Podcasts about Lisa Owen

Allegations of cartel behaviour and bid rigging - a group of South Island brick layers have fallen foul of the Commerce Commission after an investigation into pricing information being shared by competitors. Commerce Commission chairman John Small spoke to Lisa Owen.

Get off the couch, stop playing play station and find a job, that was the Prime Minister's message to unemployed young people, but it might not be that simple in some parts of the country. Christopher Luxon made the comments to Rotorua business leaders on Friday. Since then the government has anounced its bringing forward plans to income test the parents' of 18 and 19-year-olds getting a JobSeeker Allowance from next year. Rotorua Chamber of Commerce CEO Melanie Short spoke to Lisa Owen.

UK correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen about the UK government cracking down on repeat protests, as well as mourners who have begun commemorating those who died in last week's Manchester synagogue attack.

The Silver Ferns saga continues to drag on. After weeks of negotiations between Netball NZ and suspended head coach Dame Noeline Taurua, no resolution has been reached. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

The number of diabetes related lower limb amputations has jumped more than 50% in less than a decade, But experts believe the loss of limbs is avoidable with the right resources. Type two diabetes can lead to poor blood flow and nerve damage which can mean cuts and injuries go unnoticed and its harder to fight infections leading to serious complications including amputations. Podiatrist Lawrence Kingi sees around 16 patients a day at clinics run through two South Auckland marae and spoke to Lisa Owen.

A drinking water contamination scare has shut down several Waikato schools on what was supposed to be the first day back after the holidays. On Saturday the Rototuna Reservoir tested positive for ecoli, it supplies about 12,000 properties in North East Hamilton, Gordonton and Puketaha in Waikato District. About 30,000 residents have been told to boil tap water before using it for cooking, drinking, preparing baby formula or cleaning their teeth. Hamilton City Council's Three Waters unit director Maire Porter spoke to Lisa Owen.

Criticism is ramping up about the government's proposed new threshold for young people needing to access the benefit. From next November, 18 and 19 year olds will have to take a parental assistance test when applying for a benefit - and will be ineligible if their parents earn more than $65,000. Both the Council of Trade Unions and the Taxpayers union have pointed out it could work as a disincentive, where parents might be worse off for earning more. Political reporter Lillian Hanly spoke to Lisa Owen.

The All Blacks have ended their Rugby Championship campaign with a win, but not the ultimate prize. They beat the Wallabies 28-14 in Perth, however the competition trophy was handed over to the Springboks later that night. Sports reporter Jamie Wall spoke to Lisa Owen.

Middle East correspondent Jacob Brown spoke to Lisa Owen about Hamas which has agreed to release Israeli hostages as part of a US-backed peace plan. It's a key part of a proposal to end the war in Gaza which Donald Trump announced alongside Benjamin Netanyahu last week.

A third of New Zealand workers are holding down more than one job to make ends meet according to new study. It is also predicting multi-job workers may soon be the norm not the exception. Global figures showed 47% of 18-24 year olds are in multi job situations and the other big group is 55 plus; 20% of them have more than one job. Employment Hero's New Zealand Head of Commercial Neil Webster spoke to Lisa Owen.

United Kingdom correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen about how the government and public have responded to the fatal attack on a Manchester Synagogue which occured overnight.

The first crop of kiwis to represent Aotearoa at next year's Olympic Winter Games have been named. Eight athletes were announced today for Milano Cortina 2026, led by the country's most decorated Winter Olympian. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

Officials are investigating complaints about dogs certified by a Manawatu disability assistance dog trainer that's had its accreditation removed. K9 Search Medical Detection was dropped from the list of organisations allowed to train such assistance dogs, which have access rights to public places under the Dog Control Act, on 20 December last year. The dogs can support people with physical disabilities or medical conditions, and have the right to enter spaces such as schools, hospitals, public transport and shops. Reporter Jimmy Ellingham spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Minister for medicines has revealed he is pushing for hundreds of millions of dollars of more funding for drugs in the next year's budget. Associate Health Minister, who is responsible for Pharmac, David Seymour believes medicines should be viewed as an investment and there needs to be a different approach assessing the cost benefits of drugs. It comes as a new report shows the medicine gap between Australia and New Zealand is getting wider and deeper. David Seymour spoke to Lisa Owen.

The government has announced it will put five million dollars into a roof fund for Auckland's Manuka Doctor tennis arena; the total cost is expected to be $15 million. It is the first project to get money from the government's $70 million Major Event & Tourism Package, that was announced just last month. Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston spoke to Lisa Owen.

It's a big weekend for the All Blacks, who are over in Perth for tomorrow night's Bledisloe Cup match with the Wallabies. Coach Scott Robertson has made some intriguing changes to his team. Sports reporter Jamie Wall spoke to Lisa Owen.

You might have heard about revenge spending - where people buy things they maybe don't need after a period of constraint. But what about revenge saving? Money correspondent Susan Edmunds has been looking into this phenomenon that's apparently been taking hold overseas and spoke to Lisa Owen.

Asia correspondent Adam Hancock spoke to Lisa Owen about dozens of people who are still missing under the wreckage of a collapsed Indonesia school, which rescuers saying there are "no signs of life".

The Toitū Te Tiriti protest movement has cut ties with Te Pāti Māori - with its spokesperson accusing the political party of being ego-driven and having a dictatorship model. Te Pāti Māori has pushed back - saying all decisions have been made through proper processes - and no formal complaints have ever been lodged. Acting political editor Craig McCulloch spoke to Lisa Owen. 

US correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen about the US government shutting down for the first time in nearly seven years. Republicans and democrats have been playing the blame game after a spending bill to keep the federal government funded failed to pass in congress.

There are calls for sunscreen to be subsidised as we count down to the peak sun season. It comes as almost two dozen sunscreens in Australia were recalled, paused or under review because of concerns over their SPF ratings - with some of those available here. Head of Advocacy at Cancer Society New Zealand, Rachael Neuman spoke to Lisa Owen.

How long international rugby players spend on the field will be strictly monitored from next season. World Rugby has put a spotlight on player welfare and will restrict the number of games a player can participate in, as well as mandating how long the off-season is. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

The organisers of a humanitarian aid flotilla trying to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza say all three New Zealanders taking part have been detained by Israel. About 40 boats are reported to have been within 160 kilometres of Gaza when the Israeli military began intercepting boats. The Israeli Foreign Ministry says the passengers are safe. Aotearoa spokesperson for the Global Sumud Flotilla, Acacia O'Connor spoke to Lisa Owen.

Australia is funding two and half times the modern medicines that Aotearoa is according to an ongoing study. The study comissioned by Medicines New Zealand has been tracking drug funding in both countries using almost a decade and half of data. Australia has publicly funded 215 modern medicines compared to just 86 in New Zealand during the period from January 2011 to June 2025. Medicines NZ chief executive Dr Graeme Jarvis spoke to Lisa Owen.

A leading animal welfare group says its been blindsided by the government quietly walking back a ban on pig crates weeks before it was due to come into force. Associate Minister Andrew Hoggard's believes his proposed changes to animal welfare laws will deliver world leading standards. But the SPCA disagree saying its "outraged" over the move and the lack of transparency and public consultation. SPCA's Chief Scientific Officer Dr Arnja Dale spoke to Lisa Owen.

All Blacks have just announced their side to close out the Rugby Championship. Coach Scott Robertson has made six changes to the side which kept the Eden Park streak alive last week. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

Australia correspondent Nick Grimm spoke to Lisa Owen about some Australian workers calling for early retirement, as the population ages some workers in physically demanding jobs are having to quit early and want to access their pension sooner.

The government has released a plan to address high energy and power prices that have become crippling for some homes and businesses. The independent report by Frontier Economics made some bold recommendations - most of which were ignored by the government. Instead, it will look at trying to drum up investment into natural gas imports and has told the big power companies it's willing to use tax payer money to fund new investment. Despite fierce criticism from some quarters, the Energy Minister Simon Watts says he's confident the changes will be enough. Political reporter Russell Palmer has the details, and head of advocacy and strategy for the Employers and Manufacturers Association Alan McDonald talks to Lisa Owen.

Almost two dozen sunscreens in Australia have been recalled, paused or are under review because of concerns over their SPF ratings. Some of them are available in New Zealand or can be bought online. In Australia Ultra Violette Lean Screen SPF 50+ was voluntarily recalled following inconsistencies in its sun protection factor. Tests showed it had SPF results rating anywhere from four to 64. Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration says the base formula is used in numerous sunscreens and further tests show it is unlikely to have an SPF greater than 21. It's also raised concerns about a testing lab used by a number of sunscreen makers. Consumer NZ senior research and test writer, Belinda Castles spoke to Lisa Owen.

Asia correspondent Katie Silver spoke to Lisa Owen about the rising death toll after a large earthquake in the Philippines, ongoing recovery efforts after a boarding school collapsed in Indonesia and the Taliban shutting down the internet in Afghanistan.

Nico the Great has been nicking knickers in Hamilton. For the record Nico is a cat burglar, an actual cat that is a burglar; apparently sneaking onto people's properties day and night collecting their smalls and other bits and bobs. Nico trumpets his return to his Hamilton home meowing repeatedy when its been a successful hunting party and displaying the ill-gotten gains for his whanau. But Nico's thieving has reached epic levels. Since April he's collected about 200 items that need to be returned to their rightful owners. Nico the Great's owner Kateshe Clark spoke to Lisa Owen.

The home summer of cricket kicks off this evening in Mount Maunganui. In a trans-Tasman double-header, both the Black Caps and White Ferns will meet their Aussie rivals on the same night, however they will be almost 12,000km apart. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

"Predictably underwhelming," "lacking in bold action," and "defined by what's missing rather than what's included." Those are some of the dim reviews of the government's new energy security plan. An independent report's confirmed a lack of reliable back up power when renewable energy supply is low.... is pushing prices up and causing market uncertainty. But the government has rejected the reports boldest recommendations. Minister for Energy, Simon Watts, talks to Lisa Owen.

Auckland Council's seeking feedback on plans to test a new scheme over six months, starting in February next year, but only in select suburbs. In those areas household rubbish bins will move to fortnightly collections, instead of once a week. Daniel Newman is the current councillor for Manurewa-Papakura, he voted against the trial and talks to Lisa Owen.

Long-serving Football Fern Ali Riley has endured what she's described as a year from hell. Months battling a chronic nerve injury that she was stuggling to find answers about, as well as losing her family home in the Los Angeles fires has given the former Football Ferns captain some perspective. She will retire from football at the end of her club season, bringing to an end a nearly three-decade long career, on her own terms. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

UK correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen about Sir Keir Starmer's Labour Party Conference speech, the Royal Mail's response to increasing demand for parcel delivery and a Ryanair flight that was diverted due to rowdy behaviour from a stag do onboard.

When it comes to cancer more patients are starting treatment within the government's 31 day target time according to new figures. Nationally 86.3 per cent of patients started treatment within that time frame up from 83.5 percent last year. The government's gunning for 90 percent by 2030. A breakdown of districts though shows wait times have acutally got worse in eight areas in the past three months. Head of Cancer Services at the Cancer Society Southern, Craig Watson speaks to Lisa Owen.

The region at the heart of a current measles outbreak has seen the biggest slide in child vaccination rates in in the country. The number of Northland children fully immunised at 24 months of age has dropped about four percent to just 62.3 percent in the past three months with the region lagging way behind other areas. That's despite an overall improvement nationwide. Health target data released today shows 82 percent of two-year-olds have had all their vaccinations up from 76.5 percent last year. There's currently four confirmed measles cases in Northland and one unrelated case in Queenstown. Health Minister Simeon Brown says there's a pop up vaccination clinic operating in Northland and the government's partnered with Hauora Maori organisations to raise immunisation rates. Childhood vacinations also dropped in Whanganui, Nelson Marlborough and Canterbury. Maori paediatrician and chairperson of the National Immunisation Taskforce Dr Owen Sinclair spoke to Lisa Owen.

The White Ferns haven't played a one-day international match in six months but believe they're well prepared for the 50-over Cricket World Cup in India. New Zealand open their campaign against the world number one side, and seven-time champions Australia tomorrow, in a tournament that lasts a little over a month. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

Trump and his tariffs are the lead characters in a drama that could have serious consequences for Aotearoa's film industry. Donald Trump announced a 100 percent tariff on all films produced overseas. Mr Trump provided little detail on how the tariff might work. New Zealand Film Commission Chief Executive Annie Murray spoke to Lisa Owen.

US correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen about Donald Trump's plan to bring an end to the war in Gaza.

Dame Noeline Taurua has been in negotiations with Netball New Zealand today to see whether she'll be able to coach the Silver Ferns again. Taurua and her coaching team were stood down ahead of the Taini Jamison series earlier this month, in what was a bombshell announcement from Netball New Zealand. With the Silver Ferns heading into their next camp on October 6, the clock is ticking to try and find a resolution and break what appears to be a deadlock between Taurua, the Players' Association and Netball New Zealand. Sports correspondent Dana Johannsen spoke to Lisa Owen.

Australia appears to have stolen the march on its global competitors with an Australian-made laser weapon set to become NATO's newest frontline defence against enemy drones. Australia correspondent Nick Grimm spoke to Lisa Owen.

Event organisers are being forced to go in a completely different direction to cut traffic management costs. The safety measures to avoid possible accidents and injuries like bright orange cones, crowd barriers, marshals and volunteers all come with a price tag. The Cambridge Harriers and Athletic Club hosted its half marathon recently but opted for a modified route to avoid public roads and footpaths, and some of the costs associated with wrangling both humans and vehicles. Cambridge Harriers half marathon organiser Rob Archibald spoke to Lisa Owen.

Europe have retained golf's Ryder Cup after holding off a final day charge by the USA in New York. Europe won the biennial match-play event 15-13 but the hosts came close to causing an upset after struggling for the first two days at Bethpage Black. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

The exit of another artisan cheese maker leaves a growing number of holes in the industry. Nelson's Kervella cheese is closing down citing brutal compliance costs and a seven day a week schedule to keep the business going. Kervella Cheese has been around for more than two decades. The specialist Cheese Makers Association says eight businesses out of about 40 have shut in the past three years. Master cheese maker and co-owner of Kervella cheese, Gabrielle Kervella spoke to Lisa Owen.

Money is being put ahead of lives according the husband of a woman who died when the CTV building pancaked in the Christchurch earthquake. The government is moving to a new risk based approach to earthquake strengthening, saying it will save building owners more than $8.2 billion across New Zealand. Under the rules a building like the CTV building would not automatically be deemed earhquake prone. Professor Mann Alkaisi who's wife died in that building, spoke to Lisa Owen.

The government is moving to a new risk based approach to earthquake strengthening, saying it will save building owners more than $8.2 billion across New Zealand. It is ditching the New Building Standard ratings currently used to determine whether a building is earthquake prone. Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk spoke to Lisa Owen.

For the first time in its more than 70 year history, a woman has won the South Island Chess Championship and she's a 16 year old high school student. Year eleven student from Auckland's Kristin School Isabelle Ning won 6 out of 8 of her games and drew two seeing her finish top competitor. Chess champ Isabelle Ning spoke to Lisa Owen.

Middle East correspondent Jacob Brown spoke to Lisa Owen about Donald Trump claiming he has "something special" in store for the Middle East ahead of his meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu.