Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

ACT leader David Seymour isn't sure National's proposed taxes will help New Zealanders. The party's released their alternative budget today, promising modest income tax cuts of $16 billion over four years. It's also proposing three tax rates rather than five. Seymour says whoever leads the next Government will have to have an honest conversation about what the numbers require. "I'm not confident that adding more taxes is the real solution- the real solution is to get spending under control. Which we do, as I say, by $25 billion." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fonterra is reporting profit after tax of $1.6 billion dollars, up 170 percent on last year. It's reporting earnings of 95 cents per share- up from 36 cents per share. The full year dividend will be 50 cents per share, including an interim dividend of 10 cents per share. Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell says this result is good for New Zealand's dairy farmers, who have been doing it tough all year. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's the end of an era, as a Wellington cultural icon is set to go up for sale. The Green Parrot café, which first opened in 1926, has hosted celebrities, politicians and travellers for the last 97 years. It's on the market - with an asking price of $200,000. Co-owner Chris Sakoufakis says his father, Kosta Sakoufakis, is ready to retire- and he hopes someone else will take it over to the hundred-year mark. "Because I'm so busy with real estate, I can't commit to the Green Parrot. Someone needs to take over and hopefully take it to the hundred years." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yet another Oranga Tamariki review- this time, of youth justice and care residences. The report led by Mike Bush suggests high-level change to make residences safer for young people and staff. In it, staff say they're too bureaucratic, short on beds, and there are too many band-aid fixes. Bush says he's aware there's 'review fatigue'. "They are swimming in recommendations and have been for many years. I've been involved in some of those former reviews, I'm determined, like the leadership and the good people of Oranga Tamariki - of which there are many - to make this the best possible place." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some good economic news, for now. Stats NZ figures show GDP increased 0.9 percent in the three months to June, and 3.2 percent in the year to June. The figure for the March quarter has been revised to 0 percent - up from a 0.1 percent drop. But Kiwibank Chief Economist Jarrod Kerr says they're still predicting a double-dip recession. "We think the second half of this year will be quite painful for households- we still have a lot of households rolling off very low interest rates onto higher interest rates, and 40 percent of them will happen in the next 6 months." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Queenstown's mayor says putting filters on regional water sources is expensive. The area is in the grips of an outbreak of infections from a waterborne parasite. Known cases of cryptosporidium illness have reached 21 - and the boil water notice could last for months. The national water regulator has slapped a compliance notice on the region. Mayor Glyn Lewers says there are a lot of water intakes, and six don't have filters. "There is a cost element to it but there is a progressive program at work, and we try to manage those costs because of the rate burden on our ratepayers." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Labour Party insists its Ohariu candidate isn't telling voters to only give him their electorate vote. The Post reports Greg O'Connor told voters at a meeting that with polling going the way it is, National Deputy Leader Nicola Willis is likely to be the next Finance Minister. ZB political editor Jason Walls says Greg O'Connor was 'too honest' about his intentions by encouraging voters to only give him their electorate vote. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia's Opposition Leader has angrily rejected Anthony Albanese's probe into the Covid-19 pandemic response. Peter Dutton has labelled the year-long investigation into Australia's response as a 'desperate attempt' to distract voters. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says this reaction is the latest instance of Dutton trying to inspire angry reactions. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The police watchdog has deemed the treatment of a Christchurch teenager in custody 'appalling'. The IPCA established police were justified in using force during a 14-year-old's arrest last year - but her care in custody was inadequate. The teenager was driving in a convoy of three stolen cars driving dangerously across Christchurch. She urinated and soiled herself during arrest before being taken into custody. The girl was given a sink and wipes to clean herself and a change of clothes, but was denied a request for a shower. Canterbury District Commander Superintendent Tony Hill agrees with the report's findings- and that his team had an obligation to take care of civilians they interact with. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Athletics New Zealand are distancing themselves from banned runner Zane Robertson after his arrest in Kenya. Reports have emerged that he's been arrested in possession of an unlicensed AK-47 rifle and 23 rounds of ammunition in his house on the outskirts of Iten. Kenyan publication The Standard also revealed Robertson was under investigation for sexually assaulting a woman at a party. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An increasing number of people are dipping into their retirement savings to meet soaring living costs. KiwiSaver members made 18,291 withdrawals worth an average of $7921 over the year, according to new data. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explains why this is happening. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's Nicola Willis is satisfied with her party pulling ahead of the competition in another poll. The latest One News-Verian poll puts the National Party on 37 percent - down 2 points - and Labour on 27, down one. NZ First has crossed the 5 percent threshold again- meaning the party could join National and ACT in Parliament. Nicola Willis says this poll shows voters are in the mood for change, which she believes a vote for National could fix. "A vote for any other party risks 3 more years of Labour, beholden to Te Pāti Māori and the Greens. That would be a coalition of chaos." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's support has slipped, but a poll shows it's still miles ahead of the competition. The latest One News-Verian poll puts the National Party on 37 percent - down 2 points - and Labour on 27, down one. The Greens and ACT are both up two points - neck-in-neck on 12 percent - and NZ First is steady on 5. Only the centre-right bloc could form a Government- but Hipkins and Luxon are tied as preferred Prime Minister with 23 percent. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says this is proof NZ First will have to be part of a National/ACT coalition, because 61 seats is a very narrow majority. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been a busy 24 hours of crime in Christchurch, with police chasing down out of control youths. They've been smashing their way into shops, fleeing police and reportedly driving on a footpath dangerously close to a woman pushing a pram. It marks the second day in a row Christchurch police have dealt with repeated incidents- on Monday, 10 youths were arrested before dawn. Police Association President Chris Cahill says these criminals are endangering police and civilians- and many will be repeat offenders. "A lot of them are repeat offenders- they're literally getting apprehended and there's no secure vent for them. They're getting released again and they're back out on the streets." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Te Whatu Ora is asking the Employment Relations Authority to help resolve its pay dispute with senior doctors and dentists. Members of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists have scheduled a four-hour strike tomorrow. Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa says they've asked for help, because they're at an impasse. "We're yet to hear back, so we're hoping that we are chasing them, because we'd like to get it in front of them as quickly as possible." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The alarm is being sounded about a future drop off in Pharmac funding. A boost for the drug buying agency announced in Budget 2022- ends in 2024. Medicines NZ Chief Executive Graeme Jarvis wants the major parties to commit to continuing the money. He says if the gap isn't filled, Treasury is warning there will be years where it won't be possible to keep funding the same medicines. "So in other words, there's going to have to be either a reduction in the number of medicines funded- or patients won't get access to them if we do not fund this $181 million dollar hole." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Help and support for exploited migrants will be delivered in a new Government scheme. The Government has confirmed a package of basic financial support, for accommodation and essential living costs. It plans to stop 90-day trial periods for employers using the Accredited Employer Work Visa. Immigration Minister Andrew Little says they're tightening the scheme meant to fill gaps by letting businesses employ offshore. "The vast majority of employers are doing exactly that, they're doing a good job. There is a small number, a very small minority who seem to have found an opportunity to scam others." Little says investigations into employers are underway. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another snapshot of how political parties are faring in the polls is out at 6pm - in another One News -Verian poll. Its figures last week had National leaps and bounds ahead of Labour, which have been on stubbornly low 20s for weeks. Newstalk ZB chief political reporter Aaron Dahmen says even a one percent bump would help Labour. National has been criticised for not releasing costings for its multi-billion-dollar tax cut package- and Dahmen says that could play into today's rankings. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elon Musk has hinted that Twitter, now X, could soon go behind a paywall. Currently, the platform only charges users for the service X Premium, which offers benefits such as a verification badge. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says Elon believes the fee would keep bots and artificial accounts away, an issue that has plagued the platform. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Hipkins revealed an unexpected policy announcement in last night's debate. During last night's event, Hipkins said he wanted to ban sugary drinks in secondary schools- claiming they already were in primary schools. Today, he claimed he'd misremembered banning sugary drinks from primary schools, but had consulted on this issue as Education Minister. Health Coalition Aotearoa co-chair Boyd Swinburne said Chris Hipkins had the opportunity to introduce tougher measures against sugary drinks in schools. "It was a kind of policy that didn't have much impact. But it was put on the table by the Ministry of Education and went out for consultation about what schools should be doing in this respect." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Black Caps will decide whether senior pace-bowler Tim Southee will be available for next month’s ODI Cricket World Cup in India. The veteran seam bowler will have surgery on his broken thumb tomorrow, with a decision on his availability for the World Cup to be made early next week. Sportstalk host Nick Bewley explained Southee's selection will swing on whether he can tolerate the pain when he returns to training. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

London police have received an accusation of sexual assault dating back 20 years, following media reports about accusations against comedian and actor Russell Brand. The statement from the Met Police says the assault took place in 2003 in central London's Soho. Brand's accused of sexual assaults and rape dating from between 2006 and 2013. UK correspondent Enda Brady says this has led to several stand-up performances being outright cancelled. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Neale Jones from PR firm Capital and Paddy Gower from Paddy Gower Has Issues joined in on a discussion about the following topics- and more! Labour appears to have quietly scrapped their prison reduction target- is this a big deal? They had achieved a 30 percent drop in the last two terms but it's since climbed again to 20 percent. Does it seem to you also that Hipkins accidentally announced this? More young people are behind violent crimes- in the last couple days, we've seen an 18-year-old in court following a deadly car accident and a 16-year-old accused of murder at Albany. What's going on? Is this nation growing more violent? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A leading economist believes New Zealand's economy is at the "bottom edge" when compared to other developed countries. This follows the Government laying out their Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update and revealing a surplus has been pushed out an extra year amid a lower tax take. HSBC's Paul Bloxham says inflation isn't coming down fast enough, when compared to other countries. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, political parties polling above five percent squared off at Hamilton's Mystery Creek Events Centre. Labour's Damien O’Connor, National's Todd McClay and others faced off in the Rural Issues debate, hosted by ZB's Heather du Plessis-Allan. The Country's Jamie Mackay recapped the highs and lows of the debate. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour and National are facing scrutiny as they promote their respective tax policies ahead of the election. Both parties will also have the additional challenge of getting New Zealand back to budget surplus by 2027. BusinessDesk managing editor Pattrick Smellie explains why both parties should release a pre-Christmas budget ahead of the election. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia's NSW south coast has had its fire danger warning upgraded to 'catastrophic', following high winds and soaring temperatures. The upgraded warning came as Sydney airport recorded its highest temperature since 2000 and several schools in the area were forced to close. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says this warning comes 4 years after the infamous fire storms wreaked havoc across the region. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A dark web ransomware site claims to have stolen user data following a cyber attack on Auckland Transport. The transport agency's ticket payment system was temporarily shut down following last week's attack, and hacker group Medusa is demanding a ransom. Darkscope technical director Joerg Buss says there's no indication that the group found any personal information at this point. "We haven't found any indication that they really found personal information or anything like that- and some of these groups are really good at bluffing." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Petrol is expected to rise to $3.50 a litre for 91 octane by Christmas. High oil demand globally is a contributing factor - as well as a weak New Zealand dollar - trading for about $59.2 US cents. AA principal motoring affairs policy advisor Terry Collins says prices for crude oil have steadily increased in the last few months. "The scary part is, in the last few weeks, it's gone up 14.5 percent. And we haven't seen those prices come through yet- that $95 a barrel quoted? That's October's oil." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Hipkins has just confirmed Labour is dropping its plan to get people out of jails. When they first took over six years ago, Labour set a target of reducing the prison population by 30 percent in 15 years. That target is now gone. Hipkins was asked about it today, and says there is no target for the next term. This is massive, because Labour was celebrated for this. On November 29, 2018, there was a huge write up in the Guardian about how great Kelvin Davis was. “The man on a mission to get New Zealand’s Māori out of prison”- said the headline Labour's never backed down from this target, never admitted this was a mistake. As crime rose, as our concern over crime rose, as people with ankle bracelets on committed crimes- Labour stood by this. And now they’ve backed down today. This is an admission that it was a bad idea, because of course it is. How many crimes do we now have to point to where offenders have ankle bracelets on? They’ve already got in some sort of trouble, but they’re out in the community instead of in jail. The young guy who shot up the construction site in Auckland earlier this year? He was at home with an ankle bracelet on, when he should’ve been in jail. His probation officer assessed that his risk of causing harm to other people because of the violent nature of his offending was high. The guy arrested in connection with the shooting in the park across the road from a family home in Point England, Auckland? He had an ankle bracelet on. The guy with Waikato tattooed across his face who police are currently chasing, who they say is too dangerous for any of us to go anywhere near- he is accused of murdering someone with a knife and he was out with an ankle bracelet on. Labour can’t say that they’re dropping the target because job done- because it’s not. At last count, prison population is only down 18 percent, that’s just over half of where they were aiming. The only reason they’ve dropped this is because it’s a failure. It's made our country less safe, voters hate it, and they’re about to lose an election for doing things like this to New Zealand. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One City Councillor reckons the Wellington mayor's business delegation could've been cheaper. Tory Whanau and several council officials are visiting China, Japan, and South Korea to promote Wellington as a city to live and do business. It comes at a cost of around $50,000. Councillor Ray Chung says not everyone who's on the trip needed to be there. "What reason would a wellness manager have to go on a trip like this?" LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The countdown is on to this election's first Leaders' Debate. Labour's Chris Hipkins and National's Chris Luxon go head-to-head on TVNZ from 7pm. Former National Prime Minister, Sir John Key, says Luxon's the under-dog - and may have the tougher job. "There are actually a lot of people who want to vote for him and want to vote for National- so they will just be making sure he's the real deal. So there's a lot to play for Chris Luxon." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Expect a full-strength Warriors side to be named for Saturday's NRL preliminary final against the Broncos in Brisbane. Halfback Shaun Johnson and forwards Marata Niukore and Mitch Barnett trained separately from the team as they nurse injuries, but all are set to play. ZB's D'Arcy Waldegrave shares his line-up predictions here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Expect a full-strength Warriors side to be named for Saturday's NRL preliminary final against the Broncos in Brisbane. Halfback Shaun Johnson and forwards Marata Niukore and Mitch Barnett trained separately from the team as they nurse injuries, but all are set to play. ZB's D'Arcy Waldegrave shares his line-up predictions here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A u-turn from Labour. The Party says it'll dump its 2018 target of reducing the prison population by 30 percent within 15 years. It says the crisis has been averted and a target's no longer needed. National Party Corrections spokesperson Mark Mitchell says it's an extraordinary change. He says it's been Labour's core justice policy for the past 6 years. "At the same time, they had no plans to keep the public safe. And we've seen just a tsunami of violent crime and disorder in our country over the last 6 years." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prison population targets will be no more if Labour gets back in Government, because it says they've served their purpose. In 2018, the Labour Government promised to reduce the prison population by 30 percent within 15 years. Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis says the target was set because prisons were bursting at the seams when Labour took office, describing scenes of triple bunks and mattresses in hallways. ZB Political Editor Jason Walls says this policy change came as a shock to several key members of the Labour Government. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Christchurch City Councillor is firmly against new city speed limits. The Council's 'Draft Safer Speed Plan' includes a reduction to 30 kilometres an hour in residential areas - and 50 on roads like Blenheim Road and Memorial Avenue. Its Transport Operations Manager, Stephen Wright, says the evidence shows safer speeds save lives. Councillor Aaron Keown disagrees. He claims there's no evidence lower speeds save lives. "Since 'Road to Zero' started in 2019, the road toll's slightly up. We've spent billions and done a lot of advertising and lowered a whole lot of speeds- and haven't put a dent in the road toll." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper has been admitted to hospital and is to have open-heart surgery to remove a blockage. “I’d been feeling a bit out of breath walking up hills over the past few weeks and decided to go to my doctor for a check-up,” Soper said today. “They ran some tests and it turns out I have a blockage near my heart, which needs to be removed through surgery this coming Friday. They’re keeping me in hospital as a precaution before I have the op.” Soper said the diagnosis had come as a “bit of a shock”. Soper is married to Newstalk ZB Drive host Heather du Plessis-Allan; the couple have a toddler son, Iggy. Du Plessis-Allan told her listeners today that they had caught the issue with “a matter of weeks to spare”. “We’re through the worst of it in terms of the shock and stuff like that, cried all the tears, we need to cry,” she said. Soper said: “I feel completely fine day to day, but I’m glad I got it checked out”. “I’m hoping for a quick recovery following surgery so I can get back to normal life running around after Iggy and hopefully playing a part in covering what’s going to be one of the most exciting elections in a generation!” Newstalk ZB broadcasters Barry Soper and Heather du Plessis-Allan. Photo / Greg Bowker Du Plessis-Allan said her husband would be off air for the next few weeks. “He went to his doctor a couple of weeks ago, turns out – and we only found this out yesterday. A bit of a shock as you can imagine. He actually needs a bypass which will require open heart surgery, which is massive. “As you can imagine, it’s been difficult for everybody here, especially for his family. “He’s OK. He’s in hospital now, which is the best place for him to be. And he’s got surgery later this week and the staff are being amazing as they always are.” She said if listeners were wondering why she was still at work, “I think routine is probably just about the only thing that’s going to keep me sane”. There were three lessons from the saga, she said. If your family has a recurring health problem that’s affected more than one person, get checked for exactly that issue. “Barry’s cousin died of an unexpected heart issue a few years back,” she said. “He was a marathon runner. He was unbelievably fit and just dropped dead.” Barry’s uncle died in a similar manner. “So we had Barry’s heart checked, but we didn’t check for exactly this,” she said. “We thought he was fine. We didn’t check for exactly this and we needed to, we probably caught this, without a word of a lie, with a matter of weeks to spare.” Secondly, if you were feeling dizzy or short of breath, get your heart checked until you knew exactly what was wrong, she said. “And number three for God’s sake, listen to your wife. Honestly, this should actually be rule number one.” If she says don’t walk up the hill or don’t lift a bag, listen to her. “You should always know this, put this in the front of your brain – my wife is always right and if you live according to what your wife says, you’ll live a long time. “Otherwise, what you find is that your wife is very cross with you today, loves you a huge amount ... and wants you around for a long time.” Boy oh boy, she said, “is your wife cross with you today”. “Barry is fine. He’s having a lovely time eating all of the food, watching all of the Netflix, just relaxing ahead of his surgery ... it’ll be absolutely fine.” Newstalk ZB's Barry Soper, pictured here with wife Heather du Plessis-Allan, was honoured for his outstanding contribution to radio at this year's Radio Awards. Photo / Sylvie Whinray NZME chief radio officer Jason Winstanley said the company was providing Soper “all the support we can”. “All our thoughts and best wishes will be with him, Heather and his family on Friday. We’re wishing him a very speedy, full recovery and we look forward to having him back in the ZB office when the time is right.” Earlier this year, Soper was honoured by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and invited guests at a function at Parliament, to mark his 42 years on the press gallery frontline. The former Newstalk ZB political editor – he moved from that role to his commentary role at the start of this year – has been in the privileged position of having an extraordinary peek behind the curtains of power and witnessing the peccadilloes of 11 prime ministers and other MPs. At the time, Soper said politicians needed to look at journalists “as though we’re theatre critics”. “I’ve probably pissed off all the politicians in that room [at his function] at some stage but I’m a theatre critic. “So, I look at them, look at what they’re doing. Look at how they do it, how they approach it, and the end result, and then you go, ‘Well, hang on. It should have been done better than that’. I would have been the most brilliant Prime Minister, of course!” he joked. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nurse Lucy Letby seeks to appeal against her convictions after murdering seven babies and attempting to kill another six. Letby was sentenced last month to life in prison with no chance of release after a jury found her guilty of the seven murders between June 2015 and June 2016. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says this news comes after another hearing was confirmed to determine whether the Crown Prosecution Service will pursue a retrial for Letby's six counts of attempted murder. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been rumoured in business circles that Luxon is scoping top Kiwi figures as part of his potential administration. Fraser Whineray and Andrew Grant have reportedly been courted by National's leader ahead of the election. NZME business commentator Fran O'Sullivan says the pair have declined so far, but Luxon has expressed interest in partnering with Whineray and Grant. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A2 Milk has cancelled the exclusive manufacturing supply arrangement it has with infant formula maker Synlait Milk, citing a decline in delivery standards. Synlait's shares fell 10 percent following the cancellation of the deal. Dairy Insights Consultant Stuart Davison says this isn't good for the company, but they will be able to bounce back quickly. "They're definitely in trouble- but let's be clear, they're not silly. They'll deal with it, they've dealt with something like this before, and they've got other situations going on." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ryan Fox's coach thought an early triple bogey had put an end to his chances of winning the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. The Kiwi golfer bounced back in triumphant fashion - dropping eight birdies in 15 holes for a five-under 67 that sealed victory in Surrey. Sportstalk host Nick Bewley explains Fox's exciting turnaround here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's finance spokesperson remains coy about the Government turning down a proposal to stop funding gangs. Cabinet rejected a proposal in July by then-Justice Minister Kiri Allan banning anyone gang-affiliated from receiving public funding. Grant Robertson says he doesn't recall getting involved with that discussion. "Governments in the past have given a range of funding to agencies who work with those with drug addictions and so on- from time to time, those people have had links with gangs." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A famous day for Fiji, an infamous day for Australia in the rugby world. Fiji's 22-15 win in World Cup pool C action has enlivened the group - with the Wallabies now likely needing a win over Wales next week to get through. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says the crowd laid into Wallabies coach Eddie Jones as his side spiralled to defeat. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Actor and comedian Russell Brand is facing emotional abuse, rape and sexual assault accusations. Four women have come forward to overseas media, alleging it happened between 2006 and 2013. Brand is denying the allegations, saying his relationships have always been consensual. Entertainment correspondent Sean Mandell says it seriously impacted the women who are accusing him. "One woman who claims he raped her went to a sexual assault rehabilitation centre for several months after the incident." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One disgruntled Kiwi motorist managed to receive pothole damage compensation from Waka Kotahi- putting him in the minority of drivers. Waka Kotahi paid out 22 compensation claims for vehicle damage from potholes and defects in state highways in the past three years. That’s despite the transport agency receiving more than 2200 claims over that timeframe. Scott Hearn gave Waka Kotahi an ultimatum, before filing a claim with the Disputes Tribunal. "I guess I was a little bit threatening towards the end, I gave them an ultimatum and said- look, I'd like an answer and I'd like this resolved by a certain time. Otherwise, you don't leave me much choice." Waka Kotahi says compensation claims relating to road condition and vehicle damage to a vehicle are assessed individually, on a case-by-case basis. The transport agency assesses claims relating to state highways, and local authorities assess claims relating to the 94,000km of local council-controlled roads in New Zealand. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's now cheaper to rent a home in New Zealand than to buy - at least in the short-term. BNZ has revealed servicing a mortgage takes about 50 percent of the average household income. Chief economist Mike Jones says that's more than double the cost of renting, at about 24 percent. But he says that doesn't mean renting is the most cost-effective over the long-haul - because no one knows what house prices will do. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions around why violent offenders are getting electronic bail. Police have issued an arrest warrant for Naya Ropiu Fabian Wharekura, who has breached bail conditions. The 28-year-old has been charged with killing a man in Invercargill last year. National Party police spokesperson Mark Mitchell says Wharekura should be in prison and not out on bail. "Because now he's a clear and present danger to the public, and of course he's tying up police resources now in terms of them trying to locate him and arrest him and get him into custody." Wharekura has distinct face tattoos - including the words Ngaruawahia and Waikato - and should not be approached. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every Monday until the election, The Front Bench will take on the biggest talking points of the election campaign. Heather du Plessis-Allan, Newstalk ZB Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper, former Business NZ CEO Phil O’Reilly and Auckland Councillor Richard Hills have the insight word and analysis. This week, NZME Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie steps in for Barry Soper. The panel discuss ACT’s campaign launch over the weekend and whether its focus on co-governance is a vote winner or loser. They also chat about the hecklers and whether conspiracy theorists will continue to be a theme for the rest of the campaign. Heather poses the question whether this is the most boring campaign since 2014 and whether the first Leaders debate will be worth a watch. Plus, they take a closer look at Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown’s election manifesto and the Wellington Central race. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper spoke to Heather du Plessis-Allan about whether the election is already over, whether National should front up with the details of their tax plan, and David Seymour's recent actions. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.