Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

An Associate Justice Minister is urging the public to submit on proposed three-strike laws. A Bill to reinstate the sentencing is being introduced to Parliament today, but it won't include sentences under two years. Minister Nicole McKee says it is fit for purpose. "I think that we need to go harsh and hard on our criminals, especially those serious violent ones - but I also think that we need to have some sort of out for the lower-level offending." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's hope WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will be back in Australia by the week's end. Wikileaks says the 52-year-old has left a UK prison, after reaching a deal with US authorities. The BBC is reporting Assange was likely to plead guilty to a charge of conspiracy to obtain and disclose US national defence information, in a deal giving him freedom. Australian Greens Senator, David Shoebridge, says people across the country's political spectrum have been demanding his release. "We want him to be dipping his feet in the sand of an Australian beach before the week is out." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Key figures in our Covid-19 response could have to give evidence publicly for phase two of the Government inquiry. Its focus is vaccine efficacy and safety, Auckland and Northland's extended lockdowns and the disruption to health, education, and business. Phase One examined the lessons learned from the pandemic. Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says it's possible Dame Jacinda Ardern and Sir Ashley Bloomfield could be among those needing to appear. "It could be a range of different people. Like I say, I can't give a guarantee on what that will look like, because that's up to the Commission at the end of the day." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I think we can all see the Nats stuffed up the 13 cancer drugs announcement on so many levels.They should never have promised specific drugs, that's Pharmac's job. But having promised them for the first year, they shouldn't have then broken that promise by leaving them out of the Budget. And then, it's never really a good look if you finally get dragged to delivering on your promise because of public outrage.But having said all of that - sometimes I think we get a little too caught up on the political shenanigans and not focus enough on the end point.And how good is the end point? We have just had the single biggest injection of cash into Pharmac ever, we've had more cancer drugs than ever promised to be delivered in one go.That announcement yesterday of 54 new drugs wiped more a third off Pharmac’s wishlist.Between the $600 million yesterday and the $1.7 billion announced in the Budget, this Government - which hasn’t even been in power for 9 months - has pumped $2.3 billion into Pharmac.Now, I'm of the view that Pharmac is one of the most important things any Government funds, because it is literally the difference for some people between life and death. And those people are people who, more often that not, have paid their taxes diligently and just been good people. And good, normal, law-abiding Kiwis, I think, deserve access to as many drugs to save their lives as other people in the western world.I will never complain about Pharmac getting more money, however we end up in that situation.So in the end, I'm weirdly grateful for National stuffing this up, because we’ve ended up funding 54 new drugs we didn't have funded a couple of days ago. And that's the thing that really matters, isn’t it? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been confirmed Julian Assange will return to Australia after being released from prison. The Wikileaks founder was charged with conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information - and spent seven years in Ecuador's London Embassy, and five in a British prison. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says Assange is set to return to Australia by the end of the week - and there's plenty of excitement for his arrival. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson will be sidelined for at least four weeks due to the re-emergence of an old Achilles tendon injury. The 33-year-old was sidelined last month through a combination of the achilles issue, as well as a pectoral muscle strain. He returned in Round 15 before suffering a hamstring strain in last weekend's heavy loss to the Titans. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave unpacked what this loss means for the Warriors. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's concerns the India-New Zealand relationship could be strained by the high number of student visa rejections. Immigration NZ figures show applications between October 1 2023 and May 6 2024 for student visas by Indian nationals had an approval rate of 47 percent. The Immigration Minister has claimed it's not 'blanked geographic discrimination', but rather concern surrounding more high-risk applicants out of India. Waitakere Indian Association President Sunil Kaushal doesn't believe this argument. "India is a diverse land, we know that there are many talented and skilled people out there who want to further their education - and coming to New Zealand is a great opportunity for that." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Top officials from both the EU and China have spoken about controversial EV tariffs over the weekend - and agreed to further talks. The call marks the first time the two sides have agreed to negotiate since the EU threatened China with electric vehicle tariffs of up to 38 percent. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says this is a positive step forward. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been a bad week for infrastructure incidents, with increased pressure on the Government to find a solution. Between a Defence Force plane breaking down, a toppled power pylon wiping out Northland's power and the grounding of an Interislander ferry, concern is growing about a potential disaster. NZME business commentator Fran O'Sullivan explains where the Government can go from here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pharmac's getting a funding boost for new cancer drugs in a pre-commitment from next year's Budget. The Government's announced money for up to 26 cancer treatments, in an overall package of up to 54 new medicines. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two teens have been arrested after they got into a brawl at a mall in Adelaide. Police received reports of two groups of young males fighting in the food court and some people in the group were allegedly carrying weapons. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says the alert locking down the mall was reminiscent of the recent attack at Bondi Junction. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 24 June 2024, the Government has confirmed more than 50 new medicines will be funded, including some of the cancer drugs National promised before the election. So is Pharmac really still independent? Finance Minister Nicola Willis tells Heather she's going to try get by without having to buy new ferries for another five to six years. Scott Barrett is the new captain of the All Blacks! All Blacks assistant coach Jason Ryan speaks to Heather from the big naming ceremony. Plus the Huddle debates whether the new Jacinda Ardern documentary is something to look forward to. 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, Trish Sherson from Sherson-Willis PR and Child Fund chief executive Josie Pagani joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! It's been revealed that last week's power outage in Northland was caused by too many nuts being removed from the legs of a pylon. What do we think of this? Is this a sign something bigger is going on? How much trouble is the Government in after the ferry drama over the weekend, given that Nicola Willis herself made it clear she wants the two ferries we had on order cancelled? It's being reported that a documentary about Dame Jacinda Ardern is in the works in Hollywood. Ae we looking forward to this? How will it be received in New Zealand - and overseas? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scott Barrett has been named as the new captain of the All Blacks. The Crusaders lock is set to take over as skipper in the first squad named by Scott Robertson as All Blacks coach. All Blacks assistant coach Jason Ryan outlined why Barrett was the best choice for the role. "He's a real leader, players follow him - and he's a winner." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister thinks New Zealand's existing supply of ferries can keep operating until 2029. There's been debate about who's to blame for Friday's incident involving the Interislander's Aratere, after it spent 24 hours on the rocks. Nicola Willis says the Government has plenty of time to replace the existing vessels. "The Government is committed to ensuring we've got safe, reliable vessels - and we completely accept we want to replace the existing vessels." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Northland businesses are unsure whether they'll be insured for last week's power outage. A pylon tipped over on Thursday after too many nuts were removed from the legs, letting it tip. Transpower says it is an inconceivable and unprecedented situation, and consumers can apply for compensation. But NorthChamber Chief Executive, Darryn Fisher says they're still in the dark about what's next. "I don't know if you can insure for negligence in this respect, so as far as businesses here are concerned - I'm not sure whether they're covered or not." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Hollywood documentary starring Dame Jacinda Ardern is reportedly in the works. The feature-length film, produced by Madison Wells studios, is set to follow Ardern from the moment she receives the Labour Party nomination to the birth of her child to her resignation in 2023. Los Angeles entertainment reporter Sean Mandell says there had been talks of other plans for the movie before it was finalised. "It will also have Dame Jacinda's participation - she has said one of the reasons why she is participating is because there aren't any dollars from New Zealand's Film Commission." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Green MP Golriz Ghahraman will find out her fate on Thursday. Judge June Jelas has reserved a sentencing decision on shoplifting charges in court today. The Judge has confirmed she won't be imprisoned. NZ Herald court reporter Craig Kapitan says Ghahraman's defence says she was going through a mental health crisis. "A mental health report suggests that she suffered complex PTSD, which was a result of her earlier life in Iran and 'public vitriol, threats and abuse' that dominated her time in Parliament." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Seymour says drug-purchasing agency Pharmac must be on its game, with a $604 million funding boost over four years. The Government has announced it'll fund up to 26 cancer medications and 28 other treatments, as a pre-commitment against Budget 2025. The Associate Health Minister says there's very few things he's in favour of spending more money on - but medicine is one of them. "If you look at the amount of Government spending that goes on medicine - New Zealand is not just a bit below average, we're way behind the pack." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's proposed solution to crack down on youth offending has been met with disapproval from some. It's introducing a label of Young Serious Offender for 14-to-17-year-olds with multiple offences - and also designing a new military-style academy programme. Children's Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad says putting a label on young people who commit crimes could impact their future. "We need to acknowledge that these are children that we are talking about here. And from a children's rights perspective - I have some concerns." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're less than an hour to go until Scott Robertson unveils his All Blacks squad for the upcoming test matches. Ahead of the big announcement, Sportstalk host Jason Pine outlined his picks. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Be under no illusion about it - when that ferry ran onto the sand on Friday night, that became a massive problem for the person who is probably National’s biggest asset, Nicola Willis. Because she cancelled the ferries, this is going to be on her. Now I'm not arguing about cancelling those big ferries, I actually think she made the right call. The thinking behind buying them seems to me like a stupid idea. Which was - you need those big ferries to to drive a train onto a boat, and then ship the entire thing to another island, and then drive it off again from the other side. Now, think about how much redundant metal there is on a train, or how heavy it is before you even start loading it up. Now, you're paying the fuel bill to get it all across the Cook Strait. That's stupid. Surely you’re better off unloading the thing and reloading another one on the other end.Regardless of whether the call was the right one, Nicola made the call. But then she made a mistake - she didn’t provide an alternative. You can’t cancel ferries we desperately need without replacing them with other ferries. Because we still desperately need them. It seems to me there's only one way to fix this. Nicola can’t go back to the big ferries she’s cancelled, that would be admitting she made a mistake and it's a bit early in the term for that. She can’t buy replacements on the second-hand market, apparently they don’t exist at the moment. She can’t leave us waiting, because those ships are already trouble on the water. Every single one of them have had a problem in the last 18 months, they will all be past their use-by dates by next year. She’s going to have to buy us new ferries. I don't know how she does that, maybe renegotiate the contract with the Koreans for smaller ones if it's not too late, or maybe just start from scratch and get new ones. But they'd better be here quick, because those big ferries were due to arrive in two years time. Every day after 2026 that we're without new ferries is a day that we legitimately can blame every ferry problem on Nicola Willis. She is smart enough, and National is smart enough, to know that by now. So watch them come up with a solution real quick. Which, frankly, they should've come up with the day they cancelled those ferries. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 21 June 2024, how did a power pylon just topple over and plunge a massive power outage? Electricity Authority boss Sarah Gillies speaks to Heather with two investigations now trying to figure that out. Cabinet is reportedly about to sign off on a funding boost for Pharmac to fulfil its promise to fund more cancer drugs. Pharmac Minister David Seymour tells Heather it's important Pharmac's independency is preserved. Chiefs Assistant Coach David Hill is confident ahead of the blockbuster Super Rugby Final, and the Sports Huddle weighs in on who will be named as All Blacks captain on Monday. Plus, Rocket Lab has powered through another record and become the fastest commercial space operator to successfully launch 50 missions. 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.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gave Russian President Vladimir Putin a pair of Pungsan dogs, a local breed, state media KCNA reported on Thursday. Asia Business Correspondent Peter Lewis told Heather du Plessis-Allan “Three’s very few places left that Putin can go to.” Lewis said “He’s become an international pariah because of the Ukraine war.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

London hospitals declared a critical incident after a cyber-attack led to operations being cancelled and emergency patients being diverted elsewhere. It applies to hospitals partnered with Synnovis - a provider of pathology services. UK Correspondent Gavin Grey told Heather du Plessis-Allan “This was potentially one of the worst cyber-attacks in the UK.” Grey said “Overnight, the ransomware company dumped 400 gigabytes on their darknet site – including patient names and dates of birth.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, the Prime Minister's Air Force plane broke down in Papua New Guinea. Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper breaks this down, as he wraps the political week. Soper told Heather du Plessis-Allan “They’re very good planes – but it’s like anything – if you don’t use them, they’ll break down.” Soper said “They’re only used as VIP aircraft about 15% of the time.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Commerce Commission is pushing out its timeline for approving the Foodstuffs merger, due to "unresolved issues". It now expects to reach a decision in October. The North and South Island co-operatives - which run the Pak'nSave, New World and Four Square supermarkets - sought clearance to merge last year. Foodstuff's North Island Chief Executive Chris Quin told Heather du Plessis-Allan “We knew this could happen, but we remain committed that this is the right thing to do.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On The Huddle tonight: All Sports Breakfast Wellington Host Adam Cooper, and sports journalist Jim Kayes. The Blue will face-off against the Chiefs tomorrow night – only one will reign victorious. Adam Cooper told Heather du Plessis-Allan “The Crusaders have been incredible – because we’re celebrating the fact they're not there.” Jim Kayes said “The Chiefs have really surged in the playoffs - if that momentum continues, they’re going to be really for The Blues tomorrow.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Blues captain Patrick Tuipolotu will make a remarkable return from a knee injury, playing lock in the starting side facing the Chiefs at Eden Park in the Super Rugby Pacific final tomorrow night. However - many of the 44,000 sold-out Eden Park crowd will be coming up from Hamilton. Chiefs Assistant Coach David Hill told Heather du Plessis-Allan “We understood last year that we had a really good squad – but ultimately we didn’t come away with the final.” Hill said “That experience – as harsh as it was – it really helped us.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Invercargill Mayor Nobby Clark has ignored requests for his resignation from his council today. Clark was found to have breached the code of conduct after comments he made at a United Fire Brigades' Association prize giving - which he blamed on surgery brain fade. The council voted to diminish his duties around public events, due to his health. Invercargill Councillor Ian Pottinger told Heather du Plessis-Allan “I don’t know if he’s going to listen to the council ruling.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The future of National's promise around 13 cancer drugs is set to become clearer. The Government's due to make a Pharmac funding announcement – which could bump up its medicines budget by 40%. Pharmacy Minister David Seymour told Heather du Plessis-Allan Pharmac could be instructed to fund specific drugs, another entity could be set up (like the previous government did for Covid vaccines), or more money could be allocated to Pharmac - protecting its independence. Seymour said “Pharmac at any given time has its options for investment lists” He said “I wouldn’t be able to ask them – the whole point is that they’re at arm's length from politicians and they’re independent.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Energy Minister Simeon Brown wants appropriate accountability over a fallen electricity tower. Thousands of Northland residents experienced outages yesterday after a transmission tower toppled northwest of Auckland. The Electricity Authority says it's investigating and Simeon Brown's asked WorkSafe to do the same. Electricity Authority Chief Executive, Sarah Gillies, told Heather du Plessis-Allan “Consumers have a right to have confidence in their electricity supply.” Gillies said “We’re the regulator – and we’re independent.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Electricity Authority says Northlanders deserve answers - as it launches an investigation into a toppled electricity tower. The region experienced outages yesterday after a transmission tower fell down northwest of Auckland. Transpower says its workers were carrying out maintenance at the time and has started an investigation. Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper told Heather du Plessis-Allan “It knocked out power to 100,000 users.” Soper said “Simeon Brown was there today – he said the event was completely unacceptable.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US President Joe Biden recently unveiled a halt to asylum-processing at the U.S. border with Mexico when illegal entries reach a certain threshold. About 4,000 people already are entering the U.S. each day. Biden has received Republican criticism over an unprecedented surge in new arrivals in an election year. US Correspondent Dan Mitchinson told Heather du Plessis-Allan the cartels are offering ‘VIP packages’ for trafficking illegal immigrants across the border. He said “Experts say the return on investment for trafficking humans has overtaken drugs.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Super Rugby finals clash is tomorrow night at Eden Park – selling out hours after tickets went on sale. A crowd of more than 44,000 is expected – with many coming up from Hamilton for the event. Weekend Sport host Jason Pine told Heather du Plessis-Allan “I think Blues will win – they've got a lot stacked in their favour – it's a home game, they’ve had an extra day of rest.” Pine said “They’ve got their inspirational skipper back – after a fortnight.” He said “Having said all of that – The Chiefs are a good team, with more genuine gamebreakers – it could come down to moments.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well, Transpower has given us a master class in how to look guilty, hasn't it? I mean, come on. Who doesn't now think that the crew took the bolts out of the leg, which caused the thing to fall over, which caused the entire region of Northland to lose power? And why do we think that? Because Allison Andrew, the Chief Executive, sounded guilty as all hell in her media interviews this morning. “I didn't want to talk about it, it's really unhelpful to speculate at the moment, we have to focus on the power restoration.” - I mean, come on. In 2024, when modern communication is in your pocket – no one believes that Allison Andrew doesn't already know what happened. Of course she does. If she doesn't, then she sucks at her job. Because in any decent organisation, the first thing that happens when there is a major snafu is the boss calls the points person who's on the ground and gets a preliminary idea of what happened. And they do that because if there’s a bigger problem, they need to know what happened. You cannot tell me that Allison Andrew, the chief executive, was like, “Oh, did you call them? No, don't tell me. It's not helpful. I'll wait for the investigation.” No one can tell me Allison Andrew did not want to know what happened. If she's or any good at her job, she already knows. So why didn't she just fess up this morning? She had multiple interviews, pulled the same lines and looked so guilty. The reason, I would guess, is that Transpower is trying to bury the details until we've moved on and lost interest. Because right now we are at peak interest. Not everyone's got their power back yet. And we've all seen the pictures on Reddit, haven't we? So we're all super interested right now, but fast-forward two weeks, two months... God only knows how long their investigation is going to take. Now, all of a sudden, it's not so interesting, right? And that is what they're banking on. But it's backfired on them. Because instead of burying the info this morning, Allison Andrew just left us with the with the impression that, “Yep. It was them.” They just don't want to say it. And look, there is always the chance that the investigations will find that it wasn't them. Maybe. You never know. But we all think it was them now, don't we? LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rocket Lab is entering a league of its own --reaching 50 space launches in the shortest space of time. Its latest electron rocket launched this morning from the Mahia Peninsula, is taking a French satellite into orbit. Rocket Lab’s Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Morgan Connaughton, told Heather du Plessis-Allan “A lot of rockets don’t get past ten – and we're talking globally here – it's a massive deal.” Connaughton said “To get there faster than anyone else... it puts us up there with the best rocket companies in the world – it's us, and Space X.” LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A pair of Just Stop Oil protestors painted two jets orange at a London airport, hours after Taylor Swift touched down for her next tour stop. The climate activists carried out the vandalism with fire extinguishers, in an act reminiscent of their previous protest at Stonehenge. UK correspondent Enda Brady says this will likely spark an investigation into the group. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One expert says investors have had to pay more attention to their long-term goals this year. Ongoing inflation and changing economies have led investors to chop and change their short-term predictions as 2024 went on. Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Minister Shane Jones is still keen to bring back live animal exports sooner rather than later. In an interview on The Country, Jones made it clear in no uncertain terms that live animal exports would be good for the economy. The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's GDP grew 0.2 percent in March, according to new data. This officially takes the country out of a technical recession, but on a per-capita basis, it went backwards 0.3 percent. Experts predict a weak economy for the latter half of this year. NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann says the economy isn't likely to bounce back just yet. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has launched a new review designed to ensure earthquake-prone buildings are up to standard. The current NBS system has run into controversy, with the inadequate review of a Wellington hospital unit sparking concerns. Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says the current standards are very complicated - and he aims to make it easier for people. "In a lot of cases, people simply can't afford to remediate, they're not necessarily allowed to do that in the way that they want or need, sometimes they can't even demolish it because of heritage status." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 20 June 2024, Finance Minister Nicola Willis reacts to news that our economy grew 0.2% in the first quarter, lifting NZ out of recession. The power is out across large parts of Northland - Energy Minister Simeon Brown says it could take a few days to bring everybody back on line. Are police closing in on finding Marokopa dad Tom Phillips and his missing kids? The Huddle debates whether Wellington Council's Chief Executive is entitled to withhold information from elected councillors. Plus, Blues coach Vern Cotter talks to Heather ahead of the Super Rugby Final against the Chiefs. 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, David Farrar and Mark Sainsbury joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Wellington Council's CEO is under fire for trying to hide information from councillors. Is this a bad move? GDP rose 0.2 percent, bring New Zealand out of technical recession. Is this good news for the economy - or is the worst yet to come? The Just Stop Oil protestors were caught vandalising Stonehenge, with two arrested. Is throwing paint on a historical landmark a step too far?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's nerves in the air as the Blues gear up for their Super Rugby final this weekend. It's been 21 years since the franchise lifted a full Super Rugby title - something they can end against the Chiefs at a sold-out Eden Park on Saturday. Blues head coach Vern Cotter says the team are hoping to play well, but they've seen what the Chiefs can do on the field. "We know it's a final and finals are played with utmost intensity... we've locked that in and the boys are trained well." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ministers are keeping a close eye on Wellington City Council, over a stoush between councillors and officials. Some around the council table claim CEO Barbara McKerrow is withholding information from them. She'd devised new protocols limiting information councillors could request from officials. The proposal's been withdrawn after Local Government Minister Simeon Brown labelled it 'appalling'. Brown says it should never have happened. "The CEO of the council needs to realise that she is not elected, and that the councillors and the mayor is." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police don't think a letter from Tom Phillips is recent, or relevant to their search for him and his three children. Their mother, Cat, posted the letter on social media, while begging the public to help. Searches around Marokopa continue, with the $80,000 reward for information expiring in five days. Newshub reporter Karen Rutherford is in Marokopa - and she says there are strong indicators an end to the search is near. "They know who they're looking for and they know who they're targeting with this $80,000 reward. They are hoping that someone in that wider circle will cave." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister says there's still better days to come for the economy as New Zealand exits a technical recession. Stats NZ figures show GDP rose 0.2 percent in the three months to March, and the same amount for the year. Minister Nicola Willis says it's still tough out there for Kiwi workers - and the Government still has work to do. "Good news is - the Government is doing everything right, we are forecasting inflation to come back under band. That means interest rates can drop and growth will recover." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New GDP data shows New Zealand's out of a technical recession - but the nation's not out of the woods just yet. Stats NZ figures show GDP rose 0.2 percent in the three months to March, and the same amount for the year. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says it's a good result for the new Government, but there's room for a bigger victory. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police are on the hunt as details about a deadly road rage accident in NSW continue to emerge. Authorities have revealed a 27-year-old was killed after he got out of his vehicle to respond to threats from the driver following him. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says witnesses have claimed the alleged killer was driving a ute - and an appeal has been made for dashcam footage. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.