Podcasts about plessis allan

So I don't know what's worse, the fact that Willow Jean Prime is a lazy, disinterested waste of space in Labour's team, or the fact that Labour's been busted almost lying about this. So let me get you across what happened, and you can decide for yourself. In March, Willow Jean Prime took over the Labour Party education portfolio from Jan Tonetti, and her National Party counterpart, Erika Stanford, sent her a text to say congrats and I need to get you up to speed with the NCEA change process. It would be good if we could meet first and I can run you through where we're at. There is a policy advisory group of principals who are working on the details. You can have access to them as well as my officials and also NZQA. Willow Jean does not bother to reply. Two months later in May, Erica's office sends an email saying, basically, haven't heard from Willow Jean, would like to ensure cross-party engagement can continue. Can we set up a meeting? Willow Jean doesn't bother to reply. A month later in mid-Junne, Erica personally writes again, Willow Jean, yeah, you know, doesn't bother to reply. Next month, July, Erica then goes up a level and writes to Chippy. He doesn't reply either, but then the next day Willow Jean finally does reply, and she says she declines your invitation. Fast forward now to the 25th of July and suddenly Willow Jean writes to Erica wanting to meet because she's read in the Herald that the NCEA changes are coming soon. Erica writes back, basically says to her, mate, you missed your chance, we have already made the decisions. Chippy, meanwhile, complains publicly that the government, AKA Erika Stanford, hasn't been consulting with him and Willow Jean on the NCEA changes. So, tell me now, having heard that, what do you think is worse? That Willow Jean can't be bothered doing her job properly, or that Chippy has an amazing ability to lie with a smile? Now, here are the key learnings from this incident. Willow Jean is not a serious, hardworking, or clever person, and it is not ready to be a minister. Chris Hipkins is not as honest as his lovely smiling face would make you think. Labour is thin on the ground for talent if Willow Jean Prime is #8 in their party, and don't mess with Erica because she will pull a beautiful hit job on you, which is exactly what's happened here. But also, Labour are just rude and unprofessional. It doesn't kill you to reply to a message. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Israel's expanding its military occupation of Gaza - forcing more than a million Palestinians out of Gaza City. Israel's security cabinet's approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan - in a nine hour meeting today. It involves moving Palestinians out of the main population centres - and into compounds in southern Gaza. Israeli journalist Haggai Matar told Heather du-Plessis Allan that Israel already controls over 85 percent of Gaza - and forbids Palestinians from going into it. He says it's basically pushing Palestinians into smaller areas of land - mostly areas that have been uninhabited and are very difficult to sustain life on. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rare thing to be able to say- but Wellington City Council has just made a sensible decision and voted against erecting a fence along the entire length of Kumutoto and Queen's Wharf. Now, if you know the part of Wellington that I'm talking about here, it's the area seaside of the TSB Bank Arena and Fergs and Shed 5 and Foxglove and so on. That whole area at the moment has beautiful concrete walkways that have been laid, lovely seating and lighting and so on. And then there's a little barrier either side. If there's sea on the other side, there's a little barrier that comes up to a concrete barrier, maybe mid-shin for you. Now, council officials planned to erect a fence instead - a full-length fence either side of every walkway, up to about 1.2 meters or so, lining almost the entire walkway, 3.5 km of it, at the cost of maybe as much as $30 million. And they wanted the council - probably because they realized how this is going to go down with people - to rush through voting on it without talking to the public about it first. For once, Wellington City Council has actually done the right thing and pumped the brakes here. I think, to be fair to the officials, that this is coming from a good place and that this is the recommendation in a coroner's report. A coroner has had a look at somebody who's fallen into the water, died in the drink, and said: you should put a fence up. Because there have been a few examples lately, especially young men who've got on the raz and then fallen into the water, and that has been the end of them. But - this is gonna sound harsh - I don't think that you fence off an entire walkway because some young people sometimes have a drink and then fall in. I don't want, just as much as you - I don't want people to die needlessly in accidents. But there is a balance to be struck here between personal responsibility and safety measures that we put up to stop stuff happening. I think you go for an intermediate thing here. You stick up some lights, you make sure people can see where they're going in the dark, but you do not fence off the entire thing because that is overkill. It is not normal for us to have fences between ourselves and the sea. Take Auckland, where I live at the moment. Go for a walk under Auckland's Harbour Bridge, there are huge stretches exactly like this. No fence whatsoever. You're just walking there and there's the sea. It's a fall down, you just have to look after yourself and be careful. Walk on piers anywhere in this country, they often do not have fences. You've just got to watch where you're going. If you chuck up a fence, you stop people doing what they're supposed to do near the sea, which is sitting there looking at it, enjoying nature, or fishing off the walkway into the sea. Think about what the Wellington officials were trying to do here - they were literally fencing off the sea. When you fence off the sea, do you not think that you are going just a little bit too far? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So the Government just announced what they're calling the biggest change to road funding in 50 years. Once these changes kick in, petrol taxes are out and RUCs - road user charges - are in, for everyone. Not just truckies, not just EV drivers, not just diesel users, every single one of us. This is not really a surprise, the Government flagged this two years ago. But now the work is starting and Cabinet has agreed to start changing the law on it. And generally, I think this is a good idea. It's going to make it more transparent, as most of us have no idea how much we're paying to use the road because it's hidden in the petrol cost. But once it's stripped out, it's going to smack us in the face every month - or however often - we pay that bill. And it's actually a lot, tax makes up almost half the cost of petrol. It's also going to, if designed properly, change our behaviour for the better. Heavier cars should end up being charged more - as they should - because they do more damage to the roads. For example, electric vehicles, which are enormously heavy, will be pot-holing the road more than a lighter Suzuki Swift. That should, if we respond rationally to pricing, move us towards lighter vehicles and away from the trend of 'bigger is better' - which is better for road maintenance. But everything hangs off on enforcement. Because this is ripe for gaming. The same people who don't get a WOF and don't get a rego now won't get their RUCs. So if you're going from a simple system where it gets taken at the pump to a more complex 'count the Ks and file the paperworks system', how will you be sure everyone does it? In an announcement light on detail - that's the question I have. But in theory, it's a good idea. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I want to talk about kids being bashed by their families. We've had a really bad run of it - I don't know if you've realized - in the last few weeks. As far as I can see, just in the last 8 weeks, we've had the toddler in the suitcase, and we've had the baby in the bin in Auckland. We've also had a 2-month-old go to hospital with serious injuries that happened today, we've had a 3-month-old taken to hospital in Wellington in June, and we've had a 6-month-old critically injured at a Foxton Beach house in July. And we've hardly talked about this. I mean, we've talked about the toddler in the suitcase yesterday, world media talked about it too because it is so bizarre, it's hard to ignore. We also talked about the baby in the bin, that got about a day's worth of coverage, again, because that was pretty out there - putting a baby in a bin. But everything else, almost no coverage. Now, do you know why that is? I mean, part of it is obviously that this is now not unusual anymore. We just bash our babies all the time in this country apparently - but also because you're not actually allowed to talk about it. I don't know if you realize this, but the moment that Oranga Tamariki, which is the new CYFS, uplifts a kid, the Family Court orders basically automatic blanket suppression on it. Which means the police can't say anything, it means OT itself can't say anything, it means the media can't say anything. So the news coverage just basically dies. We get: "baby's gone to hospital," and that's the end of it. No more coverage. It's actually only when the child dies that we can talk about it in detail because there is now no young person to protect anymore. Now, isn't that the opposite of what we want? I mean, I think this is doing our kids a disservice. I understand why we did this in the first place, why we put these suppression orders in - the idea was to protect the privacy of these young people. But what it is also doing is protecting the privacy of the thugs in their families who put them in hospital or in the suitcase or in the bin. And what it also means is that no one then talks about what's going on. We're not horrified by the detail because there is no detail, so we don't talk about it, including politicians - and they should be the ones pitching solutions. At the rate that we're bashing our kids, this should be an election issue every single election - but it's not because we hardly talk about it because of the rules. So surely the rules should change. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You can't accuse Erica Stanford of mucking around, can you? NCEA is gone. Marks out of 100 are back, grades from A to E are back, needing to pass 4 subjects at least in order to get the qualification is back. Now, how long have we been talking about the need to do this? About the fact that NCEA is rubbish, that it's been gamed, that it's not respected by employers, that it's not understood by parents? How long have we talked about this? And then within 18 months of Erica Stanford taking over the education portfolio, the changes are made. This is absolutely, by the way, the right thing to do. Nowhere, in none of the assessments of what's happening at NCEA Level 1, 2 or 3, do you hear anyone say - hey, you know what, this is a good system. It's always criticism. The ERA had a look at NCEA Level 1 last year and they found such big problems with that they recommended getting rid of it. NZQA last year found only half of year 12 students actually finished 3 full subjects. They didn't even get to do 3 full subjects, but they somehow managed to pass NCEA. NZCER found that learning was not the focus of school at NCEA level anymore, assessment was. The OECD two years ago found what we always know is going on lately and our ability to read, write and do maths was slipping. It had now fallen below the OECD average. The NZQA Insights paper found a huge number of kids got Level 3 because it's easy, but UE, the old equivalent, they couldn't get it because it's not easy. Now, none of this is news to us, right? Some of these reports actually date back to 2018, 7 years ago. Yet NCEA hasn't been scrapped until now. Now, this is brave, because any change this big is brave, but especially, it's brave right now at a time when secondary school teachers are already dealing with a lot. They have a curriculum refresh on the go. They've got new compulsory exams already now, they've got this. They are busy and they're about to get busier. And while I feel for them, and I do, our kids are too important and their education is too important to muck around. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New South Wales is celebrating its new programme - poaching cops from other states - and abroad. 21 experienced, poached, officers are graduating in the Australian state today - seven of them from New Zealand. The New South Wales Police Minister, Yasmin Catley, is attributing it to a historic pay rise last year - making them the best paid officers in Australia. Catley told Heather du Plessis-Allan she makes no apologies for taking police from elsewhere. She says the graduates are looking forward to the endless opportunities in New South Wales. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NZ on Air has its fingers crossed its financial support of Shortland St won't be forever. New Zealand's longest-running drama's been granted 2.5 million in funding for its 2026 season, to help the show transition to the audience's preference of online viewing. NZ on Air CEO Cam Harland told Heather du Plessis-Allan that they also provided funding last year, but hoped it would assist the show moving to a more financially sustainable place. But he says the economic environment for ad funded media hasn't improved. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Trade Minister's hitting the phones, as it's confirmed US tariffs on New Zealand will be higher than when they were first announced. The Trump administration has confirmed base tariffs will now be 15 percent -- up from 10, in a decision that impacts countries including New Zealand. It's believed the new rate applies to those with a trade deficit with the US. Todd McClay told Heather du Plessis-Allan that he's seeking an urgent call with American representatives on this. He says it's disappointing and challenging for exporters, and while there are opportunities, tariffs aren't good for trade. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You know that story about the gang numbers cracking the 10,000 mark? That's classic gotcha politics, isn't it? It doesn't count when the number is 9,999, but once it hits 10,000 - or in this case, 10,009 - it's a thing, and it's the Government's fault. Is it the Government's fault though? I mean, should we actually be angry at Mark Mitchell for this one? I don't think so. I think that what we're seeing right now is the result of stuff that has already happened, mainly- with the deportation of criminals from Australia and the recession that we're in. Recessions lead to an increase in crime for obvious reasons, and the deportation of serious criminals will lead to an increase in gang numbers - probably for a while yet actually - until the likes of the Comancheros and any other heavy outfit that's been brought here from Australia has maxed out its recruitment drive in New Zealand. I think it's highly ironic that Ginny Andersen is the one moaning about this. Do you need me to remind you of Ginny Andersen? Ginny Andersen was one of Labour's run of Police Ministers who totally took their foot off the throat of the gangs when they were in power. Ginny Andersen was the Police Minister at the time that the gang was basically allowed to take over Opotiki for the tangi. Remember that? At least under this Government and this particular Police Minister, police have been given the understanding that they are to crack down on gangs. There have been a huge number of arrests. There are no gang tangi taking over small town roads anymore and there are no gang patches. Laura, the producer, lives out in West Auckland. She reckons she used to see a gang patch every single day, but doesn't see them now. None at all. Now, it doesn't mean that the gang members are gone. You can still see them around the place, they just walk around in their colours, you know, without the patches. Just look for someone wearing an unusual amount of primary colour red. That generally denotes a Mongrel Mob member. Look for somebody with a lot of yellow going on, that's generally somebody from the Comancheros. Lots of primary blue, that'll be your Black Power there. I saw one in his gang colours in Bunnings the other day. But at least they do not have the belief that they can walk around intimidating good people in public places because they don't have their patch on - and them being stripped of that belief actually counts for a lot. Now, I'm not happy the gang numbers have gone up, but they have. And I expect they're gonna keep going up for a while until this economy turns around and the pool of recruits available to the Aussie imports starts drying up. That is not the fault of this Government and it is also not the fault of this Police Minister. And what counts for a lot more is at least these gangs are being cracked down on now. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sad news today - Sir Michael Hill, jeweller, has passed away. Again, he's another larger-than-life figure in New Zealand business - the likes of which we don't seem to be making anymore. Now, I don't know if you realize - I mean, we've all grown up with Michael Hill just being a name we knew - but I don't know if you realize how amazing his story was. He did not start his jewellery business until he was 40 years old. Up til then, he'd been working as a manager in his family's jewellery business. He left school at 16 and headed straight there. He was there for 23 years, got married and had a couple of kids. But one day, his house burnt down. And the story goes that when he was watching his house go up in flames - literally - he decided he needed to change things. So he started his own shop and it was a success. It was more successful than his uncle's business. So he opened seven shops in seven years, and that was a success. So he then decided to open another 70 in seven years. And now, his business is global. It's in New Zealand, it's in Australia, it's in Canada. He's worked with Kim Kardashian, he's designed his own golf course, he has a luxury super yacht, he's got himself a knighthood. And isn't it remarkable, when you think about it, that all of those things happened after he took a massive risk when he turned 40? I mean, 40 is an age when most of us are either at the peak of our careers or absolutely firmly settled in what we're doing. Imagine just tipping it all up and deciding to start your own business at 40. What I love about Michael Hill's story the most was that he did the same thing that many successful people do: he set goals and he visualized them. He wrote his goals down for years in advance - seven years, sometimes even as many as 30 years. And then he imagined what it would be like when he was actually doing that and had achieved those goals. Successful people tell you to do this time and time again. But before you even get to the point of setting that goal, you have to believe that you can achieve it. And he clearly believed it in spades, and he thinks not enough of us believe what we can achieve. He was more, obviously, than just a man who was into money. He promoted art. He was very good at violin - in fact, so good, he founded an international violin competition for young players. He donated to health research. He took his New Zealand business to the world. And he showed, yet again, that you can dream big from a small place like Whangārei. He is an inspiration and he is a loss. But more importantly, he is an example to us all. We just need to set our goals and then go for it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The news of the day, politically, is that surcharges are gone, as the Government's just banned them. You know what I'm talking about here, right? They're the little extra amount that you get pinged when you turn up at the dairy and you use your credit card, or you use your paywave - it's gone from May next year. The big sell behind this is basically that it's to help you with the cost of living crisis. Now, I hate to do this because I know you're thinking, "Oh, yay." And I'm totally gonna rain on that parade for you. Don't get excited, this is gonna fix nothing. You are still gonna end up paying that cost somehow, probably just through the cost of the bottle of milk that you're buying. Or your haircut, or your sushi or whatever it is - it's gonna be built into the price because the business still has the cost. Nothing is changing there. They've still got to pay that merchant fee. Now, a merchant fee is a very complicated set of charges which the business gets lumped with. And most businesses actually have no bloody idea what makes up that merchant fee. There's a fee from the credit card companies, there's a fee for moving money from the banks, there's the EFTPOS providers - the whole thing gets lumped into the merchant fee and that has not gone away. What's only gone away is the business's ability to be able to recover the cost of some of that through the surcharge. And by the way, the cost of that thing is actually quite big. I've read about one business - just one shop - that pays about $14,000 in a year just for that, just for the merchant fee, to be able to do business electronically. Now, what's going to happen if you go to that shop is, because that guy can't now pass it on to you with a 2 percent, 0.7 percent, 1 percent surcharge or whatever, he's simply going to add it to the cost of his product so that across the year, he makes that $14,000 back. Also, another reason why you shouldn't get excited about it is that this ban does not include anything that you buy online. So you're buying your Air New Zealand tickets? You're still gonna be paying that little $6 handling fee. You're buying some tickets for a concert from Ticketmaster? You're still paying that handling fee. Maybe you want to head along to Banksy? Yep, you're still gonna be paying yourself a nice little $8 handling fee. And the problem with that is that these are some of the most egregious examples, I would have thought, of surcharges just bearing no resemblance to reality - but they still slip through this. So instead of actually sorting out the backroom problems and the real gnarly issues - what has been charged by the banks and the EFTPOS companies and the credit card companies and really excessive surcharges - the Government's just taken the easy option and brought in a ban on the little stuff you buy from the dairy. Good headline. Unfortunately, though, just a charade. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let's be honest with each other about something. That increase in rough sleeping that the cities are anecdotally reporting to that homelessness report will be caused by the shutting down of those emergency motels. I know the Government's trying to avoid having to admit that, but that is the big thing that's changed since the election. They've shut down the motels and some of the people who were in those motels, or who might have gone to those motels, have ended up on the streets. And I don't think that that's unexpected. That is not an unexpected consequence of taking a tougher line on the motels. Now, don't see me as tough or hard-hearted on this. I don't want anyone sleeping on the streets and I venture most of us don't. But I still think that shutting down those motels was a good idea because that was out of hand, wasn't it? I mean, spending $1.4 billion on emergency accommodation in six years was just way too much money. I prefer the line the Government's taking at the moment, which is to put the obligation where it actually should be, which is on family and friends. Which is to say that if someone finds themselves, God forbid, without a roof over their heads, the first place that they should go for help is not the state. It should be their mum or their brother or their auntie or their son or their friend. And only then when all of their options are exhausted and they really have no one to turn to, then should they turn to the state. But that is not what was happening with the emergency motels. The state was the first port of call. If you think about it, the state has stepped in to take over a lot of roles that we normally would have relied on each other for. And in some cases, it's unavoidable and in some cases it's for the best, for example - police, or whatever. But in this case, let's be honest, $1.4 billion is a lot of money that could have been spent on anything else that we are running dry on right now. Healthcare, cops, education. So actually, the first place you turn to if you don't have somewhere to sleep is your family. Only at the end of the road should the state step in. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So guess what's happening after Nicola Willis' butter meeting with Fonterra last night? Nothing. After hyping the meeting, after Mikey chasing Miles down the street, after the news going live with the banner across the TV that the Fonterra meeting is underway, after all of that - nothing is happening because nothing can happen, because Fonterra's not ripping us off. We're simply paying the same international price as everyone for butter, which Nicola knows because she's an intelligent woman and because she used to work for Fonterra as well. So, nothing has come from the meeting. There is no announcement about what is being fixed. Miles Hurrell is not resigning or apologizing, and the price of butter is not dropping. All that has happened is that Nicola Willis has fronted up for the media today and told them that Miles Hurrell will talk to them at some time soon to explain how the price of butter works, which is a nothing outcome. In which case, you have to ask yourself the question, what was the point of the meeting? If Nicola actually truly does understand the mechanics of butter pricing, and presumably then also understands that Fonterra isn't ripping us off and also had no plans to announce anything after this, why hype the meeting? I can answer that question for you. Because she wanted to pass the buck. She wanted to blame Fonterra, because National is feeling the pressure over the fact that Labour is now more trusted to deal with the cost of living crisis than National is - according to the Ipsos survey, which is out this month. And because the heat has been cranked up on National, who have talked a very big game about getting the economy back on track - and yet 18 months in, it's still very much off track to the extent that people cannot afford butter. Nicola tried to shift the blame from National to Fonterra and it didn't work. Now, the lesson here is that performance politics doesn't work. Blaming the supermarkets but doing nothing, blaming Fonterra but doing nothing, blaming the banks but doing nothing, that kind of stuff doesn't work. And in fact, it's risky, it runs the risk of backfiring, which is exactly what's happening here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The big news of the day is another $1 deal in the media, which probably tells you everything you need to know about the state of the industry. But this is, on balance, good news for everyone - I would have thought. It's good for you, for viewers, good for Sky, and good for Three. And I'm gonna work backwards on that - Let's start with TV3. It's good news for Three and for the people who work there, because Three continues to exist. A very real alternative must have been for Warner Brothers Discovery, the owners, to shut Three down completely. Now that they've sold it for $1 to Sky, it continues. It's good news for Sky, because it gives Sky TV a chance to make money again off stuff that they already own. For example, and I'm just picking this randomly, let's say White Lotus. Sky TV buys the broadcast rights for the country to White Lotus, they earn the money off White Lotus by sticking it on Sky TV, sticking it on Neon, and we pay a subscription to watch it. Now, they can wait a few months, maybe until all of us who've paid for it have watched it, and then they can dump White Lotus for free on TV3 and Freeview - which is TV3's app - and then they can make money off White Lotus all over again through advertising around the free content. Now, they can already do this with their Sky Open channel, which is a free-to-air channel they already have, but who even knows where on the TV Sky Open is? I have no bloody idea what number it is. Never even watched it before in my life. And does it have an app? Wouldn't know. I know everything you need to know about TV3, I've got the TV3 app, I know where to find it. There is a very strong brand attached to Three. More importantly, I would have thought for Sky TV - this strengthens its arm for sports, right? Sky TV has now got to be the only real choice in town for sports content. Beforehand at least domestically, TVNZ was a real competitor, at least for the free-to-air portion, given so many people watch TVNZ - both its on-air channels and its app. But now, Sky TV's got Three - same same. It doesn't need to have anything to do with TVNZ. Finally, it's good for you and me that this deal was struck today, because who doesn't want excellent free content landing on an app that you already have or a TV channel that you already watch? So good day all round, I would say. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Now, here's a prediction for you - watch those Waikato University medical school costs blowout. I reckon it's gonna blow out and there's all the signs this thing is gonna blow out. Even when the Waikato University was itself putting in less money, which is $100 million, there were questions about whether it could afford it because Waikato University's debt level is maxed out at the moment. So everybody looked at it and went, are you actually gonna be able to afford it? Well now, it not only has to put in the $100 million, it has to put in $150 million between itself and some philanthropists it needs to find. Now, what do you think happens if for whatever reason, it cannot quite find that money? Who do you think is going to be called upon to fund the gap? The long-suffering taxpayer. That's a blowout for us. Now, that's not even mentioning the chances that this thing costs much more than what they say it's gonna cost. I'm very suspicious about how it is that a $380 million project suddenly got cut down to $230 million without anything actually being cut out of it. How did that happen? And even at the higher estimate, which was $380 million, I was already worried that that wasn't really going to cover it, because there were warnings then that it was going to blow out - because the thing is being rushed. Treasury said that whenever we rush things, like the Dunedin Hospital build, we end up with unexpected and often urgent cost escalations. Now, I'm incredibly cynical about the fact that this has somehow managed to radically cut the costs of a scheme that was being questioned for being too expensive and unnecessary when we already have two medical schools. And I worry very much that we have been presented the best case scenario to get us across the line on a National Party election promise that actually wasn't stacking up anymore. And that once we've invested in this and the shovels are in the ground and the costs start to blow out, we go - well, we're already pouring money into it, we simply will have to continue pouring money into it, which is how this always goes. So I hope that this comes in under budget, and if it does, I absolutely will apologize for what I'm saying right now, but I don't think it will. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The week has come to an end, and so Trish Sherson and Tim Wilson joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to Wrap the Week that was. They discussed Woolworth's latest promotion freebie and KiwiRail's confusing ban on melatonin and sleeping medications. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'll tell you why I don't like the money we're spending on Sunny Kaushal and the Retail Crime Advisory Group: it's not a good deal. I haven't got a problem with Sunny Kaushal, but he was offering his ideas to the Government for free. If someone offers you something for free and you then decide to pay for it, that is a bad deal. And it's not bad coin we're paying either. Sunny Kaushal is earning $920 a day. Between March 1st and June 10th, which is 102 days, he earned $95,112. He can claim up to $920 dollars a day. Now my sums tell me that means he's been working and claiming seven days a week. For 102 days straight. Nearly $100,000 for three months work ain't bad. Then there's the personnel cost of $330,000 for, what Sunny told us yesterday, lawyers and policy work. That's work which can mostly be done in-house by Government departments and ministerial offices, who do this all the time, and have probably already done work on some of the ideas pitched by the retail crime fighting unit. Frankly, at the cost of $330,000 I think we can all see someone's taking the mickey with their bills. Now, if you are offered something for free, why would you pay for it? That's how the Government gravy train works. Good for Sunny Kaushal. If I was offered that much money by the Government for doing what I was already doing, I would take it. But I expected better from National, given that we are broke and they are supposed to be careful with money. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Wellington Phoenix are desperate to land a high-profile scalp when they confront Wrexham in the Capital on Saturday. The Nix are keen to bury last year's disappointing 11th place in the A-League. Crowds are expected to comfortably surpass 20 thousand. Phoenix General Manager David Dome told Heather du Plessis-Allan that Sydney beat them 2-1 last weekend, and he knows for a fact that their academy is better than Sydney's. He says they'll put out a very good team on the ground, and they definitely have it in them to beat the Welsh club. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The recent wild weather in Nelson-Tasman could push up the price of our produce. Growers faced weeks of heavy rain and flooding that's damaged infrastructure, affected harvests, and disrupted supply chains. There are concerns about saturated soils meaning growers can't plant new crops, affecting vegetables like broccoli, lettuces, and spinach. Vegetables NZ Chair John Murphy told Heather du Plessis-Allan the market responds quickly to shortages. He says we will see prices grow marginally. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scott Robertson can no longer be accused of being timid with his All Blacks team selections. Ten changes were made to the starting XV for Saturday's third and final test against France in Hamilton. Ethan de Groot, Fabian Holland, Patrick Tuipulotu, Ardie Savea and Rieko Ioane are the only players remaining from the last run-on side. Newstalk ZB's voice of rugby Elliott Smith told Heather du Plessis-Allan that opportunities to test out different players and different combinations don't come along too often. He says the All Blacks still want to win the final test, but Robertson has to take these opportunities to find out a little bit more about the likes of Damian McKenzie on 10, Samipeni Finau on blindside flank, among others. “You just won't get them too often, and it certainly won't come in the rugby championship.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A breakthrough in New Zealand's long-running trade dispute with Canada is expected to benefit our dairy sector, to the tune of about $157 million a year. Canada's agreed to meet its obligations under the CPTPP trade deal to provide New Zealand greater access to Canada's dairy market. It had previously refused to accept a dispute settlement panel's ruling in New Zealand's favour. Export NZ Executive Director Josh Tan told Heather du Plessis-Allan it's an important win. He says it's essential that countries follow through on their international trade agreements. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Social Development Minister says more jobs are coming to address the number of people on the benefit rising. Ministry of Social Development statistics show almost eight thousand more people were receiving a main benefit in June compared to March. As well, close to 81 thousand beneficiaries have moved into work in the last financial year. Louise Upston told Heather du Plessis Allan the Budget included multiple incentives to create more jobs. She says apart from the infrastructure pipeline, they're also giving businesses the confidence to take on more staff. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The former Work and Income boss says the Government getting 81 thousand people off the benefit is a big achievement, despite the overall number going up. Ministry of Social Development statistics show almost eight thousand more people were receiving a main benefit in June compared to March. It follows the coalition putting new requirements and sanctions in place for beneficiaries. Christine Rankin told Heather du Plessis Allan the increase is inevitable with the current economy, but the tougher conditions are the right move. She says until Louise Upston came along as Minister, there were no expectations for beneficiaries to do anything. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many principals are welcoming the Government's decision to scrap open plan classrooms as a no-brainer. Education Minister Erica Stanford says all new builds will have more traditional layouts, reversing the decision from John Key's government. Christchurch's Shirley Boys' High School's paid $800 thousand to transform its open plan classrooms to single cells. Headmaster Tim Grocott told Heather du Plessis Allan they noticed an immediate improvement. He says they're a secondary school teaching individual subjects, so individual classes for teachers is crucial. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Erica Stanford is this Government's MVP. Once again, she is taking an inexplicably stupid thing in schools, ditching it, and going back to common sense. This is something close to my heart at the moment because I have to make a decision in the next six months or so about which school we send our son to. But I've basically already made the decision, and it will be the one school in the area that has single classes instead of open plan, modern learning spaces. It's the school his best friend from kindy is now going to. It's also the school another parent I know has just sent their child to. All of us are doing it for the same reason: we want to avoid open plan learning spaces. We know, like most parents know, that if you stick a hundred kids in a big room and tell them to pay attention to the teacher in front of them, they can't. They get distracted by the loud noises coming from the other kids over there. Why the Ministry of Education forced this in schools will probably baffle me for the rest of my life, because there is no logic to it. No one who has kids, or spends time with kids, can really believe kids can concentrate and learn with 100 voices chirping all the time. Which idiot came up with this? I'd love to know. I tell you what, the legacy of this Government could well be that it finally turns around our up-to-now decades long decline in education stats. That, along with the ban on phones in schools, and the hour a day of reading writing and maths, and the expectation that kids must pass existing standards, actually gives our kids a chance to learn as well as kids in any other developed country, like we used to. And if that is what happens, given how crucial education is to a country's success, Erica Stanford will remain as I see her: The MVP of this Government, if not of the decade. Or, of this generation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After more than ten years in the musical game, Lachie Hayes has released his sophomore album. The Kiwi musician hails from the deepest of the deep south, blending rural blues, alt-folk-country, and soul rock to deliver a new wave of alt-country music. ‘Subsatellite' is an eleven-track album, produced by prolific musician and producer Delaney Davidson, filled with the colourful stories of ordinary people. He joined Heather du Plessis-Allan for a chat about the rising popularity of country music and where his career is headed next. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Could Roger Tuivasa-Sheck make another code switch in 2027? The Sydney Morning Herald reports the Warriors great is a target of the proposed Rugby360 competition for when he comes off contract after next season. The newspaper estimates the value of the offer at over one million dollars per season – double what Tuivasa-Sheck is currently earning with the Warriors. Former Kiwis Captain Richie Barnett told Heather du Plessis-Allan this is a massive threat to the NRL. He says they've always had to contend with competitions trying to recruit across codes, but the money and consortiums that are coming up now have too big a pool of money to say no to. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's believed new RMA planning systems will relieve at least 50% of unnecessary work from councils. The Government is putting a halt on council planning work before the new RMA planning system comes into force. It's also moving to force councils to focus on core services and may move to cap future rates increases. RMA Advisory Group Chair Janette Campbell told Heather du Plessis Allan councils will still remain very busy. She says it's going to be a big job to get ready for and impliment the new system, and councils will not be twiddling their thumbs. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A belief the cost of propping up retail crime advisors is money well spent – and that's from a key member of the advisory group. It's been revealed $500 thousand has been spent on the Retail Ministerial Advisory Group in the 102 days to June 30. Group Chair Sunny Kaushal told Heather du Plessis-Allan the group's coming in under budget, and money is required for their proposals. He says retail crime is costing $2.8 billion, and if laws are to change, they need to produce quality reports. Kaushal says the money's coming from the Proceeds of Crime Fund. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Electricity companies could face further rules if the latest measures to drive down prices don't work. The Electricity Authority's moving to require power companies to charge less for power during off-peak periods and pay more for solar and battery power during peak periods. But it hasn't stated how much lower off-peak prices actually need to be. Commerce Commission Chair John Small —a member of the authority's Energy Competition Task Force— told Heather du Plessis-Allan they're hoping competition will drive down off-peak prices. He says they want to see how things go, but the regulator will need to consider further action if things don't go as planned. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Internal Affairs Minister's being criticised for allowing improper destruction of religious texts from the National Library. The Government plans to shred around half a million books which include the Bible, the Qur'an, and the Torah, to save on storage costs. Massey University Professor Emeritus of Religion Peter Lineham told Heather de Plessis-Allan religious texts should be offered to the relevant communities. He says Minister Brooke van Velden suggested they can do what they want with the books because New Zealand's secular. But Lineham says being secular doesn't mean being careless with other people's beliefs. Lineham told du Plessis-Allan religions have strict beliefs about how texts should be handled and destroyed - if at all. He says only preserving New Zealand books fails to recognise our society contains —and is stemmed from— many cultures. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It all goes down in Sydney tonight. Sonny Bill Williams steps back into the ring for his long awaited bout against fellow footy star turned boxer Paul Gallen. There's no lost love between the pair, who have been wanting to fight for nearly a decade. Williams told Heather du Plessis-Allan that hate is a strong word to describe their dynamic, but the animosity between them is definitely real. He says that he's not generally a trash talker, but if someone's going to keep pushing, eventually you're going to push back. “I don't consider it trash talk, I kind of just spoke some truth, and I think with this bloke, every fight he's had, he's made it personal,” he told du Plessis-Allan. “But the reality is, all I've done is spoken some truths back and I think it's riled him up quite a bit.” Williams says the bout can't come quick enough. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm as interested as anyone on this mystery about whether David Seymour is in trouble over the letter he sent to the UN. Whether the media reporting is right that the Prime Minister gave Seymour a telling off, or whether David was right that it was just a nice chat, or whether the media reporting is right that Winston is cross with David for sending the letter, or whether David's right that Winston is fine and is basically going to send the same letter again, or whether Winston is right when he says that's not true – I'm as interested as you are in what the truth is. But regardless of whether David is in trouble, he was right when he called the letter "presumptive, condescending, and wholly misplaced". I personally think he did us a favour giving the UN a slap-down for piping up on the Regulatory Standards Bill with their letter, which started the chain of correspondence. In particular, what the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples got wrong is his assertion that the bill fails to uphold indigenous rights guaranteed in the Treaty, including partnership. There is no partnership guarantee. It's not in the Treaty. It was a judge's comment in the mid 80's and was subsequently misinterpreted to mean partnership. He apparently also claims Māori have been excluded form consultation, which is again not true, because we've just had a full week of select committee hearings which included submission from Māori. Both of these facts could've been discovered with a simple Google search. Unfortunately for the UN this makes the case, again, for the thing being scaled back to what it was originally set up for: preventing WWIII. They should get out of everything else —climate change, indigenous rights, advocating for wealth taxes— because it's gone way beyond its original remit. It's too political and it's frankly not very good at any of it. Just look at the fact that it hasn't stopped climate change. So thank you to David Seymour for giving the UN a well overdue slap-down. Even if he wasn't really supposed to. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Medical Council's expanding pathways for doctors trained overseas to work in New Zealand. GP registrations from the US, Canada, and Singapore are being fast tracked, and doctors trained in Chile, Luxembourg, and Croatia will be recognised as eligible for provisional general registration. Timeframes for UK, Ireland, and Australian specialist assessments are also being shortened. But General Practitioners Aotearoa Chair Buzz Burrell told Heather du Plessis-Allan 60% of international doctors leave after two years. He says we need to work on retaining doctors and not being an immigration agency for Australia. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Parliament sitting once again, Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to discuss some of the biggest stories of the week so far. They discussed the situation with David Seymour and his letter to the UN, financial audits for political parties, and Ginny's 50th birthday. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Associate Energy Minister's suggesting domestic fuel producers could get special treatment, to shore up energy security. The Government's asking for feedback on its draft long-term fuel strategy. It focuses on resilience, domestic infrastructure, low-carbon alternatives, and security. Shane Jones told Heather di Plessis-Allan special economic zones present a great opportunity. He says in other countries they offer a range of incentives through tailored tax treatment and planning rules for the particular site, with areas like Marsden Point already an energy precinct. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government wants to ensure local councils get back to the basics. A bill moving through Parliament would require councils to financially refocus their core services. The Government wants councils to give more value to ratepayers. Local Government Minister Simon Watts told Heather du Plessis-Allan anything could be defined as "wellbeing". He says because of lack of clarity on council responsibilities, any activity is in scope, which is bad news for ratepayers. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand airports and its national carrier may be suffering the winter blues in new data showing the punctuality of global air travel. The June figures base its rankings on flights arriving and departing within 15 minutes of schedule. Air New Zealand has dropped to tenth in the Asia Pacific region after sitting in the top five earlier this year. No airport in the country cracked the global top 20. Air New Zealand General Manager of Airports Kate Boyer told Heather du Plessis-Allan the seasons play a big part in this. She says it's impacted by the likes of de-icing, foggy days, and storms throughout winter. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Minister for Auckland's keeping positive despite a mixed annual State of the City report. The third annual report shows the city rates strongly in sustainability, resilience, and culture, but is falling when it comes to prosperity, skills, and innovation development. Minister Simeon Brown told Heather du Plessis-Allan Auckland's at a good turning point. He says it will be a great year with the City Rail Link opening and the international convention centre bringing opportunities. Brown says they're also addressing inherited challenges, with crime coming down. He's also assuring that health workers and the government are working to ease hospital pressure, amid reports some Auckland ambulances were redirected from EDs. RNZ reports delays handing patients over to Auckland City and Middlemore Hospitals yesterday afternoon, with some assessed by phone or diverted to non-hospital clinics. Brown told du Plessis Allan patients with less severe symptoms are sent to after hours urgent care from time to time. He says the reality is winter is a challenging time for the system, but they're continuing to focus on front line resources to make sure patients receive timely and quality care. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An expected uptick in the country's avocado production as the global market value smashes past $30 billion. A Rabobank report reveals our avocado industry saw a strong recovery last year after crop losses in 2023, due to Cyclone Gabrielle. NZ Avocado's forecasting a production increase of around two-million trays for the 2024/25 season, compared to the last. NZ Avocado CEO Brad Siebert told Heather du Plessis-Allan they've got all the ingredients for a better season ahead. He says New Zealand avocados are harvested for over 10 months of the year – a unique window compared to many of our offshore competitors. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology is welcoming the dissolution of Te Pukenga. From next year, ten of the formally 16 polytechnics across the country will be re-established into standalone institutes after being clumped into one governing body. NMIT Executive Director Olivia Hall told Heather du Plessis-Allan the organisation runs quite a tight stopping and starting of programmes, and has been very lean on all support functions available. She says the community and local industries are very clear on their expectations for the industry, which is to be standalone. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whenever there's success at the top level of international rugby in New Zealand, more often than not there is one specific name involved. Known as the ‘Scrum Doctor', Mike Cron was an assistant coach for the All Blacks for more than 200 games, winning the 2011 and 2015 World Cups. He then came out of retirement in 2022 to join the Black Ferns, helping them win a world title as well, before shifting over to join the Wallabies. In the midst of all this, he's written a book: ‘Coach: Lessons from an All Black Legend'. Cron told Heather du Plessis-Allan that he's always had a thirst for knowledge, and found ideas from looking at other elite sports. “I've never been really interested in rugby coaching seminars,” he said. “They left me a bit bland, so to speak. Y'know, they just showed you a new drill or something.” Ballet and sumo are two sports he's pulled ideas from, saying the key is to go in with an open mind. “If you've got an open mind and you look and listen, there will be some, some bit of gold there for you.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's probably sensible, don't you think, for the Blues to consider leaving Eden Park for Mt Smart? It's not going to fix the attendance issues, though they seem to be hoping it will. In the consultation they're doing, the question they're asking fans is whether moving to Mt Smart will make them “more or less likely to attend Blues Super Rugby [mens] home games”. The fans might say yes, but they won't. Mt Smart is no better than Eden Park. It's not easier to get to there with public transport, it's about the same. If you drive you still have to find a park somewhere on the road, or on private property. You're still exposed to the elements in the stand. You're still paying for your beer and chips instead of getting them out of your kitchen. Maybe you could argue Mt Smart has a slight advantage in that you're coming straight off the motorway instead of fighting to get down Dominion Road, but I don't think that's enough of a difference to supercharge the crowd. Maybe you could argue that because the Warriors and Auckland FC are there, fans form a habit, so they go because they know how to go. But again, I don't think that's the problem. I think the problem is Super Rugby You're seeing poor turnout for Super Rugby regular season games around the country. 6000 are turning up for Moana Pasifika games. 13,000 for the Crusaders. 11,000 for the Blues. 11,000 in a 50,000 capacity stadium looks horrible. 11,000 in a 25,000 capacity stadium like Mt Smart looks less bad. But it's giving up, isn't it? The Blues leaving the home of rugby is basically accepting that this is how it is, that the crowd size of 11,000 is simply how it's going to be. What they should really be doing is finding smart ways to get us to come to Super Rugby games again. Find ways to get families along. Eden Park's kid zone with the bouncy castle is the right kind of thinking. Find ways to get us excited about the game of rugby. I'm sorry, but it's a boring product. Unless they do that, crowds that only fill quarter of a stadium are the future, in which case, move to Mt Smart. A smaller stadium will hide the empty seats better. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Blues are weighing up their future at the hallowed turf of Eden Park, with their contract coming to an end. The Super Rugby franchise have asked for public feedback on moving their home games to Mount Smart Stadium for the 2026 season. CEO Andrew Hore told Heather du Plessis-Allan they've seen an increase in broadcast numbers, but they've seen a much smaller increase in crowds over the last three years and they want to accelerate that. He says that moving from Eden Park may not be the answer, but it could be, and they've got to investigate all avenues. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ball is now in the Government's court following calls for bold action to fix a broken energy market. An open letter, signed by several influential groups including Consumer NZ and Auckland Business Chamber, has been sent to the Prime Minister. Major Electricity Users' Group Executive Director Karen Boyes told Heather du Plessis-Allan an independent review is also now with Energy Minister Simon Watts. She says there are lots of underlying issues that need to be addressed as soon as possible, such as increasing prices, market power issues, and the lack of an energy strategy. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bullying, unmet special needs education, and system pressure appear to be some of the likely causes of a rise in homeschooling rates. The Ministry of Education's data shows 11,400 children had an exemption from school, favouring home education last year - twice that of 2001. National Council of Home Educators government liaison Cynthia Hancox told Heather du Plessis-Allan resources are stretched, teachers are stressed, there are more children with additional needs, and the system isn't keeping up. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Privacy laws may need to be tweaked to allow for a new alliance to combat scams. The Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister has announced the Anti-Scam Alliance, which joins government, industry, and consumer groups. The alliance establishes a formal structure for industries to share data about scams and shut them down in real-time. Minister Scott Simpson told Heather du Plessis-Allan the Government is exploring ways to ensure all laws are complied with. He also believes Facebook has a role to play in cracking down on scams. Meta is involved in the alliance, and Simpson says Facebook should ensure scammers don't use their site. He told du Plessis-Allan rules are in place to control advertising in print media but not in the digital world. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Importing liquefied natural gas could potentially require one billion dollars in capital investment. Major energy companies Clarus, Contact Energy, Genesis Energy, Meridian Energy, and Mercury have commissioned two studies looking into the option. Data out last month shows New Zealand's domestic gas supply is reducing faster and sooner than previously forecast. Clarus chief executive Paul Goodeve says it would be expensive. He told Heather du Plessis-Allan that the most important thing is not what it costs, but the value it brings, and last winter we saw the cost of not having a stable fuel supply. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Winner of the week has got to be NZ First. In the latest Taxpayer's Union Curia poll, they are the third biggest party now, overtaking Act and the Greens. If you've been watching the polls lately that's not a surprise. This has been coming for a while. National has been up and down, Act has been pretty flat, but NZ First has just been heading up most of the year. There are a bunch of reasons for this. Winston is very statesman-like. He manages to disagree with his coalition partners without being quite as bratty as David Seymour can sometimes be. NZ First are choosing their battles. They stayed out of the pay equity kerfuffle, so they didn't cop the blowback. But mainly, it's because they're being refreshingly blunt. Shane Jones doesn't care if the lizard-lovers get upset that he wants to dig a mine where the lizards are. He just says it. Winston doesn't care if Grey Lynn and Aro Valley are offended that he wants transwomen kept out of women's sport. He just says it. He doesn't care if wool carpets into state houses is likely a bad financial decision. He got it done. This party is unashamedly appealing to a group of voters no one else really is, which is working class New Zealanders – people who see things simply and often more correctly than elites would care to imagine. It's the same thing playing out in the UK with the rise of the Reform Party. It's the same reason Trump is back in the White House. Of the three coalition parties NZ First is the only one hitting the same vein of voters. Now, we're still only talking about 10% and 10% doesn't a major party make. But it's only been headed in one direction lately, and that tells you something. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.