Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Private healthcare is experiencing a surge in demand as public wait-lists keep expanding. A new private hospital has opened in central Auckland, and Epsom's Mercy Hospital is expected to add dozens more beds and at least 10 new operating theatres. At least 1 third of Kiwis now have private health insurance, with Southern Cross reporting a 3.5 percent increase in memberships over the past year. Otago University's Robin Gauld says more people are worried about accessing healthcare as stories surface. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister's excited ahead of her trip to Washington DC. Nicola Willis departs tomorrow for a meeting with her counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. She says she's looking forward to being in the same room as Janet Yellen, who she describes as a 'Queen' of international economics and finance. "She is an incredible person who has advised successive American presidents and been on the Federal Reserve - and having a moment to pick her brain will be a very special moment indeed." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Housing Minister says introducing pet bonds will make landlords more likely to accept cats and dogs in their properties. The Government's bringing in changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to make it easier for pet-owning tenants to find rental housing. It includes paying an extra bond of two weeks rent, to cover potential damage. Minister Chris Bishop says he's spoken to many landlords who support the extra security of a pet bond. "At the moment, a lot of landlords just say - nah, it's all too hard, I'm just going to say no, it's my property, I can't be bothered. But we know there are a lot of tenants out there who want to have a dog or a cat or a pet in their property." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Foreign Affairs Minister says the Middle East conflict is reaching an uncertain, dangerous and difficult point. It's yet unknown whether Israel will heed America's warning not to respond to a barrage of missiles and drones launched by Iran. The attack was in retaliation to Israel bombing Iran's embassy in Syria, and most of the hundreds of projectiles were intercepted. Minister Peters says everyone who wants peace in the world has a clear message. "And for goodness sake, don't escalate this matter. That includes the neighbourhood, the many Middle Eastern countries around the world as well." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brian Tamaki claims the public is on his side on rainbow issues. A member of his Destiny Church has pleaded guilty and been convicted of vandalising Auckland's K Road rainbow crossing. Tamaki claims there's public concern about drag queens reading stories to children in libraries and the state of relationship and sexuality education in schools. He says this was a drastic measure. "When you have a protest action like that, you're not sorry to actually get the attention of the councils." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Israel's war cabinet is due to resume debating how best to respond to Iran's attack on Sunday. Most of the 300 missiles and drones fired towards them were shot down by its Iron Dome. US President Joe Biden has already ruled out any involvement in Israel's response, to avoid worsening the conflict. Reuters correspondent James MacKenzie says Israel do have the weaponry to hit back, but that wouldn't achieve much in the long run. "There's the danger the Iranians are going to retaliate - and then you'll get into this cycle that will expand into a regional war." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in Australia, a judge has made a civil court ruling that it's likely former political staffer Bruce Lehrmann raped colleague Brittany Higgins. He'd taken a multi-million dollar defamation case over Network Ten's reporting of Higgins' allegations in 2021. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says the judge has described Lehrmann as having escaped the lion's den - but making the grave mistake of coming back for his hat. "In other words, he was not convicted of rape at the criminal trial due to jury misconduct and a mistrial, but in suing for defamation- he was found, on balance, to be a rapist." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The rollout of fishing vessel cameras has come with more vigilant reporting of ocean wildlife deaths. MPI data from its 127 vessels with monitoring cameras suggests deaths were under-reported before their use. Reports of dolphin captures have risen nearly seven-fold since cameras were introduced, compared with 2018, and volumes of discarded fish are up nearly 50 percent. Forest and Bird's Geoff Keey says these findings weren't unexpected, given data from other countries. "We saw similar numbers in Australia, when Australia put cameras on boats. We actually went and did the math and found that in-shore boats were between 5 and 9 times more likely to report- if there was an observer on board." Seafood NZ Chief Executive Jeremy Helson says fishers have been paying more attention. "There's a lot going on on a fishing vessel, there's catch coming on board, there's fish to sort and different priorities at different times. Most fishers, I do believe, do the right thing, they want to do the right thing." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Turns out, the person who painted over the rainbow crossing on Auckland's K road 3 weeks ago is related to Brian Tamaki by marriage - what a surprise. He is married to Brian Tamaki’s granddaughter and is the father of, I think four, of Tamaki's great-grand kids. The reason I'm not surprised is - of course Destiny Church was doing this with the rainbow crossings in Gisborne earlier. Anyway, today he appeared in court and pleaded guilty - and was convicted, discharged and fined $16,000. Now as far as I can tell, this is the toughest sentence given in recent times to a protestor who caused damage, but is it really tough? A $16,000 fine sounds a lot, until you hear they’re not particularly worried about the fine because already a supporter has pledged $5,000 to help out. And sure, a criminal record sucks - but not that much when your daily life doesn’t even break its stride because you’re not going to jail or do anything as punishment. I'm going to repeat myself because I've said this before - the courts need to impose sentences that will deter other protestors who damage stuff from doing it as well. And yet, at the moment, that's not what I'm seeing. Remember the climate protestor who sprayed red paint all over the luxury car sales yard in Wellington? She was discharged without conviction, ordered to pay half the water-blasting bills, plus give another $500 to charity -and that was about it. Protest has, particularly in recent years - and particularly led by the climate activists - gone from being peaceful marching and waving of placards and shouting to now including damage of property, kind of as a matter of course. This is a big problem overseas with the climate activists throwing paint at valuable pieces of art on display. And here in New Zealand, it's kind of being imported. We had the spraying of the car yard in Wellington, the spraying of a car yard in Auckland, we had the abseiler deface the Treaty exhibition at Te Papa, we had the Destiny Church guys vandalise the rainbow crossing in Gisborne- and now this. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that if you don't adequately punish something, it will be repeated. You just have to be a human to know that because it's human behaviour. Case in point today - Brian Tamaki is proud of what his grandson-in-law did. They don't really care about the fine. Now tell me if that's going to deter others from, next time they're really angry about something, just damaging some property to prove how angry they are. Probably not, so expect more until we start properly punishing people who deliberately damage other people's stuff in the name of protest. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Russia-China relations have reached unprecedented levels according to Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Lavrov arrived in Beijing for a two-day official visit on Monday with the two countries looking to further solidify diplomatic ties. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Food price data showed prices in March were up just 0.7 percent compared to a year earlier – the smallest increase in food prices in three years. CEO of Foodstuffs North Island Chris Quin tells Heather du Plessis-Allan the business must keep challenging itself to evolve every way it can to remove costs. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sport journalist Lavina Good and ZB Rugby commentator Paul Allison discuss the need for a shake-up in domestic netball and World Netball’s decision to ban transgender athletes. Also, has the NRL had its best start to the season at the expense of a long injury list? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pseudoephedrine will be back on the shelves quicker than previously thought. MedSafe has approved 11 medicines that contain the chemical and suppliers say stocks should be in New Zealand by June. Pseudoephedrine-based treatments were banned in 2011, but the new Government has overtured the ban. Owner of Mangawhai Pharmacy Lanny Wong tells Heather du Plessis-Allan the move is a good one – offering alternatives for cold and flu treatments. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A 15 year-old boy has been critically injured after being run over multiple times on Wednesday evening in Ngaruawahia. Police are currently treating it as a targeted attack. Detective Inspector Darrell Harpur wants to reassure the community that the attack is not random. He tells Heather du Plessis-Allan police are appealing for information on the vehicle. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand has firmly shifted further to the US after Winston Peters met with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken overnight. Former NZ Ambassador to the US Tim Groser tells Heather du Plessis-Allan that the move is not a new direction from where we were before the change of government. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand has given the nod to the US Secretary of State that we will sign up to AUKUS, following Winston Peters’ visit to Washington DC. Senior political correspondent Barry Soper tells Heather du Plessis-Allan we could be biting the hand that feeds us as the latest trade figures between New Zealand and China reach over $40 billion. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has told journalists that a hammered media is not something the government can do much about. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US Correspondent Dan Mitchinson reflects on the trial of O.J. Simpson, and his time working with homicide detective Mark Furham. Plus, New Zealand wine is making more inroads into the United States with a new campaign ‘Pour yourself a glass of New Zealand’. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A sleep-in my have helped Ryan Fox forget his recent woes as he recorded a red hot 31 on the front nine to hold the lead through 12 holes at the opening major of the year before carding a three-under 69 at Augusta National. Plus, Piney predicts the Wellington Phoenix’s highest ever regular season finish. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

O.J. Simpson, the American football star and Hollywood actor who was acquitted of charges he killed his former wife and her friend in a trial that mesmerised the American public but was later found liable in a separate civil case, has died aged 76. Lawyer and commentator Charles Rosenberg tells Heather du Plessis-Allan that celebrities often enter criminal trials with an enhanced presumption of innocence. The controversial figure’s reputation never recovered and the question now is how he will be referred to in history – as a footballer or as a murderer. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in the UK, there's concern around an uptick in counterfeit stamps. Consumers have been warned to be on the lookout for these fake stamps- which investigations indicate have been sent through by China. UK correspondent Enda Brady explains why China could be doing this to the nation. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A and Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Shortland Street is the latest program set to be cut, as TVNZ considers the fate of the series. Is this proof our viewing habits have changed? Could it be saved? Labour's Willie Jackson has fired off against Minister Melissa Lee in the House today- what do we think of this? Was this out of line? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After Japan's massive asset bubble burst in 1989, the region experienced 30 years with inflation, interest rates and wage growth remaining near zero. That seems to be changing, with speculation suggesting Japan could develop a 'normal' economy in the post-Covid years. Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds explains what this means for investors. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A day full of reminiscing for The Country radio show today as it celebrates 30 years on air. The programme formerly known as the Farming Show had humble beginnings at the Gore Showgrounds, on Radio Hokonui in 1994. Producer Rowena Duncum recapped the station's biggest moments. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been a big time for job cuts, with multiple roles being slashed over the past month. The public service has posted several high-profile job cuts, and over 300 media roles disappeared following the TVNZ and Newshub culls. Telecommunications giants like One NZ have also laid off hundreds of workers - and the closure of Sunfed and Kate Sylvester will mean more jobs are on the chopping block. NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann says this won't be the last of it, as unemployment figures will be expected to reach 5 percent. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Willie Jackson's launched a broadside attack on the Broadcasting Minister, saying she's missing in action. With Newshub's closure announced this week and four shows chopped at TVNZ, Melissa Lee's under pressure to offer a plan for levelling the media playing field against the likes of Facebook and Google. ZB political correspondent Barry Soper says it was interesting that Willie Jackson didn't offer any supplementary comments. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese aims to scale up clean energy incentives and advanced manufacturing through a new initiative. The Future Made in Australia scheme promises to boost existing programs and add new ones to boost various industries. Australian correspondent Sam Emery says Albanese is enacting these measures to ease fears about the state of the economy. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Housing Minister Chris Bishop has confirmed a suite of changes will be made to the Residential Tenancies Act. A bill being introduced to Parliament will bring back 90-day no-cause terminations for periodic tenancies, which were removed by Labour last term. Property Investors Federation President Sue Harrison says the return of no-cause rental terminations can mitigate the harm of taking on risky tenants. "We desperately need more rentals in this country, 85 percent are in private hands. And we desperately need to be able to keep that number going- there's no other way of replacing those homes." On the other hand, Luke Somervell from Renters United is concerned these changes will create extra difficulty for renters. "The situation for renters is already about as dire as it gets, and everyone has a right to a decent roof over their head. And I'm really worried that this policy is just going to make renting less secure, less safe and less fair." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's confusion and frustration surrounding the surgical centre sitting empty at Auckland's North Shore Hospital. It was originally set to open this month after several delays, but the date has been pushed back with no opening in sight. Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the scope of the project has changed - and has only just passed council consenting. "We're hoping to open it in the next few months, but that's why we're still here with the building that can't quite be used." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One Kiwi athlete bound for the upcoming Paris Olympics is pleased to hear about the latest offer from World Athletics. The governing body plans to give gold medallists a cash prize of $84,000. Olympic shot-putter Tom Walsh says this is a good step forward from World Athletics. "It's good to see that World Athletics have come to the party and are paying some prize money for how you perform. It shows you where the time is in the world." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's fresh calls to investigate the use of puberty blockers for Kiwi youth who identify as transgender following research out of the UK. The Ministry of Health has been reviewing puberty blockers since 2022- but there's been no word confirming they plan to follow the UK's lead and block use of the drug for under-18s. Starship paediatric endocrinologist Dr Ben Albert says puberty blockers can serve a purpose in helping younger users- and that banning them isn't the way to go. "It's really important if a young person chooses to use medication like this, they have a really good understanding of what the effects will be, and the uncertainties that exist around those treatments." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's broadcasting spokesman says the Government cannot afford not to help Newshub. Media Minister Melissa Lee is facing growing questions about how she'll support the embattled industry, with Newshub closing in July. Labour's Willie Jackson says turning to New Zealand On Air could be a stop-gap solution. He says the Government could mediate with other parties on supporting the station- and that propping up the business would cost about $35 million. "It has such an iconic history- that you don't just give up. It's about talking with business interest." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The likes of Hamish Kerr, Eliza McCartney and Tom Walsh could pocket $84,000 if they win gold for New Zealand at Paris. World Athletics has made the move to introduce prize money for the Games, beginning with track and field. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's concerns over the safety of Boeing's 787-Dreamliner aircrafts. A long-time company engineer claims sections of plane fuselage are improperly fastened - and could weaken over time. The US Federal Aviation Administration is investigating. Aviation commentator, Geoffrey Thomas, says neither Airbus or Boeing make the engines, wheels, seats or undercarriages. "All of these items come in from a massive supply chain. So if there's a problem with an Airbus aeroplane, there's a problem with a Boeing plane." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shortland Street is now apparently in trouble. TVNZ has just confirmed it is reviewing whether it carries on with Shortland Street. It's still a popular show, but unfortunately it's very expensive to make and very expensive for TVNZ to buy. And given TV audiences are down to about a third of what they were about 15, 25 years ago -it won’t be bringing in the advertising dollars it used to. It's not always obvious, when you're in the middle of a moment in history, just how important that moment is. Sometimes it only occurs to you afterward, when you look back, just how much changed at that moment. New Zealand is in a moment like that. We are eradicating in the next few weeks some of the biggest TV shows that we make in New Zealand- about New Zealand. Newshub, the AM Show, Ryan Bridge’s due-to-be-launched 7 o'clock show, Newshub Nation, Paddy Gower Has Issues, Newshub late, Sunday, Fair Go, the TVNZ midday bulletin, the TVNZ late news and maybe even Shortland Street now- or maybe reducing how much it plays out in a week. And look, that doesn't mean there are no New Zealand-made TV shows left. There's still Seven Sharp, Motorway Patrol, The Casketeers- the list goes on. But the dynamics that are killing those other shows at the moment will, in the end, probably get the rest of them too. And what that means is that we see less and less of ourselves as Kiwis on screen. And that is a loss, because there is consensus that hearing and seeing your culture and your accent and your way of life reflected back to you on screen is affirming. It makes you proud of who you are. So remember this- because this isn’t just another day in the media sector. This isn’t normal, what's happening right now. In this moment of time, we are losing something we will probably never get back to the same extent, which is hours of Kiwi voices and faces on screen every day. And kids being born right now will probably grow up pretty much exclusively watching international content and hardly any New-Zealand made content. I'm not arguing this should be stopped. Frankly, if we want to keep New Zealand on screens, we need shows that New Zealanders want to watch, and that's clearly not happening. I'm just pointing out this is a big thing - and an unusual thing - that is happening right now. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in their UK, the NHS has confirmed they will stop prescribing puberty blockers for under-18s. A review by Dr Hilary Cass claimed there were 'gaps in evidence' around the drugs- and puberty blockers will no longer be given out to minors as a result. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has voiced support for these changes. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Josie Pagani from Child Fund and Nick Mills from ZB's Wellington Mornings joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! It's the final blow for Newshub, as it was officially confirmed the newsroom will shut down for good on July 5th. Could it have been saved? A petition to ensure free school lunches aren't cut has been presented to Parliament, with over 50,000 signing in support. Do we need to streamline the program to keep it going? A new study revealed swapping fish for red meat could save lives and help solve the climate change crisis- could this be popular? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank confirmed they'll hold the OCR in place at 5.5 percent. This falls in line with predictions that the OCR update would follow on from February's release. Milford Asset Management Sam Trethewey says some of the market was hoping for a reprieve- and they were left disappointed. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank held the OCR steady at 5.5 percent, but warned people about the risk that came with increased rates. Governor Adrian Orr says rates will need to stay high for a sustained period- and warned this could lead to more unemployment and financial stress 'than expected'. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny says the RBNZ's 'engineered recession' came with risks- and we're seeing the results. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Broadcasting Minister says media is a priority for the Government, despite it being absent from the quarterly plan. It's been a dark day for media, with Newshub's closure confirmed for July and TVNZ axing its Sunday show alongside Fair Go, Midday and Tonight. Melissa Lee says she's taking a paper to Cabinet she hopes will help the industry, although she won't give a timeline. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper wonders if a solution can really be found. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Arizona Supreme Court recently ruled that a 160-year-old abortion ban can be enforced by the state. The law was first established in 1864 - preceding Arizona becoming a state - and it makes abortion punishable by two to five years in prison, unless the mother's life is at risk. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says this change could turn Arizona into one of the biggest battlegrounds in the upcoming US election. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two tech giants claim they've found a way to make AI smarter - and more human-like. OpenAI and Meta have revealed they plan to launch artificial intelligence models capable of reasoning, planning and storing memory. Being AI co-founder David McDonald says this technology opens up new opportunities for various industries. "It has profound impacts on productivity and what people do with their daily lives, there's more opportunities available to people." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Media Minister says the Broadcasting Act needs updating to ensure a level playing field. Warner Brothers Discovery has confirmed Newshub will shut July 5. TVNZ has also confirmed plans to cut its Midday, Tonight, Fair Go and Sunday shows. Media Minister Melissa Lee says she's written a cabinet paper, but wouldn't give any further details. "There is a Cabinet process, there is a Cabinet paper- there's a process. I'm not going to comment further on it." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Swapping red meat for herring, sardines and anchovies could save thousands of lives and help tackle the climate crisis, according to new research. According to BMJ Global Health, red meat consumption is linked to an increase in diet-related diseases and replacing it with forage fish could save 750,000 lives in the long run. Kingi restaurant owner and chef Tom Hishon says these fish are a great source of omegas and calcium. "With fish, it's important to remember you kind of don't want to cook it all the way through and take it off the heat- you always let that residual heat come through." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A sad day for Newshub staff with closure confirmed, and about 250 jobs lost. Warner Bros. Discovery have told staff there's no planned deal 'at this stage' with third parties. Newshub investigations reporter Michael Morrah says it's tough. "It's a huge loss for the country and for democracy- and of course, it's devastating for us here at Newshub." Newshub's newsroom, website and TV news will go offline on July 5. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A mortgage adviser says New Zealanders are feeling the strain of heavy home loan rates. The Reserve Bank's held the Official Cash Rate at 5.5 percent. Adviser Malcolm Knight says a lot of home owners are asking for interest-only periods or loan repayment holidays. "If you can get through this next 12 to 18 month period- just hunker down, get through the tough credit crunch period - the light is at the end of the tunnel. We should see rates coming down next year." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As you know, truancy has been a topic of some discussion in the last week, especially with Associate Education Minster David Seymour's plans to get kids back into class. I've been puzzling over it, especially since it popped up last week, over why it is that we have this truancy problem and why we have parents on both ends of the parenting spectrum who are as casual as they are about school. Why have we got what I would consider to be delinquent parents, who just don't care if the kid goes to school? And why have we also got parents who you would consider to be caring, given they're taking the kids on a holiday to Fiji- why are they happy for the kids to bunk school for a treat like this? How do we explain these quite different groups of parents both having such a casual attitude? And this morning, I realised what the problem is. Neither of those groups of parents see real value in school. And both of them are right to some extent, aren't they? NCEA is a joke qualification where you can’t really measure anymore where a child sits in their understanding of a subject. You have no idea if your child is 56 percent proficient at maths or 76 percent, and there’s a big difference. Even at younger levels, there are plenty of kids not learning to read and write and do sums at a level they should be for their age. Only slightly more than half the kids at a recent year 10 mock reading assessment passed. Which means nearly half failed, that's massive. So when the parents think it's not a big deal if Johnny misses a week of school, or a couple of days of school - are they wrong? Probably not. Because Johnny's not learning that much anyway. What this means is that forcing the kids back to class is only one half of the solution. The other half is probably more important, which is to make that class time count. Fortunately, this Government has plans to do that. They've already told primary and intermediate schools to make sure there’s an hour of reading, writing and maths every day, they’ve taken the phones out of the classroom, and they've set a target of 80 percent of Year 8 students to be at or above the expected curriculum level for their age in reading, writing and maths. But they’ve just delayed the NCEA changes by two years. To be fair, it sounds like it was out of their hands and the schools weren’t ready to implement it. But that’s at least two years away from being fixed. So absolutely, the Government is 100 percent right to force the kids back to class. But then there has to be value towards those classes- and that’s the harder bit isn’t it? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spain will scrap its 'golden visa' program geared towards foreigners who make significant investments in real estate. The program rewarded foreign investors who invested at least 500,000 euros in property to live and work in Spain for three years. UK correspondent Enda Brady says these investors were locking locals out of the property market- and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez decided enough was enough. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on the Huddle, Matt Heath from Radio Hauraki and broadcaster Paddy Gower joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! The Government has unveiled a scheme designed to combat truancy- including publishing weekly attendance data, giving parents health guidance to decide if a child's sick enough to miss school and creating a traffic light scheme to track attendance rates. Will this work? There's a new hospital building attached to North Shore Hospital sitting unused- what's going on with that? In a time of endless wait-lists, is it madness that this is happening? Fake meat-company Sunfed is shutting down- is the plant-based meat craze dying? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's bracing itself for another downpour- but it's not all bad news. Severe rain is expected to hit the country, and farmers across the drought-stricken South Island are hoping this forecast breaks a months-long dry spell. The Country's Jamie Mackay says some farmers have had to truck in water to keep things going. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new report from the Climate Change Commission warned New Zealand will need to tackle methane emissions to keep up with 2050 climate goals. The report warned that the nation would have to reduce stock rates by 23 percent for dairy, and 12 percent for sheep and beef by the 2050 deadline. BusinessDesk managing editor Pattrick Smellie unpacked the political debate surrounding methane emissions. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.