Matt Heath & Tyler Adams Afternoons

Ryan Fox is one of our finest professional golfers. After turning pro in 2012 he went on to win the Western Australian Open in 2014, and the Queensland PGA Championship the following year. In 2017 he had a run of success in the important summer Rolex Series events, before going on to win his first European Tour event in 2019, being the first New Zealander to win on the European Tour in 10 years. He was Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford's guest for this week’s Six and a Song. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad Butterworth is one of this country’s finest ever sailors. He was tactician to Russell Coutts for New Zealand’s breakthrough Cup victory in San Diego in 1995, was there for the successful defence in Auckland in 2000 and went on to win another 2 America's Cups He told Simon and Phil he's hoping it will be a tight race from a spectator's point of view. But says he believes Peter Burling has the edge over rival Jimmy Spithill.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gareth Abdinor is an Employment Lawyer and Partner with Malley & Co solicitors.He regularly joins Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford to answer all listeners' employment related questions.Today, he discussed a boss who told a worker to come into the office rather than work from home during Lockdown because he would be distracted by his newborn baby, working for a foreign company while based in New Zealand and a question over clocking in. among other things.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At a time when Tourism is hurting badly, Air New Zealand's chief environmental advisor Sir Jonathon Porritt has suggested price of international flights should rise to pay for greenhouse gas emissions.Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford spent an hour discussing the issue with listeners and sought the opinion of Otago University Professor of Tourism James Higham.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Otago University Chair of Earthquake Science Prof Mark Stirling joined Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford to discuss the earthquakes in the Kermadecs that triggered today's tsunami alerts.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tsunami warnings have been further lifted for most of New Zealand after being put in place soon following a magnitude 8.1 earthquake near the Kermadec Islands this morning.Niwa hydro dynamic scientist Emily Lane joined Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford to explain how a tsunami works.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tsunami warnings have been lifted after this morning's 8.1 magnitude earthquake in the Kermadec Islands but people still shouldn't go near or in the water.Anyone who evacuated can return home.Civil Defence says the threat level has been downgraded to a beach and marine threat and GNS Science says the largest waves have passed.Emergency Management Minister Kiri Allan spoke to Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford once the evacuate warning was lifted.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A tsunami warning was issued for parts of New Zealand following earthquakes off the Kermadec Islands.Far North mayor John Carter was out and about in his community checking people were aware they needed to evacuate to higher ground.John Carter spoke to Simon Barnett & Phil Gifford.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Karl Budge oversaw the ASB Classic from 2012, building it into one of the best on the pro circuit and bringing some of the greatest athletes in the world to New Zealand. During his career he’s held senior roles for some of the World’s highest profile rights holders and brands. And has just been announced as event director of the much-anticipated SailGP series, with the NZ Grand Prix being held in Christchurch next year. He was Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford's guest for this week's Six and a Song.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland City Manukau Ward Councillor Efeso Collins joined Simon Barnett & Phil Gifford to talk about the backlash he's faced since expressing frustration over repetition of conspiracy theories and misinformation by Church leaders and others in his community.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Irene Van Dyk is one of the world's best-known netballers. She is the most capped international player ever and known by many as one of the greatest of all time. Her talent showed no bounds when she made New Zealand her home in 2000 after emigrating from South Africa in her late 20s, quickly becoming the face of the Silver Ferns and went on to rewrite the record books while continuing to play at the highest level into her 40s. She forged an extraordinary international record which included five Netball World Cups and four Commonwealth Games and was honoured for her services to Netball in 2009 when awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. Irene was Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford's guest for this weeks Six and a Song. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A public health expert believes it's too early to suggest opening our borders to our neighbours.It comes amid renewed calls for New Zealand to open its border to Australia, allowing quarantine free travel between the two nations.Otago University Professor Michael Baker told Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford now may not be the right time."Often the devil's in the detail, and you've got to have certain conditions met by all of the countries so its a mutually agreeable arrangement."LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elon Musk's dabblings with Bitcoin got Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford talking about the cryptocurrency. The more they discussed it the more confused they got, so time to call in an expert in the form of Associate Professor Alex Sims from Auckland University's Business School.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gareth Abdinor is an Employment Lawyer and Partner with Malley & Co solicitors.He regularly joins Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford to answer all listeners' employment related questions.Today, he joined the show to answer questions about the costs of doing business as a contractor, injured workers and business travel in the Covid 19 age among other things.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lexie Brown is The Bacelorette. The 31-year-old Wellingtonian stars in the second series of the TVNZ reality TV show screening Monday to Wednesday at 7.30pm on TVNZ.... She joined Phil Gifford and Tyler Adams (in for Simon Barnett) for Six & A Song. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Change is coming to Invercargill's City Council.Newstalk ZB host Marcus Lush's been elected a seat at the table after scoring more than half of the already counted votes in the by-election.He told Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford the public's spirits are low."A lot of people in Bluff and Invercargill have spoken to me and they seemed pretty disillusioned with the council."I don't know if that's right across the country, but it did concern me with what people had to say."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Peter Montgomery is one our finest ever sports broadcasters. Best known as "The Voice of the America's Cup" he revolutionised the media coverage of yachting, covering 11, soon to be 12 America’s Cup regattas, along with nine Olympic Games, Round the World races, and numerous international regattas. His many accolades include broadcaster of the year, Communicator of the Year, Yachtsman of the Year, Sport and Recreation NZ lifetime contribution to journalism, and he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2005. He was Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford's guest for this weeks' Six and a Song. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jared Carter from the Vermont Law School joined Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford to discuss what happens next in the trial and how many Republicans will ultimately need to side with the Democrats for this to passSix Republicans joined all of their Democratic colleagues to vote that the impeachment trial against former President Donald Trump is constitutional, with Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy emerging as the sole Republican to switch his vote after an initial vote on constitutionality last week.The 56-44 final vote marked the closing chapter of Tuesday's proceedings, with the Senate adjourned until noon on Wednesday (local time). All but six Republican senators voted that the trial was unconstitutional because Trump is no longer president. It was the second time such a vote was taken after Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, forced a vote on the same question last month.Here's which Republican senators voted that the impeachment trial was consistent with the Constitution:Sen. Susan Collins of MaineSen. Bill Cassidy of LouisianaSen. Lisa Murkowski of AlaskaSen. Mitt Romney of UtahSen. Ben Sasse of NebraskaSen. Pat Toomey of PennsylvaniaCassidy told CNN Tuesday after the House managers' presentation that it was a "very good opening" and they made strong arguments. During their presentation, House impeachment managers showed how rioters violently breached the US Capitol and attacked police officers, invoking Trump's name as they tried to disrupt the certification of the November election."House managers were focused, they were organized," and "made a compelling argument," Cassidy said after the vote. In contrast, he added, "President Trump's team were disorganized. They did everything they could but to talk about the question at hand and when they talked about it, they kind of glided over, almost as if they were embarrassed of their arguments."Several Republican senators slammed the arguments offered by Trump's legal team as lackluster. Murkowski said she "was really stunned at the first attorney who presented for former President Trump," attorney Bruce Castor."I couldn't figure out where he was going, spent 45 minutes going somewhere, but I don't think he helped with us better understanding where he was coming from on the constitutionality of this," she added. "And I felt that (fellow Trump attorney David) Schoen did a ... better job but I think they sure had a missed opportunity with their first, first attorney there."Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn bluntly told reporters, "I thought the President's lawyer the first lawyer just rambled on and on and on and didn't really address the constitutional argument -- finally the second lawyer got around to it, and I thought, did an effective job." He quickly added, "But I've seen a lot of lawyers and a lot of arguments and that was it was not one of the finest I've seen."Trump was unhappy with Castor's opening argument on the Senate floor, according to two people familiar with his reaction. Trump was almost screaming as Castor made meandering arguments that struggled to get at the heart of his defense team's argument, which is supposed to be over the constitutionality of holding a trial for a president no longer in office.Schoen, who spoke second, was initially going to present first, not Castor, according to two people familiar with the plan.The Senate tabled the initial effort by Paul, a Kentucky Republican, late last month to force a vote on the constitutionality of the trial, but the vote offered an indicator for how Republican senators -- who overwhelmingly voted for Paul's measure -- feel about the trial.Paul's motion was killed on a 55-45 vote, with five Republicans joining all Democrats, meaning 45 Republicans voted for Paul's effort. Romney, Sasse, Collins, Murkowski and Toomey crossed party lines to join with Democrats on that vote.text by Manu...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gareth Abdinor is an Employment Lawyer and Partner with Malley & Co solicitors.He regularly joins Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford to answer all listeners' employment related questions.Today, he joined the show to answer questions about being paid while waiting for a Covid test result, meal breaks & missing leave days among other things.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Where did the waterbed disappear to? They were so popular back in the 70s and 80s and then they vanished! With the help of former waterbed retailer (and ZB advertiser) Craig Barnes we tracked down Charlie Hall - the man who invented the waterbed in 1968.LISTEN BELOWSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Annabel Langbein is one of this country’s most well known cooks, authors, and television personalities. She’s written and self-published over 25 books, which along with her TV series have won numerous national and international awards. In 2013 she received New Zealand's most prestigious individual achievement award, a World Class New Zealand Award, and in 2018 was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services as a food writer. Her latest book is a memoir, ‘Bella, My Life in Food’, Annabel was Simon and Phil’s guest for this week's Six and a Song.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vaccinologist and Associate Professor at the University of Auckland Helen Petousis-Harris joined Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford for a Q&A answering listeners' questions and dispel some myths around the Covid-19 vaccines.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joseph Flavill slipped out of one world and woke up in another.On March 1, 2020, when the 19-year-old was struck by a car in Staffordshire, central England, the United Kingdom had recorded just 23 cases of a concerning new virus. The vast majority of Covid-19 infections were still confined to China, and the United States had confirmed just one death.Sporting events, bars and restaurants teemed with life. And in Flavill's home country that day, newspaper front pages were leading not with the spreading disease, but on Prime Minister Boris Johnson's announcement that he and his fiancée were expecting a child.Weeks later, the world had ground to a halt. But everything that has happened since March 1 has passed Flavill by, even though he caught Covid-19 while unconscious.Now, the teenager has begun to emerge from a 10-month coma -- elating his family but confronting them with a new question: How do you explain a year like no other?"When he comes out of this, life will not be as he knows it at all," Flavill's aunt, Kate Yarbo, told CNN. "How do you describe it?"I think it's going to be a shock. We're all still processing it -- I'm not sure you can ever actually describe how this pandemic feels."The family's ordeal began just days before the rapid onslaught of cancellations, fatalities and lockdowns.Flavill, a cricket and hockey fan, was preparing to visit Buckingham Palace in May to collect the Duke of Edinburgh youth achievement award. But a collision with a car left him with a traumatic brain injury to the back of his head, and he was rushed to a hospital in Leicester, central England.Three weeks later, Britain was in lockdown -- meaning only his mother, Sharon Flavill, was permitted to visit him in hospital, at a distance, dressed head-to-toe in protective equipment. "Life was suspended, and then lockdown happened," said Yarbo.His mother is still waiting until it's safe to touch her son, who is now recovering at a care home.The pandemic has drastically affected Flavill's hospital care, but it is unclear whether he has grasped his family's explanations as to why."How scary is it to (have nurses) in PPE when you don't understand what's going on?" Yarbo asked."He's only ever going to understand it through our ability to describe it, and through news stories. The horror," she said. "So many people have said it's like sitting watching a sci-fi film, isn't it? You couldn't write the pandemic as a film.""That's what it's going to be exactly like for Joseph ... never having to go through the fear and emotion we all had, because when you're looking at it afterwards, hopefully lots of the fear will be gone."'You want to hold his hand'The rest of the family spoke to Flavill virtually, trying all they could to stimulate his brain through video and audio, enlisting the help of relatives and friends through the Joseph's Journey fundraising page."He's been in such pain, he's had seizures, it's been a horrible traumatic journey for him," Yarbo said. And then, in the past few days and weeks, a breakthrough came.First, Flavill smiled when he was played audio recorded in a plane cockpit. Next came a Zoom call with his aunt. "I was joking with him that one day he'll be able to talk, and reminiscing about our Cornwall holidays. I said, 'will you promise me your first word is going to be pasty?'" Yarbo said, referring to the famous Cornish pastry. "And then he blinked.""Something just turned in my tummy. I said 'did you blink on purpose?' and he blinked twice. Then we knew he was communicating."Since then, his progress has been rapid."The last week has been incredible," Yarbo said. "He can't speak yet but clearly he's starting to gain control of his limbs, and his sense of humor's there, he's starting to laugh at jokes.""We're all really stunned, it's amazing what the brain can do."Flavill caught Covid-19 while...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nick Willis is New Zealand’s only two-time Olympic medallist in the 1500 metres event, winning silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and bronze at Rio in 2016. He holds the national and Oceania record for the same distance, claimed three consecutive Commonwealth Games medals between 2006 and 2014, and last week broke the sub-4 minute mile for a record 19 years in a row. He joined Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford for this week's Six and a Song, where he talked about the delay to the Tokyo Olympics, and how he spent lockdown when he couldn't train. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China has begun using anal swabs to test those it considers to be at high risk of contracting Covid-19, state TV has reported.Officials have taken anal swabs from residents of neighbourhoods with confirmed Covid-19 cases in Beijing last week, according to state broadcaster CCTV.Those in designated quarantine facilities have also received anal swab tests.To collect test samples, the swab needs to be inserted about 3-5cm into the rectum and rotated several times.After completing the motion twice, the swab is removed before being securely placed inside a sample container. The whole procedure is said to take about 10 seconds.The mass testing in the capital was sparked after a 9-year-old tested positive for the virus last week.Since January 17, more than three million residents in three Beijing districts have received coronavirus testing in a bid to stem the contagion, authorities said.More than 1,000 staff and students at the infected young patient's school also underwent a variety of nucleic acid tests including the anal swabs, reported state media.Anal swabs have been used in China to test for Covid-19 since last year, but the method is mainly used in key groups at quarantine centres because of its inconvenience, according to a Chinese disease control expert.Speaking to state broadcaster CCTV on Saturday, Li Tongzeng from Beijing You'an Hospital said that traces of the virus linger longer in the anus or excrement than those samples taken from throat and nasal swabs."We found that some asymptomatic patients tend to recover quickly. It's possible that there will be no trace of the virus in their throat after three to five days," Li noted."But the virus lasts longer from the samples taken from the patient's digestive tract and excrement, compared to the ones taken from the respiratory tract."If we conduct anal swabs for nucleic acid testing, it would increase the detection rates of patients and lower the chance of a missed diagnosis," the expert claimed.Arrivals into the China must have multiple negative test results and quarantine for at least 14 days in a designated hotel on arrival, with many cities and regions imposing additional home observation requirements.As of Wednesday, China has reported a total of 89,272 confirmed infections. Its death toll rose by one to 4,636 following an additional fatality on Monday.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The former president and CEO of the Great Canadian Gaming Corporation and his wife are facing charges -- including failure to self-isolate -- after allegedly chartering a plane to a small town in western Canada and posing as local workers to receive the coronavirus vaccine.Rodney and Ekaterina Baker have been charged under Yukon's Civil Emergency Measures Act (CEMA), according to court documents.Yukon Community Services Minister John Streicker said the couple showed up at a mobile clinic last Thursday in Beaver Creek, home to an indigenous community.One of them presented a British Columbia health care card, the other had one from Ontario, Streicker said in a statement.The Bakers weren't charged for getting the vaccine. Rather, they were accused of not following quarantine requirements after arriving in the Canadian territory.According to a charging document, the Bakers are from Vancouver, British Columbia, southeast of the Yukon territory."I am outraged by this selfish behaviour, and find it disturbing that people would choose to put fellow Canadians at risk in this manner," Streicker said. "Reports allege these individuals were deceptive and violated emergency measures for their own advantage, which is completely unacceptable at any time, but especially during a public health crisis."CNN was unable Tuesday to reach the Bakers for comment.Couple posed as local motel employees, reports sayIndigenous communities are one of the groups given priority for Covid-19 vaccinations, according to Canada's vaccine guidance. They are often also disproportionately affected by the novel coronavirus because they can be in areas where health care access is limited.Beaver Creek, the westernmost community in Canada, is the home of the White River First Nation. It is just a few miles from the Alaska border.The Bakers allegedly chartered a plane from the city of Whitehorse in Yukon to Beaver Creek, which has about 125 residents, and claimed they were employees at a local motel, Streicker told CNN news partner CBC.The Bakers arrived in Yukon from Vancouver on January 19 and were supposed to be self-isolating for 14 days in Whitehorse, according to officials. According to a complaint made to law enforcement, they traveled to Beaver Creek on January 21. The travel was not allowed because of quarantine requirements, officials said.After getting their shots, the couple raised suspicions in the community by asking for a ride to the airport, Streicker told CNN news partner CBC."And people were like, 'Well, why would you be going to the airport?' " Streicker said.Following an investigation, the couple was located at the Whitehorse airport, and Yukon officials told CNN the couple left the territory that same day.Members of the mobile clinic team called the motel and were informed the couple did not work there, Streicker told CBC.CNN reached out to Streicker for comment on Tuesday but did not hear back.As for getting the vaccines, according to Streicker, the British Columbia and Ontario health cards wouldn't have necessarily prevented the Bakers from getting them, as there are many out-of-territory workers in the region.Rodney, 55, and Ekaterina Baker, 32, were each charged with failure to self-isolate for 14 days upon entry into the territory and failure to behave in a manner consistent with the declaration provided upon entry into the territory.Charges under the Civil Emergency Measures Act (CEMA) may include fines up to $500; up to 6 months in prison; or both, according to Yukon's Covid-19 orders and directions. The Bakers were each levied a $500 fine and $75 surcharge on both counts.The Royal Canadian Mounted Police were alerted to the situation. The RCMP's Yukon office said Tuesday it is investigating; it would not reply to CNN questions.The Great Canadian Gaming Corporation, a hotel and casino company with 25 Canadian...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday, declaring that "democracy has prevailed" and summoning American resilience and unity to confront the deeply divided nation's historic confluence of crises.Denouncing a national "uncivil war," Biden took the oath at a U.S. Capitol that had been battered by an insurrectionist siege just two weeks earlier. Then, taking his place in the White House Oval Office, he plunged into a stack of executive actions that began to undo the heart of his polarizing predecessor 's agenda on matters from the deadly pandemic to climate change.At the Capitol, with America's tradition of peaceful transfers of power never appearing more fragile, the ceremony unfolded within a circle of security forces evocative of a war zone and devoid of crowds because of the coronavirus pandemic.Instead, Biden gazed out on a cold Washington morning dotted with snow flurries to see over 200,000 American flags planted on the National Mall to symbolize those who could not attend in person."The will of the people has been heard, and the will of the people has been heeded. We've learned again that democracy is precious and democracy is fragile. At this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed," Biden declared in his speech. "This is America's day. This is democracy's day. A day of history and hope, of renewal and resolve."History was made at his side, as Kamala Harris became the first woman to be vice president. The former U.S. senator from California is also the first Black person and the first person of South Asian descent elected to the vice presidency and the highest-ranking woman ever to serve in the U.S. government.Biden never mentioned his predecessor, who defied tradition and left town ahead of the ceremony, but his speech was an implicit rebuke of Donald Trump. The new president denounced "lies told for power and for profit" and was blunt about the challenges ahead.Central among them: the surging virus that has claimed more than 400,000 lives in the United States, as well as economic strains and a national reckoning over race."We have much to do in this winter of peril, and significant possibilities. Much to repair, much to restore, much to heal, much to build and much to gain," Biden said. "Few people in our nation's history have been more challenged, or found a time more challenging or difficult than the time we're in now."Biden was eager to go big early, with an ambitious first 100 days including a push to speed up the distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations to anxious Americans and pass a $1.9 trillion economic relief package. It included a blitz of executive orders on matters that don't require congressional approval — a mix of substantive and symbolic steps to unwind the Trump years. His actions included re-entry into the Paris Climate Accords and a mandate for wearing masks on federal property."There's no time to start like today," a masked Biden said. in the Oval Office. Then he swore in hundreds of aides — virtually — telling them, "You're my possibilities."The absence of Biden's predecessor from the inaugural ceremony underscored the national rift to be healed.But a bipartisan trio of former presidents — Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama — were there to witness the transfer of power. Trump, awaiting his second impeachment trial, was at his Florida resort by the time the swearing-in took place.Biden, in his third run for the presidency, staked his candidacy less on any distinctive political ideology than on galvanizing a broad coalition of voters around the notion that Trump posed an existential threat to American democracy. Four years after Trump's "American Carnage" speech painted a dark portrait of national decay, Biden warned that the fabric of the nation's democracy was tearing but could be repaired."I know the forces that divide us are deep and they are real. But I also...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A man has scaled one of Hong Kong's tallest towers for charity, ten years after an injury left him wheelchair-bound.Lai Chi-Wai raised almost HK$5.5 million ($1 million) while climbing the 320-metre Nina Tower on Saturday. The 37-year-old climber completed the gruelling 10-hour climb, hauling himself and a wheelchair up the skyscraper in Kowloon."I was quite scared," Lai told local reporters. "Climbing up a mountain, I can hold onto rocks or little holes, but with glass, all I can really rely on is the rope that I'm hanging off."Lai, a former champion rock-climber, had ranked 8th in the world. However, after a road accident in 2011 left him paralysed from the waist down, he considered retiring from the sport.However, Lai made a return to the sport. Just five years later he climbed Hong Kong's Lion Rock, the city's most iconic cliff face in his wheelchair.In an interview with the BBC, the climber said being able to return to his sport had been a huge motivation."Knowing there was a possibility...that I could be a climber again, I found some direction in life."On the 10th anniversary of his accident, the athlete set his aims higher – taking on one of Hong Kong's most iconic skyscrapers. The first attempt was postponed from the week before due to weather and safety concerns, however on Saturday he proceeded with the climb.Battling with wind, and knotting ropes, Lai completed 250 meters of the 300 metre climb before it was called off for safety reasons.Slapping his helmet to keep himself awake, and taking small breaks to rest his arms, icy nighttime conditions meant that he could not haul his wheelchair onto the very top of the tower. The athlete told his Facebook group of the difficult decision to stop at the last 48 metres of rope."Some people don't understand the difficulties of disabled people, some people think that we are always weak, we need help, we need assistance, we need people's pity," the Guardian quoted Lai."But, I want to tell everyone, it doesn't have to be like that. If a disabled person can shine, they can at the same time bring about opportunity, hope, bring about light, they don't have to be viewed as weak.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The job of playing the office Secret Santa at Newstalk ZB this year fell to our Political Editor Barry Soper.He did a fine job but we had to keep him away from the egg nog!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kyle Jamieson is a superstar of international cricket right now. After playing as a batsman in his younger days, it wasn't until he joined the New Zealand U19 team that he was asked to seriously consider focusing on fast bowling as a primary skill. One of the tallest fast bowlers in the world, he burst onto the international scene in February this year against India, and to date has taken a phenomenal 20 wickets in just 4 test cricket matches. He was Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford’s guest for this week’s Six and a Song. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The America's Cup World Series is the first opportunity for the teams to go head-to-head in official races, having squared off several times in practice duels in recent weeks.The first three days follow a double round-robin format, with four races each day. Each team will face their three opponents on two occasions.The top-ranked team from the round-robin will then face the fourth-best team in one semifinal, with the second- and third-placed teams squaring off in the other.The winners of each semifinal will face off in the Christmas Cup decider, while the two losers will race in a playoff for third.For Team New Zealand, it is their only chance to take on the three prospective challengers in official races before the America's Cup match next March.Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford took the opportunity to chat with Peter Montgomery - The Voice Of Yachting.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A claim has been lodged for damages against Parliamentary Services by a former staffer wrongly called a rapist by the Speaker of the House.Trevor Mallard has answered questions before a select committee about spending more than $300,000 of taxpayer money fighting a defamation case filed by the staffer.Political editor Barry Soper told Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford the claim was revealed when the head of Parliamentary Services was cross examined."We’re not looking at the last of the pay outs. We could see more payments given - and this puts Parliamentary Services in a very difficult situation.”Mallard said he wanted to appear before the Governance and Administration Select Committee because he cared "deeply" about Parliamentary accountability and transparency and ensured a clause was included in the settlement which allowed him to do so.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dame Valerie Adams is a four-time shot put World champion, four-time World Indoor champion, two-time Olympic, three-time Commonwealth Games champion and twice IAAF Continental Cup winner. She joined Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford in studio for an end of year chat about her training ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, and answered listeners questions - including on the delay to the 2020 Olympics and her favourite TimTams! LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Speaker Trevor Mallard has been accused of destroying an innocent man’s life, after falsely accusing a parliamentary member of being a rapist.Mallard's in the firing line amid revelations taxpayers footed a $330,000 bill for his settlement and legal costs of a defamation action - after he wrongly called a staff member a rapist.Newstalk ZB Political editor Barry Soper told Andrew Dickens the Prime Minister and Labour Party are not living up to their own words and values.“If Jacinda Ardern pleads well-being and kindness as she does, there has been none of that applied to the man at the centre of this.“He’s now very ill as a result of the accusation made against him, his life has been destroyed. That is not well-being or kindness.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Seymour says we now have a price on the mistake made by Parliament's Speaker Trevor Mallard.It's been revealed the taxpayer's footed a $330,000 dollar bill for Mallard's settlement and legal costs of a defamation action - after he wrongly called a staff member a rapist.The ACT leader says Mallard accused a person of the most serious and heinous crime.Seymour told Si and Phil he should go - and whether or not that happens is a test of Jacinda Ardern.He says Mallard has the confidence of Parliament with 61 votes - and Labour has 64 excluding him.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All Black Captain Sam Cane joined Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford from covid hotel isolation for an end of year chat.They yarned about all nmanner of things from what it is like carrying the mantle of All Black Captain in a rugby man country to coffee, vinyl records, and whose idea it was to lay down the Maradona jersey at the beginning of the Argentinian Test.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He needs to go. That's the message from Judith Collins as she savages Parliament's Speaker Trevor Mallard - saying her party's lost confidence in him. Mallard's in the firing line amid revelations taxpayers footed a $330,000 bill for his settlement and legal costs of a defamation action - after he wrongly called a staff member a rapist.National leader Collins told Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford Jacinda Ardern needs to front up and act. She says the Prime Minister has 65 votes in the House and could easily sort him out.Collins says the sheer size of the pay-out shows how serious the matter is."It's unacceptable behaviour from the enforcer of rules for MPs and he's no longer fit for the job."LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Portia Woodman is one of the superstars of world women's rugby. Included in her medal haul is gold at the 2016 Commonwealth Games, gold at the 2017 Women’s Wold Cup, gold at the 2018 Rugby World Sevens, and sliver at the Rio 2016 Olympics. She has been recognised on the global stage with the 2015 World Rugby Women’s Sevens Player of the Year Award, 2017 World Rugby Women's Player of the Year, and this week has just been named Women’s Sevens player of the decade, and Women’s 15s try scorer of the decade at the World Rugby Awards. She was Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford's guest for this weeks' Six and a Song.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been 25 years since almost one hundred Kiwis braved high seas, wild winds and French military to protest the French nuclear testing at the Mururoa Atoll in 1995. The protest stirred up enough international media coverage to force the French into the UN’s test ban treaty, with no testing in the Pacific ever since. Dan Salmon was one of those Kiwis who joined a group and set sail aboard the Chimera all those years ago to unknowingly become embedded in New Zealand’s history. He’s part of a new campaign from Steinlager reliving the Peace Flotilla story which has been directed by Lee Tamahori – you can check it out on their Facebook page. He joined Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford to discuss what it was like to be a part of that historic event.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every fortnight our DIY guru Stan Scott from Mitre 10 is in to give you a hand with your home DIY projects.This week he answered questions about laying pavers, edging laws, gib-stopping and many other things.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gareth Abdinor is an Employment Lawyer and Partner with Malley & Co solicitors.He regularly joins Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford to answer all listeners' employment related questions.Today, he joined the show to discuss sick pay, allegations of serious misconduct and maternity leave.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Royal Commission report into the March 15 Christchurch mosque attack has found failings in how the shooter got his gun license.The almost 800 page reports just been released.It reveals police oversight of the licensing system was not up to standard, with too little scrutiny of the gunman's referees, and whether they could vouch for his being a responsible person.Chief political reporter Alex Mason told Phil Gifford and Simon Barnett that police accepted referees he'd only ever seen sporadically."It included a friend he played online games with for 10 years, but only met in person for three weeks over that entire time, and the person's parent."LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Pakistan cricket team will not be able to train while completing their time in managed isolation in Christchurch.The Director-General of Health has confirmed he will not be granting an exemption to allow the team to leave their hotel to train in groups.Dr Ashley Bloomfield says he's carefully considered the situation and has ongoing concerns about the risk of cross-infection within the squad.He says there have been a number of active cases identified among the team and public health consideration will continue to be foremost in our response to Covid-19.Cricket commentator Bryan Waddle joined Si and Phil to share his thoughts on the decision.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Fair Go presenter Kevin Milne ranks as one of New Zealand television's longest-serving reporters. After joining the Fair Go team in 1984, he presented or co-presented the show from 1993 until 2010 during which he helped get some of the biggest consumer pay outs in NZ history. He’s also appeared, on Then Again, Holiday, Intrepid Journeys, and Kev Can Do. In 2007 he was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to broadcasting and the community. He also appears every week as a commentator on Jack Tame Saturday Mornings just after 9am.Kevin Milne joined Simon Barnett & Phil Gifford for Six and a Song. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Bryan Betty is medical director of The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners.His opinion piece is titled 'Toxic shock: A health warning- sugar is killing us'."It is now estimated that 11 percent of the world's (and New Zealand's) total health budget is spent on diabetes, the majority related to Type 2 diabetes – a disease that can be treated early with diet, exercise, and the use of medications."There's one simple thing that everyone can do to lower their risk of diabetes: cut down sugar. I'm not talking about a revolutionary lifestyle change overnight (although by all means, go ahead) but there's one thing you can do today – that everyone agrees on – to improve your health, and that's to stop drinking sugary soft drinks."He told Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford that, as a nation, we must reduce our reliance on sugar in our food, we need further education and a possible government intervention with a sugar tax because the cost of our continued addiction is too high to society and our children.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New movie "The Man On The Island" tells the story of one man, Colin McLaren, and one tiny island, Rakino in the Hauraki Gulf – off the grid, challenging and stunningly beautiful.The 77-year-old artistic, philosophical, and erudite man moved to the remote island thirty years ago.Colin's own path to a reclusive lifestyle unwittingly shines a light on society's plight in a pandemic.He joined Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford in the studio to tell us about the movie and his island lifestyle.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The colours of Pacific nations Fiji, Samoa and Tonga will come together under the first ever Moana Pasifika squad for their historic clash against the Māori All Blacks on December 5th. Assistance Coach Aaron Mauger joined Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford to chat about getting the squad together, and the training underway ahead of the match. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Baker has become a household name as we navigate through a worldwide pandemic. After beginning his career with the Ministry of Health during the HIV/AIDS epidemic, he rose to the rank of professor of Public Health at the University of Otago, Wellington. In 2013 he was awarded the Health Research Centre Liley Medal for his contribution to the health and medical sciences, is currently part of the COVID-19 Technical Advisory Group, and has been from the start one of the most vocal voices advocating for our elimination strategy. He was Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford's guest for this weeks' Six and a Song. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every fortnight our DIY guru Stan Scott from Mitre 10 is in to give you a hand with your home DIY projects.This week he answered questions about retaining walls, hanging a door, attaching a mirror to a bathroom wall and much more!LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The last thing Olly Dale remembers before seeing a rescue helicopter flying up the valley was having lost all feeling in his feet as he got colder and colder.The 17-year-old, rescued along with three friends in the Ruahine Ranges on Sunday, later learned medics believed he was just an hour from death.And his friends weren't much better off."They gave us two hours before they were lifting multiple bodies out."The four Palmerston North teenagers, three of them Scouts, had taken off from Rangiwahia in the lower North Island bush and stayed in a DoC hut on Saturday night.Much of the area had no cellphone reception so Dale decided to take a personal locator beacon (PLB) with him.It was a decision that probably saved his life.Dale, two fellow Freyberg High School graduates and a Longburn Adventist College school leaver spent Saturday night at the six-bunk Triangle Hut.It rained all night and they woke early on Sunday before heading to the Oroua River where they had to cross waist-high water.The downpour returned at about 11am and they decided to take a rest on a step bank as it was becoming increasingly unsafe zig-zagging their way across the river.Dale and his friend Lachlan, 18, went off to find a possibly safer spot. They did so hoping the 17-year-old girls Meghan and Esther could get some rest and shelter.The teenagers had tents and emergency blankets."We were still on the edge of the river. We saw across the river there was a flat, sandy spot," Dale said."We started walking again... We were all confident we could do it but of course everyone was cold, tired and miserable. We were just trying to get on with it.""So we walked about another 100m down the river where I just started to stop the group and do a hypothermia check. I could see I was starting to get hypothermia."Symptoms of hypothermia can include shivering, exhaustion, clumsiness, fumbling hands and confusion."We stopped and we put our gas cooker on and boiled some water."The group made hot Raro out of the flavoured drink sachets. But the situation was increasingly grim, and Dale eyed up the locator beacon."I had it in my hand and I pretty much sat around and laid out the facts."A majority were in favour of setting it off - but it was still a big call to make.The beacons send an exact location to emergency services, emitting a distress signal.Beacons must be registered with the Rescue Co-ordination Centre of New Zealand, which takes charge of land-based missions following a PLB activation.Dale remembered thinking: "Right, I'll do one last vote."This time, the verdict was unanimous. Now, it was a matter of waiting, and hoping."My condition started to worsen," Dale said.Soon he couldn't feel his feet at all. He later learned he was drifting in and out of consciousness."The next thing I remember after that is we had the helicopter coming up the valley."The Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter from Hawke's Bay approached.The four teens used their shiny emergency blankets to ensure the chopper's intensive care paramedic Ryan Sutherland and his colleagues could see them.But with hail belting down, the helicopter moved away. The group didn't know what had happened. But the rescuers soon reappeared in the dense bush.Dale said Sutherland approached."I remember him telling us we're all right and we're not in trouble.""They walked us up to the spot where they could pick us up and they put us into a type of bag or harness, one at a time."Dale and one of the 17-year-old girls were in the worst condition, so were flown out first to Palmerston North Hospital.The Lowe Corporation crew dropped off supplies to the other two trampers to tide them over.Wrapped in blankets, Dale and his friend arrived at the hospital where his parents were waiting.The relief was overwhelming....See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.