Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Economists are braced for a small bounce-back ahead of next week's GDP numbers. The last set of GDP figures released in June 2023 put New Zealand in a recession. NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann says China's downturn could still drag New Zealand down further into recession. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi farmers may be expected to do more than their fair share to meet methane reduction targets. A new scientific report from the Universities of Oxford and Cranfield has raised questions about the ambition of New Zealand’s methane reduction targets- and the responsibility falling on farmers. Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford says farmers have been told they're responsible for half of New Zealand's overall emissions, but the report says otherwise. "The current targets that are in place- our farmers just aren't going to accept. We don't mind doing our part and playing our role in what we have to do, but we can't do it with unrealistic targets." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Restore Passenger Rail protestor is standing by the group's decision to spray-paint a luxury Wellington car dealership. Three protestors threw paint at the Gazley Motor Group building on Cambridge Terrace and glued themselves to the footpath. The trio were subsequently arrested and charges are being considered. Spokesperson James Cockle claims the luxury cars sold by the dealership are a symbol of excess and wealth inequality impacting this country. "It correlates directly to the damage that's being done to our planet. We're sending a strong message to the New Zealand people- let's stand up against luxury emissions and reign in the excesses of the mega-rich." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Australian multimillionaire property developer is being slammed for his views on unemployment. Tim Gurner has told the Financial Review Property Summit a sharp rise in unemployment is the only way to lift productivity. He says there needs to be pain in the economy to remind employees they work for the employer, not the other way around. Sydney University Business School associate professor Chris Wright says it's an insensitive thing to say. "Unemployment is a bad thing. There's been a lot of research showing the huge consequences it can have for people in terms of well-being- it contributes to suicide rates." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington City Council may need to slash tens of millions of dollars off its budget. City Councillor Diane Calvert says they've had a behind closed doors meeting on the state of the council's finances. She sought legal advice to reveal the financial details and says capital expenditure needs to be cut by tens, if not hundreds of millions of dollars, in the coming years. She says these financial problems were a long time in the making. "We really had a spending program that we couldn't afford, because it was clear even two years ago that economic conditions were going to change." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three economists have teamed up to scrutinise part of National's tax plan. The party's proposed ending the ban on foreign buyers - for homes worth more than $2 million- and taxing them 15 percent. It expects foreigners will buy 1700 houses valued on average at around $2.9 million. But economist Michael Reddell says it'll be more like 700 in that price range. "That $2 million threshold really does matter, because average house prices - even in Auckland - are well below $2 million. And there just aren't that many really expensive houses in New Zealand." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Winston Peters won't close the door on sitting with ACT leader David Seymour around the Cabinet table. Depending where the chips fall at next month's election - both parties could be in the Beehive as part of a National-led government. But Peters and Seymour don't see eye to eye, with the latter categorically ruling out working with New Zealand First. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Winston Peters is insistent on both parties putting their differences aside to solve the economic and social issues in this country. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Australian High Court has revealed every single one of their current judges is a member of Qantas' exclusive Chairman's Lounge. Described as the 'most exclusive' club in the country, the invitation-only club offers their hand-picked members extra perks on demand. This comes as Qantas is facing legal action for sacking 1700 staff members during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says this is another mark against the airline, following the other controversies impacting the company. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shaun Johnson has sat out Thursday's Warriors training due to his calf injury- but coach Andrew Webster is still holding out hope. Webster insists the halfback's likely to play in Saturday's do-or-die NRL finals clash with the Knights at Mt Smart. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains what this could mean for the events of Saturday's match. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The country's three biggest education unions have joined forces to put education funding on the political agenda this election campaign. A new BERL report has found public spending per student in 2019 was nearly 25 percent lower than the OECD average. Tertiary Education Union National President Julie Douglas says more investment would allow better decisions about the sort of system we want. "I think that we would make sure that the programs are secure and staff are secure, so we can be delivering to a wide range of passions of students." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK GDP figures are in- and the economy shrunk more than expected in July. The 0.5 percent contraction was worse than economists had predicted, and sparked concerns of recession. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says industrial action from healthcare workers and teachers and terrible weather are being blamed for the downturn. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A weighed in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Yesterday's PREFU was eye-opening, and it raised the questions: Should National revise their plan for tax cuts? Can we actually afford them? US News' Best Countries list has concluded New Zealand has amazing scenery and friendly people- but the nation isn't sexy. What do we think of this? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The economic outlook and Government books were in better shape than predicted, but Treasury has issued a warning following PREFU. According to one expert, Treasury claimed Government spending had exceeded the signalled Budget allowance in recent times- creating a grim outlook for the future. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen warned further decisions around additional spending will have to be made in the context of raising more revenue or cutting spending elsewhere. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Returns on low-risk managed funds, including Kiwisaver's Conservative and Moderate funds have been underperforming in recent years. Kiwisaver's Conservative fund has delivered users 0.8 per annum over the last 5 years, as the financial climate gets more turbulent. Milford Asset Management's Mark Riggall explains the dip in returns for investors. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Higher-than-expected net migration is promised to prop up economic growth and fuel the property market- but Treasury has other ideas. Treasury doesn't believe the influx of new people will improve the nation's productivity- rather, it believes the demand generated will outweigh the boost to the labour market and keep inflation high. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explores potential solutions here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Julian Savea says he's nowhere close to retirement. The barnstorming outside back is on the move from the Hurricanes to Moana Pasifika for next year's Super Rugby campaign. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did I have a debate on my hands when I got home last night about the country’s debt levels. The husband gave me a huge telling off for saying yesterday that the Government had taken on too much debt. So I feel like I need to clear this up: I don’t mind the level of debt New Zealand has. We've heard this a thousand times, but it’s worth saying again- we have very little debt in contrast to other countries in the OECD. Actually, debt is good. If you borrow money to invest in things which make your country richer, like building roads for productivity or new schools for education, it’s a good thing. Case in point- how else did you buy your house if not with a mortgage, AKA, debt? And same with infrastructure- if you need to take on debt to build roads and schools in New Zealand, that’s fine, it’s actually a smart way to spread the cost over generations. My problem is what we did with that debt. What have we got to show for it? Absolutely nothing. In 2019, we had the tiniest, tiniest amount of debt. $5 billion in debt, that’s nothing. By the time all of Grant’s promises have rinsed out our books in 2027, we will have $102 billion in debt. And what we have got to show for it? Grant keeps saying- oh, we needed to support businesses and people through the pandemic. Absolutely, he’s right. I will never begrudge smart spending that helped Kiwis out when they needed it. But by far and away, the biggest cost was the wage subsidy. That cost us $19 billion. But what about the rest of it? That leaves $78 billion spent on - what? Nurses’ pay can’t account for all of it. The truth is - and we know it - the pandemic gave Labour permission to spend. Some of the spending was fine, but then they didn't stop spending. And they blew a lot of our money on rubbish. $1 billion for the Greens Jobs for Nature scheme. $3 billion for NZ First. $50 million on consultants for the bike bridge that never got built. $33 million to buy the Bacon building in Kingsland for Auckland Light Rail, even though it’s going to get cancelled. I could go on, but you get the picture. Debt, not bad. This debt, what a waste. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another slide for Labour in tonight's One News-Verian poll, with the National Party up two points to 39 percent, and Labour down one to 28. The Greens and ACT are both down, on 10 percent. Winston Peters' New Zealand First is back in the game, up one to poll 5 percent. The Battle of the Chrises is neck and neck with both on 23 percent as preferred Prime Minister- Hipkins is up 2 percent, and Luxon up 3. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Labour's fighting a losing battle as National retains their strong lead. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour says the pandemic showed a need for more local healthcare worker training. The party's announced it'll train another 335 doctors every year from 2027- and increase medical school places from next year. Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says they've already increased the workforce by 2,000 people. "So I think the National Party's attack line - that this should've happened earlier - is negated by the fact that we already grew our workforce. We're now choosing a different way." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Experts are hoping to get to the bottom of mysterious banging noises coming from below an Auckland home. For months, noises have reverberated from beneath the Forrest Hill house, on the North Shore - with council officials yet to figure out its origins. Neighbour Lizzie Oakes hopes a new development may help solve the puzzle. "I think an engineer has made contact with the homeowner, they seem to think it might be a sound they've heard somewhere, so I think they're having a meeting with the homeowner tomorrow." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Qantas staff will be chasing compensation, after Australia's High Court has upheld a decision against the airline. It's agreed the airline illegally sacked more than 1700 workers during Covid. It breached the Fair Work Act by outsourcing baggage handlers, cleaners and ground staff. The Australian Transport Workers' Union's Nick McIntosh says the next step is going back to the federal court. "These workers will have their compensation hearing held and then after that, there will be a penalty hearing about exactly how much money Qantas has to pay." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ACT thinks more people should be in jail. The party's law and order policy would invest $1 billion into 500 more prison beds, and toughen sentences for offending against vulnerable workers. Leader David Seymour says the Government has tried letting criminals out of prison. He says a Ministry of Justice survey shows the result. "Victimisations are up by about 30 percent in 5 years, but the human price of that is that people feel it's not safe to run a dairy- and for some people, it's been absolutely tragic." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's pledging to lift medical school places by 95 a year from 2025, in New Zealand's largest boost ever. Chris Hipkins says if re-elected, they'll lift training 62 percent over the coming decade. Labour's extra places amount to 874 doctors trained each year by 2027- beating out National's promised 759 by 2030. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says this scheme is the latest strategy Labour's borrowed from National, following on from their roading outline and pledge cards. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Division among Republicans, over a push to impeach democratic President Joe Biden. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy's asking for a formal investigation, calling the President's dealings corruption. He alleges Biden used his power to facilitate his son's business deals - and benefited. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says Kevin McCarthy's under pressure from fellow Republicans to push this investigation forward- but it's unlikely anything will be brought forward. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions over divisions within New Zealand. An Essential Research poll shows 77 percent of Kiwis believe the country is either a little more - or much more - divided, depending on their political stance. Labour and Green voters think there's less division, and National and ACT supporters say we are more so. Those aged 55-plus are the most concerned. Victoria University's Max Rashbrooke says he's unsure he agrees. He says the poll doesn't clarify what people mean by division. "But particularly with older people- they may just be expressing concern about the pace of change, about social change, about things they find destabilising." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Almost one third of female NHS surgeons have been sexually assaulted at work, according to a new survey. A study published in the British Journal of Surgery found 30 percent of female surgeons had been sexually assaulted, and 29 percent had experienced unwanted physical advances in the workplace. UK correspondent Enda Brady says the first-person stories shared exposed a pattern of senior consultants and surgeons taking advantage of younger graduates and trainees. 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! This year's deficit is expected to be $10 billion, next year's expected to go up to $11.4 billion - Treasury reckons we've come out of recession but the next Government will have a tough battle on its hands to pay down debt and return to a surplus. Is this a nail in the coffin for Labour or is there an inkling of good news in there that's enough to calm some nerves? Is it game over for Labour? Last night's Newshub-Reid Research poll had Labour down to 26.8 percent support, while National is up to 40.9 percent. Will the gap only get bigger? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Experts are warning of a potential power shortage risk ahead of winter 2024. The closure of one of Contact Energy's 100 megawatt peaking plants after a turbine blade broke and caused extensive internal damage to the machine has sparked concerns for future power supply. BusinessDesk managing editor Pattrick Smellie explains the extent of the damage- and why the plant won't be up and running until 2025. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Troubling news for our national carrier, with a global engine problem affecting hundreds of planes worldwide. Engine maker Pratt and Whitney says up to 700 engines will be impacted over the next three years. It'll affect 16 A320 and 321 NEO aircraft in Air New Zealand's fleet - mostly serving Australia and the Pacific Islands. Aviation commentator Geoff Thomas says this disruption has been caused by parts of the engine prematurely wearing out. "Over about 20 years, you'll replace every part of an engine. They all have different design lives within the engine, all different parts. What they've found is one particular area wearing a bit sooner than they thought." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rumours are circulating about a new famer-led movement set to challenge the current drive for taxing on-farm emissions. Rural News claims this campaign will promote a a 'methane accord', designed to fight against 'unscientific' emissions taxes. The Country's Jamie Mackay says farmers are growing sick of 'political games' being played with their livelihood- even by their own industry organisations. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's Chris Luxon has been quick to slam Labour's 'economic mismanagement' after the PREFU revealed Government debt has blown out further. Treasury's latest update is forecasting no recession, but shows the Government will be in deficit longer than expected and take on billions more debt. Luxon says Kiwis are worried about losing their homes and taking on second jobs as the Government continues to spend. "What's obvious is that Hipkins and Robertson have no idea how to run the economy, they're running it into the ground. And that's just saddling up a bad set of circumstances for future generations of Kiwis, and that's not on." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health advocates are celebrating the release of a new DIY cervical screening test kit for women. This test, available from today, will allow women to use a swab to detect the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes more than 95 percent of cervical cancers. Te Whatu Ora National Screening Unit clinical lead Dr Jane O’Hallahan says this 'game-changing' test kit will encourage more people to screen themselves. "At this point, you will need to seek out your provider- but the test is so much easier to do. You can do it yourself, it's a simple swab that you place 4 or 5 centimetres up- and move it around, take it out and put in a container. This will be a game changer." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The future of Mount Ruapehu's skifields remain up in the air. The Tuwharetoa iwi group has abandoned its bid to take over the liquidated Ruapehu Alpine Lifts. Ruapehu District Mayor Weston Kirton says there are reports the iwi now plans to take legal action, if the sale isn't stopped. He says it's a sad situation. "They thought they were going to be bidding- then they come in out of left field and say that they're not going to support a new bidder to actually go ahead with this negotiation." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister is standing by the Government's record, after Treasury today laid the books bare. The Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update suggest our recession's likely over, but shows the Government deficit will continue longer than predicted in the Budget. Debt's now expected to peak at 22.8 percent of GDP by 2025. Grant Robertson says our Government borrowing wasn't for nothing. "Lots of New Zealanders alive today who wouldn't have been during Covid, businesses that have been able to survive- yes, we had to borrow significant amounts of money to get through Covid. Most political parties supported us doing that." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An important balance needs to be struck on welcoming more residents. Provisional Stats NZ figures show a net migration gain of 96,200 people in the year to July, a new record. Westpac senior economist Satish Ranchod says we need skills from abroad, but it needs careful management. "Those people who are coming in- many of them are going to go into our essential services, like healthcare, where we need staff. That infrastructural pressure that we see from more people in the country- it's got to be balanced against the provision of services that we all need right now." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's promising to spend our money on the right things, if elected next month. Treasury's today revealed the Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update. It suggests our recession's likely over - but shows the Government will be in deficit for longer, and take on billions more in debt. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says the Opposition's now crunching its numbers. "What National's now got to do is sit down and look at the meaning of these figures that have been presented today. And they'll come up with their fiscal strategy within the next few weeks, so it'll be interesting to see what they make out of it." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Australian Government has confirmed its centrepiece housing fund bill will pass through Parliament, breaking a months-long impasse. Australia's Green Party pledged support, meaning the Housing Australia Future Fund has the necessary majority support in the senate. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says the housing crisis is going strong, with affordable rental properties growing further out of reach for Australians. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Warriors' do-or-die NRL playoff match against the Newcastle Knights at Mt Smart on Saturday has officially sold out. Their first home playoff since 2008 sold out less than an hours after tickets were released to the general public. ZB sports news director Clay Wilson explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland Council is asking for proposals for a national stadium in the city. The working group - formed in July - now wants expressions of interest to assess. The winning venue will need to be capable of holding major events, have links to public transport and feature a retractable roof. Chair and councillor Shane Henderson says the stadium should be able to compete internationally for big ticket events. "Auckland's done this very well in the recent past, but we don't have a lot coming up in the future. This is one of the questions that has been around for many years around the city, so we want to just nail it." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China has labelled the arrest of a parliamentary researcher on suspicion of spying 'slander' and a 'political farce'. Over the weekend, it came out that a parliamentary researcher with links to key political figures had been arrested over allegation of spying for China. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says the UK Government is now under pressure to take action and reconsider China as a political threat. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The outgoing New Zealand Superannuation Fund CEO has slammed the near-$10 billion tax bill as 'nonsensical'. Matt Whineray believes the Superannuation Fund should have tax immunity status, according to an exit interview. NZME business commentator Fran O'Sullivan says the next Government will need to make choices about the state of the fund. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new international player is determined to snap up Fonterra dairy farmers, as competition intensifies. Fonterra farmers have put up signs featuring the slogan 'A proud Fonterra farmer' in response to Singapore-based OFI (Olam Food Ingredients) setting up in Waikato. Fonterra farm source group director Anne Douglas says Fonterra sets the benchmark for dairy prices, and OFI will respond accordingly. "If you look at how the co-operative dairy model works, we sit here every day looking to maximise milk price and return for our dairy farmers." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No signs of slowing down from Novak Djokovic after recording his 24th grand slam title. Djokovic is the US tennis Open champion after beating Daniil Medvedev in the final in straight sets. ZB sports journalist Nathan Limm explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Schools across Melbourne are calling for increased security amid ongoing attacks. Multiple incidents of gang members getting into schools and harming students have surfaced, sparking safety concerns. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says there are Facebook groups ranking Victorian schools by level of danger- and a solution must be found. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Support for National has rocketed up to just over 40 percent, with a 4.3 point jump in the latest Newshub-Reid Research poll. Labour has taken a devastating tumble, down 5.5 percent to 26.8 percent. ACT has fallen two points to 10 - but can comfortably govern with National. The Greens are up to 12.3 percent, Te Pāti Māori is on three, while New Zealand First flirts with the threshold at 4.6 percent. National finance spokeswoman Nicola Willis says they aren't counting chickens yet- but it's positive. "It's pretty clear New Zealanders want a change of Government, they can see the country's going in the wrong direction and more and more of them are getting ready to vote for change." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Warriors are set to go up against the Newcastle Knights this weekend, and expectations are high. The first home finals match held in New Zealand since 2008 will take place in Auckland's Go Media Stadium Mt Smart at 6.05 on Saturday. Former Warrior and club ambassador Monty Betham is confident the team can win as demand for tickets soars. "It really is building like that- the fans are going nuts. My phone's been ringing off the hook, people have been trying to get their link or their chance to buy pre-sales before it goes live tomorrow." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meteorologists expect the El Niño climate system will start drying out parts of the country in the coming weeks. The North Island and northern and eastern South Island will be the most affected. Weatherwatch's Phillip Duncan says it'll bring a windier westerly - which very quickly dries the east of the country. "Parts of Hawke's Bay that were flooded are already now noticing how dry it's become in such a short couple of months." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Calls for banks to drop mortgage rates- while they bring in record profits. They are scraping off an extra $2.2-billion dollars annually, from a 17 percent rise in lending profits caused by rising interest rates. Squirrel Chief Executive David Cunningham says he believes the slow housing market pushed the margin this high. He says shareholders want steady profits, and rising share-prices regardless of the lack of market growth. "So the only way to deliver those profits that the market expects- or your masters in Australia expect, in the case of our major New Zealand banks- is to lift the price." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ACT's Leader denies he's threatening the National Party by suggesting a confidence-only deal, post-election. David Seymour previously said his party would consider it - if National doesn't co-operate in negotiations. That would force the larger party to seek the minor party's support for Government spending. Seymour says ACT's position isn't new or dramatic. "It's just saying- look, we actually want a tight working relationship, I've said that for a long time. But we reserve the right to stand up for the values and our voters to get better policy for them- and all New Zealand." 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. The Act Party has thrown a potential cat amongst the pigeons by threatening it may only enter a confidence deal with National. The panel discuss whether Chris Luxon is losing credibility. Labour’s polling continues to plummet – is there anything the party can do to turn its fortunes around? And the panel discuss the potential partners for both National and Labour post polling days. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.