Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

These polls that keep showing Labour ahead of National are a sign of how crap the economy is. Up until a few weeks ago, I was ignoring polls because Labour didn't have any policy. Labour was ahead, but it didn't have any policy. I thought, well this is a protest vote. They're pissed at National for not fixing the mess Labour left behind. But the voters are not stupid. And they're voting for the no-policy party as a protest, not because they'd actually vote for them. But now, Labour has some policies - albeit three. Including the contentious capital gains tax. And they will love how this has played for them so far, because it hasn't actually been a terrible mess. So now that Labour has more policies, confirming they are indeed the party of more tax and more spend, the numbers should be turning, but they're not. The latest IPSOS poll shows voters trust Labour more on the economy, the cost of living - and basically everything but foreign affairs and law and order. And foreign affairs is Winston Peters! The economy should turn around - green shoots next year, etc, etc. But people aren't feeling that yet. So National's strategy of wait and hope till November next year is looking riskier by the day. As for the leadership question - well, Jacinda didn't teach us much about that. But  what we did learn from her is that you can switch leaders really close to an election day and not crash your vote. In fact, you can actually increase it. So an 11th hour switch to Stanford or Bish or whoever will remain a live option right up till D-day. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New polling data has revealed less Kiwis have faith the current Government can turn the economy around ahead of the upcoming election. A New Zealand Herald-Kantar poll has found voters are evenly split on Labour's proposed capital gains tax and about 45 percent of respondents in an IPSOS survey scored the Luxon-led Government below 3 out of 10. Finance Minister Nicola Willis says it's clear a significant number of people are still opposed to the capital gains tax and  the Government has plenty of time to expose the negative impacts. "There's also a big, undecided group in the middle and those are the people that we will be speaking to between now and the election." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A growing number of school boards are making public statements confirming their commitment to the Treaty after the Government announced it would cut the requirements. Previously, the Education Act said schools must ensure their plans, policies, and local curriculum reflect tikanga Māori, but the Government's looking to change it. Queens High school board chair Kate Keddell says schools have been weaving in Te Tiriti obligations into curriculums and the standards won't impact students. "We're just continuing on with the focus that we've been asked to do in the last few years...we are weaving it into our strategies."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a growing push for a future relationship between Uber and the unions, including collective bargaining.  Four drivers have officially won their battle to be recognised as employees in a Supreme Court ruling announced today.  Uber argued they were contractors.  Workers First Union deputy secretary, Anita Rosentreter, says the Employment Relations Authority can now calculate how much Uber owes other members.  "But what about the system going forwards? Clearly, it's not been working for people through the collective bargaining process, we really want to improve the Uber system for all drivers."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Transport Minister says the Government's focused on getting details right - in a speedy change to the 2023 Clean Vehicle Standard - this week. It originally gave importers credits for meeting carbon targets, and charged them for missing.  The Government will now slash them nearly 80 percent, to prevent charges landing consumers. Chris Bishop says they're focused on rolling out change very quickly. "The take-home point for people listening is that they're no longer going to be slugged with potentially thousands of dollars of extra charges just for buying a car next year." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prices are soaring for food staples, with prices up 4.7 percent on a year ago. Stats NZ data for October shows cheese, instant coffee, eggs and milk had some of the largest surges.  Gas rose 14.4 percent and electricity almost 12 percent Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen says fruit and vegetables are cheaper - but not meat. "A couple of months ago, right, we were talking a lot about butter. Mince is now the new butter in a sense, given that that's increased, I think, $23 a kilo." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's pointing to market changes and consumer costs as motivation for changing 2023's Clean Vehicle Standard.  It gave importers credits for meeting carbon targets, and charged them if they missed.   But Transport Minister Chris Bishop says charges are falling on the consumer, which will now be slashed nearly 80 percent. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says the Government's wasted no time getting this through.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in Australia, Victorian police say they've seized a record number of knives and machetes this year, amid growing concerns about knife crime. Police say at least 15,000 knives, machetes and zombie knives had been taken off the streets and destroyed so far in 2025. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says there's been a targeted push to get rid of bladed weapons, especially following the recent machete ban. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Blacks are doing their best to overcome major disappointment and spark up for their final test of the year. The team arrived in Cardiff from London via bus for the 13th and final match - with a number of changes expected in the side to face the Welsh. Cam Roigard and Beauden Barrett are unlikely to play, although would have expected bench roles at most. Sportstalk host Jason Pine explained further - and unpacked whether Razor should be worried.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MBIE says it's working hard to deal with issues regarding sand products potentially contaminated with asbestos.  EC Rainbow Sand 1.3 kilos, Creatistics Coloured Sand, 1 kilo, and four Kmart NZ Magic Sand products have been recalled. MBIE Product Safety Spokesperson Ian Caplin says they are acting with an abundance of caution - and people shouldn't panic.  "The potential impact of asbestos exposure is a long-term thing, people don't need to take immediate steps to manage their health." Anyone concerned about health effects should call Healthline.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 14 November 2025, we have officially missed our climate goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. So why are we sending a massive delegation to the talkfest that is Cop30? Labour's Deborah Russell tells Heather why the trip to Brazil is important. One of the outcomes of the damning McSkimming IPCA report has been the establishment of an Inspector General for the police. But would this have changed anything?   Retirement Commissioner Jane Wrightson wants to take Government Kiwisaver contributions from the rich to pay the poor. Whitcoulls is being accused of censorship for pulling a raunchy literary journal off its shelves. Folly Journal editor Emily Broadmore speaks to Heather about the publication. The Sports Huddle debates whether being selected as a bench player is just as prestigious as being picked for the starting XV. And will Heather buy a Lotto ticket this week? Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

OK, quick quiz for you. Think of the Labour Party. Who is the climate spokesperson? Yeah, no, you didn't get it right because it's Deborah Russell. I know. I didn't think it was that either. I didn't know it. And you know what, it's my job to know this kind of stuff. But to be fair to me, in the entirety of this year thus far, Deborah has only put out 3 press releases on the climate and the third one was today. And guess what it was about? It was announcing that Deborah is going to the annual Global Climate conference, COP 30, and she's gonna be leaving on Sunday and she's gonna be coming back Saturday, which means she's there basically for a week because of course she is, because who doesn't want a week in Brazil on the boss's credit card. I see what Deborah's doing. But let's also see this for what it is, right? Deborah's contribution to the climate this year is 3 press releases and a long-haul flight to Brazil return. So all up, a net negative contribution to the climate, which pretty much is the story though. And just not to pick on Deborah here, because this is what everybody's doing. This is the story of every single COP, isn't it? Thousands of people fly into a place burning up who knows how many emissions, only to have a gab fest, issue a bunch of press releases and really achieve nothing. A massive net negative for the climate. That's what COP is. You know what the big news story out of COP is today? That it's failed. 1.5 is dead. It will not be achieved. This was what we were told we needed to do to save humanity. Hit 1.5, keep the temperature rises to 1.5, no more. We have known for a while that 1.5 is dead. It is now officially dead. So Deborah is flying to a conference that has already admitted that the aim of COP 26, which is four conferences ago, which was to keep 1.5 alive, is actually dead in the water. In which case, it begs the question, why do we keep wasting emissions to go to an annual get-together that fails every single year? I think I've got the answer, because it means a week in Brazil. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A shareholder vote to approve a takeover bid for Comvita has not gathered enough votes to proceed.   The bid from Florence to buy Comvita at 80 cents a share required 75% support from shareholders to go through.   Although the official vote count has not been released, we know that the numbers fall short of the margin.   Octagon Chief Investment Officer Paul Robertshawe told Heather duPlessis-Allan that anything is possible going forward, however it’s unlikely that Florence will raise their offer.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Australian Mayor is warning of the unforeseen consequences of a rates cap.  Minister of Local Government Simon Watts says he will advance rate cap policy discussions before the end of the year. Sue Heins, mayor of the Northern Beaches Council in New South Wales, told a Local Government New Zealand conference it leads to councils making impossible choices. She told Heather du Plessis-Allan it leads to things like delayed infrastructure repairs and sports grounds with outdated facilities.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whitcoulls is being accused of censorship and moral panic - because it's hiding a literary journal with risqué content.  Copies of Folly Journal have been pulled off Whitcoulls shelves around the country and are now only offered when customers ask for it. Editor and Founder of Folly Journal Emily Broadmore told Heather duPlessis-Allan that Whitcoulls hasn't explained specifically why their books have been removed from stores.  'We have no idea. We've just been told that it's offensive, but we can't figure it out.' LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Auckland retirement village is looking to ban electric vehicles because of safety. Forty-seven residents at Fairview Lifestyle Village in Albany have got into a row with management over the decision. One resident told our newsroom the village claims EV's are a fire risk. Drive Electric chair Kirstin Corson told Heather Du Plessis-Allan that it's completely unreasonable. She says EV's are 25 percent less likely to catch fire than a petrol or diesel vehicle. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Retirement Commission's calling on leaders to strengthen our retirement income system while we can. It's retirement income policy review's found a longer-term political focus is needed to ensure future generations' certainty.  It makes 12 recommendations, from moving more quickly to implement Kiwisaver reforms to harder strategies such as a new cross-party accord.  Commissioner Jane Wrightson says this issue should be thought about holistically.   She says we have time to make changes, adding there will be a million people over 65 by 2029, and 1.5-million by the 2050s.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's climate spokesperson says she's attending the UN's annual climate summit to become better informed.  Deborah Russell will join Climate Change Minister Simon Watts and a New Zealand delegation at COP30 in Brazil.  Climate scientists have warned the world's likely to blow past 1.5 degrees of warming.  Russell says we'll be faced with absolute disaster if we can't pull this back somehow.  She told Heather du Plessis-Allan that she wants to learn more about methane - and some of world's solutions around agriculture.  Russell says that's a pressing problem in New Zealand and it helps if as many of us as possible know as much as possible.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Te Pati Māori has had an eventful week, with two prominent MPs being ousted from the party.   Party leader John Tamihere said that this was done to prevent an internal coup – however that may not be the case.   Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper told Heather duPlessis-Allan that a, “attempted takeover of the party's leadership was a made-up story.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A law group wants to see a culture shift at Police - while also welcoming an Inspector-General. The new position was announced, in response to a scathing IPCA report. It identified a number of issues around how Police's senior leadership team failed to deal with complaints about then-Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming in a timely and respectful manner. Defence Lawyers' Association co-Chair Elizabeth Hall told Heather du Plessis-Allan the culture at Police needs to change. She says if people don't feel they can talk or raise complaints that will be listened to, then information flow will not take place.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in the UK, there's reports of dissatisfaction in the political ranks. There are fears from those loyal to Sir Keir Starmer that his job might be under immediate threat, with rumours circulating the Labour leader might be rolled.  UK correspondent Enda Brady says Labour's popularity has taken a hit in new polls and concerns are mounting ahead of the upcoming Budget. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The price of gold continues to hit new highs, and speculators are wondering whether they should invest. Gold has seen the strongest year since the 1970s, largely thanks to volatile markets and economic uncertainty.  Fisher Funds expert Sam Dickie explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Flocks of farm animals and food vendors are set to welcome thousands of people to Canterbury’s annual Agricultural & Pastoral Show, which is back with a more prestigious title. The Royal A&P Show of New Zealand, hosted by the Canterbury A&P Association, is being held from Thursday to Saturday. The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So it turns out the woman with whom Jevon McSkimming had an affair, whose warnings police ignored and who police charged instead of investigating McSkimming, is still facing charges. This is the news today. And the police are having to defend this. Now, the charges don't relate to messages that she sent about McSkimming. Those charges have been dropped. They relate to messages that she allegedly sent to another policeman - the officer who originally arrested her - and the emails she allegedly sent to his wife. Now, this is undoubtedly going to look bad for police because it will look like they are still persecuting a victim. But how about we take the emotion out of it and look at it again? Just because Jevon McSkimming is a creep and clearly the villain of the story doesn't mean that she is necessarily innocent. I mean, look at the allegations. Allegedly emailing a police officer is one thing. Allegedly emailing his wife is something else. And this is after some pretty bunny-boiler behaviour, including sending 300 emails to McSkimming and others over a series of years. Now, there will be some people who have complete sympathy for her in this, who will say that the allegations show that she is a woman driven mad by being ignored and gaslit by the very people that she was asking for help.  And that may well be true, and I suspect that it is, and I feel sorry for her, and I feel sorry for the horrible situation that Jevon McSkimming, the absolute creep, has put her in. But I still don't think it justifies alleged lawbreaking as a response, because that logic is the very same logic that is used by the soft judges who read cultural reports about offenders' childhoods and then excuse them for what they did because of what was originally done to them when they were kids. Do you follow what I'm saying? Now, having said all of that, if you're of the view that she only sent a bunch of emails, so who really cares? Then why do we have the law? Now, that's a fair debate. We can have a debate about that law because not everyone loves the Harmful Digital Communications Act. But if the law exists, and if you allegedly break that law and the police, despite realizing how bad it will look for them to charge you, still choose to charge you, then isn't there a case to answer? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 13 November 2025, Police Commissioner Richard Chambers defends the decision to continue prosecuting the woman at the centre of the McSkimming saga. Teacher unions and their ongoing strikes have been blamed for dropping attendance rates - but Cathy Chalmers from the Manurewa Attendance Service says parents very much have their part to play. The US shutdown may be over but Donald Trump has a new headache. His name appears in new Epstein documents just released. Reuters US Politics Correspondent Bo Erickson speaks to Heather from Washington DC. Max Rashbrooke explains why we should start a Kids Kiwisaver - and who would have to contribute to it.   Plus, the Huddle debates whether it's appropriate to keep prosecuting McSkimming's accuser and getting kids used to saving money. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Brigitte Morton from Franks Ogilvie and former mayor of Auckland Phil Goff joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Is it in the public interest to pursue charges against the woman at the centre of the McSkimming saga? She's charged under the Harmful Digital Communications Act for sending emails to the detective who arrested her. What do we make of all this?  David Seymour has blamed the teachers' strikes on a drop in school attendance last term? Was this out of line on his part? A think tank  is floating the idea of KiwiSaver schemes for kids, claiming it could set them up with $10,000-$20,000 in savings by the time they reach adulthood. Do we think this is a good idea?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government says it will act on all 19 recommendations from Parliament’s banking inquiry - and it's committed to increasing scrutiny around the banking sector. This comes as Westpac and ANZ report significant increases in profit, prompting concern from experts. Kent Duston from the Banking Reform Coalition says the proposed changes make good steps forward, but it's unclear how much of a difference they will make. "I think the big issue here is that the banks simply don't care. Whatever Parliament says - we're on the back of an inquiry from the Commerce Commission, another inquiry from Parliament from the select committee...whatever it is Parliament's saying, clearly the banks aren't listening." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The White House is staying firm the President had no involvement in wrongdoing, with the fresh release of emails written by deceased sex offender and child sex procurer Jeffrey Epstein. House Oversight Committee Democrats have released a 2011 email saying Donald Trump spent hours at Epstein's house with a victim.  Another email calls Trump 'the dog that hasn't barked'  - and say he told Epstein's associate Ghislaine Maxwell to 'stop'. Reuters political correspondent Bo Erickson says there's a lack of context within these emails. "It's not clear what they are really talking about, so the White House is saying this is a political stunt. But the Democrats ae moving forward on another procedural process as well." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An attendance expert says David Seymour's disingenuous to blame attendance numbers on striking teachers.  He's claiming their industrial action meant term three attendance dropped year on year. He says it was on track for 52 percent attendance, but ended closer to 50. Manurewa Attendance Service head Cathy Chalmers says attendance on those days isn't recorded - and numbers usually slip at the end of term. "Historically, that last day before the long weekend, we get a lot of students not turning up to school." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Commissioner's instructed specialist investigators to see whether the McSkimming scandal amounts to a perversion of justice. Fallout continues from revelations in an IPCA report that's found senior police staff inadequately managed serious allegations against former Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming. Harassment charges against the complainant have been dropped, but she's still being prosecuted for emails sent to the lead investigating officer - and his wife.  Richard Chambers says he's checking the legal situation.  "Because I want to be reassured that there's nothing more to see here. I've asked that, I haven't got that answer yet." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The White House says Democrats are pulling a manufactured hoax following the release of emails by late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, mentioning Donald Trump. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have released three email exchanges, followed by the release of 20-thousand pages of documents by Republicans. One email from 2011 claims the US President spent hours at Epstein's house with an unnamed victim. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper unpacked the reactions to this development. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell has walked out of prison - two months after a court heard he was too dangerous to live amongst the community. The 32-year-old was granted bail with a $20,000 guarantee by Supreme Court Justice James Elliott. Australian correspondent Murray Olds explained the situation further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Black Caps saved their best performance for last and cruised to a T20 International series victory over the West Indies, courtesy of an eight-wicket victory in Dunedin. For the first time on tour, the result didn’t come down to the final over, as New Zealand completed their win with 26 balls up their sleeve, and kept their perfect record at University Oval in the shortest format intact. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One NZ-based think tank is floating the idea of KiwiSaver schemes for kids, claiming it could set them up with $10,000-$20,000 in savings by the time they reach adulthood. The Institute for Democratic and Economic Analysis has put out a report proposing different models, including a kickstart Government payment and matching parental contributions. Max Rashbrooke, co-founder of the Institute for Democratic and Economic Engagement Analysis, says it could make a significant difference. "Obviously, the Government's moving to make financial literacy a compulsory part of the curriculum, we think that's an excellent idea - but how much more meaningful would that financial literacy education be in high school classes if every child in that class knows they've got a KiwiSaver account that's accumulating?"  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is closing down some of his last remaining known business interests, including Pitch@Palace Global Ltd. Pitch@Palace was a start-up project where aspiring entrepreneurs could present their ideas to potential investors - and was once seen as a possible income source for Andrew after the King stopped supporting him financially. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says it's a final nail in the coffin of the disgraced former prince. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The long-running US Government shut-down has come with plenty of economic ripple effects, but there's hopes it could come to an end. The 41-day shutdown could last a few more days, but the the Senate passed legislation to attempt to reopen things. Milford Asset Management expert Jeremy Hutton explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The country's overdue tax debt has hit $9.3 billion for the year to June, according to new reports. It's growing faster than the Government's tax take and New Zealand's overall economy, prompting concern from experts. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shares in Transport and logistics company Mainfreight have rallied today, despite the company posting an 18.5 percent drop in first-half profit. The result's better than expected, with performance improving and expected to rise more. Mainfreight CEO Don Braid says they've had a tough start to the year, but he feels things are improving ahead of the new year. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 12 November 2025, the Police Minister has accused former Police Commissioner Andrew Coster of a cover up following an explosive IPCA report. Former police negotiator Lance Burdett doesn't think Coster is a bad guy - but lawyer Matthew Hague says charges could still be possible. Congestion charges are one step closer for cities around the country. Heather asks Auckland councillor Maurice Williamson how soon drivers could be hit with these charges. A second Costco is coming to Auckland, but will it really help to bring supermarket prices down across the board? Sue Chetwin from the Grocery Action Group is not so sure. Plus, the Huddle debates a new poll that sees support for Labour on the rise. Does that mean voters like the idea of a capital gains tax? Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A and Kiwiblog's David Farrar joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! It's day two of the Jevon McSkimming IPCA report. Is another investigation needed to get the public's trust back? What questions need to be answered? New polling shows Labour has gotten a boost since introducing the capital gains tax. Is this strictly a win for Labour - or do the Greens deserve some credit here too?  Would you rather the council reseal your road with chip seal than asphalt if it saves lots of money? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well, I think we can all see how this is going to end for Andrew Coster, and we could see that last night - he's gonna lose his job running a Government agency. No one in charge can say that yet because of employment law, but it is absolutely going to happen - because there is no way that a man can do what he has done at the highest levels of police and then possibly continue to earn an income from the taxpayer. Him losing his job is the right outcome here. But here's the question that I think is up for debate - is Andrew Coster a bad man? Or was he just bad at his job, showing poor judgment, incompetence, naivety, whatever? And I'm going to suggest that it was actually the latter. He's not a bad man, he was just bad at his job. It doesn't seem like he did what he did because he wanted to hide what Jevon McSkimming had done, it sounded more like he tried to make it go away because he didn't believe that it was true. It sounds like he believed McSkimming was just the victim of a really bad breakup - he'd ended an affair, she hadn't taken it well and now she was trying to destroy his reputation online, and so Andrew Coster seemed to have thought, maybe what he needed to do was try to prevent these horrible lies from destroying the career of a good man. So he tried to hurry things up and shut things down and hide emails from ministers and not tell the people appointing the next Police Commissioner that there were complaints against McSkimming, and he got angry at police officers who tried to raise concerns. Except, as it turns out, Andrew Coster was wrong. Jevon McSkimming was not a good man, he was a creep. And that woman's allegations should have been listened to. She wasn't destroying the career of a good man, she was alerting authorities to a bad man.  But Andrew Coster was a police officer, and it is 101 of policing to investigate allegations and listen to complaints, not shut them down, so he failed at the very basics of his job. And unfortunately for him, while he may not be a bad man, he ended up doing things that I think we can agree are bad things - misleading, shutting down good police wanting to raise concerns, protecting a creep. Now I don't know, is there really that much difference in the end between being a bad man and being someone who thinks they're doing the right thing - but doing bad things? For him, the outcome is actually pretty much the same, whether he was bad or bad at his job. He has lost his job and he's lost his reputation. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bemusement at the actions of past senior police executives and their handling of serious complaints against the former Deputy Commissioner.  A damming Independent Police Conduct Authority report's found a the allegations against Jevon McSkimming - who was gunning for the top job - were not immediately investigated. The complainant was then charged with harassment. Lawyer and former police officer Matthew Hague says it's possible those at the top thought they were doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. "I can't understand how these senior, experienced, trusted leaders thought this would withstand scrutiny."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Costco's interest in New Zealand could be a good sign for our grocery sector.  The big-box US retail chain's bought a large plot in the new Drury Town Centre for its second Auckland store.  A Westgate branch opened three years ago.  Grocery Action Group chair Sue Chetwin says Costco clearly sees profit potential in New Zealand.  "It would be really good if a third or a fourth operator thought like that, but was willing to have a few more supermarkets so more people could benefit." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former police negotiator has suggested systemic failures led to a scandal revealed yesterday, around former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming. An IPCA report's revealed past serious allegations about McSkimming weren't immediately investigated by senior staff. The woman who made them was charged with harassment, despite the lack of scrutiny of her claims.  Former negotiator Lance Burdett says not having experienced staff could have played a part in the failures. "There's only two options, isn't there? Well, there's three - ignorance, incompetence or something nefarious. I don't know." A new police Inspector-General is being created. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One Auckland councillor says a long road's ahead before the city's close to congestion charging. A new bill has passed in Parliament that'll let councils charge drivers on specific roads at peak travel periods - beginning with the City of Sails. A report commissioned by the mayor estimates stalled traffic costs the city $2.6 billion dollars each year. Howick Ward councillor Maurice Williamson says a long process of consultation, and setting up a board will now begin. "I'll make the wild prediction now - you will not see an operational congestion charging regime for a minimum of at least three years from now."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Minister says like many Kiwis, he's disappointed - by a scathing IPCA report highlighting past failures in senior Police management of complaints about one of their own. The police watchdog report has detailed how staff, including then-Commissioner Andrew Coster, didn't investigate allegations when they were made against Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper unpacked the discussions. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US Senate has passed through legislation to reopen the US Government, indicating the long-running shutdown is closer to wrapping up. The 41-day shutdown could last a few more days, with more members of the House set to vote on the legislation. US correspondent Jonathan Kearsley says there's still more issues to come - as flights in the US are impacted by delays and disruptions. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All Blacks forwards coach Jason Ryan expects an enhanced England to front up at Twickenham this weekend. The All Blacks met the World Number 4 three times last year, with the ABs winning twice at home in July before winning by a solitary point at Twickenham in November. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's outrage in Papamoa over the news that their asphalt roads will be replaced with chip seal resurfacing. Tauranga City Council has confirmed the roads were only scheduled for resealing if they were showing early signs of surface deterioration. The Council's Head of Transport, Mike Seabourne, says resurfacing the roads with asphalt would have been too expensive. "One of the elements for us is - the asphalt is used in certain circumstances, like on intersections or with heavy vehicles, it's really good for that. But for residential roads, we can use chip seal in a much more cost effective way." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The BBC's chairman has denied claims the BBC is trying to bury accusations of bias, as Donald Trump threatens to sue the company. A leaked BBC memo suggests the Panorama programme edited Trump’s speech to imply he encouraged the Capitol Hill riots of January 2021. UK correspondent Enda Brady says it's likely the BBC will need to issue another apology - as the original didn't go far enough.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.