Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

The police have been referred to an investigation into National MP for New Plymouth David MacLeod's failure to report $178,394 in donations. MacLeod - a backbench MP - unveiled this last month, and was stood down from the Environment and Finance select committees. Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper told Heather du Plessis-Allan “There’s a lot of question to be answered – you can’t just say ‘look, I’ve forgotten.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hunter Biden’s ex-girlfriend Hallie is testifying in his federal gun trial. Hallie described to the court how she found a gun in his truck, his drug use and how he got her into drugs. Biden is charged with three felonies stemming from the purchase of a gun in 2018. US Correspondent Dan Mitchinson told Heather du Plessis-Allan “Joe Biden has released a statement saying if his son is found guilty – he won’t pardon him.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand will make its annual payment of $1 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) as scheduled - Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has confirmed. "This follows careful consideration of the UN's response - including through external & internal investigations - to serious allegations against certain UNRWA staff being involved in the 7 October terrorist attacks on Israel," Peters said in a tweet. Former Prime Minister and Head of UN Development Agency, Helen Clark, told Heather du Plessis-Allan “They had to conclude that Israel’s case is completely unproven, because they never provided any evidence.” Clark said “Every big barrel of apples, will have a bad one somewhere – but as a smear of an organisation is quite wrong.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This weekend, the Fijian Drua will play the Blues at Eden Park in their second quarterfinal in a row. Meanwhile, The Melbourne Rebels are closing up shop – bringing Super Rugby’s finals system down to a six-team playoffs next year in an 11-team competition. SportsTalk Host Jason Pine told Heather du Plessis-Allan “I don’t think the Rebels or the Drua will beat the Hurricanes or Blues games. Piney said “There’s a possibility of the Chiefs coming down against the Reds.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Auckland woman who can no longer move her legs after inhaling nitrous oxide - otherwise known as 'nangs' or 'laughing gas - is urging the government to regulate the sale of the gas. Nitrous oxide has been used as an anaesthetic for over than 150 years, but it’s also popular as a recreational drug. Auckland City Hospital Neurology Registrar, Dr Shilpan Patel, told Heather du Plessis-Allan “We’ve seen people inhaling hundreds of canisters a day come in with injuries – as well as people who’ve only had a handful.” Patel says “It’s quite a serious condition that can have long-lasting consequences for otherwise young, fit and well people.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Australian change of heart on the 501s didn't last long did it, ay? They flipped their position today. They've issued a new directive. Now, what this is going to do essentially is it's going to force decision-makers when they’re considering whether to send a 501 back to New Zealand, or wherever else: they now have to put more emphasis on Australian safety when they make their decision. Previously, they had to put emphasis on whether the person actually had a connection to Australia. So basically, in a nutshell, what it means is that we're probably going to go back to the ‘bad old days’ of the 501s arriving here. The kind of person who hasn’t lived in New Zealand since they were like 2-years-old or something like that. Not our problem really, but com in anyway. Of course, the Aussies had a change of heart. This was always going to happen. There was no way it was going to be a political winner for anyone over there to keep Kiwi-born bad guys in New Zealand when they could just simply send them away. And as predicted, elbows getting a political smashing for allowing the bad Kiwis to stay in Aussie because Jacinda asked him to. Now, the thing is: I don't like what's happened today. I'm really sad about what these criminals are doing to the country. Because there's no doubt these bad guys are the most sophisticated bad guys we have seen in a long time. And they’re certainly more sophisticated than the bad guys we're used to in New Zealand. But there is no point in crying about it, or begging them not to do it. They're going to do it. This is the reality: We do it too. I mean, just the other day we deported a guy back to South Africa for killing another chap with a with a single martial arts-style kick to the head. That guy, who we sent back to South Africa, was 10 when he moved here. So, we are doing exactly the same thing, as the Aussies are doing. As far as I can see, there's nothing we can do to stop it. We've only got one option available to us. If we really, really want to limit how much crime some of these guys fall back into: we have got to spend money on our side of the border setting them up when they arrive here. I think they get something like a couple of nights in a motel and a little bit of spending cash - and then they're on their own. I mean, that's not really going to buy them very much time, is it? That's why very many of them fall back into crime. If we really want to stop them from falling back into crime - if we really want to set them up as good citizens - we have got to get them proper accommodation and we've got to get them jobs and it's going to cost us a lot of money. But I'll tell you what: it will cost us less than them heading into jail. We can only control what happens on the side of the border. On the other side - the Aussie side - there's nothing we can do. As proven by the reversal today. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday 6 June 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown details his $4 billion spend to fix and prevent potholes on the nation's roads. With further calls for an investigation into Te Paati Māori and alleged misuse of personal information, the issue has reached a point where a broader inquiry can be justified. The Huddle considers if Covid tests should be free. Plus, male contraception is on the way to shoulders around the world. 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.

New information has been revealed about Christian Brueckner, the lead suspect in the long-running Madeleine McCann case. German police have claimed Brueckner had an email account containing messages related to the killing of McCann. UK Correspondent, Enda Brady told Jack Tame “Police have discovered a Hotmail account and external hard drive, which they say link him to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.” Brady says “We’ve long suspected the German police know a lot more than they’re going to tell the public – but this is the first time that they’ve acknowledge this link.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Infometrics predict the official cash rate (OCR) won’t move until February next year - rather than this November. Non-tradeable inflation (inflation that is domestic and not influenced by international factors) has caused issues for the Reserve Bank – say business commentators. It makes up almost 60% of the consumer price index (CPI), which the Reserve Bank is trying to reduce. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen told Jack Tame “We kept looking out at the economy and we can’t support our previous view.” Olsen says “You’re not going to use monetary policy to get local government rates under control, or insurance premiums.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

University of Otago research revealed last year that twice the number of under 30-year-olds living in rural areas die compared to those in cities. It’s the strongest evidence yet that the health of rural Kiwis is worse than those who live in the city. The Country Host Jamie Mckay told Jack Tame “The rural male suicide rate is 64% higher than in cities.” Mckay said “Māori living rurally are twice as likely to die of preventable causes than their urban counterparts.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good news for motorists: the price of oil has gone down around 7 percent in the last week. The Brent Crude oil price dropped below US$80 a barrel at the weekend, after OPEC+ came to a deal to extend voluntary production cuts. NZ Business editor-at-large, Liam Dann told Jack Tame “That’s good news for motorists – and good news on the inflation fight.” Dann said “We want to see renewable energy – but everything in the economy is underpinned by the price of oil.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Bank of New Zealand is extending the opening hours of part-time branches. The bank put an emphasis on call centres and digital services after closing 38 branches during the height of the pandemic. BNZ Chief Executive Dan Huggins told Jack Tame “We’ve heard from our customers – particularly small businesses – that they want to talk to our people more often” Huggins said “four or five years ago, we saw a demand for digital – now we've taken the feedback, we’re putting more people into our branches.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On The Huddle: Health funding in this year’s budget The government will fund $22m to train 25 more doctors each year through the existing medical schools at Otago and Auckland universities. Although, Waikato University's plan for a new medical school - which had support from National - is not in the Budget. The Maxim Institute’s Tim Wilson told Jack Tame “It’s probably not the end of the world in the grand scheme of things, but it does fill out a narrative of a series of broken promises.” Former staffer for Jacinda Ardern Mike Munro said “50 doctors is not a lot – but we do need everything we can get right now.” Munro says “It comes back to the reckless promises they made in opposition.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government will purchase an additional 9 million rapid antigen tests (RATs), extending freely available tests by three months. Health Minister Shane Reti announced today that nearly $200m of the funding will go towards vaccines and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test processing. Health Minister Shane Reti told Jack Tame “I believe Kiwis want to do the right thing and follow their isolations.” Reti says “We want to get through this at-risk period. It peaks at mid-year and end-of-year.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Male birth control may be on its way – in gel form. It’s a hormonal gel that men rub on their shoulders, which has been developed at the University of Southern California (USC). USC Obstetrician-Gynaecologist, Dr Brian Nguyen told Jack Tame “It’s very similar to female contraceptive methods – we have so much experience with it.” Nguyen said “The entire factory is left intact, you’re just telling factory to stop production.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Te Pāti Māori is facing allegations that personal information collected by a Manurewa marae during Covid immunisations was used for political campaigning. The marae was also controversially used as a polling booth in last year’s general election. Te Pāti Māori has denied the allegations. Taxpayers Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, told Jack Tame “At the end of the day, this information isn’t in the government’s hands.” Williams said “The Census is such a core function of government – and public must have confidence that the data is protected.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government will spend $4 billion over the next three years fixing and preventing potholes on state highways and local roads nationwide. Auckland will get a $478 million boost in pothole funding; Waikato will get $214m and Canterbury has been allocated $187m in funding. Transport Minister Simeon Brown told Jack Tame “The real focus here is preventing them.” Brown said “The NZTA board allocates the fund based upon need.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is putting $30 million towards free and timely access to radiology services including X-rays, CT scans and ultrasounds across the country. Health Minister Shane Reti made the announcement this morning during a visit to Waikanae Health Centre. Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper told Jack Tame “The biggest problem has been in the provinces.” Soper said “At the moment, you’ve got to go to a specialist, to be referred for X-rays, CT scans and ultrasounds. You can imagine how long that can take.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia's cyber safety regulator has dropped a case against Elon Musk-owned X (formerly Twitter) over the removal of videos of the stabbing of an Assyrian church bishop in Sydney. Australia Correspondent Murray Olds told Jack Tame “It was seen as a test of Australia’s ability to enforce online safety rules against these giant companies.” Olds said “The video was removed in Australia – but X has said it’s an attack on free speech.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii has insisted his knockout tackle on Reece Walsh was an accident. Suaalii apologised to the whole of New South Wales, after being sent off at the beginning of his State of Origin debut. D'Arcy Waldegrave SportsTalk host told Jack Tame “Seven minutes into the game - the oxygen goes out of the place.” Waldegrave says “He just turned around in the tackle. Reece slipped a bit, but he should’ve kept the tacklee safe.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s the fifth straight month of slow new car sales, and it’s likely for more dealers to close. This comes after the Government removed the Clean Car Discount – stating the Clean Car Standard will achieve results. Motor Industry Association CEO Aimee Whiley told Jack Tame “It feels harder right now, than it did during the GFC.” Wiley said “Consumer demand has shifted too – the kind of vehicles Kiwis want has changed.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A fascinating interview on the Mike Hosking breakfast this morning, with the lawyer acting on behalf of former workers at Auckland's Manurewa marae, where it is alleged that private information was improperly accessed to help with election campaigning. Now these are really, really serious allegations and it is just so important to note that Te Pāti Māori and John Tamihere have denied all allegations of wrongdoing so far. At the moment we have Stats New Zealand investigating, the police are investigating as well. Health New Zealand is involved and now the privacy commissioner is considering what, if any steps to take. But I for one think it's probably reached a point with this issue where a broader inquiry can be justified. Not only to restore public confidence in the census and in election processes, but also for Te Pāti Māori and for John Tamihere to have the opportunity to be publicly cleared of wrongdoing. You see, there are several issues with this. We have, for starters, several interrelated allegations - which are in themselves a little confusing and a little murky. We have a government department that is investigating, while a legal representative for some of the workers at the centre of these allegations says that another government department, the MSD, has acted improperly. And I think that having won the Government Department essentially investigating another department's role risks perceptions when it comes around a lack of independence, at least in the eyes of some voters. It's interesting, Christopher Luxon says he's not ruling out a public inquiry, but at the same time he probably needs to be pretty careful to be seen not to be using (as yet unproven) allegations for political advantage. So he suggests the current processes need to be seen through. But I think we probably need something broader. I think we need something broader, something with clear terms of reference, something as transparent as possible. Because it is in the best interests of the voting public, but also the best interests of clearing those who say they've done absolutely nothing wrong. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Several major hospitals in London have been impacted by a cyber attack - which led to operations being cancelled and emergency patients being diverted. The incident has had an impact on the delivery of key services, including blood transfusions and test results. UK correspondent Gavin Grey explains the widespread damage being caused by the attack. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A 20-year deal with Southland's Tiwai Aluminium Smelter could be good news for everyday New Zealanders. The agreement signed by Meridian, Mercury, Contact Energy and New Zealand Aluminium Smelters will guarantee supply until 2044. Milford Asset Management's Jeremy Hutton says this is positive news for the electricity sector. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's tax take has surpassed Treasury’s expectations for the first time in a while. This positive result was found to have come from efforts to minimise the amount of tax trustees pay. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny says this shows how hard companies worked to flush out their retained earnings. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Parts of the new Cook Strait mega ferries had already been built and tested, before the contract for the ships was canned. The Government announced last year that it would not give Kiwirail more money for the new ferries, but a written question to Paul Goldsmith revealed some engine parts had been built. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper explains that this will likely cost Kiwis. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another historic criminal prosecution in the US begins as Hunter Biden faces federal gun charges. The jury's been sworn in for the trial of Joe Biden's 54-year-old son. He's accused of lying about illegal drug use when buying a Colt Cobra revolver in 2018, and illegally possessing it for 11 days. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says Hunter Biden could be facing a fine, community service or house arrest. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Phoenix goalkeeper Alex Paulsen is set to move to English Premier League side Bournemouth. The 21-year-old has been offloaded from the Wellington Phoenix in the biggest transfer in the club's history, estimated at $4 million. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains this update further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 5 June 2024, political commentator Bryce Edwards is calling for a coordinated investigation after allegations the Maori Party misused private information for election campaigning. How much time are people willing to give the Government to fix crime issues in our central cities? Workplace Relations Minister Brooke Van Velden on the changes she wants to make to your annual leave and your sick leave entitlements. The Huddle debates whether Canterbury Police is right to feel aggrieved that they've had their water cooler taken away. Plus Heather gets the most Boomer text ever. 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, Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A and Infrastructure NZ CEO Nick Leggett joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Police Minister Mark Mitchell held a public meeting to attempt to address the crime in Auckland's CBD currently impacting residents and businesses. Can the Government fix the rampant crime in our cities? How much time do they have before public opinion turns? The Māori Party is under fire over accused use of private information for election campaigning. Should there be a wider inquiry? Canterbury police stations have removed water coolers to save money - is this a fair move? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Precinct Properties plans to funnel over $300 million into housing in Auckland CBD. The company has announced it'll build student accommodation of 500 units on Queen Street, to boost housing in the city centre. CEO Scott Pritchard says moving toward residential property is a natural next step. "For a long time now, we've been developing commercial office - and in the last few years, we've sort of moved into mixed-use development where you add retail and other uses to offices." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's drafting legislation to change the Holidays Act 2003, and will put it out for consultation in September. It'll include proposals to pro-rata sick leave and move annual leave from an entitlement system, to one using accrual. Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says she aims to simplify the Act so businesses can spend less time on workplace admin. "It hasn't really adapted to a modern, flexible work environment - which is what we're aiming to achieve." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a view the investigation of allegations against Te Pāti Māori should be more co-ordinated. It's been alleged that information collected at Manurewa Marae was used to help the party's election campaign, which it denies. Stats NZ has appointed an investigator, a complaint's been laid with Police, and the Privacy Commissioner says he's talking to agencies on next moves. Commentator Bryce Edwards told Heather du Plessis-Allan that it should be approached in a more organised way. He says each agency shouldn't all do separate investigations. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A business owner in Auckland's CBD says locals need to back the police. Police Minister Mark Mitchell led a public meeting to address increased crime rates last night, which grew strained at points. Queens Arcade property manager Ian Wright says crime has been on the rise across the nation - but he's confident things are headed in the right direction. "The whole system's gone too soft, the justice system needs a good look at - and all of those things are not going to change overnight." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The country's most stolen car - the Toyota Aqua - is now costing some as much as $3,000 a year to insure. Motor Trade Association spokesperson, Larry Fallowfield, says in the past couple of years, they've also become the most registered used car here. He says their lack of modern features means they're easier to steal - but owners can give them an upgrade. "Insurance companies are saying - if you fit in an immobiliser, then obviously there's a change to what your premiums look like." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland's largest real estate agency experienced a significant boost last month. Barfoot & Thompson's property sales for May were up 30 percent on April and up 27 percent compared to May 2023. The agency's managing director, Peter Thompson, says the company's experiencing a small boom in demand, which has been lessened by the current interest rates. "I think we're in for a quite a good little slow boosted market. Interest rates are still the big thing that's holding the market really taking off." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The new Ministry for Regulation has announced a review of the early childhood education sector. The minister in charge, David Seymour, says affordability, access and regulation currently weigh down the industry. Seymour says workers in the sector are burdened by constant rules and regulations as they try to educate the nation's youngest learners. "Fundamentally, we want people to spend less time engaged in regulatory activity, which may or may not be that useful - and more time on their core business." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I was very interested in that Auckland Central crime meeting with the Police Minister last night. If it wasn’t that the thing was scheduled for 6:30, when this show was still on air, I would've gone along. I actually got Mark Mitchell's flyer in the letterbox inviting me to come along, cause I live in Auckland Central. And because I work in Auckland Central, I care very deeply about the crime in my neighbourhood, and I'm not happy about it - at all.We live within hearing of the Ponsonby shooting which happened a few weeks back, we constantly have unsavoury characters loitering on our street doing god knows what, we've got a couple of guys who’ve pitched a tent in the local park - they’ve been there for months - smoking weed flagrantly. I make a conscious decision at night-time to drive distances that I can actually walk simply because I don't think it's safe when it's dark. So as an Auckland Central resident, I want something done, and I want it done fast. And I realise there are some people who came out of that meeting unimpressed and unhappy - but I've actually got a slightly more optimistic take on it.At least Mark Mitchell acknowledges there's a problem. That is a massive change from Ginny Andersen's approach as Labour’s Police Minister. She spent amazing amounts of energy and time pretending we didn’t have a crime problem. According to her, we just had a better app for reporting crime, which is why the numbers were up. Which is just a load of bollocks.Having Mark Mitchell front up to meetings in his evenings when he is already an MP of his own electorate - plus he's a very busy Cabinet Minister - it's impressive.I think we’ve got to be a little realistic: this is not going to change overnight. Mark Mitchell is turning around 6 years of neglect of our inner cities, where the previous Government filled them with homeless people and then pretended there wasn’t a crime problem. He's only been in the job for 7 months, give him a moment.He knows what the fix is, and that's the important thing. And that's more police on the beat. Already, there are noticeably more. One of my colleagues who lives nearby says he sees them all the time, but there aren't enough. Because I don't see them all the time.So yes, there’s room for improvement - and there'd better be improvement - but for now I'm seeing enough good signs. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brexit champion Nigel Farage is making a comeback, dealing another blow to UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Farage is standing as an MP, and will lead the right-wing populist Reform Party. UK correspondent Enda Brady says this comes off the back of some disappointing poll numbers for Rishi Sunak. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Country's Jamie Mackay is celebrating a royal honour. Mackay was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to broadcasting and the rural community. Listen to him outline this accomplishment here today. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Struggling dairy processor Synlait has confirmed a significant majority of its farmer suppliers want to leave. The Canterbury-based organisation told yesterday's Australian securities exchange the exodus of most of its 280 suppliers was expected. Dairy insights consultant Stuart Davison says this comes off the back of a 'concerning' 18 months for the business. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has made a u-turn and promised to fund the cancer treatments that were left off last week's Budget. During last year's election campaign, National campaigned on spending over $280 million on 13 treatments. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says this has been a PR disaster for the Government. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia's Defence Force is eyeing up New Zealanders to bolster its military. From July, Kiwis who have lived in Australia for 12 months can apply to join the ADF - and British, US and Canadian residents can join from next year. Their citizenship will be fast tracked. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says we celebrate ANZAC day every year. "As much as we take the mickey out of each other, we love New Zealand, New Zealand loves Australia. This actually makes sense if we have some sort of combined forces." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 4 June 2024, the Government is promising that it will make a decision on funding the 13 promised cancer drugs "very shortly". Finance Minister Nicola Willis tells Heather when we can expect news. Oncologist Dr Chris Jackson says the 13 handpicked drugs aren't even the best drugs anymore. More than two thirds of Australians think the age limit on social media should rise from 13 to 16. The Huddle debates whether the Police Commissioner is right to call for shorter liquor shop opening hours and more expensive booze to curb alcohol related harm. Plus, what would make Heather quit? 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, Kiwiblog contributor and Curia pollster David Farrar and Hauraki host and author Matt Heath joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Has the Government made the right call in promising to deliver on the promised cancer drugs that got left off last year's Budget? Are they u-turning after seeing the public reaction? Should they just leave it to Pharmac to make funding decisions? A new poll from the Guardian says over two-thirds of Australian voters think the age limit for social media should be raised from 13 to 16. Do we think this will work? The Police Commissioner believes shorter opening hours for liquor shops and higher prices are the answer to the nation's alcohol abuse issues. Is this the right solution? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister promises there's been no change of mind when it comes to delivering on the promised cancer drugs. The Government campaigned on spending about $280 million on 13 treatments, but the drugs weren't funded in last week's Budget. Nicola Willis says the Government will deliver on this commitment very soon. "What we've had is a commitment to New Zealanders that we would fund those 13 cancer treatment drugs, and we are going to deliver on the commitment." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police Commissioner Andrew Coster wants tighter alcohol regulation. RNZ has obtained documents under the Official Information Act showing police estimate alcohol harm costs about 7.8 billion dollars a year, compared to $1.8 billion for illegal drugs. Coster says measures should be considered, including only letting bottle stores open in day-time hours and charging more for alcohol. Alcohol Healthwatch executive director Andrew Galloway says these aren't new ideas. "The Government have been presented with these recommendations by both the Law Commission in 2010 and the Ministry of Justice in 2014. So he's not wrong." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One parenting expert warns increased age limits on social media won't stop kids from being harmed by the platforms. A new Guardian Essential poll revealed two-thirds of voters supported raising the minimum age for social media to 16 - a step above the 13+ limit for Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and the like. Expert Anna Martin says it's also important to develop trusting relationships with kids so they can understand the impact of the technology. "You're up against it with their peers and everybody else who's using it, which makes it difficult." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A change to defence recruitment in Australia is likely to put more heat on New Zealand's Defence Minister. In July, its Government will let Kiwis who have lived there for a year join their armed forces. They'll also let residents from the UK, US, and Canada join up from January. Former Kiwi Defence Minister, Wayne Mapp, says it will add pressure back here. "Especially for things like special forces - they can offer more pay and so forth. This is the kind of issue that the Minister has to deal with." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An expert says the Government should aim for the best drugs available, not be tied to an old list. National pledged to fund 13 cancer drugs during the election campaign, but didn't allocate any money in last week's Budget. The Prime Minister says an announcement on treatments will be made this year. Otago University Cancer Medicine Professor, Chris Jackson, says the list was based on what Australia has - that we don't. He says it didn't take such things as cost into account. "Personally, I would prefer saying - we've got this much money, and then letting Pharmac rank it and then get the best deals." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.