Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

An investigation into alleged confidentiality breaches at Wellington City Council hasn't been able to find the leaker. Lawyer Linda Clark has been looking into the conduct of five independent city councillors after a complaint from Deputy Mayor Laurie Foon. The code of conduct complaints alleged councillors had leaked information about a publicly-excluded meeting about the fate of the Reading Cinema site. Wellington City Councillor Nicola Young is among the five councillors accused of breaching confidentiality rules- but denies violating the code. "The code of conduct is very vague- I don't accept that I broke the code of conduct, none of us did. It's extraordinary to take this action against a third of the councillors." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland's mayor says he wants congestion charging in place as soon as possible. The council's transport and infrastructure committee is due to consider an Auckland Transport report on the scheme this Thursday. It means motorists idling on busy roads during peak hours will have to pay up to reduce traffic jams and make council revenue. Wayne Brown says if the incoming Government doesn't support it, there will be a squabble. "They expected to do this - Simeon Brown, who expects to be the Minister of Transport, has agreed it's a sensible thing to do." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suggestions the shock appointment of a controversial former UK PM as Foreign Secretary aims to save the Conservatives' sinking ship. David Cameron will replace Suella Braverman, who was fired after accusing police of double standards in handling protests. Cameron resigned as PM in 2016, with one of the lowest popularity ratings in recent history. Former Kiwi High Commissioner to the UK, Sir Lockwood Smith, says he has a wealth of experience. "And right at this stage, I think what the Conservatives need is to just settle things down a bit, because their polling numbers aren't good- and they've got an election coming up next year." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fruit, vegetables and similar household staples were the largest contributor to a monthly fall in food prices. Stats NZ says prices were 6.3 percent higher in October than a year ago- but cheaper than in September, down 0.9 percent month on month. LeaderBrand CEO Richard Burke says supply had been restricted and demand strong, but now they're working to recalibrate. "We've got a whole lot of crop out there that's excellent quality, and the only thing we can do is promote it like heck to get it through the market. So that's a win for consumers- and we just hope they get out there and bank that win." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Seymour says a referendum on Treaty principles is still on the negotiating table. ACT signalled the policy would be a priority in post-election talks. Prime Minister-elect Chris Luxon has said a referendum would be divisive, but New Zealand First's Shane Jones today told Radio Waatea he understands Seymour's concerns. Seymour says it's an idea whose time has come. "I think the more people understand what we're proposing to do, the more people hear about that- I think more people see it as a positive." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Separate events were held across Australia over the weekend, as tens of thousands called for a solution to the Israel-Gaza conflict. These events called for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages, and several politicians have voiced their support. Foreign Minister Penny Wong has urged Israel to act in accordance with international law- but has stopped short of calling for a ceasefire. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says tensions are high in Australia, with the region's Jewish and Muslim communities reporting an uptick in harassment and abuse. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another 'what if' incident for Kiwi rugby fans, as World Rugby privately acknowledges Aaron Smith’s disallowed try should have stood. World Rugby's updated TMO protocol indicates the try should have counted towards the All Blacks' final score in their nail-biting match against South Africa. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A renewed plea for information about missing Marokopa man Tom Phillips and his three children. A red farm-style quad bike with no registration was reported stolen from a Te Anga property on November 2. Police say two people, believed to be Phillips and one of his children, took the bike and drove south. CCTV then shows a child and an adult breaking the front glass of a Piopio superette - fleeing when the alarm went off. Acting Detective Inspector Andrew Saunders says they want the public to report any suspected sightings immediately. "For anyone out there that may be helping him, just remember that this is not a good father looking after his children." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is going to make the Rugby World Cup pain worse, isn't it? Apparently World Rugby has privately conceded that the disallowed Aaron Smith try in the Rugby World Cup final should actually have been allowed. They're not saying this publicly, but media are reporting that World Rugby have privately acknowledged to the All Blacks that the refs got it wrong. What happened was that the refs denied the try because the TMO found a knock-on at a lineout in the lead up to the try. But the trouble is, the knock-on was four phases back. And the World Rugby rules say that if the TMO goes back looking for knock-ons in the lead up to a try, they can only go back 2 phases. And this is not some random, obscure rule, it's a rule that was passed in the middle of last year. So the refs got it wrong, and the try should've stood. Now this is going to start the 'what ifs', isn’t it? Because- what if the try was allowed? Might the All Blacks have won? Sure, Beauden Barrett made up for it just a few minutes later when he scored a try to replace that try, but it was in a hard to convert-from position, so the conversion was missed. Is possible that if the All Blacks were given this try, the conversion might have gone through the posts? And instead of losing by 1 point, the All Blacks could've won by 1 point? We don’t know, and we never will. But what we can absolutely know for sure is the TMO needs to change, doesn't it? The Telegraph in the UK has just published 10 simple and effective rule changes that should be made to rugby referring- and number 2 is reduce TMO involvement. Amen to that. And what the Telegraph recommends - on the basis of consulting with coaches, analysts and fans- is that the TMO should only look at try scoring placements and severe acts of foul play, nothing else. “No slow-motion replays of forward passes – more on that later – and knock-ons, no slo-mo footage of ambiguous double movements.” Again, amen. I am heartily sick of some guy behind a computer scouring every single movement in the lead up to a try to see if he can find any reason to say "the computer says no". Limit the TMO and put the passion back in the sport. It won't give the 2023 Rugby World Cup to the All Blacks, but it will stop us wanting to throw our coffee cups at the screen. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

London police estimate there were over 300,000 gathered at a pro-Palestinian rally in London calling for a Gaza ceasefire. This weekend's rally marked the region's biggest protest since the Israel-Hamas conflict began. At least 145 people have been arrested, many of them counter-protestors who belonged to far-right groups. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says people have been charged with possession of weapons, public disorder, possession of drugs and assault. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and former Labour chief of staff Mike Munro joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Chris Luxon has warned coalition negotiations will be extended for another week- and claimed it seems unlikely he'll make it to APEC. Is this a bad look for the National Party, or does this process need more time? MBIE is planning to cut jobs and budgets in the coming months- is this a good idea? ANZ brought in a net profit of over $2.2 billion in the year ending September. Is this a bad look in a cost of living crisis? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christopher Luxon says coalition talks will probably prevent him from attending this week's APEC leaders' meeting in San Fransisco. The summit for Pacific Rim leaders is expected to focus on conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. It will also include a crucial meeting between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the first on American soil in about seven years. NZME business commentator Fran O'Sullivan says Chris Luxon will miss the chance to do a political sweep and show several key leaders what his Government aims to accomplish. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sticking points in National's tax plan seem be causing friction in Government negotiations. New Zealand First's Shane Jones told media today his party's working out some 'jagged edges'. NewstalkZB understands they involve how National will pay for tax cuts. ZB political editor Jason Walls says two issues are lifting the foreign buyers ban and dipping into the Climate Emergency Response Fund. He says New Zealand First aren't happy for that money to be used on tax cuts- and would rather it go into making regions more resilient to climate change. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Henry Nicholls has been cleared by independent commissioners of ball tampering allegations during day three of Canterbury's Plunket Shield match against Auckland at Hagley Oval. Video footage showed the Black Cap scraping the ball on a batting helmet. The commissioners found his actions were unlikely to alter the condition of the ball. Sportstalk host Elliott Smith explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The brains behind New Zealand's largest regenerative beauty brand has her eyes on a new sustainable venture. Brianne West plans to reduce the use of single-use plastic soda bottles with ‘Incrediballs', tablets that add fizz and flavour to a glass of water. West says ‘Incrediballs' will be packaged in fully home compostable wrapping to prevent moisture from damaging the product before use. "We found a company in the UK that literally just patented new technology, that means this product is a lot more stable environmentally." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger has reached out to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. In a letter written to the President of the global network Mayors For Peace, Mauger said he recognises a state's obligation to defend itself from aggression, but condemned the massacre of innocents. Christchurch City Councillor Yani Johanson says the Mayors For Peace has an extensive global reach and could work together to address the ongoing conflict. "All of us are seeing what is very a disturbing and horrific humanitarian situation in Gaza, and we've also seen the extraordinary loss of innocent civilian lives- I think it's important to do what we can." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's Nicola Willis is defending Luxon as he extends post-election coalition talks. Luxon has begun another week of discussions with coalition partners ACT and NZ First, and it's looking less likely he'll attend APEC on Wednesday. The Finance Minister-elect says she's not going to go into detail about who's talking to who, but coalition discussions are progressing. "We're making sure we're getting through the issues that matter so we can sign agreements, go to the Governor-General and form a Government." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Coromandel's State Highway 25A's fix has come in ahead of time and under cost. The road between between Kōpū and Hikuai was cut in two by Cyclone Gabrielle in January, with numerous major slips blocking travel. It'll reopen by December 20, a full three months earlier than anticipated. Waka Kotahi's Jo Wilton says the team worked hard and planned ahead- but there were special circumstances behind this faster-than-expected repair. "Because it was emergency work, the consenting process is retrospective. As long as we built to the standard, we could do the consenting retrospectively. Plus, we didn't need to purchase any land." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former Minister says the continuing Government negotiations are starting to look bad for Chris Luxon. Another week of talks has begun, and the Prime Minister-elect says he's unlikely to be able to leave for the APEC Summit on Wednesday, with nothing wrapped up. Peter Dunne says Luxon gave the impression his business background would help him strike a deal quickly. "He's got the second-longest set of negotiations since NZ First was first involved in negations. And he's somehow seems to believe he could do it all differently- and better. He's fallen into the same trap others have." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ANZ's CEO is defending its cash net profit, at a time where households struggle with the cost of living. The country's largest bank has reported a 10 percent increase in its cash net profit in the year ending September. Antonia Watson says their profit of over $2 billion is a lot of money in a New Zealand sense. "The thing is, we're just really big- and I think that's the hard thing for Kiwis to get their heads around. Our profits are middle-of-the-road." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Auckland University researcher has raised concerns over the nation's vaping rates. OECD data shows New Zealand has the second-highest number of people aged 15 or over vaping regularly, just behind Estonia. More than 8 percent of those in that age group regularly vape in New Zealand, with higher rates among teens. Researcher Kelly Burrowes says a high percentage of Kiwi teens have been drawn to vaping, surging ahead of other nations. "18 percent of that age group are regular vapers- that is a lot higher than in the UK or Australia, where it's only around 5 or 8 percent." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Flow-on effects from a cyber attack are affecting Australia's second-largest port operator. DP World Australia, which is responsible for 40 percent of maritime freight, stopped internet access to all its ports on Friday, halting goods movement in and out of the country. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says the ports in Perth and Brisbane have just restarted operations. But he says Sydney can't accept export cargo for another two weeks. "So you can imagine the massive delays this is going to create for businesses well into the lead-up to Christmas, they believe they'll be running out of stock in the next few weeks." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's starting to get a bit awkward with how long these coalition negotiations are taking, especially now that Chris Luxon’s warned us we might not get a deal until the end of this week. These talks are about to become the second longest set of coalition talks in the history of MMP. Former Green Party MP Gareth Hughes went back through all of the elections and counted how long it took from each election date to the end of the coalition talks. 1996 was of course the longest- and most famous for it because Winston went fishing. 2002 under Helen Clark took 12 days, 2005 took 30 days, 2008 under John Key took 8 days, 2011 took 9 days, 2014 took 15 days, and then 2017 with Jacinda and Winston took 26 days. As of today, these talks are at 30 days. They are tied for the second longest spot with 2005. From tomorrow, they become the second longest only to the infamous 1996 fishing trip talks. That’s embarrassing for Chris Luxon. Because he’s the guy who’s talked up his negotiating skills, given he’s done a lot of mergers and acquisitions. And he’s the guy who set the deadline of wrapping this up in time for him to go to APEC. If he wants to still go to APEC, he needs this wrapped up by Wednesday. Even he now doesn’t think that’s going to happen. It's awkward for him to be failing in the very first task he’s set for himself as PM. The start of a Government is a really important period. It sets up voters’ expectations for the first term, that's why Governments often write up 100 day plans. Because they want to create a sense of urgency and give the impression they’re changing things fast. Literally the opposite of that is happening right now. There is no sense of urgency, nothing's changing fast, there's no momentum. Awkwardly, it also feels a bit like Luxon might have underestimated a couple of politicians. Namely, Winston and David Seymour, who seem to be running rings around him. Unfortunately for Chris Luxon, every day that these talks drag on chip away at the perception that voters have of him as being a great mergers and acquisitions guy. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Calls are growing for the Home Secretary Suella Braverman to resign after she wrote an article attacking the police in London over the decision to allow a pro-Palestinian march the same day as the Armistice commemorations on Saturday. The boss of McDonalds in the UK is to be questioned by MPs over claims of sexual abuse, harassment, racism and bullying uncovered by the BBC. A supermarket chain in the north of England has become the first in the UK to ditch almost all its self-service tills and go back to fully-staffed checkouts. UK Correspondent Gail Downey spoke to Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Officially we don't know yet whether Xi Jinping will be at APEC in San Francisco next week, but it does look very likely? If he comes, will he meet with Joe Biden? Meanwhile, Bloomberg is reporting that Xi Jinping is set to attend a dinner with top us business execs including Tesla's Elon Musk and Apple's Tim Cook. How was Anthony Albanese's visit to China received over there? And China has released its long awaited action plan to reduce methane emissions. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Blackcaps are on the verge of yet another world cup semi-final after a convincing five wicket win against Sri Lanka. Meaning that Pakistan needs to win against England tomorrow night by at least 287 runs, while batting first, to overtake them on net run rate. Essentially, it's all but confirmed the Blackcaps will face favourites India. And Blackcap's bowler Trent Boult talked to Heather du Plessis-Allan about the results and what to expect for the semi-final. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fonterra's new climate plan has been welcomed by Federated Farmers and climate researchers The company pledged to reduce farm emissions by 30% by 2030. Business commentator Rod Oram joins Heather du Plessis-Allan to talk about it. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour leader and outgoing Prime Minister Chris Hipkins was re-elected as leader. Was he really only the valid option?Where do coalition negotiations currently sit?Should Electoral Commissioner Karl Le Quesne lose his job over the election mistakes?ZB's Political Editor Jason Walls wraps the week that was. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwisaver provider Simplicity has announced it will immediately sell off its shares in three Israeli banks in response to the conflict in Gaza. Simplicity says after an internal review, it decided the banks don't meet the requirements of its responsible investment policy. Sam Stubbs is the CEO of Simplicity talked to Heather du Plessis-Allan about it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight in The Sports Huddle, ZB's Andrew Alderson and sports journalist Lavina Good joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! The Black Caps comprehensively beat Sri Lanka and now have one foot in the semi-finals. But can they beat India?Eddie Jones has turned up in Japan after he said he wasn't interested in the job. How toxic is he? And Beauden Barrett could be back in the All Blacks in 2024.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Winston Peters and his team have left the capital, after a whirlwind of talks with Act and National. Newstalk ZB understands New Zealand First's leader has landed in Auckland, to reflect on talks so far, and the next round. It's understood Act and New Zealand First have laid down the law to National warning Chris Luxon a government he leads won't simply have the minor parties on the side. Rather they will be an intricate part of any Governing arrangement agreed. Meanwhile, there's been an early agreement an Act, National, New Zealand First Government will have a strong focus on fast-tracking infrastructure. ZB Political Editor Jason Walls updated Heather du Plessis-Allan on the progress. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Bird of the Century winner announcement will now be delayed by two days following an influx of hundreds of thousands of votes thanks to British comedian John Oliver and his Puteketeke campaign. The winner will be announced on Wednesday 15th November while voting closes at 5pm on Sunday the 12th. Forest and Bird communications advisor Ellen Rykers spoke to Heather du Plessis-Allan about it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police investigating the murder of baby Ruthless Empire believe that crucial evidence was disposed of - and have revealed more details surrounding the death of the toddler three weeks ago. Nobody has been charged and it appears that the three people of interest have not given police the full story. NZ Herald reporter, Melissa Nightingale, has been following developments today. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Act's leader says a strong relationship with Winston Peters is important, as Government-forming talks continue. David Seymour and the New Zealand First leader talked for just 10 minutes in Wellington today. He told Heather du Plessis Allan it wasn't a long talk, but it was productive. He says it's worth taking the time to speak face-to-face - with three years ahead of them. He says all three parties have to work together and a triangle is always going to be stronger than a V, if all three parties are talking at the same time. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Whitehouse says Israel has agreed to four-hour military pauses in Gaza. This comes after a lot of pressure from the US on Israel. Meanwhile, there is a year to go until the Presidential Election and there's concern that Joe Biden isn't going to win. But any other democrat candidate could? And now that the actors have agreed to a deal, when are the shows coming back on, and how much has it cost the industry? US Correspondent Dan Mitchinson spoke to Heather du Plessis-Allan about it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Black Caps batsman Henry Nicholls reported by match umpires for alleged ball tampering in Plunket Shield match. Meanwhile, the Black Caps are all but into the Cricket World semi-finals, but could they beat India?And the Warriors are taking some of their games to Christchurch. Is this a good idea?Weekend Sport host Jason Pine spoke to Heather du Plessis-Allan about these stories and more. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Disappointment with NZQA after major disruptions for Year 11 students sitting an online exam. More than 20,000 tried to sit the NCEA Level 1 English exam today. But the system buckled under the pressure after about 18-thousand pupils had logged on - and access was cut. Avonside College Principal, Catherine Laws told Heather du Plessis-Allan a number of students were distressed. She says those with special assessment conditions already have barriers to communicating what they want to say, so it was really tough for them. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I don’t Karl Le Quesne the guy who runs the Electoral Commission. He seems like a serious sort of man who takes his job seriously which is the kind of person I quite like. So I have nothing against him, but he has to lose his job over the stuff ups this election. There have been too many stuff ups: The problem getting getting the Easy Vote cards out before the election. The computers system crashed for a while on election day. They lost an entire box of votes in the final count. 15 seats ended up having wrong final counts. And finally, they thought it was a good idea to put a voting booth in a marae in Manurewa where the CEO of the marae was running for parliament and won the seat and is now an MP. If you were generous, and most of us are, you could probably excuse a few counting errors and and a computer system crashing because mistakes happen. But this many mistakes is too many, and there is no excuse for putting the voting booth in the marae. Sure, Karl wasn't personally counting the votes and running the computer system so you might think it’s harsh for him to lose his job. But here’s why he has to: standards, and Karl should be made an example of to the rest of the public service. Because it is getting sloppy all over the place Stats NZ stuffed up two censuses in a row, the Electoral Commission stuffed up the election, Adrian Orr stuffed up inflation, Pharmac's CEO got busted writing snarky emails about a journalist cum patient advocate, and today the NZQA stuffed up the NCEA level 1 English exam when the online system couldn't handle 20,000 students and slowed down so badly 10% of them couldn't do it online. We have a right to expect our public servants to do their jobs to a certain standard and if they don’t there should be consequences. If the incoming government wants to tidy up the public service and get them operating anywhere near the same standard as businesses up and down this country they have the perfect way to send a message. Start by holding the boss of the Electoral Commission responsible for a job badly done. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Boris Johnson warned that the Tories were 'drifting to defeat' under Rishi Sunak's leadership. The former Prime Minister claimed Sunak was offering voters 'nothing to rally behind' and that they needed a 'positive agenda for change'. UK correspondent Enda Brady says the Opposition party is currently leading by 45 percent in the polls and they're in with a good chance ahead of next year's election. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Nick Mills from ZB's Wellington Mornings and BRG director Georgina Stylianou joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Winston Peters held an impromptu press conference about the ongoing coalition discussions, and claimed 'speed is of the essence'. Is Winston getting impatient? Labour's Helen White is under pressure to defend her campaign, after emails leaked showing her volunteers blamed Hipkins, and the Greens for her election result? What do we think of this? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Industry experts are 'cautiously optimistic' about Fonterra's plan to reduce on-farm emissions by 30 percent by 2030. The dairy co-op has promised to utilise new technology, changes to farming practice and existing and new vegetation to remove carbon. The Country's Jamie Mackay says a 30 percent reduction in 7 years is unlikely, based on current projections. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More eyes are on the Commerce Commission, as Foodstuffs seeks their approval for a merger. The retail giant hopes to merge its North Island and South Island operations into one business, but needs the Government agency to sign off. NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann says these businesses have to see some threats of legislation or disruption before they get too big. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fifteen voting places have been found to have data entry errors causing changes for electorate candidate results. The Electoral Commission has just released amended official results after doing a full check of party, electorate and special votes. Errors include one electorate where some special votes were entered incorrectly, and 620 votes in the East Coast that were included in the preliminary count but not the official count. ZB political editor Jason Walls says this mistake adds to a worsening look for the Electoral Commission. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Creditors of failed online grocery business Supie today voted in favour of liquidation at a watershed meeting. A report from BusinessDesk counted 14 people in multiple meetings held about the company, despite 100 seats being laid out at PwC's Auckland office. Neat Meat founder and former Supie creditor Simon Eriksen doesn't think there's a lot of money left over. "The money has gone, and knowing enough about that business- there probably isn't a lot left over after you pay wages and whatnot." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Global logistics company Mainfreight has reported a significant slump in net profit and revenue. Their result shows profits declined 42 percent, to $124 million- after a successful 2022. CEO Don Braid says the company managed to have two really good years, as the company took advantage of unprecedented demand. "We're now heading towards a more normalised trading environment, freight volumes are down dramatically from the nutty period where we had economic stimulus from Governments around the world." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The head of the under-pressure Electoral Commission has apologised once again, for yet another voting day error. Earlier this week, the Herald revealed 3 voting places where the data entry was incorrect. But after an investigation, the Commission revealed that number was actually 15. Chief Electoral Officer Karl Le Quesne says this was a regrettable error. "It appears the quality assurance checks didn't pick it up- they should have. When we went through yesterday and applied all those checks again, that's when we found things didn't reconcile." Overall results have not been affected, nor the electorates where recounts are underway. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fonterra says their emissions reduction scheme will work for the benefit of its farmers. The dairying giant plans to slash on-farm greenhouse gases 30 percent by 2030 through new tech, farming practices and carbon removal. There's no punishment for farmers not complying- the company instead hopes demand from customers to go green will be incentive enough. Director of Sustainability Charlotte Rutherford says it's about productivity and efficiency. "It's generally a good thing for farmers- it can make them more profitable and can certainly make them more resilient into the future." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pharmac is reconsidering whether or not it will continue to fund the RSV drug Palivizumab. It planned to stop funding, but it's now rethinking that after new information. Auckland University Associate Professor Jane Alsweiler says the drug is highly effective at keeping babies out of hospital. Pharmac Chief Medical Officer David Hughes says the past source of funding has dried up. "Additional Covid-19 pandemic funding from the Government- that funding has ended. And that means Palivizumab needs to be considered through Pharmac's usual process." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An obscured view might be just the ticket for some Taylor Swift fans. Frontier Touring is releasing additional tickets to her Melbourne and Sydney shows, including partially-obstructed side view seats, starting from $80. Promoters Association President Brent Eccles says there might be some small thing that might restrict your view. But he says often it is just a precautionary note. "Part of the show might be obscured by details, maybe a small marquee or something- but you still get to see the full video presentation." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Australian Government's launching a review into the nationwide Optus outage affecting millions. Customers started to report an inability to access both mobile and home internet services around 6am yesterday - with emergency services unable to communicate and trains in Melbourne brought to a halt. Services are gradually being restored. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says millions of Australians were left 'vulnerable' as a result of the outage. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.