Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

According to new reports, a record-shattering number of wealthy Americans are looking to make the move overseas. The political turmoil and social instability are inspiring investors, entrepreneurs and similar rich-listers to relocate. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says Portugal, Malta, Spain, Greece and Italy are among the most popular locations people want to immigrate to. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

World Rugby is considering a global trial of a 20-minute red card as part of plans to broaden the sport's appeal. The proposal, where the player sent off is eventually replaced by a substitute, will potentially go before the governing body's council at Dublin in May. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Wellington Muslim leader says he wants community consultation during the ongoing debate on whether mosques can play the call to prayer over loud speakers. The City Council is investigating a proposal to change noise control rules, to let mosques play calls at prayer times. Some Councillors are citing noise concerns. Leader Tariq Saeed says they'd be played quietly, to not disrupt neighbours. "We want to explore the possibility, if the community is okay with it. Still, we want to be very respectful and mindful, so we don't cause any discomfort to the people." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm completely puzzled about something, I'm really stumped by this. And that is- why two Governments in a row now are pussy-footing around the vaping problem instead of just going hard and properly putting them out of the reach of kids. The associate Health Minister, Casey Costello, has today announced a so-called crackdown on vaping, which includes banning disposal vapes. Yes, that does sound familiar. And that would be because Ayesha Verrall already banned them last year. But she stuffed up her definition of a disposable vape, so they're basically still on the market for about $8 bucks. Go and look at the Vapo sign out front if you don’t believe me. And mark my words, Casey Costello is about to do exactly the same thing. Because what's happening is these guys are getting hung up on banning certain types of vapes and whether their batteries are removable or not, thereby defining them as disposable or not. When the solution to stopping 14 and 15-year-olds getting hooked on vapes is simple, because it's the same solution we used for the ciggies. Force the price up. The problem with vapes is that they're cheap. As I said, go to Vapo. They're selling a fully compliant vape with a removable battery for $8 right now. That's the kind of thing kids are buying, cause they can afford it. If you force the price up, the kids won’t be able to. And at some point- like where we're at with the ciggies where a pack costs $45 bucks or whatever, only the hard-core addicts will be left. We need to take this seriously. This is what I don't understand about these Governments- why aren't they taking this seriously? As many as 10 percent of our 14 to 15-year-olds vape daily. Nearly 2000 primary and intermediate school students were stood down for vaping or smoking last year. We don't really know the impact this will have on these kids, or their lungs, but getting hooked on anything at 14 is surely not a good idea. And I just do not understand why, when the solution is staring consecutive ministers in the face and parents and teachers and principals and health experts are begging them to do something, they dick around with banning this thing or that thing and failing at it instead of just going hard. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Barack Obama has recently arrived in the UK, on a visit to 10 Downing Street. The former US President reportedly paid a 'courtesy visit' to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for an hour-long private discussion. UK correspondent Enda Brady says this high-profile meeting gave Rishi Sunak an extra boost- but it's unclear what this means for Sunak's chances. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union and Toby Manhire from the Spinoff joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Winston Peters has defended his use of Chumbawamba's hit 'Tubthumping', saying there's nothing wrong with using the song- despite what the band says. Who's in the right here? Does Peters has bigger things to worry about? Will the Government's proposed tax cuts come through? Did Luxon's comments this morning inspire any confidence? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank of Australia has held interest rates steady at 4.35 percent. Australia's OCR has stayed in place since November 2023 off the back of 13 rate hikes- but governor Michele Bullock says the fight isn't over. HSBC Chief Economist Paul Bloxham explains further- and predicts when Aussie homeowners can expect cuts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lower tomato prices might be great news for consumers- less so for the country's growers. Farmers still can't export their product over to Australia, due to a pepino mosaic virus, or PepMV, outbreak impacting business The Country's Jamie Mackay says the cost of production outweighs sale prices- and Kiwi farmers have been hit hard. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Property developers Du Val Group have found themselves in another patch of controversy. The company has reportedly taken hundreds of millions from investors- and have since tried to convince investors to turn their loans into shares. BusinessDesk's Pattrick Smellie recaps the whole saga here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick came out swinging during her first Question Time in the role, She asked Prime Minister Luxon to commit to resigning if his moves to regulate unruly Kāinga Ora tenants lead to more children becoming homeless. This request inspired laughter from other politicians in the House. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Chloe was determined to make an impression- but she picked the wrong target. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in Australia, rideshare giant Uber has been forced to pay over $270 million to compensate taxi drivers and operators. Taxi companies across the nation took legal action after they claimed they lost years worth of income when Uber moved into the country. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says this is the fifth largest settlement in Australian history. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The White Ferns have dropped the opening cricket T20 against England, losing by 27 runs in Dunedin. The visitors were sent in to bat first, reaching 160 for 4, thanks to a captain's knock of 63 by Heather Knight. In reply, New Zealand fell short in their chase at 133 for 5, despite skipper Suzie Bates' 65. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave recaps the loss. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Uber drivers have continued their employment fight, now at the Court of Appeal. Two years ago, the court ruled four Wellington Uber drivers should be considered employees, not contractors, giving them more entitlements. Now, Uber's appealing the decision, and drivers and unions rallied outside the court today. First Union strategic project coordinator Anita Rosentreter says the protesting drivers showed 'bravery' in standing up against Uber's pushback. "It was a combination of a whole bunch of drivers, and also their whanau and supporters- and the unions came out to show support. We had politicians there, it was a wide range of Wellingtonians." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Debate in Wellington over the Council's proposal to allow broadcasting of religious calls over mosque loud-speakers. Local Mosques reportedly asked the council to change noise control regulations, so they can play calls to prayer over outdoor speakers, as is done in Muslim countries. Some have taken issue with the proposal. Councillor Nicola Young says such issues aren't what they need to think about. "The City Council should stick to its municipal role. It's got big issues, like water and sewage infrastructure- why are we not focusing on that, instead of having these distractions?" LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Complaints from Wellington bus drivers who've been resorting to tampering with excessively loud on-board speakers. One city bus company is threatening to turn security cameras onto drivers to stop them reducing the volume. Tramways Union National President Gary Froggatt says the noisy announcements keep giving drivers a fright. "The driver is concentrating at the front of the bus and the traffic. Then all of a sudden, a noise comes - abruptly in some cases - advertising material." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you needed proof that the Government is doing the right thing by cracking down on unruly state house tenants- here it is. Even Chris Hipkins is endorsing it now. He's admitted today his Government should've done more to crack down on state house tenants terrorising their neighbourhoods. And he’s said- “I have some sympathy for some of the changes that they’re making, there should be further consequences”. If even the guy who led the Government that stopped the evictions now admits he’s on board with starting up the evictions again, then that tells you it’s the right thing to do. Look, I admit it's a tough policy, because people are gonna get punished. If they tear up a house, if they terrorise their neighbours, or don’t pay their rent repeatedly- they will be punished by being kicked out of the house. But this isn't introducing punishment, it's just changing who gets punished. Because people are being punished already. The neighbours are being punished, the taxpayers are being punished by constantly having to fix up houses that are being ripped up, and the families waiting in motels for homes while those homes are filled with people who aren’t respecting the privilege are being punished too. But the neighbours and the taxpayers and people waiting in motels shouldn't be the ones being punished by this behaviour, because they aren't the bad guys here- the guys tearing up the houses are the bad guys. And it is only right that if someone is being punished, it should the people doing the bad stuff, not everyone around them. I think yesterday's crackdown was well overdue, because we need to start looking after the right people in this country. We've spent too long now bending over backwards for the delinquents. The unruly tenants, the gang members demanding rights to wear a patch, the criminals demanding discounts because of tough childhoods. We have to change who we look after here, including the neighbours, the citizens who don’t want to be intimidated by gangs, and the victims who want the offenders locked up. This looks after the right people instead of punishing them- and it’s about time. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health officials are warning a shortage of anti-psychotic drug - olanzapine - could cause relapses for people with schizophrenia symptoms. Supply of the injected medication is already low, and a shipment didn't arrive last month. Royal College of Psychiatrists New Zealand chair, Hiran Thabrew, says it's critical for people to get their regular medication, or a substitute. "What might happen is that people might experience a deterioration in their mental state, they might notice symptoms of psychosis start to occur and people around them might notice their behaviour changing." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Transport Minister says changes to road user charges for plug-in hybrids are about finding a balance. Owners will pay $38 per 1000 kilometres- down from a proposed 53. The amendment put forward by Labour was accidentally agreed to by governing MPs in a mix-up during the select committee stage. Minister Simeon Brown says this change recognises that hybrids can run on a battery, or on petrol. "The reality is, this is a tricky issue. There are a range of particularly older plug-in hybrids, which do consume a lot of petrol- and so they would be paying even more." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Winston Peters says there is nothing wrong with him using a song by a UK punk band during his State of the Nation speech. The Spinoff reports Chumbawamba has requested their record label issue a cease and desist order to the New Zealand First leader for playing 'Tubthumping'. The band says it's odd the refrain 'I get knocked down, but I get up again' is being used by Peters as he barks his bigoted policies during his recent speeches. Peters says the Spinoff are leftist shills. "It's a public meeting, we're not using it for any beneficial purpose in terms of making money for ourselves. And so I'm afraid we've got a media outlet that doesn't know what the law is." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After all the speculation and scandal, the Princess of Wales has reportedly been spotted out and about again. Reports claim Kate Middleton was seen visiting an upscale farm shop by her family home in Windsor. UK correspondent says speculation indicates Kate could return to her royal duties as soon as Easter. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Child Fund CEO Josie Pagani and Phil O'Reilly from Iron Duke Partners joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! The Government is taking a harder line on Kāinga Ora renters- and urging the organisation to kick out unruly tenants. Is this the right course of action? Will this curb bad behaviour? It's been revealed the Defence Force was ill-prepared when they were sent to help Cyclone Gabrielle-affected areas. They weren't licensed to hand out drinking water, and didn't have PPE so were told not to help people dig up silt. What do we think of this? Winston Peters raised some eyebrows over the weekend by comparing co-governance with Nazi Germany in his State of the Nation speech. Was this a bridge too far? A pitch invader clad in an Auckland FC jersey storming through Eden Park captured plenty of attention. Was it a dumb stunt or a clever marketing pitch? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Winston Peters has welcomed his Chinese counterpart to the Beehive, in a meeting building on many previous talks. The meeting comes as the Chinese Government's expressed concerns over New Zealand signalling interest in joining the AUKUS intelligence sharing pact. NZME business commentator Fran O'Sullivan says the AUKUS issue will be brought up, as China has their concerns about New Zealand getting involved. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Housing Minister says the purpose of a crackdown on social housing tenants is to send a message. The Government's taking a harder line on Kainga Ora renters, with the Prime Minister ordering the provider to axe its Sustaining Tenancies Framework. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper explains the likelihood of these restrictions curbing bad behaviour. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Residents in Australia's Northern Territory and Queensland are bracing themselves for a tropical cyclone. Cyclone Megan is now rated a category three storm, and is expected to touch down between Monday night and Tuesday morning. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says experts are predicting half a year's worth of rain will batter the affected areas. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's calls for a complete ban on the deadly engineered stone, primarily used in bench tops. The Australasian College of Physicians is urging the New Zealand Government to follow Australia's lead on the stone, which can give stonemasons the incurable lung disease, silicosis. RACP spokesperson Dr Alexandra Muthu says the organisation is calling for an outright ban on the material being imported into New Zealand. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister insists that the Government's proposed tax cuts will be delivered by the end of the year. This follows an earlier interview that had experts concerned the Government planned to delay the scheme. Minister Nicola Willis says the cuts will need to pass through Cabinet- but Kiwis will still benefit from tax reduction soon. "I can assure you, tax reduction for working New Zealanders will be the centrepiece of our budget." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's crackdown on poorly-behaved social housing tenants is being welcomed by many. The Government's taking a harder line on Kāinga Ora renters, with the Prime Minister ordering the provider to axe its Sustaining Tenancies Framework. Lawyer Adina Thorn says this is a big step in the right direction for victims. "I get emails, unsolicited emails, from people talking about their neighbours having machetes, shouting at them 24/7." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland's A-League team hasn't played a match yet, but they've found themselves in the public eye. During Saturday's Phoenix game at Eden Park, a pitch invader sporting an Auckland FC jersey dashed onto the field. Rumours are swirling, but Eden Park boss Nick Sautner is denying involvement with this stunt. "Encouraging that sort of activity has the ability to compromise their future aspirations for their team- and we're all about family-friendly environments and ensuring the safety of the players." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some strong words are expected behind closed doors from China's Foreign Minister. Wang Yi has been in talks with counterpart Winston Peters in Wellington today, ahead of an official dinner. Geopolitical analyst Geoffrey Miller says they'll be all smiles for the cameras. But he says behind the scenes, there may be harsh words about New Zealand's AUKUS moves. "Because this new Government that New Zealand has really came out strongly, they came out with a hiss and a roar wanting to align New Zealand closer with the US and wanting to get into AUKUS. And that's not gone down well with Beijing." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Housing Minister claims social housing tenants misbehave because they know there won't be consequences. The Government's taking a harder line on Kāinga Ora tenants, instructing the provider to axe its Sustaining Tenancies Framework, saying this allows tenants to remain in a state house regardless of bad behaviour or unpaid rent. Chris Bishop says the cost of living crisis probably has affected tenants' ability to pay rent. "However, if you know that, basically, it is almost impossible to be booted out of a Kāinga Ora property, then people's behaviour is set based on those expectations." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sports fans are investigating the curious case of an Auckland FC jersey-clad pitch invader. As the Phoenix defeated Sydney FC 2-1 in their final home match in Auckland, an individual clad in Auckland FC gear ran onto the field. Sportstalk host Jason Pine explains the theories surrounding this incident. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whakarongorau's chief executive is correcting perceptions that the organisation is biased towards one particular group. The telehealth organisation has an option for Māori callers to be redirected to a separate queue with the touch of a button. Chief executive Glynis Sandland says this measure is designed to put callers in touch with a Māori clinician- and they get moved to the regular queue if none are available. "The way to look at this is- people have different needs. And we do this in a number of different ways, it's not only Māori. We have a disability line, we have a line set up for new people coming into the country." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National is making noises that sound an awful lot like they might not deliver the full tax cuts in July like they promised. Finance Minster Nicola Willis was on the radio this morning, she was asked about it and she replied that she still intended to roll out the tax cuts in July- but it was subject to Cabinet discussions, so she could not give a cast-iron guarantee it would happen. Ooh, she's playing with fire. Look, I hope this is one those weird little technicalities where politicians don’t want to get ahead of an announcement or leave themselves exposed, so they don’t answer the question properly. But there’s actually nothing to worry about, and the tax cuts will be delivered as expected. Because boy oh boy, there will be hell to pay if those tax cuts don’t come through. Because they made such a big song and dance about them, and people expect them. The economy is as stuffed as we thought it was going to be. We can split hairs about a percentage point here or there, but broadly, we knew this was coming. National cannot be surprised by any of this. We are probably in a double dip recession, that was predicted months before the election. There are significant policies Labour left unfunded, for example school lunches and the Pharmac budget. We knew this before the election, cause it was in the pre-election fiscal update. And we said to National- there is not enough money for your tax cuts. We could see it, commentators lined up to say that - including me. And Nicola Willis said it was fine, there would be enough money for tax cuts. We said- no there isn't. She said there was, and then she said she would quit as Finance Minister if she couldn't deliver her tax cuts. So there is no room to move here. Nothing much has changed from when they made the promise to now- when they need to deliver it. If they promise something, they need to deliver. Otherwise, what’s to stop these politicians promising new highways for every town, 2000 new police, and free ice cream for everyone? The reason we extract promises from politicians is because these things are tough to deliver. If we don't hold them to this promise, what is the point of any promise made before an election? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit New Zealand in the first meeting between the two countries since last year’s election. Winston Peters says the visit would be an opportunity to discuss the full breadth of New Zealand’s bilateral relationship with China. Wang will also visit Australia, where the two have a frosty relationship, after Australia banned Huawei from operating in its telecom networks in 2018, and Australia calling for an investigation during the outbreak of Covid in 2020 - but it has been getting better between the two countries. Asia business commentator Peter Lewis joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A plane carrying British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps had its satellite signal jammed as it flew near Russian territory, the government said Thursday. The government said the Royal Air Force jet carrying Shapps, officials and journalists “temporarily experienced GPS jamming when they flew close to Kaliningrad” on a flight from Poland to the U.K. The Times of London, whose reporter was onboard, said that for about 30 minutes mobile phones couldn’t connect to the internet and the aircraft was forced to use alternative methods to determine its location. Shapps visited Poland on Wednesday to see U.K. troops participating in a large NATO exercise, Steadfast Defender. Kaliningrad is a Russian enclave bordered by Poland and Lithuania, home to the Russian Navy’s Baltic Fleet. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s spokesman, Dave Pares, said “the jamming didn’t threaten the safety of the aircraft at any point.” He said it was not unusual for aircraft to experience electronic jamming near Kaliningrad. Western officials say Russia has significant electronic warfare capabilities based in Kaliningrad. Since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has engaged in GPS jamming in areas from Finland to the Black Sea. A regional Finnish carrier had to cancel flights on one route for a week as a result. - by Jill Lawless, APSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington councillors have voted to increase housing density in the city. It will also strip some housing character protections, and increase the amount of housing near rail lines, as part of amendments to its District Plan. Business commentator Rod Oram joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More details continue to emerge about Green MP Darleen Tana’s husband and his bike business. The Employment Relations Authority had already filed against Christian Hoff-Nielsen in a case in December – but it turns out it was actually two cases. Employment lawyer Alex Kersjes joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand’s second A-League team has officially been unveiled. Auckland FC will join the league from next season and will sport a black and blue striped kit. Talks are underway for expanding the NRL further into New Zealand, with a Christchurch-based South Island Kea in the works. Former NZR boss David Moffett is helming the project, with hopes to enter the NRL in 2026. Australia and England cricket bosses are leading a push for setting minimum pay rates for each test appearance. They want the rate to be set at least NZ $22,000, in a push to compete with IPL salaries. Roosters prop Spencer Leniu has been banned for eight weeks after making a racist remark to Broncos half Ezra Mam. Elliott Smith and Andrew Gourdie joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to discuss the week’s sports news See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is facing the threat of a hole in its tax plan. Its promised relief on the back-pocket is meant to be partially paid for with a levy on online gambling - bringing in more than $730 million over four years. But the Inland Revenue Department has crunched the numbers... and figures it will only bring in $155 million. Revenue Minister Simon Watts told Heather du Plessis-Allan those calculations are correct. He says there are a number of mechanisms which will come into play - including the reduction of costs in the public sector which will help balance the books. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coin collectors and enthusiasts alike will have to wait a few years before they see King Charles lll on their legal tender coins. In the new design, the King faces left - keeping with conventions that each new sovereign changes directions. The Reserve Bank expects the 10 cent coin to be minted in 2025 - with the others following in 2027. Director of Money and Cash Ian Woolford told Heather du Plessis-Allan they still have a lot of coins with the Queen's effigy on hand. “Also it’ll be a couple of years before we do a new order, and it doesn’t make sense to destroy good coins.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An advocate for the worker accusing Green MP Darleen Tana's husband of migrant exploitation claims the MP knew what was happening. Tana's been stood down after the allegations emerged at E Cycles NZ, a business owned by her husband. Tana says she welcomes an investigation and intends to cooperate fully. Advocate Nathan Santesso told Heather du Plessis-Allan he's sure Tana was aware of the situation. “Because he approached her and asked her to try and help him. She just said ‘I’m not the director, I’m not involved in this, I’ve got nothing to do with this.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suspended Green MP Darleen Tana says she intends to cooperate fully with an investigation after allegations emerged of migrant exploitation at her husband’s company. “I welcome an investigation and intend to cooperate fully, and I will not be commenting further,” Tana, who held the party’s small business portfolio, told the Herald in a statement. Tana is the third Green MP in less than a year to run into trouble, following in the footsteps of Elizabeth Kerekere, who quit the party last year amidst bullying allegations, and Golriz Ghahraman, who resigned after allegations emerged of her shoplifting. Green Party MP Darleen Tana has been suspended amid allegations she is linked to migrant exploitation at her husband’s company. A statement from Green Party leader Marama Davidson and Chloe Swarbrick earlier today said Tana was suspended on Thursday afternoon because the allegations raised a conflict of interest with her small business portfolio. The claims first came to light on February 1 when Tana informed the party a complaint had been made to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) by a worker at her husband Christian Hoff-Neilsen’s business, E-Bikes NZ. Tana was suspended after it became apparent she may have previously been aware of the allegations. A spokesperson for the Green Party said they are conducting an internal investigation to determine what Tana knew about the allegations relating to her husband’s business. The party has appointed an independent expert workplace investigator and barrister to establish the facts. Christian Hoff-Nielsen, who founded the E-Bikes NZ chain, denied all allegations when speaking to the Herald this morning from his store in Auckland’s Newmarket. Hoff-Nielsen said he had not spoken to the worker “at all” and had worked for him for “mere months”. “He’s just pumping it up,” he said, insinuating the claims are a cash grab. Christian Hoff-Neilsen, husband of Darleen Tana, denied all allegations when speaking to the Herald this morning. Photo / Jason Oxenham. He said being stood down has been “really hard” on Tana. “She’s not here and she’s got nothing to do with this,” Hoff-Nielsen said. Hoff-Nielsen said Tana is now at home, but would not say whether that was in Auckland or Wellington. “When we go home, we talk about what families talk about … some employees present at work is not relevant.” He denied the worker was ever paid with cash, was owed any money, and that Tana oversaw him working for cash during a first day trial. Davidson and Swarbrick fronted morning media to respond to the allegations. Davidson acknowledged to RNZ that the incident showed the party was going through tough times. Swarbrick told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking they are “deeply serious allegations”. Rachel Maher is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. She has worked for the Herald since 2022. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Thursday he’s assembling a team of investors to make a bid to buy TikTok. This comes a day after the House passed a measure to ban the Chinese-owned social media giant or force a sale to a US-operated owner. “It’s a great business and I’m going to put together a group to buy TikTok,” Mnuchin said in an interview on CNBC Thursday morning. Even though TikTok is likely unprofitable, “it’s worth a lot of money,” he added. Mnuchin said he would give existing US investors the option to roll over their stakes in TikTok but stressed that no entity would have more than 10% control. But he declined to name any individuals on the team he’s putting together. “There’s no way that the Chinese would ever let a US company own something like this in China,” he said. From his time in the administration, he said he’s seen evidence that having TikTok on your phone gives it the ability to “collect an awful lot of data.” But ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, may never be allowed to be sold to any company outside of China because of measures the government began putting into place in 2020. The Chinese government deems TikTok a sensitive technology and officials have said they’d oppose any forced sale that would involve exporting it into the hands of a foreign owner. Mnuchin and TikTok didn’t immediately respond to CNN’s requests for comment. Dan Ives, senior equity analyst at Wedbush Securities, told CNN that ByteDance and China will “never” sell TikTok with the source code — the “special sauce” that makes the app so successful and valuable. “Without the source code, this would be like buying an F1 car without the engine. It would be illogical,” Ives said. Mnuchin, though, said he’s looking to find a solution where the Chinese government will allow TikTok to be sold without a technology transfer. Mnuchin, who now leads Liberty Strategic Capital, a private equity firm, was an early advocate for forcing a sale of TikTok to a US company. But he faced opposition from other members of former President Donald Trump’s cabinet when the sale was proposed in 2020. Trump supported a ban at the time. He’s since changed his stance, arguing that it would benefit Facebook. “Facebook has been very bad for our country,” he said in a separate interview on CNBC earlier in the week. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, didn’t immediately respond to CNN. “I believe he would support a sale,” Mnuchin said Thursday, referring to Trump. “I’ll call him up later and ask him.” He added that he’s been in touch with the former president in recent weeks regarding TikTok but has not discussed his nascent effort to acquire it. Thursday’s TikTok news comes just one week after Mnuchin led a $1 billion lifeline rescue of embattled regional lender New York Community Bank. The TikTok bill the House passed is now heading to the Senate, where it faces a much larger uphill battle in getting approved. President Joe Biden said he would sign the bill into law if the Senate passes it. Even if that happens, any kind of TikTok ban would likely be fought in courts. Already Montana was prevented from moving forward with a law to effectively ban the app after a federal judge blocked it last year. Ives, the tech analyst, said he sees a 25% chance that the TikTok legislation ultimately becomes law, forcing a sale of the company. He said countless parties are undoubtedly considering making an offer to buy TikTok should it go up for sale. “It’s sharks. They see blood in the water,” he said. However, the more likely buyer, according to Ives, would be a tech giant like Microsoft or Oracle, which already has a relationship with TikTok, and not a financial player like Mnuchin. - by Elisabeth Buchwald and Matt Egan, CNNSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Wellington Phoenix are set to play their final ever home game at Eden Park against Sydney FC this weekend. The Nix are unbeaten in 11 games at the Garden of Eden, having won 6 and drawn 5. Meanwhile, the Crusaders could see their worst-ever start to a Super Rugby season since 1996 if they lose to the Hurricanes. The defending champions continue to reel from a host of injuries - with Scott Barrett among the latest to join the treatment room. Weekend Sport host Jason Pine joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Seymour says he backs Freyberg High School in any actions resulting from a student protest against him. The Associate Education Minister visited the Palmerston North school yesterday – and faced students performing a haka, before one spat the ground in front of him. Freyberg High School condemned the students’ behaviour, but Seymour told Heather du Plessis-Allan he can't say what sort of action is needed. “Basically, you had a group of kids, I think some of them had got the wrong information – for example, some of them apparently believed I was there to tell them to pay for their school lunches.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in the UK, Rishi Sunak is facing pressure to return a multi-million dollar donation from a controversial supporter. Businessman Frank Hester has gifted over £10 million pounds to Sunak's party, amid increased backlash over his racist and misogynistic comments. UK correspondent Enda Brady says Sunak is refusing to give the money back. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, former Labour Chief of Staff Mike Munro and Nick Mills from ZB's Wellington Mornings joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Auckland bakery Daily Bread is under fire after a video of the business seemingly poisoning sparrows surfaced. Is this evil and heartless- or a necessity? Air New Zealand is still at war with the airports- with the Airports Association saying domestic airfares keep increasing and ticket prices should be independently monitored. Do they have a point? Is the media coverage of Golriz Ghahraman going too far- or is this a natural response to her crimes? The Labour Party had their first caucus retreat in the opposition role- what did we think? How can the Party get election-ready within two and a half years? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New changes to native land laws have been welcomed by New Zealand's farming community. The Government has suspended requirements for councils to map and impose Significant Natural Areas, while Ministers overhaul environmental legislation. The Country's Jamie Mackay explains why the nation's rural community is in favour of this update. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The immigration boom is showing no signs of abating. Latest figures from Stats NZ show 133,800 more people entered the country than left in the year to January. That's only just below the record net migration of 134,400 recorded in the year to October. NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann explains what these figures mean for New Zealand's future. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Relief in sight for Australian winemakers, as China proposes ending crippling tariffs in exchange for suspending a dispute lodged with the WTO. These tariffs were introduced in 2020, and contributed to a wine glut that created an oversupply of 2.8 billion bottles. NZ Wine Chief Executive Philip Gregan says winemakers on this side of the Tasman are relieved for their Australian counterparts. "We've been really feeling for our Australian colleagues, they've been enduring a very hard time. The actions taken by China have had a huge impact on their industry." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.