Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Jim Bolger's first Finance Minister says the former Prime Minister - who died yesterday aged 90 - sometimes sold himself short.  Bolger served as an MP from 1972 and led the country for seven years.  Ruth Richardson says in recent years, Bolger criticised some neo-liberal policies he oversaw. She says Bolger made tough decisions at a tough time.  "His hand was forced by dreadful economic circumstances that we faced - a real baptism of fire. We did what was right." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A flurry of tributes from current and former politicians for former Prime Minister, Jim Bolger, who died yesterday. The 90-year-old died peacefully, surrounded by family.  He served as Prime Minister between 1990 and 1997. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper looked back on some memories with the former leader. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia's unemployment rate jumped to 4.5 percent in September - up from 4.3 percent in August, according to new reports. This is the highest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate recorded since November 2021. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says this will likely put extra pressure on the Reserve Bank to make another interest rate cut. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

League great Billy Slater reckons the 10 year bans for players who defect to the rebel R360 rugby competition are a bit extreme. ARL Commission chair Peter V'landys has accused R360 officials of pirating the game for financial gain. Sportstalk host Elliott Smith explains the backlash further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Health Minister has accused the senior doctors' union of crossing an 'ethical line' at the expense of patients. Members of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists will join next week's mass strike. Tens of thousands of union members, across health, education, and the public sector, are walking off the job. Sarah Dalton from the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists says many were shocked at the way Simeon Brown chose to characterise this strike action. "And I guess his refusal to contemplate all of the many things in the health system that get in the way of them being able to see and treat patients, other than a four-hour strike next week." LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new book, The Incidental Feminist, has claimed former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher reportedly had two affairs. Thatcher, who held the role from 1979 to 1990, is remembered as having a stable marriage to her husband Denis - but the book claims Thatcher got involved with a former MP and had an earlier affair at the start of her career. UK correspondent Gavin Grey weighs up the validity of these claims. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank recently disputed the idea that Covid-era money printing programme caused sky-high inflation, which cost the Government billions. Staff at the bank have published new research that concludes the bank’s $55 billion Large-Scale Asset Purchase (LSAP) programme didn’t 'meaningfully' contribute to above-target inflation following the pandemic. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ongoing US Government shutdown is set to have wide-reaching effects, with economists raising concerns over the impacts. Missed pay cheques and the absence of billions of dollars of Government services will likely reverberate beyond federal workers and sting the broader public. Milford Asset Management's Brendan Larsen explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Kiwiblog writer and Curia pollster David Farrar and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  It's been a controversial couple of days for the Māori Party. Do we see the party splitting apart? Do we think Labour will officially rule out working with them before next year's election?  A new poll in the Post has indicated Chris Bishop is the successor in waiting for Luxon - what do we make of this? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen, go on and tell me that any of the allegations that we've heard about the Māori Party in the last 36 hours surprise you. Does it shock you in any way to find out that one of their MPs allegedly paid her son $120,000 of taxpayer money, that she couldn't apparently balance her own budget? And that her son allegedly abused parliamentary staff so badly that he was trespassed from the grounds? No really, right? Not really a surprise. And this feels exactly like the kind of stuff you would expect to be happening when a political party pulls together a collection of activists who have no respect for the rules - which they demonstrate on a seemingly weekly basis by not showing up to their jobs in Parliament, who can't even do up a pair of leather shoes to go to work, and who think nepotism is just another way of showing love to your family. Their words, not mine. Now, do you really think that that alleged incident where Eru Kapa-Kingi shouted at parliamentary staff and threatened to knock one out happened on Budget Day 2024 - as in 18 months ago, and we have only just found out now? Which has me wondering, what else is going on in there that we don't know about yet? Now, I'm not surprised by what's being revealed. And what it means is that I'm weirdly not actually terribly exercised by it, certainly not in the way that I would be if this was National or Labour or any other serious party. I would expect in those instances for heads to roll, and I would expect explanations and media stand-ups and real interrogations by the media and people appearing on the show to be grilled. But I don't expect that with the Māori Party. Now, that should worry the Māori Party, because what that means is that I, and anyone else who feels like me, don't take them seriously. We don't think they're serious people. We don't expect them to hold standards up. We regard what we're seeing as more of a clown show that needs to be contained so it doesn't contaminate the rest of Parliament. So good luck to them making it into a future Cabinet, which they're obviously quite keen on, if they're not being taken seriously by us. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spark's becoming the first New Zealand telco to block all child sexual abuse images made with artificial intelligence. It already stops access to photo-realistic material made by AI, but this move will extend to images which have a cartoon or artistic style. The website list comes from the Internet Watch Foundation which has seen a 400 percent increase in this type of material. Spark Sustainability Director Leela Ashford says it blocks the sites automatically. She says the list can include tens of thousands of websites.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 15 October 2025, shocking video footage from Gaza shows Hamas publicly executing a number of people. The Australian's Greg Sheridan tells Heather it's impossible for peace to continue with Hamas' involvement.   Hospitality NZ's Sam McKinnon tells Heather the stupidest rule in hospitality that needs fixing by the Ministry for Regulation. Why does the AA want your speeding ticket to get more expensive? The Broadcasting Standards Authority has been accused of acting like Soviet era stasi by Winston Peters - what's going on? Plus, the Huddle debates whether the Maori Party's latest antics will hurt them - and whether we might see the party break up. 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.

There's growing calls to evaluate the future of fees-free university after a recent review labelled the policy 'deadweight'. The policy was originally introduced under the Jacinda-led Labour Government in 2017, with the current coalition moving the policy to cover a student's final year of university instead of the first. AUSA president Gabriel Boyd says dismissing the policy is 'unfair', as it's helped students save money. "I think the $12,000 that students saved, that they can then put towards accommodation, food, transportation, with this cost of living - does make a huge impact." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hospitality New Zealand is throwing its support behind a Government inspection of sector rules. Its wide-ranging review will investigate rules for everything from bars, to restaurants - to market stalls. Regulation Minister David Seymour says existing rules change frequently and are inconsistently applied. Hospitality NZ's Sam MacKinnon says the sector has to work through a 'myriad' of regulations just to operate - and this review presents a good opportunity.  "While there are some of these really stupid rules that are in place, the opportunity for the industry to be able to have a comprehensive look at all of the different areas that cut across what it takes to run a hospitality venue is the real opportunity here."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mooove over dairy and beef cows, for a new hybrid breed on the block. Pāmu and Livestock Improvement Corporation have created a new cattle breed - called the Synegizer. About 350 first-cross beef-on-dairy calves were born this year, and limited frozen insemination will available next spring. Pāmu CEO Mark Leslie says dairy farmers won't use Synegizers for milking. "These bulls will be used to go over maybe some of the cows they don't want to keep the replacements out of - and they'll use these to generate animals that can then go off into the livestock centre." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas holds - but looks shaky, with eight of the 28 dead Israeli hostages returned. Israel is reportedly reopening the Rafah border for aid, despite threatening delays after the slow delivery of remains by Hamas. Foreign editor at the Australian, Greg Sheridan, says videos have emerged on social media, showing Hamas publicly executing several Palestinian men.  "Hamas still has the guns, it's plainly not interested in disarming. I also think it looks like a breakdown of the process for about two days." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recent polls show Prime Minister Chris Luxon's popularity has taken a nosedive, prompting speculation about his future in the National Party. With the election set to take place next year, there's growing speculation Luxon's leadership role might not last. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says this discussion is a self-fulfilling prophecy, but it's likely there could be mood for change. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump's warning Hamas will have their weapons taken off them - even if it falls to him to make it happen.  Talks are underway in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh on the second phase of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.  US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says Trump hasn't given Hamas a hard deadline as of yet, and it's unclear how this will go. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Silver Ferns shooter Grace Nweke has stood by her support for embattled coach Dame Noeline Taurua. As the Ferns gear up for the Constellation Cup, Grace Nweke reiterated she's hoping for Taurua to come back. Sportstalk host Elliott Smith explained the ongoing situation further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The AA is calling for an overhaul of driving fines. It says fines haven't been adjusted for inflation since 1999 and no longer represent a big enough deterrent.  AA road safety spokesperson Dylan Thomsen says doubling the fines would make a good starting point - with some specific offences incurring higher penalties. "We need to look at some specific offences, the ones that show up in crashes most often. Drunk driving, drugged driving, seatbelts distractions like cell phones and speed. And we might actually need to lift those even further to really try and make people care more about sticking to the rules." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New reports out of the UK claim Prime Minister Keir Starmer is looking to blame Nigel Farage and Brexit for tax rises in the upcoming November budget. The UK has a significant financial black hole it needs to fill up, and it's looking more likely that increased taxes are the way forward. UK correspondent Enda Brady says it's unlikely UK voters will accept this. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, lawyer and political commentator Brigitte Morton and Ali Jones from Red PR joined in on a discussion about the discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! New data shows one in seven Kiwis believe violence is needed to get the country back on track. How worrying is this data? The hostages and prisoners have been freed in Gaza - why aren't more people celebrating? Do we need to give Donald Trump more credit for what appears to be - for now - peace in the Middle East? Are the latest dramas involving Te Pāti Māori (allegations of MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi overspending its budget, allegations that Eru Kapa-Kingi verbally abused Parliamentary security staff) a sign of a party that shouldn't be in power? What do we make of all this? New data shows more Kiwis are moving to Australia. Should we be concerned about the ongoing brain drain? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New reports indicate the Reserve Bank of Australia won't be cutting interest rates until at least February 2026. Employment remains high and inflation is still at target, and experts claim the central bank has no reason to do anything big. HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 14 October 2025, former Australian army officer and Middle East expert Rodger Shanahan on peace in Gaza - and how much credit Donald Trump deserves. The implosion continues at the Maori Party with fiery allegations sent out against their own MP in a late night email. Integrity Institute director Bryce Edwards says it's an extraordinary move. Air NZ is making a long-awaited change to regional flights - Chief Transformation and Alliances Officer Mike Williams explains what's taken them so long. Wayne Naylor from  Hospice NZ explains why NZ gets only 3 from 5 stars as a place to die. Plus, the Huddle debates a new poll that found 1 in 7 people think it's okay to use violence as a means to get the country back on track. 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.

New Zealand First has started to voice concerns over the proposed  Gene Technology Bill, breaking away from fellow coalition partners. NZ First claimed it wouldn't support the current bill - unless National agreed to some significant changes.  The Country's Hamish McKay explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Air New Zealand's teamed up with Air Chathams on a new partnership for Whakatane. It'll mean customers can book single-ticket trips that combine domestic flights on both airlines. Checked-in baggage will be transferred directly to the final destination. Air New Zealand's Chief Transformation and Alliances Officer, Mike Williams, explained what the partnership could mean for both airlines. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So, what happened last night is remarkable. Before the deadline of 10pm New Zealand time, 20 living Israeli hostages - who had been held for 2 years, who had been forced in some cases to dig their own graves, spend unknown lengths of time in tunnels underground, and go without much in the way of sustenance at times - were handed over by their captors back into the care of Israel, which is their home. That is remarkable. Because, I mean, let's be honest about it - in the last two years, there were times where surely we started to believe that we'd seen the last of the survivors make it out. Surely, we'd assumed most, if not all, of the remaining 20 would die in captivity in the years that we may have thought stretched ahead of us. But look at what's happened, aid is now flowing back into Gaza, people are going back to their homes - whatever is left of it - and the shelling has stopped. You would think this would be a moment to celebrate, right? The very thing that so many of us have been calling for for such a long time and increasingly in the last few months has happened. The fighting has stopped, the starvation has stopped. But where is the celebration? I mean, don't you think it's remarkably muted today? Now I realize a lot of that will be that there is some weariness, quite rightly, over whether this peace can hold because so many ceasefires have broken down in the past, and there are so many ways that this ceasefire can break down. It could be a rocket fired in error, it could be Hamas still refusing to disarm, it could be anything. But I do wonder if part of it is also because it's hard for some people to give credit to Donald Trump for the role that he played in this. I mean, already there are opinion pieces that are writing him out of this historic moment and talking up the diplomatic efforts of others, particularly in the Middle East, and warning he will never get a Nobel Peace Prize for this, regardless of whether this peace holds. But you can't ignore his role in this and you can't write him out of this. He was instrumental in a way that Biden never was. And it was for various reasons, mainly because of his friendship with Benjamin Netanyahu - which Biden never had - but also because of his relationship with the Arab countries because of previous work in the region, in his first administration, like the Abraham Accords. Now, let's be fair, it's always hard to give credit to people we dislike. It's also very hard to give credit to people who are so capable of dishing out copious amounts of credit to themselves, like Donald Trump. But Trump does deserve credit and he deserves a lot of it for getting the Gaza conflict to a point that it has never been before, which is that all the living hostages are out. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's real concern from a former Green MP over how openly people talk about committing violence.  A new Taxpayers' Union-Curia poll shows one in four Te Pāti Māori voters and one in five ACT voters agree Kiwis may have to resort to violence to get the country back on track.  The younger generation are more likely to agree, and they're less likely to have friends with differing political views.  Catherine Delahunty says understanding the causes is important.  "I think it's a sign of deepening inequality right now, that some people are really, really frustrated and feel really excluded from our society." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealanders who are dying, or caring for someone who's on their deathbed, have been leaving reviews rating their experience with death in Aotearoa.  In a new initiative led by Hospice NZ, Dying Reviews invites people who've had experience with death to reflect how they were treated by the everyday systems that surround us. New Zealand's national score is 3.28 out of 5, and Government agencies received the lowest ratings of any sector (2.5), while restaurants and events were the top scorers (4.55). Hospice NZ CEO Wayne Naylor unpacked the reviews - and all the variables impacting the scores. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's suggestions of a deep divide within Te Pāti Māori. The Party's released documents to members alleging former vice president Eru Kapa-Kingi threatened parliamentary staff and made inappropriate remarks.  He's the son of recently demoted Party Whip, MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi.  Papers also showed Parliamentary Services were concerned she risked overspending her office budget.  Political commentator Bryce Edwards says there are obviously factions.  "This is from the leadership against the MPs in question, so this is a bit of a meltdown." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's signs peace could persist in Gaza, as US President Donald Trump declares the war over. Hamas has released the 20 living Israeli hostages - and almost 2000 Palestinians have been returned by Israel. Leaders including Donald Trump have signed the US-brokered peace deal, at a summit in Egypt. Middle East analyst Rodger Shanahan says after two years, there's a sense of exhaustion from Israel and Hamas. "Both sides really want to go back to their corners and take stock about the next steps." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Parliament's Speaker will meet MPs across the House today, as he cracks down on behaviour.  Gerry Brownlee's spoken about Te Pati Māori's newest MP,  Oriini Kaipara, going over-time in her maiden speech on Thursday, and joining a haka that started in the public gallery.  He now says he'll convene Parliament's Business Committee to discuss dress standards, attendance records, leave, and the allocation of questions.  Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says last week's rule-breaking from Oriini Kaipara was the straw that broke the camel's back. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The mobile numbers of Anthony Albanese, Sussan Ley and other prominent Australians were recently released to the public on a free website. The US-based website sells itself on having the mobile numbers and emails of millions of professionals, and investigations are ongoing into the platform. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says other world leaders reportedly have their contact information on the website, including US President Donald Trump. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another blow for Netball New Zealand in the wake of their unresolved coaching saga with Dame Noeline Taurua. Silver Ferns selector Gail Parata has resigned after becoming frustrated at the way the governing body has treated the World Cup-winning mentor - and claimed Taurua hadn't been properly protected. Parata said that many in the coaching community beyond netball have been left disheartened and disillusioned. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Changes to lending restrictions are on the cards. Finance Minister Nicola Willis is welcoming the Reserve Bank consulting with banks on easing loan to value restrictions from December. The central bank's looking at increasing the new lending limit for first-home buyers and property investors. Banking Association CEO Roger Beaumont says this is really good - and will give first-home buyers more flexibility. "They're taking advantage of what I'd call the 'sweet spot' of softer house prices, combined with declining interest rates." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has just arrived in Gaza to sign off on the latest peace deal. Starmer is one of approximately 20 world leaders set to attend a peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh in the coming hours. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says the UK Government is set to play a key role in the peace deal, with more details to be revealed soon. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner recently penned an opinion piece in defence of DEI amid ongoing concerns about the measures. Winston Peters and Judith Collins have taken aim against these policies, with Collins aiming to remove diversity requirements from the Public Service Act. Gail Pacheco revealed how DEI standards can boost productivity. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fletcher Building's issued a gloomy trading update, marked with trading slumps, market falls and low sales volumes. The company's now aiming for a further $100 million dollars in cost cuts. Harbour Asset Management's Shane Solly explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Auckland councillor Richard Hills and Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day! The local body elections wrapped up over the weekend and turnout has been labelled 'abysmal'. Does the system need to be changed to encourage more people to vote? The latest numbers show structured literacy seems to be making a huge difference to our youngest readers. Are we pleased with Erica Stanford's solution? New mums are set to get a three-day stay in hospital after having a baby. Is this a good move? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen, I am more and more convinced that we need to cut the number of councils we have across the country. I mean, that voter turnout that we've seen at the weekend was abysmal. Last count I've seen is that nationally, only 38 percent of us voted. It's worse in Auckland, where only around 29 percent -  so not even 1 in 3 of us - voted. Now, I think anyone who thinks that we can fix local Government by ditching the postal vote system and going hard with the orange guy and his dog is dreaming. Because that is not the problem. The problem is not how you vote, the problem is who you vote for. I think we have a complete breakdown in the trust between the voter and the people that we are voting for and the authority in general. I mean, you've opened your booklet, right? Surely, you've had a look at who you had to vote for. It's overpopulated by people you wouldn't trust to mind your pet, never mind run the council. You don't actually believe that these people are going to make smart decisions, do you? Or do what they say they're gonna do? You wouldn't even know if they do what they say they're gonna do, because there's hardly any media coverage nowadays and holding people to account. I think it fundamentally comes down to us simply having too many local body politicians in New Zealand, right? Because Auckland alone has 170 of these people. That is more than Parliament has for the entire country. Now, run that 170 in Auckland across the entire country, but it's like 1000. We don't have enough media to cover everything, grill them when they break promises. We don't have enough attention spans ourselves to absorb that much information on top of everything we're already absorbing with central Government. And so what we do is we just tap out and we give up and only what, 40 percent of us vote? I reckon what we need to do is we need to take our 67 territorial authorities and just cut it down. Some commentators reckon we need to go as low as 13. I don't mind, that's a good starting point. It's certainly a better starting point than 67 which equals a, what, 38 percent turnout? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 13 October 2025, the last of the Israeli hostages are being released today in a momentous day for Gaza. Israel correspondent Alexander Cornwell speaks to Heather ahead of Donald Trump's arrival to Jerusalem. The Education Minister says "I told you so!" after literacy stats show the structured literacy approach she mandated across the country is already lifting reading rates for our youngest school kids. Heather reckons we need a fundamental change to local body elections after an abysmal turnout over the weekend. Plus, the Huddle debates literacy, local politics and longer hospital stays for new mums. 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.

Participation in local elections is at a historic low and there's growing calls for reform. Turnout's been higher in rural areas and much lower in the main cities, but data shows under 40 percent of eligible voters made their voices heard. Finance Minister Nicola Willis says a simpler solution is needed, much like the general elections. "It might be simpler if it was just - turn up and vote. Turn up to the booth, turn up to the place just as you do for the general Government elections." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hamas is expected to start releasing Israeli hostages now. It's handing over 20 hostages over the next two hours - followed by Israel handing over nearly 2000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.  The US president is expected to arrive in Tel Aviv very soon, and claims the war is over in Gaza and the ceasefire will hold. Reuters correspondent Alexander Cornwell says people could start arriving very soon - and that the Red Cross will be there to collect them. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's disappointment from some after a majority of Māori wards are set to go.  17 councils have voted to keep them, and 25 have voted to remove them Whakatane Māori Ward councillor Toni Boynton says those referendums should never have been held. She says this choice should be up to councils. "If they're elected by their constituents, that's democracy, right? And they're elected to be able to make those decisions and that decision was taken away from them." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's confidence New Zealand schools are turning a corner on literacy skills. The Education Minister says data shows 58 percent of new entrant students are at-or-above phonics expectations after 20 weeks at school - up from 36 percent in Term One. The number exceeding expectations is more than double Term One's figure. Erica Stanford says she wants 90 percent of kids to achieve curriculum level. "As teachers become more confident and capable with explicit teaching and the new curriculum and structured literacy, the results will get better and better and better...we see that overseas." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The IRD is set to be cracking down harder on those who don't pay their taxes properly, and they've unveiled new measures for people who ignore correspondence. The department will start taking money out of people's bank accounts if they owe over a certain amount - and they've recovered at least $17 million so far. The IRD's Tony Morris says they aim to phone people at least twice before they start directly taking money out of accounts. "Other times, we might just contact people once or twice and then take money out of their accounts so they don't squander it."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Erica Stanford believes mandated structured literacy is turning reading and writing skills around. The Education Minister's revealed new data showing 58 percent of students are at or above phonics expectations after 20 weeks at school - up from 36 percent in Term One. The number exceeding expectations is more than double Term One's figure. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says this data shows the Government's education plan is working. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Australian Government has backed down on its controversial superannuation tax plan, following long-running criticism from key industries. Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced the surprise decision today, one week after Prime Minister Albanese claimed the plan was going to remain unchanged.  Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says these changes have been met with support from Australians. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All Blacks coach Scott Robertson has defended the lack of fresh faces in the 36-strong squad for the upcoming Grand Slam tour. There's just one new cap in prop Tevita Mafileo and only one player - hooker George Bell - didn't appear in the Rugby Championship squad. Sportstalk host Jason Pine explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A climate expert has claimed the Government's reduced methane targets are 'unambitious'. The goal for 2050 has been slashed to a range of 14-to-24 percent below 2017 levels - about half the former target. Agricultural methane emissions won't be taxed. Victoria University's Nathanael Melia says by investing more into research, New Zealand could have aimed for higher. "We're using brand new science and brand new thinking to find out what we should do with our unique makeup to do these sorts of things. We're being a leader here and I think the Government could have been a bit more of a leader." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.