Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

The Finance Minister is open to all options when it comes to increasing competitiveness in the banking sector. The Commerce Commission is expected to deliver their report examining banking competition issues - and drafts have hinted changes need to take place. Minister Nicola Willis says she's awaiting next week's findings. "I've committed that I will be completely open-minded about what changes may be required to get good banking competition - we'll see what the Commerce Commission says." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says the Police Association won't be left out of consultation on the firearms registry. Association President Chris Cahill has penned an open letter asking for Nicole McKee's role in reviewing the law to be stripped and given to the Police Minister. McKee says the association wasn't asked for early consultation but police were - she says they will get their chance down the track. She says the claims that she was head of the firearms lobby in 2017 are off base. "I've always been quite open and friendly towards them - but when somebody wants to make personal attacks against a person... I just think that's unnecessary." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Famed Australian children's band, The Wiggles, will be headlining an upcoming dance festival for kids this summer. Anthony, John, Tsehay and DJ Dorothy will be performing at the Sound System Dance Party at Baypark Arena on January 5. Event promoter Mitch Lowe says there's a market for events catering to younger audiences. "The reception's been crazy - we've had 500 people sign up in the last 3-4 hours." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Week three of Phillip Polkinghorne's murder trial has kicked off with testimony from Pauline Hanna's niece. The Auckland eye doctor's accused of murdering his wife in 2021, but his defence claims she killed herself. The court's today heard from Hanna's niece, Rose, who made a covert recording played last week - in which Pauline discussed issues within her marriage. ZB's Chelsea Daniels says they've now heard claims Pauline was considering getting a divorce lawyer. "She said her aunt was terrified and worried she couldn't afford to leave her husband because she suspected she didn't have any money to her name." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Social Development Minister says new sanctions will give beneficiaries less choice for spending money. The Government is ramping up obligations for those on Jobseeker benefits, and a Traffic Light System of punishments when they aren't met. People hitting 'Red' can expect half their benefit income to be put on a payment card, used only for accessing essential items. Louise Upston says the card is already in use for young parents and people on Youth Payment. "They can still spend it on clothes, on petrol, on grocery items - but there will be restrictions. So people can't buy cigarettes, for example." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Luxon has congratulated the Kiwi athletes after a record-shattering Olympic Games - but claimed hosting a victory parade would be difficult. The idea of a post-Olympics victory parade was floated to the Prime Minister, but Luxon says arranging this event isn't as easy as it sounds. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says there was an 'incredible' turnout for this Olympiad, and New Zealand came away with 10 gold medals, seven silvers and three bronzes. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Investigations are under way in Cairns into whether a helicopter that crashed into a hotel in the middle of the night was stolen. The pilot died after hitting the DoubleTree by Hilton about 2am, with propeller blades landing in its pool and the main street. New reports claim charter company Nautilus Aviation say its helicopter was stolen, and police are waiting for the pilot to be identified. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says investigations are still ongoing. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Blacks are hoping to bounce back this weekend following their recent 38-30 loss to Argentina. The team has completed their usual Monday review session before prepping for Saturday's rematch at Eden Park. Sportstalk host Jason Pine explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former Labour leader's broken ranks with his Party, in supporting AUKUS pillar two. Former Defence Minister Andrew Little has claimed the current Government is right to investigate the military intelligence-sharing agreement with the US, the UK, and Australia. Little says the nation needs to update its defence technology to address possible threats. "There are threats in our region that are new, and are real - and we have to equip our Defence Force. Where we get that technology to equip them is the question, and in that respect, AUKUS is probably relevant." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another problem for Aratere. The Interislander ferry's expected to be out of action for a few days after crashing into the dock in Wellington. More than 100 passengers and 40 crew were on board - none was injured. Maritime Lawyer Troy Stade told Heather du Plessis-Allan that speaking with the crew, there are concerns generally about how things have gone over the last few months. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the Sports Huddle Heather was joined by Sports Commentators Nicky Styris and Jim Kayes too look at some of the stories coming out of the Olympics. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The knives appear to be out for Auckland Transport. Wayne Brown's putting forward a proposal to strip AT of its policymaking functions and have elected representatives control it. It also includes plans to abolish the council’s development agency and its events and economic development agency. He'll need the backing of councillors, and in the case of AT's control, a law change. Brown told Heather du Plessis-Allan that he’s sick of being blamed for things he doesn’t control. He said that AT has had 12 years of complete independence to the point where the council almost seems to be more of a nuisance than an owner, and they’re not listening as much as he’d like. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday 9 August 2024, Pan Pac Managing Director Tony Clifford explains why sky-high electricity prices have meant he's had to stop Hawkes Bay's paper pulp mill. Christchurch City Councillor Tim Scandrett reacts to news that the Christ Church Cathedral is set to be mothballed as it's run out of money. Turns out the Olympic medals are not what they used to be – with one athlete complaining his new Bronze medal has suffered a lot of wear and tear after just a week. Plus, the Huddle debates whether the Paris Olympics will be remembered as a bit of a shambles. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This year’s Olympic medals don’t seem to be up to standard. A US Olympic skateboarder has criticised the quality of his bronze medal after it began to deteriorate only a week after he won it. The backside of the medal is chipped, and it’s already losing its bronze colour. Former Olympian Ian Ferguson told Heather du Plessis-Allan that his are 40 years old and look exactly the same as the day they were made. He said that they were made differently at the time, solid silver and gold plated, with a decent coating of gold on them. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nicola Willis has made the right call to not give any more taxpayer money to the Christ Church Cathedral rebuild. It’s tough call. It's got consequences, as they’re saying, it looks like the Cathedral night be mothballed because they can’t figure out how else to raise the money. But frankly, the country can’t afford to give them another $60 million. We're living on our credit card. We’ve already stumped up $25 million, and let’s remember, this is privately-owned church. It's owned by the Anglicans. It’s not like we’re helping to build something that belongs to us, it belongs to the Anglicans, and they are reportedly sitting on about $2.9b worth of assets at last count. To be fair to them, they didn't want to rebuild the cathedral but were forced into it by public opinion, but they are the ones who stand to benefit from the rebuild. I don't want to appear to be callous about a place that is very important to Christchurch, but Christchurch, can I point out, has had a lot of taxpayer assistance, quite rightly, in recovering from the earthquake. There has got to be a limit to it. I want to compare it to Wellington. Wellington actually suffered a lot more than people realise from that 2016 Kaikoura earthquake. I think we’ve come to release that the most likely explanation for all the pipes bursting in Wellington currently is because of that quake. There has been, as far as I can see, no taxpayer assistance for Wellington in dealing with that. Now I realise it’s not a straight comparison. The Christchurch quake of 2011 was miles bigger and far more devastating than the 2016 Kaikoura quake, and so of course Wellington would not be assisted to the level that Christchurch has been. But the point I'm trying to make is that, apart from some funding for privately held residences, Wellington has not been helped. Christchurch has been helped a lot. Maybe it’s time for the Anglicans to help now. It's their building after all. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Soaring energy prices have been a topic of conversation at the moment as multiple mills are at risk of shutting up shop. Regional Development Minister Shane Jones has issued a warning to generators, telling them to sort it out or else the Government will get involved. Nicola Willis and Simeon Brown have stated that they’re making inquiries into the situation, and Winston Peters has gone a step further and accused electricity generators of anti-competitive behaviour and accused them of profiteering on the backs of people who have to pay their power bills. Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper told Heather du Plessis-Allan that this should end with Labour coming to the table and the supporting the government in lifting the ban they made on oil and gas exploration. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Christchurch city councillor says there could be options to come to a deal regarding the rebuild of Christ Church Cathedral. Its future's in doubt as the Government refuses to step in to plug a $114 million funding gap for the restoration. Asked if the Church could be sold rather than rebuilt, Tim Scandrett told Heather du Plessis Allan there are possibilities, but none have been presented to council. He says the church owns property and could come to council with some options —which may be considered if they were in ratepayers' interests— but that hasn't happened. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pan Pac Forest Products says part of its operations could be on hold for another two months. The Napier mill says a major spike in electricity prices since Saturday has made its export pulp production unviable. Managing director Tony Clifford says the business can't generate profit with the cost of electricity at the current level. He told Heather du Plessis Allan either it has to rain a lot for more hydro power, or Taupo's Tauhara plant needs to come online - which might not be until October. He says Pan Pac has a power purchasing agreement with Tauhara and currently it's having problems, so Pan Pac is fully exposed to the wholesale electricity market. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The polls are pointed in Kamala Harris’ favour. The Democratic candidate has taken an eight-point lead over the Republican’s Donald Trump, and with the addition of third-party candidates, Harris is leading 50% to Trump’s 42%. This is a significant change from a few months ago, where Joe Biden was trailing a few points behind Donald Trump. US Correspondent Mitch McCann told Heather du Plessis-Allan that the lead is likely a bit of a honeymoon phase at the moment, but the polls show it will be an incredibly close race. He said she’s gaining momentum, and not just with public opinion, as her fundraising has been astronomical. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Blacks are opening the Rugby Championship this Saturday evening. They’re facing off against Argentina in Wellington’s Sky Stadium, and there are still tickets available. Sportstalk Host D’Arcy Waldegrave told Heather du Plessis-Allan there’s probably a couple of reasons behind this. He said that one factor could be that no one has the money for tickets, another could be the lack of build-up and promotion, or it could be that people don’t care about a match against Argentina. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Warnings that price hikes for international visas could chill the workforce. The Government is increasing costs across almost all categories from October to bring in an extra $536 million over four years. The cost for a skilled residence visa will rise by over $2000, and work visas are more than doubling in price. New Zealand Association for Migration and Investment chair Arunima Dhingra told Heather du Plessis-Allan this will put some people off. She says students will come no matter what because of the benefits, but migrants like tilers and carpenters with no residency pathways won't even bother. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK is still rife with unrest, over a week since the fatal stabbing of three girls in a Southport dance class. Far-right protests were sparked from a wave of false messaging online that wrongly identified the suspected killer as an Islamic migrant. UK correspondent Enda Brady explains the latest developments. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a turbulent week for financial markets - have things bounced back? Japan's stocks have rebounded after their crash, but there's mixed results from around the rest of the world. Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A veteran Scottish shearer who is the only woman to qualify in the top 30 at the Golden Shears in Masterton has shattered a world record set by New Zealander Sacha Bond just six months ago. Shearing at Trefranck Farm in Cornwall, 51-year-old Una Cameron was chasing Bond’s solo women’s nine-hour strong wool ewes record of 458 and finished at 4am today (New Zealand time), with a new record of 517. The Country's Jamie Mackay explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ASB has made a surprise call ahead of next week's OCR announcement. The bank is predicting the Reserve Bank will cut rates in the coming days - a sooner timeframe than initially predicted. NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann explains whether or not ASB makes a good case. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 8 August 2024, the Aratere Interislander ferry has crashed again! Minister Simeon Brown was wearing all the hats today - talking to Heather about the crash, our energy crisis and how councils will be able to pay for their water infrastructure in future. Heather reckons Paul Goldsmith made a mistake editing out Maori greetings and words from a letter to his Australian counterpart because it makes the Government look anti-Maori. The Huddle debates whether aspiring primary school teachers should have to pass maths NCEA Level 2 to qualify.And in business - can Allbirds make cool shoes again and turn its business around? Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Ali Jones from Red PR and Matt Heath from Radio Hauraki joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The Interislander's Aratere is in hot water again after hitting a ramp docking in Wellington this afternoon. What's really going on here? The Government is requiring new teacher trainees to pass NCEA Level Two maths going forward. Are these measures fair? Do we need our teachers to be better educated? The Australians have responded well to Luxon making a joke at their expense - but the issue of Minister Paul Goldsmith removing Māori language from a Matariki invitation. What do we make of this? A group of Wellington Council members raised eyebrows after they walked out of a contentious meeting - do we agree with this choice? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's bad news for a former darling of the footwear world. Kiwi shoe company Allbirds, co-founded by former All White Tim Brown, has posted a net loss of $19 million for the second quarter of 2024. Greg Smith from Devon Funds says the company runs the risk of being de-listed from the Nasdaq. "The valuation of the company was over $4 billion, the year before, they'd made over $200 million in sales. Fast forward four years, they're still at $200 million - the cool factor dissipated." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three Wellington City Councillors walked out of a meeting this afternoon - around contentious roadworks on Thorndon Quay. The council agreed to reduce building raised pedestrian crossings from five, to two. But Councillor Ben McNulty refused to vote, saying he was uncomfortable playing the role of a transport engineer. He left the room as well as Nurreddin Abdurahman and Diane Calvert. Calvert says they didn't have enough information to make a decision, and she doesn't support any raised crossings. "We wanted to wait a couple of weeks until we could get that information - that was rejected." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's concerns from experts that new teacher training requirements will exacerbate workforce shortages. The Government's action plan includes teacher trainees needing to have achieved NCEA Level Two maths. Teacher Education Forum executive chair, Rosina Merry, says many enter the profession well after leaving school. She says the sector isn't against the Government working with the Teaching Council to increase entry requirements - but after some time and consultation. "We're not suggesting we put it off, we're suggesting slowing it down a little bit. The pace of change for teachers - and for the sector - is huge." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister has brushed off his faux pas yesterday, when he seemed to be taking a crack at Australians. Minister Paul Goldsmith was being questioned over removing Māori greetings from his Matariki invitation to an Australian Minister. In his defence, Chris Luxon said in his dealings with Australians, it pays to be incredibly simple. ZB political correspondent Barry Soper said the Government had bigger things to worry about on our shores. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian airline Qantas has slashed former CEO Alan Joyce's exit package, following a stint of costly scandals and legal cases. The $21.4m payout Joyce was due to get after leaving the company last year will be cut by $9.26m, the company told investors. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says this follows a rough business period for the airline. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Energy Minister says rising power costs are because of low supply. Heavy business users have warned spiking prices threaten their viability - including timber mills facing possible closure. The Electricity Authority and Commerce Commission has been asked to look at whether power companies are price gouging. The Government is also looking to import more liquefied natural gas. Simeon Brown says the last Government's ban on gas exploration was detrimental. "The key thing is that we have a shortage of energy - and that is what is driving this situation." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi Kayakers Max Brown and Grant Clancy are coping well with the controversy of them competing in the canoeing pair event at the Olympic Games. The duo finished distant last in their heat and quarterfinal in Paris after they were forced to compete in the kneel-down canoeing C2 500 - which was qualified so they could compete in the K4 500 event. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Children's Minister has set out five new reporting instructions for Oranga Tamariki going forward. How the ministry is performing across these new criteria will be publicly reported every quarter starting from the 2024/2025 financial year. These include frequency of visits to children in care, timeliness around Reports of Concern, caregiver reports, complaint management and addressing youth offending. Minister Karen Chhour says data from the Independent Children's Monitor says the ministry has failed to meet these standards. "I'm going to make sure we get these quarterly reports, so we can see it in real time and actually make sure we're improving things." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Inevitably, the Aussies have picked up on the slur from Chris Luxon, where he said when talking to Aussies - it pays to be ‘incredibly simple’. And they seem to be largely taking in the spirit it’s intended, which is just a bit of humour. And it also means Luxon’s play worked. Which is - by having a crack at the Aussies to distract us from the actual issue, which is Paul Goldsmith taking Māori words out of the Matariki invitation.Look, let’s get to the heart of this, this was a dumb thing for Paul Goldsmith to do. Yeah, I get he might want an invitation from him to be authentic to him and if he doesn’t make a habit of going around using Māori words in a tokenistic fashion to show off his inclusivity credentials, then sure, he might want to take out the Te Reo and replace it with English - fair enough.But Paul Goldsmith is going have start being a little bit smarter and strategic about this, because this Government doesn’t need a petty issue like this on race relations to deal with. It has got enough going on as it is. A lot of what the Government's doing on race relations is worthy and does need to be done. Repealing the Māori wards, tidying up the Treaty Principles, halting co-governance, putting an end to certain ethnicities getting priority surgery - and they can defend that stuff quite easily on democratic and equal rights grounds.But when Paul Goldsmith does something like taking Māori words out of an invitation - although it may be true to his way of speaking - what he does is he makes this democratic and equal rights reset just look like an anti Māori thing for some people. Now to be fair to him, he’s not the only minister who’s been caught fighting petty battles like this, he's just the latest.But it would pay for these guys the next time they want to take Māori words out of a document to really think about whether that, if leaked, is something they want to add to the Government's race relations agenda. Because there is a very fine line between appearing to be for equal rights and appearing to be just anti-everything Māori. And frankly, there are much more important things going on in this country right now. An energy crisis, a possible recession, a massive problem in health - just to name a few. But what are we going to remember about this week? Paul Goldsmith’s invitation. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UK police believe there are at least 30 potential far right gatherings planned tonight. So far in the week’s unrest, 400 arrests have been made and around 100 people have been charged in connection with the disorder brought about by the riots. Nearly 6,000 public order officers are being mobilised. UK correspondent Gavin Grey explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rideshare giant Uber has reported its second quarter result - and shares were up +11 percent. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says the company is in a position to keep growing, despite an uncertain macroeconomic outlook and decreased consumer spending. Milford Asset Management's Deborah Lambie unpacks these results. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Around 40,000 McDonald’s staff are likely to be compensated, as the fast-food chain corrects a widespread payroll issue dating back 15 years. McDonald’s is contacting those employed between November 1, 2009, and December 6, 2020, asking them to check a portal on its website to see if they’re eligible for reimbursement. The company is one of countless employers, including government departments, that miscalculated leave entitlements outlined in what’s proven to be a very confusing Holidays Act 2003. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explains who stands to benefit from this. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's belief a major Auckland pulp mill proposing closure could be the first of many. Oji Fibre Solutions is consulting with its 75 Penrose staff, citing a three-year pattern of losses. CEO Jon Ryder says dramatically rising energy costs are one of several issues plaguing the mill. E tū Union negotiation specialist Joe Gallagher says the Government needs to step in and set up some regulations. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Debbie Ngarewa-Packer has raised a few eyebrows following her controversial comments in the House. She's accused the ACT Party of grooming the Prime Minister and the Government into exercising 'ethnocide' on Māori culture. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper has labelled these accusations as hate speech. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 7 August 2024, the Polkinghorne trial has turned to Philip Polkinghorne's relationships with sex workers today. The unemployment rate rose to 4.6% today. Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr says it's slightly better than predicted but he still thinks a cut to the OCR next week is warranted. The Chief Ombudsman has named and shamed St Peter's College in Auckland as one of the schools that have refused to follow his recommendations after excluding a student who had bought and smoked cannabis. But the school's principal defends the decision not to apologise to the student for being tough on drug use. The Huddle discusses councillors facing threats for taking a stance on the Maori wards issue. Plus was it smart or embarrassing to send a team to the C2 canoe racing when they had zero experience? Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jordan Williams from the Taxpayer's Union and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issue of the day - and more! Councillor Murray Chong has spoken up about feeling threatened after he found a bullet dent in his ute ahead of the Māori ward vote. How appalling is this? Are we being too hard on our C2 500 crew after their Olympic performance? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington Council is hoping to force the redevelopment of the the infamous Johnsonville Shopping Centre after years of inaction. It's been two decades since the mall was refurbished - and several high-profile retailers have abandoned the premises. Wellington Councillor Ben McNulty says there's plenty of options to force change along. "My view is - if they're not going to use it, they might as well lose it, and someone else who can actually do the work and has the expertise needs to come in." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Plymouth's mayor says threats against councillors aren't uncommon. Councillor Murray Chong abstained from voting on Māori wards yesterday - saying he was fearful after finding a bullet dent in his ute. Legislation passed last week to let councils get rid of their Māori wards. New Plymouth has voted to retain theirs, but Kaipara District Council today become the first to scrap theirs. New Plymouth mayor, Neil Holdom, says they get threats on a range of topics. "People used to write in emails and they'd express their views quite professionally and constructively - now it's just becoming increasingly aggressive." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwibank's Chief Economist says unemployment will rise for another year. Stats NZ figures out today show unemployment jumped to 4.6 percent in the June quarter, from 4.4 the quarter before, and 3.6 percent this time last year. Jarrod Kerr says this statistic tends to lag behind the rest of the economy, because employers keep workers as long as they can. "So we think the unemployment rate keeps lifting for the rest of this year and into next - and it'll end up around 5.2-5.3 percent." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A court has heard Phillip Polkinghorne's police interview on day eight of his trial. The Auckland eye doctor is accused of murdering his wife, Pauline Hanna, in 2021. He maintains she killed herself. Polkinghorne's dealings with other woman have been detailed today, both at a North Shore apartment in 2019, and a Mount Cook retreat in the weeks after Hanna's death. NewstalkZB's Chelsea Daniels says Polkinghorne jumped from topic to topic in the police interview. "Detailing things like the couple's beach house, an argument they'd had about staining, an episode of New Amsterdam they'd watched the night before." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Canoe Racing New Zealand are defending a situation which has drawn the ire of some fans at the Paris Olympics. The crew finished significantly later than all the other boats - coming in dead last by 45.31 seconds in the quarterfinal stage. Canoe Racing NZ chair Greg Adlam says the team did what they could in a difficult boat. "It's one thing for kayakers to get into a canoe boat and to paddle it, it's another one to actually lay down power on the course. That's the phase we're at now." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris has found her running mate - bringing out Governor Tim Walz at a Philadelphia rally. Walz addressed a cheering crowd for the first time as Vice Presidential nominee. Harris says Walz shines a light on a brighter future they can build together. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says the pair had a one-on-one meeting over the weekend - and just clicked. "She liked a lot of what he brought, liked the fact that he's been going after Trump - and thinks that he will help her cross the Midwest." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Canoe Racing New Zealand is defending a pragmatic decision in their Olympic qualification process. Kayakers Max Brown and Grant Clancy have been forced to compete in the kneel-down canoeing C2 500 - a boat which was qualified so they could compete in the sit-down K4 500 event. The pair have finished 45 seconds behind the winner of their Paris Games quarter-final, because they didn't want to expend too much energy. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.