Podcast appearances and mentions of simon watts

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

The Government's opted against a significant energy shake-up - rejecting calls to re-nationalise or split up the big gentailers. Instead, it'll offer the Crown-controlled companies more capital to invest in generation projects. Energy Minister Simon Watts explained the changes further here today. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you were looking forward to today to learn how the Government would rescue the country from the energy crisis we face, you are already disappointed by now because you've looked at it and you've seen there's nothing here. There is nothing here that is going to stop us going through what we are going through right now. For months and months every winter for the last two winters we've seen the closing down of mills, extremely high power bills, and a shortage of gas - and all of that's going to continue. The disappointing thing is that we have waited two whole winters for this package of ideas, and yet the best idea seems, to me, to be a kooky idea, which is that the Government may be backing the construction of an LNG import terminal. That was an idea that sounded great last winter, but in the months since, when we've actually had a look at the thing and had some reports done and it has been debunked for being quite expensive for not a lot of gain. To set up one of these terminals, most likely at the port of Taranaki, it would cost somewhere between $200 million and $1 billion dollars, which is not money that we have. The gas that we would then import from offshore to basically make up for the shortage of gas that we have in the country at the moment would be very expensive. Have a look at what you're paying for your gas right now - and add 25 percent to that. The second best idea in this seems to be the Government throwing taxpayer money at the partially owned gentailers in order that they can raise capital to build more generation. Which is not capital that they appear to be asking for. They do not seem to have a shortage of money, as evidenced by the fact that they keep paying out massive dividends. The upshot for all of this - as in how much we're going to save - Simon Watts reckons he might be able to drop power prices by two percent a year. Two percent. Now, I'll tell you the problem with this plan is that it appears - and from what I hear - they haven't spent much time understanding the problem and thus understanding what it would take to fix it properly. So what they've done is, in haste, cobbled together a series of what sounds like maybe decent announcements if you're half listening. But they're really things that will not do that much. Unfortunately for them, we have an energy crisis, and it is massive. It is probably the biggest thing that is facing business in this country right now. A crisis of this size demands a proper fix. This is becoming a theme for this Government - having lots of really big things to deal with, and they're not really dealing with them properly. This is not really a fix. So unfortunately, and I'm so sorry to say this, strap yourself in because it looks like for next winter and the winters to come, the deindustrialization of New Zealand will continue. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well, a great deal of expectation and excitement. We all gathered around the wireless to listen to the 8am announcement about reform of our electricity and power sector and, wow, a lot of hullabaloo and hype over a meh kind of announcement. This government has announced there is money to invest in critical energy infrastructure. Woot. Good to know. We used to criticise the previous government for its announcement of announcements, but by crikey, Nicola Willis has picked up that ball and she's run with it. There was a lot of talk in the press release and at the press conference – reliable and affordable energy is key to New Zealand's prosperity. Well, yeah. Energy powers every part of our economy. We know. But what's happening right now is a gas shortage that is driving New Zealand manufacturers out of business. What's happening right now is that people are really struggling to pay power bills that go up year on year. And what have the Finance Minister and the Energy Minister told us? That they wish to correct the perception that the Government won't invest in the electricity sector. Cool. I thought exactly what Mike said this morning when he was talking to Simon Watts: why didn't you just ring the bosses at Genesis, Mercury, and Meridian and tell them the chequebook was open? Not hold a massive press conference to tell us really very little. There was also an announcement that there's going to be a procurement process started for an LNG import facility, which may or may not be around in two years. Again, announcement of an announcement. The only thing that really stands out for me looking at it is developing new rules to ensure the lack of dry year backup supply, which has a massive ongoing effect on the economy, doesn't happen again. But again, no detail on how that will happen or what energy source will be used as backup. Simon Watts was talking up the government's package on the Mike Hosking Breakfast this morning. “We've got a pretty significant renewable pipeline. I don't doubt that. But am I seeing that flow through in terms of the price of energy? No. And that is what is hitting hard Kiwi households and Kiwi businesses. That's the issue that we need to deal with and this package of announcements and actions, taken as one, is some of the most significant bundle of energy market package announcements that we've seen in a long time. It's going to need to be seen as one package, not as individual parts, but together, we are confident that it'll make a significant impact.” Really, Simon, is it so significant? If you're a manufacturer wondering how on earth you're going to stay in business given the lack of gas and the soaring cost of energy, what will this announcement do for you? If you're trying to juggle the family's household budget and looking at a power bill of $500 bucks, are you going to feel particularly grateful that Nicola Willis and Simon Watts have announced what? According to Meridian, and we'll be talking to Meridian CEO a little later, it's bold. ‘We acknowledge the government's commitment to help the country move forward. It will add greater momentum to our development pipeline and building new generation'. But we know that with the fast tracking of resource consent. This government really does need to stop being so underwhelming in terms of how they report to voters. They get excited about the dry policy wonk stuff and your average voter, not so much. I like a lot of what they're doing. I really do. And if you think about it, you probably do too. I like the health targets. I like the focus of the new curriculum in the schools. I like the improvement in school attendance. I like the banning of gang patches, the fast tracking of projects, Chris Bishop's plan for improving housing supply. Compare that to the pie in the sky of 100,000 Kiwi Build homes. I like the refocusing of Kāinga Ora on its core job of providing homes for people who need them. There is a lot that I like. But the thing is they score own goals with press conferences like this, with all the bells and whistles, that don't actually deliver anything of substance for the people who cast their votes. The problem with the last government is they were all jazz hands and no substance, no delivery. I never thought I'd say this, but the problem with this lot is that they need a bit more stardust. They're solid, they're working hard. They have hard data on what is working policy-wise and what is not. But people just aren't feeling it. There aren't enough good vibes. We need more cowbell, baby, and we need it soon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's opting to provide capital to Crown-controlled power companies instead of reshaping its role in the energy sector. Genesis, Mercury, and Meridian have been assured funding is available for major infrastructure projects. A procurement process for a Liquefied Natural Gas facility has also been launched, which Energy Minister Simon Watts says will start on Monday. He told Mike Hosking Cabinet will aim to make a decision by Christmas to get supply into the country as soon as possible. Watts says their shortest timeline has supply arriving by Winter of 2027, but if a more traditional route is used, it's more likely to come by 2028 or 2029. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 1st of October, we get an insight into whether Hamas is likely to accept Trump's proposed peace plan. The Government has announced their plan for energy reform – boom or bust? Energy Minister Simon Watts unpacked the announcement. Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen join us from airports in Italy and Auckland for Politics Wednesday, discussing local body elections, changes to the earthquake-prone building system, and the electricity announcement. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are apparently going to hear about major electricity sector reform from the Minister this coming week. The final touches are being sorted. Simon Watts calls them fundamental. He refers to the last time it was this major as being in the 90's. So are they going to split the gentailers? The Government's history would suggest no. They have been talking big on banks and supermarkets, and they've made plenty of announcements, but little has actually happened. Why would this be any different? This Government has also argued, rightly, that business likes consistency. When the last lot talked about Onslow and the lake and the hole in the ground, the industry stopped investing. So would splitting the big players not cause the same trouble? But in the report that is driving the Government's thinking we have seen an astonishing increase in the basic power bill. In 2021 we spent $4.4 billion. The next year was $4.5 billion. In 2023 we spent $4.8 billion on power bills. In 2024 it was $5.2 billion. So it's increased from $4.4 billion to 5.2 billion, and you wonder why you don't have any spare cash. On average the basic household power bill since 2023 has gone up $400 each and every year. We can explain some of it on renewables. We need investment but we still haven't closed the gap. We still panic in winter, and that's before you get to all the AI and data centres that will presumably suck us dry. By the way, on the renewable front, Contact Energy are looking at pulling more water out of Lake Hawea. That's if they can get past the locals, who of course hate it. In that is part of the New Zealand problem – nimbyism. You can't moan about the bills and also moan about the solutions. Everyone wants utopia, but don't want to pay for it, or have any of it happen in their backyard. So, stand by. Maybe it's fundamental, maybe it's a government looking to spin some more PR. I think though what we all agree on is we need more power, and the damage the current scenario is doing to the economy can't go on. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions have been raised over New Zealand's future in the Paris Accord, with National holding steady in support for the agreement. Yesterday, ACT's David Seymour said New Zealand should leave unless the terms are changed, but Prime Minister Chris Luxon said backing out would mean we aren't a trusted partner on trade - and would punish our farmers. Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says the Government has no plans to pull out, and they're committed to the emissions targets. "The reality is, is that we're a major export nation. I've just come back from Beijing on Friday, speaking with the Chinese Minister, they're committed to the Paris Agreement." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's Government confidence new energy sector regulations will pressure down power prices. Under Electricity Authority rule changes, our big four power companies must charge everyone the same price for supplying energy. It's to stop the big gentailers giving themselves power discounts - and getting a competitive edge. Energy Minister Simon Watts says it levels the playing field. "The fact that these big gentailers can, in effect, cross-subsidise themselves means that the smaller players aren't getting a fair deal. These rules will stop them doing that, and as a result, we'll see more competition." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Commentators are telling us that the tide is turning, that we've reached the bottom of the cycle. ANZ has lowered its mortgage interest rates, so other banks will surely follow suit, bringing relief to many households. Spring is almost here. And then the rates bill arrives in the mail. Any financial gains are immediately lost, any lift of the spirits plummets. The Government is well aware that rising rates are adding to the economic doom and gloom. They put councils on notice last year to deliver value for money and promised to name and shame councils who were profligate spenders. They called it a table of spending, we call it naming and shaming. The report is designed to hold councils accountable on six metrics: Rates – the change in rates since the previous year and the forecast change in rates over the next 10 years. Council debt Capital expenditure, including a breakdown by activity class such as roading and water services. Balanced budget – to show whether the Council is actually coping with the rates that come in with the money it has or having to borrow to sustain itself. Road conditions – so ratepayers can compare the state of their local roads with councils across the country. Local Government Minister Simon Watts says communities can now compare how much their council spends on core essentials like infrastructure and see whether their rates are going up more than average. We have been clear, says Simon Watts, that we want to see councils get back to basics, focusing on delivering essential services and infrastructure, improving local decision making, and supporting their communities through the cost of living, not adding to it. He's also introducing a bill to remove four well-being provisions: social, economic, environmental, and cultural. They were reintroduced by Labour in 2019 after being removed by the previous National government in 2012, who removed them after Labour introduced them in 2002. So there's been a bit of political ping pong going on there. It will also impose a requirement on councils to prioritise core services when managing finances and setting rates. The threat of a rates cap too is ever present. If you don't stop increasing rates, then we will put a cap on you, the central government has said to local, so that you can't just hoick up the rates to pay your bills. Simon Watts points to rates caps in NSW and Victoria and says the same could happen here. I'm not sure that is the answer, not without accepting a massive loss in services, but how on Earth do you manage to budget when your rates rise well beyond inflation? What options do you have? There's a story in today's New Zealand Herald of a rates rise of 72% for one family in Orewa. That's because they're living on land that's ripe for development, except, of course it's not, because WaterCare is not issuing any resource consents, because there simply isn't the infrastructure to sustain any more development. So they're facing a huge hike in their rates because of the value of the land, but the value of the land can't be realised. So how on Earth do you cope with the 72% rise in rates? How do you manage? Do you sell the property because you simply can't afford the rates? Do you apply for rates relief? Do you just not pay it? For a long time, those who have bothered to vote in local body elections have voted for councillors who promise there'll be no rates rises, which means that a lot of the work that councils are doing has been delayed. They haven't had the money because homeowners, ratepayers, have elected councillors that have promised there will be no rates rises. But all that's doing is delaying the inevitable. In part, we have brought this on ourselves. You vote for people who aren't going to increase rates, you don't bother to vote. You don't bother to stand for council. When I say you, I mean we. So in part, we've brought this on ourselves. And because there haven't been the cheques and balances to monitor the spending, irresponsible councils have been able to do exactly as they wish - vanity projects wasteful spending. And those within the infrastructure of Council too have spent like drunken sailors. I would very much like to hear from those of you who have received your rates bill. Around the country, we've seen massive increases. Are you getting value for money from your Council? And what on Earth can you do about it? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As a new Championship season beckons, Jake Smith sits down with David Howes and Mark Magee to look ahead to the upcoming campaign. The panel preview the Blues' season opener away at Oxford United and there are interviews with head coach John Mousinho and Marlon Pack, as well as opposition fan Simon Watts.

C'est un signal fort… mais à rebours de l'histoire. Fin juillet, le Parlement néo-zélandais a voté la fin d'une interdiction emblématique : celle de prospecter de nouveaux gisements pétroliers et gaziers en mer. Une interdiction qui datait de 2018, mise en place sous le gouvernement de Jacinda Ardern pour marquer l'engagement du pays contre le dérèglement climatique.Mais aujourd'hui, le vent a tourné à Wellington. Avec 68 voix pour et 54 contre, le gouvernement conservateur fait machine arrière. Pour justifier ce virage, le ministre du Changement climatique et de l'Énergie, Simon Watts, évoque une production d'énergies renouvelables en baisse, un risque sur les prix pour les ménages, et la nécessité de garantir l'approvisionnement national. Même son de cloche du côté des Ressources naturelles : selon Shane Jones, l'interdiction de 2018 aurait découragé les investissements, aggravant les pénuries.Face à ce recul, l'opposition dénonce un retour en arrière dangereux. “Un choix idéologique tourné vers le passé”, fustige la députée travailliste Megan Woods. Les ONG environnementales, elles aussi, tirent la sonnette d'alarme. Car cette décision va à l'encontre des objectifs climatiques mondiaux. L'Accord de Paris, signé en 2015, appelle à limiter le réchauffement à +1,5°C d'ici 2100. Or, pour y parvenir, les scientifiques s'accordent : il faut réduire drastiquement la part des énergies fossiles, et non rouvrir des gisements. En 2021, l'Agence internationale de l'énergie appelait d'ailleurs à stopper tout nouveau projet pétrolier ou gazier.Rappelons-le : la température moyenne mondiale a déjà grimpé de 1,1°C depuis le XIXe siècle. Un réchauffement causé sans ambiguïté par les activités humaines, et dont les conséquences sur les sociétés et la biodiversité s'intensifient. Alors que les solutions sont connues – énergies renouvelables, sobriété, transition alimentaire – la Nouvelle-Zélande semble, pour l'instant, choisir une autre voie. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

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.

The Local Government Minister says new legislation in the works will give councils clarity. An amendment bill's been introduced to Parliament to make local bodies focus on core services. It also demands regular public progress reports - and disclosure on the cost of consultants and contractors. Simon Watts says it's a return to bread and butter duties. "Previously, terms like social, cultural and economic type activities - they were all just catch-all. And as a result, some councils across the country were doing stuff that was basically wasteful spending." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In June 1968, Senator Robert Kennedy was killed during his campaign for the American presidency.There was nationwide mourning with huge crowds lining the tracks for his funeral train, as it travelled from New York to Washington DC. In 2012, Simon Watts spoke to Kennedy's former press secretary Frank Mankiewicz and to his former bodyguard Rosey Grier. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic' and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy's Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they've had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America's occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.(Photo: Robert Kennedy funeral train. Credit: Getty Images)

I think in the end, Groundswell is gonna be proven right - but I don't think they're gonna get what they want right now and I don't think they should get what they want right now. Because what they want is for New Zealand to pull out of the Paris Agreement. Now, we cannot pull out of the Paris Agreement. At least, we can't pull out right now, right? We cannot be one of the first to pull out, because the first lot of countries that pull out of the Paris Agreement are going to be the ones who are blamed for destroying the agreement, and they will pay for it reputationally. And frankly, here in New Zealand, we rely way too much on our good guy reputation for tourism and trading and so on to risk being seen to not care about climate change. But I think that eventually we will pull out - or more likely, the agreement will fall apart by itself because it's not working. I mean, just look at the numbers. We are supposed to hit our first significant target - the 2030 target - in five years' time. We're not going to hit it. I can tell you that now, we are not going to hit it in 5 years' time. Neither are a whole bunch of other countries - Argentina, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Turkey, Canada, just go through the list of countries to find how many of them are actually going to hit it. Now when we don't hit it, which is inevitable, we are supposed to fix it up by planting a huge number of trees, and we're only going to be able to do that by paying probably a developing country to plant those trees for us. And the estimated bill for that, as it stands right now, is $23 billion. Now, do you think we're gonna send $23 billion overseas in 2030? No, of course we're not going to. We know that because the climate minister has basically gone around saying that. And even Chlöe Swarbrick knows that this thing is falling apart, because we had her on the show just a few weeks ago and I asked her if the Paris Agreement was going to hold - and she wouldn't say yes, which tells you she already knows. So if Chlöe can see that the thing is gonna fail and Simon Watts is predicting that it's gonna fail, then perhaps we all need to see that it is going to fail at some point and Groundswell will eventually be proven right. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Revenue Minister says Donald Trump was a factor in scrapping the incoming Digital Services Tax Bill. A legacy of the last Government, it would've imposed a three percent tax on revenue from Kiwis - earned by the likes of Facebook and Google. The US President has called such legislation 'overseas extortion', and said he'd act against it. Simon Watts says they considered recent developments, including in the US. "But at the end of the day - I took a look at this tax, we've been looking at it a bit and it's got some real drawback - and we've made the decision to pull it from the agenda." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Revenue Minister says Donald Trump was a factor in scrapping the incoming Digital Services Tax Bill. A legacy of the last Government, it would've imposed a three percent tax on revenue from Kiwis - earned by the likes of Facebook and Google. The US President has called such legislation 'overseas extortion', and said he'd act against it. Simon Watts says they considered recent developments, including in the US. "But at the end of the day - I took a look at this tax, we've been looking at it a bit and it's got some real drawback - and we've made the decision to pull it from the agenda." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The end of the Second World War in Europe came on 8 May 1945, after more than five years of conflict.British Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced that people could allow themselves "a brief period of rejoicing". Crowds in their thousands gathered outside Whitehall and Buckingham Palace.BBC correspondents, including Richard Dimbleby, capture the scenes of joy across the city - from the East End to Piccadilly Circus.This programme was produced by Simon Watts using material from the BBC Archives recorded on VE Day in 1945.It was first broadcast in 2020.Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic' and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy's Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they've had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America's occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.(Photo: VE Day in London. Credit: Getty Images)

The Government says it's reinstating confidence in the Emissions Trading Scheme. It comes as the Climate Commission's calls for carbon credits to stay the same price, to maintain stability. Climate Change Minister Simon Watts told Mike Hosking while some carbon credit auctions haven't taken off, things are improving on other years. He says the previous Government was getting too involved and causing volatility, but he's turning things around. He says the Commission's told the Government its changes are working well, and it can keep its hand off the tiller. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government's green investment fund is shutting down. The NZGIF came under fire last year over its $145 million loan to failed company Solar Zero. Climate Change Minister Simon Watts earlier spoke to Corin Dann.

The Government has revealed the New Zealand Green Investment Finance will stop making new investments - and will wind down its' existing portfolio. Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says it has invested almost $400 million into various projects, with 'limited' results. Watts says there's no need for the Government to be involved in this particular market going forward. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

The Revenue Minister's confident changes to the Foreign Investment Fund will greatly benefit tech and startup companies. The Government's working on changes which would see new migrants taxed on a realisation basis for interests not easily disposable and acquired before coming to New Zealand. It applies to migrants who became tax residents here on or after April last year. Simon Watts told Mike Hosking this has been on the radar since he assumed the portfolio. He says the system hits migrants —particularly returning Kiwis and those who are wealthy unfairly— and they've been getting good feedback on the changes. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Energy Minister says new rules for the electricity sector can't come soon enough. The Electricity Authority's proposing changes to give independent power companies the same access to prices and hedge contracts. Simon Watts hopes that will create a more level playing field. Power companies are hiking prices, and Watts told Mike Hosking things could get worse as we head into winter. He says conditions are dry, lake levels are lower than they were this time last year, and we still have a gas shortage. Watts says the situation is acute and he's worried. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 28th of February, we talk to both the energy sector and Minister Simon Watts on the new recommendations that could level the playing field. We've got the list of MPs credit card expenses – who's buying Carl Jr's and who's buying the magnum of red wine? Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson discuss whether the producer of this show needs to fired and school lunches as they Wrap the Week. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steps are being taken to level the energy playing field. The Electricity Authority is proposing new measures to stop the big four electricity companies from giving preferential treatment to their own retail arms. It's working to increase competition - aiming to ultimately give consumers more choices and lower prices. Energy Minister Simon Watts says things need to change. He says prices are too high and are negatively impacting productivity and economic growth. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sixty years ago, on 21st February 1965, the controversial black leader, Malcolm X, was assassinated in Harlem, New York as he was preparing to speak there.In 2011, Simon Watts spoke to Herman Ferguson who was one of the people who was in the audience that day.This programme contains outdated racial language that may offend.Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic' and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy's Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they've had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America's occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.(Photo: Malcolm X speaks in Harlem six days before he was shot to death. Credit: Bill Quinn/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)

Full reaction to Portsmouth's midweek victory over Cardiff City and a preview of Saturday's trip to Oxford United with Jake Smith, Alex Fletcher and Simon Watts. There's also an interview with French Pompey supporter Quentin Bacon regarding his origins supporting the club, as well as the chief sports writer at The News, Neil Allen, who reported on his 1000th Blues game on Tuesday night.

The Climate Minister is reiterating support for climate targets. Act leader David Seymour's suggested New Zealand could pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement - following the lead of the US President. Foreign Minister Winston Peters says questions need to be asked if large nations aren't signed up. Climate Minister Simon Watts says we need to do all we can to meet climate targets. "We've set a target which we believe is aligned with allowing us to do and achieve our economic growth ambitions - but also balancing that with our national interests." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister's fired a warning to local councils - saying it's time for spending discipline and restraint. Stats NZ data for the year to December shows the inflation rate remains unchanged at 2.2 percent. Simon Watts has picked up the Local Government portfolio from incoming Health Minister, Simeon Brown. Nicola Willis says in too many cases, rates have been out of control. "We are looking at this concept of putting some limits on the level of rate increases that councils can do." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Climate Change Minister says their latest plan could get us to our net zero 2050 target six years early. The Government's released its second Emissions Reduction Plan. Key policies include planting trees on Crown-owned land and introducing both a network of 10,000 EV charging points and agricultural emissions pricing by 2030. Simon Watts told Heather du Plessis-Allan this gives us a path to hit the goal as early as 2044. He says we need a plan that's practical and achievable, and they've been very conservative in some of their estimates. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand has pledged $10 million to a global fund to help developing countries respond to climate change damage. Minister-in-charge, Simon Watts has made the commitment at the UN Climate Change Summit in Azerbaijan. Watts says the contribution will help deliver effective support to help people in the most-affected regions build stronger communities. He explained that this will come out of New Zealand's overseas aid budget. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the help of Joe Wood and Simon Watts, Jake Smith delivers full reaction to Portsmouth's 1-1 draw with Oxford United in the Championship. The post-match thoughts of head coach John Mousinho, courtesy of Andy Moon, also feature.

The latest carbon credit auction found little success, but the Climate Change Minister says there's still some positives.  The Government's auction attracted no bidders, increasing the chances of millions of tonnes of permits going up in smoke come December.  The Government has announced measures to address the issue, shrinking the number of permits available over the next five years in an effort to flush out surplus credits.  Minister Simon Watts said that there is demand for the credits, as there is an active secondary market that is trading with good liquidity.  He said that the function of the government's market is to introduce supply to the market if necessary, and the purpose of the credits is to reduce emissions, not generate revenue for the government.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts outlined the government's latest climate strategy; a three-page document narrowing the government's pathway to reducing emissions and decarbonising our industries into five core strategic pillars.  For their weekly catch-up, Oto spoke to Green Party MP Ricardo Menéndez-March to discuss the climate strategy, and went through the plan by addressing each of the strategy's core pillars.

In the 1950s, the transformation of the sleepy little town of Benidorm began when Pedro Zaragoza was appointed mayor. He started by getting pipes built to allow running water, then went on to pass a decree which allowed women to wear bikinis. Now, every year millions of tourists arrive in Benidorm, on Spain's Costa Blanca. This episode was produced by Simon Watts in 2018, using recordings of Pedro Zaragoza. (Photo: Tourists flock to the beaches in Spain. Credit: David Ramos via Getty Images)

Ninety years ago, the first surviving quintuplets were born in a small village in northern Canada.The Dionnes grew up in a specially-adapted nursery where millions of people could visit them. But, years later they struggled to adapt to life back with their parents which led to a fight for compensation. This programme was produced and presented by Simon Watts in 2012 using BBC archive.(Photo: The quintuplets on their fourth birthday. Credit: Bettmann via Getty Images)

The Climate Change Minister, Simon Watts, has just announced a cross party inquiry will be conducted by the Finance and Expenditure Committee into climate adaptation.

It's that time of the season again where our team from the Athletic carry out their 'Squad Audit' to determine who they think should be staying or going at Tottenham this summer.Danny Kelly is joined by Jack Pitt-Brooke, Charlie Eccleshare and James Maw to take you through the side.Produced by Simon Watts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's that time of the season again where our team from the Athletic carry out their 'Squad Audit' to determine who they think should be staying or going at Tottenham this summer. Danny Kelly is joined by Jack Pitt-Brooke, Charlie Eccleshare and James Maw to take you through the side. Produced by Simon Watts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Danny Kelly is joined by the Athletic's Jack Pitt-Brooke who's been speaking with Eric Dier about his final 6 months at Spurs. Charlie Eccleshare assesses the midfield options ahead of Newcastle with 19 combinations used this season! We preview Tottenham Women's FA Cup semi-final, plus discuss Alfie Whiteman's interesting hobbies. Produced by Simon Watts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Danny Kelly is joined by the Athletic's Jack Pitt-Brooke who's been speaking with Eric Dier about his final 6 months at Spurs.Charlie Eccleshare assesses the midfield options ahead of Newcastle with 19 combinations used this season!We preview Tottenham Women's FA Cup semi-final, plus discuss Alfie Whiteman's interesting hobbies.Produced by Simon Watts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Athletic's James Maw joins Danny Kelly to look back on ANOTHER comeback win at home. Should Kulusevski have come off even earlier than half time? Can Dragusin convince at left sided centre back? Plus we discuss some big scouting changes and how that might impact this summer's recruitment on this Easter Monday pod. Produced by Simon Watts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Athletic's James Maw joins Danny Kelly to look back on ANOTHER comeback win at home.Should Kulusevski have come off even earlier than half time? Can Dragusin convince at left sided centre back?Plus we discuss some big scouting changes and how that might impact this summer's recruitment on this Easter Monday pod.Produced by Simon Watts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the big COP climate summit last December, more than 20 countries pledged to triple global nuclear capacity by 2050 to help cut carbon emissions. The signatories included familiar nuclear names such as the US, France and Japan...but also newcomers, like Ghana. Although Ghana doesn't currently have any nuclear power plants, president Nana Akufo-Addo says he wants to build one or two by 2030. So why is this African nation turning to nuclear? How will it pay for the multi-billion-dollar power plants? And will this help fight climate change?Presenter Graihagh Jackson is joined by: on-the-ground reporter Thomas Naadi; Dr Michael Bluck, Director of the Centre for Nuclear Engineering at Imperial College London; and Dr Kacper Szulecki, research professor at the Norwegian Institute for International Affairs. Production team: Octavia Woodward, Ben Cooper, Brenda Brown, Simon Watts, Matt Willis. Sound design by Tom Brignell.

The world's wetlands store carbon and can help us tackle some of global warming's impacts. Are we overlooking their importance? And what can we do to protect them more?Graihagh Jackson travels to wetlands near her home in East Anglia while Qasa Alom reports from the Bay of Bengal. And The Climate Question catches up with an old friend of the show, Dr Musonda Mumba, Secretary-General of the Convention on Wetlands.Production team: Osman Iqbal, Octavia Woodward, Brenda Brown, Simon Watts, Matt Willis Sound design by Tom Brignell.Send your questions to: theclimatequestion@bbc.com

2024 will see billions of voters head to the polls in a record-breaking year for elections. It follows 2023 – another record-breaking year for the climate... so could global warming impact the way people vote? Or will it be eclipsed by the other big issues that dominate news headlines, like inflation and the cost of living, healthcare, education, and jobs. In this episode, presenter Graihagh Jackson hears from voters all over the world, and dives into research examining their priorities and what motivates them when they're at the ballot box. She also finds out how climate change policies affected the outcome of recent elections in the Netherlands and Australia. Guests: Jessica Long, Head of Environmental, Social and Governance Consulting at IPSOS UK Anna Holligan, BBC correspondent in the Netherlands Noora Firaq, Deputy CEO of Climate Outreach Phil Mercer, BBC correspondent in Australia Got a Climate Question for us? Email: theclimatequestion@bbc.com Production team: Ben Cooper, Octavia Woodward, Brenda Brown, Simon Watts, Matt Willis Sound Engineer: Tom Brignell

You asked, we answered. In this episode, a panel of experts dive into your questions. How does war impact climate change? What are the carbon footprints of pets? Can so-called "green" or "living roofs" increase the resilience of cities? Send your questions to: theclimatequestion@bbc.comJoin Presenter Graihagh Jackson and her guests: Dr Akshat Rathi, Senior Reporter for Climate, Bloomberg Esme Stallard, Climate and science reporter, BBC News Prof Tamsin Edwards, Climate scientist, Kings College LondonProduction Team: Osman Iqbal, Octavia Woodward, Simon Watts, Matt Willis Sound Mix: Rod Farquhar, Tom Brignell

On 6 November 1975, tens of thousands of Moroccans poured into Spanish Sahara in a bid to claim it for their own.They danced, waved flags and played music as they faced off, unarmed, against gun-carrying Spanish soldiers.The so-called Green March led to a diplomatic victory for Morocco's King Hassan, but sparked a guerrilla war and decades of instability.In 2013, TV cameraman Seddik Maaninou and North Africa expert Francis Gillies told Simon Watts about that momentous protest.(Photo: Protestors on the Green March. Credit: Jacques Haillot/Apis/Sygma/Sygma/Getty Images)