Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

ACT wants to overhaul the Sentencing Act and put the victims of crime at the centre of judges' considerations. Under the policy, cultural background reports would no longer be considered as a principle of sentencing. And home detention would only be an option if it didn't impact public safety. ACT Leader David Seymour says this applies to sexual offenders who are on a community based sentence. "At the moment, that's not a consideration that's made. And there's been instances where people have been let out in exactly that situation." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former Cabinet Minister's revealed he's heading back into politics - with just over two months to go until election day. Newstalk ZB revealed Alfred Ngaro has formed a Christian Party, to be known as New Zeal. Ngaro was a minister in Bill English's National Government, but says Christians need a voice which isn't being given by any party at the moment. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Ngaro's not giving himself much of a runway. "There's only 65 days to go until the election, so there's not a hell of a lot of time to get out there. It's a list-only party at this stage." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Speculation is brewing over the intentions of the woman who cooked up a deadly mushroom lunch in Victoria Gail and Don Patterson and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson died after having lunch at their ex-daughter-in-law Erin Patterson's home. Heather's husband, Ian, remains in a critical condition. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says the ex-husband of the woman, Simon Patterson, claims she once tried to poison him. "Simon suspected he'd been poisoned by Erin, because he spent three weeks in intensive care." Forensics are underway on a food dehydrator found at a dump near the house. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland Primary Principals want education to stop being politicised. A survey of 150 schools has found at least 45 minutes a day is currently being taught in each subject of reading, writing and maths. National says it should be at least an hour, but educators say there's no value in that. Auckland Primary Principals' Association president Kyle Brewerton says all parties are spouting ideology to get votes. "Put your two cents worth in and push your ideas. The trouble is, every time we change Government that's millions and millions of dollars funding those changes. And often those changes serve no purpose and make no difference." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ACT’s released its tougher on crime sentencing policy today, and I'll be honest with you- even I'm shocked at how little consideration judges have to pay to victims when they sentence offenders. ACT has pointed out that at the moment, basically everything is about the offender. Take a look at the sentencing principles in the Sentencing Act: Judges must take into account any particular circumstances of the offender that means that a sentence would be disproportionately severe. They must take into account the offender’s personal, family, whanau, community, and cultural background in imposing a sentence. And they must impose the least restrictive sentence, as in- the least harsh sentence they can impose. And as for the victim, just one mention: Judges must take into account any information provided to the court concerning the effect of the offending on the victim. And as for the community and the risk to the community for the offender roaming the streets instead of being shoved into jail- absolutely nothing. That's nuts, isn’t it? How'd we get to this place? How'd we end up in a place where we are so focused on helping the offender live his or her best life, and we give no consideration to the risks to innocent people of that person staying out of jail. And we give no consideration to the ongoing risk to the victim of that person staying out of jail. Having pointed that out, ACT wants to change all that and put the victim and the community at the centre of sentencing and scrap the cultural reports, which basically make excuses for bad behaviour. And you know what? That’ll mean more people in jail. Good. Clearly, that’s what needs to happen. Our jail population has gone from 10,500 in 2017 to about 8400 now, and it is not working. More of them in jail should be the goal as a society. Keeping us safe should be the goal. Helping these bad guys live their best lives- not a priority. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland has apologised for mistakenly revealing details of all 10,000 staff members. By human error, the PSNI had shared names of all police and civilian personnel, where they were based and their roles. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says this breach puts them at risk of being targeted by republican paramilitaries, and they must be extremely vigilant about their security. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Projects Director at Still, Sam Johnson, and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! The National Party has promised they will ban mobile phones from schools if they get elected. Is this a good idea? The Public Service Commission has told off the Ministry of Pacific Peoples for spending $40,000 on their chief executive's farewell. Is this an inappropriate use of taxpayer money? A new Essential poll has Labour at 29 percent, National at 34.5 percent, the Greens on 8.5 percent, Act on 11.6 percent, The Maori Party on 2.5 percent and NZ First on 5.3 percent. Does this sound par for the course? What does this mean for election night? The Crown are trying to appeal a $450,000 compensation pay-out for the 'Cuba St kisser'- the man who was sent to jail for seven years for indecent assault under the three strikes law. What do we think of this? National's Sam Uffindell's copping heat for sharing his sporadic supermarket shopping habits - saying he tries to 'take the shopping list off his wife' once a month. Is this sexism or poor taste? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Chinese economy has slipped into deflation, as declining domestic spending impacted the region's post-Covid recovery. China's CPI fell 0.3 points in July, having completely flatlined in June. These figures are off the back of exports falling sharply in July by 14.5 percent. Infometrics chief forecaster Gareth Kiernan says weak household demand and retail spending and a declining property market suggest the economy is going through a difficult time. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's new partnership with BlackRock Capital is set to fast-track the nation's transition to renewable energy. BlackRock's investment fund is set to boost renewable solar, wind and green hydrogen energy infrastructure to eventually produce 100 percent renewable electricity. Milford Asset Management analyst Deborah Lambie warns New Zealand's power grid is set to face more challenge and complexity as a result. "We need significant investments and upgrading in our grid in order to support the electrification trend that we're seeing." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government have ditched plans to implement tougher regulations on Buy Now, Pay Later providers. They had initially proposed requiring affordability tests on purchases above $600 to ensure users could manage taking on debt, but have since ruled it 'too onerous'. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny says the Government may have been spooked by the fallout from the CCCFA changes, and will want to avoid a similar situation. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ASB Bank have posted record annual profits, but the signs of an economic slowdown impacted their earnings. The bank reported a net profit for the year ended June of $1.56 billion, up 6 percent on the year before. ASB CEO Vittoria Shortt says the bank has deployed nearly $1 billion worth of capital into New Zealand marketplace, impacting their total capital. "The more lending we do, the more deposits- there's definitely growth that drives the profitability." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's public sector watchdog has slammed the Ministry of Pacific Peoples for spending tens of thousands on a farewell event. It's been revealed the Ministry splashed nearly $40,000 on a goodbye event for former chief executive Leauanae Laulu Mac Leauanae, who was moving to another ministry. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says an event of this scale funded by taxpayers' money gives ACT ammo to slash the department. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is defending softer rules for Buy Now, Pay Later lenders than initially promised. Providers like AfterPay and LayBuy will soon be made to complete a credit report for new customers. It had proposed full affordability assessments to force providers to check shoppers can afford debt repayments. The lenders offer people interest-free loans and make money by charging when payments are missed. Consumer Affairs Minister Duncan Webb says a full assessment would have been too cumbersome. "We want to make sure that we get a proportionate regulation, and they do need to check whether there's defaults and other card and things like that." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Petrol prices continue to climb higher. The average price of 91 is expected to hit $3 within weeks, and the Government has already ruled out another discount. AA Principal Advisor Terry Collins says there are a few reasons for the hike. "The Saudis announced they'll take a million barrels of production out a day, Russia said it's taking some oil out of the market, and in the last month or so- the landed price of Singapore petrol's gone up by about 14-15 cents a litre." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National is slamming the Government for a rise in home detention breaches. Official figures show the number of charges for an offender breaking electric monitoring conditions hit a new high of 2035 in the past year. It's estimated to be the highest annual figure on record. National justice spokesman Paul Goldsmith says while it's appropriate for some, it's time to raise the bar for eligibility. "It's a good thing for some people to not put them in prison, but for the serious end- it's not appropriate for serious, violent offenders, and that's where the issue is." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Auckland school that's banned phones for years is supporting National's promise to crackdown on cellphone use in schools. If elected, National will axe phones for all year groups - with some exemptions for those needing the devices for health or learning purposes. Auckland Grammar School has banned student phone usage for decades. Headmaster Tim O'Connor says it's a method that works. "As long as you set the standard and you're applying it in consistent basis, we find students comply- and that gives them a five hour window in the school day where they can actually concentrate on learning." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A food dehydrator is under the spotlight in relation to an alleged mushroom poisoning in Victoria. Three people are dead and another is in critical condition in hospital awaiting a liver transplant after eating the deadly lunch. A former daughter-in-law of some of the victims made the lunch, and is now being investigated. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says the dehydrator is among the latest developments. "They found one at a tip not too far from Leongatha, where the deadly lunch was served up. Now it's undergoing forensic examination." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Crown have appealed the $450,000 compensation awarded to an individual sentenced to 7 years jail for an indecent assault charge. Daniel Fitzgerald was convicted after forcibly kissing a woman on Wellington's Cuba St, his third-strike offence after incurring two other indecent assault convictions. Otago University law expert Andrew Geddis says the Crown is arguing against compensating Fitzgerald because the prosecutor chose to bring these indecent assault charges forward. "What the High Court found was that the prosecutor ought to have looked at this case, recognised that that was a disproportionate sentence for the fact for what he did and not brought those charges." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm not going to say no to a ban on phone use in schools. I think we all know phones are not the biggest problem with education, truancy and a crap curriculum are the biggest problems. But banning phone use can’t hurt, can it? There is no upside in having phones in classrooms. Unless they’re being used for a particular lesson, they’re just a distraction. Think about how distracting they are to you, how tempting it is to check Facebook and Insta and your emails and watch a clip- and you’re an adult. It's so much worse for kids whose brains are still forming. Frankly, we can’t leave it to them to self-regulate- we adults have got to do it for them. It says a lot that most of the states in Australia are doing it already. They seem to be several steps ahead of us in trying to sort out education, so surely if they think it's necessary, we should be thinking it too. And it also says a lot that a major UN report recommended it too, just last month. My only reservation with this policy from the Nats is that I wouldn’t want anyone to kid themselves that this solves the education problem. It won’t. It's helpful, but our problems are bigger than this. We have got to get all the primary school kids learning phonics again, so they can actually start learning to read. We’ve got to make sure the Education Ministry leaves gravity in the science curriculum. We've got to get the kids out of those giant shared classrooms, so they stop being distracted by each other. And we’ve got to stop sending them home at the drop of a hat. I'm looking for policies that deal with those problems, and I cannot wait to see what the parties are offering. This makes a nice start though. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The remains of Matthew Flinders, the first explorer to circumnavigate Australia, will be buried in his home town of Lincolnshire in 2024. His remains were identified after they were discovered in HS2 rail project dig at St James's burial ground in Euston in 2019. UK correspondent Enda Brady says his body went missing after his death in 1814, and a local group has been campaigning to bring his remains home for the last four years. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Neale Jones from Capital PR and Phil O'Reilly from Iron Duke Partners joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! The Government and BlackRock have joined forces to create a first of its kind climate infrastructure fund in New Zealand to support 100 percent renewable electricity, including solar, wind, green hydrogen and battery storage to fuel a low emissions economy. Is this a realistic goal for New Zealand? How will this impact future power bills? ACT MP Simon Court has revealed he had been shot in a drug deal gone wrong as a teenager, pre-parliament. Court reportedly wasn't involved with the deal, but was involved with a group violently threaten by the drug sellers. What do we think of this? Wellington mayor Tory Whanau's dog, Teddy, has being evicted from the mayoral office after the landlord put his foot down. The dog has been sent to live with the mayor's family, so he's not left home alone. Should dogs in the office be a rite of passage- or should dog owners leave them at home? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Economies are slowing down all over the world- with many poised to enter technical recessions. Australia's economy has stalled and unemployment rates are set to rise, leading experts to believe the region will follow New Zealand into a technical recession. HSBC Chief Economist Paul Bloxham says there are lots of ways to think about whether an economy has tipped into a recession. "Is it really a recession if there's a lot of job creation still going on? There are lots of ways to think about whether an economy's tipped into recession or not- we don't have a precise definition." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The conversion of sheep and beef farms into carbon farms continues to grow at a rapid pace. An updated Orme & Associates report on land-use change from pastoral farming to large-scale forestry shows the amount of land sold in 2021 soared 66 percent compared to the previous year. The Country's Jamie Mackay says sheep and beef farms being replaced by carbon farms is bad for the country in the long-term. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government and BlackRock have joined forces to create a climate infrastructure fund to support 100 percent renewable electricity generation. The fund is designed to provide access to greater pools of capital for New Zealand, create jobs, and accelerate green energy options, including solar, wind, and hydrogen. BusinessDesk managing editor Pattrick Smellie says BlackRock are essentially offering the nation a broking service where all sides will get good PR. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Victorian woman who cooked up a mushroom lunch which killed three and put another in hospital says she meant no harm. The woman, a daughter-in-law of some of the victims, is being investigated. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says police are baffled by this case, as no-one can identify what type of mushrooms were cooked and served to the victims. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Minister is putting pressure on National to confirm they plan to keep the firearms registry if they enter Government. A survey conducted by Horizon Research and Gun Control NZ shows 71 percent support the registry, while 14 percent oppose it. Minister Ginny Andersen fears that ACT, who have criticised the registry, may bully National into scrapping it if they enter a coalition. "We know it's a bottom line for ACT, and so National needs to be clear as to what their position is on a gun registry." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Te Pāti Māori wants to introduce a 'culture pass'- giving young people money to spend on the arts sector. The idea stems from overseas, where people who turn 18 get 200 Euros to spend on museums, theatre or concerts. Point Chev Social Enterprise Trust spokesperson Chris Casey says it could start off with $200 a year. "It's not a novel idea overseas, it's been going for years and years. It's a wonderful expression of visibility of youth, and saying to a young person- we see you." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has been quizzed on why it's not putting money into a renewable electricity scheme. It has partnered with worldwide asset management company BlackRock to launch a $2 billion infrastructure fund. It'll have a particular focus on the path to 100 percent renewable energy, such as solar, wind and green hydro. Energy Minister Megan Woods says they're acting in New Zealand's interests. "One of the jobs of Government and of ministers is to work actively to bring overseas investments to New Zealand, and that's exactly what we've been doing." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Wellington City Councillor is criticising headlines about the mayor's dog. Tory Whanau has been bringing her two-year-old staffy to the City Council offices since being elected. But the landlord's put his foot down- so Teddy's being sent to live with the mayor's family, so he's not left home alone. Councillor Diane Calvert says she has sympathy for Tory, and any impacted staff. "Personally, I think this is just being an unnecessary distraction on our city. Especially when rates notices of 13 percent have just gone out." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gang tensions are at a high in Palmerston North, with a man fatally shot in Highbury on Sunday. A source tells our newsroom it follows unrest between the Mongrel Mob and Black Power gangs. Manawatu Area Police Commander Ross Grantham says he believes the situation's under control. "We have a high presence within the community, we've brought in additional staffing and we're stopping people from doing door-knocking- we have inquiries to follow up and we'll take whatever actions are required." It's understood a shooting on Saturday in Auckland's Point England is also being treated as gang-related, and one man has been arrested for a breach of electronic bail. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ACT MP Simon Court has revealed he was shot in a drug deal gone wrong in his pre-parliament life. Senior political correspondent Barry Soper says, aged 17, Court went camping with friends - who got some marijuana. Court reportedly wasn't involved with the deal, but that evening, the group were violently threatened by the drug sellers. Soper says Court was seriously injured. "The gunman, in fact, shot him in the foot. The foot apparently needed reconstructive surgery, he was in hospital for six weeks." Speaking exclusively to Newstalk ZB, Court says he was left stranded. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A moment of madness has marred England's World Cup round of 16 penalty shootout win over Nigeria in Brisbane. Lauren James was red-carded in the 87th minute for stomping on a Nigerian player. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains the controversy further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A small percentage of Aucklanders have been caught using phones while driving. A six month Waka Kotahi safety camera trial across the city picked up 2.4 percent of drivers holding cell phones. There were 242,000 potential offences, including not wearing seatbelts. Fines won't be issued as police weren't involved. Road safety campaigner Greg Murphy says that was with only three cameras, picking up activity at a given moment. "So what's to say that someone that drove past that camera- 2 seconds later, picked up their phone? That person's never going to be registered by them." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first wave of asylum seekers will be moved to the Bibby Stockholm barge to await the outcome of their applications. Under the controversial scheme, beset by delays, up to 500 men aged 18-65 will be housed on the barge to await decisions on their visa. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says the barge will be docked off the Dorset coast, and the residents will be able to step off their accommodation. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and current affairs commentator Josie Pagani joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Labour have announced plans for a second Waitemata Harbour crossing, with two three-lane tunnels for vehicles and a separate Light Rail tunnel. Is this plan credible coming from Labour? The Green Party have pitched a a New Zealand Dental Service offering free basic and specialist care to be paid for by a wealth tax. Is this a pipe dream? Tobacco companies are financially supporting the Save Our Stores campaign, which includes a petition to "save" dairies from smokefree initiatives. What do we think of this? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meat exporters have been watching the global spat between the US and China, and some worry New Zealand may be caught in the crossfire. New Zealand's leading trade negotiator Vangelis Vitalis has warned the golden weather for trade policy is over and the region has to be careful going forward. NZME business commentator Fran O'Sullivan says tensions are high between the US and China and New Zealand won't want to get drawn into either security camp. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three gunmen are on the run following separate shootings in the past week. Police are hunting 24-year-old Dariush Talagi, after two people were shot on Queen Street in Central Auckland on Thursday night. Auckland police have also launched a homicide investigation, after a man was shot at Taurima Reserve in Point England on Saturday. Another person later showed up at Middlemore Hospital with a gunshot wound, and police are looking at whether the cases are linked. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says the uptick in shootings is unbelievable, and more Kiwis have good reason to be worried. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

West Auckland social services charity the Waipareira Trust and chief executive John Tamihere have reached their deadline to settle an outstanding loan. $385,307 was taken from the Trust to pay for John Tamihere's mayoral campaign and Te Pāti Māori's general election campaign- in breach of the law. NZ Herald reporter Matt Nippert says this investigation has been ongoing since the end of 2019- and Tamihere is running out of options. "It's got the nuclear option- deregistration. Which effectively strips an entity of its charitable status and it has to pay tax again. They also get levied a tax across their net assets." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister is denying there's a fiscal hole in the Government's books. Treasury is expected to open their accounts ahead of the election, giving an accurate picture of the Crown's finances. Grant Robertson says the Government's debt levels had been published in the budget- and they're not $20 billion in the hole. "We have ongoing conversations, but nothing has been firmed up at all, and that's the nature of this. The economy is in better shape than it was, say, a year ago." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I love the Auckland harbour transport plan, don’t you? Who doesn’t want to get across the harbour more easily and doesn’t want some more roads for cars? But surely no one believes Labour’s going to do this. Not only because they can’t deliver jack- do I need to mention KiwiBuild or Light Rail or Let’s Get Wellington Moving- but mainly because no one rational believes Labour actually wants to build expensive roads for cars. Come on. Labour's spent the last six years cancelling roads and trying to convince New Zealand to build a bike-only bridge across the harbour and trying to convince us to get out of our cars. Does anyone actually believe that they’ve suddenly changed their minds and they're all in on roads for cars? Not a chance. So what’s going on here? This is straight out populist politics. They're just announcing what they think we want to hear. Their heart is not in it. Their heart is in trains and bikes and cycleways. Which means it’s not worth the paper it’s written on. And you’re a sucker if you fall for this. Because they pulled this trick once already. January 2020- before most of us had even heard of Covid- Labour was on track to lose the election later that year. They wheeled Grant Robertson out to announce the big New Zealand upgrade programme in which he announced a whole bunch of roads we desperately need. But then they won the election. And what happened? By July of the next year, two of the big projects were cancelled, two more have been slow walked so we don’t actually know if they’re going ahead of or not, and only one was started. One out of five. These guys are like the online Nigerian princes of transport projects. They asked you for money in 2020 to unlock your inheritance, you sent it and didn’t get your inheritance, and now they’ve come back three years later promising that this time you will get your inheritance. Good luck if you think voting for them will unlock that tunnel for cars under the Harbour Bridge. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Revelations the Government didn't follow advice to shut down a South Auckland youth justice residence, Korowai Manaaki. Former police commissioner Mike Bush's probe last year claims it was a 'near-miracle' no-one's been killed or seriously hurt. Stuff reports it also mentions the 'under-qualified' workforce can't deal with the teens there. A roof stand-off with youngsters in June was ended with KFC handouts. Youth worker Aaron Hendry says their needs should be prioritised. "The Government has a parental responsibility over the children they take into their care, and it needs to ensure that it is providing the right and adequate support to look after those young people. And time and time again, that is just not happening." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's choice for a second Waitemata Harbour crossing is being called 'comical'. It includes two three-lane tunnels for vehicles and a 21 kilometre light rail tunnel between Albany and the CBD. It'll take decades to finish and cost tens of billions of dollars. Greater Auckland director Matt Lowrie disapproves of the high cost and projected emissions, and says there are better uses for $40 billion. "Proper public transport to the Northwest, out East, to the airport and Botany, round Upper Harbour- there are plenty of places where we could spend $40 billion to vastly improve transport all around Auckland." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are no bolters in the All Blacks squad heading to the Rugby World Cup starting in France next month. Selectors Ian Foster, Jason Ryan and Joe Schmidt have named the 33-strong All Blacks squad in Napier this afternoon, in front of almost 2000 locals. The squad features 18 forwards and 15 backs, with three hookers, six props, four locks, five loose forwards, three halfbacks, three first five-eighths, four midfielders and five outside backs. ZB rugby editor Elliot Smith says the squad's newest pick, Cam Roigard, was an obvious choice, as he had made a strong debut. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Australia, three people are dead and a fourth is in a critical condition after eating a meal containing toxic wild mushrooms. Victorian Police have questioned and released one person without charge. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says it's a small community in Leongatha, South Gippsland. "This is an awful set of circumstances. Could you just think- having that family gathering and having a meal with some friends, you'd be going home at the end of the day. What was in these mushrooms, where did they get these mushrooms?" LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ian Foster is set to unveil the 33 players to contest the William Webb Ellis Cup come November. There's speculation that some unconventional picks could be made, with Caleb Clarke, Leicester Fainga'anuku, Emoni Narawa, and Shaun Stevenson in ply for the outside backs. Sportstalk host Jason Pine shares his predictions here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A campaign to save local businesses from the Smokefree 2025 Act may not be the work of concerned dairy owners. A new report shows tobacco companies are supporting a campaign called Save Our Stores, which includes a petition to "save" dairies from smokefree initiatives. Health Coalition Aotearoa Smokefree panel expert Andrew Waa isn't surprised the tobacco industry is behind this initiative, but he's concerned for the dairy owners themselves. "I'd be concerned about the dairy owners, a lot of them who don't want to sell this stuff are being misrepresented. I'm pretty sure the dairies near where I live don't want to sell this stuff. So I think they're being exploited." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions are rising over whether Alberta's withdrawal from the Commonwealth Games is another nail in the coffin for the multi-sport event. Rising costs have seen the Canadian province cancel its support for a bid to host the games in 2030. This comes weeks after the Australian state of Victoria pulled out of hosting the 2026 Games. Global News Journalist Kareem Gouda told Heather du Plessis-Allan that it always comes down to dollars and cents. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pop singer Lizzo has broken her silence over allegations of inappropriate behaviour. Three former back up dancers have accused her of weight shaming and sexual harassment. The Grammy winner says the claims are false and unbelievable and the dancers who are making the allegations have their noses out of joint after being told off for poor behaviour. LA Entertainment Correspondent Sean Mandell told Heather du Plessis-Allan that it’s too early to say that this is the end of her career, or that she’s been cancelled. He said that if the allegations were proven to be true, it would significantly damage her image and ability to continue her career with the body positive identity she has cultivated. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Farmers were trudging around a little deeper in the mud today after a fall in Fonterra's expected payout to dairy farmers. Fonterra has drastically cut its forecast Farmgate Milk Price, with the midpoint falling from eight-dollars-per-kilogram of milk solids to just seven-dollars. It's blaming reduced demand for whole milk powder from China. Federated Farmers Dairy Chair Richard McIntyre told Heather du Plessis-Allan that it’s a challenging time for farmers. He says they've got high interest rates, high input costs, and now a milk price well below the breakeven price. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are calls for more police in Auckland's CBD after another shooting. Police were called to reports of fighting between two groups on Lower Queen Street around 11.30 last night. One person fired up to four shots, leaving two people critically injured. Police are now hunting for the offenders. Heart of the City chief executive Viv Beck told Heather du Plessis Allan that they'd like a police station back in the central city. She says they want to send the message that there's no tolerance for violence and crime, and having police presence would give people the comfort they're looking for. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.