge that supermarkets are receiving billions of dollars in discounts - which largely aren't being passed on to consumers. He says there's more money floating around in the sector than the Commerce Commission had previously identified. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's REX Daily Podcast, Dom talks with Game Animal Council Chair Grant Dodson about the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation's submission to have the herd formally designated as a Herd of Special Interest (HOSI) in Fiordland National Park, why it's important for both conservation efforts and economic growth and why Forest & Bird are criticising the move... He talks with NZ National Fieldays Chair Jenni Vernon about her extraordinary and groundbreaking career in agriculture, including becoming the first woman to receive a Nuffield Scholarship, her many and varied governance roles and preparations for this year's Fieldays at Mystery Creek (June 11-14)... He talks with Woolchemy co-founder and CEO Derelee Potroz-Smith about its recent win at the IDEA® 2025 event in Miami, the opportunities it presents for the company in the US$125b industry and how they developed the world’s first hygiene-grade wool capable of replacing petroleum-based plastics in disposable hygiene products... And he catches up with Netspeed Managing Director Stan Rivett about its Moving Day special offer, a recent study by the Commerce Commission which found about half of consumers trying to change mobile phone or broadband providers ran into difficulty switching and how Netspeed is bucking the trend. Tune in daily for the latest and greatest REX rural content on your favourite streaming platform, visit rexonline.co.nz and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn for more.

Dom talks with Netspeed Managing Director Stan Rivett about its Moving Day special offer, a recent study by the Commerce Commission which found about half of consumers trying to change mobile phone or broadband providers ran into difficulty switching and how Netspeed is bucking the trend. Tune in daily for the latest and greatest REX rural content on your favourite streaming platform, visit rexonline.co.nz and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn for more.

The Warehouse is pushing for potential 'right to repair' legislation to hold overseas manufacturers accountable. The retailer's among companies taking part in the select committee process for the Right to Repair Amendment Bill. It aims to reduce waste, create a repair workforce, and cut costs for consumers. Warehouse Group Sustainability and Ethical Sourcing GM Phil Cumming told Mike Hosking the Commerce Commission isn't doing enough when overseas products don't meet expectations. He says consumers are often turning to retailers instead of manufacturers, which is why clearer, stronger rules are needed. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More people could be set to fly Jetstar due to ongoing angst around aviation prices. This comes following a Commerce Commission complaint from a man who was stunned by the cost of an Air New Zealand direct flight to Wellington. The airline defended its prices, saying their fares reflected the 'true cost of flying'. Jetstar CEO Stephanie Tully told Mike Hosking travel remains important to people, and they play an important role. She says most people are feeling a cost of living pressure, and that's where Jetstar becomes a good choice. It's also seen an uptick in reliability. Tully says that based on their operational performance report, they were more reliable than Air New Zealand in March. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A $1.4 billion upgrade could be on the way for Transpower's Cook Strait electricity cable. The 610 kilometre link is a transmission system connecting the North and South islands, installed in 1991. The existing cables are likely to reach their end of life in the late 2030s. Energy Resources Aotearoa CEO John Carnegie told Mike Hosking the Commerce Commission will need to review that. He says they'll need to ensure the numbers are robust and the programme executable. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So, after all the handwringing, the complaints, the stomping of feet, the Commerce Commission's shooting down talk of an investigation into domestic airfares. Greg Foran and Co. will see this as vindication - validation that, despite the headlines and Consumer NZ's claim the market is quote broken, the reality is their costs have gone up and, surprise surprise, it's expensive to run routes with high fixed costs to small places with few people. So they conclude doing a market study —which is easy politics, it scratches the itch— won't actually achieve anything. And they say it won't lead to consumers getting a better deal. Refreshing honesty. Could the same refreshing honesty not have been applied to the claims about banking/supermarkets/petrol stations, etc, etc, etc? Like most things post-Covid, costs have gone sky high. Airport landing charges - up. Air traffic control - up. Security levies - up. And when you're a business, one owning to the tune of 51% remember, you recoup those costs by putting your own prices up. We don't want them subsidies flights and crashing our business, right? We sold off the national carrier in 1989. We re-nationalised it in 2001after Ansett went bust - that cost us close to a billion bucks. Ansett's problem was high costs and regulation changes - when airlines fail, it gets expensive for taxpayers. Now I don't want to defend an airline charging me $400 to fly for 40 minutes anymore than the next guy. But this is the crux of most of the complaints we hear about through the media. Short flights, regional flights are expensive right now and people don't use them often enough. They use more fuel as a proportion of total flight time because take-off and climbing is when you burn through it - it takes a bit of gas to lift us into the sky. The cost of fuel is a third of operating cost —something Foran can't control— that's more the purview of a Putin or a Sultan. Planes spend way too long sitting on the ground, your costs are higher, and you've got fewer passengers to spread those costs over. Using jets would be more efficient but, again, we don't have the people to fill them. Which is why I said the other day —and it's true but doesn't make it palatable— we're a small country, we pay a price for sparsely populated, beautiful and untouched landscapes. The ComCom does say there's room for improvement, but on the whole, the real enemy here is the politician or talking head who tells us by simply bashing Air New Zealand's head into a wall, they can make Kiwis fly on the cheap.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government's competition watchdog is keeping a close eye on the cost of domestic air travel, but the chair of the Commerce Commission's all but ruled out a market study suggesting it would do nothing to improve prices. John Small said the Commission has been investigating whether to do a competition study into the domestic aviation market, similar to recent studies into building supplies, the grocery and fuel markets. Small spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Commerce Commission has confirmed it will not be formally putting the cost of flying under the microscope. Rangitata MP James Meager has suggested the Government could help keep fares competitive by supporting regional airlines. It's been revealed some flights to Pacific Island nations are cheaper than certain trips within New Zealand. Commission Chair Dr John Small says flying short routes with low demand is very expensive. "There's no law against charging high prices - that's the reality of things in New Zealand. If it's a monopoly - on a monopoly route - it's potentially able to be regulated." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Commerce Commission has confirmed it will not be formally putting the cost of flying under the microscope. Rangitata MP James Meager has suggested the Government could help keep fares competitive by supporting regional airlines. It's been revealed some flights to Pacific Island nations are cheaper than certain trips within New Zealand. Commission Chair Dr John Small says flying short routes with low demand is very expensive. "There's no law against charging high prices - that's the reality of things in New Zealand. If it's a monopoly - on a monopoly route - it's potentially able to be regulated." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's Airports Association has voiced disapproval with the latest review of their regulatory arrangements - and suggested the scrutiny needs to be on Air New Zealand. MBIE has launched another review of airport regulations, just three weeks after the Commerce Commission gave Auckland Airport the tick of approval for an upgrade. NZ Airports Association CEO Billie Moore says it's clear there's plenty of strain on the domestic market - and Air New Zealand has a 'monopoly' over that market. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's Airports Association has voiced disapproval with the latest review of their regulatory arrangements - and suggested the scrutiny needs to be on Air New Zealand. MBIE has launched another review of airport regulations, just three weeks after the Commerce Commission gave Auckland Airport the tick of approval for an upgrade. NZ Airports Association CEO Billie Moore says it's clear there's plenty of strain on the domestic market - and Air New Zealand has a 'monopoly' over that market. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Eric discusses credit card interchange fees with NERA's James Mellsop, who argues that the Commerce Commission's proposed regulation capping these fees could harm competition and innovation despite aiming to benefit consumers. They express concern that the Commission's narrow focus on allocative efficiency overlooks the dynamic benefits of interchange fees in financing innovation and new market entrants, potentially undermining the Commission's own goals of increasing competition in the banking sector.

CEO of Consumer NZ, Jon Duffy joins Kathryn to detail some wins the organisation has had with the Commerce Commission over some issues it's raised

Interislander's operator is promising to cough up for ferry disruptions. A Commerce Commission investigation found KiwiRail may have breached the law by suggesting cancelled sailings were out of their control. Mechanical events leading to cancellations will now almost always trigger compensation. Chief customer officer Adele Wilson says people incurred some high costs from cancellations. "As we were trying to catch up the schedule, we had another event - and so people who'd been rebooked, unfortunately some of them were delayed again." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Commerce Commission has accepted legally binding commitments from KiwiRail to compensate customers impacted by ferry breakdowns in 2023. Interislander has also committed to updating its policies and terms and conditions to make sure they are in line with consumer law. Vanessa Horne from the Commerce Commission spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 17th of April, the Government has announced a $20b plan to upgrade our health infrastructure, so now we need some action. The Commerce Commission has pushed KiwiRail to compensate the victims of cancelled Interislander ferries. Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson wrap the short week, and we deal with Kate's first boomer moment. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Commerce Commission says it'll take KiwiRail to court if it doesn't compensate ferry customers. The rail provider's agreed to pay those disrupted in three Interislander cancellations in early 2023. KiwiRail had previously treated delays and cancellations from mechanical faults as out of their control, which the Commerce Commission argued misled customers. The Commission's Vanessa Horne told Mike Hosking KiwiRail should've taken action on its own accord. She says good businesses get ahead of the game to ensure customers are cared for. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A convenience store chain looking to bust up the big supermarket duopoly has a shopping list of what's needed to achieve that. The Woolworths and Foodstuffs chains dominate New Zealand's supermarket sector. A 2022 Commerce Commission report found they're making more than a million dollars in excess profits every day. Night ‘n Day chain general manager Matthew Lane spoke to Lisa Owen.

Auckland Airport is cutting its fees after the competition watch dog found it's overcharging to the tune of almost two hundred million dollars. A final report by the Commerce Commission into Auckland Airport's fees through to 2027 found the airport is targetting excess profit, through aircraft landing and passengers terminal charges. Cath O'Brien from the Board of Airline Representatives spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Commerce Commission and Auckland Airport's latest interactions are being seen as a sign regulation is working. Auckland Airport isn't lifting its airline charges for the next two years as much as intended, after the commission's report showed their targeted returns were too high. The report also found the airport's multi-billion dollar infrastructure investment plan is appropriate. CEO Carrie Hurihanganui told Mike Hosking they said last year that if the commission continued to see a difference between the returns they targeted and what they received, they would change it, and they did. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I sort of hinted at this the other day when the monitor for the Wellington City Council put out his second report. My question was, given there was leaking and dysfunction and the punter was at their wits end, what now for Wellington? Do we just get more reports? Well, lo and behold, another Wellington operation has their own monitor in the form of the Commerce Commission who have been brought in to oversee the mess at Wellington Water. The Minister has not seen any improvement, there's been no real change and unless stuff happens, there are rate rises galore for no real gain. So once again we can ask, what do the Commerce Commission do? Do they write reports too? If those reports tell us the place is still a shambles, how many reports does it take for someone, somewhere, to actually fire up a bit of action? I can also add, and this is an overarching observation, just how dysfunctional does Wellington need to get before it literally implodes on itself? The electorate changes last week were all in Wellington. Why? Because people have left and, to be frank, who can blame them? Then we come to Tamatha Paul, who made what most observers seemed to suggest was one of the most extraordinary comments about police anyone had ever heard. Her good friends in Labour called them stupid. The Prime Minister called her insane. Yet she holds an electorate. The good people of Wellington central, and by no small margin I might add, looked at her credentials and decided they liked her enough to vote for her. So Wellington, what's the story? What level of madness and dysfunction are you willing to tolerate before change comes? Is change ever coming? Do you actually want change? Do you mind paying a lot more than you need to for stuff that doesn't work? Is a crummy council, a lot of broken pipes and a mad MP OK, as long as your cycleways are fun to ride on? Oh, did I mention the trains? You can't beat Wellington on a good day. When, Wellington, was your last good day and why are you putting up with it? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland Airport has cut its airline charges after the Commerce Commission found the airport's forecast revenue was “excessive” and its targeted returns were unreasonably high. In June, the commission said Auckland Airport's revenue and targeted returns exceeded what was reasonable, but the airport's planned investment seemed appropriate. In its final report today, the regulator again said the airport's forecast investment was within a reasonable range, but said its targeted returns were unreasonably high. BARNZ Executive Director Cath O'Brien explains how this happened. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland Airport is lowering its prices after the Commerce Commission said it was overcharging by $190 million. The Commission has today published its final report on Auckland Airport's 2022-2027 price setting event, concluding the Airport's forecast revenue is excessive and its targeted returns are unreasonably high. The Commission says businesses and consumers are the ones likely carrying much of this cost-burden. Last year Air New Zealand said the airport's charges were expected to add about $46 to the price of a domestic ticket by 2032. Last year the Commission issued a draft report suggesting prices were too high - and Auckland Airport said it would consider lowering them once the final report came through. Today, that report confirms the findings and as a result Auckland Airport said it would drop prices for the remaining two years of the price period. Commissioner Vhari McWha talks to Kathryn.

Auckland Airport is lowering its prices after the Commerce Commission said it was overcharging by $190 million

The government is calling in the Commerce Commission to help fix Wellington's water issues. This means Wellington Water will have to report details of its financial management to the Commerce Commission, and the commission will make sure that Wellington ratepayers aren't getting ripped off. How exactly are they going to do it? Local Government Minister Simon Watts talks to Ryan Bridge about the details. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 28 March 2025, the Government's called in the Commerce Commission to deal with concerns with Wellington Water's management. How does the government feel about stomping up money for Auckland's Eden Park? Royal correspondent Juliet Rieden speaks to Ryan Bridge about King Charles' hospital admission after cancer treatment side effects. Plus, Ryan reveals his gardening faux pas and why someone tried to steal his lawnmower. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Telecommunications Users Association says mobile phone consumers need concrete action over the difficulties of switching between mobile or broadband suppliers

The Telecommunications Forum says difficulty switching between providers isn't an issue, despite concerns from the Commerce Commission. A study from the commission says the process of changing providers isn't working as well as it should for consumers. It wants telcos to improve its process to benefit consumers and competition. But Telecommunications Forum Chief Executive Paul Brislen told Mike Hosking most people aren't worried about their phone bill. He says it's not an issue most people think about. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The International Monetary Fund is cautioning the Government against bending over backwards, deregulating banks in a bid to spur more competition in the sector. Finance Minister Nicola Willis is getting advice on whether she should make the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) loosen the way it regulates banks. The Commerce Commission has also suggested the rules could be changed to make it easier for small banks to compete with big ones. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explains why the IMF is issuing words of caution as these discussions take place. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More consumers are falling into subscription traps - prompting warnings from advocacy groups. The Commerce Commission has filed criminal charges against HelloFresh. It's accusing the meal company of reactivating subscriptions without clearly seeking customers' permission - during cold calls between February 2022 and July 2023. Consumer NZ's Sahar Lone says it's important to check your bank account regularly to offload anything you don't need - and to check the terms and conditions of any new subscription. "There's also reading the T&C's before signing up to make sure there's no hidden costs or cancellation fees - you can diarise renewal dates...you can make sure that doesn't keep rolling on." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Auckland Councillor Maurice Williamson and former Labour Chief of Staff Mike Munro joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Is the school lunch programme doomed? Libelle Group, one of the lunch providers, has been tipped into liquidation. What does this saga mean for the Government? The Commerce Commission is taking legal action against HelloFresh - should it be easier to walk away from paid subscriptions? Should online gambling providers have to put some of their profits towards local community groups? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's renewed calls for an outright ban on card payment surcharges. Consumer NZ says the Commerce Commission's considering lowering interchange fees, but there's no guarantee it'll reduce what consumers pay. It says a proper ban would be more consistent and fairer for buyers and merchants. Research Acting Head Jessica Walker says there's been adjustments to interchange fees in the past - and there's doubt this latest change will be different. "What we're calling for is for the Commerce Commission to make this a priority - and at least consider putting surcharge bans on the table." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A lot of people have ditched their landlines in favour of relying on mobile phones. But some parents are reconnecting them to avoid the pitfalls of smart phones for young children while allowing them to stay connected to their mates. According to Commerce Commission figures, there's still around 573,000 landline services in New Zealand. Auckland Summer Haycock is an early adopter of old technology, she's got a landline and she spoke to Lisa Owen.

Mortgage advisers say they're alarmed at the Commerce Commission's request that they submit multiple applications on behalf of their clients or face "government intervention." Country manager for the Finance and Mortgage Advisers Association, Leigh Hodgetts, spoke with Ingrid Hipkiss.

The Commerce Commission says mortgage advisers need to present clients with three offers from lenders. Commerce Commission John Small, spoke with Corin Dann.

Bed Bath and Beyond has been fined $230,000 after selling children's pyjamas and hot water bottles without adequate safety warning labels. Commerce Commission general manager of competition, fair trading and credit Vanessa Horne spoke to Corin Dann.

Consumer NZ says it's crucial that the Commerce Commission continues to take action against safety standards breaches. Chief Executive of Consumer NZ Jon Duffy spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Bed, Bath & Beyond has been fined $230,000 for selling more than 27,000 products without proper labelling or instructions. The company sold 3700 sets of children's pyjamas without fire-hazard labels - and more than 23,000 hot water bottles without safe usage instructions. The General Manager accepts responsibility, but notes no products were found to have physical faults. The Commerce Commission's Vanessa Horne says it takes safety issues seriously - especially on products for children. "There's a label requirement, mainly for parents, so that they know that that particular pair of pyjamas might be more flammable than another." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Commerce Commission says it wants to slash credit card surcharges it says are excessive. The commission's chair John Small joins Kathryn.

The Commerce Commission is slapping criminal charges against supermarkets for inaccurate pricing and misleading specials. The charges will be made separately against Woolworths, Pak'nSave Silverdale and Pak'nSave Mill Street, with the Commission arguing they may have breached the Fair Trading Act. But some consumer watchdogs say the penalty for breaching the act is lacklustre - and that supermarkets make enough profit to get their own prices right. Reporter Maia Ingoe has more.

The Government has pledged to power up Kiwibank to take on its Australian competitiors - seeking a half billion dollar injection from local investors. It comes after a Commerce Commission's investigation and report in August, which called out a lack of competition in the sector - dominated by the big four Australian banks. Deputy political editor Craig McCulloch spoke to Lisa Owen.