Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

National is celebrating a breakthrough in negotiations, claiming they've agreed to policy deals with NZ First and ACT. Despite what he called significant progress, Luxon wouldn’t say whether it was likely a Government could be formed by the end of the week. Finance Minister-elect Nicola Willis says all three parties still need to sign off on a final deal before the new Government is formed. "We're pleased that we've reached that significant milestone, because our focus has been on getting policy aligned this year. That's ultimately what the Government's going to be judged on." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A $1.5 million project is underway to revert Rangiora High School's modern open learning space to single cell classrooms. Its giant classroom fitting 500 students opened in 2017 but was found difficult to work in, due to noise, visual distractions, and fluctuating temperatures. Principal Bruce Kearney says they're determined the open structure doesn't suit their vision for the school. "A lot of people talked about modern learning environments as being open barns- and they're not. What they're supposed to be is providing the ability for teachers, for students, classes, schools to be flexible." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Iwi groups are proposing renaming the Hutt Valley suburb Petone as Pito-one. The bid to change the spelling and pronunciation is going before the City Council tomorrow, before eventually being seen by the Geographic Board. Pito-one is the original name, which was switched by colonial settlers. Palmerston North Maori Reserve Trust Chair Liz Mellish says many places in the area already use the old spelling. "There seems to be a real feeling in the community, we've got an apartment called Pito-one, we've got a café, we've got a football club." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National says Labour leader Chris Hipkins' call for a ceasefire in Gaza was a surprise. Hipkins yesterday said he believes Israel's Defence Force's response has been disproportionate and indiscriminate. National's Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, Gerry Brownlee, says calling for a ceasefire has no point if both sides aren't willing to cooperate. Brownlee says National backs negotiating efforts from parties closer to the conflict- and that Qatari negotiators are doing a good job. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ACT's David Seymour says he's no longer gambling on when coalition negotiations will wrap up. Prime Minister-elect Chris Luxon today announced the three parties have reached an agreement on policy. But the leaders of ACT and New Zealand First say they're not all the way there just yet. Seymour says he's closed his account at the TAB - given last week he wrongly predicted a deal was just days away. "So I'm not betting on this anymore, but I think we're a day or two away if I had to put a bet on it." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia have won the Cricket World Cup for a sixth time, chasing 241 to beat India by six wickets with seven overs to spare in Ahmedabad. Man-of-the-match Travis Head made 137 off 120 balls. ZB sports commentator Elliott Smith recaps this victory. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The boss of Australian telecommunications company Optus has resigned after a nationwide outage affected millions. CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin quit after a senate grilling last week. She'll be replaced by the Chief Financial Officer. A major cyber attack last year - also under her tenure - compromised personal documents of two million customers. Australia correspondent Oliver Peterson says her handling of the outage was criticised. "She was very reluctant to get onto the front foot, didn't say much- finally came in kicking and screaming to actually reveal what had happened." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Warnings malls will only get busier, after shoppers at Westfield Newmarket were trapped inside the carpark for hours on Saturday afternoon. The Auckland shopping centre is apologising to customers left sitting in queues to get out for at least three hours. Newmarket Business Association's Mark Knoff-Thomas says demand will only rise the closer we get to Christmas, with Black Friday likely to be the busiest yet. "We want to be ready for that. There are lots of options- buses ae available, trains are available, people can car-share and if you do take your car, you've got to really plan your time." Knoff-Thomas says Saturday's bad weather, combined with Black Friday pre-sales, to cause road congestion. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A survey of our 200 largest and fastest growing tech exporters shows the sector is booming. Revenue for the so-called TIN 200 increased 11.8 percent to $17 billion in the past year. Current Managing Director at TIN, Greg Shanahan, told Heather Du Plessis-Allan that “the sector is reaching maturity, and the number of large companies is growing dramatically”. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Auditor General has slammed the public service after looking at how tax payer money is spent. He's found a lot of them don't measure whether the money they're spending is making a difference. Performance measures for the Education Ministry include how many times the website is visited. Former Work and Income boss Christine Rankin told Heather du-Plessis Allan the timing of this is evident. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Auckland Doctor has been found to have committed professional misconduct after writing thousands of prescriptions for ADHD medication without specialist approval. Dr Tony Hanne argued that he saw a need to prescribe the medication to help people with the diagnosis. Heather Du Plessis-Allan spoke to Clinical Psychologist Dougal Southerland who said although he agrees there are negative consequences for people with ADHD if not treated, he did not agree with what the doctor did to get the patients medication. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Act Party Leader says we are still days, not hours, away from a government arrangement. Today marks two weeks since the official vote count, and party leaders say they're getting close to a final deal but negotiations are expected to remain in Auckland over the coming days. Winston Peters earlier said the finish line was closer than people thought, but David Seymour told Heather du Plessis Allan there are still a number of steps ahead. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Signs Winston Peters is pleased with today's progress in government-forming talks. Party leaders say they're getting close to a final deal but negotiations are expected to continue in Auckland over the weekend. Peters earlier emerged from a two-and-a-half hour meeting with Luxon. Political Editor Jason Walls told Heather du Plessis Allan he was chipper. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rishi Sunak is determined to push through emergency legislation to resurrect his plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda. The UK's Supreme Court had previously ruled this proposal was unlawful in a unanimous rejection. UK correspondent Enda Brady says Rishi Sunak outlined his next steps to push the legislation through before Christmas. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Nick Mills from ZB's Wellington Mornings and Auckland Councillor Richard Hills joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! The three main parties have stayed quiet about the details of their coalition negations, but some National MPs have said they're close to forming a Government. What do we think of this? Are we over the waiting period? Auckland Council is making progress on proposed congestion charges, with Wayne Brown being particularly eager to get these charges going. Is this a money-raising exercise? MFAT staff have reduced their use of Te Reo in official documents released to the incoming Government- is this a bad look? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's been a significant upswing in global equity markets in the past couple of weeks. The Nasdaq is up by 12 percent, the US Equities Market is up by 10 percent, Europe's markets are up by 6 percent, and even China is reporting an increase. Fisher Funds expert Sam Dickie explains this current burst of optimism, and what to expect from 2024. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alliance Group this week announced a significant loss for the 2023 financial year. The co-operative lost over $70 million, as geo-political tensions, inflationary pressures and weakening global markets continued to affect the red meat sector. The Country's Jamie Mackay says the current volatile market has created extra pressure for the struggling sector. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New data from REINZ showed the New Zealand housing market cooled in October. Prices declined 2 percent nationally on a seasonally adjusted basis, in the first monthly reduction in house prices since April. NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann says prospective buyers are feeling less optimistic as interest rates continue to soar. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Post-election coalition talks are still under way, with leaders from all three parties meeting at Auckland's Cordis Hotel. National's Nicola Willis and Christopher Luxon have claimed that negotiations are heading into the final stages. ZB political editor Jason Walls says leaders from all three parties seem to agree talks are progressing well- but it's too soon to know for sure? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Catholic school in NSW's Southern Highlands is the latest to allow students to take a four-day week. Chevalier College will permit students from years 10 to 12 to learn from home on Mondays from 2024, as part of a new set of educational measures. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says these privileges will only be granted to a select few students, who have proven they can learn without supervision. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India have beaten New Zealand by 70 runs at Mumbai to advance to the Cricket World Cup final. The key wicket in the chase for 398 was a cramp-riddled Daryl Mitchell, who reached 134. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains the mass reaction to the team's loss. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daryl Mitchell has addressed the debilitating cramps which crept into his heroic innings against India as the Black Caps fell in the Cricket World Cup semifinals in Mumbai. The 32-year-old's 134 wasn't enough to help New Zealand into their third straight final, coming up 70 runs short after the hosts posted 397. He says the team tries to prepare for environmental factors that might impact them, but the humidity was surprising. "We're pretty detailed with how we prepare before the games, we weigh ourselves, but sometimes the humidity we're playing in- it's hot work." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart discussed climate change, in a first bilateral meeting in seven years. The pair sat down together ahead of the APEC Summit in San Francisco. Biden says Xi Jinping agreed to help disrupt fentanyl drug production, resume military communications and assess AI risk. Herald business commentator Fran O'Sullivan says they also talked about a combined approach to the climate crisis. "Between them, they're 40 percent of emissions for the world. These are major issues, they've got the big meeting up in Dubai coming soon- COP28." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Winston Peters is expected to emerge from a meeting with National soon, as Government-forming talks continue. NZ Herald political reporter Adam Pearse is outside the Cordis Hotel in Auckland, and says Peters has been with National's leader Chris Luxon for more than two hours. He says the meetings are getting longer, which could mean they are getting into the detail. "The latest we've heard is that there are still policy differences that they have yet to iron out. And I would imagine if you were spending over two hours discussing in a hotel room, ministerial positions are not the only things you're talking about." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Māori academic says the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reducing Te Reo usage is deeply disappointing. Stuff reports the Ministry has removed Māori from some official documents, anticipating an incoming National-led Government. A leaked email from its chief executive discusses the decision to remove Te Reo headings from submission templates. Rapata Wiri says the agency is trying to appease voters. "They're trying to undo all the good work that's been put in place over the last 50 years." An MFAT spokesperson confirms it has adjusted one template, and will consult with the incoming Minister for their preferences on receiving advice. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland Council's Transport and Infrastructure Committee has endorsed having a team work on timed congestion charges. Mayor Wayne Brown wants to have the charges in place as soon as possible, potentially with discounts for Gold Card holders and people on low incomes. Public Transport Users Association Chair Niall Robertson says it can't be done until public transport options are in place. "If you haven't got all these other alternatives, it's a kind of double jeopardy for the commuter, who might not have any other options but to take the car on the motorway." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The implementation of a controversial new science curriculum has come to a halt- both delighting and frustrating educators. A leaked early version of the curriculum upset some for its lack of any mention of physics, chemistry or biology. Consultation has been put on hold for a second time, with the Ministry of Education waiting to engage with the new Government before it's sent out. St Cuthbert's College principal Justine Mahon says school staff are relieved with this delay. "New Zealand education is in dire straits at the moment, and we need the incoming Government to make it a priority to lift the standard. Scrutinising the draft science curriculum is an imperative." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Probably the most interesting development of the day kind of related to the coalition negations is the fact that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been busted deliberately ramping down its use of Te Reo Māori to make the incoming Government happy. At MFAT, if staff want to write a formal message to a Minister, they use a template. Until about a couple of weeks ago, that template told staff to use Māori words instead of some English words. For example; summary, report, recommendations and conclusions. But since around the time the special votes started coming in- and it was obvious Winston Peters would be a possibility for Foreign Minister, MFAT's chief executive has made the call to dump some of those Māori words and go back to the English words in the template. It's pretty obvious that MFAT is doing this because because of the incoming Government. MFAT brought the Māori words in apparently because the previous Labour Foreign Affairs Minister, Nanaia Mahuta, had told MFAT to use more Te Reo. But not all the parties in the incoming Government love the political use of Te Reo. Personally, I've got no objection to the use of Te Reo. I learnt for years, I use it myself probably every day in some way. But no one likes a greaser. And MFAT’s been busted greasing. Happy to use Te Reo to make Nanaia happy, happy to dump it the minute it looks like Winston Peters, who loves the Queen’s English is back in the chair. And this is probably a perfect example of the exactly the reason so many people get frustrated by the use of Te Reo Māori in the media and in Government. Because it feels forced and hollow. It feels like the guy on the news and the weather person and the public servant signing off with ngā mihi don’t actually really care about Te Reo, or use it that much themselves. It feels like they're just saying it to signal that they're virtuous and acceptable- and MFAT has just been busted doing exactly that. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former British Home Secretary Suella Braverman has hit back with a 'scathing' open letter to Rishi Sunak. Braverman was recently sacked after she accused the Metropolitan Police of bias in the policing of protests. UK correspondent Enda Brady says people believe Braverman's setting herself up for future leadership in the Conservative party, with many voicing support for her views. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Business Mentors Chief Executive Sarah Trotman 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! Luxon, Seymour and Peters finally got in a room today to sort out a new coalition Government. The three leaders met for half an hour- and then Winston and Luxon and ACT and National went on to have longer meetings. What happens next? Is there hope of progress on coalition negotiations? Newly-retired referee Wayne Barnes has taken aim at Sir Graham Henry and New Zealand in general in his new biography. Are his comments out of line? A record net 44,800 Kiwis have left the country to live elsewhere, according to new data. Is this brain drain concerning- or will this be offset by an uptick in migrants? How can we work to keep young talent around? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Electronic card spending data recorded the first significant drop since mid-2022 this October. Spending in retail industries fell 0.7 per cent compared to September, down by $44 million, Stats NZ said in a press release. Demand for larger items has declined by 7.8 percent, and spending on apparel has fallen 8 percent. Infometrics principal economist Brad Olsen says retailers are staring down the barrel of a difficult period, as spending is projected to decline for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Latest data shows market confidence has returned to New Zealand. Stats NZ's monthly price report showed airfares, petrol and food prices were down across the board, and the NZX has shot up by 5 points in November. Milford Asset Management Jeremy Hutton explains what this means for the coming months. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The incoming Government is expected to contend with a billion-dollar hole in its books created by the upcoming ETS auction. The final auction of units under the Emissions Trading Scheme for 2023 isn't expected to clear on December 6. Most participants in the carbon market expect this auction to fail, on the grounds that a full year's worth of units will need to be sold. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explains why this predicted failure will be good for the market. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All sides of the soon-to-be Government want talks completed as soon as possible. David Seymour, Winston Peters and Chris Luxon sat down together this morning for the first time, in Auckland. This meeting will be the first of several collaborative meetings in the city centre this week. ZB political editor Jason Walls says nothing significant has been divulged- but all three parties are keen to get a Government formed quickly. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Joe Biden hopes to put the shaky US-China relationship in a better place at APEC. The summit for Pacific Rim leaders will include a highly anticipated meeting between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping- the first on American soil in over 7 years. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says security has been tightened in the Bay Area ahead of the meeting. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Weeks on from a controversial Rugby World Cup final, just-retired referee Wayne Barnes has released a new autobiography. ‘Throwing the Book’ examines the highs and lows of officiating rugby at the top level- and takes shots at New Zealand and former All Blacks coach Sir Graham Henry. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains the mass reaction to this book. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) has pulled a controversial video campaign accused of mocking fraud victims. As part of Fraud Awareness Week, the FMA partnered with comedian Tom Sainsbury to depict a 'Boomer Dad' getting scammed out of his planned trip to France. New data released from banks showed that New Zealanders lost almost $200 million in scams in the year to September. Financial adviser Rachelle Bland says this video campaign shamed the people the FMA was designed to protect. "I think it's a case of inappropriate targeting. Maybe it's catchy, but it's really not appropriate to laugh at people who've been scammed." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's hard road to the Cricket World Cup final will become impossible if they don't hold their chances. The Black Caps will face off against hosts India in tonight's semi-final in Mumbai at 9:30pm. There's controversy brewing ahead of the match, with reports claiming India have switched the pitch to favour their spinners. Former Black Cap Peter McGlashan says this is a sign India feels threatened by the Black Caps' chances. "It's one of those things where it's difficult to do late, so I would be surprised if the New Zealand team probably knew about this a day or two ago. Generally when you arrive at a ground to practice, you're shown where the match will be played." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctors Without Borders is outraged patients and medical staff are being put in harm's way, as Israeli military forces raid a hospital in Gaza. Israel says it's carrying out an operation against Hamas at Al-Shifa Hospital - the largest medical complex in the Gaza strip. Doctors Without Borders' Simon Eccleshall says staff were given just minutes warning before the raid. "And the indiscriminate bombing of the hospital over the last few days has been in blatant disregard for the safety of patients. This is clearly a contravention of international humanitarian law." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's migration has hit record levels, as Kiwis flock overseas. The year to September had a historic net loss of 44,700 citizens. Overall annual net migration was at a record near 119,000 for the same period. Demographer Paul Spoonley says they're extraordinary figures, unlike anything seen before. "Last year, the Productivity Commission did a fantastic report, which looked at migration. One of the things they said is- we've got an infrastructure deficit. I thought we might have a bit of a pause, but no." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A political commentator says leaks from post-election talks are rife this year. The leaders of National, ACT and New Zealand First have now all sat around a table together, a first in their negotiations. Prime Minister elect Chris Luxon has wanted talks to stay private. But Ben Thomas says that hasn't been the case. He says it may reflect the parties playing off against each other. "There's the question of how Winston Peters is going to kind of conduct himself as part of this trio, and maybe part of that is distancing himself from the other two." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fresh from hanging up the whistle after last month's Rugby World Cup final, referee Wayne Barnes detailed the trials and tribulations of officiating at a professional level. In his new autobiography 'Throwing the Book', Barnes took aim at former All Blacks coach Sir Graham Henry and his response to the All Blacks' upset loss to France in 2007. Former All Black Sir John Kirwan says it's likely Barnes is exaggerating his points to generate interest in the book. "I know Wayne, I know his wife- he's a family man. That's a bit of an exaggeration, he's probably got to sell books. " LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s time that we stop making excuses for why we can’t make it a crime to stonewall the cops. And instead just do the right thing and make it a crime for every adult in the house to stonewall the cops if someone has bashed a baby to death. This is becoming a pattern with child deaths in New Zealand. Just off the top of my head, I can give you four cases where babies have been bashed and the adults didn’t want to tell on each other: The Kahui twins Nia Glassie A case in South Auckland with an unnamed 4 moth old baby who survived months of bashing in 2019/2020 And now- baby Ru There were three adults in the house when baby Ru was bashed, and last we heard none of them are properly assisting police. It is not novel to raise the idea that we should write a law that criminalises those three adults, and any others like them for keeping silent. But every time we have this debate, out come the naysayers and they warn us we can’t do that. Because it overturns a fundamental principle in our law where you are not compelled to help the prosecution, where you do not have to speak under threat of being charged. So every time, nothing gets done. Today, I called a retired law professor to ask what he thought. And he said that as long as a law was written that was very specific, that only criminalised people in a very specific example of bashing a dependent - like a baby or an elderly person -and as long as pressing charges required a sign off form very senior people - like the Attorney General or the Solicitor-General - it could be acceptable. And it could work. To give you an example- that case of the 4 month old that I mentioned earlier. The parents weren’t talking, so the cops charged both the mum and the dad. And that forced her dad to confess it was him. He went to jail for four years, and the baby survived. It's time that we start doing this. Sure, it overrides principles but there’s another accepted principle- you don’t bash a baby to death and get away with it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Cameron has been named the UK's new Foreign Minister. It comes seven years after he quit as PM over the outcome of his Brexit referendum. Cameron's appointment is part of a major Cabinet re-shuffle by current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, sparked by the removal of Home Secretary Suella Braverman. UK correspondent Enda Brady says this is a risky decision, as this will alienate many prospective voters. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, current affairs commentator Josie Pagani and Tim Wilson from Maxim Institute joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! In coalition updates: Luxon's trip to APEC is officially off, Winston has been AWOL from Parliament- but the parties are set to meet later this week. Who knows what's going on? What can we expect in the coming days? NZ First's Shane Jones told Radio Waatea his party supports a 'reset' on the Treaty of Waitangi. Will Luxon approve? Is this too divisive? Former Prime Minister David Cameron is back in Parliament following Suella Braverman's departure? Is this a good move for the current UK Government? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alarm bells are being raised over in Australia, as economists warn the risk of inflation lingering is increasing. The Reserve Bank of Australia raised the OCR to 4.35 percent last week- the highest official cash rate seen in 12 years. HSBC Chief Economist Paul Bloxham says the RBA will likely have to do more to raise the OCR and bring down inflation in the coming months. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Economists fear the primary sector is likely to struggle from lower export prices during the economic downturn. Infometrics chief forecaster Gareth Kiernan also warns increased interest rates are likely to add to the stressful climate for new Zealand's rural community. The Country's Jamie Mackay explains how Kiwi farmers are expected to struggle in the coming months. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One expert has issued words of caution for anyone expecting the incoming Government will be easier on businesses. BusinessDesk's Pattrick Smellie says it shouldn't be a given that the National-ACT-NZ First coalition will take all the pressure of the business sector- and cited their history of policies and statements. Smellie explained that the banks, supermarkets, fuel companies will likely experience discomfort as the incoming Government addresses the cost of living crisis. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand First's caucus met today in Wellington- but the Party's leader was noticeably absent. None of the newly elected MPs explained where Winston Peters was, but they said work was progressing in his absence. ZB political editor Jason Walls says senior NZ First MP Shane Jones claimed progress was under way, and Peters would turn up- eventually. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yet more new developments in the case of Marokopa fugitive Tom Phillips, who vanished in 2021 with his 3 children. A Newshub report revealed a former partner of Phillips, who is helping with the investigation, gave birth to a boy 2 years ago- a boy Phillips is believed to have fathered. Karen Rutherford, who broke the initial story, says police have been in contact with this woman throughout the investigation. "We've not known about this former girlfriend before, but we understand from a police source that they believe that this woman who had a baby 2 years ago- Tom Phillips is believed to be the father." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.