Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Cabinet has issued a circular laying out expectations that public services should be delivered based on “the needs of all New Zealanders”, fulfilling a coalition agreement secured by Act and New Zealand First that “need” should be prioritised over “race”. Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper tells Heather du Plessis-Allan this should have been the case all along, but unfortunately, hasn’t been. Meanwhile, teachers are allegedly eating free school lunches and leaving students without. And, the Waitangi Tribunal has accused the Government of breaching the Treaty. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump has ruled out another presidential debate against rival Kamala Harris before November’s election. Both Trump and Harris claimed victory after the debate this week. Polls indicate the candidates are neck and neck ahead of the election, but that Harris performed better than her Republican opponent in the debate. Harris responded that voters are owed another debate. Harris’ team are trying to downplay any lead, while the race remains so close. Meanwhile, studies show more women are choosing to have their tubes tied since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson tells Heather du Plessis-Allan that the biggest increases are being seen in the states that ban abortion. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Children are allegedly missing out on free school lunches because staff are eating them first. A parent of students at Tuakau College says her children have missed out for a month, coming home hungry. The students were also denied access to a phone to request their mother bring them food. Associate Education Minister David Seymour says he has asked the Ministry of Education to investigate. Secondary Principals Association President Vaughan Couillault tells Heather du Plessis-Allan the lunch program has a level of trust involved due to its scale and that teachers may have misinterpreted how it functions. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in the UK, Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to propose significant reform for the NHS. A new report revealed ballooning wait times, delays in getting urgent medical treatment and cancer care and rising costs are harming public health - and costing lives. UK correspondent Enda Brady says Starmer claims the health system needs 'major surgery'. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some experts believe huhu grub faming could be the way of the future. Huhu grubs are being touted as an alternative protein source that could solve food security issues - and potentially help the nation's forestry slash problems. The Country's Jamie Mackay says there's a history of huhu consumption in New Zealand, with Māori confirming the grubs are safe for consumption. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some experts believe huhu grub faming could be the way of the future. Huhu grubs are being touted as an alternative protein source that could solve food security issues - and potentially help the nation's forestry slash problems. The Country's Jamie Mackay says there's a history of huhu consumption in New Zealand, with Māori confirming the grubs are safe for consumption. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chocolate, olive oil, butter and takeaway meals have been blamed for pushing up food price inflation in August, according to new reports. Fresh fruit and vegetable prices kept falling, down 12 percent. Falling kūmara, potatoes, and lettuce prices led the way. Potatoes are now the cheapest they’ve been in three years. NZ Herald business editor at large explains the factors driving this data. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

G.J. Gardner, New Zealand’s largest franchised group house-building business and biggest residential builder, is planning to expand further. The business is aiming for a 30 percent growth in franchise numbers in the next year, according to new reports. G.J. Gardner's Grant Porteous says there'll always be demand for housing - even during economic downturns. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The stage is set for the first ever all-civilian commercial spacewalk. Tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, alongside a a pair of SpaceX engineers and a former Air Force pilot blasted off earlier this week - and if all goes well, the walk will take place in a few hours. Stardome astronomer Josh Aoraki explains that space is an inhospitable environment for humans - meaning the crew is carrying out a risky mission.  "There's no air, you'll suffocate - it's extremely hot if you're in the sun and it's freezing if you're in the shadows. It's just the most inhospitable environment for humans." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Tim Wilson from Maxim Institute and Ali Jones from Red PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Donald Trump dominated the post-debate discussion with his outlandish statements about immigrants, abortion and the economy. Will the 'cats and dogs' and 'transgender operations' comments hurt his campaign - or do supporters not care? Can Health NZ achieve its targets with no extra money on hand? Auckland mayor Wayne Brown unveiled his plan for a second harbour crossing - does this scheme have legs or is it totally bonkers. Zara and Mike Tindall raised a few eyebrows over their decision to put Apple AirTags on their kids to track them. Is this a good idea? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 12 September 2024, how will Health NZ actually slash waiting lists and improve cancer care? Counties Manukau Chief Medical Officer Dr Andrew Connolly tells Heather about the plan to hit the Government's health targets. What's behind Donald Trump's claim that immigrants in Ohio are eating cats and dogs? 1News US correspondent Logan Church took a deep dive into the facts. An expert weighs in on Auckland mayor Wayne Brown's plan to build another harbour bridge between Pt Chevalier and the North Shore. Plus the Huddle debates if it's ever okay to put an air tag on your kids. 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.

Tech giant Google is being accused of playing hardball with the Government and media companies over the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill. The bill would force Google to pay for the journalism and news content that help drive its business model. NZME editor-at-large Shayne Currie says it's unlikely Google will pull away from New Zealand altogether - despite the company's threats. "They will certainly be reviewing their stance - they've actually said publicly in their submission to Parliament for the Fair Digital News Bill that they will need to review operations in New Zealand if the bill goes ahead." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

About this debate in Australia on banning social media for kids - I have just come across an article that makes the best comparison yet for how we should deal with this issue. Treat it like sex. This article is by an academic in Australia and she argues that the best way to protect kids from social media is by teaching them its dangers, like we do with sex. I think we know now that banning sex for teens doesn't work, celibacy all the way through to marriage doesn’t work - and the best way to deal with it is with sex education. We teach kids how the whole thing works, we teach them how to be safe, and most kids actually do end up fine. That, she says, is how we should treat social media. Teach the kids how it works, teach them about the algorithms that push information at you, teach them that if you click something you’ll get more of the same, teach them how the perfect model lying by the pool with her perfect boyfriend on the perfect holiday is just a photo and it's not real. And teach them how to be safe, teach them not to look at certain things, show them how to talk about what they see if it upsets them and so on. But with sex - we do ban it as well. We say kids under sixteen cannot legally have sex, we put these guardrails up, and I think we should do that with social media too, if only as a guardrail. For kids under a certain age, ban it. No social media. But ban it knowing the ban is just a guardrail - it's not going to work. Most kids are going to flout it because if it doesn't work for sex, it won't work for social media. But educate them as well, that is the most important part. If we think about it like that - kids will do this thing you don't want them to do, if you ban them from doing it, they'll do it anyway. Then you understand the best thing you can do as a parent and an educator is teach the kids how to do it safely. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump's out-the-gate claim that migrants eat people's pets has gone viral. In yesterday's presidential debate, the former President claimed migrants in Springfield, Ohio were eating dogs and cats. US correspondent Logan Church says Trump got it from a social media post. "There was absolutely no proof or evidence of anything like this actually happening. But that rumour started spreading like wildfire." Springfield's mayor's released a statement saying it's disappointing misinformation's skewed - and been amplified in the debate. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some experts believe mayor Wayne Brown's second Auckland harbour crossing won't fly. Brown revealed a proposal to build a bridge stretching from Meola Reef to Kauri Point on the North Shore. Auckland University senior lecturer of architecture and planning Bill McKay says there'd need to be a number of feeder motorways through Point Chev to get to the bridge. "You know, the pushback from the locals and all that means it's all amounting to nothing." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's support for more use of private hospitals to help the health system. Minister Shane Reti's outlined plans for reaching five health targets set in March, spanning wait times, immunisations and cancer treatment. He's discussed increasing public hospital beds and operating theatres and using private hospital capacity more. Counties Manukau chief medical officer Andrew Connolly says private healthcare will help get wait lists down. "Most of the work will still be done, however, in public facilities. We don't want to lose staff to private just to do public work." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's clear consensus among experts that Kamala Harris emerged victorious after yesterday's action-packed debate against Donald Trump. The pair clashed over economy, abortion and foreign policy - with Trump spouting outlandish claims about late-term abortions and migrants eating people's pets. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper unpacked the fallout from the debate in Pennsylvania. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in Australia, the ongoing anti-war protests in Melbourne have entered their second day. Police have beefed up security, after yesterday's violent clashes left several officers injured. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says yesterday's events were 'disgraceful' - with protestors flinging faeces and acid at police. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Day four of the one-off test between the Black Caps and Afghanistan has been abandoned before the scheduled start of play, as rain fell over Greater Noida, India. For the fourth day in succession, rainfall has forced the match to be called off before a single ball was bowled. The final clash is still scheduled for Friday - but hints of poor weather leave the event in doubt. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland's counting down to hosting a star-studded film production, which kicks off in October. The Wrecking Crew stars Jason Momoa, Dave Bautista and Temuera Morrison - with filming likely to run at least two months. Auckland Tataki Unlimited CEO Nick Hill says it's the largest production done here since The Rings of Power series. He says locals will get a chance to catch filming around the city. "They will certainly film in the city centre - but also other parts around the region. I think Auckland will actually get to show itself off in a major movie." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK economy unexpectedly failed to grow in July, after flatlining in June, for the second month in a row. Analysts had originally forecasted a slight growth of 0.2 percent. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says drops in the manufacturing and construction sectors contributed to the downturn. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As birth-rates decline and the population gets older, investors are grappling with a new set of challenges. Recent data indicates the proportion of Kiwis over the age of 65 will be expected to double by 2050. Milford Asset Management's Deborah Lambie says this demographic shift is expected to have an impact on the healthcare system - and lead to a worker shortage. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has confirmed buy now, pay later providers will be able to charge whatever fees they want going forward. Cabinet has agreed to remove some consumer protections from the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act (CCCFA) to enable BNPL providers to set late or default fees at whatever levels they wish. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explains what this could mean for Kiwi consumers. 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! Donald Trump and Kamala Harris faced off in their first televised debate ahead of the election. Who won this round? What did the candidates need to work on? The text of David Seymour's proposed Treaty Principles Bill has been released - will this calm anyone's fears? Do we think a debate on this bill is what the country needs? Is Wellington really dying - or is the region just in a rough spot? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 11 September 2024, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris faced off in their first presidential debate. So who won? US historian Allan Lichtman, senior political correspondent Barry Soper, former US correspondent Jack Tame and Heather all weigh in. In another blow for regional New Zealand, Methanex has announced it's looking to scale back its business - and leaving the door open to pull out of New Zealand altogether. New Plymouth mayor Neil Holdom and Contact Energy boss Mike Fuge speak to Heather following the news.Plus, the Huddle debates whether Wellington really is dying ... and where did we find Jordan Williams? 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.

Today's highly-anticipated face-to-face presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump included a heated back-and-forward over inciting political violence. Stand-out moments included inaccurate statements about abortion rights and Trump repeating his running mate's baseless claim immigrants were eating people pets. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says there's no debate to be had - Harris won this round. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ngāti Toa Rangatira iwi isn't impressed with David Seymour's contentious Treaty Principles Bill. The three principles to be included in the bill have been released today - including 'Civil Government', the 'Rights of Hapū and Iwi Māori' and the 'Right to Equality'. Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira chief executive Helmut Modlik says Seymour's proposition is lacking. "Tino rangatiratanga speaks to the ability to continue to live your life according to your customs, to have responsibility for your people, your place to live according to your own tikanga. That's what was agreed - that's the only thing that makes sense." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Contact Energy has confirmed it reached an agreement to take over electricity generator Manawa Energy in a near $2.3-billion merger. Contact would pay a combination of cash and its own shares to the equivalent of $5.95 for each Manawa share - and it hopes to finalise the arrangement by early next year. CEO Mike Fuge says this investment will help diversify Contact's generating portfolio. "What this enables us to do is to firm up our wholesale portfolio and provide more products to commercial industrial New Zealand." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Plymouth's mayor is blaming the last Government's gas policy for Methanex's proposal to scale down. The country's largest gas user plans to move from a two-plant operation to one, and lay off staff for the foreseeable future. Its managing director says policy settings since 2018 haven't been conducive to sustaining gas supplies for more than one plant. Neil Holdom says it'll be a blow for the region, but the writing's been on the wall. "We saw this coming in 2018, with the last Government's flawed energy policy. This is a direct and logical consequence that was always going to happen - we told them it would happen." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's recent report into the East Coast floods concludes action is urgently needed. The review in part points the finger at the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council and the Wairoa District Councils for poor management of the river mouth and bar. Wairoa mayor Craig Little is relieved with this report - and claims the bar should be cleared more often. "No one's rung me from the regional council or anything - except to say that they're going to have a recce in Wairoa on the Friday." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's action-packed Presidential debate has wrapped, leaving many convinced it was a victory for Kamala Harris. She and Donald Trump traversed a battlefield covering inflation, abortion and foreign policy. The contrast between the two was clear - with Harris more future-focused, and Trump hailing back to his Presidency. US historian Allan Lichtman says Harris's win was crystal clear. "She was good, maybe very good. Trump was abysmal - he got baited by Harris time and time again." Lichtman says Trump's off-the rails comment about migrants eating pets will stick in people's brains. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taylor Swift has come out and endorsed current Vice-President and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris for President. Shortly after the first debate between Harris and Donald Trump wrapped up, Swift released an Instagram post confirming she would vote for Harris and Tim Walz. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says this is good marketing for the Harris-Walz campaign. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi mixed martial artist Navajo Stirling is being unleashed on the UFC. The light heavyweight's knockout win over Phillip Latu on the latest Contender Series card in Las Vegas has earned him a contract with the company. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over 50 high-profile sporting identities and former Olympians have signed an open letter urging the Government to rethink the guiding principles for transgender athletes participating in sports. The letter claims Sport New Zealand’s guidelines disregard the rights of female athletes and go against scientific evidence. Former Olympian Dave Gerrard says allowing athletes to compete under self-identification ignores the science - and dismisses female athletes. "I'm not, for one moment, trying to exclude transgender individuals from participating - I'm just trying to get some logic to this. How far do you allow somebody to go?" LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Princess of Wales has confirmed she's completed her chemotherapy treatments in an emotional video message. Kate Middleton says she's focused on staying cancer-free and will be making more public appearances in the coming months. UK correspondent Enda Brady says there's concern Kate may not be as well as she's letting on. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi sheep famers will have to brace themselves for another tough earnings season. Beef and Lamb New Zealand’s new season outlook says farm profit margins were being hit by high costs, especially interest payments, reaching low levels similar to those seen in the 1980s and 1990s. The Country's Jamie Mackay explains the issue further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ruapehu district has been dealt a huge blow - as Winstone Pulp International confirms it will close the two mills in the region. Over 230 workers will lose their jobs, and mayor Weston Kirton is 'gutted' the Government couldn't broker a deal and save the mills. Infometrics principal economist unpacks the economic impact of this announcement. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One council member believes Auckland Council needs to rethink its plan to slash transport emissions by 2030. The council aims to halve car use, encourage a 13-fold increase in cycling, and increase public transport trips from 100 million a year pre-Covid to 550 million. Auckland Councillor Daniel Newman says these ideas need to be shelved in favour of something more realistic. "What we have is a multi-billion dollar price tag for investment in public transport infrastructure, for the reallocation of our road corridors for cycleways, for the kind of intensive urban design planning that would be necessary to give effect to that - much of this is unfunded." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Nick Mills from ZB's Wellington Mornings and Toby Manhire from the Spinoff joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Courts will be able to ban gang members from wearing patches in the home thanks to an amendment the Government made to the bill. Is this a step too far? Winstone Pulp International announced its pulp and saw mills in the Ruapehu District will close indefinitely - putting more than 200 people out of work. Should the Government have gotten involved and saved the mills? Are we getting too gloomy? A new piece by Pattrick Smellie from BusinessDesk says New Zealand's gotten too unhappy recently. Are we right to complain about the economic and social issues? The Australian Government is looking at banning social media for kids, with legislation to arrive by the end of the year? Is this the right move? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 10 September 2024, hundreds of people will lose their jobs in a huge blow to the Ruapehu district. Mayor Weston Kirton tells Heather he's gutted the Government wasn't able to broker a deal. Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are about to square off for the first time in a presidential debate. Former debate moderator Dominic Carter reckons Kamala has a lot to lose. Australian kids are going to be banned from using social media - but will this ban actually be enforceable? Plus the Huddle debates whether New Zealanders just need to cheer up a bit and stop being so gloomy. 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.

Experts believe a changing retail market and the evolution of influencers have forced online companies to make some changes. British e-retailer ASOS has confirmed it plans to charge shoppers to return items unless they keep £40 of their order. Meanwhile, Boohoo recently introduced a freight charge into New Zealand, Nike has stopped shipping here altogether and other brands have reduced their availability for Kiwi customers. Chris Wilkinson from First Retail Group says consumers need to accept that this is the way of the future. "Abuse is certainly causing most of these retailers in the UK big challenges." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Law Society says pumping up the proposed gang patch bill gives police intrusive search powers. Cabinet has agreed to add a clause to the bill banning patches in public to ban them in the homes of members repeatedly defying the public ban. It was added in August, after the bill had gone through the Select Committee process, even though Ministers were briefed on options in March. The Society's Chris Macklin says this change shouldn't have been added without some scrutiny. "The reaching into homes is a pretty big concern - and it's exactly for that reason you'd expect that it would have been consulted on rather than put into a late amendment." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

'Chrono-working' could be the next employment fad to wash up in Aotearoa. It lets workers choose their hours dictated by their circadian rhythm, instead of the usual nine to five. Robert Walters Commercial Director Stuart Nash says people have worked to circadian rhythms for thousands of years. He says working this way optimises output. "What we're saying now is - you know what, the best way to get productivity out of the workers is to let them work when they're productive. I will say - this is not an excuse to be lazy." Nash says this is really another way of describing modern workplace flexibility. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pattrick Smellie, who has been a regular contributor to this show, is back from his long European sabbatical - and he reckons we need to cheer up in New Zealand.He's written a piece for BusinessDesk saying that the headlines he’s seeing here at home suggest we’re as miserable as we were back in the early 1990s during Ruth Richardson's recession. And he points out that all 9 countries he visited actually had the same problems - race relations, violent crime, failing infrastructure, countless crises, countries going backwards, but they were dealing with it without the same sense of fatalistic despair that we have over it.Now I've thought about this a lot overnight, and I agree that we're extremely gloomy. And I would be the first to tell us to give ourselves an uppercut if I thought we were being unreasonably miserable, but I think we’re justified in feeling like we do.Because- and I can't speak for other countries - we have gone through a massive shift in the last few years. We went from being the rockstar economy, prosperous and riding the wave of Chinese demand to three recessions in two years. Name me another country that we compare ourselves to that has had three recessions in two years. That's a tough thing to go through.Pattrick himself admits it’s bad. He points out that we've slipped in a comprehensive UN measure of everything from life expectancy and education to economics. We've dropped 7 places in one year, that's how fast things have gone backwards for us.We've gone from being the safe place you want to raise your kids in to having 11 to 12 homicides in the North Island in just over a month - including a body found burnt out in a car somewhere today.I think what’s made us gloomy is the size of the shift. Others may also be experiencing what we are, but I suspect not with the swing from one extreme to the other that we have - which makes the bad feel so much more bad because it was so good. So yeah, we’re gloomy. And yeah, like Pattrick, I'm looking forward to us coming out of this. But I don't think we're being dramatic in how we feel, I think it’s justified. And I think it’s good, because it means we don't accept it - and we're motivated to change it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An epic showdown is expected at tomorrow's presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. The VP and former President are facing off in the battleground state of Pennsylvania. Millions are expected to tune into the ABC-broadcast clash - which has no live audience, with microphones muted when candidates aren't explicitly in speaking time. Former US debate moderator Dominic Carter says it's the pair's first face-to-face moment. "Trump - he's done many presidential debates. It's the first time for Kamala Harris, the Vice-President at the top of the ticket." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two North Island mills have failed to strike a deal to save their operations. Winstone Pulp International announced its pulp and saw mills in the Ruapehu District will close indefinitely, putting more than 200 people out of work. Ruapehu mayor Weston Kirton says they'd been talking with Government Ministers and electricity providers trying to save the mills, but with no luck. He says he's devastated. "We've had our ups and downs, as you know, but this is a big hit. I'm really taking it personally." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Parliamentarians honoured Kīngi Tūheitia with speeches this afternoon - before the House adjourned early. The leader of the Kiingitanga died almost a fortnight ago, following heart surgery. He's succeeded by his daughter - 27-year-old Kuini Ngā Wai hono i te pō. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper unpacks today's tributes from all sides of the political aisle. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two children were discovered dead in a Blue Mountains home, with a woman en route to hospital under police guard. New South Wales authorities said officers were called to the location on Tuesday afternoon to investigate the welfare of the woman and two children. The boys, aged 9 and 11, were found dead in the home by a family member. Australian correspondent Sam Emery says investigations are still ongoing. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's fears another day may go by without any start to the maiden cricket test between the Black Caps and Afghanistan. Despite clear skies at Greater Noida - on the outskirts of Delhi in India - a sodden outfield means there's still been no toss for the one-off fixture. An inspection has been scheduled for 6.30pm (NZT). Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave says it's likely the match will be called off again. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New legislation will stop Australia's youth from accessing social networks like Instagram, Snapchat, Discord and TikTok. The Australian Government will introduce legislation by the end of the year to create a minimum age for accessing social media. Professor Lisa Given from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology wonders if a wide-scale ban is even possible. "The question is, are there workarounds on that? There's certainly ways that children could get around that type of mechanism, using a VPN for example - or even just accessing content through other people's accounts." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.