Larry Williams Drive

Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta will travel to China on Tuesday for two days. This will be China's first visit from a Cabinet minister since 2019, and Nanaia Mahuta will be meeting new Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang. Nanaia Mahuta's trip comes as China’s President Xi Jinping travels to Moscow to support Russian President Vladimir Putin. NZME business commentator Fran O'Sullivan says the timing of this trip is a coincidence, as the Government has been looking to arrange a meeting between Foreign Ministers for some time. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister is still adamant that Auckland's Rail Link will be a 50-50 investment. Auckland City Rail Link, the nation’s largest ever transport project, has had a cost blowout of over $1b more due to Covid-19 and other revised costs. Auckland mayor Wayne Brown described this blowout as 'unsurprising' amid plans to reduce excess spending and get Auckland's debt down. Finance Minister Grant Robertson says this project has been a 50-50 investment between the Government and Auckland Council, and they have no plans to fully fund the project if the mayor backs out. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are growing concerns about Ginny Andersen as the new Police Minister. Andersen is the second-lowest ranking member of Cabinet with only two months in the role prior to this appointment. Dairy and Business Owners Group chair Sunny Kaushal didn't expect this choice, as he'd hoped Hipkins would pick someone with a higher ranking and more experience to be a Cabinet minister. Sunny Kaushal says the Prime Minister choosing a low-ranked Cabinet member with limited experience to be Police Minister shows the Government doesn't plan to take crime seriously.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vector supports moves by Auckland's mayor to reduce road cones and temporary traffic management. Wayne Brown says he wants savings from the $145 million Auckland Transport spends on traffic management, which he says is too disruptive. Vector Chief Executive Simon Mackenzie says it costs them $30 million a year, which is passed on to consumers. He says current regulations around traffic management aren't flexible enough. "It's not kind of a risk-based assessment based on the circumstances at that time of day or traffic volume or what else is going on in the surrounding area." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anti-trans protestors clashed with transgender rights activists at a UK anti-trans speakers tour in Victoria Australia. Protestors called transgender people names and performed the Nazi salute at Kellie-Jay Kenn-Minshull also known as Posie Parker's "Let Women Speak" rally. Australian Correspondent Oliver Peterson says Liberal state MP Moira Deeming made an appearance at the rally. "The fact that the Liberal MP was there when this was all going on is not a great look, so the leader of the Victorian Liberal Party has today decided regardless of your religious faith, race, sexual preference and identity, Victorians everywhere should know that the Liberal Party is inclusive. To be a voice for them, you've got to represent all Victorians, so he's booted her out."  Immigration New Zealand is reviewing whether to let the prominent anti-transgender activist into New Zealand. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand have won the second cricket test against Sri Lanka by an innings and 58 runs in the Wellington gloom. They take the series 2-nil, and maintain a run of 12 undefeated series at home. Kane Williamson took the final catch in the slips off Tim Southee, dismissing Kasun Rajitha for 20 off 110 balls. Sportstalk host Elliott Smith explained further. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister today struggled to detail what job the new Police Minister once did for police. Second-lowest ranking member of Cabinet, Ginny Andersen will pick up the portfolio. Chris Hipkins told reporters today she worked for police for 10 years. ZB's senior political correspondent Barry Soper says he's found out more from the PM's office. "She was a policy manager at the headquarters, during the time she was a strategic advisor on Māori, Pacific and Ethnic Services with a focus on reducing Māori offending."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Organisers of the South Island's 100 kilometre Ultra Marathon are shocked by reaction to their prize. CJM’s Events is offering $10,000 to the first person to do the event in under eight hours. But it's met widespread criticism around the world, with allegations of sexism and threats of a mass boycott. Owner John Moore says they hoped to celebrate a record breaking achievement this year, by either a male or a female. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Green Party says if Immigration barred an anti trans activist entering New Zealand, it would prevent a lot of violence and hassle. Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, aka Posie Parker is planning speaking events in Auckland and Wellington this weekend. She has a history of extreme anti-trans statements, and at an appearance in Melbourne over the weekend far right supporters chanted and threw Nazi salutes. Green Party rainbow issues spokesperson Elizabeth Kerekere says we don't want such action here. "We saw what happened in Melbourne, it wasn't just that people were doing Nazi salutes, it was actual violence against people who'd come to counter-protest." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A bitter end to a custody fight over a Maori child, whose Pakeha foster family has given up an ongoing legal battle. Stuff reports Oranga Tamariki three times took the girl, nicknamed Moana, before she was three before putting her with the couple. After four years, Oranga Tamariki then placed her with a Wellington Maori family, saying the couple couldn't meet her 'cultural needs'. Whanau Ora Commissioning Agency chair, Merepeka Ruakawa-Tait, says it's unbelievable. "This wonderful family, they provided for her emotional needs, her health and educational needs. And yes, they mightn't have been able to apply for her cultural needs, but with the family support, they could have done that." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump is riling up his base by saying he'll be arrested tomorrow. It's believed the former US President is talking about the years-long investigation into a hush money scheme involving adult film actress Stormy Daniels. US trial attorney Randy Zelin says this is just fanfare from Trump. He says former presidents are offered the opportunity to "surrender". "You walk into the courthouse, you walk into the precinct under your own power, you are fingerprinted, your picture taken and you will either walk over to the court or you're given another date to come back." LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Right, I'm going to tell you a story that makes me incredibly sad. And I want to know whether you think we’re doing things right in this country. Today, the family of Moana have announced they’re going to give her up because fighting to keep her is too stressful. Moana is a little girl, about seven or eight years old. Authorities took her away from her mum when she was three and placed her with a foster family in Hawke’s Bay. She'd already been taken away from her mum three times. She showed signs of sexual abuse, she flinched at the sight of men, she had rotten teeth and an untreated club foot. The foster family took her and raised her and she was then described as a happy, healthy, stable, young girl living in a loving relationship where for the first time she had a father. But then Oranga Tamariki, aka CYFS tried to take Moana away from her foster family because her foster parents are Pakeha and she is Māori and Oranga Tamariki didn’t think her foster family could provide her ‘cultural needs’. Legally they

What is the point in demoting Stuart Nash down the Cabinet rankings, but leaving him in all his ministerial portfolios?  Is anybody actually going to buy this charade of a punishment?  The only thing that's happened to him today is that there is now a 20 in front of his name instead of an 11, which might give him a slightly bruised ego because he’s the lowest ranked Cabinet minster now. But otherwise, everything else is still tickety-boo in Nashy land. He's still the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Economic Development, despite clearly breaching the rules of being a minister. He gets to keep the crown limo and the $296K dollars a year. This is just political theatre to make the pressure stop. So we’ve got three strikes now from Nash. The phone call to the police commissioner and the crack at the judge on the radio this week. Crown law considering prosecuting him in 2020 for commenting publicly on a killer’s case that was before the courts.  And now, another meddling revelation. He called an MBIE official 

Auckland's domestic airport is facing their biggest redevelopment since the terminal opened 57 years ago. Plans have been signed off to merge the domestic and international terminals and have them sit under one roof. The new airport will include 12 new domestic gates and a shorter - and covered - walk between terminals. Auckland Airport’s chief executive Carrie Hurihanganui says the existing terminal isn't fit for future purpose. "We are focused on ensuring that we do have a resilient terminal going forward that's going to last 30 to 40 plus years."  The new combined terminal is set to open between 2028 and 2029. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A concern Auckland Transport isn't focusing on the right things. Seven Auckland railway stations are getting new names, including the city’s busiest train station, Britomart. The Taxpayer's Union says it seems there are too many comms staff and not enough engineers at the agency. Executive Director Jordan Williams says there are so many other problems worth fixing. He says there is a bus driver shortage, closed rail lines and cost blowouts on the City Rail Link. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Hipkins has demoted Stuart Nash after his numerous breaches of the Cabinet manual. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Nash knows where the skeletons are, and if he was fired from Cabinet, he could go feral. "He'd have nothing to lose and he could bring the Government down in a screaming heap, and that's the last thing Chris Hipkins would want."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Pentagon has de-classified footage showing Russian fighter jets downing an American drone. Earlier in the week, the US claimed the Russian jets forced it to crash over the Black Sea by clipping its wing - something Russia denied. US correspondent Katherine Firkin says it backs up America's side of the story. Firkin says in a way Washington has called Moscow's bluff by releasing the footage. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A tech expert says banning TikTok from MP's phones is reasonable. New Zealand Parliament is following the lead of international partners and banning the TikTok app from MP's work phones, over national security fears. Technology commentator Bill Bennett says it has access to location and phone contact data, so it could be a security risk. "Basically, the Chinese law is that any data TikTok collects, the Chinese Government can have access to it."  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New research says the country needs to slash resource consent processing times to meet emissions targets. Resource consent processing times have gone up by 150 percent in eight years, which has added to the increased costs of projects. The Infrastructure Consenting for Climate Targets report says New Zealand is on track to incur an emissions liability of $7 billion by 2050. Infrastructure Commission chief executive Ross Copland says the Government has to be very clear about what it wants and doesn't want to cut processing times down by half. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No guarantee there won't be fresh revelations about Stuart Nash tomorrow, next week or the one after. The Napier MP's been in hot water after it was revealed he'd breached the Cabinet Manual twice, over comments made on Newstalk ZB. After resigning the police portfolio, he's now dropped to the lowest Cabinet ranking, after the Prime Minister became aware of a third indiscretion. Former MP Peter Dunne says three days this was a one-off, and the question is where the Prime Minister draws the line. "There's already a suggestion that he gave him a final warning a couple of days ago, and now a second final warning today. This can't go on, the reputation of both men starts to suffer." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.