Matt Heath & Tyler Adams Afternoons

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.

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 pay-slips, being ask to resign after asking for time away, the removal of a work car from entitlements and a couple about social media. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a dramatic encounter recorded by surveillance cameras, a Florida man chased an alligator under water and rescued his 3-month-old puppy from the jaws of death.Richard Wilbanks, 74, of Estero ran into his backyard pond, wrestled the gator above surface, and pried its jaws open to free Gunner, his Cavalier King Charles spaniel."We were just out walking by the pond," Wilbanks told CNN, "and it came out of the water like a missile. I never thought an alligator could be that fast. It was so quick."He said adrenaline or instinct kicked in, and "I just automatically jumped into the water."NOT HIS PUP: A Florida dog owner has gone viral after video captured the 74-year-old pry his puppy from the jaws of a small alligator without losing his cigar; the dog suffered just one puncture wound. https://t.co/4gI1114EGB pic.twitter.com/Os1J7Dx69h— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) November 23, 2020Holding the alligator wasn't so tough, but prying open the jaws was "extremely hard," he said.Wilbanks said his hands were "chewed up," and he went to a doctor for a tetanus shot.Gunner had one puncture wound in his belly and did fine after a trip to the veterinarian's office.The rescue south of Fort Myers was caught on camera because of a partnership between the Florida Wildlife Federation and the fSTOP Foundation."We live on a shared landscape," Meredith Budd of the wildlife federation told affiliate WINK. "We don't just want to tolerate wildlife, but, rather, we want to thrive with wildlife on a shared landscape."Wilbanks agrees with that mission and he doesn't want the alligator removed from the pond or destroyed."They're part of nature and part of our lives," he said.He still takes Gunner walking, but he keeps the puppy on a leash -- and 10 feet from the pond's edge. "Our pets, they're just like family to us," he said.text by Jay Croft, CNNSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Next February, athletes from around New Zealand will descend on Whanganui for the Downer NZ Masters Games, the country's largest and longest-running multi-sport event.Despite closing the competition to international competitors in 2021, entries are already up on last year. Football and water-skiing are already at capacity and organisers are urging people to register themselves or a team as soon as they can.Games manager Rachel O'Connor told Simon and Phil Whanganui is going to be a hive of activity during the games.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Born in Canada, Tami Neilson grew up as a member of family band The Neilsons. Life as a musician was largely mapped out, at least until Tami fell in love with a Kiwi, and had to rebuild her career from scratch in Aotearoa. Embraced by her new homeland, Tami has since won numerous awards, and has two nominations for this year's APRA Best Country Music Song.She was Simon and Phil's guest for this week's Six and a Song, where she also gave a preview of her new Christmas song 'Pretty Paper' by Willie Nelson. Tvami is donating her Bandcamp sales of the song to Auckland City Mission whose work she admires. Help support this great organisation by buying the song here - https://tamineilson.bandcamp.com/track/pretty-paperLISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It might be less spiritual than the Buddhist mantra-chanting flight in Thailand, but EVA Air's latest "flight to nowhere" idea could be just as magical -- by helping people find love in the sky.EVA Airways, one of the largest carriers in Taiwan, is partnering with travel experience company Mobius on a campaign called "Fly! Love is in the Air." These are flights for singles on Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year Day."Because of Covid-19, EVA Air has been organizing "faux travel" experiences to fulfill people's desire for travel. When single men and women travel, apart from enjoying the fun in travel, they may wish to meet someone -- like a scene in a romantic movie," Chiang Tsung-Wei, the spokesperson for You and Me, the speed dating arm of Mobius, tells CNN Travel.Each of the dating experiences includes a three-hour flight that departs from Taipei's Taoyuan International Airport and circles the airspace above Taiwan, plus another two hours of a romantic date back on land.Participants are encouraged to have in-depth conversations with each other on board while sampling meals prepared by Michelin-starred chef Motoke Nakamura. They are also encouraged to keep masks on when they're not eating or drinking.Each of the three trips varies slightly. The flight on Christmas Day will be followed by an afternoon tea date back on solid ground. The New Year's Eve date kicks off with a candlelit dinner before guests board the plane, where they will count down to 2021 together. The one on New Year's Day will be a breakfast date."Flights to nowhere" have become a trend in Asia and the Pacific during the coronavirus pandemic. Until now, most of these flights -- which have originated in cities like Hong Kong, Sydney and Taipei -- focused on sightseeing, with travelers getting aerial views of famous landmarks.For passengers on the matchmaking flights who want to look out the window as well as at fellow singles, the daytime EVA Air flights fly above the east coast of Taiwan, where they can see the mountain ranges that stretch from Hualien City in the north to Taitung City in the south.The nighttime flight will go over the western shoreline of the island, where they will see Taiwan's cities illuminated in the darkness.Unlike a typical flight, there's no choosing window or aisle ahead of time. Participants will be seated pair by pair by lucky draw. However, they will be free to move around and chat up other travelers during the meals on land.All three itineraries wrap up with a hearty "confession" section where participants reveal who they clicked with."The biggest advantage of speed dating on a flight comes from the serious nature from our participants," says Chiang. "In addition to gathering participants with enough spending power, it also attracts a group of single people who love traveling. With the same values, it boosts participants' motivation to meet and helps smoothen their conversation from the start."Not just any singles could join the flights, however.Each flight seats only 40 passengers -- 20 men and 20 women. Participants have to be university graduates with citizenship in Taiwan.The event welcomes men between 28 and 38 years old and women between 24 and 35.The age specifications have gotten some negative blowback online."From different surveys we have done, most of the male participants would like to meet women younger than them while female participants would like to meet men older than them. That's why there is a different age criteria for the event," says Chiang, adding "But You and Me have organized different dating events that cater to different age groups."The fee for each trip is TWD8388 ($295) per person. All the tickets for the first flight on Christmas are already sold out.The response so far has been robust. All the 40 seats on the first flight were sold out within a week, with over 400 applicants vying for...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Consumer NZ says the government's review into supermarket pricing is vital to ensure Kiwis are getting a fair deal.The Commerce Commission will investigate whether pricing is as competitive as it could be.Consumer NZ CEO Jon Duffy says New Zealand's supermarket 'duopoly' makes it easy for prices to rise. "Groceries bill make up an essential part of households spend. It’s important to make sure we are being treated fairly."Duffy says a supermarket code of conduct, similar to Australia's, could also be useful in New Zealand. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ron Cribb is a former All Black and one of the stars of the brilliant 'Match Fit' currently playing on TV. An immensely talented No 8, during his time playing for the All Blacks he regularly tormented the opposition with his barnstorming play. Ron joined Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford for this weeks' Six and a Song, where he discussed why he joined the show and what he has learnt about getting fit. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every fortnight we get on our DIY guru Stan Scott from Mitre 10 to give you a hand for all your home DIY projects. This week he covered off garden irrigation systems, getting the deck prepped for summer, getting rid of borer, and much more! LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank will implement a Funding for Lending Programme early next month - to reduce banks' funding costs and lower interest rates.It's also announced the Official Cash Rate remains at 0.25 [point two five] percent.Independent economist Cameron Bagrie told Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford the programme will lower the Reserve Bank's input costs.He says if banks are getting cheap funding, they should be able to take borrowing rates down.Cameron Bagrie says borrowers win - because the Reserve Bank is trying to get as much money into the system, to make sure monetary policy is going to get the economy back on track.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two of New Zealand's leading public health experts are calling for authorities to ditch the one-size-fits-all border control process for a risk-based approach.The system would help facilitate travel from places free of Covid-19 while reducing the risk connected to people arriving from places with an uncontrolled spread.The University of Otago's Associate Professor Nick Wilson and Professor Michael Baker have dubbed it the traffic-light system; Red for Covid-19 hotspots, Amber for areas with moderate community transmission, and Green for countries who have effectively eliminated the virus. Professor Nick Wilson told Simon and Phil the proposal wouldn't eliminate risk at the border, but it would drastically reduce it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Blacks have completed the final touches in Sydney for tomorrow's fourth and final Bledisloe Cup test ... in Brisbane.The squad will fly in and fly out on match day due to Covid-restrictions in the Sunshine State.Sky Sports commentator Grant Nisbett joined Simon and Phil to discuss what to expect in the final Bledisloe clash. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to Jack Tame talk to Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford live from the US after the speechA defiant Donald Trump claims he is being cheated out of victory in the US election.The President held a White House press conference to insist "big media, big money, big tech" were trying to steal the election from him.As his chances of victory fade, Trump said he had enjoyed "massive victories" and that on the basis of legal votes "I easily win"."If you count the illegal votes, they can try to steal the election from us."He slammed pollsters, the "corrupt" mail voting system, the Democrat machine and the media among others as he said there was a "tremendous amount of litigation due to how unfair this process is"."I challenge Joe Biden and every democrat to say whether they will accept illegal votes."Trump said there were "now only a few states yet to be decided into the presidential race" and the "voting apparatus are run in all cases by Democrats"."We were winning in all the key locations by a lot, actually, and then our numbers started miraculously getting whittled away, in secrecy," he said.Reaction to the claims from an exhausted-looking Trump was swift.MSBNC, NBC and ABC News all cut away from Trump's speech shortly after he started speaking.MSNBC instead aired legal experts fact checking the President rather than his comments.CNN and Fox News carried the full press conference. "What a sad night for the American people ... lie after lie after lie," said CNN's anchor immediately after Trump's speech.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An American law expert's slamming Donald Trump's claims of electoral fraud - calling them incoherent. CNN projections have Biden on 253 of the 270 electoral votes needed to win - with Trump at 213. But Donald Trump's campaign team has gone on the attack - seeking a recount in Wisconsin and filing lawsuits in Pennsylvania and Michigan.US Constitutional lawyer Professor Garrett Epps told Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford polling day ran well."We just had an election and these very earnest poll watchers and vote counters began to do their job, and then Trump comes rampaging out into the East Room screaming 'I'm going to destroy everything', and now we're in a world of hurt."LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This really was a fluke.The driver of a metro train escaped injury when the front carriage rammed through the end of an elevated section of rails and was caught by a sculpture of a whale's tail near the Dutch port city of Rotterdam.The train was left perched upon one of two tail fins known as "flukes" several meters (yards) above the ground.It created such a stir locally that authorities urged sightseers to stay away, adding that coronavirus restrictions were in force.Even so, some 50 people were at the scene late Monday morning as engineers tried to work out how to stabilize and then remove the train amid strengthening winds."A team of experts is investigating how we can make it safe and get it down," Carly Gorter, a spokeswoman for the local security authority, said in a telephone interview."It's tricky," she added.The authority said late Monday that a crane would attempt to lift the train off the whale Tuesday morning.The architect who designed the sculpture, Maarten Struijs, told Dutch broadcaster RTL he was pleased that it likely saved the life of the driver."I'm surprised it's so strong," he said. "If plastic has been standing for 20 years, you don't expect it to hold a metro carriage."The company that operates the metro line said the driver was uninjured and there were no passengers on the train when it crashed through stop barriers at the end of the station in the town of Spijkenisse, on the southern edge of Rotterdam, early Monday morning. The station is the final stop on the metro line.Authorities launched an investigation into how the train could plough through the barrier at the end of the rail tracks. The driver was being interviewed as part of the probe, the Rijnmondveilig security authority said.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Act's Party leader and champion for the End of Life Choice referendum David Seymour is celebrating a decisive YES vote from the New Zealand public. The preliminary results, released at 2pm, show 65.2% voted yes, while 33.8% voted no. The final results will be confirmed on November the 6th after special votes are counted. David Seymour told Simon and Phil it's a good day for New Zealanders who voted for compassion. "It was all about giving people choice, dignity and control if they're suffering at the end of their life."This means New Zealand is a compassionate country. The results show we are also a very intelligent and thoughtful nation."LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The preliminary referendum results indicate that a majority of Kiwis voted against legalising cannabis for personal use.Today's results show 46.1 per cent voted for legalised cannabis, compared to 53.1 per cent against.The official result, however, won't be known until November 6, when 480,000-odd special votes will be included in the final count.Newstalk ZB political editor Barry Soper told Si and Phil it's not impossible for the cannabis vote to change, once special votes have been counted."It's a big change that's required, but the special votes are there for it to be changed.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wayne 'Buck' Shelford is the only undefeated All Blacks captain and true rugby royalty. He was Simon and Phil's guest for this weeks Six and a Song, where they also chatted about a new show he's fronting called Match Fit. It follows Shelford and Sir Graham Henry as they bring together a team of former New Zealand rugby greats and challenge them to get back in shape physically and mentally, with the aim of getting back on the field for one final match.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The death of a Dunedin student from a paracetamol overdose has led to calls for limits on the sale of the painkiller in supermarkets.New Zealanders can readily buy as much of the painkiller as they want in supermarkets.But many European countries have introduced smaller pack sizes and prohibited sales of the painkiller outside pharmacies in a bid to save lives.General Practitioners College medical director Dr Bryan Betty told Simon and Phil if you overdose on paracetamol and you don't get proper treatment within 24 hours - it's potentially lethal.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gareth Abdinor is an Employment Lawyer and Partner with Malley & Co solicitors. We have him on regularly to answer all your employment related questions. Today we had some great questions on the difference between a contractor and an employee, flaws in how leave has been calculated, and HR troubles. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founders of a "ground-breaking" new app launching in Auckland today are promising to put New Zealand on the map for providing the best healthcare in the world.It comes after reports of a looming healthcare crisis with nearly half of the country's GPs expected to retire in the next eight years. Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit New Zealand, there have also been multiple reports from health experts saying people are too scared to visit see a doctor.The new digitally-led medical service dubbed Tend, coined from the word 'attention' - to patients and families, hopes to combat that burden by offering virtual and in-clinic consults, immediate access to medical notes, e-perceptions and follow up messaging with qualified doctors.It's the brainchild of Cecilia and James Robinson, the founders of My Food Bag, alongside top public health doctor Mataroria Lyndon and Pushpay's Josh Robb.For the last 18 months the team have developing a service they believe could be the best in the world.Lyndon, Tend's clinical director, said it was more than just video calling, it's the beginning of a transformation in the way primary health care services are delivered in Aotearoa."For too long, primary health care has been designed to work around the health system and not always what works best for patients. This has prevented too many people and whanau from being able to access healthcare when they needed to," Lyndon said.He said this service, which they hope to eventually roll out nationally, would benefit all New Zealanders, especially Maori and Pacifika communities who overall face more barriers to see a GP. It will be available in Te Reo.From today patients can choose a GP or nurse that suits their needs and who they feel they would be most likely to connect with, Lyndon said.There is currently a team of 12 doctors and nurses to choose from but it's hoped that number will expand as the service grows.The company's co-CEO Cecilia Robinson said as a parent she had experienced the frustrating long waits at a GP clinic first hand, and it was part of the reason for developing the app."We want it to be like an uber experience, where you book and pay via the app."Enrolled patients would get their first appointment and repeat prescriptions for free.Community Service Card holders who are enrolled with the service would be seen for $13. For causal patients it would cost $49. Casual repeat prescriptions are charged at only $19.Following registration, users would be able to book a digital appointment with a GP of their choice between 7am – 9pm Monday - Friday, or 8.30am – 4.30pm on the weekend.While many medical needs would be available through virtual consult patients would still need to book in-clinic appointments at Tend's Kingsland clinic for some services.That's something they will be able to do with the touch of a button.Robinson said the app will help combat the looming healthcare crisis because it would allow patients from parts of the country without doctors to have access, and also attract retired medical professionals to re-enter the workforce because they can work from home.The app will also save patients time because they will be waiting at home, rather than in a clinic."As a country, we know we can do better. With advances in technology, we shouldn't be expecting people to have to take time off work, travel across town and sit in a waiting room worried about getting sick for a routine medical appointment," she said."We are going to continue working so hard to make New Zealanders the healthiest people in the world."Text by Emma Russell, NZ HeraldSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gary Stead started his cricketing career as a top order batsman for New Zealand, before transitioning into the coaching side of kiwis favourite summer sport. He lead the successful women's team, before taking the helm of the Black Caps, leading them to the final of the 2019 Cricket World Cup. He was Simon and Phil's guest for this weeks Six and a Song. They discussed the 2019 heartbreak, the pressures of the job, what he does to unwind outside of cricket, and of course his favourite song. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A "raw" new book on the life of Sir Howard Morrison written by his son, Howie Morrison Jnr, reveals for the first time what it was like growing up in the shadows of the iconic entertainer.The book, titled How Great Thou Art Sir Howard Morrison - the Untold Story, celebrates the remarkable achievements of Sir Howard while also touches on rumours of adultery and behind the scenes dramas, including being kicked out of Manila at gunpoint and alleged tensions with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa at the Knight With A Dame Concert.It also reveals how Sir Howard was never keen to share the limelight, including with his namesake, and how he criticised his nephew, Temuera Morrison, for his role in Once Were Warriors.Howard Morrison Junior with a copy of How Great Thou Art, his new book about his dad. Photo / Andrew Warner.Morrison Jnr said the "raw and uncompromising insights" could now be told - just over 11 years since Sir Howard died in September 2009.The book, which has been three years in the making, will be launched on Thursday night next week at the Te Puia, the first night of the two-night Howard Morrison Quartet Take Two show paying tribute to Sir Howard.Morrison told the Rotorua Daily Post he and his two siblings, Donna Grant and Richard Morrison, owed a lot to their mother, Lady Kuia Morrison, for what she sacrificed throughout the decades of their father's touring around the world.Lady Morrison suffers from dementia and is now living in Whare Aroha Home and Hospital in Rotorua.The book, which is written in movie script genre, addresses how the family handled Morrison Jnr's concerns about Sir Howard's adultery while on tour.In the book it details a particular conversation where Lady Kuia told Sir Howard she was "sick of your sorrys"."Don't you think I know about all the other women. Bloody hell! The whole world knows, but you leave that crap on the road, you don't bring it home and rub it in my face," the book quotes Lady Kuia as saying.While Sir Howard was singing for the Hilton Hotel chains throughout South East Asia, the book said first Lady Imelda Marcos would often frequent his shows in Manila. On one occasion, according to the book, she invited Sir Howard to perform a private concert for her at the Royal Palace.Sir Howard Morrison. Photo / FileRumours started circulating throughout Manila and one morning at 1am there was a knock on the door at his Sir Howard's hotel suite, the book said.Sir Howard was met with a man in a suit accompanied by two soldiers wielding automatic machine guns who informed him his contract was over and he would be sent to Bangkok.Sir Howard frantically packed his bags and was led at gunpoint to a waiting limousine which took him to a private plane at the airport, the book said."Howard is absolutely terrified and genuinely concerned for his life," the book said.The book said his minder later told him that with the rumours about Sir Howard and the First Lady, the "powers that be thought it better that you leave Manila".Morrison said his book also revealed publicly for the first time alleged tensions between Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Sir Howard at the Knight With a Dame Lakeside 2000 concert attended by 40,000 people at the Rotorua International Stadium.The book said Sir Howard was taken aback by Dame Kiri's alleged manner."Even I'm not that demanding," the book quoted Sir Howard as saying."And I'll be the first to admit I can be a pompous pr**k."Sir Howard was also allegedly told by Dame Kiri, according to the book, there was to be "no banter" and he wasn't to communicate with the audience, just sing.After the first half of the show, the book said good friend and fellow entertainer Frankie Stevens noticed there was something up with Sir Howard's performance so hit him up backstage."Come on, doy! This isn't you and you know it. Give the people what they want,"...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was an all too familiar sight - the Wallabies imploding in a test at Eden Park - but this time at the hands of an unheralded tormentor in chief.While Aussie rugby scribes were divided in their reasons for the Wallabies' defeat, tightening the All Black's near two-decade long grip on the Bledisloe Cup, they were unanimous in their praise for rookie winger Caleb Clarke, who was near faultless in his run-on debut.All Blacks great and Caleb's father Eroni Clarke joined Simon and Phil to chat about his son's phenomenal debut. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National Party Leader Judith Collins joins Si and Phil to talk about some lighter topics ahead of tomorrow's election.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Watch the video above as Kiwi boxer Junior Fa speaks to Si and Phil ahead of his eagerly anticipated bout against Joseph Parker.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister and Labour Leader Jacinda Ardern joined Simon and Phil for a catch up during the last leg of the election campaign. They put listeners questions to her, including over Ihumatao, wealth tax, bottom lines, dealing with record house prices, the obesity epidemic, and the hustle and bustle of the campaign.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gareth Abdinor is an Employment Lawyer and Partner with Malley & Co solicitors. We have him on regularly to answer all your employment related questions. Today we had some great questions, including what's fair in terms of what an employer should pay if you've had to move cities for your job. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Canadian woman has returned five artifacts she took from Pompeii in 2005, saying they have plagued her with bad luck.The woman, identified only as Nicole, sent two white mosaic tiles, two pieces of amphora vase and a piece of ceramic wall to the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, along with a letter explaining her decision."I wanted to have a piece of history that couldn't be bought," wrote the woman, who said she was "young and dumb" at the time.Since returning to Canada, she said, she has suffered two bouts of breast cancer, resulting in a double mastectomy, and her family has also been in financial trouble."We can't ever seem to get ahead in life," she wrote, blaming the bad luck on the tiles."I took a piece of history captured in a time with so much negative energy attached to it," she wrote. "People died in such a horrible way and I took tiles related to that kind of destruction."Nearby Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, showering Pompeii with hot rock, volcanic ash and noxious gas and burying its residents.The woman related how she had given another tile to a friend and told her of the decision to send her artifacts back, but she said she doesn't know if the friend will return hers.The woman took the artifacts from Pompeii in 2005. (Photo / CNN)"We are good people and I don't want to pass this curse on to my family, my children or myself anymore," she wrote. "Please forgive my careless act that I did years ago."Over the years, around a hundred visitors have returned small artifacts like mosaic tiles and pieces of plaster that they stole during a visit to Pompeii, according to a spokeswoman for the park.The items were sent back along with letters from the visitors "claiming to have derived only bad luck" from taking away the artifacts, the spokeswoman told CNN.A selection of letters and returned artifacts has been put on display at the Pompeii Antiquarium, she added, noting that, while the value of the artifacts was not significant, the letters were interesting from an anthropological perspective.Pompeii is one of the world's most famous historical sites, and archaeologists continue to work on the remains.In February, the famed House of Lovers reopened for the first time in 40 years following a restoration project.The building, one of Pompeii's best-known sites, was shut to visitors in 1980 after suffering damage in an earthquake, but it has now reopened as part of the Great Pompeii project, which launched in 2014 with the aim of safeguarding the ancient city.text by Jack Guy and Nicola Ruotolo, CNNSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new era in the All Blacks could spell an end to their dominance in world rugby, according to a Wallabies great.New Zealand kicked off their 2020 test season with a thrilling `16-16 draw with Australia in Wellington.While the match was entertaining and a strong Wallabies side turned up, it will be a result All Blacks coach Ian Foster will likely view his first test in charge as a lost opportunity, and want to rectify that soon.Former Wallaby David Campese told Si and Phil he wasn't too impressed with New Zealand's performance, particularly Rieko Ioane's bombed try."That's not normal what All Blacks do, I know it's a different era... but that changed the game, that allowed the Wallabies to have some self belief and get back into the game, one little mistake. You could just see little things starting to creep in, that weren't there before."The second Bledisloe Cup test is this weekend in Auckland.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Five parrots have been removed from public view at a British wildlife park after they started swearing at customers.The foul-mouthed birds were split up after they launched a number of different expletives at visitors and staff just days after being donated to Lincolnshire Wildlife Park in eastern England."It just went ballistic, they were all swearing," the venue's chief executive Steve Nichols told CNN Travel on Tuesday. "We were a little concerned about the children.""I get called a fat t**t every time I walk past," Nichols complained.The African grey parrots -- named Eric, Jade, Elsie, Tyson and Billy -- were given to the park from five different owners within the same week, and shared a quarantining facility together before being placed on display.But staff immediately noticed that the birds shared a propensity to fly off the handle."They literally, within a very short period of time, starting swearing at each other," Nichols said. "'F**k off' is the most common one," he explained -- "it's a very easy one for them to learn" -- but the birds would utter "anything you can think of."Most customers enjoyed the talent once the parrots were displayed. "The visitors were giving them as much back as what they were giving to them," Nichols said.But concern for younger customers forced staff to split up the birds and temporarily remove them from the park's public areas. Staff now hope the birds' language will become more family-friendly now that they have been separated."To take in a swearing parrot isn't an unusual thing, it's something that happens probably three or four times a year," Nichols said.But the pandemic has led to a surge in donations, as owners spend more time with their birds and decide to give them to parks that can provide them with a larger living space, he explained."We would normally take in one or two parrots in a fortnight. Today we took in eight," he said.African greys are among the most popular species of parrot. Around 1.1 million indoor birds were kept as pets in the UK in 2019, according to the Pet Food Manufacturers' Association.text by Rob Picheta, CNNSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ring, the Amazon-owned home security business, introduced a flying camera on Thursday that may excite home-surveillance fans but is almost certain to rankle privacy advocates.The US$250 drone, called Ring Always Home Cam, is among a slew of products unveiled during Amazon's invitation-only online hardware event.The drone is small and light, with a high-definition camera, and it can automatically fly on preset paths to specific spots in your home, streaming video to your smartphone of what it sees along the way. Users can set up paths for the drone via a smartphone app, or if the drone detects motion in a part of your home it can fly on its own to that spot and take video of what's going on. Set for release next year, the drone is meant for indoor use only, and it can be set to work with the Ring Alarm system so that it will fly a preset route if the alarm is triggered.The drone's camera appears to be mounted on a short trunk extending below its propellers (which are housed in a square cage), and will only record when the drone is flying, said Leila Rouhi, president of Ring, as she introduced the device. The camera is blocked when the drone is sitting in its dock, she said."We know when something happens our customers want to be able to see exactly what's going on, but it's not always feasible to have whole-home coverage," Rouhi said, explaining why Ring created the drone.Though the Always Home Cam is said to be coming next year, Ring did not show the drone actually flying. Video that appeared to be taken from a drone's perspective inside of a home was captioned with a note that read "Functionality simulated for illustrative purposes only", and video footage showed Rouhi holding it.The device's ability to navigate your home is sure to concern privacy experts, who have already blasted Amazon for Ring's partnerships with hundreds of police departments around the US; though these deals are meant to make it easier for local law enforcement to access videos taken by users, privacy advocates see it as a way to build a widespread surveillance network.In an effort to assuage some privacy fears in advance, Ring said the drone is meant to be noisy while in flight — making it obvious when it's in use -— and that it can't be manually controlled.text by Rachel Metz, CNN BusinessSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.