Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

US investors are still riding high one week after Donald Trump won the US presidency - but what can they expect long-term? Dow, and S&P, among others are experiencing rapid growth, but experts wonder how long this can last. Fisher Funds expert Sam Dickie explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monthly food prices fell 0.9 percent in October compared with September, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. The largest contributor to the fall was vegetables, down 7.2 percent. But a rise in fruit prices, up 0.6 percent, partly offsets that. NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann explains what this means for the state of the economy - and inflation. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Farmers at this morning's Fonterra AGM took the opportunity to probe the company around their reasons to sell off the company's consumer brands.  Fonterra is looking to sell key brands such as Anchor and Mainland - and the farmers have expressed disappointment with this choice. The Country's Jamie Mackay explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Auckland Councillor Richard Hills and Infrastructure NZ CEO Nick Leggett joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! A lot of drama in the House as Te Pāti Māori disrupted the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill with a haka. What do we make of this?  The IRD is cracking down on overseas student debtors - and called in the collectors. Is this a good move? Air New Zealand has launched their latest safety video starring Steven Adams and Tom Sainsbury and other big Kiwi names. Is this a good idea - or a waste of money? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 14 November 2024, dramatic scenes in Parliament this afternoon during the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill. Labour MP Willie Jackson got thrown out of the house, and Maori Party MPs staged a huge haka that saw Parliament suspended. Senior political correspondent Barry Soper says he's never seen scenes like that and NZ First Minister Shane Jones has called for the disruptors to be jailed. The IRD is cracking down on the people who now live overseas and aren't paying back their student loan. Plus, the Huddle weighs in on Air NZ's new safety video. Naff or a Kiwi classic? 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.

NZ First Minister Shane Jones has been quick to lambast the haka by Te Pāti Māori that disrupted the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill. Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee named Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke as the instigator - and the House has voted to suspend her. Shane Jones is not surprised Te Pāti Māori undermined the discussions happening in Parliament. "I'm not surprised the Māori Party are subverting Parliament - they're malcontents, they were there to undermine the legitimacy of Parliament and they are using that as a basis to recruit members for their party."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Air New Zealand's head is defending splashing out on a new safety video, as airfares rise. Kiwi NBA player Steven Adams features in the airline's first safety video in two years, alongside cameos by other notable Kiwis. Chief executive Greg Foran says this is a worthwhile investment. "It's an important part of the brand, it's a bit like the mangōpare on the tail or the uniforms - and we're doing a new one and you'll see them next year." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's reassurance from the Government that Kiwis will be treated more fairly by insurers. A bill designed to better safeguard insurance consumers has passed its third reading in the House.  Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says the bill gives insurance companies clarity around their responsibilities - and better protects policy holders filling out a claim application.  "You have to honestly respond to stuff - but it's up to the insurance company to ask you the right questions, not for you to anticipate." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's outrage among Melbourne commuters as Extinction Rebellion climate activists blocked traffic during peak hour. The activists were protesting this year's climate summit, COP29, which is set to take place in the city of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says the group occupied a busy freeway in Melbourne's East, delaying drivers for as long as 30 minutes. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The National Party is standing by their choice to go against ACT's controversial Treaty Principles Bill. A haka by Te Pāti Māori MPs interrupted the first reading of the contentious bill today, causing Parliament to be briefly suspended. Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says National believes the bill is no way to deal with a difficult and sensitive topic.  "Our view is - yes, address these issues, but the best way to do it is issue by issue." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Inland Revenue is cracking down on outstanding student loans - and has doubled its team working on overseas collections. It's also putting more money into collecting debt in Australia and the UK. The number of borrowers has risen by more than 5,000 The IRD's project lead Andrew Stott says about 150 people could face an arrest warrant. "It's really about whether they're engaging with us or not. So if they're just ignoring all of our communications or they're leaving us no way to get in touch with them, then that's our last resort."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Te Pati Māori MP has been suspended from Parliament for kicking off a deafening haka in protest of the Treaty Principles Bill.  Opposition MPs and people in the public gallery joined in, interrupting a vote on the legislation and forcing the Speaker to clear the House. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says today's events were a mess. "I've never seen anything like it in more than 40 years of covering Parliament - the Speaker lost control, by no fault of his own." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Blacks name their team to face France overnight tonight, with a few intriguing decisions to make.  Codie Taylor's a likely swap for Asafo Aumua at hooker, while Beauden Barrett could replace Damien McKenzie at 10. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave outlined his predictions ahead of the match. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump is continuing to appoint high-profile Republicans to his team. The president-elect is making former 2016 rival, Senator Marco Rubio, his Secretary of State. His former Chief of Staff, Matt Terrill, says he'll lean into negotiations with Trump.  "On the foreign policy front - Israel, Ukraine, Russia, Iran - those are going to be key themes and key issues that are going to pop up here." Congressman Matt Gaetz has been nominated Attorney General - and Elon Musk will co-lead an agency on Government efficiencies with Vivek Ramaswamy. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well, here’s some good news if you don't like the idea of people freeloading on other taxpayers - the IRD has finally started properly cracking down on people who don't want to pay back their student loans. They have doubled the size of the team that chases Kiwis living overseas to pay the money back, they've got the debt collectors in Australia involved and when any of these people with debt over $1000 comes in, 100 percent of them can expect to hear from the IRD. And - this is something I particularly like - if the debt is big enough and these people have shown they really don't want to pay their money back, then they don't get to leave the country again. So if they come in for a holiday or to visit family- nope, they're stuck here because they owe us some money. And it looks like this crackdown is starting to work, because 7000 names have been given to the debt collectors in Australia - and about 1000 of them are now paying back their debt. I don’t have any sympathy for these people and the crack down that’s coming at them. Because we are talking about a lot of money  - about $2.2 billion. And as we know, this country's broke. And these are not kids we’re talking about, these aren’t predominately 21-year-old graduates off an OE just forgetting to pay back their loans. Most of the debt is owed by people in their 40s and 50s. Come on, you haven't paid your debt back in 40 years? By then - it's deliberate, isn't it? These guys are the ultimate free-loaders. They get a nice education for free and then while the rest of us paid our money back and stayed to contribute to the country and pay taxes, they've taken that free education and skipped the joint and went and lived somewhere else and didn't pay that money back. 70 percent of them aren't paying anything at all. If anybody should be paying up, it's these guys. And I'm very pleased to see the IRD is finally getting our money back so we can use it to build this place back up again. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, confirmed he was resigning following a damning report that concluded the Church of England covered up a serial abuse case. Welby was facing growing pressure to quit after the independent probe found he 'could and should' have reported decades of abuse by a church-linked lawyer to authorities in 2013. UK correspondent Gail Downey says several figures in the church had called for Welby's resignation. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been a week since Donald Trump won the US election - and the markets underwent a shift once the results became clear.  Small to medium-sized businesses have picked up - and they're expecting to see a boost driven by proposed tax cuts and fewer regulations. Milford Asset Management's Stephanie Batchelor unpacked the results further.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Insurance has been a hot topic of late, as premiums are continuing to shoot up while general inflation abates. Findings of a Treasury survey show owners of apartments and other multi-unit buildings (MUB) are being hit extra hard. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny revealed how much insurance premiums had gone up - and how that impacted owners. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's outrage from Auckland commuters, as a hīkoi working its way down to Parliament marched over the Harbour Bridge and added to traffic issues. NZTA was forced to close some lanes on the bridge and people were delayed in their morning commutes.  Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper unpacks the political causes that inspired the hīkoi.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Nick Mills from ZB's Wellington Mornings and Phil O'Reilly from Iron Duke Partners joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  The hīkoi working its way through New Zealand has disrupted the commutes of thousands of Aucklanders today. Is this the right move? Will they lose favour from the public if they keep negatively impacting people? Donald Trump has started setting up his political team - including putting Elon Musk at the head of his new Department of Government Efficiency. What do we make of this? The Government has launched a new online calculator designed to help companies address their gender pay gaps. Can the Government address this issue? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

42 members of the King's Counsel, some of New Zealand's most senior legal minds, are calling on the Government to abandon the Treaty Principles Bill. The group has written a letter to the Prime Minister and attorney-general Judith Collins outlining their 'grave concerns' about the bill - claiming it 'seeks to rewrite the Treaty itself'. One of the signatories is Karen Feint KC, and she says the bill will erase several key Treaty principles. "You can't just rewrite the constitution of New Zealand without having a proper dialogue about it." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 13 November 2024, the big hikoi to Parliament has disrupted thousands of Auckland commuters' day - and Heather is wondering whether this really is the best way to get the general public on board the cause. Lifetime Black Power member Denis O'Reilly speaks to Heather after the police launched Operation "Nickel" to enforce the gang patch ban from next week. Shihad frontman Jon Toogood tells Heather why the band has decided to call it quits after four decades together. Plus, Auckland Unlimited reveals a little financial help was needed to entice Coldplay to come to the country. 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.

The Government has launched a new online tool designed to help businesses address their gender pay gaps. The online calculator is now live on Ministry for Women’s website, meaning businesses can calculate their gaps and take action. Minister for Women Nicola Grigg says it's unlikely this tool will drive companies away from hiring more women - despite recent concerns. "I think they're going to see the power of it, and it's going to unleash something quite cool." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's the end of an era for Kiwi rock fans - as iconic band Shihad are set to call it quits after their last tour. After nearly 40 years, the group has confirmed they will split up for good, with demand for this final tour causing their website to crash. Shihad frontman Jon Toogood says the group's priorities have changed - as all the members have children and families now. "Everyone's busy all the time, this is a great band that deserves that full-on attention - and I just think we just sort of came to a collective agreement that we couldn't do that. It was time to put it to bed, but go out on a high." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ACT leader David Seymour is warning principals they're technically public servants - and must display political neutrality.  The Associate Education Minister is hitting out at schools who've marked absences by students attending a national  hīkoi as 'justified'.  Thousands marched through Auckland today on the pilgrimage to Parliament, protesting the Treaty Principles Bill.  Seymour says parents can only urge schools to do the right thing.  "Ultimately, it's up to communities to say to principals through their school boards - we don't like what you're doing and maybe it's time to get someone new." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coldplay is set to hit the stage at Auckland's Eden Park later tonight, with over 50,000 people being expected to attend. Extra public transport services are scheduled and fans will have the option to walk down a trail from the CBD - but traffic will be heavy. Auckland Unlimited's head of major events, Michelle Hooper, says the headliners are expected to start about 8.15pm. "They are absolutely global icons - and I'm just so pumped that Auckland's buzzing at the moment as a city. Coldplay are such loyalists to Auckland." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A longtime Black Power member says he'll be waiting to see how enforcement of the gang patch ban plays out from Thursday next week.  Denis O'Reilly says the extensive preparatory meetings between gangs and police could mean it goes well.  He says care is needed.  "We need calm heads and steady hands and careful words, I think." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump is tapping the shoulder of billionaire Elon Musk for a new role. The incoming US president has handed the Tesla boss leadership of the new Department of Government Efficiency, alongside Republican Vivek Ramaswamy. Its goal will be cutting regulations and bureaucracy. But US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says it's not necessarily a job. "These guys can keep their real jobs that pay a gazillion dollars - and still have influence over policy." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 A host of young talent have earned fulltime contracts with the Blues for next season. Among the seven fresh faces are fullback Payton Spencer - son of former All Blacks first-five Carlos - and loose forward Che Clark. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's some new Government measures to regulate online gambling operators. Only 15 operators will be granted licenses  - which will include mandatory age verification.  Ads targeting children will be banned and operators will be limited to casino games, not sports betting or lotteries.  Breaches could result in $5 million dollar fines.  Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says things need tightening up. "At the moment, anybody can go online and play thousands of different regulated games in New Zealand. It is a bit of a wild west."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I've actually been surprised at the level of anger I've heard expressed today at that Treaty Principles Bill hīkoi crossing over the Harbour Bridge - and I don't think it's a good thing for this particular cause. Yesterday, completely out of the blue, I got an email from a mum I know complaining about the impact it will l have on kids trying to get to their NCEA exams on time. Today, I bumped into someone this morning furious about the timing because it was rush hour. And someone in my family is raging about it as well. To be fair to these people, it's understandable anger and I can see why they're so cross. Basically, it's because this protest feels like it was designed to create disruption. Either that or the organisers didn't think it through - which I doubt very much because they have proven to be quite deliberate in a bunch of the things they do. What happened to facilitate the hīkoi today was that authorities had to close two lanes on the Harbour Bridge in our biggest city from 8 in the morning - at peak morning traffic time. That will have messed up the day for thousands of people coming in from the North Shore. If these guys were decent to the people of Auckland just trying to do their jobs and get their kids to school, they would've shifted their walk time back by a couple of hours, when most people are in the office and won't be messed around. It's not as if the hīkoi would lose attention because it caused less disruption. They are all over the online news feeds, they’re being covered by radio shows like ours, they'll be all over the TV news later because the protest is big. And it's about a very contentious issue, that being the Treaty Principles Bill. These guys did not have to muck Aucklanders around to get the coverage they wanted. Ultimately, I don't think it's a smart move from them. Just like I don't think it's too smart to have gang members join the hīkoi with their patches on display. All it’s going to do is frustrate middle New Zealand and make middle New Zealand more sympathetic to the other side, because that’s how politics works nowadays - we pick sides. We don't like that side, we go to the other, that's how this works. And that’s ultimately an own goal, because the only hope David Seymour has for this bill is that it becomes very popular and that it gets rescued because enough people want it. And this hīkoi, I reckon, won’t have hurt his chances at all. A lesson to people planning future protests - try not cause disruption on purpose, because that way we’re more likely to be sympathetic to your cause, not less. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I think the hardest news story to read today is of the kindergarten teacher in Victoria who died yesterday afternoon saving children from a truck that smashed into the kindy.   The truck driver lost control, the truck ploughed into the kindy, the teacher pushed the kids out of the way, but died herself.  The speed limit outside that kindergarten was supposed to be dropped from 50 to 40 kph – but hadn’t been.   A similar thing happened a few weeks ago in Melbourne.   An SUV crashed into a primary school, killing an 11-year-old boy and hurting 4 other children.   I don't love speed reductions.   All too often they’re done in stupid places like open roads. But when it comes to places where kids are, I've completely 180’d on this.   I read the book ‘The Anxious Generation’ a few weeks ago. The book tracks why kids are having mental crises en masse lately.   One of the reasons, particularly for boys, is that since the 1970s parents have increasingly stopped their kids from just playing around the neighbourhood on their bikes, or running around with other kids - because parents are scared of fast traffic.   And with good reason... cars go fast in our suburbs.   I live on a road that’s 30kph. No one does 30kph – I don't do 30kph.   The good news is that because of recent rule changes here, Auckland schools should have lower speed limits during school hours by the end of 2027. But, I wouldn’t mind if that was pretty much everywhere where kids are.   I get that would drive people bonkers, having to slow down all the time around houses and parks and schools...   It would require us sacrificing our time.   But, for the benefit of going as fast as we do around kids... we are sacrificing quite a lot.   Their best childhoods.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Keir Starmer will be the first UK Prime Minister to join Armistice Day commemorations in France since Winston Churchill in 1944.  UK correspondent Enda Brady tells Heather du Plessis-Allan the British leader was there to get private time with Macron in order to discuss Trump’s re-election.  Meanwhile, cold case detectives in Ireland have made a breakthrough in the notorious case of a young woman who had been missing for 21 years.  And, BBC’s top sports presenter Gary Lineker will leave Match of the Day after 25 years.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Retailers continue to struggle along as many watch every penny spent.  Electronic card spending data showed a 1.1% fall in October compared to last year. September was down 5.6%.  As retailers brace for the most important season of the year, Chief Executive at Retail NZ Carolyn Young tells Heather du Plessis-Allan it may be a tough period of time.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 12 November 2024, the Government has delivered an official apology to victims of state and faith based abuse. Survivors have been focusing their anger on one very specific person today.  Chris Luxon spoke to US president-elect Donald Trump this morning, so what did the two really talk about?  Everyone's thinking twice about taking their car to the car wash after one woman's terrifying experience in Christchurch.  The Huddle debates Heather's favourite interview of the week with Federated Farmers' Toby Williams.  Plus Heather admits that she's made a grave error committing to pronounce all French words in English.  Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVE       See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Federated Farmers is calling for the Government to urgently distance itself from a radical new pine planting proposal released by the Climate Change Commission.  ANZ is not going to introduce climate targets for farming customers.  And, voting has opened on a proposal from Kiwifruit marketer Zespri to increase plantings of SunGold in other countries.  Host of The Country Jamie Mackay joins Heather du Plessis-Allan.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Economists are warning that NZ may have to downgrade its economic outlook as a result of Donald Trump’s re-election.  Analysts from BMI have revised down our growth forecast from 2% to 1.8% for next year.  Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen tells Heather du Plessis-Allan it is not just the proposed tariffs that are causing the outlook.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fonterra has confirmed it will sell off its consumer brands such as Anchor, Mainland and Kapiti.  The company claims there has been significant interest but is considering whether to go for a straight sale or a listing of the brands.  Dairy Insights Consultant Stuart Davison tells Heather du Plessis-Allan Fonterra wants to simplify the core business of New Zealand-processed milk.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Chief of Staff to Jacinda Ardern, Mike Munro and Kiwiblog and Curia pollster David Farrar join the Huddle to discuss the apology for victims of state care, Trump and Luxon’s phone call, car wash horrors, and reduced speed limits in urban areas.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Federated Farmers is calling on the Government to part ways with a new pine planting proposal released by the Climate Change Commission last week.  The proposal comes after the UN asked the Government to come up with a new 2035 Emission’s Reduction Target by February. The Commission’s suggestions would see large areas of farmland used for planting pine trees.  Farmers say they need the land for productive farmland.  Federated Farmers Meat & Wool Chair Toby Williams tells Heather du Plessis-Allan the conversion will drive up NZ beef and lamb prices and force the country to become a net food importer.  “We have to sacrifice everything. We have to sacrifice our nation, our rural people and our rural communities just so we can agree to a piece of paper that was signed in Paris.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Christchurch woman believed she was going to die when a car wash malfunctioned while she was in it.  The brushes hit her car so hard that the bonnet, roof and sides were crumpled and scratched, and her spoiler was completely ripped off.  After making it out of the car wash, staff gave the woman a flyer with an 0800 number she never heard back from. The car wash was back in service later that night.  Acting Head of Research and Advocacy at Consumer NZ, Jessica Walker tells Heather du Plessis-Allan the Consumer Guarantees Act requires reasonable care and skill is provided for a service, and this case clearly did not meet that standard.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has spoken to US President Donald Trump on the phone for the first time since the US election, saying he congratulated Trump on his big win.  The pair talked about deepening ties between NZ and the US.  Former Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sir Don McKinnon tells Heather du Plessis-Allan that there will be around 190 prime ministers and presidents eager to speak to Trump, and it seems NZ has been fairly high up in the queue.  “That’s a good sign.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today issued an official apology to everyone who was abused in state and faith-based care.  Luxon said the current system for paying redress to survivors is not good enough and announced $32 million of new funding to sort this out.  Seven other public sector leaders have also apologised for their departments’ role in abuse, including Solicitor General Una Jagose.  The crowd met her address with jeers, pushback, tears and booing.  Leoni McInroe is a Lake Alice survivor and attended the apology today. McInroe tells Heather du Plessis-Allan Jagose has been an active part of denying and dismissing survivors stories and should step down.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon issued a historic official apology to the estimated 200,000-plus people who were abused in state and faith-based care institutions over decades.  Plus, Lindsay McKenzie has been appointed as Wellington City Council’s Crown observer and starts the job tomorrow.  And, the ACT party is supporting removing a broadcasting allocation from taxpayer funding in the lead-up to an election.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A teacher aide has died in Australia after a truck crashed into a preschool playground. The crash comes less than two weeks after an 11-year-old was killed and four other students injured after an SUV crashed through a fence in Melbourne. Australia correspondent Murray Olds tells Heather du Plessis-Allan the teacher aide saved a number of children’s lives by pushing them out of the way in time. Her family has paid tribute to the “cherished mother, wife, daughter and sister”. Plus, four foreign nationals have been found on a remote island off the northern territory. And, plant lovers are queueing up to catch a once-in-a-decade whiff of the corpse flower in Melbourne. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Big old day for the survivors of abuse in state care today because the government through the Prime Minister finally apologised for this. That is important. I know you know what they want is redress as well, a whole bunch of them, and fair enough... that will come. But, an apology also is very important. Especially when you consider how long it has officially not been a big deal that kids went through what they did while they were in the state of care - for it to now be acknowledged as, “yep, absolutely, actually a big deal” and for the state to admit it did wrong. I think that's really important Slightly unfortunately, the day has been overshadowed by anger directed at the Solicitor General. I think this is going to be the thing that everybody remembers about today. Una Jagose tried to apologise herself today as the solicitor general, she was booed by survivors. She was heckled by survivors. One woman walked out another, turned her back to the Solicitor General while she was talking in a move of protest. The reason they're so angry is because they want to strip her from her job. They accuse her of covering up what really happened to them. Now, I'm not going to tell these people that they're not entitled to feel angry because of course they are. But, what we have to remember when we're discussing the Solicitor General's role in this and even in a lower role previously as a Crown lawyer before she became the Solicitor General, is that Crown lawyers, Crown law, the Solicitor General, they are the Government's lawyers, right? They act in the best interests of the Crown. And it's pretty much the same as David Bain's lawyer or even Brenton Tarrant's lawyer or should you or I be accused of something significant, our lawyers - that our lawyers are not there to look after everybody else. They are there to look after us. They're working in the best interests of their clients. And the same is true of Crown law. It's really important context when we feel angry at somebody like the Solicitor General or Crown law for what they did. I understand why Una Jagose is copping it the worst today. It’s much easier to pin the blame on one person, isn't it? Than to pin the blame on a giant system like Government. And especially when you consider that governments change every few years - one person is much easier to hold accountable than potentially thousands of people for little bits that they did over decades. Maybe it will make a lot of people feel a lot better if she loses her job. But remember this, it's not actually going to fix anything. Not in the past. And not for kids who are in state care in the future. Beware the quick solution, because the quick solution may create a false sense that things have been fixed when they really haven't. The most important thing is that things are actually fixed. Isn't it more important than anything she actually fronted up today? And so did the Prime Minister and I say that's got to be a good start. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sam Cane and Mark Tele’a have been ruled out of this weekend’s test against France.  Cane took a nasty blow to the head in last week’s match against Ireland, which required stitches. It is hoped he will clear concussion protocol in time to don the black jersey one last time –against Italy in Rome- before heading to Japan.  Plus, Super Rugby teams are naming their squads for the 2025 season.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Research has shown Gen Z does see the benefits of putting down their phones.  Outdoor education organisation Outward Bound surveyed participants from the last five years, aged 20 and under, and found 80% of them wanted to reduce their screen time.  93% say they feel more productive when they aren’t on their phones.  Outward Bound chief executive Malindi Maclean tells Heather du Plessis-Allan putting phones down gives teens an opportunity to rediscover meaningful connection and engage with others on a different level.  With Gen Z themselves saying they want to be on their phones less, Maclean tells Heather she’d like to see social media banned for those under the age of 16, like over in Australia.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in the UK, top restaurant and pub bosses have warned businesses will close and jobs will be cut following last month's Budget. The sector is facing higher taxes as part of required National Insurance contributions - and many have warned these increases are unsustainable. UK correspondent Gail Downey says the sector has already undergone a financial rough patch as it struggles to recover from Covid-19. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The markets have reacted strongly to Donald Trump returning for his second term in the White House. The US dollar, stocks and bitcoin all surged after his win - but experts are wondering if this will continue. Mark Lister from Craigs Investment Partners unpacked some likely outcomes. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.