Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Infant formula maker A2 Milk has lifted its first-half net profit by 15.6 percent. That's despite a double-digit decline in China’s infant formula market. BusinessDesk managing editor Pattrick Smellie explains this 'surprising' turnaround for the company. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grant Robertson's newly announced departure has sparked plenty of debate about his political legacy. The former Finance Minister has retired from Parliament- and will become Otago University's new Vice Chancellor in July. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Robertson left the Government books in an 'appalling' state. "You only have to look at the figures to know just how badly this economy has been managed. Too much money has been scattered around." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's fresh concerns about our alcohol consumption. Health New Zealand's released a report on the population's health, the first of its kind since the agency was established. It highlights continued alcohol-related harm as one of our key challenges, noting consumption contributes to road traffic injuries, drownings, suicide and relationship disruptions. Report author Gary Jackson says we saturate our society with alcohol- and there's some worries there. "About 7 percent of the cancers that we have are due to alcohol, so breast cancer, bowel cancer... it has consequences." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite ongoing staffing struggles, the Defence Force has continued to discharge personnel for failing to get the Covid vaccine. The case of Bonnie, a medic at Burnham Army Camp who was dismissed for not getting vaccinated, has caught media attention. This comes after the Court of Appeal ruled that the Defence Force's 'mandatory retention reviews' were unlawful. Lawyer Matthew Hague says these 'rigid' mandates are costing people their careers and jobs. "To impose a blanket requirement across the entire Defence Force of 10,000 people and rigidly subject people to mandatory retention reviews is completely unjustified." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A man who's advocated for bringing back pseudoephedrine wants official recognition it was a bad idea. John Key's Government removed the cold and flu medication, hoping to stall meth manufacture. Associate Health Minister David Seymour is introducing a bill this to reclassify the drug, so it's available in pharmacies without a prescription. Blackland PR director, Mark Blackham says a moral panic about meth forced the rushed ban, despite evidence showing it wouldn't work. "I think the only way of stopping bad decisions in the future is to get Governments to apologise for the role they had." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Hipkins says he's excited for Grant Robertson about his opportunity to change tack. The former Deputy Prime Minister today announced he's retiring from politics, and will become Otago University's Vice-Chancellor from July. He says he's most proud of getting New Zealand economically through Covid. The Labour leader says it's all only come together for Robertson in recent weeks. "He's kept me informed- the appointment itself was only finalised first thing this morning, so it's been announced as soon as it was finalised." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in Australia, a taskforce are planning a crackdown on alcohol in Parliament. This comes days after Senator Perin Davey was filmed slurring her way through a budget hearing. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says he can't see this legislation getting through- but politicians need to be held to a higher standard. "If it's good enough for everyone else in the community not to be on the turns when you're at work, why is it okay for politicians?" LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Black Caps are set to square off against Australia in a three-game series starting tomorrow. This will be the last T20 series for both teams before the upcoming T20 World Cup in June. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

St John says it anticipates pulling some ambulances off the road when staff are sick or on leave will continue until the start of winter. It's limiting calling in extra staff to save money. Ambulance Services Deputy Chief Executive Dan Ohs says they expect the workload to rise from late May. "Doing this now enables us to make sure we've got the financial depth in order to ensure we can stand additional resources up for winter." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the small Italian town of Monfalcone, mayor Anna Maria Cisint has enacted strict measures targeting Muslims. The far-right leader has banned prayers at Muslim cultural centres- the latest in a string of contentious measures UK correspondent Gavin Grey says the mayor has been working to clamp down the town's expanding Muslim population, after a recent influx in migrants. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and former NZ First press secretary Georgina Stylianou joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! New Zealand's birth rate has dropped to the lowest level since World War II. What's behind this decline? Is there a solution to this issue? Chris Luxon has unveiled some tougher measures to get more people off the benefit. What do we think of this? Will this appeal to National's base? Chris Hipkins' popularity is declining, according to the latest 1News-Verian poll. Does Labour need a new strategy? Is Chippy on his way out? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Contact Energy has reported an increase in net profit and says it expects to finalise a more generous electricity deal with Tiwai Point aluminium smelter. It's recorded a net profit of $153 million for the six months to December. CEO Mike Fuge says he's optimistic about a better long-term agreement with Rio Tinto. "We've been really clear, there are three things- and like any negotiation, it's a two-way street." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One expert has noticed a subset of voters hasn't reacted positively to the Government's plan to reduce the number of beneficiaries. Prime Minister Chris Luxon today revealed a planned return to a more strict regime of sanctions for those on the unemployment benefit. NZME business commentator Fran O'Sullivan observed the younger members of the press gallery seemed shocked by these changes. She says it's been a while since conservative ideas held power- it's been decades since sanctions were in place. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Chris Luxon has promised the 'free ride' is over for beneficiaries, as the Government plans to implement sanctions. Luxon and Social Development Minister Upston confirmed that from June, MSD will hold work check-ins for people who have been on the benefit for over 6 months. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says the number of people relying on the Jobseeker benefit has gotten 'ridiculous'. "I know we've got a welfare economy in this country- but really, something has to be done about this." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in Australia, former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has give up alcohol for Lent. Joyce says he's also quit talking about other people in regards to the issue- days after he was filmed intoxicated on a street in Canberra. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says this comes after Nationals deputy leader Perin Davey admitted to drinking before a budget hearing. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Swimmer Lewis Clareburt has claimed a maiden world championship title, winning the 400-metre individual medley in Doha. His time of 4 minutes and 9.72 seconds was 1.02 seconds off his personal best. Before the meet, New Zealand had never had a world champion - now they have two after Erika Fairweather's triumph in the 400 metres freestyle. Sportstalk host Jason Pine explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most political parties have held their support in the latest political poll. A new 1News-Verian poll shows National the Greens, and NZ First are all holding steady. Labour's support has increased one percent and Te Pati Maori by 0.7 percent, while ACT has dropped by 1 percent. Prime Minister Chris Luxon is the preferred PM on 25 percent support, while Labour's Chris Hipkins has dropped 10 points to 15 percent support. Finance Minister Nicola Willis says they're more focused on their plans than the poll. "I think what that poll really just reflects is that people are supporting the party that they supported in the election, and that means that we are continuing to do well." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New data shows the nation saw the lowest number of births in over 80 years. Stats NZ revealed there were 19,071 more births than deaths in 2023 in the lowest annual natural increase since World War II. Massey University Sociologist Paul Spoonley says New Zealand's not alone- fertility and birth rates are declining across high-earning countries. "When you look at countries like Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Spain, Portugal, Hungary, Poland... they're all down at about 1, 1.2. What's interesting is- has anyone been able to reverse it? The answer's no." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Traffic cameras could become more common as NZTA takes over the responsibility from police. It will increase the number of cameras from 150 to 800 operating within the next 10 years, manned by as many as 400 staff. It estimates they could process three million speeding infringements a year. Road safety campaigner Clive Matthew-Wilson says extra traffic cameras are unlikely to make much of a difference. "I don't think it's going to solve the problem. There's international studies that make it quite clear- a high police presence has a profound effect on the way that we drive." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cost-saving changes at St John Ambulance are sparking concern among staff and paramedics. The service has limited recalls of backup staff when employees are sick or taking leave, meaning some ambulances are left parked up. Ambulance Association National Secretary Mark Quin says this is proof the company is putting their budget over people's lives. "We're restricting the number of ambulances being available anywhere in the country on a daily basis due to the fact that we're not recalling staff." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Social Development Minister says check-ins with beneficiaries are about accountability, but also giving them support in finding work. A welfare reset announced by the Government involves sanctions for job-seekers not meeting their obligations to find work. Louise Upston also says from June, MSD will regularly check in with those on the benefit for six months. "What we want to make sure is that people are going into Work and Income providing evidence of the fact that they've been doing their bit to look for work- some of them may need assistance." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An education training provider is offering school principals a taxpayer-funded course in Fiji. The course is among the latest to hit the market since principals were offered a $6000 salary boost to pay for professional development. Education training company Growth Culture is offering the Fiji conference, for $5700. Secondary Principals' Association President Vaughan Couillault says there's been a noticeable increase in courses and programmes costing under $6000 since this pay bump. "There certainly has been a bit of the private sector looking at ways to generate themselves some income." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand, Australia and New Zealand have released a joint statement urging Israel not to continue its assault there. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is adamant he will launch the attack. Winston Peters told Heather du Plessis-Allan that people in Rafah are already vulnerable. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eden Park's chief executive is pinning Taylor Swift's New Zealand snub on the consent process to hold concerts at the stadium. The Australian leg of the world-renowned pop singer's Eras Tour is kicking off, with many New Zealanders heading across the ditch for the shows. Swiftie fans raised questioned about why the star wasn't performing in Auckland and the CEO of the city's biggest venue is now weighing in. Nick Sautner told Heather du Plessis-Allan they're limited on how many shows they can hold in any 12-month period. He says we've missed out on concert content, because the stadium was unable to provide multiple dates for shows - which needs to change. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank is expected to keep holding New Zealand's lofty interest rates on high. Governor Adrian Orr has warned against expectations, inflation might drop below three percent anytime soon, during a speech at Waikato University. The central bank's been keeping the Official Cash Rate - a factor which determines interest rates, at 5.5 percent, as it fights inflation - at 4.7 percent. Independent economist Cameron Bagrie told Heather du Plessis-Allan that it seems OCR rates aren't going to come down in the near future. He says the Reserve Bank's patience appears to be wearing thin, as inflation is coming down, but it's taking an awful long time. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new report from the Child Action Poverty Group says 15,000 teenagers are working to put food on the table and attending school at the same time. The report suggests that minimum wage should be raised to $26 an hour to equal the living wage in order to stop this from happening. Alan Johnson from the child action poverty group told Heather Du Plessis-Allan that the work comes "potentially at the expense of what they could achieve at school." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Woolworths has apologised for the pest problems revealed at some of its supermarkets. Four Woolworths supermarkets have been in the news for rodent and bird problems. Woolworth's commercial director of fresh and own brand Peter De Wit told Heather Du Plessis-Allan that "it's not a standard that we want to have in our stores." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK is experiencing an uptick in antisemitic abuse following the October 7 attacks. According to new data released by the Community Security Trust, 2023 has been the worst year for antisemitic abuse in over 40 years. UK correspondent Enda Brady says 4,103 incidents have been reported, and a majority of the abuse occurred in London. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Neale Jones from Capital and David Farrar from Kiwiblog and Curia joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Wellington Council is working on developing their draft budget. A congestion charge and new rates for accommodation providers are on the cards and libraries and public pools have been spared. Do they have their priorities in order? David Seymour has unveiled a new strategy to reduce truancy figures and boost school attendance. Will extra fines be enough to keep kids in school? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The key interest rate market in the US is pricing several rates cuts later this year. Meanwhile, economic growth is getting stronger and equity markets are at an all-time high. Can these concepts co-exist? Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One business expert says a change in leadership isn't enough to save Fletcher Building. Yesterday, Chief Executive Ross Taylor and Chair Bruce Hassall both announced their resignation following some lower-than-anticipated half-year results. Auckland University economics professor Robert MacCulloch says the entire company should be broken up altogether. "The company should be nationalised, the Government should buy the company and break it up into little bits and sell those bits beck to private operators." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's agricultural sector could be impacted by escalating tensions in the Red Sea. Experts warn the ongoing attacks could cause further shipping bottlenecks around the world. The Country's Jamie Mackay says freight prices have climbed to a level not seen since the days of the Covid-19 pandemic. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's population has continued to expand in 2023- but the influx has slowed somewhat. New data from Stats NZ shows annual net migration reached just under 126,000 in the year to December. The net migration gain is still one of the largest recorded, it's equivalent to the population of Taranaki. NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann explains what this means for economic forecasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis has been on the receiving end of backlash over her proposal for the public sector. There's growing speculation the coalition Government will cut jobs in order to meet targets. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says the number of public service workers has gone up by tens of thousands under Labour- and industry leaders will be looking to create savings. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced his engagement to his long-time partner. The Prime Minister proposed to Jodie Haydon on Valentine's Day, at his Canberra residence. The pair have been together since 2020, where they met at a Melbourne business dinner. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says people from all corners of the country have congratulated Albanese on the engagement. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dame Noeline Taurua's role is up for grabs, as Netball NZ has launched an open recruitment call. The Silver Ferns coach will have to fight to keep her job, as Netball NZ is determined to choose the best coach to guide the team for the next four years. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Proposals to cut Wellington's swimming pool and library hours have been scrapped. The City Council finalised its draft 10-year budget today, in a meeting lasting almost seven hours. The Council voted on spending cuts, including unpopular proposals to trim community services. Councillor Nicola Young disapproves of this verdict, saying one local pool's had its time. "They are spending a lot of money, and they can never stop." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new report by the Education Review Office reveals primary teachers feel less equipped to teach maths than ever. The ERO report claims almost a quarter of new teachers are not confident about their own teaching abilities in mathematics. Otago University Associate Professor Naomi Ingram says maths is a trickier subject than reading or writing for educators. "Their perceptions are that it is unique, because it is perceived to be more difficult, there's more proportions of time that kids have to think compared to other subjects- to learn mathematics, you need to be confused." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dame Noeline Taurua will have to fight hard to return as the head coach of the Silver Ferns. Netball New Zealand said the organisation and Dame Taurua had agreed to go to the open market for the role, in the best interests of the Ferns and the 'integrity' of the sport. Netball New Zealand Chief Executive Jennie Wyllie says it's important that they don't take the Silver Ferns' success for granted. "We certainly want to be able to grow and improve on our performance at the Nations Cup in January. I think what we do know is- Noels has got a great legacy and we want to see what her plans are for the future." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland's mayor wants better communication from agencies responsible for the rail network. Wayne Brown had talks with Auckland One Rail, Auckland Transport and KiwiRail yesterday and promised an aggressive plan to reduce disruption. He says communications need to be clear and aimed at the passengers, not other agencies. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Emergency Management Minister says smoke is dissipating from the fire still raging on Christchurch's Port Hills. The blaze has burned through at least 650 hectares since it broke out yesterday, triggering evacuations. The fire is yet to be contained, but people are being allowed back into homes on Hoon Hay Valley and Early Valley Roads. Others will have to stay another night away. Minister Mark Mitchell says firefighters are working incredibly hard. "Today, they had an additional two fixed-wings in there, putting fire retardant in ridge lines and things like that. Their response was so quick." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over 100 firefighters, 12 helicopters and two fixed-wing planes are working to fight the raging fire in Christchurch's Port Hills. The fire was reported at 2.45pm yesterday on Worsleys Rd and had spread over an area of 100 hectares by the evening. Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger says rubberneckers seem to have heeded the message to stay away. "We've had FENZ-led meetings at the community centre, which is our evacuation hall. And they're commending the public of Christchurch and Selwyn for being so good and listening, which is music to my ears." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let me tell you something that happened today. This morning, David Seymour was on the radio with Mike Hosking, outlining his plans to tackle truancy in this country by enforcing the rules so that parents cop fines if they don’t send their kids to school. Only about 2.5 hours later, over on ZM, a mum entered a competition to get herself and her daughter to the Taylor Swift show in Melbourne tomorrow. And even though it was 10 to 10 in the morning and school had started at least 50 minutes earlier, her daughter was at home with her and talking on the radio Her daughter was home with a sniffle, which became a bit of a running joke because it was clearly a ‘sniffle’ bad enough to keep her home from school but not bad enough to keep her home from a Taylor Swift concert in Melbourne. Now look, I don't want to be a Grinch to her. Taylor Swift is huge, the tickets are hard to come by, it’d be a wonderful experience for any school kid to go to Taylor Swift, especially overseas. But it kind of made the point, didn’t it? The truancy was a joke on the radio. That’s how chill we are about kids missing class. The 3rd term of last year, 54 percent of kids skipped at least one day every two weeks. Now we can debate whether David Seymour's plan will change that. Maybe it’ll work, maybe it won’t. There’s a case to say it won’t, because the law already exists. Parents can already cop a fine of $300 if they get busted and they just ignore it. And if you don’t care about your child enough to send them to school, I hardly think someone else caring and fining you is gonna change your mind. But at least it signals a change of attitude in Government. I would rather have the Government try everything to get kids back to school, even if some of it doesn’t work, than try nothing. And I hope it actually works. After love and safety, education is the most important thing you can give your child. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in the UK, a second parliamentary candidate has been suspended over his comments about Israel. Graham Jones, a former Hyndburn MP has been suspended and faces potential investigation. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says the party's focused on cleaning up its act ahead of the general election. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Childfund NZ CEO Josie Pagani and Ben Thomas from Capital joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! There's been an uptick in rats and mice invading Countdowns across the country- what do we think of this? Will this harm the company's reputation? The Government plans to index benefits to inflation rather than wage growth- a move the opposition doesn't approve of. Is this better or worse for beneficiaries? New data reveals the Treaty is the third most important issue to voters. Is this surprising news? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fletcher Building has had an eventful few days, culminating in the loss of chief executive Ross Taylor and chair Bruce Hassall. The company has also reported a $120 million half-year loss after tax. Milford Asset Management's Jeremy Hutton warns Fletcher may need more than a change in leadership to win back investors. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ASB has warned mortgage holders to be prepared for 'any eventuality' when it comes to interest rates. Chief executive Vittoria Shortt says borrowers shouldn't bank on one particular scenario when it comes to future rate hikes. This follows ANZ economists issuing a 'hawkish' prediction that the OCR could go up two more times in the near future. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's Three Waters policy has been flushed for good today. A bill to repeal the Water Services Act has passed its third reading in the House, and the Government aims to implement its replacement through two further bills by mid-next year. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says it's incredible how much change the original bill went through before the Government scrapped it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's growing concerns about Joe Biden's capabilities ahead of the 2024 election. A couple of unfortunate weeks have led to Democrats reconsidering a second term for the President, and Vice Presidents Harris has expressed interest in taking over. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says it's unlikely Harris will be ready to step in as the next nominee. "California Governor Gavin Newsom is in the wings- but he has to tread carefully. He's got his eye on four years down the road." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Economists are predicting a boost in consumer spending this February 14th. As demand for flowers and chocolates and fancy dinners skyrockets, people are expected to spend more to contribute to this economic bump. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen says this Valentine's Day is expected to be the first in several years to match pre-pandemic spending demand. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.