Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Labour's Rachel Boyack says she's delighted with the final count result for her Nelson seat, but acknowledges it’s a small margin. On the official count, she leapfrogged National's Blair Cameron to win the seat by 29 votes. Boyack told Andrew Dickens she's received notification from her National opponent he'll seek a recount for the Nelson seat. “My expectation is that’ll happen reasonably quickly, and I’m still very hopeful I will retain the seat.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's campaign chair has clarified his earlier warnings of a second election. The final vote count reveals National's dropped two seats to 48, which means it no longer has a majority with ACT's 11 and will need New Zealand First. During the campaign Chris Bishop cautioned voters could be sent back to the polls if the three parties couldn't come to an arrangement. Today he told Andrew Dickens that was only one scenario. “As things have turned out, there have been really productive and constructive conversations between New Zealand First and National, and also between National and ACT, and so that is not a possibility.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Beatles have released what they say is their very last song ever that’s been 45 years in the making. ‘Now and Then’ is a cassette track that John Lennon gave to Sir Paul McCartney, and then Sir Peter Jackson used technology to recreate Lennon’s voice with AI and added music from the surviving Beatles Sir Paul and Sir Ringo Starr. It’s certainly made people think about The Beatles again, and their place in our culture. Ultra Beatles fan Joanna Jones joined Andrew Dickens. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour will be a “formidable opposition” as they work to “win back the confidence of more New Zealanders” over the next term, leader Chris Hipkins says. The party will have 34 of the expected 123 seats in Parliament over the next three years. Hipkins said he felt Labour had picked up some momentum over the campaign, as evidenced by on-the-day versus advance voting results. But the special votes appeared to reflect the advance voting. “Labour has been sent a message and we have heard it. We will be working hard to rebuild support over the next three years and continue to stand up for working people, children and the environment,” Hipkins said. “While Labour governed during an incredibly challenging time for New Zealand, progress was being made. We can’t let that go to waste.” Hipkins said the party’s economic management was seeing the economy turn a corner with inflation and food prices coming down, low unemployment and growing wages. The former Government also made inroads in climate change and child poverty, he said. He said the party would hold the expected coalition partners National, Act and New Zealand First to account and “stand up for working people, our children and the environment”. “The incoming Government made big promises during the campaign and made it very clear to New Zealanders that they will deliver on all of them. This includes tax cuts of $250 per fortnight for many families, significant reductions in crime, greater numbers of frontline health workers and a free trade deal with India. ”We will be holding them to account for these promises but will also remain vigilant against any policies that hurt working families, our economy and the environment.” Hipkins said the final results meant Labour had lost senior and new MPs who worked hard for New Zealand and New Zealanders, although he believed it was likely there would be a recount in some seats. ”I want to personally thank those MPs and their families, who have given so much to the country and to the Labour Party. Thank you for working hard to make a difference for your communities and for New Zealand,” he said. He said he had a brief conversation with Peeni Henare, who lost by four votes, and he fully supported him if he wanted to call for a recount given the slim margin. Hipkins said there was some “clear vote-splitting” in the Māori electorates, with voters opting to give Labour their party vote and Te Pāti Māori their electorate vote. On safe Labour seats being flipped or held by slim margins, Hipkins said he felt Labour had to reflect in particular on its loss of support in Auckland. He said the party’s research showed they lost a lot of support at the end of the Auckland Covid lockdown and had not regained it. Hipkins assured New Zealanders they still had “great talent and experience” in their team, including a number of former ministers, and they planned to work hard. ”It has been an absolute privilege to serve as prime minister, and I’d like to offer my warmest thanks to everyone who supported me, and our Government over the past six years,” Hipkins said. On his future as leader of the party, he said he still had a “bit of fight left in me” and was “absolutely committed to the Labour Party”. He said he had not yet had the chance to seek feedback from colleagues if they would continue to support him but he would continue to “do right” by the Labour Party. Hipkins said Labour would remain the caretaker Government for as long as it took for National, Act and NZ First to hammer out a coalition agreement.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eric Trump, one of two sons entrusted to run Donald Trump’s real estate empire, today swore he was never involved with or aware of financial statements that New York state lawyers say fraudulently puffed up the ex-president’s wealth and the worth of the family business. But when a state lawyer pulled up decade-old emails in which a fellow Trump Organisation executive asked him for information needed to complete one of his dad’s financial statements, the irritated son strove to clarify. “We’re a major organisation — yes, I’m fairly sure I understand that we have financial statements. Absolutely,” Eric Trump said. But, he insisted: “I had no involvement and never worked on my father’s statement of financial condition.” Later, when told another Trump Organisation figure gave evidence about him being on a video call about his father’s financial statement as recently as 2021, Eric Trump said he could not remember. “I’m on a thousand calls a day,” he said. Eric Trump followed brother Donald Trump Jr in giving evidence at the family’s New York civil fraud trial, a prelude to their father’s scheduled evidence on Tuesday. Both sons are Trump Organisation executive vice presidents. As court adjourned, with Eric Trump watching from the witness stand, the judge laid into the defence for dragging his law clerk into their complaints about his handling of the trial. The clerk was the target of a false and disparaging Trump social media post early in the trial, leading Engoron to impose a gag order barring parties in the case from smearing court staff. Engoron, raising his voice at times, raised the possibility of expanding the gag order but took no action. The judge said he suspected “a bit of misogyny” toward the clerk, who sits alongside him. Trump’s lawyers denied the allegation. Trump lawyer Christopher Kise sparked Engoron’s fury by calling out the clerk for passing notes to the judge. He said: “I feel like I’m fighting two adversaries” and said the defence team perceived there was “co-judging taking place.” New York Attorney General Letitia James is suing Donald Trump, his company and top executives including Eric and Donald Jr, accusing them of inflating the ex-president’s net worth on annual financial statements that were given to banks, insurers and others to secure loans and make deals. The former president and other defendants deny wrongdoing. Donald Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican nomination, reiterated on his Truth Social platform that he sees the trial as “RIGGED,” a “Miscarriage of Justice,” and “Election Interference.” James and the judge who will decide the case, Arthur Engoron, are Democrats. “The Trump Organisation is Financially Strong, Powerful, Very Liquid, AND HAS DONE NOTHING WRONG,” Trump wrote. Eric Trump, as he started his evidence, said he “never had anything to do with the statement of financial condition,” didn’t believe he’d ever seen one and “didn’t know anything about it, really, until this case came into fruition.” “It’s not what I did for the company,” said the son, who has insisted his interests lie mainly in “pouring concrete” — constructing and operating properties. He said that while he knew the company had financial documents, he “was not personally aware of the statement of financial condition”. State lawyer Andrew Amer then showed him 2013 emails from then-Trump Organization controller Jeffrey McConney. He explained to Eric Trump, then in a different role at the company, that he was “working on your father’s statement of financial condition” and needed information on one of the company’s properties. Eric Trump, second from left, appears at the fraud trial for his father, former President Donald Trump, at New York Supreme Court. In another email that year, McConney said he was “working on the notes to Trump’s annual financial statement” and asked Eric and others for an update on any major construction work that had recently been started. “Yes, I know Jeff McConney does financial statements for my father,” Eric Trump said, shifting back in his chair. Soon after, he sprang into his answer about the company being a “massive real estate organisation”, his voice rising as he spoke. After pointing out emails and documents that indicated Eric Trump had answered McConney’s requests, Amer asked the witness to concede that he was, in fact, “very familiar” with the financial statements. “I just don’t think it would have registered,” Eric Trump said, portraying the messages as answering an accounting colleague’s request for a property description. “I don’t really care where it’s being used. I care about providing them information from the department that I’m running.” Donald Trump Jr. earlier gave evidence that, despite James’ allegations, he still believed his father’s financial statements were “materially accurate.” His father has said that, if anything, the numbers listed on the documents low-balled his wealth. Echoing evidence from the previous day, Trump Jr insisted he dea

International rugby's most experienced referee Wayne Barnes has announced his retirement after 111 tests. His retirement comes just days after the Rugby World Cup final, where he cited online abuse, including death threats, in his reasoning for stepping down. A must-win game for the Black Caps in Bengaluru against Pakistan. The Black Caps have lost their last three in a row, and need a win to all but secure their spot in the Cricket World Cup semifinals. Weekend Sport host Jason Pine joined Andrew Dickens. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Seymour says he's confident he will be able to work alongside Winston Peters. The final Special Votes count has confirmed National and ACT will need NZ First to form a government. He says he has reached out to the New Zealand First leader but hasn't heard back yet. Seymour told Andrew Dickens they will need to put aside their differences. “This is a relationship that’s gonna work basically because the voters are keen and green in any election – they have asked us to work together and that we will do.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last Monday when I was hosting afternoon talkback I got a pithy little text that said "We've got rid of the clownshow and here comes the 3-ring circus." It's pretty funny because it's pretty true and it's happened. The counting of the special votes has confirmed that Luxon and Seymour need Winston and as we all know Seymour and Peters are not BEST friends. Critics warn of a conservative coalition of chaos. That won't be so but only if it's a coalition of compromise. It could be worse. Labour, the Greens, New Zealand First and Te Pāti Māori together have 63 seats. In a parliament of 123, that means they could have theoretically stolen the election. So thank Chris Hipkins for ruling Winston Peters out before the election. Now the horse-trading begins and the fight for influence between ACT and New Zealand First and the question exists as to who National will owe more to. The larger party, ACT, or the smaller party, New Zealand First, that gives them the final vital votes to form the government. It's the age-old question of coalitions — the saga of the tail and the dog. Meanwhile, the special votes have no good news for Labour. The final upshot is that just 26.9 per cent of New Zealand voted for the party. A sad result after over 50 per cent supported the party a short 3 years ago. The ultimate sign of the disaffection is Mt Albert where Helen White has held on but with an even smaller majority than on election night. In 2020 the majority was 20 thousand votes. Now it's just 20. A brutal swing which shows the verdict on the party, the policies and the candidate. There is no way that Helen can continue to say she's done well. And despite all the concessions Labour made to their Māori caucus and the policies that gave many New Zealanders conniptions, Māori have turned around and given their seats to Te Pāti Māori. The ultimate snub was to Labour's deputy leader Kelvin Davis, who has lost his seat. And if he's true to his word then he'll have to resign. Which can I say might be a blessing for Labour as it tries to rebuild. So here we are with a parliament of 122 seats about to become 123 under the bizarre vagaries of MMP. Certainly, if we had First past the Post this would have been a more clearcut process of government formation. But we don't. We have what we have and it's now over to our political leaders to show the maturity to stitch together a stable government to lead us through a period of time that becomes more complicated as time goes by. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After years in the making, the Beatles are set to release their musical farewell to the world. 'Now and Then' features all four members on the track, and will be the last song credited to Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr. The song is being released Friday and the video debuts on Saturday. UK correspondent Enda Brady says this song has been 45 years in the making, with AI enhancing the final product. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle- Sam Johnson, Projects Director at Still and Capital director Neale Jones joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! MPI has ordered 'brain drink' creators Ārepa to publish a notice saying some of its claimed health and performance benefits are unsubstantiated. Is this marketing misleading- or should consumers have known better? A search is underway at Erin Patterson's house in Victoria months after she cooked a deadly mushroom meal for her family. Patterson has been arrested- what happens next? Is there any way she can get a fair trial? The public service costs have continued to increase- up 4.5 percent on last year. The average annual salary for a public servant is $92,000- Will this probably reinforce the incoming Government's view that a trim is needed? Tomorrow's final election results are in- how do we think this will play out? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The economic outlook in the United States is looking up. GDP in America has increased at an annual rate of 4.9 percent in the third quarter in 2023, according to recent data. Their inflation is currently at 3.7 percent and consumer spending is surging. Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds recaps the less-than-stellar market reaction to the ongoing US quarterly result season. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shareholder confidence in New Zealand's primary sector listed companies has fallen to an eight-year low and dropped 22 percent on the 10 months since January. The S&P/NZX Primary Sector Index dropped to 10,000, a low not seen since January 2016. The Country's Jamie Mackay says only the Fonterra Shareholders Fund has managed to stay positive all year. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The incoming National-led Government will soon have to make headway on their plans for the economy. The sector has already reported increased confidence, with data from Auckland's Business Chamber showing confidence levels are up 11 percentage points from before the election. NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann says the incoming Government will want to begin by clearing up the short-term economic issues. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The nervous wait is almost over for a number of MPs on the cusp of losing their spot in Parliament. The much-anticipated final results - including special votes - will be released tomorrow at 2pm. ZB political editor Jason Walls says a lot's riding on the last 570,000 votes to be counted. "On current numbers, National and ACT can form a slim majority. But it's likely the centre-right bloc will lose at least one or two seats- that means they'll need NZ First to form a Government." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Homes have been destroyed and tens of thousands of hectares of pasture have been burned up, as wildfires tear through Queensland. Conditions have eased today, but dozens of bushfire warnings are in place as firefighters struggle to bring the disasters back under control. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says firefighters are working to build containment lines around dangerous areas, as it's only a matter of time until temperatures flare up again. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A New York Times piece explored the age-old conundrum- should children be excluded from dinner parties? A child-free couple were eager to spend time with friends, but weren't keen on including their kids on the guest list, sparking debate as to what the most ethical solution could be. NZ Listener food columnist Lauraine Jacobs is in favour of leaving kids out of the equation. "If my son and his wife want to see another couple, they often go out. People are prepared to get baby-sitters, aren't they?" LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A wave of business failings is expected on the horizon. BWA Insolvency's latest report shows 20 percent more business fell in the third quarter of 2023, than in the same time last year. Their managing director says more are inevitable, with the central Government attempting to drive down discretionary spending. Bryan Williams says there are also an increase in costs and labour shortages. "And there is a worldwide downturn of commercial activity. Add all those together, and the end of the rainbow doesn't look like gold." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A New Zealand-made drink company has been forced to publish a notice saying it's made some 'unsubstantiated' claims. Ārepa calls its product a 'brain drink', but the scientific community has questioned the assertion it boosts mental and athletic performance. The Ministry for Primary Industries has confirmed the notice the company had put online was compulsory, after an investigation into its labelling and advertising. Co-founder and co-chief executive Angus Brown says it's tough to balance complex, emerging science with health codes. "The issue with MPI is in relation to our use of the pre-approved health plans for vitamin C." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Australian media contingent's waiting outside a police station in a small Victorian town - hoping a woman at the centre of a fatal mushroom lunch will emerge. Erin Patterson's being questioned and her Leongatha home is being searched after her arrest this morning. Three people died in July after eating a meal she prepared in July. Australian correspondent Andrew McFarlane says Patterson's previously said she bought mushrooms for the dish at a store. "She says she actually ate the beef wellington in this case and she felt sick and went to hospital- but she also says her two kids, who were at the movie theatre when this meal took place, ate the meal the next day, but they scraped the mushrooms off and they were fine." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The mother of baby Ruthless-Empire - whose death is being investigated by police - has spoken out. Storm Angel Wall has told our newsroom after being told the toddler was choking, she rushed him to hospital, where he died. Police are treating the death as a homicide. Herald reporter Sam Sherwood, says Wall told him she denies being involved in the death. "She described him as the happiest little baby you'd ever see, she said that he was a happy, chappy baby. In her words, she said she was more than sad about what had happened." Our newsroom understands the mother was one of three staying at the Lower Hutt property at the time. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Black Caps deny their fielding standards are slipping after slumping to a third straight defeat at the Cricket World Cup. They've been trounced by 190 runs by South Africa in Pune - New Zealand was rolled for 167 after allowing the Proteas to reach 357 for four. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Extra students are pressuring the roll, resources and planning at New Zealand's biggest school. Education Ministry data shows student rolls grew by nearly 16,000 pupils in the past year, and it says immigration is largely the reason. Rangitoto College Principal Patrick Gale says the school zone has had a lot of infill housing in the past few years. "And that's leading to higher population density, but the families that are choosing to move into those homes are often immigrants- so those two are inter-connected." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This time tomorrow, we will know exactly what we voted for on the 14th of October. The release of the final voting figures will indicate exactly how many seats each party has, and how they can then be part of a coalition, and what the proportion is- and whether they can govern the country or not. To be honest, I had to ask my co-workers what date the election was on, because it felt so long ago. And the reason for that is because it's been over three weeks since October 14th. The length between the election and the counting of the votes has upset many people, including Christopher Luxon. Yesterday, he spoke to Mike Hosking, today he was talking about it in his stand-up. Yesterday, he said he needs to review the electoral law to find out why it takes so long- and perhaps make some changes. That electorate law, by the way? It's had a lot of changes that have been proposed, he's going to also have to look at the independent electoral review, which suggests all sorts of other changes- like a four year term and a lowering of the electoral threshold. There's a bit of work there. Those two ideas sound good to me- but you know what? I actually don't have a problem with how long it has taken to confirm this election result. I know roughly who's going to be leading the Government, I know what their policies are, I know what they're going to have to do to make them happen, I know what they want to do within the first 100 days. Do I need to know what the exact number is today, or yesterday, or a week ago- or on Friday afternoon? Not really. I know other places are quicker, and I know we're a small country. But as we learnt from the last election in America, this is not a thing that can be done wrong or have the implication that it might be done wrong. In New Zealand, we don't do elections wrong. And I actually think we've also enjoyed the three-week break from all the sniping and belly-aching and name-calling that oppositional politics delivers. But here's the thing, in this vacuum we have had, all sorts of rumours spring up. And I think I've seen this all over social media. Some hard-lefties are positive that the half-million special votes are going to the left bloc, which will change the shape of the election. Some people's loyalties strike them blind. I've seen some people reckon that New Zealand First's vote will go up, meaning that Winston will be Luxon's right-hand man- not David Seymour. They reckon that Luxon would enjoy the easier ride with Winston, because - be sure of it - Seymour's going to be tough on Luxon's inherent centrism, which he can't hide no matter how much he protests. Whatever, we don't know. We will know, for certain, without debate- at 2pm tomorrow. Tomorrow is going to be great, we're going to start forming a Government after all. And given that Christopher Luxon, over the last two days, has been so impatient about the result of this election- I think it's obvious he must be willing to wheel and deal at pace. And then we can start working and moving forward, rather than standing still. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ongoing inquiry into the UK's response to the Covid-19 pandemic is still underway, and damning allegations have surfaced. Records kept by former chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance state that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson believed Covid was 'nature's way of dealing with old people'. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says Johnson's pandemic response has been wildly criticised, as he kept flip-flopping as the crisis unfolded. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Nick Mills from ZB's Wellington Mornings and Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! A school in Ōamaru is under fire after students were banned from contacting their parents on a school camp when a group of pupils and staff went missing. Do you think the kids should have been allowed their phones back? Chris Luxon says he's had a chat with Chris Bishop after he compared the Hamas attack to the Holocaust in an email to a member of the public. Is this an example of how difficult it is to tread the line when it comes to this issue? The Labour caucus is set to vote to decide whether or not they want to keep Chris Hipkins around to lead Labour. How do we rate his chances? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's sharemarket is in a steady decline, having dropped 20 percent from its January 2021 peak. The selloffs are accelerated, with a reported 10 percent fall over the past 3 months. Milford Asset Management's Mark Riggall explains why the market is in decline- and the role geopolitics has played in these figures. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank warns that mortgage stress is set to increase, with more households expected to default on payments. The banking regulator forecasts the portion of banks’ housing lending deemed “non-performing” will almost double by early 2025. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny says portions are predicted to increase- but it won't reach the figures from the 2009 Global Financial Crisis. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Luxon's attempted to rein in a top MP, after the leak of an email Chris Bishop sent a to a constituent, likening Hamas's attacks on Israel to the Holocaust. In the email leaked to social media, Bishop was critical of the murders of woman and children at the hands of Hamas. He said such barbarity has not been seen since the Holocaust. ZB political editor Jason Walls says activist groups against antisemitism have claimed Hamas' attacks on Israeli civilians saw the worst slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust- so Bishop technically isn't wrong. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As fireworks go up for sale ahead of Guy Fawkes Day, a survey has revealed a majority of Kiwis support a ban on their use. According to data released by AA Insurance, 53 percent of those surveyed supported a ban on recreational use and a further 20 percent wanted fireworks banned outright. Adrian Nacey from FENZ agrees with a potential ban, saying fireworks can cause property damage, injuries and harm to the environment. "That's not a decision for us to make, obviously, that's up to the Government. But we would support a ban on the public having access to fireworks." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The construction companies behind Transmission Gully are suing Waka Kotahi over the roading project, which remains unfinished. While the road is open, the project is still incomplete after missing multiple opening dates and has exceeded its initial $850 million budget. Waka Kotahi claimed there's a clear disagreement about the outstanding work and standards that need to be met to complete the project- aligning with the contract. Infrastructure NZ CEO Nick Leggett says problems and miscommunications were present throughout all the stages of this project. "This is the lesson from Transmission Gully- we need to build more, we've got a massive $200 billion infrastructure deficit. We've got to be better at renewing the assets we've got." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Oamaru school's under fire for barring students from calling their parents when a group of pupils and staff went missing on a camp. Two students and two staff from St Kevin's College went missing overnight last month at Mount Somers. Search and Rescue teams found them the next morning. Parenting commentator, Nathan Wallis says if it's school policy, it'd be okay. "If it was imposed on them and there's nowhere written down that they're allowed to do that and the parents could have a reasonable expectation that they could contact their kids at any time- then it's not acceptable." The school says it's ordered a full review. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A marketing professor thinks New World's latest pots and pans promo let customers down. Customers have been collecting stickers to claim MasterChef branded cookware. A Wellington customer claims some pans have run out across the city. Auckland University Marketing Professor Mike Lee says you would think the supermarket would have enough stock. "The customers thought they were going to get something, and that's why they spent that money at New World rather than any other retailer." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Chair of General Practice New Zealand says GP capacity issues are becoming a crisis. Te Whatu Ora Health NZ says an overloaded primary healthcare system is to blame for more children turning up at hospital. Bryan Betty says a third of GPs have closed their books, but most are trying to accommodate their base with acute on-the-day appointments, where parents of sick kids can try first. "If capacity is reached or something happens where you can't get in, then you'd need to go to an after-hours medical centre or you'd need to go to an ED if you are concerned, because the prime thing is the child." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Experts claim rising unemployment is necessary medicine to get inflation under control. Stats NZ says unemployment rose to 3.9 percent for the three months to September, up from 3.6 last quarter- and 3.2 a year ago. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen says those figures are still a lot better than they've been in recent history. "Some of the underlying figures suggest that more people coming in from migration, fewer jobs on offer and more people looking for them means there might not be as much additional pressure on prices as we head into next year." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley is gaining more traction in the polls, as Trump holds a steady lead. 53 percent of Republican voters overwhelmingly favour Trump, according to the latest stats- while Haley holds 22 percent of the vote, overtaking Ron DeSantis. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says it's still anyone's race, but Donald Trump is still likely to lead ahead of February's Republican primary. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A deflated All Blacks cohort have come through the gates at Auckland Airport after returning home from the Rugby World Cup in France. The team's been away for over 70 days, having departed New Zealand back in August. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains what's coming next for the All Blacks, as they work to move past last weekend's loss. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Prime Minister Helen Clark says she's shocked by Israel bombing a densely populated refugee camp in north Gaza. Israel has defended the strike, saying it successfully targeted a Hamas commander responsible for the October 7 attack on Israel. Gaza's Health Ministry says the attack killed at least 50 Palestinians. Clark is also a former head of the UN Development programme. She says the past three weeks have been devastating. "The main UN humanitarian agency in Gaza- 67 of their colleagues have been killed. They're among more than 8,500 dead." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UK Foreign Office officials suggested rescinding Benjamin Netanyahu's invitation to a hotly-anticipated AI summit in Bletchley Park. World leaders, experts and tech executives are set to gather at the famed home of World War II codebreakers to discuss safety measures for artificial intelligence. UK correspondent Enda Brady says officials warned Netanyahu's presence could overshadow Rishi Sunak and distract guests from the topics at hand. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Ali Jones from Red PR and Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Former Act MP and Minister Heather Roy wants a ban on public reporting of polls during the voting period because it influences undecided voters. Is this true? Can polls really sway the choices of voters? New research has revealed the number of Kiwi vegans has dropped in recent months, with only three percent identifying as vegan compared to last year's five percent? Why are people making the switch? Have increased food prices driven these numbers down? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Economists across the Tasman have noticed Australia is battling two significant economic shocks at once. Stubbornly high interest rates offset by an increased surge in inward migration are helping keep inflation up- leading to increased concerns that the RBA could hike the OCR up come November. HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham says the increased number of migrants will boost inflation in the short term, but the shock could ease once figures stabilise. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The recent collapse of two high-profile Kiwi startups has raised questions about an incoming downturn for businesses and employment. Online grocery retailer Supie was placed into voluntary administration and craft brewer Deep Creek Brewing went into liquidation today. BusinessDesk managing editor Pattrick Smellie says increased interest rates, stubborn inflation and weak consumer confidence could lead to closures becoming more common. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former ACT MP suggests political polls should be banned once voting opens up during an election campaign. Heather Roy argues that polls have the potential to influence undecided voters during an election period- which doesn't mesh with the strict rules against advertising on election day. She says New Zealand would have fairer and more democratic elections if polls were banned once voting began. "With this election particularly, we just had poll after poll in the two weeks while people were voting- politicians aren't quite sure if they're talking to people who have already voted or are about to vote. I think there just needs to be a rationalisation and some consistency around the rules." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Te Pati Maori is calling on the Government to expel the US ambassador for their country's role in the conflict in Gaza. The Party made the same demand about the Israeli Ambassador, accusing Israel of war crimes. The Maori Party say the US Government has poured billions of dollars into Israel's military and claims it's led to the killing of children in Gaza - not done in self-defence. ZB political editor Jason Walls says it's unlikely New Zealand would expel their US ambassador and distance themselves from their international allies. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One meat supplier is offering a lifeline to Supie's displaced former employees. The grocery start-up was placed into voluntary administration, leaving 120 workers and thousands of customers out of pocket. Neat Meat managing director Simon Eriksen says the company has already reached out and interviewed several former Supie employees. "As we approach summer, naturally a business like ours is growing- the needs are probably a group of 10 to 15, maybe more staff over that period, maybe half will be permanent. We need good staff." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After weeks of rumours and speculation, Eddie Jones has finally walked away from coaching the Wallabies. Rugby Australia announced his resignation earlier today- less than a month after Jones denied he was on the move. Rugby writer and former Wallaby Peter FitzSimons says he saw 'disaster' coming, but predicted this move happening years from now. "I saw it ending in tears 4 or 5 years from now. Eddie's a human cattle prod. He takes over teams, he completely exhausts people, he wears out assistant coaches, he wears out players." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hospitalisations of young children that could have been prevented with better primary care have dramatically risen. Te Whatu Ora data shows such preventable hospitalisations for children up to four years old jumped 35 percent in the year ending June. That's nationally - and it's even higher for Auckland alone, at 66 percent. Interim chief clinical officer, Dr Richard Sullivan, says more young people are turning up with pneumonia and gastro illnesses. "So we're really focusing on how we support our communities, our primary care colleagues- to really turn that dial around." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Warehouse says the Grocery Commissioner needs to chop-chop on reform. The retailer claimed an investigation into Sanitarium briefly stopping its supply of Weet-Bix isn't happening quick enough. Sanitarium kept up supply to supermarkets. Warehouse Chief Product Officer Tania Benyon says combined with online grocery startup Supie failing - it's reason for prompt action from the Commissioner. "He should really use the powers that he has to stop that. We want a fair and level playing field, and he is the person able to do that." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whakaari Management Limited has been found guilty of health and safety failings ahead of the island's 2019 eruption. 47 people were on Whakaari- 22 died and dozens were seriously injured. Newstalk ZB's Chelsea Daniels says the company was found guilty of one charge, but not the other under the Health and Safety Work Act. "What I took away from the verdict was that WML (Whakaari Management Limited) didn't ensure adequate risk assessments were done relating to those tours happening on the island." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No relief yet from devastating bushfires in rural Queensland. More than 50 homes have been burnt down in Tara, about 300 kilometres west of Brisbane- and two people have died. Conditions are expected to worsen tomorrow, with gusty winds and temperatures topping 40 degrees. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says they don't have exact numbers on how many homes have been destroyed. "Because they haven't been able to send assessment teams out to other parts of the fire ground, there could be dozens more. We simply don't know at this point." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The drawn out saga of Eddie Jones' exit as Wallabies coach is officially over. Rugby Australia have confirmed they've accepted Jones' resignation - just 10 months into his five-year deal. It comes less than a fortnight after the 63-year-old declared his commitment to the role. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.