Podcasts about newstalk zb

Piney catches up with Newstalk ZB's voice of rugby Elliott Smith who is in Cardiff for the test, to get his thoughts on where the test will be won and lost. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newstalk ZB's chief political reporter Aaron Dahmen joins Nick Mills to discuss the Beehive's reaction to local body elections, the Government's farming emissions plan and NZ-linked Russian Oligarch Alexander Abramov being sanctioned. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Revelations women are being turned away from a private Christchurch Hospital whist in labour, because of staffing shortages. Newstalk ZB understands at least one labouring woman was sent from St George's Hospital to Rangiora last night and her midwife missed her birth. Incoming Chair of the College of Midwives Sheena Ross says this is the most stressful outcome. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Worries for farmers about a pending announcement from the Government. Newstalk ZB understands the Government will this morning announce its response to the He Waka Eke Noa report, which proposes an industry-wide emissions pricing scheme. It's likely to accept key recommendations, which would include farmers calculating and paying for their own emissions from 2025. Southland Federated Farmers Vice President Bernadette Hunt told Mike Hosking she and many other farmers are concerned about what the announcement will contain. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A farming expert has her fingers crossed that the latest agriculture sector proposals will be given the green light. Newstalk ZB understands the Government will announce today its response to the He Waka Eke Noa report - which proposes an industry-wide emissions pricing scheme. It's likely to accept key recommendations - which would include farmers calculating and paying for their own emissions from 2025. Lincoln University's Jacqueline Rowarth told Kate Hawkesby it's unknown whether farmers will receive recognition for planting efforts. She says it's important to note tree planting off-sets emissions, rather than reducing them, and recent reports highlight it isn't the main solution. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During last night's Twenty20 Black Caps match at Christchurch's Hagley Oval, a young spectator was struck in the face by a cricket ball and sent to hospital.  Since the incident, questions about spectator safety have been raised, and NZ Cricket is looking to avoid similar problems by implementing safety measures. Newstalk ZB Canterbury sports reader, Nick Bewley talks us through some of the solutions that have been posed, including height and awareness signage, more frequent ground announcements, and general education about dangerous areas for spectators. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A farming expert has her fingers crossed that the latest agriculture sector proposals will be given the green light. Newstalk ZB understands the Government will announce today its response to the He Waka Eke Noa report - which proposes an industry-wide emissions pricing scheme. It's likely to accept key recommendations - which would include farmers calculating and paying for their own emissions from 2025. Lincoln University's Jacqueline Rowarth told Kate Hawkesby it's unknown whether farmers will receive recognition for planting efforts. She says it's important to note tree planting off-sets emissions, rather than reducing them, and recent reports highlight it isn't the main solution. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the Sunday Panel, Gold Breakfast and Newstalk ZB host Andrew Dickens and host of the Straight Up podcast and ZB newsreader Niva Retimanu are here to talk about the local body elections after the fact. The swing to the right – we've seen a definite appetite for change across the country – what does this mean for the Labour Government?  Wayne Brown – how do you feel about your new mayor?  We've already seen the chair of AT resign – is this a good sign of change to come?  Low voter turnout – we've been talking about this for weeks and as it turned out the turnout was steady at 40% but was only 31% in Auckland – and in parts of South Auckland was under 20%.  Central Government elections are at around 80% so what do we do – do we need a complete overhaul of local body elections?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in Invercargill, there is a new mayor for the first time in 24 years. Nobby Clark has defeated Sir Tim Shadbolt and Newstalk ZB night host Marcus Lush to claim the Invercargill Mayoralty.  Nobby Clark is here to discuss his election win and what this historic change means for Invercargill. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Now that the local body elections have wrapped up and new local governments are established, what voting trends can be observed here? Newstalk ZB's news director, Michael Sergel, is here to tell us what he's noticed, including a trend of right leaning candidates being favoured and reform agendas being less well received. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Weeks before he died, Peter Ellis told Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking in an exclusive interview he was "feeling quite excited" about the impending Supreme Court hearing, but hoped to live to see it happen. After three decades, the Supreme Court has today called the investigation and Ellis' trial a miscarriage of justice, and quashed his convictions. It's found the evidence of an expert witness didn't inform the jury of other possible causes of the children's behaviour and simply shouldn't have been admitted. Ellis served seven years of a 10 year jail sentence. Over time, some convictions were overturned, but he died before the remaining 13 could be tested in the Supreme Court. "Somebody said to me 'it looks like the crèche case is pulling into the station' and I said 'well I hope my train isn't going out first',” he told Mike Hosking in August 2019. "It's taken a long time, but I am very optimistic.” Ellis was brought to tears when he spoke of what it had been like living with the convictions for all of these years, but he chose to focus on the positives. "I have friends I never knew I had and expert witnesses that turned up; people who read Lynley Hood's book A City Possessed; and other people who have stumbled upon their own things and had their own life experiences and suddenly realised 'oh Peter Ellis has been through something similar'," he said. "The North Canterbury community have looked after me. It's been 19 years since I have been out of jail and I can walk through my community and the children there call out to me. "They don't look at me in a different way anymore because they have actually known me and they trust in what they see." He said clearing his name is not only important to him, but all the people who have fought in his court over the years - some of whom have died. "It becomes important when the number of people who have supported me and helped me over the years that have passed away; the stories that haven't been told of parents that chose sides and their marriages broke up; the crèche children that didn't believe it happened – so there is that particular aspect of it. "There is also my mother who put her time into this - those people who have slipped away and have deserved an answer," he said. Ellis hoped that if he dies before the hearing, these people may still get closure. "I am hoping that the select committee might look at putting in something that would safeguard someone's right to still clear their name even when they have passed away," he said. "There should be a mechanism if someone has shown intent to push on with their case, worked hard on the case, was shown intent to go for compensation - that his family have the right to have his name cleared, as do I."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newstalk ZB deputy political editor Jason Walls joins Nick Mills to discuss the TVNZ and RNZ merger, the Solomons' foreign minister visiting and Treasury reporting a budget deficit of 9.7 billion-dollars. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on The Huddle: Jack Tame, host of ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A and Nick Mills, Newstalk ZB host are here to talk about the following- Does school streaming do more harm than good? PPTA wants to abolish it, but Auckland Grammar's Headmaster is all for it. This Ombudsman report should be a huge turning point for Oranga Tamariki's practices, shouldn't it? Big study out today finding rugby players are twice as likely to get dementia than the average population and 15 times more likely to develop a motor-neuron disease - is that the risk you take when you get into international rugby or does more need to be done to prevent this for high level players? Is banning online classes regressive? Disabled students in particular say the Uni may as well keep it as an option. The official sponsor of the climate change convention COP27 is none other than one of the world's biggest user of plastics, Coca-Cola. Absolute greenwashing! All of these and more will be discussed today on The Huddle! LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the sixth episode of On The Tiles - Local Edition, Georgina Campbell has updates on low voter turnout, drama in Auckland's race, and the abuse at debates in Wellington. Newstalk ZB's Pierre Nixon joins the podcast to chat about former National MP Nick Smith's return to politics. Georgina also speaks to Local Government New Zealand President Stuart Crosby about public transport and how councils can get on top of bus cancellations.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington's mayoralty race enters its final week with Tory Whanau, Paul Eagle and Andy Foster going head-to-head on Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills. New Zealand Herald Wellington issues reporter Georgina Campbell joins Nick straight after to pick apart the debate and answer listeners' questions. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aotearoa is incredibly diverse, with more than 200 different ethnicities within our community. But you wouldn't think that if you looked at our media. We're still nowhere close to having people in front of the cameras and behind the scenes that fully represent the diversity of 21st-century New Zealand.  So how much progress have we made? What still needs to change? And are we moving fast enough? Today, Damien is joined by the hosts of the NZ Herald's Straight Up podcast: business leader and former Olympian Beatrice Faumuina and Newstalk ZB newsreader Niva Retimanu. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Damien VenutoProducer: Shaun D WilsonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the weekend, there was an anniversary that I'm picking most people didn't know about and certainly didn't celebrate. On Saturday, GST turned 36. For 36 years, we've been paying that little bit extra on pretty much everything we buy. It started off as 10 percent extra when Roger Douglas kicked it off on the 1st of October 1986, and there've been increases along the way to get us to the 15 percent we pay now. And it's probably coincidental that GST is in the news today. This time it's GST on the Government's new unemployment insurance scheme. I heard a tax expert on Newstalk ZB this morning and, after a while, my eyes started glazing over because tax experts being tax experts, they do get bogged down in the detail pretty quickly, don't they? But the gist, so to speak, of what he was talking about, is the advice from Treasury to the Government that it shouldn't go giving us taxpayers any deduction on the GST that we will pay as part of our compulsory payments into the new unemployment insurance scheme. You probably know about it - it's where workers will pay into it and employers will pay into it too. And, once it's up and running, if you lose your job through redundancy the Government will pay you 80 percent of what you were earning for up to seven months. And, just like what happens with ACC, employees will have money deducted from their pay for the scheme and employers will have to pay into it as well through levies. But, unlike employers who will be able to claim back the GST they pay into the insurance scheme, their workers won't. And I think this is wrong. If you go to the IRD website, here's what it says about GST: “GST is a tax added to the price of most goods and services, including imports. It is a tax for people who buy and sell goods and services.” A tax for people who buy and sell goods and services. But it's the buying bit that's key here. Because, generally, when you buy something you choose whether you're going to do it or not, don't you? Even stuff you absolutely need, there's still an element of choice there. If something breaks down, you can choose whether you're going to get it fixed or not. Food - we all need food. But there are a whole lot of choices available to us. We don't have to buy everything - we can grow vegetables, if we choose to. Life insurance and medical insurance - we've got a choice. What we don't get to choose, though, is whether we're going to contribute to the Government's new unemployment insurance scheme. It's going to be compulsory, whether we like it or not. And that's why I don't agree with Treasury and that's why I don't think we should be made to pay GST on the levies that are going to go straight out of our pay packets whether we like it or not. The National Party also thinks that adding GST to the levies is outrageous. Its Finance spokesperson Nicola Willis is describing it as “yet another grab on Kiwis' take-home pay by Labour, intended to boost the Government's coffers at the expense of workers. And she goes on to say: “In the middle of a cost of living crisis, this is completely the wrong thing for the Government to be doing.” And I couldn't agree more. Although, I'm coming at it from the perspective that this is not going to be optional - there's no choice involved here - and so why should we be paying GST? Because, as far as I'm concerned, buying something comes from a conscious decision to pay money in exchange for it. That's why I've got no qualms about paying GST on my groceries and clothes and shoes and holidays…all things that I choose to spend my money on. But when this new insurance scheme comes in, I'll have no choice. I'll be paying for the scheme - but I won't be buying it. That's why I think there is no way we should be paying GST on it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newstalk ZB sports host Jason Pine joins Nick Mills to discuss the NRL Grand Final, womens sport and the New Zealand National Football League. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on The Huddle, we have Tim Beveridge, Newstalk ZB host and Simon Wilson, Herald senior writer to talk about the following: Nanaia Mahuta still hasn't recieved her voting papers among other Kiwis - we're at record low voting turn-out, how do we begin to solve this mess? Kelvin Davis has apologised to Chhour over yesterday's comments - was Kelvin out of line? The future of the Kiwi water park is uncertain as the owners wait for the government approval to open. How do we keep ending up in these situations? Nurses want to turn down extra shifts next week, which Te Whatu Ora says is illegal. What does that 40 hour contract really expect us to do? Would you eat beef and lamb out of a vending machine? NZ Beef and Lamb now have their meat selling out of vending machines in China. All of these will be discussed here today on The Huddle! LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

FIRST WITH YESTERDAY'S NEWS (highlights from Wednesday on Newstalk ZB) ...Not Really/Welfare Forever/There Are Other Things the Government Should Be Doing/Sometimes Big Business Is Just Better/Meetings Are a Waste of Time. It's OfficialSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the fifth episode of On the Tiles - Local Edition, Georgina Campbell has updates on the race in Auckland, Christchurch mayoral candidates are being reminded of the requirements of the job, and pushback from candidates on Three Waters. Newstalk ZB's Georgia O'Connor-Harding also pops on the pod to discuss one of the hottest contests happening: Invercargill. Georgia also speaks to Dr Mona Krewel, the director of Victoria University of Wellington's Internet, Social Media, and Politics Research Lab to talk about candidates with links to a high-profile disinformation group.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

FIRST WITH YESTERDAY'S NEWS (highlights from the long weekend on Newstalk ZB) ...and Back/Let's Hope Putin Isn't Serious/AB's Get it Together/Climbing All the MountainsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern spoke at the UN General Assembly in New York earlier this week. The key points of her speech included taking aim at the UN and the Security Council for not vetoing the Russian invasion of Ukraine and condemning Vladimir Putin's earlier nuclear threats. This reflected the statements many other nations made regarding Russia's actions. Our deputy political editor, Jason Walls, joins us now to talk about the UN General Assembly. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newstalk ZB host Jason Pine joins Nick Mills to chat about the Lion's hopeful defence of the Ranfurly Shield against Waikato, the Bledisloe Cup and the All Whites going up against Australia. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grant Robertson is defending the Government's multi-million dollar spend-up on Three Waters consultants. Newstalk ZB can reveal in the last financial year, $16 million has been paid to contractors working on the reforms. National is questioning the bill, in particular the $15,000 spent on creating a job description for the yet-to-be named Chief Executive for the new Water Entity. The Finance Minister told Mike HoskingThree Waters is a massive undertaking. “We're tlaking about something that's going to be billions and billions of dollars of work over the next few years. It's a specialty area, we need to we get the right people in to make sure we do it right.” The Department of Internal Affairs admits the total spend on consultants is higher than usual, but says Three Waters reforms is large and complex, and experts with the right skills were needed. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A call for an open mind on housing density rules as Auckland Council and the Government clash. Newstalk ZB understands the Government is concerned about the council's moves to protect character villas. Ministers think it's being overzealous in its use of character protection in the inner suburbs.  Greater Auckland transport spokesperson Matt Lowrie told Mike Hosking there's not enough talk about the good more housing can do for an area. He says it allows for more business, parks, schools and public transport. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Speaker Trevor Mallard has said he would accept a knighthood if offered one despite his republican leanings. He made the comments in an interview over the weekend when discussing his appointment to Dublin, but Ardern would not say if he would be offered one. The Government has tightened up on the cost of living payments. Ahead of the second payment, Revenue Minister David Parker made changes to the scheme after Auditor-General John Ryan slammed the first round in a letter to Inland Revenue Commissioner Peter Mersi. Newstalk ZB Political Editor Barry Soper joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I only work at Newstalk ZB one day a week so I've been spared having to talk about the Guarav Sharma drama. Or as we now know the Sharma Drama. But my god it's still going.   Over the weekend he revealed that Kieran McAnulty called him a terrible MP and that was bullying. Knowing how fruity Kieran's language can be, I think Gourav got off lightly. There's a reason Kieran's a whip. He's good with the old don't argue. I've realised that the MP for Hamilton West really doesn't like being yelled at. Sharma's maiden speech in February 2021 alleges a paediatric surgeon bullied him while he was at university. It also contained many claims of bullying and racism while he was on the campaign trail. Sharma appears to feel he's been bullied his entire life. It was the Prime Minister's turn this morning and she once again ruled out an investigation saying that there needs to be a threshold to instigate these things. Otherwise any time anyone called anyone a bully or a racist we'd have investigation after investigation. We of course can't judge whether that threshold has been reached as all we have so far is the good Doctor's account because the PM is not open and transparent. Anyway, this "he said she said" thing is terribly frustrating and has kept the issue in the headlines for nearly 2 weeks now. So some say that the launching of an investigation would at least shelve the conversation. They point to National hiring a QC to investigate Sam Uffindell which has silenced the debate. That may be so but what will that investigation prove? Mr Uffindell has already admitted his misdemeanour. And secondly, Mr Luxon has already stated that the result of the investigation will not be publicly released. If there is an investigation but no public result has there really been a result at all? The debate may have been silenced but not the practices and attitude that sparked the whole thing in the first place. Just shows that National is just as good, possibly better, at hiding their dirty laundry as Labour. And that was the way I felt throughout the whole Sharma drama. None of it surprised me. Politicians have been playing games like this for years. National was perfectly capable of fudging Official Information requests. Labour appears to have lifted the bar to a new high or should that be low point. It's all brought our respect for politicians to such a depth. It's why we have such polarised debate now. It's why our debate has fallen to name calling with words like liars and corruption thrown around willy-nilly. And it makes me nostalgic for the days when the backbench would wage war on the front bench over policy issues and not office demeanour.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister clearly would've preferred not to talk Gaurav Sharma today. The caucus will meet tomorrow to discuss Sharma's future in the party in wake of more explosive accusations. However, Jacinda Ardern says there won't be an investigation as there is no basis to his claims. The Government have also announced that they have bought Kiwibank. They bought it off ACC, the Super Fund and NZ Post for $2.1 million today. The Government will allow some sectors to pay skilled migrant workers less than the median wage, in a bid to address workplace shortages across the country. It will also temporarily increase access to the Working Holiday Scheme to address the shortage of casual workers more generally.  Newstalk ZB Political Editor Barry Soper joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Kiwi contingent at the The Commonwealth Games headed home from Birmingham this week with a record number of medals. Patriots in the press were pumped up, but did we really punch above our weight in a tournament one critic called 'The $2 shop Olympics'?

The Greens say the problems dogging Te Huia shouldn't stop us from expanding the regional rail network. The Transport and Infrastructure Select Committee is taking public submissions, as part of an inquiry into the country's passenger rail network. Newstalk ZB has revealed Te Huia, the recently launched Hamilton to Auckland rail service, has been plagued with low passenger numbers and other issues. But Greens Transport spokesperson Julie Ann-Genter told Mike Hosking future services will be faster and more frequent. She does it's too early to judge Te Huia as it takes time for people to plan their lives around a new service. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A major change to social attitudes may be needed, to stem the current spate of youth crime. Two young people have been arrested, after at least 30 teenagers attacked a shop worker in Palmerston North. The owner of another store has told Newstalk ZB they've also been terrorised by the same group. Retail NZ Chief Executive Greg Harford told Mike Hosking says violent youth crime is becoming more common, and part of the culture. He says we're seeing the result of years of ingrained behaviour, encouraged by watching unpunished criminal activity in movies and online. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Expect a political fall-out, from a Labour MP's allegations of rampant bullying in Parliament. Hamilton West Labour MP Gaurav Sharma claims bullying has become commonplace. He's accusing the Prime Minister's Office, the Parliamentary Service, the party leaders' offices, and the party whips' offices for allowing it to happen. Newstalk ZB Political Editor Barry Soper told Mike Hosking Sharma has thrown his colleagues under the bus. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marcus Lush is talking up his chances of becoming Invercargill's new mayor. The Newstalk ZB host and Invercargill City Councillor has confirmed he's running for the job Sir Tim Shadbolt has held since 1998. He told Mike Hosking he's not just there to make up the numbers or bring attention to local democracy; he's in it to win it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newstalk ZB nighttime host Marcus Lush will be taking a tilt at the Invercargill Mayor. Lush will face off against eight other contenders and the long serving Sir Tim Shadbolt who has been in charge since 1998. He won't be hanging up his microphone though he says he'll keep his hosting job on his top rating radio show. Marcus Lush joined Heather du Plessis Allan Drive to discuss his upcoming mayoralty race. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Staff reporter and RNZ Under-fire National MP Sam Uffindell has been stood down from the party's caucus, pending an investigation into further "very concerning accusations" surrounding his past behaviour. In a statement late on Tuesday night, National Party leader Christopher Luxon said he had been made aware of new allegations about Uffindell's behaviour toward a female flatmate while Uffindell was at university in 2003. The woman has told RNZ Uffindell was an aggressive bully who once pounded on her bedroom door, screaming obscenities, until she fled through her window. Uffindell has denied any accusations he was involved in bullying or intimidatory behaviour while at university. This morning National Party leader Chris Luxon told Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking the situation was very concerning. "You got a situation where a young woman, a flatmate has made serious allegations. It is a concerning situation for a father whose daughter is flatting, it's very real. They are serious allegations that need to be investigated. Sam is disputing the allegations." Asked if Uffindell still had his backing, Luxon told TVNZ: "We'll find out in the next few weeks because really, what this investigation is about, is looking at both sides of that investigation." Luxon also acknowledged that the investigation was needed to honour the "alleged victim" too. The new allegations came a day after revelations that the new Tauranga MP, as a teenager, beat up a younger boy at boarding school. "This evening my office became aware of very concerning accusations made to RNZ about behaviour shown by Mr Uffindell toward a female flatmate in 2003 while at university," Luxon said. "Mr Uffindell disputes the allegations and in the interests of natural justice, an independent investigation will now be undertaken to determine the facts. While this process is under way, Mr Uffindell will be stood down from caucus." Former flatmate's accusations Uffindell's former flatmate, who RNZ agreed not to name, lived with him and three other Otago University students for several months in Dunedin in 2003. She told RNZ Uffindell engaged in a pattern of bullying during their second year at university, describing him as "verbally aggressive". Uffindell would trash the house after "excessive" use of alcohol and drugs, she said. "This was intimidation. This was bullying. I didn't feel safe," she said. The woman said she eventually moved out of the flat after having to lock herself in her bedroom to avoid a drunken outburst one night. "He was smashing on my door and yelling obscenities and basically telling me to get out - 'hit the road, fatty'. "I ended up climbing out of my bedroom window and ran to a friend's house to stay the night. I feared for my safety. I was scared." The woman said it was not an isolated incident: "it was just the straw that broke the camel's back." Her father travelled to Dunedin the next day to help her move out, she said. Speaking to RNZ, the woman's father corroborated his part in the story and said his daughter had been "seriously upset". "The flat itself was completely trashed. There wasn't a stick of furniture left. There was no crockery left. There were no handles left on anything. It had all been broken." He said he gave Uffindell and two of the other flatmates "a serious piece of [his] mind" at the time. "It was clear... [Uffindell] had real issues, real problems... he was out of control." The woman said she was traumatised by the event and did her best to avoid Uffindell from then on: "my stomach would absolutely flip and drop if I saw him". Looking back, the woman said she should have spoken to someone or taken some sort of action, but she was too scared. Uffindell never apologised for his actions, she said. She said people may try to excuse Uffindell's actions because of his age, but the pattern of behaviour revealed his character. "Listening to his maiden speech in Parliament, he talks about lack of accountability and a sense of impunity - I think that's so hypocritical." Uffindell's response In a statement and while not addressing the specific allegations, Uffindell admitted engaging in a "student lifestyle" while at university. "When I was a student at Otago I enjoyed a student lifestyle, which included drinking and, at times, smoking marijuana," he said. "While in second year a number of flatmates fell out – and two of the flatmates left midway through the year. "I reject any accusation that I engaged in behaviour that was intimidatory or bullying. This simply did not happen. "While there is an investigation into these accusations I will not make further comment." National Party president Sylvia Wood said the investigation into the latest allegations would be conducted by Maria Dew QC and is expected to take two weeks. "As the party only became aware of these allegations this evening, the details of the investigation will be finalised over the next few days, including the terms of reference." Wood said in a statement. "In the interests of letting due process run its course, I will not be making additional comment on this issue while the investigation is carried out." Uffindell - who won the Tauranga byelection in June - had apologised to the boy he assaulted in 1999 while at King's College. In multiple interviews on Monday, he claimed the attack was the "stupidest" thing he'd ever done and still regretted the incident. On Tuesday he admitted to being a "bully" and a "thug" when he was younger. Speaking to the Herald on Monday, Uffindell said he believed the assault on the then 13-year-old boy 23 years ago would become public during his running in the Tauranga byelection this year. When it didn't, Uffindell chose not to tell the public until it was revealed by Stuff on Monday - a decision he still stands by, despite saying he had "taken ownership" of the incident and it had made him grow as a person. He also revealed he may have tackled other students during the "raid" of the third form (Year 9) dorm that saw him expelled, in addition to punching one student in the arm and body several times. The investigation into allegations against Uffindell will be conducted by Maria Dew QC and is expected to take two weeks. Photo / Supplied Earlier on Tuesday, Luxon said he was standing by Uffindell after news broke of the assault, but insisted he should have been told of the incident earlier. "He has my backing and he has my support but clearly he needs to build back trust with the voters of Tauranga," Luxon said. Luxon confirmed that Uffindell had declared the incident to the National Party when he sought to be a candidate. "He is not the same person that he was 22 years ago as a 16-year-old." Luxon said he should have been informed earlier. The delegates should have been informed and the voters of Tauranga should have been informed earlier. He said Uffindell's admission during selection had triggered deeper background checks and he believed that was how it was supposed to work. Luxon said National's character checking extended to speaking to people who had known Uffindell since after the King's College incident. "There was a deep exploration of this issue with Sam." While the violence committed at the school was "totally unacceptable and abhorrent", Luxon said he had been assured that Uffindell did not have any other incidents in his past.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National MP Sam Uffindell said there was a culture of "rough and tumble" when asked if he had been involved in any other incidents of bullying as a schoolboy. Aged 16 as a Year 11 student at King's College, Uffindell and three others jumped on the then 13-year-old boy and began beating him with what was believed to be unscrewed wooden bed legs. "Boarding houses in the 1999, there was a bit of rough and tumble that went on... we would tackle and punch each other around a bit, but I wouldn't go out and focus on someone. "This was the most serious," he told RNZ. He also said that any other incidents were "not targeted" but would not disclose details. Uffindell reiterated that when we was asked to leave King's College it was solely related to the assault he was involved in made on a 13-year-old student. He said the incident was his fault and he takes full accountability. "I try and live my life as an adult as a responsible person to set a good example to my children and to others." The National Party leader Christopher Luxon and his deputy Nicola Willis only learned of Sam Uffindell's school teenage dormitory assault yesterday afternoon, it has been revealed. Willis told RNZ said she found out about the incident just after lunchtime and she believed that Luxon also found out then. She said Uffindell had disclosed the incident to the pre-selection panel, made up of local and national party representatives, and they had made the decision about not precluding him from standing for Parliament. "That's a party matter. That's their judgement. Where I stand on this today is that I have advised Sam that what he should do now is be completely upfront with New Zealanders about this because ultimately it is the people of New Zealand and the people of Tauranga who will be the judges of us." Willis described it as a serious incident and her thoughts were with the victim, saying it would have been a traumatic event at the time and something that would never leave you. She said there should be room in Parliament for those who made serious errors, accounted for them but were now committed to using their position for good. "If I thought that Sam was still the same man as he was when he was a 16-year-old when he committed this act then I don't think there would be a place for him in Parliament. However, I see that he is extremely sincere in his regret in his genuine apology and that he is being upfront about what occurred and that he is a different person today than when this happened." His former school, King's College, has also spoken out after it was revealed the National MP assaulted a 13-year-old student while attending the school. King's College headmaster Simon Lamb confirmed the incident and said it was dealt with at the time. "The issue referred to in the Stuff article today was a matter which the College dealt with 22 years ago," said Lamb. "Since that time, the College has not been involved in any follow-up activity with those involved, including the recent discussions reported in the article." Sam Uffindell is the MP for Tauranga. Photo / File The incident reportedly occurred in 1999 on the last night of term inside one of the King's College boarding houses. It was reported by Stuff that the now MP for Tauranga apologised to his victim 22 years after the attack and nine months before he revealed his political aspirations. Uffindell has detailed the late-night violent beating of a younger boy that led to him being asked to leave King's College while he was a student. Speaking to Newstalk ZB's Heather du Plessis-Allan, Uffindell confirmed the incident and said it was "one of the dumbest, stupidest things I have ever done". He also wouldn't rule out standing down as MP. "It was one of the silliest, stupidest things I've ever done. I really regretted it, I do really regret it still," Uffindell told Newstalk ZB. Police were not involved but he was asked to leave King's College, and finished his schooling at St Paul's Collegiate in Hamilton. Uffindell said at the end of the school year students went into the third-form dorm and "raided them". With the boy, he said he punched him a "bunch of times" in the arms and body. He and the other boys were called into the school the next day and asked to leave, Uffindell said. He said he was gutted about the incident, "had taken ownership of it" and had thought about it for years. He said he had "no recollection" of using bed legs to beat the boy. "I still am sorry for what happened, I wish it had not happened." A statement from the National Party said the party had been "proactively informed" about the incident by Uffindell during the selection process ahead of the Tauranga byelection. "It was a significant event reflecting a serious error of judgment by a then 16-year-old for which he has apologised and regrets to this day," the statement read. The victim, who was not named, told Stuff that Uffindell contacted him through a mutual acquaintance in July last year to apologise, which the victim eventually accepted. "But then a few months later I sat down to watch the news on the couch with a beer and there he was, running for Parliament," the victim said. "I felt sick." Uffindell had reportedly not mentioned his political intentions during the interaction. "We had a long conversation and I was grateful that he accepted my apology. My apology was genuine then, and it is genuine now."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government came under fire over some misdirected cost of living payments this week, but the more enduring story might be who didn't get paid, rather than who did.

All eyes will be on Chris Luxon going into his first National Party Conference as party leader. However, it hasn't been a good week for the National Party, with doubts from commentators on his leadership. And the Party President role is up for grabs, with Peter Goodfellow stepping down. It also wasn't a good week for James Shaw. Shaw was the only candidate named for their leadership contest, there are questions over whether he will get past the 75 percent threshold to retain his leadership. Rotorua locals are standing up to their council. More than 3600 submissions have been received on the issue of using motels for emergency housing. Newstalk ZB Political Editor Barry Soper joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's Housing spokesperson is calling the growth in staff numbers at Kainga Ora 'unbelievable'. A leaked briefing obtained by Newstalk ZB reveals the agency plans to hire nearly 500 more full-time staff in the coming year. It's since gone back on that figure, saying it needs 465 staff and almost half will be to fill existing vacancies. Chris Bishop told Mike Hosking it comes at a time when only 21 new state houses have been built in the past year. He says Kainga Ora is increasing staff and has a massive debt blowout, but can't actually build many houses. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A media report this week suggested TVNZ allowing some personalities to promote products online could cause conflicts of interest - and pose a problem in future within the new media entity replacing the broadcaster.  But the strongest concern about that came from a surprising source.

Changes could be coming to the feebate scheme. The scheme has paid out nearly a $100 million more in rebates than it has collected in fees. Until the end of June, the scheme paid out $116.9 million in discounts, but it only collected $25m in revenue. It only began collecting fees on April 1 this year, and was funded by a $300 million loan from July 1 last year to April 1. Labour seems to be rushing through its donation legislation. The legislation – which will see donations of more than $5000 disclosed – had its first reading yesterday, with National and ACT opposing it. We could be hosting a future Commonwealth Games. Grant Robertson – who is in Birmingham attending the games – hasn't ruled out the possibility. Newstalk ZB Political Editor Barry Soper joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you define wellbeing? It has a lot of different meanings, and it really depends on what lens you're looking through. That brings a challenge to organizations or teams that are trying to do the work.Many organizations have taken roles in human resources and tacked on “wellbeing” supervisor responsibilities. They know they need someone in that role but aren't really willing to dedicate the necessary resources. And depending on what experience that new wellbeing professional has, this looks wildly different, even within different teams in the same organization.What can be done about this? Actually defining what wellbeing and wellness mean and creating space and time for the person in the role to perform effectively in this role.But to get to that point, the organization and its leaders need to be on board with the investment of time, talent, and resources. This week on the podcast, we're talking to Sarah McGuinness and Chris Hewitt of Revolutionaries of Wellbeing about changes in corporate wellness programs, why being proactive benefits everyone, and how to look at wellness through a different lens.About Sarah McGuinness:Sarah McGuinness is a wellbeing disruptor, burnout awareness advocate and Founder/CEO of Revolutionaries of Wellbeing (ROW). ROW helps wellbeing leaders to be change makers and to create better workplaces, together. With a community of wellbeing champions from organisations around the globe, ROW is dedicated to helping leaders to develop professional expertise, access practical tools and resources, and network with peers and experts to meaningfully improve wellbeing.Sarah brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in corporate wellbeing and behaviour change and has supported well-known organisations to improve the wellbeing of their people, including Sealord, the NHS, nib and Weta.She draws on her honours degree in psychology and degree in communication, training in health behaviour, coaching, fitness and facilitation, plus a 15+ year career in the corporate sector specialising in leadership and organisational development in Australia and New Zealand.She is a passionate mental health and wellbeing champion and is determined to reduce stigma and improve conversations around mental health, particularly with having lived experience of burnout, anxiety, and fibromyalgia. She has been featured in the media including on Stuff, NBR, Newshub/TV3, MiNDFOOD, Newstalk ZB and RNZ. Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn.About Chris Hewitt:Chris is ROW's Commercial Partnerships Manager and brings 15 years of experience in the professional development and events fields, with his most recent previous role managing a commercial portfolio of publications and events in the health, safety and wellbeing industry. He brings a wealth of programme management and commercial partnership experience, and has strong networks across the health, safety and wellbeing sectors both in New Zealand and overseas.He cares deeply about workplace wellbeing and is passionate about helping businesses lift their wellbeing performance. Connect with Chris on LinkedIn.Mentioned in this Episode of Mental Health for Leaders:Revolutionaries of Wellbeing (ROW)Join the monthly digital subscription

Nanaia Mahuta has condemned the execution of four political prisoners in Myanmar in a ministerial statement. She'll raise the issue when attending the ASEAN Foreign Minister's meeting in Cambodia. However, she was unable to back up her statement when National's spokeperson Gerry Brownlee questioned her statement. Furthermore, she's also come up with a clever way to introduce Maori wards into councils. She's slipped a change into a piece of legislation that would make it mandatory for councils to consider whether they should be introduced. Meanwhile, National leader Christopher Luxon wants an independent review into the Reserve Bank. Governor Adrian Orr has acknowledged interest rate decisions he has made during the Covid-19 pandemic, have contributed to inflation reaching the level it has. Newstalk ZB Political Editor Barry Soper joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A humbled Tom Walsh was overcome with emotion after he and Joelle King were honoured as New Zealand's flagbearers for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Walsh and King were today formally announced as Ngā Pou Hapai (flagbearers) by Chef de Mission Nigel Avery at a team function held at New Zealand House in Birmingham. Walsh, a defending champion in the shot put, and King, a three-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist in squash, will lead out the Kiwi team at the opening ceremony at Alexander Stadium on Friday morning (NZT). Moments after accepting the honour in front of 250 teammates, Walsh had to pause to collect himself when describing what it meant. "It's a hard one to put into words. When I got the call from Nigel, I was a little bit shocked," said Walsh, his voice breaking. "It's not why we do it, but it's a huge honour to get asked to hold the flag and fly it for New Zealand. To be up front with Joelle is going to be awesome." Walsh was in buoyant mood when speaking to media after the conclusion of the ceremony, presided over by governor-general Dame Cindy Kiro. With the flag draped around his shoulders, he compared the feeling to winning a bronze medal at last year's Tokyo Olympics. "When my voice last broke was probably when I was 14," he laughed. "I got a bit emotional last year after Tokyo, getting third there, in terms of how much went into that year. "But this is a completely different emotion - standing in front of 250 people who I respect for many different reasons. It was definitely a moment in time when it all kind of smacked me in the face and got the better of me. "It's something that not many people get to do. I'm really looking forward to leading the team, waving our flag and soaking up the whole experience." In addition to his pair of Olympic bronze medals, Walsh is also a two-time Commonwealth Games medallist, winning gold at Gold Coast 2018 and silver at Glasgow 2014. Walsh celebrates winning shot put gold in 2018. Photo / Getty King, who with six medals is one of New Zealand's most decorated Commonwealth Games athletes, says she grew up in awe of New Zealand's flagbearers. "I'm really honoured to be adding my name to an amazing list of Commonwealth Games flagbearers," she said. "There's such a great team behind us so it's going to be really special to lead them onto such a big stage." King will compete in the squash singles, women's doubles and mixed doubles at Birmingham 2022. King and Walsh were each presented with a pounamu pendant to be worn by as they lead the team into the opening ceremony. The pounamu was carved for the New Zealand team by Ngāi Tahu master carver Bevan Climo, with Rakinui (the Sky Father) pounamu to be worn by the male flagbearer and Papatūānuku (the Earth Mother) pounamu to be worn by the female flagbearer. It will be the first time a male and female athlete have jointly carried the New Zealand flag at a Commonwealth Games opening ceremony, with a change in rules allowing for the naming of two flagbearers. King and Walsh were chosen by Avery taking into account a wide range of factors including past performances, ability to lead and inspire New Zealand athletes, competition preparation and performance standards. King in action during the gold-medal match on the Gold Coast. Photo / Getty "These two athletes have inspired New Zealanders with their performances for more than a decade and they epitomise the special values and culture of our team," said Avery. "We know they'll do us proud as they lead our team into the opening ceremony, and we look forward to watching them compete over the next few weeks." Dame Sophie Pascoe was the last Commonwealth Games opening ceremony flagbearer, leading the team at Gold Coast in 2018. Listen to live wall-to-wall commentary on GOLD SPORT from 7pm each night with commentators Jason Pine, Elliott Smith, Malcolm Jordan, Andrew Alderson and Nick Bewley plus regular updates on Newstalk ZB. And download our daily Commonwealth Games podcast the Birmingham Bulletin.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tim's here with an update on TVNZ's old Breakfast Host, Newstalk ZB's gripes with doco funding, and Luxon's Hawaiian holiday. Whakarongo mai! 

There are suggestions we could be guilty of sleeping on what could be the biggest Commonwealth Games we've seen. Ticket sales are through the roof, with more than 1.2 million have sold which would make it the most attended edition of the games in 22 editions. There's also estimated to be a TV audience of one billion over the entirety of the games. Newstalk ZB sports reporter Kate Wells is in Birmingham and joined Mike Hosking to give an insight into what's happening on the ground. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why did criticism of a modest sum spent on a single mini-documentary made two years ago suddenly spring up in the news in two national networks this week - and then disappear? 

If you think you're seeing more Government advertising around, you're probably right. Newstalk ZB can reveal public sector and Crown agencies have spent almost $125 million on advertising in the last financial year. That's about 122 percent more than they were spending five years ago. Deputy Political Editor Jason Walls told Tim Dower the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet is an example of the increase. He says that Department spent about two million on advertising in 2016 and 2017, compared to $26 million this year. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.