Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

There's growing calls for transparency and clarity around anti-doping processes. This comes after the revelation that the World Anti-Doping Agency cleared 23 Chinese swimmers to compete at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, despite testing positive for a banned substance. Former World Anti-Doping Agency director general David Howman says aspects of this don't pass the 'smell test'. "They could be better in terms of disclosure, be transparent and they should provide more clarity as to the actual process that was followed." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I have got nothing bad to say about Chris Luxon demoting Melissa Lee and Penny Simmonds today. This is exactly the kind of performance management that the country deserves, don't you think? Obviously on a human level, I feel sorry for both of those ministers because this will humiliating - but don’t tell me this wasn’t deserved. Melissa Lee has done an appalling job of looking like she knows what she’s doing with media, with senior commentators going on the radio to say - "She doesn't know what she's doing." And Penny Simmonds oversaw one of the biggest stuff ups for the Government, with the cutting of disability-related funding. So Melissa Lee's been stripped of the media portfolio and kicked out of Cabinet and Penny Simmonds has lost the disability portfolio - and she was already a minister outside of Cabinet. Now this does two things: Firstly, it signals to voters that are there are standards in this Cabinet and incompetence will not be tolerated. That is a great signal to send to voters, it will likely lift the public regard of Cabinet. Secondly, it sends a very important message to other ministers that if you stuff up in public, this will happen to you. Luxon's made it clear we're going to see more of this as the Government goes along, and there is nothing like the threat of losing a job to make someone pull their socks up. What's happened today will shock a lot of people, because over the last few years we've got used to Prime Minsters just putting up with their ministers doing a bad job or behaving badly in public. Kiri Allan, Phil Twyford, Michael Wood, Clare Curran, even Nanaia Mahuta - the Foreign Minister who didn't like international travel. It took forever for Hipkins or Ardern to demote the under-performers, and they suffered for it - public opinion of them was tainted. That is clearly not how Chris Luxon operates, and it’s a good thing. Because who doesn’t want performance from the people that we pay to run the country? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand is pushing back at a proposal by the Commerce Commission to increase competition in the banking sector. The Commerce Commission has made multiple suggestions, including asking the Reserve Bank to tolerate more risk so that smaller banks and lenders have a chance to add competition in the market. Reserve Bank Deputy Governor Christian Hawkesby spoke with Heather du Plessis-Allan about the decision. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, journalist Clare de Lore and former Chief of Staff to Jacinda Ardern, Mike Munro, joined in on a discussion about the issues of the day and more! The Government has proposed a ban on gang patches, but will it work? The Wellington Reading Cinemas deal is officially off the table - is it surprising that it took so long? And is comedian Arj Barker in the right for kicking a breastfeeding mother out of his show? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The controversial Reading Cinemas deal is off. Wellington City Council announced this afternoon that it's ended negotiations because they couldn't get the best possible outcome for Wellingtonians. Under the proposed deal, Wellington Council was set to buy the Reading Cinemas land for $32 million, then sell it back to Reading after a decade as a way to finance a future refurbishment. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has promised to install 10,000 EV chargers by 2030... and EV charging company Jolt has suggested lines companies should pay for the investment. CEO of Vector, Simon Mackenzie, spoke with Heather du Plessis-Allan about who is responsible for covering the costs. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Comedian Arj Barker has hit back at criticism after he asked a breastfeeding mother to leave his show in Melbourne over the weekend. Arj said the seven month old's sounds were distracting him and "ruined his train of thought." The NZ International Comedy Festival is about to kick off and the Chief Executive, Lauren Whitney, joined Heather to discuss what happened. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This morning I was listening to the radio, and I was quite shocked when I heard Labour’s Justice Spokesperson, Duncan Webb, talking about the Three Strikes Law. He said judges and lawyers hate it so much, they will find ways around it so they don’t have to implement it. He said because the law will now only apply to crimes with sentences over two years – 24 months, “we will see a lot of sentences at 23 months because judges and lawyers... hate this.” Now... that’s a shocker. Because what that tells you is that it’s just accepted that if judges and lawyers don’t like a law, they’ll find a way around it. It’s so widely known that Duncan just says it on the radio and nobody blinds an eyelid. It’s the reason, apparently, that when we had Three Strikes last time, no one ever made it to their third strike fully. There were 29 people on second strike, and even after eight years of the law, no one on a full third strike. The only guy who did make it to the third strike - the Wellington Kisser – only got a half punishment, because he was given permission to apply for parole after a third of his sentence. Now, the reason I’m telling you about this is because this is a live debate... the conduct of judges. What with the Waitangi Tribunal judges thinking it’s acceptable to summon a minister to answer to them, and the Supreme Court judges’ quite radical moves to insert Tikanga Maori into law, and the Law Society on Friday telling us off for criticising judges and calling them activist judges. That’s exactly what we’re talking about. Voters wanted the Three Strikes Law, all three parties in Government promised to bring it back; so when voters voted for them... they knew they were voting for the Three Strikes Law. This Government has a mandate to bring it back. But apparently it’s widely known... the courts will ignore it because they know better. No. That is not how our system works. Voters are the boss, Parliament has supremacy. Judges are expected to implement the law, and if the Law Society is worried about people losing trust in judges, it could be that criticism isn’t the problem – the way the judges ignore the intention of Parliament might be the problem. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Justice Select Committee heard submissions on Tuesday on the Government's proposed ban on gang patches. Chris Macklin, Convener of the Law Society's Criminal Law Committee spoke to Heather du Plessis-Allan about why he critiqued the proposal. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It has been an eventful day in New York as the prosecution and defence laid out their cases in Donald Trump's hush money trial. The former president is accused of falsifying business records to conceal a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. Heather spoke with criminal defence attorney Joseph Tully. LISTE ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and journalist Patrick Gower joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! The government is bringing back the Three Strikes law - but will it work? Air New Zealand is hiking domestic airfares - should people be getting angry on how expensive it is to travel within New Zealand? And is Woolworths making the right move in bringing in body cameras for staff? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Air New Zealand is warning travel agents that it's about to put domestic airfares up. It comes at the same time as the national carrier has downgrades its full-year earnings guidance by 10 million dollars. The fare structure for flights to Australia and the Pacific is also getting a revamp. Aviation Commentator Peter Clark told Heather du Plessis-Allan the airline doesn't have a choice - as it's own costs have skyrocketed. He says people will simply have to suck it up. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister admits there's still a way to go get inflation under control. Statistics NZ data showed headline inflation has dropped to 4 percent - the lowest number in nearly three years. But domestic inflation, otherwise known as non-tradeable inflation, is remaining sticky. She told Heather du Plessis-Allan the country isn't out of the woods yet. Willis says non-tradeable inflation is still sitting at 5.8 percent - which is still too high. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's calling for the Government to recognise Palestinian independence. Opposition spokesperson David Parker's written to Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters, noting Israel's attacks have killed 32 thousand people in the past six months. He says the country's ignored two UN resolutions calling for an immediate ceasefire, and is in breach of international law. Parker told Heather du Plessis Allan most other countries recognise Palestine, and we should follow suit to progress towards a two-state solution. He says affirming Palestine's right to exist as a separate state is a fundamental building block. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The world's warming - but concern about it may be cooling. An Ipsos survey's found numbers are falling of New Zealanders saying we're failing future generations by not acting on climate change - down nine percent since 2022. It also found fewer Kiwis believe businesses not combating global warming, are failing staff and customers. Managing Director Carin Hercock told Heather du Plessis-Allan it seems to be a global trend. She says it's a post-Covid and high-inflation impact, as countries with higher inflation experience a softening in climate commitment. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Body cameras are being rolled out across all Woolworths' New Zealand stores. It's introducing a suite of new security measures to de-escalate violent customer confrontations. Physical assaults on staff have risen 75-percent over the past three years - and serious reportable events are up 148-percent. Head of Safety, Health and Wellbeing Denva Wren says a lot of work's gone into meeting privacy requirements, and footage will only go to Police. She told Heather du Plessis-Allan Woolworths wants to hold offenders to account and assure they can prosecute to the full extent of the law. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Minister-in-charge of bringing back Three Strikes Laws is hitting back at claims will worsen inequality in the justice system. The Government is preparing legislation to bring back mandated prison sentences for violent and sexual criminals for their third offence. Labour ended the law in 2022 and says it will result in unfairly long sentence, while the Greens say it will disproportionately impact Maori. But Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee told Heather du Plessis-Allan this is about incarcerating the most serious, violent offenders. She says she doesn't care what their ethnicity is - if they do the crime - they need to be locked up. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Children's Minister Karen Chhour is facing the Waitangi Tribunal in the High Court today, in a challenge to her summons. The tribunal summonsed the ninister to respond to their concerns over plans to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. It ensures the ministry has regard to a child's whakapapa, and the whanaungatanga responsibilities of whanau. Commonts on the unfolding situation from Shane Jones and David Seymour have been criticised by Prime Minister. Newstalk ZB's Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper told Heather du Plessis-Allan it's a tricky case - but the government is standing firm on its changes to the law. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health New Zealand appears to be making cuts to frontline services despite a government promise this wouldn't happen. The agency is telling hospital management to encourage staff to take leave, ban double shifts and to not cover sick staff. It's also asking managers to wipe unfilled roles as part of the budget process. Chief Executive of Health New Zealand Margie Apa told Heather du Plessis-Allan they need to live within their budget. She says staff leaders are asked to make sensible decisions. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As promised the government's bringing back the Three Strikes law. The Prime Minister and the Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today it’ll be in Cabinet by mid-year. And they’re changing it just a wee bit. One of the criticisms of the law is that it sent a guy to jail for kissing a woman on a street in Wellington without consent, but because it was his third strike, he was sent away for the maximum sentence which was seven years. But that was way too harsh because he had mental health issues and it was a kiss, which is a pretty low-level indecent assault. So, this government is fixing that up by only applying the Three Strikes law to higher level crimes. The crimes that would qualify, once sentencing principles are applied, will be for two years in jail or more. We're talking things like aggravated injury, wounding with intent to injure, indecent assault and so on. Now, this is not our first rodeo with the Three Strikes law, is it? So, we already know the arguments about this, don’t we? Labour has come out saying it won’t work and it doesn’t deter criminals. The Greens say it will lead to grossly unfair results that disproportionately impact Māori. And probably both are true. But that’s not the point, is it? The critics of this law completely miss the point. The point of the Three Strikes law is to punish criminals who keep on hurting people. And that’s okay. We don’t need to apologise for sending bad people to jail. This is such a good example of how the crime and justice argument has for years lost the plot. This always turns into an argument about the rights and dignity of the criminal. Is it too hard on them? Is it bad for their rehabilitation? Of course, we want to rehabilitate. But that’s an add on. That’s not the reason we put them in jail. We put them in jail to punish them for what they do and to keep us safe from them. And if they don’t get the message the first time and they don’t’ get the message the second time, frankly, they should go in longer to keep us safe from them for longer. So, there is nothing to be ashamed of for, as the Greens say “the Government [being] hell-bent on funnelling more and more people into prisons.” If they’re committing serious crimes, repeatedly, that is exactly where they should be funnelled. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Google has dominated the search market for almost 20 years, but with the new introduction of generative AI, does the company face an existential crisis? Fund Manager Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to discuss his thoughts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has met the President of the Philippines, and promised to be more engaged on the defence front and on trade. Plus, two ministers questioning the value of the Waitangi Tribunal continuing are rebuked by Luxon. And, Wellington feels the pinch of public servants being laid off. ZB Senior Political correspondent Barry Soper wraps the political week. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meta has begun incorporating new versions of its AI-powered smart assistant software across its apps, which include Instagram, Whatsapp, Messenger and Facebook. Users can ask the software to create images, write love letters, write a cover letter and more... Tech commentator Paul Spain of Gorilla Tech tells Heather du Plessis-Allan that the software being used inside apps by Meta makes AI more accessible. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sport journalist Jim Kayes and Newstalk ZB sport news director Clay Wilson join Heather du Plessis-Allan for the Sports Huddle. Is James Fisher-Harris the best signing in Warriors history? Do women need a smaller rugby ball? And, will NZ have enough netball players to make up three teams? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Law Society has penned an editorial saying we should be less critical of judges to protect democracy. The editorial warns being overly critical of judges could cause the public to lose confidence in the judiciary system. President of the Law Society Frazer Barton tells Heather du Plessis-Allan that it is okay to analyse, discuss and debate decisions but it is not okay to personalise it. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taylor Swift’s much hyped new album has dropped. The Tortured Poets Department features 16 songs, at one hour and five minutes duration. Newstalk ZB intern Ava Whitworth gave it a listen and tells Heather du Plessis-Allan just what the lyrics reveal. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Angela Blackmoore’s murderers have been sentenced to life in prison. David Hawken and Rebecca Wright-Meldrum were found guilty of her murder last year and had their sentences handed down today, almost 30 years since the slaying in Christchurch. Angela’s former partner Laurie Anderson read a victim impact statement at the sentencing. He tells Heather du Plessis-Allan the family feel relief and a sense of closure. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A US official has reported Israel has bombed Iran. Damage is being assessed as the world watches on at how Iran is going to react. Meanwhile, a complete jury has been selected in the criminal trial of former US President Donald Trump. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson tells Heather du Plessis-Allan that the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has not let the defense know who the first witness is due to concerns the former president may post on social media about them. And, Elon Musk is funding a campaign to combat “relentess attacks on free speech”. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand’s track and field team has been named for the Olympics. Sportstalk host Jason Pine gives Heather du Plessis-Allan the lowdown on the 15-strong squad. Plus, Supercars are in Taupo this weekend, with five kiwis on the grid. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Israeli missiles have reportedly hit a site in Iran, beginning a counter-attack after Iran fired dozen of missiles. A senior United States official has reportedly said missiles have hit a site in the Iranian city Isfahan. However, Iran is downplaying the attack saying the strike was not successful. Professor for International Relations at Otago University, Robert Patman tells Heather du Plessis-Allan that the strike is very significant on many fronts with reports that Israel may have targeted nuclear facilities in Iran. The Biden administration have warned Israel not to retaliate against Iran and have expressed fears of the rise of the price of oil. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let's talk about judges for a minute. So, the Law Society today has come out in defence of judges and in the face of all the criticism that they've been copping lately. The Law Society has asked that we please stop criticising the judges. It's in an opinion piece written by Fraser Barton, who is the president of the Law Society. He says the way that we're talking about the judiciary and their decisions might be harmful to this important institution. He says we are wrong to accuse especially the Supreme Court of Judicial activism. And, if we carry on the way that we are, it might end up with people losing confidence in the judiciary, which means that they won't trust the courts to look after them. Now, in a nutshell, I think what Fraser is arguing is that it is absolutely fine to criticise judges decisions, but we're not ok to criticise the judges themselves - including by using phrases like activist judges. Look, as a general rule, I think Fraser's got a point here, right? You should always try to play the ball and not the man, but sometimes the man is the problem, right? Some judges are going to be great and some are just going to be rubbish and that's how it is in any profession. And it is ok to say that person there is rubbish at their job and equally some judges will follow the rules and some judges will push the hell out of the boundaries. Some judges will do that consistently. They are called activist judges. I think it's also ok to point that out... otherwise, what are you supposed to do? Pretend it's not happening? Just look at every decision coming from a particular judge, say that decision's a bit dodgy, that decision is a bit dodgy, and that decision is a bit dodgy... but not point out that they're all coming from exactly the same judge and not point out that they're all coming from exactly the same court. For example, the Supreme Court - the Supreme Court is the problem right now. The Supreme Court is a very, very serious concern to a lot of commentators who are writing opinion pieces about this. So, basically in a nutshell, what they're doing is they're making law and they're introducing Tikanga Māori into existing law, which is a discussion for another day about how weird and wild that is. But it's actually the job of parliament to be making law. Not so much the Supreme Court judges who are not above criticism, right? We criticise absolutely everybody - we criticise the police, we criticise the hell out of the MP’s, we criticise each other in the media, criticise the public servants, we get criticised. That's healthy, that's how it should be. Otherwise, it's just a free for all, isn't it? What is unhealthy is pretending that there's a group of people who are so special that they are somehow above criticism. They are not above criticism, not when they're actively changing the laws in the country, which is not their job. They are absolutely 100 percent open to being criticised. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Residents of a 16-floor apartment building in central Auckland, have been ordered to evacuate. Auckland Council issued City Gardens Apartments a dangerous building notice, citing fire safety concerns. City Garden must carry out repairs to meet standards - and if work's still incomplete people will have to move out on Monday. One resident says the building's always had issues - and during one fire drill the fire escape was even locked. Auckland Council Building Control General Manager Ian McCormick told Heather du Plessis-Allan it was a significant enough issue to take action. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's accusing the Government of demonising beneficiaries - while people are being laid off. Figures out today show 20-thousand more people are drawing JobSeeker benefits than a year ago. Minister Louise Upston says that underscores the need for her policies - which include cutting JobSeekers by 50-thousand, by 2030. Carmel Sepuloni says Government cuts mean thousands of public service workers are losing their job. She says it's unfair for the Government to stigmatise beneficiaries -- both for people on welfare, and those that might end up there. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found that the system police use for stalking allegations isn't up to standard. This is after the murder of a 21-year-old in Auckland who had reported to police eight weeks before her death that her killer was harassing her. The woman's file was inactive for six weeks after she made the report, then it was forwarded to another police station. It was not progressed further before she died. Ruth Money is a Victims Advocate and told Heather du Plessis-Allan she is 'horrified' by the outcome. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sydney police are continuing to identify people involved in a riot after Monday's church stabbing. The 16-year-old suspect remains in hospital under police guard for the alleged terrorist attack. A 19-year-old has been placed under house arrest over his alleged role in the riot.New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb says they're arresting people as they're identified. She says they believe there could be up to 50 people to identify, maybe more. Webb says 51 officers were injured in the riot, and are recovering. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Privacy Commissioner wants to review the Privacy Act and introduce a right to be forgotten. He's concerned social media is posing a major risk for children's privacy and parents need help navigating it. A survey by his office raised concerns around young people not having the capacity to make fully informed decisions about their digital footprint and its implications later down the line. Michael Webster told Heather du Plessis-Allan the right to be forgotten should be a fundamental one. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police hope to go to arbitration over pay next month. More than 75 percent of members have voted NO to the latest pay offer, which included a new overtime rate, a pay increase and a cash payment. They say it doesn't remedy the decline in salaries. Police Minister Mark Mitchell says it's disappointing - and will draw out an already lengthy process. Police Association President Chris Cahill told Heather du Plessis-Allan they want pay increases to match the rate of teachers. "They received 6 percent last July, which is when ours (agreement) ran out," he said. "They received another 4 percent at the start of April and they'll receive another 4 percent at the start of December this year." Cahill says those are the figures his members want to talk about. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Inflation is proving to be a hard dragon to slay. Annual inflation has dropped to 4%, sitting above the Reserve Bank forecast of 3.8%. Non-tradable inflation —on final goods and services that don't face foreign competition— remains very high at 5.8%, well above the Bank's forecast of 5.3%. Kiwibank Chief Economist, Jarrod Kerr, told Heather du-Plessis Allan that inflation is now being driven by domestic factors. He says migration is pushing up rents, climate change is pushing up insurance, and infrastructure problems are pushing up council rates. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guess what: the smaller ruby ball for women is already controversial. I was telling you about this last week because World Rugby is spitballing the idea of giving the female rugby players a ball that's about 3% smaller and lighter than the standard ball. Because their hands are smaller than male hands, and it would make kicking and passing easier for them. Because let's be honest, kicking a rugby ball is ever slightly more difficult for a female rugby player than a male rugby player because she's smaller. So it would simply be balancing that out. Well... This is not gone done well with Bonnie in the Herald sports department, who reckons this is a classic case of men sitting around thinking up ideas for women that women don’t actually want. And all that this is going to do is give detractors of the women’s game another thing to undermine the game with by basically writing off any record that they might set by saying it doesn’t count because the ball is smaller. Who cares! I love it, because it’s true. Women are smaller and weaker than men on average, and that is a fact. So, if we’re playing with the same size ball, we are having to work harder. Cricket accepts this fact, the boundaries are smaller for women. Same with basketball, the ball is smaller. Let's be logically consistent about this. Sporting bodies around the world have just banned transgender women from competing at the international level against biological women because they accept that the male body is bigger, stronger, and faster. So, give women a smaller rugby ball. If it makes the women’s game faster and better, and that then brings in more viewers... that cannot be a bad thing for women’s rugby, can it? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Children's Minister says no frontline roles are being axed in widespread public service cuts. Oranga Tamariki is proposing a total loss of 447 jobs, and the Education Ministry says more than 500 jobs will go. It's in response of the Government's demand for 6.5% savings. Karen Chhour told Heather du Plessis-Allan that they've been adamant no frontline jobs would go in the OT restructure. She says they need to make sure their frontline is resourced with the tools they need, and that's what part of this restructure is about. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shane Jones seems to be in trouble with the Māori Law Society. They’ve written to Christopher Luxon about his comments surrounding the Waitangi Tribunal and their review into Oranga Tamariki. He effectively said the Tribunal has no business in running operations like some sort of star chamber, delivering summons for ministers to rock up and be cross-examined. ZB’s Senior Political Correspondent, Barry Soper, told Heather du Plessis-Allan that he’s absolutely right, as it’s not a judicial body as such, but rather a commission of inquiry. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A judge has warned former US President Donald Trump over commenting on jurors on the second day of his criminal trial. Trump's accused of falsifying business records to hide a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Seven jury members have been selected after doing a rigorous survey. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson told Heather du Plessis-Allan the repeated warnings aren't slowing Trump down. He says Trump has continued to make comments despite gag orders, claiming the trial has been biased against him since the start. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Warriors have made quite the acquisition with the signing of James Fisher-Harris. Fisher-Harris is in line to replace departing prop Addin Fonua-Blake, the club securing his services on a four-year contract. Elliot Smith told Heather du Plessis-Allan that this is a huge signing, Golden Boot player of the year and Kiwis Captain, they couldn’t get much bigger. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it time to introduce a begging ban? Locals in Rotorua and Christchurch are debating the necessity of one, Rotorua Councillor Don Patterson calling for a bylaw after reports of tourists being accosted. Despite the Rotorua Lakes Council saying that begging is down, business owners are still struggling to stop it from happening near them. Reg Hennessey, Hospitality NZ Bay of Plenty President, told Heather du Plessis-Allan that the incoming council promised there would be huge changes, and he’s disappointed they’re starting to let them come back again. He said it’s sad, and a lot of longtime residents have left Rotorua because of it. Rotorua Lakes Council says it's not currently contemplating a begging ban. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Prime Minister Liz Truss, who held office for a record 49 days, has recently released her new book. The former UK leader has hit out at civil servants, the Bank of England, several political colleagues - and the fleas in Downing Street. UK correspondent Enda Brady says it's clear Truss has no regrets. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Josie Pagani from Child Fund and Ben Thomas from Capital joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Minister Shane Jones plans to scrap 'red tape' to make coal mining easier. The Greens have already voiced their disapproval- what do we think? Warner Brothers Discovery signed a deal with Stuff to produce and provide a daily 6pm bulletin, hopefully saving some jobs in the process. Will this merger address the wider issues with the media industry? How hopeful are we? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tomorrow's CPI data release is expected to reveal how close the Reserve Bank is to pushing down inflation. During last week's OCR update, the Bank was confident restrictions would get CPI back to the target one-to-three percent this year. HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham predicts that inflation would have slowed down this quarter. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Country celebrated 30 years last week, and the celebrations have recently wrapped up. Host Jamie Mackay looked back on the full three decades of rural broadcasting today. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BusinessDesk's Pattrick Smellie is off on a European sabbatical- and he's hopeful an interest rate cut could come before his return. He outlined his predictions for the coming months here today. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Resource Minister Shane Jones is dismissing what he calls green 'catastrophising' over coal mining. As part of upcoming RMA amendments, Jones will remove the extra controls on consents that he says only apply to coal. He says the industry's treated differently to other types of mineral extraction, and red tape is hurting the sector. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper unpacks these new changes. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.