The Finance Minister is defending the time it's going to take to get the Government's books back in the black. Nicola Willis says a surplus is expected in 2027-28. Labour's Finance Spokesperson, Barbara Edmonds, told Mike Hosking that Willis isn't delivering the direction she promised. She said that they’re borrowing way more than Labour would’ve a…

The Cancer Society says some patients won't have a year to wait for National to make good on their promise. Over the next four years the government is spending $6.5 billion to boost hospital and primary care. Finance Minister Nicola Willis says she's disappointed it couldn't include funding for 13 new cancer drugs, despite promising it pre-election…

A civil war has been sparked after a vote at NZ Rugby’s headquarters saw Proposal Two passed. It passed with a majority, 69 votes for and 21 against. New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association CEO Rob Nichols claims the game could now be in an even worse position than before. He said that Proposal One, which adopted more of the recommendations from the…

Today sees a crucial vote take place for New Zealand Rugby. A Special General Meeting is taking place, in which the union will vote on the new governance structure. The proposed changes follow the review last year that found the current model not fit for purpose. ZB’s Rugby Commentator Elliott Smith told Mike Hosking that he doesn’t think they’ll r…

There are concerns that another rise in power bills could be the straw that breaks the camel's back. The Commerce Commission is proposing increased revenue limits for Transpower and 16 local lines companies to help cover rising demands of the national grid. Electric bills would increase by an average $15 a month from April and $5 a month over the f…

Finance Minister Nicola Willis will unveil the final shape of the tax cuts promised to New Zealanders in the Budget today as well as how the Government will pay for them. The contents of the Budget will be revealed by Willis in Parliament at 2pm. Deloitte Tax Partner Robyn Walker says there won't be any major tax shocks in today's Budget. She told …

Donald Trump's hush money trial is nearing its end, with jurors retiring to deliberate. The former US president is facing 34 felony charges of falsifying business records relating to a hush money payment to an adult film star before the 2016 election. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says it's a win-win situation for Trump. He told Mike Hosking that…

Interest rate sentiment might have turned, but people are uncertain about the future of house prices and whether it's a good time to buy. A new ASB survey's found more people expect interest rates to fall rather than lift in the coming year. Senior Economist Kim Mundy says uncertainty is still high, and the economic outlook isn't very strong. She s…

Pope Francis has apologised after he was quoted using a derogatory term about gay men. It's alleged the Pope made the remark during a closed-door meeting with bishops in Rome last week. They were reportedly discussing whether gay men should be admitted to Catholic seminaries, where priests are trained. Europe correspondent Gavin Grey told Mike Hosk…

David Seymour is urging students to stay in school tomorrow and not join protests across the country. Toitu Te Tiriti is urging Māori to strike countrywide across the New Zealand on Budget Day as a demonstration against a Government assault on Tangata Whenua and Te Tiriti. Multiple hikoi are planned, including rolling road blockages in Auckland and…

The News Publishers Association remains optimistic the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill will go through. A Select Committee's recommended the bill not be passed in its current form. The bill would force social media giants to pay for using news media. Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith says they've not made a decision and it's still …

Nelson-based fuel company NPD has remained 100% Kiwi owned. The company left the hands of the founding family, selling a majority of the shares. One Kiwi in particular now owns the company, current CEO and longtime employee, Barry Sheridan. Sheridan told Mike Hosking that their goal is to bring the most competitive fuel prices they can as they expa…

A public transport advocate believes we're paying the price for a lack of investment in trains. Only 22.5% of Wairarapa trains arrived within five minutes of being on schedule in April. It's a slight improvement from February, which had only around 5% of trains within target. Jon Reeves from the Public Transport Users Association told Mike Hosking …

A struggle to staff the country's radiation oncology services is turning more cancer patients to private care. RNZ is reporting that a service caring for patients in five regions across the North Island is not allowed to recruit the staff it needs, despite recommendations from Te Whatu Ora. Cancer Society Co-Director Kate Gregory told Mike Hosking …

- Charles Leclerc’s first win since July 2022 - Max Verstappen started and finished the race sixth for Red Bull - Early crash took out Sergio Perez, Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc won the restarted Monaco Grand Prix from pole position today for his first Formula 1 victory in nearly two years. Leclerc was on pole …

The secondary teachers union says the Government's pre-Budget teacher recruitment announcement is a good start but it needs to ramp up. Education Minister Erica Stanford's announced a 53-million dollar package to train and recruit 1500 teachers over four years. It includes establishing 1200 places for aspiring teachers to learn on the job. PPTA Pre…

The UK Prime Minister has made a big pre-election promise - ahead of July's general election. The Conservative party wants to bring back 12 months of national mandatory military service. Eighteen year olds could choose between a fulltime military placement or one weekend a month of community service. Rishi Sunak's party has not stated the planned p…

This week marks the conclusion to the Donald Trump Hush Money Trial in New York. The first criminal trial of former President Donald J Trump will have its closing arguments on Tuesday before Jurors have to decide to convict him. Mr Trump is accused of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. Anthony …

The state of New Zealand’s economy is a disappointment. In a pre-Budget speech to the Employers and Manufacturers Association, Finance Minister Nicola Willis confirmed the Government had found savings to pay for tax cuts. However, she warned that the books are still in a structural deficit, with spending outpacing tax revenue. EMA CEO Brett O’Riley…

Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer have hit the ground running in the UK. The leaders of the Conservative and Labour parties, respectively, are out and about ahead of the July 4 election. But Newstalk ZB UK correspondent Vincent McAviney told Mike Hosking that it hasn't been a smooth start for the Conservative leader. He says Sunak had an embarrassing fa…

It’s little surprise a large number of Kiwi teachers didn't pass some high-school subjects. New research has found a quarter of new primary school teachers failed maths and more than half failed science at NCEA Level One. More than half who pursued Level Two maths also failed. The Teaching Council's calling for more investment and widespread change…

A mining lobby group thinks the Resources Minister's decade-long vision for mining is achievable. Shane Jones has announced a draft strategy which would see a critical minerals list for New Zealand produced, and a detailed stock-take made of the country's known mineral potential. He wants to double export values in 10 years, from one billion to two…

Major tornados hit Iowa, leaving towns devastated and people injured or dead. Greenfield was struck by the deadliest tornado of the storm, leaving homes and businesses destroyed, and while police confirmed fatalities at a news briefing, they were unable to say how many. The town’s hospital was among the buildings damaged, forcing the injured to fin…

The Reserve Bank had a few surprises in its monetary policy update yesterday. While the OCR remaining at 5.5% was expected, Governer Adrian Orr’s signal that the cash rate may remain “restrictive” for longer, was not. Domestic inflation is proving more stubborn than expected, and the Bank is also considering hiking rates if it must. Malcolm Knight,…

French President Emmanuel Macron's imminent arrival in New Caledonia is being viewed as a show of defiance. Six have died in the unrest sparked by government electoral reforms. A further 49 New Zealanders have been rescued from Noumea following the initial 50 people evacuated on Tuesday night. They arrived in Auckland early this morning aboard a De…

The OCR is expected to remain steady. It’s expected to remain unchanged at 5.5% when the bank releases its quarterly Monetary Policy Statement this afternoon. It's signalled a rate cut may not come for another year. Infometrics' Brad Olsen says the central bank is having to focus on inflation, over other negative economic indicators like rising une…

New Zealand’s rugby provinces have been warned by the professional players to brace for a civil war if they vote to approve their own governance change proposal at next week’s special general meeting. In an explosive move that shows how distressed the New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association (NZRPA) is with the current governance system and the possi…

Electoral paperwork is landing two MPs in hot water. The Greens have referred suspended MP Darleen Tana to the Electoral Commission for failing to put a promoter statement on a magazine advertorial. The party itself is investigating what she knew about allegations of migrant exploitation relating to her husband's business. At the same time, Nationa…

Passengers have described their terror when a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore dropped suddenly. A 73-year-old British man has died of a suspected heart attack and dozens of others were injured. A statement from the airline says 23 of the 211 passengers were from New Zealand. Flight SQ321 was diverted to Bangkok. UK correspondent …

Police response times in Australia’s Northern Territory have gotten worse. A domestic violence inquest has heard that police response times have increased in the past year, more than doubling over the previous five. NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy revealed that between 2022 and 2023, the number of hours spent on domestic violence cases increa…

Local councils want a new approach to move decision making away from central government and back into communities. Local Government New Zealand is proposing city and regional deals, a system which would see councils team up with the government on specific projects. Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe told Mike Hosking that it will give more control to loc…

The death of Iran's President isn't expected to have immediate impacts internationally. President Ebrahim Raisi and the foreign minister have been confirmed dead by state media after a helicopter crash near the Azerbaijan border. Iran has announced five days of public mourning. Otago University international relations professor Robert Patman told M…

Immediate changes are in store for Kainga Ora, in light of a critical independent review. It found the public housing agency needs significant savings to become financially viable. Housing Minister Chris Bishop's indicated a total refresh of the board but rules out a mass sell-off of state houses. Community Housing Aotearoa Deputy CEO, Chris Glaude…

A sellout crowd is certain as it's just one day til Wellington Phoenix chants ring out across the city. The nix are playing the Melbourne Victory at a packed Cake Tin. Excitement's been building up in the capital about the A-League semifinal clash, as the team goes into the second leg on a nil-all aggregate score, at home. Weekend Sport host Jason …

King Charles has been attending garden parties as he returns to public duties. The monarch returned to work in late April, about two months after it was announced he was being treated for cancer. UK correspondent Vincent McAviney told Mike Hosking that he appeared in good spirits at the garden parties this past week. He says hundreds of people are …

The Workplace Relations and Safety Minister's being urged to address the huge cost of workplace bullying. A report by the Human Rights Commission and KPMG has found the cost of bullying and harassment to employers is about $1.5 billion a year. Equal Opportunities Commissioner Saunoamaali'i Karanina Sumeo told Mike Hosking that Minister Brooke van V…

Federated Farmers says most farmers are looking at Fonterra's change in strategy with cautious optimism. The dairy giant's signalled its intent to divest well-known brands such as Anchor and overseas brands Fonterra Oceania and Fonterra Sri Lanka. It wants to focus on producing ingredients and selling them to consumers and other businesses. Federat…

After months of goading, Donald Trump has his wish. Joe Biden has finally agreed to presidential debates, but on a different schedule. He released a video on social media earlier today saying that he’s ready to debate, and that Trump is available on Wednesdays, referring to the day that Trump’s hush money trial is not in session. US Correspondent M…

Hundreds of appointments and surgeries have been cancelled as junior doctors begin another strike. They’re continuing to fight for better pay and work conditions. More than 2000 doctors walked off the job at 7am for the second time in two weeks, the strike planned to last two days. Sarah Dalton, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Med…

There's a small silver lining for regional councils amid slowing local economic growth. The March Infometrics Monitor reveals economic activity has increased just 0.2% over a year, the slowest growth since the first Covid-19 lockdown. Building consents have dropped almost 60% in the Tasman District and fell around 25% for all regions. Tasman Distri…

Labour's anticipating many Kiwi police officers will take up New South Wales' incentivised offer. The state is 1500 officers short and has announced it'll fast-track New Zealand officers as recruits. Training requirements will be shortened and Kiwis with at least seven years' experience can keep their current rank, up to senior constable. Labour's …

With any promise there’s always an element of wiggle room, misinterpretation, or perhaps reversing out at high speed. Although I have huge admiration for anyone who keeps their word and sticks to a promise verbatim, the coalition government’s promise of tax cuts isn’t a promise I’m happy for them to keep. Anyone who only heard that promise in the r…

A UK study has found that obesity jabs could reduce health risks. Researchers looked at semaglutide, otherwise known as Wegovy and Ozempic, and found that the weekly shots could reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes. It was found to benefit cardiovascular health even if the user didn’t lose much weight. UK Correspondent Gavin Grey told Roman…

If you feel as though you’ve been living in some kind of whack job, futuristic Netflix series when it comes to this country’s deplorable attitude to crime and our increasingly farcical judicial system you were probably suitably blown away by yesterday’s announcement by Police Commissioner Andrew Coster. Finally, there is good news. Finally, there’s…

It's thought the Christchurch Call's refresh is in-line with technology's rapid evolution. The call —designed to battle online extremism and hate content— is becoming a foundation. Taxpayer funding ends in July. Dame Jacinda Ardern will become patron, rather than New Zealand's special envoy. Gorilla Tech Chief Executive Paul Spain told Roman Traver…

Some police officers are sceptical about the Government's new crackdown on gangs. The Police Minister and Police Commissioner have announced the establishment of a new National Gang Unit. It'll have around 30 people and up to seven ring-fenced officers in each police district. Police Association President Chris Cahill told Roman Travers that if it …

There are concerns the Government's charter schools plan could be a political football. Associate Education Minister David Seymour's announced more than $150 million to set up 15 new charter schools in the next four years and convert 35 state school in the next two. Massey University's John O'Neill told Roman Travers that since the last government'…

Australia’s federal budget is due today. With gross debt predicted to rise above $1 trillion by 2026, Treasurer Jim Chalmers is walking a tightrope between offering cost-of-living relief without fuelling inflation. Repayments on Government debt have become the fastest growing expense in the budget, and Dr Chalmers is facing calls to continue cuttin…

All Blacks Captain Sam Cane has announced his retirement from the international stage. From next year he’ll take up a three-year contract with Suntory in Japan, where he spent this season’s sabbatical. Elliott Smith, Newstalk ZB’s rugby commentator, told Mike Hosking that it isn’t quite the bombshell people are calling it, but it is still earlier t…

There are calls for the government to better regulate salt content in our processed foods. Research from Otago and Auckland universities reveals about two thirds of packaged foods on supermarket shelves exceed the World Health Organisation benchmark. Stroke Foundation General Manager Jess Winchester says one fifth of New Zealanders already have hig…