Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

Long-dormant Icelandic volcanoes are waking up and threatening to erupt. The country declared a state of emergency and evacuated thousands from the southwestern town of Grindavik. There are more than 30 active volcano sites in Iceland and there's currently a 15-kilometre river of magma underneath the surface. UK correspondent Gavin Grey told Kate Hawkesby the likely eruptions follow intense seismic activity. “20,000 tremors have been recorded in southwest Iceland since late October.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealanders lost just under $200 million to scams over the past year. That's according to 11 of the country's largest financial institutions. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has released the figure for Fraud Awareness Week. Spokesperson Ian Caplin told Kate Hawkesby they want to make people more aware of authorised scams – where people agree to a payment. “The scammers are getting very sophisticated and they are making things like sort of hoax sites.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Certain policies could be sticking points in holding up negotiations between National, Act and New Zealand First. National will need both parties to make a government after they lost two seats following special votes. Newstalk ZB Political Editor Jason Walls says it's hard to figure out how much progress was made over the weekend. He told Kate Hawkesby while there seems to be agreement on infrastructure issues, race relations policy could be causing tension. “Christopher Luxon – he hasn’t ruled out, say for example, the Treaty referendum, but it sounds like he very, very, very much doesn’t want that to be a thing because of how divisive he envisions that being.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BNZ’s profits are continuing to rise despite the economy slowing. The bank’s net profit after tax rose by 6.7% in the year to September to a total of $1.5 billion. BNZ’s net interest margin —a key measure of profitability— jumped 25 basis points to 2.4%. Claire Matthews, Massey Business School Associate Professor, told Roman Travers that while they made a substantial profit, things did slow in the second half of the year. She said that they hadn’t done as well in the last six months as they did in the first, reflecting the slowing economy. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Regular attendance is still at lower rates than in 2019, before Covid-19. Education Ministry data shows just 47% of students were regularly at school in term two. That's down from 59.5% in term one, but an increase on 40% in term two last year. Te Tai Tokerau Principals Association President Pat Newman told Roman Travers that it's about illness. Attending school 90% of the time is considered regular attendance. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A warning that Fonterra's new sustainability goals could push farmers away. The dairy giant is planning to cut 30% of emissions by 2030 via new technology, carbon removal through vegetation, and on farm practises. Lincoln University Adjunct Professor Jacqueline Rowarth says farmers will look to other companies if they can't cope. She says this could all come back to bite Fonterra if other countries don't do what we're doing. Rowarth adds it's hard for farmers to do better when our farming emissions are already low. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been 27 days since New Zealand general election. 27 days of relative peace, calm, and tranquillity, even though our GDP resembles a 737; out of gas and plummeting to earth at less than 1% growth. Isn't it luxurious to live in a country where perhaps our biggest problem is wondering if the pre-election promises will be fulfilled to turn everything around? Talks between the three political parties continue as we wait to see who gets what and undoubtedly the compromises that'll be made. Forming a coalition with friends and foe can't be all beer and skittles. Given what was said prior to the election, some almost certainly will reluctantly capitulate on their promises, having their arms shoved up their backs or biting their tongues. To get a coalition government formed and working at the mammoth job of turning around our floundering economy, will only be hindered by the demonstrable egos at the table. When asked yesterday if there was a deadline for the coalition talks to conclude, Winston Peters told us that speed is of the essence. There's a refreshing change from someone who's been at times, the personification of a handbrake. It's gutting to know that our gross domestic product is currently at less than 0.1%, when so many of us are doing everything we can to ensure that work gets done. We are now working the second longest hours within the OECD nations. So much for a work life balance. Our proud reputation of being a leader in so many measurable economic facets, is now something muttered about with a sense of shame, as people try to change the topic, looking for a positive distraction. We're now looking at a ranking of 159th in the world according to the international monetary fund. That's not a number anyone wants to have when trying to sell New Zealand to the world. But what've we got left to sell? Which primary sector is still unique to New Zealand? What aspect of our primary produce have we not taught other countries to grow and manufacture as well - if not better than us? Is the future of our economy to simply provide highly skilled labour to international markets who will always outbid those same employers in New Zealand? In fairness to the three political parties working hard to come to consensus, it didn't help that so many people rocked up to the polling booth on election day looking to enrol and to vote. The whole process has been slowed down by a large chunk of apathy. Here's hoping that next week we have something solid to talk about. Here's hoping that when the clock starts ticking on that first 100 days with so many promises made, we get to see those promises put into positive action. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I am just wondering at what point we give up on trying to get anywhere by ferry in this country? If you’re an Aucklander, or a visitor to Auckland, you know the Waiheke Island Fullers ferry service is unreliable, often fraught with maintenance, or staffing or scheduling issues. Locals who regularly commute on and off the island by and large hate it – but they’re trapped as Fuller’s has had a monopoly and been their only means to get across the Gulf... up until now, with a new player in town. And God speed to Island Direct that they can make a go of it, get well patronized, and give Fullers a run for their money. But for years now, Fullers has been it and it's been a rubbish service. Then we have the Cook Strait ferries. I mean, where do we start? Who would take the gamble of getting on board one of those ferries and expecting that you’d actually get to your destination? The interislander ferries are notorious, and then just yesterday, we see the reports that “a Bluebridge Cook Strait ferry had to turn back after it hit a wharf as it was leaving Wellington.” How does a professional operation whose job is solely to get passengers from wharf to wharf, actually smack into the wharf? So that whacked the wharf and now has a dent in the hull and a hole. A tired and old fleet of ferries doesn’t help, but as reported back in April this year, under the headline, ‘Chaos on the Cook Strait’, “there’s been a decades long history of things going wrong here. So how is our infrastructure and maintenance so dire? Why has not enough proactive investment been done? It feels like our approach in this country is wait until stuff breaks, and people are leaping up and down, until you do something about it. That’s certainly how it’s been with the roads too. But if you look at public transport in general in this country, we’ve got buses that are unreliable, have a lack of patronage, routes being cut, delays, driver shortages.. all of that only serves to put people off. Then we’ve got violence at bus stops, vandalism, that’s before we get to the trains. They’re in the same category as the buses, often whole routes cancelled, trains not showing up, unsavoury behaviour on trains, a lack of any general kind of professional service. Just yesterday somebody texted me about their experience on a bus where the driver was asked to concentrate on the road instead of looking in a bag taking their eyes off their driving, and the driver took umbrage and stopped the bus and started yelling at the passenger to get off. When the passenger refused to, the driver then sped up, driving recklessly trying to intimidate the passenger. They said why would anyone put their life in the hands of a lunatic like that? Now I’m sure for every lunatic bus driver there’s a great one too, but the point is we need consistency. We need buses, trains, and ferries to work, be on time, run to schedule, not crash, for there to be consistency among drivers and for passengers to want to use public transport. Otherwise, we’re never getting out of our cars are we. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A study's found that kids who drink fizzy drinks try alcohol earlier. The study from Seoul National University found children aged 9 to 10 who drink caffeinated soft drinks daily were twice as likely to try alcohol within a year. The researchers say the study can't show if the soft drinks are causing differences in behaviour and brain activity. Auckland University nutritionist Dr Sally McKay told Kate Hawkesby that many RTDs look and taste like fizzy drinks. She says it can be a natural change, given they're already quite familiar. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The United States is cautioning Israel against occupying Gaza. It comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the country will have overall security responsibility for an indefinite period after the war ends. International geopolitical analyst Geoffrey Miller told Kate Hawkesby that Israel doesn't want a power vacuum in Gaza or Hamas to rebuild, so their only option is occupation. He says that will be disastrous, and a bit like when the US occupied Iraq after the Iraq war. However, Miller concedes it'll probably be the only option. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Employees are going above and beyond, often without compensation for it. A Hays Recruitment survey's found overtime increased in more than a third of organisations last year. It also found overtime was unpaid in 30% of organisations. Frog Recruitment Managing Director Shannon Barlow told Kate Hawkesby that often people do what's needed to get the job done. She says there's also been a shift for employees wanting to protect their roles and making a personal decision to work more than they're required to. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’m not surprised Chris Hipkins is staying on as leader. I mean let’s face it, one, who else have they got? And two, when you’re a career politician, what else is it you’re going to do at this point? But it’s the best possible option for Labour I reckon. He’s adept at politics and playing the media – and those two things go hand in hand these days. He’s quick on his feet, he’s an attack dog – which is what opposition is all about. But how attack-y is the potential problem for him... as in, is he too much attack dog? I think he will have to tone it down. I think voters have had a gutsful of mudslinging and negativity and scrapping in the gutter. The Willie Jackson style of politics of flinging grenades everywhere and not caring where they land... it’s reckless and we tolerate it less and less nowadays. There seems, as the election result would indicate, to be an appetite to get some adults back in the room. And more important than snapping at the government in these next few months, is going to be getting his own party back on track. Rebuilding it won’t be easy given there are factions there now that seem obviously divided: the hard-core lefties wanting to move further left, and the retail middle of the roaders who want to remain more centrist. Although, throwing a wealth and capital gains tax back on the table so soon would indicate the lefties have gotten to him (that's a sop to them). Key question is whether it entices disgruntled Labour voters back to the fold. It seems a bit quick and flip floppy to have reversed that decision so quickly. But they’ll be having a good hard look at themselves in terms of what the bulk of their support base wants. They've got to think about how much they hand out and to who though, I mean look at the Māori caucus, look at how much they lost there, despite all the compensations made to Māori by the Labour Government. The Maorification of pretty much everything did not see the party get thanked or rewarded by Māori, who abandoned Labour in their droves. So who is the Labour party going forward? I heard one commentator say that in voting to keep everyone who lost on the party list, essentially, the people who lost them the election are still there. Many would also argue the future leader of the Labour party is not among them. So you’ve got a lot of potentially jaded talent hanging around, with the electorate jaded by them too. So how do you refresh with all the old dead wood? I think Grant Robertson will go, David Parker probably too, and that may be no bad thing. In fact a clear out is probably just what the party needs. It also needs a fresh approach to leadership. If it’s still Chippy, who says he wants to see it through to 2026, then he needs to work out who he is and how he's doing it. And it’s got to be a step up from just zinger slinging. It’s got to sound more calm and professional. I’m hoping the shouty yelly election style bickering we saw will be put to one side. So how the Labour party gathers itself together and rebuilds from here will be critical. And I think they’ll really want to make a good go of it, because if I was Labour looking at this three headed monster Luxon’s trying to put together, I’d be thinking odds are on that the Nats, ACT, NZ First trifecta may only be a one term government. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Teachers from about 100 early childhood centres will strike today. They're part of the Early Childhood Education Collective Agreement and say negotiations have reached an impasse. NZEI says the government funding model isn't fit for purpose. Montessori New Zealand chief executive Cathy Wilson told Kate Hawkesby that the incoming National government has said they'll initiate a funding model review. She says the funding model is challenging, the funding is inadequate, and it's easy to get into trouble because you've done something wrong. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Electoral Commission is looking to see whether discrepancies at three polling places are isolated or more widespread. It's launched a check of all voting place results after our newsroom picked up errors at two polling places at Port Waikato, and one polling place in Ilam. More than 500 votes at one polling place were wrongly assigned to the Leighton Baker Party, rather than National. Political commentator and former United Future Leader Peter Dunne told Kate Hawkesby that it's one of several issues that will need to be addressed when the electoral process is reviewed at select committee. He says the commission also needs to answer questions about the time it took to count the votes, and whether there were enough polling places on election day. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Businesses being left frustrated about transport changes in Auckland's city centre is being put down to poor communication. Auckland Transport has decided to remove all car parking on Karangahape Road and restrict the times on loading zones to allow room for a new bus service. Businesses say they've been given very little notice. Infrastructure New Zealand Chief Executive Nick Leggett told Kate Hawkesby that no shop owner should wake up and find their loading bays are all but gone. He says these things always become a problem because we don't engage properly in discussions right at the start AT has apologised to businesses for the communication around the change. It says there will be a grace period until December 11 for vehicles caught using the bus lanes at the wrong time. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's caucus will this morning begin picking up the pieces of its election loss at a special caucus meeting in Wellington. As well as the party's direction and the election of whips, MPs will participate in a leadership confidence vote. Political Commentator Grant Duncan told Kate Hawkesby that while there are some great people on that team, there’s no obvious rising star to take Hipkins’ place as leader. He said that in order for Labour to succeed, they need to think about how they’re going to restore themselves and voters’ faith in them. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ninety percent of Queenstown hostels and backpackers are at capacity ahead of summer. It comes as a third of hostels have shut down post pandemic, and many tourism operators are expecting a surge in visitors over the next few months. Backpacker Youth Adventure Tourism Association Chairman Haydn Marriner told Kate Hawkesby that he's putting it down to a lack of available housing in Queenstown. He says the massive oversupply of Airbnbs is causing huge problems for the region's rental market. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So, exams are now underway for NCEA for High Schoolers who‘ve had —to be frank— a pretty crappy couple of years post Covid at school. Disruptions due to strikes, floods, weather... and that was all after they were just getting their feet back under the desks post lockdowns. So not a great few years for those trying to head to Uni in a couple of years time. But I know that in my many cases, teachers have worked really hard to get everybody up to speed and make up for lost time. It’s tough though because the stats aren’t great when it comes to where our kids are at educationally. It’s one of the key planks of the new government’s focus —to turn those stats around— and rightly so. The less we educate our kids and the less time they spend in school – the worse the outcomes are for them. We as a country then suffer too with low productivity, a low skills economy, young people disengaged, and a general dumbing down of society. Actually, I wonder if that’s already happened. But there are still far too many young people not attending school or dropping out early. What I’ve found from our experience, with kids who leave school early versus those who see High School through to the end, is that the ones who dropped out early in a rush to get out into the world regret it later down the track. There is something about finishing something you started. Even though these days to be honest many of them have already passed their grades for that year before they even sit the exams. So you can see how it’s tempting, if you’ve already passed the year in July, then there seems no point in staying on grades-wise. But there’s something collegial and lovely about friendships at school and going through stages with your peers. I’ll be fascinated to see what happens to Uni stats in the next couple of years, having had a big decline in on campus attendance, whether that pings back up or not. But how ready these kids coming through High School at the moment will actually be for Uni remains to be seen. Given all the disruptions, all the curriculum issues, all the poor test results and high failure rates, how will they actually fare in a tertiary environment? Are our High Schools who’ve been hit with so much chaos due to Covid, weather, strikes and so on churning out students good enough to go forward and do well? Because if they’re not, then we as a country are inheriting a way bigger problem than just bored kids. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cloudy conditions are forecast for today's 163rd running of the Melbourne Cup. The TAB is expecting New Zealanders to put more than $12 million on the big five o'clock race. Several horses have New Zealand connections, including Kiwi jockey James McDonald and Sydney-based Kiwi trainer Chris Waller. Melbourne Cup correspondent Donna Demaio told Kate Hawkesby that there'll be an electric atmosphere. She says 24 local and international horses will be racing around the track at Flemington, with $9 million in prize money. Off the track, Christchurch's Lily Simons is set to represent New Zealand at the Fashion on the Fields competition. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand parents are becoming more relaxed about device use and safety. A survey by NIB has found device use and screentime is still a concern for 73% of surveyed parents, but only 46% are limiting screentime. That's down from 51% in 2021. Parenting expert Anna Martin told Kate Hawkesby that the pandemic has had an impact. She says research suggests that parents relaxed their attitude to online use during Covid, as it was helpful in allowing them to have some personal time. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The NZ Kiwis won the Pacific Nations Cup on Saturday with an emphatic victory over Australia in Hamilton. While India continue to cement themselves as favourite for the Cricket World Cup. And the build up for the 2023 Melbourne Cup continues. ZB Sport's Andrew Alderson wrapped up the weekend's sports with Kate Hawkesby on Early Edition. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No guarantees from National on when it will have a government in place. New Zealand First leader Winston Peters isn't answering questions about negotiations and he and Act's David Seymour aren't talking. National doesn't know whether deals will be done in time for incoming Prime Minister Chris Luxon to attend the Apec Leaders' Summit in San Francisco on Sunday. Deputy Leader Nicola Willis told Kate Hawkesby the coalition negotiations are a complex process. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Political pundits wouldn't be surprised if coalition talks go on for some time yet. New Zealand First leader Winston Peters isn't answering questions about negotiations and he and Act's David Seymour aren't talking. National doesn't know whether deals will be done in time for incoming Prime Minister Chris Luxon to attend the Apec Leaders' Summit in San Francisco on Sunday. Newstalk ZB Political Editor Jason Walls told Kate Hawkesby Luxon has said, if need be, he will can that trip. He says it could drag out for a while or be done quickly, but Luxon has been doing some work in the lead up to the specials. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions raised after an 18-hour long hostage situation at Germany's Hamburg Airport. A 35-year-old man, with his four-year-old daughter, drove through airport security and onto the tarmac - before parking his car underneath an aeroplane. The chaos, that suspended almost 290 flights involving more than 34-thousand passengers, was revealed to be over custody arrangements. Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey told Kate Hawkesby the man eventually gave himself up, with the girl unharmed. He says questions are being asked around how it was so easy for the man to drive through airport security. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So, we now know Winston’s in the mix in a real and tangible way. He’s needed. We can thank special votes for that. So, I’m trying to look for positives, and trust me, it’s not easy - but I found one. He at least has institutional knowledge of how parliament works, what being a politician means, and how the place functions. That’s a benefit to Luxon because that’s more than he’s got. Being a newbie, it’s all new to Luxon. So, you add one old dog and one newbie - and maybe there in the middle lies some kind of middle ground where they can connect. What wisdom about how the place works can Winston pass on to Luxon? How can Luxon learn from Winston’s years and years in this environment? No Winston’s not a shining light or a good example of a model politician by any stretch, but he’s at least got runs on the board. He knows the place. He knows the rules. He’s seen it all before. He knows the inner workings of government’s better than Luxon would. So that’s the potential plus. The other positive? We are not having a second general election. Remember that threat? During the campaign Chris Bishop didn’t rule out having to go to the polls again, remember? Well thank God we are not doing that. I think our appetite for another election is zero, we could barely summon up enough enthusiasm for this one, so if not working with Winston would have meant having to have another election then I guess we should be grateful they’re going to work with Winston. But look that’s about where the positives end for me. I don’t see this trifecta of parties being anything short of prickly and problematic. If it is - they’ll get tetchy, it will get messy, and eventually they will get turfed out as an unsuccessful one term government. Given that’s not what any of them want, given how much they’ve talked about strong stable government, given how much they all want to turn around New Zealand then I’d like to think they work hard at making it work. So far so good in terms of tight lipped. No one’s getting sucked into a demanding media vortex hungry for 24/7 information, they’re holding their tongues. Luxon for his part has managed to keep his caucus together, leak free, and on message, long may that continue. Seymour has not gone too rogue yet. Even Winston appears to be playing ball. Could we be seeing a new dawn? Could this finally be the adults taking charge and determined to act like grown-ups? Can they stay above the fray and get this country back to some kind of order and productivity? Time will tell but I think we have high hopes that after such a scarring six years of shambles, unproductivity and angst, that we can get some runs on the board finally. Our expectations are high. And re the timeframe, how much longer will we have to wait for it? Well personally I’d rather wait and have them sort it out properly and in a robust manner that can go the distance, than have them cobble together a rushed job which potentially implodes down the track. I mean nothing will necessarily be perfect, but I hope enough goodwill and good faith is at play, that it’s the best possible shot. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New research finds 46% of kiwi jobseekers still experience barriers when finding work. The 2023 Randstad Employer Brand Research Survey found factors such as sexual orientation, disability, language, gender identity, and ethnicity to be a barrier when applying for and securing a job. It found that 28% of male candidates believed these factors resulted in them missing out on the role, and 22% of women refused to work for a company whose values don’t align with their own. Employment Relations Expert, Max Whitehead, told Tim Dower that he’s a bit suspicious of these results. He said that employers are absolutely desperate for workers, and if someone doesn’t fit the mould but has the skills necessary, they would bend over backwards to hire them. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Special votes, as I'm sure you know, are usually good for the left and National has said it expects to lose one or two seats from the election night count. If it was two, and even if the overhang goes, the maths is undeniable. It's a 120 seat Parliament, but that one-seat majority for the Nats and ACT is gone. And we all know what that means. I think Winston's petulant display in Wellington right after the election told us a lot about the way the new coalition is being drawn together. My read of it, is that Mr Peters had been well and truly put in his place over the weekend. I suspect the rules of engagement were spelled out very clearly, and he knows he's not going to be wearing the pants in any future relationship. Not to start with, anyway. The other thing to bear in mind, and unless you're actually doing the counting there's no way of telling, is whether the specials will favour the left as much as some people think. There's a school of thought that says people outside the country, and in particular people who were locked out of the country during COVID, might have been less inclined to continue their support for the previous administration. Maybe there'll be further punishment to come. Maybe the Nats and ACT will have the numbers and the confidence to press on without New Zealand First. What a relief that would be. So, why have a got a good feeling about this? Luxon. That's why. He's used to being in charge, and maybe that's why it took him time to find his feet as a political leader, where your authority and decision-making are questioned day after day, and even the people who pretend to be your mates are carrying sharp knives around. I believe what we've seen —and what haven't seen— in the past couple of weeks are a demonstration of how things are going to be done. It's going to be business-like and people who want to be on board are going to have to respect who's boss. Bring it on. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Australian woman who cooked and served a lunch that killed three will appear in court today. Erin Patterson faces three murder charges and five attempted murder charges. Her former in-laws Gail and Don Patterson as well as Gail's sister Heather all died from suspected toxic mushroom poisoning in July, and Gail's husband Ian was hospitalised. Three other charges relate to incidents in 2021 and 2022, as police allege a 48-year-old man became ill after meals. Australian correspondent Lesley Yeomans told Tim Dower that Police spent yesterday searching her home. She says they also sent in technology detector dogs, trained to hunt down things like SIM cards, phones, and USB sticks. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The future shape of our next government all comes out today. While the preliminary votes for the election were all counted up, the results of the around 570 thousand left over special votes will be released at two this afternoon. It will likely decide whether National and ACT will need New Zealand First to get into power. Political Editor Jason Walls told Tim Dower that the majority of special votes do tend to favour the left. He says people like John Key and Chris Bishop both expect to see National lose at least one seat today. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A nutritionist would love to see confectionary moved away from the checkouts. Countdown's aiming to make healthier choices easier for customers, and combat checkout 'pester power'. The supermarket chain —soon to be Woolworths— has committed to 80% of foods at checkouts carrying a Health Star Rating of 3.5 or more. It's also moving "kids confectionary" elsewhere. Nutritionist Nikki Hart told Kate Hawkesby that it’s got to be better than the current trend. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Rafah crossing from Gaza to Egypt has opened for the first time since Israel's siege began more than three weeks ago. Palestinian officials say 335 foreign passport holders and 76 injured Gazans have been able to leave so far. It's thought 88 injured Palestinians and around 500 foreign nationals will be allowed out in the first phase. US Correspondent, Mitch McCann, told Kate Hawkesby that the exits are due to a deal brokered by Qatar between Israel, Hamas, and Egypt, coordinating with the US. He said that US passport holders are not expected to be among the first nationals to be released. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So tomorrow we finally —after such a ridiculously long wait— get the final vote count. Specials will be done, duplicates checked, ballots finalized, we will know where we’re at, and more importantly, what form the new government might take. The fact we’ve had three weeks in limbo is completely ludicrous and at least the incoming PM has acknowledged that and claims he’ll do something about changing it. Which as far as I understand involves changing the law and the way the electoral commission operates, and I hope they do that. The electoral commission did not cover itself in glory: botching some people’s booth experiences by not having enough forms, closing early or opening late, not getting easy vote packs out in good enough time for early voting, and generally operating like it’s 1953. Even Luxon said that three weeks is too long, that they should be working 24/7 to count votes. He also reckons they should do a daily release of votes counted and take over local government elections so they’re up to speed a year before general elections. The main thing is he wants the vote counting sped up, so let’s hope he makes that happen. As for the new government and how that looks... he seems confident they’re on track for a swift and seamless transition with good faith and goodwill from all parties. Actually, someone —who will remain nameless— in this newsroom had a bet that a new coalition government would be announced and formed all set to go Friday arvo. That overly ambitious idea was smacked down by Luxon himself who said that there’ll be no government announced Friday arvo. Good news – they’re closer to an actual government than they were a week ago. Bad news – not so close that it’ll be wrapped up by tomorrow afternoon. Luxon said they still have issues they’re working through and things to be agreed on, but they’ve been working diligently in good faith for a strong stable government, and he says progress is being made. So how long? Luxon says no timeframe exactly – but there are good intentions not to draw it out. Maybe next week? Who knows. Even Winston though, claims it’ll be quick. Can we trust anything Winston says? Having said that, you have to hand it to them all, not a peep out of them. No one’s broken ranks, no one’s leaked, no one’s spilled the beans. Luxon has to be congratulated for consolidating everyone together in a way that seems clean and tight. Winston hasn’t been playing it out in public, Seymour has kept his cool, it all seems, so far, tickety boo. If they can keep it that way, they’ll manage to prove all the naysayers wrong. Every person who said it would implode and that it'd be a cluster and they’d all be at war with each other... so far, so good. None of that. The true test is if Luxon can keep it that way – if he can, he’ll be seen as a genius. I mean who’d want to wrangle Winston and David Seymour on a daily basis? Not me. Best case scenario, they don’t need Winston, and NZ First can just stay out of the fray altogether. Worst case, he’s in and he goes nuts wreaking havoc and making it all about himself and the whole thing implodes. That would be disastrous not just for Luxon, but also for our country. So fingers crossed tomorrow goes their way and it’s a clean two party Nats/ACT deal and they can get on with some governing. If not, get out the popcorn. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s being predicted that the household budgets for mortgage holders will be squeezed further in 2024. Those on extremely low interest rates in 2019 are turning over to new rates now. A Reserve Bank report says the average household will spend about 18% of their income on interest payments alone by mid-next year. ANZ economist, Henry Russell, told Kate Hawkesby that it's not unexpected, and the Reserve Bank needs to see demand in the economy slow to get on top of inflation. He says there's still many households with 2% or 3% interest rates who'll face a tough adjustment when they rollover to six or seven percent. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More calls for Oranga Tamariki to be shaken up following new details about a toddler that was killed in Lower Hutt. A homicide investigation has been launched into the death of almost two-year-old Ruthless-Empire Wall. Newstalk ZB understands his uncle contacted Oranga Tamariki wanting the child to be uplifted. It comes after it was recently revealed 57 children have died since the agency was established. Child Matters Chief Executive Jane Searle told Kate Hawkesby that it reflects the need for change. She says they've known for a long time Oranga Tamariki's not fit for purpose, with this being just another example. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A health commentator has given his thoughts on how the next Government should tackle problems in our hospitals. Te Whatu Ora metrics show the national rate of preventable hospital admissions for 0–4-year-olds has increased by 35% in the last year. It also shows the number of patients waiting more than four months to see a specialist has increased by 46% over the same period. Ian Powell told Kate Hawkesby that there's one change the new Government shouldn't make, and that's restructure the whole system again. He says it sounds as though the new government is not going to do that, which is a plus. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well, three days on from our loss at the Rugby World Cup and we’re still not over it... clearly. It’s still front-page news, the dissertations and opinions continue, disputes over how it was reffed, anger over the TMO and officiating of the game continue. But let’s face the hard facts: the best team won on the day. Painful as it is, relitigating red cards versus yellow ones as we might, hating the TMO as we all do... it doesn’t change the facts. The best team won on the day. We couldn’t get our act together in a sloppy first half, we couldn’t pull it off in the second, we didn’t win. Sad but true. Death threats to Wayne Barnes and all the other nonsense which has come out of the loss is futile and detracts from the reality. Which is that beyond the nitpicking over all the minutiae of that one game, a broader conversation needs to be had around what’s happening to rugby. The Herald’s Luke Kirkness said, “Rugby union is facing a looming crisis. The game is losing its appeal with many turning to alternative sports like basketball due to perceived complexities and a lack of engagement.” And he’s dead right. A slow game, as I said after our loss, is a boring game and a switch off. Israel Dagg said it best – he didn’t mince his words about the final at half time. He said, “I’m honestly just fed up. And I know I’m gonna sound like a sore loser here, but …. we’re seeing a snore-fest out there.” And again, that was down to the slowness in general of the game now. Kirkness pointed out that while there’s “plenty of suggestion that New Zealand has fallen out of love with rugby, one of the sticking points is... how hard it is to understand and follow the game.” So is that it? We just need to simplify it again and just let the players play? Is it TMO changes? Changes to the card system? The points system? The rules themselves? The culture? Maybe a combination of all of those things. Whatever it is, we do need to look at it, and seriously. You can’t lose all those eyeballs and have large numbers of people switching off, and just disregard it. That’s an arrogance that takes you nowhere. The game has to evolve and change with its audience. It is, at the end of the day, entertainment after all. But here’s what we know is already changing: they’ve appointed a new coach —scandalously while the old one was still in the job— and there’s new coaching staff so arguably new direction already. All the calls for heads to roll, most of those have now been rolled. Then there’s the team, many departing and going different directions so changes afoot there too. But it doesn’t change the fact that the rules are now so cumbersome, it’s a turn off. That’s the real challenge ahead of the rugby union, that’s the real worry. I’m sure they’re hoping that a charismatic character like Razor is going to bring some zing and give the game a bit of an image makeover – you know, much beloved coach, in his long awaited and aspired-to hot seat with all this new energy and new focus. The Rugby Union will be hoping he attracts a certain amount of buzz and new eyeballs. But that sizzle will only last so long... at the end of the day the game itself has to change and grow and evolve with the fans or it’s going to leave them all behind. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Changes have already been made to adventure tourism safety as the Whakaari White Island trial ends. The island's owner, Whakaari Management Limited, has been found guilty on one health and safety charge brought by WorkSafe. It failed to ensure adequate risk assessments ahead of the 2019 tragedy that killed 22 people. Former Tourism Industry Aotearoa CEO Chris Roberts told Kate Hawkesby that there was concern that WorkSafe was the prosecutor. He says it was clear there were failings in WorkSafe's oversight, but they weren't prosecuted, they were the prosecutor. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's widely anticipated that New Zealand's unemployment figures will rise today. Stats NZ numbers for the three months to September will be released later this morning. Infometrics Principal Economist, Brad Olsen, told Kate Hawkesby that he predicts it will lift from 3.6 to 3.9%. He says realistically, the market is still tight, with anything below 4% unusual for New Zealand. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Airbnb could be damaging the value of some neighbourhood homes. Researchers using Auckland census data have identified links between more Airbnbs in communities and higher crime-rates. It highlights how Airbnb's replace long-term owner occupiers with short term occupants, which can erode the anti-crime capability of the community. That leads to lower house prices. Auckland University Associate Property Professor, Edward Yiu, told Kate Hawkesby that this is especially apparent with apartment-type housing. He said in the past a gate with a code could be installed, but because strangers can enter for their Airbnb, it’s raised security concerns. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s Halloween tonight, so stand by for trick or treaters coming to a doorbell near you. Although weather in many parts of the country may keep little trick or treaters at bay, it probably won’t deter teenagers. We’ve had a mixed run of approaches to Halloween over the years. When the kids were really little, they would find some of the costumes frightening and we wondered the merits of tiny children roaming the streets at what should be bath and bedtime, to ask for lollies from strangers. It didn’t feel right so we said no. Mean parents. Later on, as they got a bit older and more savvy that this could involve a whole bunch of stuff usually off limits - lollies, late nights, roaming the streets in costume with mates... they persuaded us the other way. But we contained it. Co-ordinated with neighbours, organised a small early trick or treat session, with neighbours knowing in advance and happy to participate, and with rules around how much sugar could really be consumed. Spoiler alert - not much. Mean parents strike again. But 5 kids is a lot to wrangle and get costumes on and roam around with, and there was no way when they were little that we’d let them do that on their own. So there was a small window where we would decorate the letterbox and fence, do the costumes, have their mates over, but it never felt authentically a tradition we could get behind. It just felt super American, cheesey, and over the top, not to mention unhealthy. Lollies from strangers? All that sugar? Yuk - seemed wrong on so many levels. Once they got older - I mean like teenager stage, they wanted to go out on their own, their costumes got increasingly questionable, their motive seemed less sweet treats and more just hanging with mates. I have just never thought teenagers patrolling the streets with Scream masks on threatening to throw eggs at people’s houses is a particularly good look. Still don’t. But I’m surprised at how much it’s caught on here, how big it seems these days in this country. People go all out – the parties are plentiful, the dress ups extravagant, the night seems to last a lot longer than one night. Many houses are already decorated, I see skeletons dangling from trees in people’s front yards, cobwebs adorning letterboxes and gates, the treats have been in supermarket aisles for a while now. No, we’re not quite at America levels of Halloween obsession, but in some places it feels intense. I don’t mind the groups of toddlers out walking with Mum or Dad in an organised fashion, early, and causing no harm. But I do feel for those who live alone or are sick or don’t want to be bothered and have to contend with noisy teenagers late at night banging on their doors for something they surely should have grown out of by now. In fact, in the US there's debate at the moment as to whether trick or treating should have an age limit. In some cities there, it's limited to 12 years old or younger only due to too many teenagers wreaking havoc. But no sooner do we have Halloween, than Guy Fawkes is here. A mere 5 days later we’ve got crackers and cherry bombs to deal with. That’s a tough night for the animals more than the humans I reckon. But if we can get past monster costumes, lollies, and fireworks season, then next stop's Christmas. Next we’ll be welcoming Santa... can you believe it? Where’s the year gone? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Supie customers may be left out of pocket. The online grocer's entered voluntary administration with PwC, owing some $3 million after launching two years ago. It promised to bring competition to the market, and subscriptions to the service cost an annual fee of $99. Consumer New Zealand CEO Jon Duffy told Kate Hawkesby that they don’t know all the reasons that lead to Supie going into voluntary administration, so they can’t say the duopoly is the one to blame. He said that they do know that the market is really difficult to enter, and they’re looking to lower those barriers of entry. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A major bank has increased its test rate, which is the rate at which it checks that borrowers can afford a loan. ANZ has upped it to 9.1%. That's despite home loan rates sitting around 7% for a two-year fix. Key Mortgages mortgage broker Jeremy Andrews told Kate Hawkesby that it's the first bank to make such a move in decades. He says interest rates have been going up since Covid came along, so test rates have too. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India stayed perfect and England remained awful as Mohammed Shami bowled a stunning opening spell to give the hosts a 100-run win at the Cricket World Cup. Shami and Jasprit Bumrah shared an initial five wickets in a fiery exhibition of pace and seam movement in a six-over spell in the first powerplay and blew away the English top-order. That came after India had been put into bat and scored only 229-9 in 50 overs on a tough pitch with Rohit Sharma contributing 87 runs off 101 balls. The total proved more than enough for India to defend. Shami finished with 4-22 in seven overs, while Bumrah returned 3-32 in 6.5 overs, as England suffered yet another batting collapse, crashing to a fifth defeat in six games. Defending champion England were left languishing in 10th spot after a miserable outing in Lucknow against Indian pace and spin – all out for 129 runs in just 34.5 overs. India continues to fly high as the only unbeaten team in the tournament. The hosts top the standings with 12 points from six games, two points ahead of second-place South Africa, with New Zealand and Australia a further two points back. England, the 2019 champions, stayed last with two points and only one win in six games. Australia in 1992 is the only other defending champion to lose four or more matches at a World Cup. Chasing 230, England faltered after their openers put on 30 runs. Bumrah bowled Dawid Malan in the fifth over for 16. The very next ball, Joe Root was out lbw for a golden duck – plumb in front, shuffling across the stumps. He appealed unsuccessfully. While Bumrah’s hat trick was denied, Shami then was on one himself at the other end. His opening overs were near unplayable as Ben Stokes struggled to put bat to ball. Stokes went for a slog and was bowled in the eighth over for a 10-ball duck. The very first ball of his next over, Bairstow played on off Shami as England was down to 39-4 in 9.1 overs. The pacers’ opening salvo saw England lose four wickets for nine runs across 26 balls. After a drinks break, it was spin’s turn. Despite heavy dew, Kuldeep Yadav sent down a beauty to bowl Jos Buttler for 10. Buttler had no clue as the ball turned in sharply off length, leaving England at 52-5. Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone added 29 runs for the sixth wicket – the second highest partnership of England’s innings. But the pressure never eased. Shami returned to have Ali caught behind for 15 runs and Ravindra Jadeja had Chris Woakes stumped for 10 in the 29th over. Yadav then trapped Livingstone lbw – out for 27 – as England crashed to 98-8. England did manage to reach 100 but it was small consolation as Shami-Bumrah returned to finish off proceedings. Earlier, India got off to a poor start as England choked the top-order. Woakes bowled Shubman Gill for nine in the fourth over and three overs later, India was 27-2 as Virat Kohli chipped to mid-on and was out caught for a nine-ball duck off David Willey. Woakes sent back Shreyas Iyer for four runs, out caught pulling a short ball, his Achilles’ heel as the score read 40-3 in 11.5 overs. Sharma and Lokesh Rahul resisted with a sedate 91-run partnership for the fourth wicket in their 111-ball partnership. The usually hard-hitting Sharma played an innings of great control. He did survive an lbw shout early on, but the ball was gliding past leg stump on DRS review. Sharma scored his second half-century in the tournament – his fifth 40-plus score in six innings – off 66 balls as he anchored the Indian innings. At the other end, Rahul scored 39 off 58, with three fours, but fell against the run of play. Willey returned to dismiss him in the 31st, as Rahul mistimed a pull shot. Wrist spinner Adil Rashid bowled with great control for England, taking 2-35 in 10 overs. His first wicket was vital to hold back India’s score – Sharma holed out to deep midwicket, 13 runs shy of his hundred. At 164-5, India was in trouble and England looked in control. Suryakumar Yadav helped push the score past 200. Yadav scored 49 off 47 balls, with four fours and a six. He put on 18 runs with Jadeja (18), and then another 25 with Bumrah. Yadav was caught off Willey, leaving India at 208-8. Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav added 21 runs for the ninth wicket. England has only beaten Bangladesh and has also lost to New Zealand, Afghanistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka. Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya was still unavailable for India and is nursing a left ankle injury. In his absence, the hosts went with a similar combination as it did against New Zealand a week ago in Dharamsala – six batters and five bowlers. Both India and England fielded an unchanged side at the BRABVE Stadium.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

American hockey player Adam Johnson, who appeared in 13 NHL games with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2019 and 2020, has died after his neck was cut by a skate blade during a game in England on Saturday, his team said. He was 29. Johnson was playing for the Nottingham Panthers in a Challenge Cup game against the Sheffield Steelers when he suffered the skate cut during the second period of the Elite Ice Hockey League game at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena. Johnson’s injury was so horrific it forced the game to be abandoned and left traumatised fans in tears. “The Nottingham Panthers are truly devastated to announce that Adam Johnson has tragically passed away following a freak accident at the game in Sheffield last night,” the team said on Sunday. “The Panthers would like to send our thoughts and condolences to Adam’s family, his partner and all his friends at this extremely difficult time. Everyone at the club including players, staff, management and ownership are heartbroken at the news of Adam’s passing.” His mother Kari shared two photos with her son on social media, writing: “I lost half of my heart today.” Shocking video from the game, which the Herald has chosen not to share, shows a Sheffield Steelers’ player knock into one of Johnson’s teammates before becoming completely airborne and connecting with the Panther’s player. According to the Daily Mail, Yorkshire Ambulance Service were called at around 8.21pm and sent two ambulances and a critical care paramedic. Johnson was taken to Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital. South Yorkshire Police were contacted four minutes later, and confirmed that Johnson was pronounced dead at hospital. Police officers remained at the scene overnight and an investigation into the incident is ongoing. A Minnesota native, Johnson spent 13 games over parts of the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons playing for Pittsburgh in the NHL before spending the 2020-21 season in Sweden with the Malmo Redhawks. He had a goal and three assists for the Penguins. “The Pittsburgh Penguins join the entire hockey world in mourning the life of Adam Johnson, whose life tragically ended far too soon,” the Penguins said Sunday in a statement. “We offer our deepest condolences to Adam’s family and friends, as well as all of Adam’s past and present teammates and coaches. Adam will always be part of the Penguins family.” Johnson played college hockey at Minnesota-Duluth, helping the Bulldogs reach two NCAA Tournaments. He scored an overtime game-winner in the 2017 tournament, sending Minnesota-Duluth to the Frozen Four by beating Boston University. He also played for three American Hockey League clubs during his career and in Germany with the Augsburger Panther in 2022-23 before agreeing to join Nottingham for this season. “Our thoughts are also with the fans and staff of both clubs, especially those who attended or were following the game, who will be devastated following today’s news,” the team added. “The Panthers would like to thank everyone who rushed to support Adam last night in the most testing of circumstances. Adam, our number 47, was not only an outstanding ice hockey player, but also a great teammate and an incredible person with his whole life ahead of him. The club will dearly miss him and will never ever forget him.” The league announced that all three games scheduled for Sunday in Belfast, Fife and Guildford were postponed following Johnson’s death. Nottingham’s game scheduled for Tuesday also was postponed. Ian Laperriere, who coached Johnson with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, said it was tough news. “Great kid [and] teammate,” Laperriere said in a text message. “Only great things to say about him.” The NHL has had skate cut scares throughout its history, most notably Buffalo goaltender Clint Malarchuk, who took a blade to the neck during a game against St Louis on March 22, 1989. Malarchuk received rapid medical attention and played again 10 days later. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s not a lot to say about that game that hasn’t already been said — however it will be a game that gets digested for a long time yet. Mainly over the place of TMO in rugby and how slowed down the game is these days. It’s almost like they’re not allowed to play it anymore. It must make players incredibly nervous when every move is questioned, yellow carded, TMO’d and often red carded. It’s too much. Yes there’s safety and rules to go by, but there’s also a game to be played. When you slow it down that much and spend too many valuable minutes analysing the play, staring at replays, talking to players on the field and generally making it too technical, then you also lose people’s interest. And they wonder why people are switching off the game. I’m sad for Fozzy, I really wanted him to get a triumphant send off and a fairytale ending. A big redemption and a successful World Cup win to prove the naysayers wrong. Having said that, yes of course they did well to get to the final — I know it seems weird saying that about an All Blacks team but this team has taken a pasting — amazing how many times they had to pick themselves back up and just keep going. I know they’ll be so gutted. To have a captain red carded and off so early into a World Cup final game was just heart breaking. The reffing seemed unfair — it seemed laser focussed on any misdemeanours of the AB’s. And I’m sure the Wayne Barnes fury will run for sometime yet as questions get asked about what on earth was going on. How long til we've got AI reffing games? But for the Kiwis who were there, in the stadium at the game live, I hear it was an electric atmosphere, that the place was awash with ABs supporters. That they loved the game and felt very proud to be there and to be Kiwis. It was a different experience to what we got watching from home. (or certainly at my place anyway with all the shouting and swearing at the TV.) But what a way to end the World Cup. For many of those players, big names like Aaron Smith, Sam Whitelock, Sam Cane, Beauden Barrett — that’s their last game. That’s their send off. They’ll be so gutted. It would have been so good to go out with a win. But you have to hand it to the Springboks - they played with real conviction and proved too tough to beat. I only hope Ian Foster — and the players for that matter — can walk away from this experience in a few days time when they’ve digested the pain of the loss with their heads held high. I don’t think a sports team playing at the highest level ever deserves to be vilified the way we spank our sportsmen and women when they lose. They get out there, they give it their all, they play for their country and they have every intention of bringing home a win. It’s easy to sit on the sidelines as we do, from the comfort of our couches and say oh you suck. But they don’t suck because they get out there and they do it. They got to the final, they were playing to win. It wasn’t meant to be. One point made all the difference in the world. But we’re still proud of them and the sun still came up today and they still deserve kudos for representing their country at the highest level. Which is more than the bulk of us armchair critics could do.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Israel says its next stage of war with Hamas has begun as it expands ground operations in Gaza. Telephone and internet communications in Gaza have been partially restored after a more than day-long blackout, which badly impacted rescue operations. The UN has warned civil order in Gaza is deteriorating. Otago University international relations professor Robert Patman told Kate Hawkesby two-thirds of the UN supported calls for a humanitarian "pause" in Gaza. “I don’t think Netanyahu’s government can make the claim now that the world is fully supporting Israel’s response.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

History does unfortunately repeat itself with an absolutely gutting loss for the All Blacks. The All Blacks have had to settle for second in the Rugby World Cup after losing to the Springboks 12-11 in Paris. They had to play the majority of the game with 14, after captain Sam Cane became the first player sent off in a Rugby World Cup final. Newstalk ZB rugby commentator Elliott Smith joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s finally time for a rematch. Back in 1995 the All Blacks faced South Africa in the Rugby World Cup Final and will be doing the same this Sunday morning. Hennie Le Roux was a member of the Springboks when they took the cup in ‘95 and told Kate Hawkesby that they’re preparing themselves for an enormous battle this time. He said that New Zealand has shown that they’re a power to reckon with and are probably consistently the best team in the world over a long period of time. Le Roux said that if the Springboks are going to lose, they’d rather lose to New Zealand than anyone else. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are lots of reasons, obviously, why we all want the ABs to win this weekend, but my main one to be honest is Ian Foster. That guy got dragged through the ringer, treated like utter crap from everyone, from fans to the Rugby Union itself, and he just carried on. Plugging away, keeping his head down, taking it all on the chin, and just trying to do his job. I mean he got slandered. Thumped verbally every which way but sideways. How he carried on is beyond me. Many wouldn’t have. But he’s got clearly a couple of powerful things going for him, one, obviously a deep inner strength and calm, and two, the players love him. They love him and are loyal to him and want to win for him. They have a sense of duty I think to see him off in style and make him proud, to prove the naysayers wrong, to let him have his moment, to shut up all the vociferous critics. So, for that reason alone, I hope they do it. I hope he gets to leave this World Cup a champion coach who won a World Cup under less than supportive conditions. An underdog who got to prove everyone wrong. A leader who had the backing of his team throughout, even when everyone else abandoned him. And what a great final to do it in. A brilliant opponent, a neutral ground, a team we know we can beat, but a team that holds its own. It’s got it all going on, all the makings of a fantastic on field contest. What I am pleased about is how much Fozzy’s mood has improved, how much he’s been clearly buoyed by the wins and the way the team’s playing. But not only that, the turnaround of the fans. He said this week they’ve been so encouraged by all the positive feedback and messages they’re getting, he said how grateful they are to receive all the support – especially at this end of the tournament. And you can imagine, after four years of being slated as a loser, how good it must feel now to a) be proving people wrong, and b) have people back on board. But he says the behind scenes support now is “phenomenal”. And to be fair, Kiwis do love a World Cup, and do tend to get amped about it as the final stages close in. I mean if you think back to the start of this, at the start of the pool matches, people were a bit blasé, there wasn’t the enthusiasm for it, there was mistrust the ABs could perform, there was disillusion with the way it was being run, there was internal scrapping and bitching. But now look at us. What a distant memory that will all be if they’re winners this weekend. I hope those who wrote Foster off can find it in their hearts to apologise, I hope even the most boisterous of critics will make some sort of verbal recompense in terms of how they treated him. Although I wouldn’t bet on that. Fozzy says they’re playing for the country, which they are, but it’s a country that abandoned him and treated him pretty badly, so for that reason I hope they win Sunday and win big. If they don’t… I shudder to think how awful it will be for them. But we have to remember how far they’ve come, how proud they’ve made us up until now, and that at the end of the day, Ian Foster is a human being who was just doing his job, the very best way he knew how. But if this final match is a loss, unfortunately all of it will mean nothing. Everything rides on Sunday, and getting it done. So I hope for Fozzy's sake, they can. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reports that demand for financial help is growing among employed people and property owners. CoreLogic data shows that despite interest rates doubling over the past two years, mortgagee sales remain below pre-pandemic levels. But it says this is a "fingers crossed scenario" and is dependent on people's ability to keep their jobs and maintain home payments. CoreLogic Chief Property Economist, Kelvin Davidson, told Kate Hawkesby that while it is dependent on other factors, the key one is that basically nobody wants a mortgage. He said it doesn’t help that banks don’t help the borrower, and do things such as switch interest rates, and extend the term of the loan. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.